Audio:
- Dave Hooker interviews Phillip Fulmer
- Dave Hooker interviews offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe
- Dave Hooker interviews DT coach Dan Brooks
- Dave Hooker interviews DB coach Larry Slade
- Dave Hooker interviews QB Erik Ainge
- Dave Hooker interviews LB Ryan Karl
- Dave Hooker interviews DE Xavier Mitchell
- Dave Hooker interviews DT Dan Williams
Event Details
- What: Tennessee vs. Southern Mississippi
- When: Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007, 7 p.m.
- Where: Neyland Stadium
- Cost: Not available
- Age limit: All ages
Tennessee Stat Book
By now, everyone knows about LaMarcus Coker's speed and his ability to break free for a big play.
But exactly how much of an impact the sophomore running back will have in No. 24 Tennessee's home opener Saturday is anybody's guess.
Coker, returned last month from a 17-day suspension for an unspecified violation of team rules, will be available for the first time this season after missing last week's trip to California.
However, UT offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe isn't sure exactly what to expect from Coker on the field Saturday, when the Vols host defending Conference USA champion Southern Miss for a 7 p.m. kickoff (TV: Pay-per-view).
"He didn't practice with us at all prior to the California game - he just went with the scout team - so I don't know what kind of shape he's in," Cutcliffe said. "We'll just see day to day. (Monday) he was pretty rusty from knowing what to do and learning. He hadn't been in a meeting really."
An offense that could have used another big play or two in a 45-31 loss last to Cal last Saturday has plenty of room for a player like Coker, whose dynamics are hard to argue.
As a redshirt freshman last season, he led the Vols with 696 yards rushing. That mark was better than any other freshman posted in the SEC and seventh overall in the conference.
In 11 games, he has two of the longest runs in Tennessee history.
"I'm really glad we get LaMarcus back," said tight end Chris Brown, who caught a pair of touchdowns against Cal. "His speed adds a lot to our game, adds a lot to our offense. He has that big-play thing. Every time he gets the ball, you never know. He could go 90 yards in a split second. That's going to be good for our offense."
And good for Coker, who spent time away from the program while fulfilling obligations set by UT coach Phillip Fulmer and athletic director Mike Hamilton for his reinstatement.
Brown, for one, sees a change in Coker.
"He's the same guy, really, LaMarcus has always been, but he's much more serious about it, doing things that he needs to do. And he knows he messed up," Brown said. "That's what everybody was hoping he would realize - that he messed up on his own and it was no one else's fault but his. I think he realized that."
Running backs coach Kurt Roper, who has a close relationship with Coker off the field, can vouch for that.
"With keeping things within the team, the thing he needed to do is accountability," Roper said. "Did he need major changes? No. You've heard me say it a bunch of times: He's a good person, a good-hearted person and a nice person, a guy you like to be around.
"But you've got to make sound decisions, and you've got to be accountable in everything that you do within school, football and all those things. We got to know what's going to happen."
When asked if he has a better feel now for what might happen with Coker in the future, Roper replied: "I think it's ongoing. I don't think it ever stops. I'm proud of the effort that he's doing, and I hope it keeps going that way."
So does Fulmer, who said Tuesday that Coker is down to his final chance after his second suspension in less than a year.
Coker was held out of UT's final week of Outback Bowl preparations in Knoxville last December for an unspecified violation.
"He is working hard to take care of his business from an academic standpoint, socially and certainly athletically," Fulmer said. "We'll continue to work with him, but as he clearly understands, there are no more chances."
How many chances Coker gets on the field remains to be seen.
Carries were tight last week, with junior Arian Foster and sophomore Montario Hardesty getting just 21 between them last week.
Foster led the way with an average of 6.8 yards a carry, helped by a 42-yarder that nearly resulted in a touchdown.
Coker's impact could be felt in the passing game, too.
During spring practice, coaches talked about using him as a slot receiver, and he's already proved he's a reliable target after catching 13 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown last year.
"He's a heck of a football player," Roper said. "He's electric, really fast, a guy that for the most part knows what to do. It's good when you get your players back. We've got a good group that works well together."
Coker, who asked not to speak with the media Tuesday, has kept up with his workouts, although he is somewhat behind after missing two weeks of practices and meetings during fall camp.
But he's back, and that's a step in the right direction. A really fast, step, says quarterback Erik Ainge.
"You miss his speed," Ainge said. "You forget how fast he is when he's not practicing. He's fresh. He's been doing his weight workouts and doing everything he's supposed to be doing. I'm confident he'll be ready to go."
Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.
© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 101
andy112382#209793 writes:
Glad to have Coker back.
GO VOLS!!!
snafu14u#241639 writes:
Coker hasn't made a tackle since he's been here.But to be fair he hasn't missed one either.I'm more worried about 22 missed tackles than Coker being in the backfield. He will have a bigger impact on the Florida game, if he's still on the team at that time.What's been done on the defensive side of the ball for the upcoming game? bonzaivol
bloodrunsorange writes:
He’s the first of 5 with real speed that can help. PLAY THE SPEED!
BleedOrange writes:
He is a great back, but...one more body to divide time in the backfield. Why not pick a guy and stick with him? Arian looked great. I believe he averaged 6.7 a carry. Why mess with a good thing? Stick with one guy and ride him. Now the stats will read Coker 6 carries, Foster 9 carries, Hardesty 4 carries. You get the picture. We need 1 feature back period.
TurboFan writes:
What a reward: screw up somehow, get suspended, miss all of preseason practice in 100 degree heat, miss only one game against a tough opponent then come back for the easier (or maybe not so easy) game? Coker should remain on the bench. If not for the respect of his teammates that did everything right then for the sake of shaking off the rust. Issues are on the defensive side of the ball.
hueypilot writes:
Someone close to the program told me of several very difficult situations that Coker has had to deal with. These are of a highly personal nature and let me just say they are things a young man in his late teens or early 20's should not have to deal with. (I know I just ended two sentences with prepositions with apologies to Mrs. Jean Litterer) This is in no way is offered as an excuse to use drugs or skip classes or do whatever it was to get suspended (I wasn't told that part and don't really care) but it might help to be a little more sympathetic to these young men, many of whom come from an environment that is, to put it mildly, a little different that Archie and Olivia's home in the Garden District. No snide remarks here, just saying that many of them come from backgrounds that make their graduating high school a big accomplishment, given their lack of support at home. I hope this kid gets his priorities straight and gets back on the field where he can be an electrifying player.
RunRunPassPunt writes:
Put the best atheletes on the field and let them play!! How rusty can he be? We run 4 plays - run right, run left, pass to the right flat, and pass to the left flat.
vol4jesus writes:
RRPP how optimistic we are today! Wow they only give us 4 color choices on the lights at the intersection. Won't be hard to do since they keep it simple. Salt or pepper? I can handle it . Two choices...yeh. GO BIG ORANGE!!! I'm behind you win or lose!
An attempt at a kinder/gentler posting
grvol writes:
Doesn't matter. He likely won't be utilized in the soft, finess, dink and dunk, left coast (Ainge is from Oregon) system Vols bring to the SEC.
marc_ash#231781 writes:
Good point I_love_football. It isn't the offense that needs help, its the D. Don't sleep on S. Miss, these guys are a dang good football team!!!!
marc_ash#231781 writes:
Blah Blah Blah coaching this, Fulmer that, fire him.
Can you people put the fire Fulmer phooey in the trash. I understand a lot of you don't like him but nobody is going to fire Fulmer right now! You want Fulmer to make changes, well he did that yesterday by replacing 2 D linemen and a DB.
Southland writes:
Promote Cutcliffe???? He is part of the system. Look at what a great job he did recruiting at Ole Miss. New Blood, New Ideas. That is what we need
BluetickBlues writes:
Coker needs 15 carries a game if not more. He's our answer to the Percy Harvin's of the SEC. He also needs to take Foster's spot on kickoff returns. We all know what Coker would have done if he had returned the kickoff or had the been running the ball in Foster's place on the 42 yard run. He would have took it to the house without so much as a peak over his shoulder. So what if he's a bit rusty? Hand him the ball open a hole and watch him go! Lets beat Southern Miss GO VOLS!
orangebloodgmc writes:
But if one of his 3, 4 carries, he takes it to the house ...
Coach_Joe writes:
People need to lose the idea of firing Fulmer and promoting Cut! If Fulmer were to be fired I doubt very seriously Coach Cut would even take the job. They are very good friends. Unlike Phil and Johnny. At the time Phil was just a part of the staff. I'd say if Phil gets canned then Cut will look for a job elsewhere.
Sheepscape writes:
Coker's best value should be on returns...Foster did have one good return but the overall volume of the work the last few years has not been pretty returning punts or kickoffs. Field position played a huge role Saturday. The staff needs to stop with the lip service and special teams and get something done in a hurry. Personally, I don't see it...not after three years. Hope I'm surprised.
