Haywood Harris interview with Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer on Saturday's game against Northern Illinois.
Q: What is the physical condition of the Vols heading into Saturday’s 7 p.m. game?
A: "We have some bumps and bruises and some soreness. We are fortunate that tight end Jeff Cottam, who has been sidelined for several weeks, will return soon. Offensive Lineman Vladimir Richard is a little bit banged up, as is quarterback Jonathan Crompton. By game time Saturday, though, we hope to be near 100 percent physically."
Q: Tell about your plans for determining the starter at quarterback in practice this week?
A: "It's open competition between Jonathan Crompton and Nick Stephens. We will go with the one that this week's practices convince us will give us the best chance of winning. Our offensive problems by no means are the sole fault of quarterbacking. But that's the position that gets the most attention. So we will evaluate the quarterback situation thoroughly and proceed accordingly."
Q: What are your main priorities in making the improvement necessary to reach the Vols' potential for remaining games?
A: "We need consistency. We played the kicking game well after not playing that way before. Our consistency on offense and overall are essential goals that we are working to attain."
Q: How can the Vols capitalize on their strong defensive play, which includes a good number of turnovers, to beat Northern Illinois?
A: "It's always important to take advantage of the breaks we work to attain. We look for the short field and we had it often against Auburn. If we can get a first down and a chance for a field goal, we can win a very hard-fought SEC game. We've got to score when we have opportunities like that."
Q: Summarize the capabilities of the Northern Illinois Huskies, who come to Neyland Stadium on Saturday to face the Vols.
A: "They're multiple offensively. They have spread stuff with an athletic quarterback and receivers. That style is challenging. They're a multiple defensive team; looks like they are good tacklers. It's important we play well and improve as a team."
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Comments » 79
TommyJack writes:
Pound that tater.
GoVol writes:
For Fulmer to say that cross-eyed crompton wasn't the sole reason we lost to Auburn is accurate. Cross-eyed Crompton was only about 95% of the reason we lost.
Fulmer is the biggest idiot and joke in college football!
TommyJack writes:
If CPF is out0town today, my guess is that Stephens will get 100% of the snaps.
rockytoptilidie writes:
I never thought I'd see an interview that discussed what we "needed to do to be Northern Illinois" - the saddest thing of all is that this game is by NO MEANS a gimme.
auttat writes:
Can anyone tell me why, week after week, we play a team with an athletic quarterback that can run and throw, and they are very good offensively? HMMMMMM............
khelton657 writes:
"They're multiple offensively."
...wierd...... must have had a bad tutor for English 101...but then, we are offensive in a lot of ways too...
SKO_Vol82 writes:
A: "It's open competition between Jonathan Crompton and Nick Stephens. We will go with the one that this week's practices convince us will give us the best chance of winning. Our offensive problems by no means are the sole fault of quarterbacking. But that's the position that gets the most attention. So we will evaluate the quarterback situation thoroughly and proceed accordingly."
Uh, Hey Phat Phil... you mean, so far this season, that Crapton has "convinced" you and the coaching brain-trust that he gives you the best chance to win each week... uh, really?
Is it his inability to make a completion, his inability to look off his primary receiver, his throwing the ball to the bench or just the dull gleam in his eye as drool cascades down his chin?
I just have to wonder how bad the other QBs are.
Honestly, ol' Phil and staff have ruined enough top-notch talent in the last few years. Just look at all the 3, 4 and 5 star talent that went on to do NADA. Isn't it time for the coaching staff to move on? Hey Spamilton, what the f*** can we do to get a regime change here, huh?
Oh, btw, I think the Clawson experiment is failing. Why? Our "Clawfense" is "Clawful"!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Hamilton posted the attendance figures for NIU.
Around 102,000. (less reality of minus 51,000 off that)
99gator writes:
FROM BRUCE FELDMAN.....ESPN
There's a lot of speculation tying Lane Kiffin to the potential Syracuse opening. I have a hunch that if Kiffin is coaching a team in orange next year, it might be more likely to be the Tennessee Vols. UT could do a lot worse. Kiffin would bring some much-needed new energy and ideas to Knoxville.
