Tennessee Stat Book
Dave Hooker audio
Win the SEC East and play for the conference championship in Atlanta. At the start of every season, that’s the goal for Tennessee’s football team.
But after a trip to Georgia ended with UT’s third-straight conference loss, Tennessee won’t be making a return visit in December.
The Vols are 0-3 in the SEC for the first time since 2000. Saturday’s 26-14 loss to No. 10 Georgia, coupled with last month’s 30-6 loss to Florida, effectively ends UT’s chances to be a factor in the SEC East race at the midway point of its season.
Shortly after Saturday’s game, that reality seemed to be sinking in.
“One of our goals every year is to make it to the SEC championship. Right now, it’s kind of almost like we know we can’t get to the championship game,” junior defensive tackle Dan Williams said. “Now it’s have a good season.”
Even that could prove challenging.
This week, the Vols host Mississippi State, which prevented a slide to 0-3 in the SEC with an upset victory over then-No. 13 Vanderbilt on Saturday. Kickoff is 7 p.m. (TV: pay-per-view).
Beginning this week, Tennessee must find a way to continue playing — even if it’s playing for the best-case scenario of an 8-4 record instead of an SEC championship.
“Leaders got to be leaders,” senior defensive end Robert Ayers said. “Whoever the leaders are on this team, we got to step up, keep a positive vibe, come to get better at practice, just stay focused and not forget the ultimate goal is to finish strong. We have six more games left. Hopefully we can finish 8-4. That’s a goal of ours right now.”
But rallying from a disappointing start is easier said than done. After Saturday’s game, Tennessee players said the only answer to rebound is to continue working in practice.
“It’s all about heart,” sophomore safety Eric Berry said. “We have to finish out this season good. We can’t just lay down and let it go by and let teams just beat up on us. We’ve just got to come out and keep working, Monday through Friday. It’s all we can do.”
UT coach Phillip Fulmer said following practice Sunday that he’s concerned with the Vols 2-4 start.
“If you’re not concerned, you’re crazy,” he said. “We’ve got to get ourselves on track, absolutely.”
As far as his team goes, Fulmer said the only gauge he has is how his team practices.
“I cannot tell you how they feel about things because I’m not with them every day,” Fulmer said. “I can tell from practice. I don’t expect any class problems or tutor problems or study hall problems or any kind of issues that would distract from what we’re trying to do as a football team. Those things I can see. I don’t have a crystal ball to know how they’re going to think or feel.”
Tennessee came to Georgia hoping for a chance to jump-start its season and cling to its preseason goals. Another loss left the Vols seeking answers.
“As a team, everybody’s hurting right now,” Williams said. “It’s not like you just get over it in one day. … In the locker room, we all realized we’re still one family, one group. Just get better and hopefully come out with a win against Mississippi State.”
Even that won’t be easy, despite a five-game winning streak against MSU that dates to 1994.
Talking about Mississippi State on Saturday night, Ayers said the Bulldogs would be seeking an upset. Then he stopped himself.
“They’re going to come in and try to upset us in our own house,” Ayers said, pausing, “even if it would be (considered) an upset. I don’t know what it’ll be.
“We got a lot more football. We don’t got a lot of time to sit back and lick our wounds. We’ve got to come out like we’re 6-0 and keep fighting.”
Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.
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Comments » 233
orangecountry21 writes:
Ayers is our only "leader". Berry isn't even a leader, he's just good.
FWBVol writes:
Sadly, this is a year where now you can start planning for the future by giving as many young players a chance to show what they can do.
Forget the established rotation on the offensive line,at running back or receiver. This is a time to hold open auditions for the guys that want to turn the program around.
I'm not saying bench a guy just because he's a senior, but if he's a senior and not playing up to expectations, sit him down and bring in a young buck.
Burn the redshirts and make the future now. That might be the only way Phillip Fulmer and this staff still have a future.
BSweet writes:
Berry is more a leader than anyone else on defense. He plays his butt off in EVERY game. Neither of us know how he interacts with his teammates off the field, but on the field he leads by excellent example. Berry isn't "just good". He's the best player we have, period. This season is a massive disappointment. Berry is one of the few bright spots we have.
oldbasshead writes:
I wonder when the dreaded "players only" meeting will be.
murrayvol writes:
Very soon.
orangecountry21 writes:
Berry is by far the only instinctive player
chrisw2967 writes:
Berry is the leader and he plays the game like were 6-0 and not 2-4. he could just go through the motion and pack it in cause he knows this team isnt going no place except where they are now, at the bottom.