If we don't improve on special teams we are forfeiting one third of the game, right out. Hard to overcome that for very good offenses and defenses.
txsvol#372416 writes:
The reason you don't pick one TB and stick with him is that none of them has separated himself from the pack. Also, each may bring different skills, and be used in certain situations. When you recruit ***** and ****TBs and tell them they will have to sit, they go elsewhere. Whereas, if you tell them they will play, maybe they will come, just for the exposure of playing for a team frequently on TV. Look at the USC situation, where Emmanuel Moody left, saying that he wants to be the featured back, but USC is all about getting 'the rotation, getting everybody sharing time.'(They have ten TBs.) Many pro teams have gone in the direction of two featured backs, as well: Saints with McAllister and Bush, Cowboys with J. Jones and Barber, etc. If Coker separated himself from his competition as much as Ainge (the psychology of picking a starter at QB is different) has from his, he would still risk more injuries if he played every down, so it's important to have at least three quality TBs available. Remember the 1997 Jamaal Lewis' injury and the two Travises stepping up? Go Vols!
Sheepscape writes:
Cobb-Webb-Thompson
Garner-Stewart-Hayden
Lewis-Henry-Stephens
Excellent backs all. What stables we had back then...even Shawn Bryson at fullback was a threat.
We've wandered the desert this decade...Jabari Davis, Derrick Tinsley never really performed as an every down back. Cedric and Gerald were serviceable...not sure about these current guys.
usnavyvolfaninva writes:
I am anxious to see how this week's defensive changes will help us Saturday.
Hopefully, Coker has all his problems behind him. Off the field stuff can be a distraction to a team, and I'm really wary of Coker at this point, but I guess let the coaches be the coaches.
firing fulmer is SOOO not the answer. Just because we're 0-1. maybe FSU should fire Bobby! Maybe Charlie Weiss should go as well! Give me a break.
usnavyvolfaninva writes:
Honestly, mailing it in after an opening loss! Does anybody think that maybe, just maybe, Cal is actually a good team?
I hope we wipe the field with S. Miss! and UF! Probably won't happen, but if it did, maybe it would end the "Fire Fulmer" rhetoric.
Sheepscape writes:
The problem is that we are what? 42-21 in our last five seasons? 14-11 over the last 25 games, and more disturbingly 2-4 in our last six games.
Being 0-1 this year is only the latest slice of that pie. Coach Fulmer is a seasoned veteran coach, not a newcomer. We've been told by his supporters to give his changes after 05 a chance...well it's 07 now. Time to produce.
usnavyvolfaninva writes:
Has anyone heard about Xavier... whether he's a go for Saturday... I'm not up on how long concussions tend to lay people out.
Sheepscape writes:
Xavier is doing better and is expected to play from what I understand. It was a concussion
usnavyvolfaninva writes:
I think the spark will come from XM if he can play, not Coker.
It was riveting watching that play Saturday night.. So glad it wasn't more serious.
Here's to XM! Hope you can start and GO VOLS!!
andy112382#209793 writes:
Coker doesn't play defenese, but he also may have gotten the 3rd and 2 when we had to punt and most likely would have gotten in for the touchdown where Foster was caught right before the goal line, so obviously he can make a big impact. Defense will be fine.
GO VOLS!!!
usnavyvolfaninva writes:
sjt,
Gonna be hard to do either one... news flash... Tebow can throw AND run! I know it was WKU, but he still looked pretty good! With us playing in the swamp, don't see a victory over UF.
With already one loss, it will be very difficult to go to a BCS bowl.
This is a very talented team, I agree... I hope I'm wrong about UF.
usnavyvolfaninva writes:
LazhilUTDelt,
How many national titles has Boise St won?
I looked at their record over the last 10 years... do you honestly think he'd have that win% in the SEC? I'd LOVE to play teams like HI, Portland St. Univ of Idaho, etc, every year!!
Sorry, but 8 or 9 wins in the SEC is pretty dang good!
Sheepscape writes:
LazhilUTDelt
I agree on Peterson. After all, he proved you can do a lot when down and less than two minutes on the clock. I guarantee he wouldn't have punted and thrown in the towel like we did the other night in a similiar situation.
Sheepscape writes:
usnavyvol:
8 or 9 wins in the SEC is mediocre, especially in a 12 game schedule. And that's not counting our now-standard bowl loss.
That's 66% or 75% winning percentage. That's fine for the Kentuckys and Vandys who would dream of that, but not for a program with our facilities, money and tradition.
