Vols on verge of controlling their destiny

With seven more games left in SEC play, Tennessee's conference fate has yet to be decided. And after Auburn's upset victory at Florida on Saturday night, the race is just starting to get interesting.

"It's a new ballgame in the SEC East race right now," UT coach Phillip Fulmer said Sunday evening during his weekly teleconference. "We need to take advantage of it and do our part, and we can only do that by getting better where we need to get better and get ready and just focus on Georgia."

Already a big game before Auburn's upset, Saturday's 3:30 p.m. kickoff against the No. 12 Bulldogs (TV: WVLT) just got a little bigger.

This week, Florida travels to LSU, which leapfrogged Southern Cal to take over the top spot in this week's AP poll, and another loss by the ninth-ranked Gators would put the winner of Saturday's game in control of its own destiny the rest of the way.

"From a positive standpoint that the race is really open," Fulmer said, when asked how he'll address the topic with his team this week. "Florida, from our standpoint, still has got to lose again. But we can only do what we can do about ourselves, and that's to make sure we're ready to play Georgia and play as well as possibly can. Literally take it one game at a time, and keep improving as a football team. That's our goal, to keep improving as a football team."

Vinson to Start: True freshman Brent Vinson will start this week at cornerback, Fulmer said.

Vinson had four tackles and his first career interception last week against Arkansas State, rotating with junior college transfer DeAngelo Willingham at cornerback opposite sophomore Marsalous Johnson.

Willingham and Vinson each will play considerable snaps against the Bulldogs.

Testing Colquitt: Punter Britton Colquitt could resume kickoff duties against Georgia, assuming his quadriceps muscle passes the test this week in practice.

Colquitt, who leads the SEC with an average punt of 44.2 yards in three games, initially injured the quadriceps while warming up before UT's final full scrimmage of preseason camp. Backup punter Chad Cunningham and place kicker Daniel Lincoln have kicked off, but neither has the leg Colquitt does.

"I think he's real close to being able to do everything," Fulmer said.

Wrap It Up: Doctors will continue to evaluate the wrap worn by quarterback Erik Ainge to protect the broken pinkie finger on his right hand.

The initial projection was that Ainge, who broke the finger the week of UT's season-opener at California, should be healed in four to six weeks.

"I don't know that he'll have to have (the wrap) on for the rest of the season, but a couple weeks ago it was really sore," Fulmer said. "They don't want that bone to move and that protects him. We'll find out during the course of week just where we are with that. It hasn't really affected him that much."

Quick Hits: Tennessee's defense ranks in the bottom of the SEC in major statistical category, and is last in three categories (tackles for loss, scoring defense and pass efficiency defense). … Despite being unranked in all three major polls, the Vols opened as a two-point favorite in early lines available Sunday night.

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

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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