Despite a gaudy 10.8-yard-per-carry average, Tennessee sophomore tailback Lennon Creer has only nine carries this season — 30 fewer than starter Arian Foster and 15 fewer than backup Montario Hardesty.
Does that mean Creer could get more playing time, possibly even Saturday when the Vols (1-2, 0-1 SEC) play at Auburn?
“I have no idea,” Creer said. “We play as a team and everybody is competing as a team. We don’t really care who gets the glory.”
Most of Creer’s production came against lowly UAB on Sept. 13 when he carried the ball eight times for 98 yards. That was just enough to remind him what it’s like to be the first-string tailback.
“It’s frustrating at times but I know if I keep working hard then positive things are going to happen to me,” he said.
Creer is certainly a different type of runner than Foster or Hardesty, both of whom rely on power more than Creer, who relies on speed.
“I feel like I can be explosive — a change-up guy out of our backfield,” Creer said.
UT coach Phillip Fulmer didn’t seem in a rush to get Creer into a regular rotation.
“Running back hasn’t really been our problem,” said Fulmer, who complimented Creer’s recent practice habits. “There’s only one football and you can only hand it to one guy at a time.”
Practice Report (Offense): Coach Phillip Fulmer said the offense had its best practice of the season to wrap up Auburn week.
“Just a very few things,” Fulmer said when assessing UT’s offensive mistakes.
The Vols have piped in crowd noise for much of the week. UT will face a much rowdier road environment than they faced in their season-opening loss at UCLA.
Offensive coordinator Dave Clawson said he’s been pleased with UT’s work in noisy conditions this week.
“It needs to carry over,” Clawson said. “It’s not going to be something they haven’t dealt with before.”
Practice Report (Defense): Defensive end Robert Ayers said the Vols have been forced to prepare for two quarterbacks this week, even though it seems Auburn has settled on pocket passer Chris Todd over the athletic Cody Burns.
“It’s two different things,” Ayers said. “We’re just trying to prepare for both of them.”
Practice Report (Special Teams): Chad Cunningham will handle punting duties against Auburn, Fulmer confirmed.
On Sunday, Fulmer said he was considering replacing Cunningham with a walk-on after a disappointing performance in the loss to Florida. Fulmer backed off those statements midweek.
“Chad had a good week and had his best day today,” Fulmer said. “He’s kicking the ball on time. I’m very hopeful he’ll get the ball placed where we want it.”
Foreshadowing: Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking, or perhaps it’s a hint of things to come. Either way, sophomore receiver Gerald Jones thinks a passing game could soon evolve out of the G-Gun.
“A lot of people are expecting run,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t be surprised come Auburn that if we do run it (the G-Gun), I might be throwing it.”
The dedication to only running the ball out of the G-Gun has some media members calling it the G-Run.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 33
banman360 writes:
good to see the negative attitude of the fans hasnt affected the players that much
TommyJack writes:
Creer will get his shot in a couple of years. It's the CPF way.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
True, Creer must wait until Phil passes Neyland in wins or maybe its till Foster (yawn) becomes the leading rusher.
Or maybe its because he hasn't served his penance.
rep88 writes:
i wish they would give him the ball instead of watching foster try to run around the end and fumble inside the 5
junder13 writes:
G-run. Hahaha. We shoulda been calling it that after the SEC Championship game. First two runs, two first downs. Next like 10 runs, nothing. Even a new coordinator and a whole year to expound upon it, we see the same plays out of it. It's almost comical how ineffective UT can make really good, dynamic players in its offense. Add a passing dynamic...? Wow, what a novel idea! I almost forgot he was a QB in high that led his team to state. Brilliant!
CT_VOL writes:
Remember, we still suck!
junder13 writes:
Ok guys I want you to caaaaalm down. I have a solution:
NATIONALIZE TENNESSEE FOOTBALL! The government's bailing out everyone else. Let Uncle Sam pay for the Foolmer buyout clause! The floundering football team is leading to economic ruin in East TN. Jobs are lost, people are depressed and not spending money, merchandise and vendor sales are down--GDP's being affected!
