Considering different Bulldogs

Vols are preoccupied with switching topic to Mississippi State

  • By Drew Edwards
  • Posted October 10, 2007 at 9:06 p.m. , updated October 10, 2007 at 9:06 p.m.
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Tennessee Stat Book

Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis could tolerate a rehash of Saturday's Georgia game for only so long.

Turns out, he made it through six questions - barely longer than three minutes in real time - before closing the book on one Bulldogs team to open the book on another group of Bulldogs.

"Our focus needs to go on in a hurry to Mississippi State," Chavis said to a collection of reporters Tuesday morning. "I'm not going to take any more questions about last week.

"That one's gone, and our focus needs to be on Mississippi State."

That's the same refrain players and coaches had after losses to Cal and Florida earlier this season.

Except that this time, the Vols happened to be on the winning end of a lopsided score.

Yet in advance of a trip to Mississippi State on Saturday (TV: Pay-per-view, 2:30 p.m. EDT), forgetting that 35-14 victory over Georgia might be the best thing No. 25 Tennessee can do.

The confidence can linger, just not so much that it gets in the way of the Vols' chances to win the wide-open SEC East.

The Vols have handled disappointment so far, bouncing back to 1-1 in the SEC and 3-2 overall. Now they'll get their first chance to prove they handle success.

After Saturday, the trappings were everywhere.

Wide receiver Josh Briscoe had 20 congratulatory text messages and plenty of voice mails.

Offensive lineman Jacques McClendon had a lot, too.

UT coach Phillip Fulmer's voice mail was full by Sunday evening and his e-mail was overflowing with congratulatory messages.

"I appreciate them, I really do," Fulmer said.

At the same time, he says, "You've got to turn the page and move on. There's always that concern after a tough loss or a big win. You've got to go on. You've got 12 opportunities, and you have to make the most of every one."

For quarterback Erik Ainge, the easiest way to forget last Saturday's win was to get back into the film room and begin looking at Mississippi State.

There's a lot to digest there, at least defensively.

It starts with safety Derek Pegues, one of the SEC's best defensive backs, and defensive end Titus Brown, who has nine quarterback hurries and is second in the SEC with six sacks.

Those are just two of many, many faces the Vols will see on defense this week.

And the Bulldogs' pass defense jumps out, too.

Opponents are averaging just 193 yards a game passing. South Carolina's 279 yards is the most Mississippi State (4-2, 1-2) has given up all season, and three opponents - LSU, Auburn and Tulane - failed to top 200 yards.

"It's 100-something, 100-something all the way down the list," Ainge said, referring to Mississippi State's opponent passing totals. "We know we have our work cut out for us, and we know if we don't lose, good things are going to happen for us."

That's where amnesia - and maturity - takes over.

At one point against Georgia, Ainge was the only senior on the field. On defense, the Vols are barely more experienced.

But that doesn't mean Tennessee doesn't have maturity, says guard Anthony Parker.

"We've got the older guys who can have the mentality and let everybody else know that we got that one win, but that does nothing for us," he said. "It's time to move on to the rest of them, and take it one game at a time."

Cliche as it is, that's how Fulmer feels, too.

"You do everything you can to turn the page," he said. "I believe our team is mature enough to turn the page. I really do."

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

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Comments » 12

Blizake writes:

The article was talking about how Eric Ainge was the only senior on the feild at one point in the GA. game and think how good we played and just think about when those players get more experiance how good we can be.. I think this year will be an Ok season but the ones to come will be good for the Vols!!

RangerForSix writes:

That is the 'only way' that UT will win this weekend.
OK, Here It Is...

"Did they prepare mentally, emotionally and physically."
Because If they did, we'll see,
"60 minutes of hats flying to the ball" on defense.

"And we'll see, on a beautiful autumn afternoon, Ainge and company dissect the MSU passing defense. The "O"...they'll dump 35 on them and force a running team with young QB's and a banged up starter, to out score us."

Folks, 'MSU won't 'get er done' on Saturday:' We'll not come 'to play', we'll come 'to win'!

Ainge; 28-34 with 378 yards passing.
If he's that hot throwing to everybody, everywhere, and he's been hot... our running backs will get 40 carries and over 200 yards running too!! GAME OVER.

"It will steal the heart out of MSU"
and more importantly it will 'keep us out of one of those crappy slam/bam games'. Those can be dangerous...ESPECIALLY on the road...

So...No Turnovers, and completions, completions, completions...
Get ahead by a couple of scores throwing it everywhere, to everyone, then start running a lot more; but always to score!

We've got to have the guts, 'with the advantage of having a hot senior QB', who's beaten Georgia 3 times, Alabama twice, South Carolina twice, etc., to go out and and trust him to get us a lead on the road, again.
Hell change to a run, if it looks like the better play: just like he did last week and almost every game he's played at UT. He also knows clearly we've got an All-American punter who can turn the field on every kick!

It's just that,

"We must be aggressive offensively, on the road!" We must soften them up with 'several aerial strikes' 7, 8, 9 in a row, then attack with the running game."

