'Best man to do the job'

Too much credit and too much blame. That's a quarterback's lot in life.

With two losses in his first three games as Tennessee's full-time starter, it's been a lot of blame for Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton.

A botched handoff and an interception took potential points off the board for Tennessee in a 30-6 loss to No. 4 Florida on Saturday in Neyland Stadium. They resulted in boos from the stands and plenty of finger-pointing in Crompton's direction from fans.

But despite early mistakes and inconsistent play from Crompton, coaches and players remain confident in Crompton heading into Saturday's game at No. 15 Auburn (TV: WVLT, 3:30 p.m.).

"I got a lot of confidence in Jonathan," wide receiver Gerald Jones says. "I know he's the best man to do the job."

Defensive end Wes Brown expressed similar confidence in Crompton, his roommate and close friend.

"He's the starting quarterback," Brown said. "Whoever is lined up back there, no matter who it is, we're going to have full confidence in. Because obviously if they're out there, the coaches have confidence in them. Our confidence is high in Jonathan."

Under Crompton's guidance, UT's offense ranks fifth in the SEC with an average of 390.7 yards a game. The Vols' 211 passing yards a game also rank fifth.

Still, Crompton ranks 13th in the SEC in passing efficiency - behind a quarterback from every other team and two from LSU - and the Vols are 10th in scoring offense with an average of 20 points a game.

Crompton also has made some costly mistakes. Perhaps none was more costly - or frustrating to coaches - than that mishandled handoff in the second quarter Saturday.

On second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Crompton extended the ball too early, and it struck fullback Kevin Cooper, who was on his way out of the backfield to block. Florida's Carlos Dunlap pounced on it, and Tennessee lost a chance to cut into the Gators' 17-0 lead.

Offensive coordinator Dave Clawson called it a fundamental mistake, however Clawson and UT coach Phillip Fulmer said coaches are also accountable for miscues like that.

"That shouldn't happen," Fulmer said. "We have to look at it as a staff and make sure that we've done all we can to help him get ready. So I don't just put it all on Jon. It has to be something that we're all accountable for."

After the game Saturday, Clawson recalled stopping a practice after the second-team offense fumbled on a similar play and lecturing about the importance of quarterbacks seating the football.

"It's a base fundamental mistake, but it's my job to coach that and make sure it doesn't happen," Clawson said Saturday.

Fulmer also wants to see Crompton improve his vision on the field.

"He needs to see better more often," Fulmer said. "At times, he's good. He can't get locked in on a receiver. It's something you go to the practice field and get better on if you're intent on getting better. And obviously we'll look at every way we can to simplify it and make it as good for him as we possibly can."

Still, Fulmer says the blame for UT's offensive struggles and inconsistencies aren't all on Crompton.

"If it was just Jonathan it would be one thing," he said. "I don't think there's a leadership problem coming from Jonathan. Jonathan's shown his toughness and his ability to make plays."

He's also made plenty of mistakes in the early going.

Aside from the handoff against Florida, he threw an interception in the end zone at the end of the first half. In the five games in which Crompton has taken the majority of snaps, he's thrown at least one interception. The Vols are 1-4 in those games, which include losses to No. 8 LSU and No. 11 Arkansas in 2006.

"It's always got to be somebody," said Crompton, who is 56-of-100 passing for 591 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions this season. "If it's me, I know I can handle it. I've got to put it in the back of my mind and move on. You've got to have a short-term memory. Forget it and drive on. That's what I do. I know what this team's capable of, and that's all I care about."

Crompton's drive and willingness to work give Brown confidence that Crompton will turn things around.

"He's a competitor, and it hurts him," Brown said. "He's hurting from a physical standpoint, but he's out here practicing every day and giving it all he's got. He's in the film room 24/7. He's in there watching film, he's learning from his mistakes. I see him. He's going to improve because he's such a competitor, and he wants to do well, so he's going to be fine."

In the meantime, Crompton is dealing with the negative attention the only way he knows how.

"You've got to block it out," he said. "We (quarterbacks) get too much credit and too much blame. If you play quarterback, that's what you expect. You've got to put it all back in your mind, don't even pay attention to it. You know who you're playing for. We're playing for our team and our coaches - our family. That's what we're doing here."

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

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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