Buckle up. It's going to be a wild ride.

If you like scoring, looks like 2007 is your year.

One thing that's obvious from Tennessee's first four football games is that points are in and scores are up. Could Bruce Pearl be involved somehow?

Tennessee is scoring 34.5 points a game, the most in more than a decade. The average got a boost from the 48-27 win over Arkansas State on Saturday night.

The Vols are going to need every last field goal and extra point. They're giving up - John Chavis cover your eyes - a staggering 37.5 points a game.

UT ranks 107th out of 118 teams in the nation in scoring defense. And most coaches will tell you scoring defense is the critical stat in the pantheon of college football numbers.

California lit up the Vols for 45 points on opening day. After they limited Southern Miss to 19, there appeared to be hope for the defense.

Then Florida hung 59 on them. Exit hope. Enter hopelessness.

Arkansas State's 27 points are the latest indication Erik Ainge & Co. will have to keep the touchdowns coming on a regular basis in Tennessee's eight remaining games.

He and the rest of the UT offense might just be up to it. Especially with LaMarcus Coker getting up to speed and Lucas Taylor emerging as a star receiver.

"Erik has done a fantastic job of moving the team,'' head coach Phillip Fulmer said Sunday night.

The Vols have been shut down once, by Florida. The offense scored 13 that day. Eric Berry got the other TD on an interception return.

The 34.5 average is the best since 37.4 in 1995, Peyton Manning's sophomore year. The record is 42.8 in 1993, Heath Shuler's Heisman runner-up season.

The current pace is on par with the 1998 national champions, who averaged 34.0 points.

The end zone is likely to shrink from here on out, however. A steady diet of SEC defenses await, with only Louisiana-Lafayette as a potential point-padding day. (The Vols are fortunate not to play Louisiana-Baton Rouge this year.)

Whatever chance Tennessee has to salvage its season counts heavily on the defense finding some answers.

The new kickoff rule is giving offenses better field position to start drives, a double-edged sword. The Vols have taken advantage of the rule on offense but have been hurt defensively.

Another factor, UT has faced two especially innovative and talented offenses already in California and Florida.

"In general, offenses are much more spread out and open,'' Fulmer said. "They're using the field and a lot more big plays are happening.''

But Southern Miss and Arkansas State made big plays, too. And look what's coming down the pike.

Kentucky ranks No. 17 nationally in total offense. The Wildcats can throw the football all over the field and have a nice threat at tailback in Rafael Little.

Speaking of tailbacks, how will UT tackle the Arkansas tandem of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones? The Razorbacks rank No. 19 in total offense, almost totally on the strength of their ground game.

Alabama is a top-40 offense with a nice mix of pass and run. Georgia and South Carolina rank in the 70s nationally but Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier have the acumen to exploit the Vols' weaknesses.

Fulmer isn't naive. Yet he's not ready to concede that the Vols have no choice but to battle through one score-a-thon after another without blinking.

"I don't think you resign yourself to it,'' Fulmer said. "You have to focus on what you have to do to get better.''

If UT's defense doesn't get significantly better, it will set a dubious standard. The most points UT has allowed in the modern era was in 1988 when opponents averaged 26.0 a game.

The 1998 national champs, if you're wondering, allowed 14.4.

To be fair to the current defense, take out three touchdowns opponents have scored on UT turnovers and two more on punt returns, That lowers the average the defense is responsible for from 37.5 to 28.75.

Still not acceptable.

The Vols are off Saturday. Between now and Georgia's visit on Oct. 6, the defense has significant work to accomplish on the practice field.

But in any case, Tennessee's offense better stay tuned up. And the fans are advised to stay buckled up.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.