I'm calling President Bush and Treasury Secretary Paulson now. Quick, call the press so the government's obligated to go through with it. We'll need a combined effort from everyone. Have everyone you know with ties to Wall Street and in your very own 401K sell all assets--stocks, bonds, commercial paper, money market funds, everything! Short-sell all securities to further drive down the stock market. Only with consorted, ill-conceived market chaos will the government act. We don't need Mike Hamilton when we have Uncle Sam to save UT football!
junder13 writes:
that was just a joke guys....don't sell everything. i'm only playing.
but can we ask Uncle Sam anyway? it doesnt hurt to ask...haha
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Very relavent junder13(just under 13). My role is in supporting my our team, and not making fun of it. You wouldn't want somebody to make fun of you when you fall, but a lot of our posting people here are acting like little girls. I am ashamed of our people acting(and it's just an act-of frustration perhaps, but still an act). So start acting like men and women,you do not belong to ESPN, or to John Adams, so quit acting like you do. We've got great running backs and we are just a few plays from running over some of these good teams.
UrbanCryer writes:
how is UT a few plays from running over anybody. they played 1 good team and lost 30-6.
i do agree with you that they have good backs but fulmer needs to let the best players play reguardless of what year they are. if your best player at any given position is a freshman, soph, or jr if they are the best at that position let them play. foster is NOT UT's best back. sorry
GoVols88 writes:
Fulmer said he was considering replacing Cunningham with a walk-on punter because of his poor performance against Florida. All he did was kick the ball to the other team. If Fulmer was any kind of real, non-political coach he'd bench Foster for all the fumbles.
junder13 writes:
this is painful for me too, welovetennessee, but i choose to poke fun at what i cant control until changes are made and the powers that be make efforts to make things better.
if UT turns it around under foolmer, i'll cheer for my team but i wont change my opinion of foolmer. i will never support him again. i think by the end of this season you'll understand. some ppl just see the writing on the wall before others like you. i first realized we did not have an adequate coach after the SEC championship game in 2001 but i regained excitement with the "new direction" foolmer and the offense was apparently going before this season--which proved to be untrue. i will not be "foolmered" again!
junder13 writes:
welovetennessee, based on your blind support of whatever wears orange, you might be the type who'd pass a $700 bailout plan in a single day of review b/c it will avoid "the next great depression" and paulson/bernanke demand immediate, thoughtless action. the problem with ppl like you is you do not question things. you believe b/c you are a volunteer fan that you must support coaches, administration, anyone in position of power in orange b/c you're a UT fan. that kinda "group think" is dangerous, my friend, outside of something as fun and harmless as athletics. in the real world where decisions matter, your apparent philosophy would be very dangerous.
i question everything. i step back and look at everything. i listen to both sides of the argument. i read into everything. i never, under any circumstances, allow myself to be obligated to agree with something for some false notion of patriotism, true fan BS, or any other kind of misguided pretense. perhaps if you try this, you will come to the same conclusion that foolmer is not the best guy for the job, like him or not. perhaps also, you will be able to laugh and poke fun of a situation you have no control over after 7 years of feeling that way. i will continue to crack on foolmer and his incrumpetent qb and staff until a change is made. i sure hope his and your feelings aren't hurt. goodnight.
vickynphil writes:
Practice Report (Offense): Coach Phillip Fulmer said the offense had its best practice of the season to wrap up Auburn week.
Do you think this means UT will score atleast in the double digits?? We will see what the best practice brings us??another trip to the woodshed probably.
bigtimevol writes:
we're saving him as our secret weapon
pdhuff#552644 writes:
I wouldn't play Creer either till he got his average up to 14.0 ypc. That'll show him!
Can he do that sitting on the bench?
jmbigorange#280428 writes:
Fulmer will talk him up saying he's been very pleased with him in practice and he's really coming along and he's proven he should get more snaps. Yet...He will never see the field. They did the same thing with Paige.
TurboFan writes:
Welove said: "You wouldn't want somebody to make fun of you when you fall"
No. But if I slipped on the same banana 13 out of 17 times I would expect it and deserve it.
orangebloodgmc writes:
Start Creer.
mparker writes:
OT::
How smart is OSU's Tressel?? Pretty damn. He did NOT start Pryor at USC, knowing that OSU had no chance. Now, he is starting Pryor, giving some excitement to OSU football.
as you may know, USC got beat. Tressel knows that most likely the SEC champ will have at least one, maybe 2, maybe 3 losses.
I've got to give the guy credit. He is positioning OSU for ANOTHER BCS run (the big 10 sucks as usual), to face one of the following: SEC champ, Oklahoma, or USC. Yes, he is still outside looking in, but if USC stumbles again, or Okiee gets a couple of late losses...you know how that cookie crumbles.
