About the only excuse for not having seen Montario Hardesty's touchdown run against California would be an extended vacation.

In Antarctica.

The redshirt freshman's 43-yard touchdown got plenty of airtime on ESPN all weekend.

You know, the one where he fights off Cal linebacker Zack Follett and emerges from a pile of Golden Bears and shoots into the end zone.

"Everybody just asked me, 'How'd you get out of that?' " Hardesty said Tuesday. "They didn't know if I'd still have the speed to take it to the end zone after that. I kind of showed them that too, not just breaking all those tackles."

Get used to it, and not just from Hardesty.

Tennessee, which shot up to No. 11 Tuesday's Associated Press poll from its No. 23 preseason ranking and up to No. 17 in the USA Today coaches poll, has three backs who can break the big one.

"Every one of us can produce," starter Arian Foster said Tuesday. "Everyone can bust a long run or get that short yardage. We've got a great combination of backs."

Foster led the Vols with 69 yards rushing on 17 carries in Saturday's upset victory over Cal.

That game marked the first time the sophomore running back rushed for less than 100 yards in his six starts.

Hardesty was right behind with 56 yards on five carries, highlighted by his highlight reel touchdown carry in the third quarter.

Even redshirt freshman LaMarcus Coker got into the act, rushing for 53 yards on 11 carries.

Most impressive, perhaps, is the fact that each player broke a run longer than 20 yards.

All told, the Vols rushed for 216 yards and averaged 5.3 yards a carry against a highly touted California defensive front.

Those are impressive numbers, especially considering they accomplished it mostly against an eight-man front.

That's much the same look Air Force will bring into Neyland Stadium for Saturday's 7 p.m. kickoff.

Foster thinks that might change as the season goes along.

"I knew they had eight men in the box all the time," Foster said of Cal. "I knew the run game wasn't going to be as successful as everybody thought it was, but it opened up the pass. We got a lot of great things done in the pass."

"They're going to have to switch it up. We can run and pass, we've shown that. It's going to be tough on opposing defensive coordinators."

But it won't be tough on UT's running backs, says Hardesty.

"As a group, I think we got a lot of good players, a lot of playmakers at running back," he said. "I don't think we have a selfish group. Each person does different things differently than anyone else, so I think we could all play and help the team out."

What helps most is the different looks both backs give.

Hardesty, who is slightly smaller at 6-foot, 205 pounds, says both try to run with a combination of speed and power, but the 6-1, 215 Foster has a different style and stride.

"Arian, he runs real graceful. He's more of a strider," Hardesty said. "We don't run the same. Just us two coming in, defenses can't prepare for both of us because we've got two different styles."

All three backs brought a smile to coach Phillip Fulmer's face during his Tuesday press conference.

"I like where they are right now as two redshirt freshmen and a redshirt sophomore," Fulmer said. "They've got a very bright future. I really like the way Kurt Roper coaches them and how they've responded accordingly. They'll continue to improve."