Striker writes:
Striker interview interview with Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer on Saturday's game against Northern Illinois:
Q: Coach your now 1-3 this season how do you plan to handle the pressure this Saturday? Are you better than NIU?
A: "They're multiple offensively" We're gonna just have to work like heck, and win the gosh darn thing! As for their offense, "They have spread stuff" that stuff can be real confusing to our defense. That style is challenging, you people just dont get it. If you were in that 5% of people that actually knew what as was sayin'!
Q: Coach, what do you think about their defense, will the Tennessee Vols actually look better on Offense this week with anyone at QB?
A: It "looks like they are good tacklers" for cryin' out loud. This is the Northern Illinois Huskies for pete sake!
Q: Coach, your offense was simply not able to score with amazing defensive assistance last Saturday, how do you think you can handle the short field this week?
A: "We've got to score when we have opportunities like that." Otherwise we will just get back to work next week. We have a great Georgia team comin in here. Dont worry folks, i have a great winning record here at Tennessee. Didnt any of you hear Peyton last Saturday?
Thanks Coach, and good luck on Saturday
ibvolman writes:
Well, new energy and ideas are definitely needed in K-Town.
Striker writes:
Fulmer: Oh, and Striker, dont you come in here and tell me how to do my job. You dont even contribute to the VASF, and closed your Big Orange Checking account at First Tennessee. You think your a fan..........Geez
law_vol writes:
I love how he downplays the Auburn debacle with the good old standard that it was "a hard-fought SEC game." As for the quarterback issue, I understand that Fulmer is gun-shy about changing quarterbacks after he screwed up the 2005 season by rotating Clausen in from the get go, but the season is slowly slipping away with our current jerky at the helm. So, why does he need practice to figure out if Crompton is going to play? Isn't it a given that just like the last 4 weeks and fall camp and summer workouts and spring practice that Crompton will look good in practice? But has that meant anything when the ball is snapped in the real show? No. So quit the CYA blather and just give NS the rock for better or worse.
TommyJack writes:
You guys may want to hang on to this name, too.
auttat writes:
"At times we're playing as well as anybody in the league. I know that sounds strange for you guys to hear, but look at the numbers," Kiffin said in his news conference. "Look at the way we're playing in the first three quarters of the last three weeks in a row; we're playing good enough to be on a three-game winning streak. All that being said, we're 1-3."
He at least talks like a UT coach...
TommyJack writes:
Right on the money. I think he's trying to appease JC's Dad.
dwolfcreek#397971 writes:
IF FULMER LOSES 10 GAMES , DOES THAT MEAN THEY CAN TAKE 10 YEARS OFF HIS CONTRACT . I DON'T THINK SO .
THE_VOL writes:
C'mon Phil say it! P_E_R_F_E_C_T S_T_O_R_M II!!!! Been tellin' everybody this was gonna happen all summer long but all I got was "not a TRUE Vol fan" "just want to stir things up" "always negative".....well, now it's time to live with it all you Kool-Aid drinkers!!! Oh and that bowl trip you promised the young 'un for Christmas - I'd start breakin' the news to him that you were just kiddin'!!!!
vol4gzus writes:
OOPS for a moment I thot Mr. Rogers had resurfaced from the grave when you gave us all a spelling lesson. As always delighting in breaking bad on UT and the coach. Almost forgot you extolling the benefit of your prior foretellings....
Beat the Huskies!!!
Colliervol writes:
Listened to Vol Calls last night till I just couldn't take any more. Phil must have said "working our tails off" (or something to that effect) about 10 times.
I have also decided that before they let a caller ask a question, they first ask if they watched the game. If you say "no", then they let you on. Judging by the softballs being thrown, I am convinced that not a single caller last night had watched any of this year's games.
bobbyutvol writes:
I have an idea... Lets try to run the ball with eight in the box like we did at Auburn .. Nice SPREAD offense.. I haven't seen it yet have you Great job Phil This is what we get for 2 million plus a year... Can I apply.
shipperman#280095 writes:
There you go, you just hit the nail on the head. As horrible a quarterback as he is, he is cocky. Would not surprise me if some big defensive lineman don't take that cockiness away if he plays in teh GA or Bama games. And he may get his block knocked off by a fellow teammate. Cockiness is one thing when you can back it up, but that idiot and his head coach need to shut up and quit
rockytopman writes:
We'll give a heckuva effort goshdarnit....
