Tennessee's defense this week can appreciate how Davy Crockett might have felt at the Alamo.

Or, perhaps, how Custer's cavalry felt hunkered down on Last Stand Hill.

In short, nobody's giving the Vols much chance of surviving the assault that's on the way Saturday when Arkansas romps into Neyland Stadium.

General, uh, defensive coordinator John Chavis, however, has not spent the past week looking for a white flag to wave prior to the 12:30 p.m. kickoff (TV: WVLT).

Chavis has never been much of a spin doctor, but he's clearly trying to buck up his troops' confidence to face Arkansas (6-3, 2-3 SEC), the nation's No. 2 rushing team, and its deadly backfield tandem of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

"Rather than it being a challenge, it can be an opportunity also,'' Chavis said this week.

"I may be saying something different after the game but we're excited about going out and seeing how we can match up.''

On paper, the 22nd-ranked Vols (6-3, 3-2) don't match up favorably.

Arkansas is coming off a 531-yard rushing stampede in a 48-36 win over South Carolina. The Razorbacks rank 12th nationally in total offense and are not one-dimensional now that star receiver Marcus Monk is healthy again.

Tennessee remains in contention for the SEC East title despite a defense that ranks among the worst the program has ever seen.

"This won't be a Tennessee defense that is going to go down in history, so to speak,'' said Chavis, "but we've had some moments where we played well against some very good football teams.

"And then we've had some moments where we've been pretty bad.''

The bad outnumber the good. In all three of UT's losses, the defense was torched by big plays. Even in a win over South Carolina, the Vols gave up 501 yards of offense.

And yet on Oct. 6 Tennessee dominated Georgia, 35-14, holding the Bulldogs to 69 yards rushing.

Somehow the Vols have to tap into that Georgia effort and channel it again Saturday.

"That's a starting place,'' Chavis said, "but this will be a totally different scenario.''

It wasn't a pleasant scenario last year when UT went to Arkansas. McFadden, Jones and Monk took turns making plays in a 31-14 Razorback victory.

The Vols hang some hope on the fact that Arkansas did almost all its damage in a second-quarter whirlwind last year.

"If you take care of business like we did in three of those quarters and get off the field, you don't let them get in a rhythm,'' said senior defensive end Xavier Mitchell.

"Once they got in a rhythm, that's what made it tough on us.''

To avoid Arkansas getting in a fatal rhythm, Chavis said it will be critical for the Vols to maintain confidence, even when the Razorbacks make plays.

"We didn't get it done last year (in the second quarter),'' he said, "but that's where confidence comes in, that we didn't get it done that third down but we're going to get it done the next third down or we're going to get a turnover.

"We're going to stop this drive and get this swung in our favor.''

It's asking a lot. McFadden and Jones may be as good a 1-2 punch as Tennessee has faced in a long, long time. Their combined 487 rushing yards against South Carolina was an NCAA record for two players on the same team.

As Chavis said, it's a great opportunity.

Davy Crockett couldn't have put it better.

History Check: Six backs have rushed for 200 yards against Tennessee. The only one to do it on Chavis' watch was Nebraska's Ahman Green in the Orange Bowl following the 1997 season.

The record, 217 yards, is shared by Bobby Humphrey of Alabama (1986) and Mike Pritchard of Colorado (1990).

The Vols have survived a 476-yard passing day by Tim Couch of Kentucky in 1997, as well as 521 yards of total offense by Whit Taylor of Vanderbilt in 1981.

But rushing yardage takes a greater toll. UT is 7-0 when an opponent passes for 400 yards, but 0-7 when an opponent rushes for 400 yards.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.