I bet Moreno wishes Berry took one play off during that game ? did anyone notice when Moreno came back in the game after he got belted and ran the ball? he ran like he was still dazed and he went down pretty easy and quick.
MrBamSeydu writes:
Only great players we have:
Eric Berry, Gerald Jones, Britton Colquitt, and Brandon Warren.
I also think Jeff Cottam, Anthony Parker, Josh McNeil, and Denarius Moore could make it to the NFL if we had better coaching.
I don't understand why we waste scholarships on players like Josh Briscoe, Quinton Hancock, Austin Rogers, Tyler Maples, Todd Campbell, etc. We should've used every one of those scholarships on DTs and DEs no matter what the players ranking. I'd rather have weak depth at DT than no depth there and weak depth at WR.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
This was what was predicated anyway, are we dissapointed. No the pundits ought to be happy about their predictions. So , why fire Fulmer if he is not to blame. If he had won, then he would have been a hero, But now, he is nothing more than before.
oldbasshead writes:
You can't fault the players for wanting to work toward an 8-4 season. The players want to win. However, from what I have seen this year, I think 5-7 is more realistic. Don't you think that if the coaches and players could change things, they would have already done that? Let's face it, UT will lose to Ala and win against Wyoming. The rest of the games are toss ups. UT will be in every game but the Ala. game but that no longer means they will win. I expect losses against SC and Vandy because of their defenses and their coaches. If that be the case, UT will finish 5-7. Throw in a win against either Miss St or Ky and UT goes 6-6 which should be good enough for a bowl game with a coaching change and that would be the best scenerio in my opinion.
MANVOL writes:
One guy in town gets it!! Thanks Tony the voice for the common fan. I refuse to lower my expectations to appease this coach and AD. We rank 9th in all time wins. We have fifty more wins than USC who ranks 10th in all time wins.
We have a history of winning. It didn't just occur in the nineties. The seventies and two-thousands are the abnormal times. What did we do in the seventies? Fired the coach.
http://tonybasilio.com/index.php?page...
bobbarbilly writes:
It's all about the diet. Popeye said it best with " I yam strong to the finish 'cause I eats me spinach...."
xvolx writes:
chavis gives up 458 yds. Im sick of zone def.. clawson is a bad decision. off. line coach should already have been fired. keep foster out of backfield. he's too slow and mistake prone. fulmer will never leave on his own. Just fire him now and all his coaches.
chrisw2967 writes:
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
This was what was predicated anyway, are we dissapointed. No the pundits ought to be happy about their predictions. So , why fire Fulmer if he is not to blame. If he had won, then he would have been a hero, But now, he is nothing more than before.
No, your wrong, Fulmer wouldnt be seen as a hero. maybe people like you might look at him as a hero but most fans see the reality of this circus with Fulmer and they dont like what they see.People are not in love with Fulmer the way you are
TopProspect writes:
Where have you been? Ive needed you to back me up all year. Ive been calling for Austin Rogers to join the bench club all year.
I try not to even think about Briscoe or Hancock being on the field. I usually just keep my eyes on the backfield because i know when those three block recievers are in its a run.
I would comment on our speed linebacker Nick Reveiz but i don't wanna waste anymore space.
VOLKING writes:
Mom...take your medication and go lie down. Leave those bad ol' posters alone. I'll check under your bed and make sure none of them are under there.
Feared_Mustang_Package writes:
Gerald Jones is an average football player with a little bit of flash. He isn't that "great".
Caspian writes:
UT coach Phillip Fulmer said following practice Sunday that he’s concerned with the Vols 2-4 start.
“If you’re not concerned, you’re crazy,” he said. “We’ve got to get ourselves on track, absolutely.”
How does Fulmer say this stuff with a straight face?
MidTennVol writes:
I violently agree, FWB. But I'm afraid that is completely out of character for Coach Fulmer, unthinkable to him.
He's so risk-averse at the genetic level that he could never consider such an option, even though doing it might just save his job.
It's a simple equation: "What do I have to lose and what do I have to gain? by benching the guys who aren't getting it done and playing the guys who are young and hungry? What do I have to lose by giving those guys a meaningful chance?"
This equation simply does not compute for Coach Fulmer ...
which allows us as fans to ask him a questions:
"If we're losing with the starters and you won't play the 2s and 3s, why did you recruit the 2s and 3s and put them on scholarship?"
And we would be wasting our breath. Expect more tinkering around the edges and no fundamental changes.
tnbigg writes:
Good link...thanks. I think you should say only one guy who can make a statement that will have a bigger impact than folks posting on here...but Tony hits the nail on the head...a bit too much fluff for me...but correct notion for sure...
pdhuff#552644 writes:
We are wading thru a field of cooling syrup.
