Michael Patrick

Tennessee's Arian Foster dives over the top of the line for a 1-yard touchdown against Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The Vols celebrated homecoming by crushing the Ragin' Cajuns 59-7, improving to 6-3 for the season.

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In preparing for Arkansas, Tennessee had to remember South Carolina.

And then take it all out on Louisiana-Lafayette.

A week before the 24th ranked Vols return to SEC play against Arkansas and a week after squandering a 21-point halftime lead against the Gamecocks, Tennessee sent a second half message against Louisiana-Lafayette.

A message that included 35 unanswered points to end a 59-7 blowout win and a glimpse at what Tennessee's coaches hope the future holds.

Long before first-year wide receivers Gerald Jones and Kenny O'Neal scored touchdowns, first-year players had made an impact.

And before that, Tennessee's offense found the finishing strokes that nearly cost it last week's overtime win over the Gamecocks.

The Vols scored on all four of their second half possessions (and seven of eight for the game) against the Ragin' Cajuns, a sharp departure from last week when five of UT's second-half drives ended in three-and-outs.

"Coach (David) Cutcliffe said it, 'We got to go out there and put it on 'em,' " tailback Arian Foster said about the UT offensive coordinator. "In the South Carolina game we were up 21-0, and they came back.

"As soon as (Louisiana-Lafayette) scored on that opening possession, we said to ourselves this is not going to happen again. We're not going to let this happen again."

Thirteen plays after the Ragin' Cajuns made the score 24-7, Quintin Hancock grabbed a 5-yard touchdown pass and the Vols didn't let up.

Tennessee needed considerably fewer plays on offense the rest of the second half to score on its other three possessions.

And fewer veteran players, too.

True freshman Lennon Creer - seeing extended playing time as the Vols' third tailback with Friday's dismissal of sophomore LaMarcus Coker - took his first carry of the game 30 yards for a touchdown.

Sophomore quarterback Jonathan Crompton then moved the Vols 92 yards in eight plays, the last of which was a 49-yard touchdown to O'Neal.

That catch was the junior college transfer's second reception of the season.

Tennessee's last score was all younger players, too.

Creer had runs of 14 and 28 yards. True freshman Denarius Moore had a 12-yard reception.

And then Jones rushed for 8 yards before running into the end zone from 12 yards out - all while playing quarterback.

"We've got some young talent on this offense," Cutcliffe said. "I would expect us to get better every week. I like where we are with our line. There's a lot to build on."

It sure looked that way Saturday.

Creer, who entered the game with 101 yards rushing, had 109 yards and a score on just seven carries.

That came just a week after UT coach Phillip Fulmer thought Creer might need knee surgery.

"He's been banged up, but this week in practice he looked like Lennon again," Cutcliffe said. "When he touched the ball, it was pretty obvious he was special (Saturday)."

Foster was special, too, rushing for two touchdowns and 102 yards, enough to make him just the 13th Tennessee back to pass the 2,000-yard mark for his career.

Tennessee's run game averaged 7 yards a carry, helped by Creer's 15.6 yards per carry average.

Even the offensive line, which lost its most experienced in player in left tackle Eric Young last week to season-ending knee surgery, got a boost from younger players.

Sophomore Jacques McClendon was impressive in his second start at right guard, and Chris Scott did well at left tackle.

"We had a couple of pass (protection) breakdowns, but as far as the run game, the push was outstanding," Cutcliffe said. "We really were able to do what we wanted to run scheme-wise.

"Two-hundred seventy-three yards rushing, that's a tribute to your offensive line."

Even with the run game rolling, UT's younger receivers made an impact.

Hancock, playing several snaps in the first half because of an injury to Austin Rogers, added five catches for 32 yards.

Moore grabbed four passes for 36 yards.

They also grabbed a whole bunch of confidence.

"It helped a lot," senior tight end Chris Brown said. "We needed that. Those younger guys have been waiting on that opportunity to get in there and play."

Now the challenge becomes carrying those positives over to the final three games.

The Vols host Arkansas next, with Vanderbilt and Kentucky to finish the regular seasons.

Three wins, and the Vols are in Atlanta. Anything less and the future isn't as bright.

"We pretty much put together a whole game," Brown said. "Coming out against Arkansas next week, we'll need to do the same thing."

Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.