Janzen Jackson suspended for game

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Tennessee cornerback Janzen Jackson (15) tackles South Carolina wide receiver Tori Gurley (81) at Neyland Stadium Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009.

Janzen Jackson

Tennessee starting free safety Janzen Jackson was almost a forgotten man Saturday night.

His absence during the Vols' 56-28 victory over Memphis at Neyland Stadium was just about an afterthought.

Where was he? Not in sight on the Vols' sideline.

What was he doing? One can only wonder.

Jackson, a freshman from Lake Charles, La., did not practice with the starters prior to the Memphis game for reasons undisclosed by UT coach Lane Kiffin. Jackson practiced with the scout team.

In the days leading up to the Memphis game, Kiffin was mum about Jackson's availability. Kiffin broke his silence about Jackson's situation after the Vols' victory.

"He did not play (Saturday night) for administrative suspension and he'll be back next week," Kiffin said. "He actually had a great week of practice on our service team, so I think it's a very valuable lesson not just for him but for our whole team.

"Here's a player that was SEC freshman of the week last week, so it's not one of those deals where we suspend guys that aren't the good players. Hopefully he'll learn from it."

Sophomore Prentis Waggner started in place of the hard-hitting Jackson against Memphis.

It was the second time this season Kiffin suspended a starting defensive back for a game. Junior cornerback Dennis Rogan served a suspension for the Sept. 26 Ohio game.

Lathers Starts: Redshirt freshman Herman Lathers got the start at middle linebacker in place of Savion Frazier, a junior who sustained a season-ending knee injury last Saturday against South Carolina.

Frazier moved from weak-side linebacker to middle linebacker when Nick Reveiz suffered a season-ending knee injury against Ohio.

Lathers led the Vols with six tackles (three solo and three assists) against Memphis.

"Practice was harder than the game to me because the coaches were on us really hard," Lathers said. "Just getting in and watching extra film helped a lot especially. Getting everybody lined up was the whole key to everything. Once I got everybody lined up we were able to just relax and play ball."

Reveiz Hit: UT sophomore Shane Reveiz, younger brother of Nick Reveiz, was credited with a forced fumble by Chris Hobbs on the kickoff after the Vols took a 21-0 lead.

Tauren Poole, a sophomore running back playing on the kickoff coverage team, recovered the Hobbs fumble, setting up the Vols' fourth TD.

"Honestly my job on kickoffs is to blow up the wedge, so I just kind of ran down there and I wanted to hit the guy really hard, and the next thing I know the guy ran into me and fumbled," Reveiz said. "I just try to give my all in special teams every day."

It was a memorable moment when the two brothers from Farragut High School met on the sideline after the fumble.

"(Nick) was just as excited as I am," Shane Reveiz said. "We're brothers. We feed on each other. He's just excited for me and I'm just excited to be out there. I'm trying to play for him ever since he went down. I'm trying to dedicate my season to him."

Reveiz played linebacker in the second half. "That was a fun experience," he said. "I messed up a couple of times. It's my first time being out there. It was a great experience and hopefully it will continue in the future."

Limping Brown: UT defensive tackle Wes Brown limped to the sideline with 8:48 left in the third quarter and the Vols leading 49-7. Brown, who has been hampered by knee injuries throughout his UT career, did not return.

Vol Returnees: Daniel Lincoln returned as the placekicker after missing the Oct. 31 game against South Carolina with a sore quadriceps. Chad Cunningham was the kicker against the Gamecocks.

Defensive end Chris Walker (back) started after missing the South Carolina game, and wide receiver Quintin Hancock (ankle) was in the game for the Vols' second offensive snap.

Hancock, who missed the past two games, made a diving catch on the sideline for a 33-yard gain on the Vols' second possession off a pass from Jonathan Crompton.

Bowl Rep: A representative from the Chick-fil-A Bowl was at Saturday night's game.

The Chick-fil-A Bowl will be played Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta matching teams from the SEC and ACC.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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