Mayo: 'He's not going to win Heisman in Neyland'

For the better part of a week, Tennessee's defense heard the questions.

In nearly every possible way it could be asked.

In one way or another, most centered around Arkansas tailbacks Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and the SEC's most powerful and productive running attack.

Following No. 22 Tennessee's emphatic 34-13 victory Saturday afternoon, Jerod Mayo had the most emphatic answer to all those questions.

"He's a great back," Mayo said. "But he's not going to win the Heisman Trophy in Neyland Stadium. I promise you that."

Mayo and his defensive teammates were men of their word.

After tying an SEC record with 321 rushing yards last weekend, McFadden finished with 117 Saturday.

The Razorbacks had just 289 yards as a team, their lowest output of the year save for a 193-yard showing in a loss to Auburn.

While the questions were unavoidable all week from the media and even from classmates, the Vols had a quiet confidence about stopping Arkansas' run game.

"I don't want this to come off wrong because I've got a tremendous amount of respect for Arkansas. They've got a fine football team," defensive coordinator John Chavis said. "But I felt and we felt as a coaching staff that if we got lined up, they'd have a tough time moving the football on us."

So they thinned out the playbook - the smallest one Chavis said he's ever taken into a game - and focused on being in the right spot.

If the Vols were aligned right and played the right assignment, the rest would take care of itself.

Did it ever.

In the first half, Arkansas ran just 20 offensive plays and held the ball for a paltry 9:05.

The Razorbacks averaged 3 yards on 12 carries and their longest play went for 11 yards.

They had one first down in 30 minutes of football, and couldn't convert any of their six third- or fourth-down tries.

Arkansas didn't have a drive longer than six plays until the third quarter.

UT's defense forced six three-and-outs and had three interceptions.

In short, the Vols got Arkansas off script and off balance.

"Our game is getting a lot of yards on first down and keeping them off balance," Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt said. "It was the opposite."

And it was opposite of the way Tennessee's defense has played at times this season.

In losses to Cal, Florida and Alabama, UT's defense gave up more than 1,500 yards of total offense.

Lesser players than McFadden and Jones had shredded UT's defense.

But that was then. Saturday is the now for Tennessee's defense.

"I mentioned this last week, it's probably not a defense that will go down in Tennessee history, because we've had our struggles," Chavis said. "But it's a team, a defensive football team, that's gotten better each week. We've had some tough times, but we've gotten better each week."

The improvement on the defensive front appeared stunning Saturday.

Defensive tackles Demonte' Bolden, Dan Williams, J.T. Mapu and Walter Fisher plugged gaps.

Ends Xavier Mitchell, Robert Ayers, Antonio Reynolds and Wes Brown made Arkansas' backs run to the sideline.

And the cavalry made sure they didn't turn the corner.

"I think I might have taken on a lineman once all day," said Mayo, who led the Vols defense with nine tackles and scored on a 34-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee's secondary, depleted by injuries, rose to the occasion.

True freshman safety Eric Berry had two interceptions. Senior safety Jonathan Hefney, maligned at times for his play this season, had eight tackles and broke up a pass in the end zone.

A mix of DeAngelo Willingham, Brent Vinson and Dennis Rogan at cornerback held Marcus Monk to just three catches for 26 yards.

The Vols answered all the questions Saturday.

A fired-up Bolden even asked a few of his own after the game.

"We stopped the run. McFadden was going to the outside," he said. "How many yards did he rush for? 118? It wasn't up the middle.

"Anything else?"

Not Saturday.

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

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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