With Phixable barely moving in the lead.
It is going to get worse on this downward slope.
Only two goals are in sight, get the Mikey H's famous extension and just maybe, the omni important (to Phil) beat Neyland's win record.
Let them all slog thru the syrup field of Phixable...
tnbigg writes:
We'll be baaaack! Phixable will bring us baaaaak!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8152383@...
tnbigg writes:
Where is Phillip?
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowlpro...
pdhuff...Shreveport lives!
GreerVol22 writes:
Kinda hard to have a goal when your playing like a one-legged soccer player, dontcha think Phil 'ole boy?
Wilhelm16 writes:
the officiating was terrible against UGA. even though our offense is terrible and we can't cover kicks and punts, we were robbed this week. some folks were singing Creer's praises saying he would start elsewhere. bull! Creer tiptoes to the line he is lucky to be on a scholarship.
hewwheel writes:
What did you see in the locker room that makes you know that Berry is not a leader?
VOLinDAWGland writes:
The downside for Fulmer of playing new rotations is that if the guys sitting on the bench play way better than the designated starters and they start winning games, it will just raise more questions about the coaching staff's ability to evaluate and play the best players. Fulmer is a low risk and stubborn man...I'd just look for more of the same but 'workin' to get better'.
hewwheel writes:
Is this what we predicted for Saturday or for the year. At the beginning of the year I thought we had a good offensive line that would be able to push Florida and Georgia all over the field. At this point I exepected close games against Auburn, Georgia, and Florida with maybe one loss. Face it, your line play on both sides of the ball makes or breaks your team. Instead the line looks out of shape and is getting pushed all over the field and we are 2 - 4. Poor coaoching, poor conditioning, or just a poor group of o-linemen? What is it? I don't know, but this is not what we predicted.
hewwheel writes:
Gary Pinkel, Butch Davis, Will Muschamp, anybody or anything but what we are going through right now.
spencer1989#206886 writes:
With the wins that we have (over weak oponents), maybe the goal should be to get one more win this season (which seems to be a more down to earth realistic goal now). As bad as I hate to say it, I am wondering if we can win another single game this season (including non-conference games).
NoMoreWooAfterGoodOleRockyTop writes:
Sorry Drew, the goal is NOT to finish strong. The goal is to lose as many games as possible (which shouldn't be hard for this team) so we can finally rid ourselves of HC who does the least with the most every single year but gets paid millions.
yeavols#228407 writes:
We all have our own ideas about who should be coach next year for the VOLS. The reality is, Fulmer will be with us next year even if we go 6-6 or 5-7 this year. We will probably have a better record next year, but we won't win the SEC east or get a BCS bowl bid. It's the same old 8-4, or maybe 9-3 since we have to play at Florida at Alabama and maybe a loss or 2 at home next year. And everything will be just fine and the war cry again will be "wait until next year" and the hate will fly on the chat boards and disappointment will once again settle in on the VOL nation. All you have to do is look at this article and take notice to the words "we are looking to go 8-4 by winning out" In essence, it's what it is saying.
arkyvol writes:
conference championship, my fanny! i'd almost bet even money that the vols won't win a conference game.
wkjq#213863 writes:
What made Brandon Warren great? I've seen him drop 3 passes that hit him right in the hands.
chbradshaw writes:
Is there anything wrong with the University of Tennessee having an Athletic Director from the University of Tennessee?
We suffered for 17 years with Doug Dickey - a graduate of Florida - whose primary contributions were a messy football coaching change that still divides the University, Wade Houston, the Kevin O'Neill fiasco and Jerry Green.
When Dickey had to choose his loyalty between Florida and Tennessee, he chose the Gators.
Now we have an accountant from Clemson as our Athletic Director and he seems to not understand the tradition of Tennessee football.
He seems to have attained his status by his success as a fundraiser. I'm sorry but Homer Simpson could have been a successful fundraiser for Tennessee during the Peyton Maning and Tee Martin years.
I don't think anyone who truly understands Tennessee football would have given the new contract to Fulmer.
The University of Tennessee needs an Athletic Director with both stature and an understanding and appreciation of the history and expectations for Tennessee football. The person currently holding that position does not seem to meet these requirements.
GoVol writes:
Goal: Fire Fulmer. Fulmer thinks he was successful at Georgia because they covered the betting line! TN football will not be an SEC powerhouse again while Fulmer is there.
woodcutter writes:
Look to the future! Fulmer will probably schedule as many 'bottom tier' MAC & C-USA teams as possible. Then we will have more wins - no bowls, but more wins.........
