Tennessee Stat Book
UCLA Bruins
We're back together Big Orange fans. It's time to put the pigskin into motion and once again it all begins with a little 'California Dreamin.'
Is it a dream, though, to think this 2008 Tennessee football team can be any better than the third-place finish in the East absolutely agreed upon by the SEC media members? Well, beware of trusting in so called sure things.
I believe these Vols will be a lot better than people think. An experienced and strong offensive line, arguably the league's best running back, a talented receiving corps and potentially the most impressive defense to take the field in some time will have the Vols in contention for any title they desire.
Desire being the operative word.
Now starting for the Vols, with as much heart, if not more, than anyone on the team, is quarterback Jonathan Crompton. But it will take more than heart to answer the question as to whether Crompton is ready to assume control of this team. He has waited patiently for his turn. The quarterback position is predicated on confidence:
Confidence to make the throws, confidence in the huddle, and confidence to lead the offense into battle. Each player I've spoken with feels as comfortable with Crompton calling the shots as they have ever felt. That comfort zone will disappear, though, should Crompton succumb to injury.
Rewind to a scary moment back in 1994 when Tennessee also had a season opener against UCLA in the Rose Bowl. Oak Ridge standout, Jerry Colquitt, who also had waited patiently for his turn in the spotlight, suffered a season-ending knee injury. Back then, the Vols had some capable backups, among them Todd Helton and some guy named Peyton Manning. In 2008, there is a more tenuous situation, to say the least, when it comes to depth at the quarterback position.
Nonetheless, I get the sense that in 2008, No. 8 and his Vols are ready to 'carry the fight', as the billboards say. This ain't no dream, Vol fans, football time in Tennessee should open with a little California reality in the form of a Big Orange win over the Bruins.
Rick Russo is sports director of WVLT.
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Comments » 16
TNfaninMS writes:
whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Cant wait to hear "TOUCHDOWN TENNESSEE" Go VOLS!!!!!!!!
caskew#218608 writes:
That's a lot of oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo's
Go Vols!
DennisVols writes:
45-10 UT wins in the Rose Bowl. The 10 points given up in the secon half with the backups in.
Berry with at least 1 INT
Crompton completes 60% with 2 TD and rushes for another.
Foster 200+ yards
Tuesdays Headlines:
Vols Have Starring Role in Hollywood
volsare1 writes:
i cant wait 24 more hrs WHOOOOOOOO
pammyvol1000 writes:
Me too! what TNfanin,caskew,DennisVol said>>> Don't know if I can sleep tonight! SEC is really tough but we can do it one game at a time.
CoverOrange writes:
Lotta hoot owls on this board.
Isn't this one of the guys Naffy was always running down as being negative on the Vols? Sounds like a homer to me, and I don't mean Simpson. We'll maybe I do.
Volunteerfan writes:
it is about time that one of these media guys is saying what we as true vol fans are thinking that these guys are going to be better than what people are giving them credit for....Go Vols shut all those naysayers up and just win baby
txvolsfan writes:
I agree pammy the key is one game at a time and don't get ahead of yourself.
With no major injuries this can be a really good football team. It just takes a lot of good breaks!!!
Remember the 98 breaks and we were also healthy that year.
GO VOLS
BEAT THE BRUINS
TXVOLSFAN
gavol2572 writes:
The way I see it, let the media keep us under the radar. We do tend to play a little better in the role of the underdog.
MidTennVol writes:
When did the KNS start publishing articles written by high school students?
I've read more compelling writing by many posters on this board the last few years. Far more compelling than vacuous, vapid trip above.
gavol2572, I agree with you nonetheless, in spite of this crappy "article" or "column."
History is clear: we do indeed outperform expectations when they are not high -- and we do not perform up to expectations when they are high.
As a fan for about 35 years now, here's what I expect this season: three losses and another also-ran bowl.
I expect FL and GA to beat us and one other team. We may rebound and beat Bama and then lose to SC, for example. Or we may lose to both.
Anything less than three losses this season is a surprisingly good year for me.
Without question, I'll take 10 wins this year with a new QB and offensive system, questions on the D-line and linebacking corps.
Now. Maybe one of you writing talents out there should send a resume to John Adams. He obviously needs to fill space and he's obviously hard up for talent.
ravensearay writes:
Oh, we'll get at least 10 wins............
And we'll start by beating the Bruins by 30!!!
Mr_Bandman writes:
Thank God it's finally GAME DAY!!!!! GO VOLS!!!!
Rockytop98 writes:
waiting for kickoff...it's FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE!!!!!
smokeysal22 writes:
Vols looked terrible, we needed to run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, what the heck was our offense doing?
jacksfacts writes:
Good call Russo
Sheepscape writes:
That's why these sportscasters and columnists are local.
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