I'd "love a blow out"... like Georgia was, 'between the hedges', last season. Or Georgia this year for that matter!

Anyway:
"Aggressive Gang tackling, solid, ornery blocking, good ball control, throw and catch perfectly, an Excellent running attack, No T.O.'s, composure, excellent field position, create some MSU T.O.'s equals....ANOTHER UT VICTORY IN 07..."

But, bottom line is always..."Just Win Baby!"

Go VOLS

Regulator writes:

How's this for an unlikely, unfathomable, yet possible scenario:

1-UT wins out to make it to SEC Championship
2-LSU wins out, remains #1 to SEC Championship
3-Florida wins out to remain Top 10
4-Oklahoma loses one more game
5-Ohio State loses to Michigan
6-Cal wins out, remains #2
7-South Florida loses a game
8-Boston College loses a game
9-UT soundly beats LSU in SEC Championship

Ladies and gentleman, your BCS National Championship Game is:

Tennessee vs. California!!!

As I said, highly unlikely, and I don't have complete faith in #1 above, but food for thought.

CrankE writes:

bc, my August dream for the Vols went something similar.

The reality is that if Tennessee gets there, they'll have to be extremely fortunate. If LSU remains undefeated, they'll be #1. A win over LSU at that point would be payback with interest for 2001, but first things first.

Right now, it's all about MSU. Just win, baby. GO VOLS!!!

threehundredbowler writes:

Ranger for six,I believe you just described a perfect team.No team in america would lose with a senerio as that.It's good to daydream though.Be real next time.

missrvrvol writes:

Geez someone figured out how we get to the NC game. Give me a break. Lets just beat MSU and move on....

vols76 writes:

bcmelton.....Florida will have to lose....if they don't we will never pass them in the polls...they are 12th with 2 losses and we are 24th with 2 losses...we have futher to climb than they do....polls are crooked we lose to a ranked team and drop big time.....USC or Florida lose to an unranked team and drop a little.....that is the fact of life....

DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:

Folks, these cowbell-loving Bulldogs will JUMP UP AND BITE OUR BUTTS and MAKE US LOSERS if we don't SHUT UP ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE this week.

RUN IT DOWN THEIR THROATS ARIAN, LAMARCUS, MONTARIO AND LENNON...BUST A MOVE!

jhenson#377512 writes:

On any given day any team can win or lose to any other team. (i.e. App St over Michigan and Stanford over USC. Unfortunately, Tennessee's inconsistencies over the last 6 or 7 years have been legendary.) So anyone looking past MSU this weekend is nuts. I'm not saying nor have I said that we should have gone to Berkley and beat Cal, nor did I claim we should have gone to Gainseville and won against the Gators, but we damn sure shouldn't have lost by 2 TD's and 5+ TD's respectively. On the flip side of that coin, I didn't expect us to bounce back and beat the dog out of the puppy dogs...but we did (btw...for my lack of faith, my wife has fed me CROW all week in a multitude of tastey varieties). All I'm saying is that in recent years, it has been rare indeed when, as was the case last Saturday, the Defense, Offense, and Special Teams all got off the bus at the same stadium on the same day and until they prove that they are reversing that trend, we had better approach every game as if it's the toughest one on the schedule.

aj_vol#248433 writes:

TDTN blah blah blah....why not add your usual criticism of the coaching staff?

Why not got rain on a Bama fan's parade?

Regulator writes:

IF, and that's a BIG IF, UT does win out and somehow wins the SEC Title, it doesn't matter what their rank is at the time, or what anybody else's rank is for that matter. SEC Champ gets a guaranteed BCS Bowl Game. In this scenario, no way Florida gets a BCS Bowl as well, the other bid would go to LSU. I could be wrong, but I believe each conference is only allowed two BCS slots at the most. As for the rest of my scenario, why would it be a team other than UT? Conference champ of the toughest conference. A win over previously undefeated and #1 LSU. A loss to undefeated and #2 Cal. A loss to a top ten Florida team. Plus, according to some ESPN guru, he thinks 10 teams from the SEC will make bowl games this year. Yes, I know, bowl games aren't what they used to be, but UT winning out would include at least 6 wins over bowl teams. Makes for a good argument in my estimation. Do I think this will at all happen? Not in a million years, but it IS possible. Let's hope they take care of MSU Saturday, and go from there. Build on the positives from the Georgia game, don't let that effort be in vain.

Regulator writes:

Also, am I not mistaken, or did FSU not have two loses in '98? If everything played out according to my dream sequence, there's not a one loss conference champ out there that would get preference over UT. No team from the ACC, except for possibly Virginia Tech, and they were absolutely embarrassed by LSU. Maybe West Virginia from the Big East, but they're on the outside looking in right now. Does anyone think that South Florida will make the BCS Title Game? Politics will squeeze them out, if they don't lose a game between now and then. Assuming that Michigan wins out and wins the Big Ten, NO WAY do they make the BCS Title game after losing to App. State. If Cal wins out, that gives USC two loses, minimum. Oklahoma is the wild card here, but if it's not them from the Big 12, it won't be anybody. Go Big Orange!

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