Offense shows some new wrinkles

Critics could call it running up the score. Tennessee called it getting better.

"Our whole theme for this game was to get better," offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe said of UT's offensive approach late in a 59-7 romp over Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

"You can't sit on it and get better. We weren't trying to run the score up. We weren't trying to embarrass anybody."

UT didn't just stay within the framework of its offense to score 14 fourth-quarter points with the game already in hand.

The Vols also unveiled a new offensive package with receiver Gerald Jones playing quarterback. The freshman ran for 20 yards on two carries from the shotgun - including a 12-yard touchdown to put the Vols up by 52 points.

"There's a few more things with that," Cutcliffe said of the package. "We're going to have some fun with that.

"I think Gerald Jones is a natural quarterback. Believe me. He's really good back there and he can throw the football."

The Vols worked extensively on the Jones package in the preseason. But it was shelved, almost permanently, when Jones suffered a pulled hamstring earlier this season.

Some, including Cutcliffe, thought the injury could end Jones' season, but when he came back, so did the new look.

"Early in the year, had he stayed healthy, we would have been using it early," Cutcliffe said. "When we were recruiting him, I told him I wanted to do that. I liked Gerald a lot as a quarterback in high school."

Jones, who won a state title in 2006 playing quarterback for Millwood High School in Oklahoma City, isn't available for interviews, as per UT's policy on freshmen.

Cutcliffe maintained that the package wasn't just something UT planned to use against a weak non-conference opponent. With three consecutive SEC games left - against Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Kentucky - fans will soon find out.

"I think it could be kind of exciting for us down the stretch," Cutcliffe said. "You just have to see the situation, whether we can use it or not."

Head coach Phillip Fulmer implied that using the package on Saturday has paid dividends.

"That'll make other people have to work on it at least," he said.

Next week's opponent, Arkansas, knows something about such a package. The Razorbacks drew national acclaim last season for a similar package in which Heisman candidate Darren McFadden played quarterback.

The Vols also were plenty aggressive in the more traditional passing game.

Junior college speedster Kenny O'Neal caught a 49-yard touchdown pass, his first score as a Vol, in the fourth quarter. Cutcliffe said ULL was pressing UT's receivers at the line when he decided to call the deep pass.

"I just called the game as if it was nothing to nothing at that point," Cutcliffe said.

Right Place, Right Man: Antonio Wardlow scored his second UT touchdown on a blocked punt when he caught the ball in midair at the 20-yard line and sprinted into the end zone.

The punt was blocked by Nevin McKenzie at the Ragin' Cajun 38-yard line. McKenzie said, through studying ULL, that it would often leave a hole in the middle of their offensive line on punts.

"I was planning on being able to get back there somehow," McKenzie said.

The last time Wardlow scored came after he blocked a punt against Georgia in 2006. That play landed the Winston-Salem, N.C., native on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the first such honor for a Vol since receiver Peerless Price landed on the front of the magazine following UT's national championship.

For UT, it was the second blocked punt of 2007, the first coming against Georgia by Ellix Wilson.

Climbing: Arian Foster rushed 20 times for 100 yards, giving him 2,001 career yards. Foster is only the 12th Vol to top the 2,000 mark.

"It's an accomplishment I'm proud of," said Foster, who is 11th on UT's all-time career rushing list.

Foster passed Stanley Morgan (1973-76, 1,952 yards). He is 60 yards away from Aaron Hayden (1991-94, 2,061) for 11th place.

Just a junior, Foster is within reach of becoming UT's all-time leading rusher. Travis Henry (1997-2000) holds that record with 3,078 career yards.

Injury Report: Defensive tackle Chase Nelson suffered either a broken or dislocated right wrist. Sophomore receiver Austin Rogers and sophomore defensive end Wes Brown both suffered shoulder injuries.

Sparse Crowd: Saturday's crowd of 96,197 was the smallest for a UT home game since 1995 when the Vols played Vanderbilt in front of 92,274. The ULL crowd was the lowest since Neyland Stadium was expanded before the 1996 season.

Lead Ship: With Navy beating Notre Dame 46-44, UT's current winning streak of 22 games over Kentucky becomes the longest active in the nation. The Fighting Irish had beaten the Midshipmen 43 consecutive times before Saturday.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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