Ralph_Crampton writes:
Of all the positions on a football team, an outstanding defensive player is the toughest to find and recruit. The defensive player in order to be effective must be a great athlete, or at least close to it. Coaching a defense is not all that tough, but, what is galling is the fact the recruiter can't spot that special type of athlete, the defensive recruiter either has that knack, or he does not when he mulls over recruits as defensive players> But what is scary to defensive coaches is the fact you have already recruited the defensive players, who you find are not up to par and you are stuck with them...there is no escape. Making mistakes on recruting defensive linemen has resulted in many coaches being fired.
marc_ash#231781 writes:
First off don't spread this garbage that a BCS bowl is out of reach with one win. For Gods sake people the National Champion was a 1 loss SEC team last year.
And yes, people should look at Cal and say they were a very good team. Look at what they did last season after the loss..they won 8 in a row and almost beat USC.
Give it a rest people, a loss is a loss and now its time to step up and fix the mistakes from game 1....WHICH FULMER AND CO ARE TRYING TO DO. Look at the other articles posted today, he's already made 4 changes to the D line and secondary.
I wonder what will make people happy other than perfection. They're doing what they can, focus on some positives for a change.
Sheepscape writes:
Doing what they can and trying to do it aren't cutting it. At some point, that trying has to produce results. I say again: 42-21 over since 2002, 14-11 over two seasons and one game, and 2-4 in our last six games.
You've heard of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? I'm glad he's making changes to the line and DB's. Is it too late?
Sheepscape writes:
Sjt,
I believe the larger issue is Chris Peterson and his aggressiveness. No one is foolish enough to compare the SEC and the WAC, or any other conference. Although, I will point out to all of you that for all our vaunted SEC prowess, we the University of Tennessee Volunteers are getting our rears handed to us by mid-tier Big Ten and ACC teams in bowls, and by an upper tier Pac Ten squad in the season opener. That's troubling to me. I'm not an SEC apologist. I could care less if UF wins their bowl game if we are bricking ours.
And SJT, you yourself have said time is running out.
jobrando#216494 writes:
Fulmer is not going anywhere until the fans stop packing in Neyland and stay home. Watch it on TV. One empty home game stadium with a loss and he is gone.
Sheepscape writes:
I just wonder if UF's fans had any conversations similiar to this because Meyer came from relatively garden-variety Utah.
The SEC coaching landscape is vastly different than when the Fulmer-Cut-Chavis trifecta was rolling over folks.
grvol writes:
I can't fathom what goes through or doesn't go through the minds of those who argue "Who are you gonna get that can do better than Fulmer?" Give me a break. The list is too long to put on this sight. They probably said the same thing about basketball for years and years before we finally brought in Pearl (from a small school). Apparently FL didn't mind that Meyer coached in the WAC or MT West or whatever Utah is in. LSU, GA, FL, AL and SC have all brought in new coaches with fresh ideas. Look at Phil's record vs. those guys. TN is falling behind the times in football, the record the past 10 yrs speaks for itself. Its time for new blood at TN!
marc_ash#231781 writes:
Sheep, UT has to take what they have and thats a team coached by Fulmer and company. I don't give a rats behind about 41-21 the last 5 seasons, I'm concerned about what we are going to do to beat S Miss on Sat. Save all that "fire Phil" talk for after the season.
And I actually agree with sjt on this one...we are a solid SEC team. We lose because the competition we play week in and week out is superior to other conferences. UT was the only school to have 2 ranked opponents playing this past weekend. UT is a very good football team, we just play teams that are as good or better than us. When that happens, we lose some. We aren't Hawaii you know.
Sheepscape writes:
The problem I see it sjt, is that at the end of the season the apologists will rise up and say we can't talk about replacing Coach Fulmer because 'it might hurt recruiting'...might hurt this, might hurt that. Excuses not to get to a touchy subject if you ask me. We are rolling in these great classes, and Coach February can't do anything with them in the fall. Our line play is especially embarrassing from that standpoint. Does anyone doubt we have top 25 talent? Why are we struggling to even be ranked at the end of the year these days?
Well the losses are what is hurting this program, and there have been too many lately.
Sheepscape writes:
marc, please.
You may not give a rat's rear about our rotten record lately, but I do. Lots of other fans do, and whether you like it or not more and more people are starting to think like me. Don't believe it? Then why is the home opener this year, a PPV game mind you, not sold out?
You can do your best to try and erase history, but we are slipping.
We are a solid SEC team? Maybe, maybe not. I bet you can't explain why other conferences are whipping our tails head to head in bowl games and now during the regular season. I bet you can't explain why our special teams do not EVER get better. I bet you can't explain why Cal last year was the only victory vs a top ten school we've had in ages.
