Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom didn't attempt to disguise his offensive intentions the week of the Tennessee game.

"We're going to line up and run the football," he said emphatically.

UT's defense took that as a challenge. It responded by holding the Bulldogs to 135 yards rushing.

Never mind that Anthony Dixon rushed for 108 yards. Almost any lead running back who plays four quarters gets 100 yards on UT's defense.

For example, even in UT's 59-7 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette, the opponent had a 100-yard rusher. Tyrell Fenroy rushed for 113 yards and an 8.1-yard-average per carry. He's the second Sun Belt Conference runner to rush for more than 100 yards against the Vols.

That brings us to the next challenge. If UT can't hold the Sun Belt's finest under 100 yards, you're probably wondering how it can even slow down the two best running backs in the SEC - particularly since it gets them on the same afternoon.

Arkansas coach Houston Nutt doesn't have to issue a Croom-like statement before Saturday's game. The Razorbacks' numbers speak for themselves.

And the challenge is as obvious as the most recent stats.

Felix Jones rushed for 163 yards on 12 carries in Arkansas' 48-36 victory over South Carolina on Saturday night. He averaged 13 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns.

That was the second best performance of the evening. Teammate Darren McFadden tied an SEC single-game rushing record with 321 yards.

McFadden is fourth in the nation in rushing yards per game. Jones is 21st. They're also first and second in the SEC.

And Saturday in Neyland Stadium, they will be going against a rushing defense that ranks ninth in the conference. So is there any reason for UT fans to be optimistic?

Surprisingly, yes.

Remember what Georgia did the week before its game with UT? It looked virtually unstoppable in rushing for 328 yards against Ole Miss.

A week later, the Bulldogs managed 69 yards rushing against UT.

Why do you think the Vols did so well?

Possible answer: An open date gave them two weeks to prepare for the Bulldogs.

Better answer: The fear factor.

In its last game before Georgia, UT gave up 130 yards rushing to Arkansas State's Reggie Arnold. The week before that, it gave up 59 points to Florida.

The Vols weren't just in danger of losing to Georgia. They were in danger of being embarrassed.

Their defense responded with its best game of the season.

Another possible embarrassment - and I think South Carolina defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix will back me up on this - is looming Saturday.

"It's embarrassing," Nix told The State newspaper after watching Arkansas rush for 541 yards on his team. "It's sad that somebody can run the ball like they did. I hope both of those guys come out in the (NFL) draft early."

The next draft will be too late for the Vols. They need Arkansas' junior stars to go pro before Saturday. Otherwise, the Vols will be left to their own devices, the greatest of which should be the fear factor.

The defense is in danger of being embarrassed again. That should be all the motivation it needs.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.