DingoVol writes:
The most concerning thing to me is that I no longer care if we win or lose. I remember when I would be so excited and devestated with each win or loss. Now, I could care less. That seems to be the case with many of the fans out there. Before you say I am not a true fan, I have been going to games since I was 7. My mom has worked for the University for 36 years. They paid for my college and I know the game. I know we can make a change this year and it needs to be done.
chbradshaw writes:
A key point about the Fulmer contract...
An 8 win season with the new 12 game schedule is essentially a 7-4 record under the old 11 game schedules. The extra game tends to be a UAB/NIU/Marshall type gimme.
What's more...a very mediocre team can go 7-5 in the regular season with three of the wins against out-of-conference nobodies (UAB/NIU and Wyoming for example). At 7-5, this mediocre team would then get a bottom-level bowl bid and a chance to play another nobody to secure their 8-5 season and a contract extension for the Pumpkin.
Let's also remember Hamilton and Fulmer bought their way out of playing Air Force on the road in order to give themselves an even easier home game. They chickened out of playing Air Force!
So Hamilton and Fulmer set the bar low to begin with and then rig the process to give themselves an easier time.
No wonder the program is in the shape it is in.
Go4Two writes:
Manvol
The 90's produced the best Tennessee football since the 40's. What decade of Tennessee football would you like to return to.
MANVOL writes:
Any decade where wining comes first; any decade where the Tennessee Volunteers are more important than the university of the phillip fulmers. Just an FYI the nineties we won two SEC championships we match that in every decade except the seventies and the last 10 years. So ya I'll take any decade except the on we are currently living in at least in the seventies we saw the writing on the wall and replaced the coach.
chbradshaw writes:
As I recall, in the 90s we replaced the head football coach whose record over the previous three seasons was 29-6-2.
I will take the equivalent to the 29-6-2 record for the next three years adjusting for the 12-game schedule, conference championships and overtimes.
I think that will translate to 33 wins over the next three seasons.
MANVOL writes:
Huuuuularios!!!!
Go4Two writes:
3 seasons what about the 3 seasons before those. You can't pick 3 season you have to look at a 10 year timeframe. Coach Majors was not fired because of W/L's and we all know that. Under Coach Fulmer we have witnessed the best years of Tennessee football since the General. I agree we are going though a very tough time which is unexpectable. Coach must turn this around or he will have to be replaced. I believe he understands how critical it is to win now at UT. He will be given this year and next to repair the program if he can not a change will take place. We may see a change at OC if improvement does not take place. The SEC is a tough conf. If you are off a little losing will come your way ( See Auburn).
TommyJack writes:
Is that Mrs. Phields Maple Surple?
Bigg: Don't think even Bossier City will have us this year.
Whomever said Berry is not a leaders is just plain worng. He's one of a very few on this team.
3-9, 4-8 tops.
volguy41nlouisiana writes:
You know what burns my azzzzzzzzz...(a midget with a match on his head running between my legs)...NO NO NO....Really
The fact that some posters on here STILL have the sack to predict 6-6 or 5-7 record. LMAO..Im a HUGEEEEEEEEE vol fan, but I live in the real world and have seen week in and week out what we are putting on the field. You tell me the SURE FIRE WINS.....WE HAVE 6 LEFT...GIMME THE WINNERS
Wyoming..Ill count that as a W
Miss St...?????
Vandy..?????
Kentucky..????
South Carolina..????
Alabama???
In all honesty (and I cant beleive Im saying this) 3-9 looks bout right. This is one of the saddest seasons for me as a fan. Im at a crossroad of lose...(possibility of a new coach)..win...(cause Im a Fan)...Im at a loss for words...Not gonna bash the team or players anymore..We need help, somehow,somewhere. Just stop the bleeding, QUICKLY PLEASE.
dirtdobber1 writes:
Maybe we will see some MUSTANG PACKAGE like the Vols ran just before half time against Georgia!
RockyTopRK writes:
Although I am in full agreement that Fulmer needs to go after this season, I am somewhat perplexed about all the Mike Hamilton slamming. Let's remember one very important thing - Mike had the wisdom and guts to hire BRUCE PEARL! I rest my case.
rockytopron writes:
Bad news for the Fulmer haters....
Phil has one more daughter left in school, she is a junior on the softball team and I expect that after she graduates next year he will step down, so hunker down and keep your chin up.
Sheepscape writes:
More to do with Grunfeld than Hamilton.
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