UT wants strong start against UCLA

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Tennessee offensive coordinator Dave Clawson, right, gives pointers to Vols quarterback Jonathan Crompton.

LOS ANGELES - The last time Tennessee's football team went west, things went south.

And fast.

A year ago to the day, the Vols were blindsided in Berkeley by California in their season-opener starting with the first play from scrimmage.

Tonight's 8 p.m. kickoff in the Rose Bowl against UCLA (TV: ESPN) marks the start to another season. With Jonathan Crompton under center and Dave Clawson calling plays, it's in some ways the start of a new era.

But more than anything, it's a chance to start, and start strong.

"We've been talking about this since the last game of last year," sophomore safety Eric Berry said. "Right now we're just focusing on what we need to take care of as far as team, make sure we know our assignments."

At times last season, that was a struggle.

In the season-opener at Cal, Tennessee was torched for 471 yards, 45 points and countless big plays. Cal set the tone early, blindsiding quarterback Erik Ainge and scooping up a fumble for a 44-yard touchdown.

Florida handed Tennessee its largest margin of defeat in Phillip Fulmer's tenure as head coach two weeks later in Gainesville.

And - after big wins over Mississippi State and Georgia - Alabama dominated the Vols in Tuscaloosa.

The Vols began the season looking up at nearly everyone in the SEC standings, but at the end of one of the wildest seasons in college football, Tennessee was atop the SEC East - and seven points shy of their first SEC championship since 1998.

Despite last year's successes, senior receiver Josh Briscoe wants to make sure Tennessee starts the season right this time.

"California was a very hard game for us," he said. "First play of the game, we had a blown assignment and it cost us a touchdown.

"That's one thing that Coach (Phillip) Fulmer stressed and Coach Clawson stressed is making sure that we're on point with our assignments and our reads. Making sure that we don't have mistakes of miscommunication.

"Making sure that we do what we do best, go out and play football, SEC football. We all got recruited here for a reason, and that's because we have talent."

That's certainly the case on offense, where Tennessee returns its top six offensive linemen, its three best tailbacks and a ton of talent at wide receiver.

Add to the mix a new offense run by Clawson, in his first year at Tennessee after four seasons as head coach at Richmond, and the biggest question becomes Crompton.

Despite throwing only 12 passes in 2007, Crompton has earned his teammates' trust with his willingness to work and continual improvement.

After a spring practice marred by turnovers while installing Clawson's multiple offense, Crompton has made major strides during fall camp.

"He's been very smart with the football this fall," Briscoe said. "Once he makes a mistake, he learns from it. He doesn't make those same mistakes again. He wants to be the best player on the field and he wants to make everyone around him a better player on the field."

And Crompton realizes the depth of talent surrounding him on offense, including tight end Brandon Warren, who will play his first game for the Vols after leaving Florida State in early 2007.

"I think we have some of the best (players) on offense in the country at every position," Crompton says. "Running backs, we're deep. Receivers, we're really deep. It's a system, if you're a quarterback, you definitely want to play in because you know you're about to get the ball to a playmaker.

"You just have to make the consistent play, and they will make the big plays for us."

On defense, the Vols hope to avoid giving up the big play.

Despite losing four starters in the front seven, Tennessee might actually be better in the pass rush thanks to the quickness of ends like Robert Ayers, Ben Martin, Chris Walker and Wes Brown.

In the secondary, Tennessee has Demetrice Morley back in the fold at safety alongside Berry and four cornerbacks with starting experience.

Coordinator John Chavis is optimistic about UT's defense this season, even after ranking 70th in the nation and 11th in the SEC in total defense a year ago.

"We knew what we had last year. We knew the situations," he said. "I didn't make any excuses then, I won't make any excuses now. We feel a lot better about where we are now."

Tennessee finds itself on the threshold of a new season and another chance to set a tone three time zones away.

UCLA is banged up and in the first year of a rebuilding project. The task isn't as daunting as last year's trip to California, but it's a test nonetheless.

And it's one Fulmer and the Vols are ready to start taking.

"It seems like it's been 100 years since we played," Fulmer said. "To go and play in an environment like the Rose Bowl, Monday night football, the anticipation of how we're going to play. We've got a laundry list of things that we needed to improve back in January and most of those things we've improved in. How much? Is it good enough to go and win a big ball game?

"That's what's exciting."

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