midgetangel#279179 writes:
At the beginning of the season, I was one that thought this yr was going to be a 10-2 or 9-3 season. We all know neither will happen. I'm looking down the road and I see the NIU game this Sat., the Miss St. game and the Wyoming (HC) game (all at home). I'm going out on a limb and putting those in the W column even with Miss. St. being a "hard-nosed SEC game". Other than those games, the rest leave me scratching my head. I have never thought that this could be the year that Vandy AND Kentucky could beat us BACK-TO-BACK!!!!! I love Tennessee and would never jump ship but something or someone needs to be pushed off!!
Colliervol writes:
If they can get Stephens in there and up to speed and let Hardesty play full time, I think we'll still beat KY and South Carolina. Assuming the other wins you listed, that would put us at 6 and 6 and get us to the Liberty or the Poulan Weedeater Bowl. Oh happy day......
If Crompton stays in there, even a .500 record is highly questionable. It's starting to feel like 2005 all over again.
fedupvol writes:
Some of the funniest comments yet about all this stuff...makes the day at work go much better! Cross-Eyed Crompton....priceless!! And from the shoulders UP as one of the articles was talking about earlier, the lights are on but nobody's home in that picture of him looking at Warren...duh! But "study that film" now...I'm sure the answers are in there somewhere..it's just a matter of "workin' like heck" to find them!! Yep that'll do it!
givehim6 writes:
The competition for starting QB should be between Stevens and BJ to me jon boys allready showne what he's got.
volmaniak writes:
Butch Davis and his staff at Carolina thats what we need in Knoxville
DennisVols writes:
I think it is time to bring back the charts : )
DennisVols writes:
Pratice has not been Jon's problem it is game play when he losses control.
Give Nick the starting position now and let it be his to lose since Crompton has yet to prove he can hadle the presure.
NoMoreWooAfterGoodOleRockyTop writes:
2008 SEC Coaching Rankings:
1) Meyer
2) $aban
3) Tuberville
4) Richt
5) Miles
6) Johnson
7) Nutt
8) Spurrier
9) Brooks
10) Croom
11) Petrino
12) FOOLmer (who else does less with more?)
rdean900 writes:
Just wanted to say GOVOLS'''''''''''
PAT4889 writes:
There's a trainwreck coming soon. The defense, who has played well so far, will become so demoralized at the play on offense they will give up. The coaches will attempt a (700 billion dollar) bailout too late by going with the G Run exclusively; Jones will get hammered/hurt, then we will be nothing short of the SEC doormat. Ever wanted to know what it feels like to be a Vandy fan? Stay tuned.
PreventUT writes:
Hmmm, I wonder if he went through with this.
"Crompton, along with 21 other college football players from across the country, will write a weekly column this fall for a new online initiative created by The Sporting News.
The columns will focus on both on-field and off-field aspects of being a student-athlete and coincide with the launch of Sporting News Today later this month.
Crompton’s column can be found online at www.sportingnewstoday.com beginning with the site’s launch July 23."
sampears writes:
http://www.raiders.com/Team/CoachBio....
not a bad article, or coach
Lofton4Three writes:
Well he is now available...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/st...
sampears writes:
Who conducted this interview, my sons 8 year old friend? LOL, patty cake patty cake bakers man.aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, does foolmore have a pair anymore?
Some other questions for Foolmore:
Coach, whats your favorate color?
Are you a virgo?
Have you thought about putting Maryville HS on your schedule?
Do they still use pig skin for footballs?
Hey I know, if its not the QB and its not the coach, who is it, the fans?
What kind of shoes do our players wear in practice?
Hows the weather?
rockytopman writes:
Man, I've been telling my friends that L. Kiffin would be someone Hamilton should look at. Fulmer has been great. He took the program to another level. Unfortunately he's taking it to an entirely different one now. Take the high road, Phil. If you truly love the program as you say you do, step down.
PreventUT writes:
If Fulmer is gone after this year, I don't think Kiffin would make a good fit. Out of those Cal guys, I think Dewayne Walker would be the best option.