Sheepscape writes:
sjt: No there are no guarantees. Not in football, not in life. I personally don't allow fear to control my actions. If you run your business or in this case, your athletic program from a viewpoint of timidity, you will reap what you sow.
mjohnsonvols writes:
marc_ash good post I'm with you 110%. You have to understand we have fans that can't get there butt out of there face. I guess our fans want to be like Alabama and fire a coach every 2 years until we find a guy that can win 11 games every year. I just wish for once our fans would stop crying after every loss and wanting fire Fulmer after every call or every missed tackle or every bad punt. The man puts in a a lot of hours more than you and I and I don't think any of our butt hole fans could do a better job. Get over the loss to a good if not great Cal team and let's show up Saturday night and yell, scream, stomp, and beat the phooey out of S. Miss. GO VOLS and grow up TN fans quit crying like 2 year olds.
mjohnsonvols writes:
marc_ash good post I'm with you 110%. You have to understand we have fans that can't get there butt out of there face. I guess our fans want to be like Alabama and fire a coach every 2 years until we find a guy that can win 11 games every year. I just wish for once our fans would stop crying after every loss and wanting fire Fulmer after every call or every missed tackle or every bad punt. The man puts in a a lot of hours more than you and I and I don't think any of our butt hole fans could do a better job. Get over the loss to a good if not great Cal team and let's show up Saturday night and yell, scream, stomp, and beat the phooey out of S. Miss. GO VOLS and grow up TN fans quit crying like 2 year olds.
Sheepscape writes:
mjohnsonvols
Full of personal attacks, short on reality check.
You know, Alabama still played us tough even with Shula. Since Shula was there, they pushed us to overtime in 03, they lost by 4 in 2004, beat us by 3 in 2005, and we needed a late drive to win by 3 last year.
Anyone who thinks Saban isn't 3-4 points better as a coach than Shula isn't versed in reality. We all can mock Alabama for past mistakes, but if they start winning consistantly over us again it's all over but the weeping.
Sheepscape writes:
And no, I don't want a coach that can win 11 games every year. I just want a coach that can win one--ONE SEC title this decade.
mjohnsonvols writes:
He still has 2-3 years to get that done. Decade runs ten years. So I guess now we need to win by more than 1 or two points. Where I come from a win is a win. If it is that bad go pull Alabama and Florida we don't need you. We need fans that will support through the good and the bad.
Sheepscape writes:
Weak.
I love my school and my team and that is why I don't want to settle for mediocrity. Ironically, it seems you might love Bama or UF more since you want us saddled with this coaching staff. After all Saban and Meyer both hold the record books over Fulmer. You apparently like the status quo.
If you can answer why I am wrong to want at least one SEC title from 2000 on(I won't use decade if you are going to parse that term to make your so-called 'point') then please tell me.
And while you are so worried about what a decade means as opposed to 'this decade' I suppose we can go rewrite the history books that commonly refer to decades as the time from 00-09...otherwise what you are thinking of is a ten year span.
Sheepscape writes:
Sjt: Yes, I can understand what you are saying...I just don't agree with you.
The rest of the SEC has forced our hand. You're a smart guy...you know what Coach Fulmer's record is against Meyer, Richt, Tuberville, Spurrier, and Saban.
Sheepscape writes:
No, I know you aren't satisfied sjt. I'm glad that even though we disagree about the here and know, we can at least agree on that, and the bigger picture of just how nuts the SEC east will be in 08 and 09.
UKChamps writes:
These Vols better get their butts in gear. I don't want a 6-5 team coming to Lexington. The tide has turned. We were just a play or two away from a 10-3 season last year and they are all back. I would have loved to had Fulmer a few years back but now I see the magic belonged to Randy Sanders. Thanks for running him off. It will be a sweet victory and perhaps, with a few surprises, that win on Nov. 24th may clinch us a spot in the SEC championship game. I just hope the Vols can win a few before then so that victory will be special. EVERYTHING has changed Vol fans. We are coming...Here Kitty Kitty!!!!
mjohnsonvols writes:
Your right cheapscape let's fire fulmer and hire 15 different coaches and continue to be 8 or 9 win team. God help the next coach b/c he will need to be god to make us TN fans happy. By the way I hate bama and fla. I defend Fulmer and always will and I will not complain at all about the stadium being to loud. I think we are a wine and cheese crowd now. We have a bunch old farts that comaplaim more than cheer.
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