Sorry, I'm tired of crabbing about vol ball. it is what it is, we fans have contributed to screwing it up. When I saw the Nunes article, which I had been expecting, I knew the game was up. Welcome to being the 'ole miss' of th east, woulda, coulda, shoulda, but we are toast for now and in the future. We'll keep fussing and bltching, the recruits will keep going elsewhere, and down we go.
Seriously, some of you look at Saturday; 2 botched return coverages, 2 TO's inside the 10. Look at Tebow's stats, at UF's stats; not all that great, in fact, subpar.
With a decent QB, we score 20 points easy. with even a SEMBLANCE of kick coverage, we cut at least 10 points off UF's total.
NJVol writes:
Do you guys not remember that Creer fumbled 3 times on 36 attempts last year. He fumbled once every 12 touches!!!! Foster has fumbled 10 times on more than 600 touches in his career. That would average out to 1 fumble every 3-4 games. People calling for Creer to run the ball instead of Foster, due to Foster's fumbles need to check themselves.
I understand he could offer a change of pace, but not increased ball security.
bamacheats writes:
I used to think Phil Fulamanure was dumb then I read, “There’s only one football and you can only hand it to one guy at a time.”
Give this genius a lifetime contract.
TommyJack writes:
He seems to already have one.
mediatom writes:
Same story, just a different name. Talented underclassman waiting. If not for an injury Jamaal Lewis would still be waiting.
Anyone notice a "freshman" running back lead Oregon State to it's upset over Southern Cal.
jmbigorange#280428 writes:
My reasoning to play Creer more is due to the fact that Foster is SLOW and he dances to much. I like the way he and Hardesty see the hole and hit them with authority. Foster doesn't fumble much just at the most important times is when he does.
Volumni writes:
Maybe Paul Azinger can coach football?!?!
Seriously, folks like "WeloveTennessee" and other Blue Dog Democrats/Tennessee Fans can blindly cheer all they want. The program has gone downhill, but we all still cheer for our Vols. What ticks me off is when the Great Pumpkin makes comments about how 95% of the people in the stands never played sports or football. That's why I can't stand him. He gets outcoached each and every Saturday, but the talent on the field has usually bailed him out. Since he stopped being a great recruiter, his flaws (many) are more evident. We need a game coach, not a "we just have to work harder" version of Gomer Pyle. Yet we just don't understand what WE'RE talking about. 3 things I do understand:
Crompton is scared
Foster is saving it for his agent
Gerald Jones does an awful lot of speaking for the team
jasonn1970 writes:
Creer isn't a senior yet. By the time he's a senior it won't matter if he fumbles every other carry. He'll still get the most pt. It's the CPF way..... Maybe it's time for a new way?
wildberry14 writes:
njvol you have a point but youre also giving credibility to the other side of the argument. i didnt know creer had 3 fumbles in 36 tries... i dont remember them. arian foster has 10 fumbles. how many of them do i remember? just about all of them, because its always when the game is on the line or were about to put someone away. creers fumbles came in games that didnt even get televised, foster fumbles when were playing an sec rival, or on espn, or its a bowl game. plus he's slow, so theres that.
TrueVolFan writes:
Would somebody please tell Gerald to stop talking about plays to be run in the upcoming game.
“A lot of people are expecting run,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t be surprised come Auburn that if we do run it (the G-Gun), I might be throwing it.”
Thanks for the info Gerald, I'm sure they'll never be expecting a pass now! I think it's time we ban our players from talking in front of anyone with a microphone, camera or recorder. Now keep your mouth shut about a game you haven't even played yet and get out there and win one!
Go Vols!
invisiblekid writes:
Amen.
invisiblekid writes:
MParker, 8:42 post, talked about a simliar subject on the Crompton thread. OSU is sitting in pretty good shape IMO for a BCS if not national title shot.
waterskier3#226480 writes:
not sure what's going to happen but if they've had their best practice and play like phooey then we know it will not get any better the rest of the season :):):)
again it's time vol nation to move in a different direction... i'm not that happy about it but i've been saying for years fulmer has lost his edge and this article points it out... change, adapt or get left behind.... that is the circle of life.....
jcherrie#219531 writes:
Hmmmm --- I'm not anti-Fulmer (even though I do think he should retire after this season) but running the ball was a problem against Florida and during key times during the UCLA game.
Throwing out of the G-gun using Creer - or a few more passes to Warren might be what the doctor ordered.
Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers showed what a small fast guy can do against a top notch defense.
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