Here are some coaches for you to look over:
http://3rdsaturdayinblogtober.wordpre...
jasonn1970 writes:
IT'S BUYOUT TIME IN TENNESSEE!!!!!!
Hire Kiffin!
COACHWATCH writes:
Jim Harbaugh is the Bruce Pearl of college football. We should go after this guy. His current recruiting class is ranked 11th in the country, THIS IS AT STANFORD!
COACHWATCH writes:
Disagree on Kiffen..Harbaugh is a proven college Head Coach. He won a National Championship at San Diego (Div III) just like Pearl did at S Indiana. Harbaugh matches the model that Hamilton used to transform our basketball program. I believe Harbaugh is the guy that can do it for our football program
alfrizzle097 writes:
I think some of the criticism is honestly invalid.
The UCLA game was inexcusable.
But the Florida game is hard to pin on coaching. The defense held its own as well as one could expect with the offense incapable of getting a first down. Clawson tried to stick to the run game, but you just have to complete a downfield pass before they are going to get off the line of scrimmage. The punt was supposed to go to the sideline, not inside the hashmark. Substitute Colquitt and Ainge for Crompton and Cunningham and you suddenly have a competitive game I think.
The Auburn game falls 100% on Crompton's shoulders. The defense holds the other team to 6 points and the special teams pin them inside the three five times and you still can't get more than one touchdown? 67 yards passing! That isn't the coaches. That is the quarterback. CBS showed Clawson clutching his head at one point. That must be what all the coaches are feeling. They teach Crompton what to do, and he could do it all day in front of 10000 people. The problem is when he gets in front of 100,000 people on national tv.
The question becomes: should they already have benched Crompton?
The popular answer is yes. The coaches aren't stupid though. My guess is that Stephens and Coleman could come out and play better than Crompton has thus far. The coaches obviously don't think that would be good enough to win. The hope is that Crompton will get his stuff together and play in the game like he does practice. At this point it is pretty clear that isn't going to happen which is why the coaches are turning to Stephens.
I think the coaches will get things together. The problem right now is the offense, not the defense. The belief that I hear is that they have the talent, and most every "expert" that I've heard says Clawson's offense will be a beast once he gets his players in here. The season could easily be salvaged with a win over Georgia. No matter how unlikely.
alfrizzle097 writes:
Also, try to tone down the Foolmore stuff just a little. We get the point: you are disatisfied (to say the least) with Fulmer. While you are just venting, it does make to website an uninteresting read.
Try not to boo away too many of the recruits.
BSweet writes:
Okay, not trying to hate on the guy, but can someone please explain the Lane Kiffin love? What exactly has he done to make him rate so high? Sure, he's been an NFL coach, but not a winning one. Before that, he was co-offensive coordinator at USC, right? How long was he in that position? I didn't think very long because Norm Chow was there before. What am I missing? What makes him such a great candidate? Seriously, I'm not stirring the pot, I just want to know why he has people's support.
jobrando#216494 writes:
CPF promises like heck that the team will work & prepare like heck. Heck on that pass the doughnuts. Heck we could replace the football with doughnuts at practice.
WhitePineVol77 writes:
Fulmer is right...Crompton is not the whole problem, just 99% of it. Sit him down and let Stephens play this week. Texas ball players are tough, and he could be another one like GA has
rockytopman writes:
Kiffin is young, he definitely got the worst team in the NFL going in the right direction despite having the lamest owner in professional sports, and his previous experience should give him an edge in recruiting. Who thought "THE COACH" Pearl would've done what he has done???
cybervol writes:
Good News!! Al Davis just fired our next football coach. Hire Lane Kiffen Now!
bernardking writes:
Our fan base has to be one of the most pathetic in the nation. Reading through some of these posts makes me want to vomit. Fans' personal character attacks on players and coaches has gone too far. Referring to Crompton as Crapton........silly, redneck and immature. The continuous referrals to Phillip Fulmer as Phat Phil and Fatty.....again, typical hillbilly redneck statement.
I am ashamed of this fanbase. We are better than this. The Vols are struggling and yes, Crompton is terrible at the QB position and Fulmer seems to be struggling with his coaching, but lets please stop the personal character attacks.
And everyone wonders why people in the south continue to get labeled as rednecks. Its because you ARE rednecks
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