Calkins: Lane Kiffin era starts with a bang as Tennessee crushes Western Kentucky : govolsxtra.com

KNOXVILLE -- Under Lane Kiffin, the Tennessee football team will roll up nearly 700 yards of offense per game.

Under Kiffin, the defense will hold the opposition to single digits.

Under Kiffin, the offense will never give up a sack.

Under Kiffin, Jonathan Crompton will turn into a touchdown machine.

Under Kiffin, the defense will be impassable, the offense will be explosive and the fans will go home happy.

And if you aren't willing to believe all that, what's the point of scheduling a team like Western Kentucky in the first place?

The Kiffin era got off to a rollicking start Saturday as Tennessee demolished Western Kentucky, 63-7.

If the goal was to set the tone for a season and a coaching staff, this game certainly accomplished it.

The Vols churned out 657 yards of offense, the most since 1997. They had 380 yards rushing.

Montario Hardesty (160) and Bryce Brown (104) each ran for more than 100 yards while Crompton threw five -- five! -- touchdown passes.

Western Kentucky had exactly one first down in the first half. Tennessee never punted.

The Vols scored 60 points in a game for the first time since 2000.

Three freshmen (Brown, Marsalis Teague and David Oku) combined for four Tennessee touchdowns.

"That does not surprise me, the way these numbers are," said Kiffin. "This is the way we expect to play."

See? Under Kiffin, the Vols may go undefeated.

And, of course, I am kidding.

It was Western Kentucky. Not plain ol' Kentucky. Western Kentucky. The worst team that has come to Knoxville in many a season.

But why be picky on a day like this? Why be picky after a year like last year?

Tennessee didn't need a test. Tennessee needed a party, a celebration, a 60-minute fireworks show.

So there was Kiffin, leading his team out of the tunnel to wild cheers. There was Crompton, beginning the Kiffin era with a quick and sure completion. There was Crompton, following that up by throwing an intercept ... hey, that wasn't in the plan.

A Crompton interception? Followed by a fumble? And a scoreless first quarter?

"Kind of a rocky start there," said Kiffin.

The finish was better. And by finish, I mean the next three quarters. Tennessee finally scored when Brown -- the freshman tailback -- busted in from the 2-yard line. After that, it was all fireworks.

Crompton fired a 17-yard touchdown pass to Luke Stocker. Then he threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Quintin Hancock. Then it was a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Warren to end the half.

"It was a good thing," said Crompton, "getting 28 unanswered."

How can you argue with that logic? And why would you want to?

Kiffin said he intentionally kept it simple for Crompton at the start of the game, drawing up easy routes for his quarterback.

But there was Crompton in the third quarter, urging his team to break 50 and then 60.

Crompton found Stocker in the end zone for another touchdown pass. He found Marsalis Teague -- another one of those freshmen -- for a 5-yarder.

That gave him five touchdown passes for the game. Or one more than he had all of last season.

Know how many times Tim Tebow has thrown five TD passes in a game?

It's a small number. Zero.

And, no, nobody is saying Crompton is anything like Tebow. I wouldn't trust him with a circumcision, for example.

But it's hard not to think a game like this will do wonders for the guy's mindset.

Confidence begets confidence. Touchdown passes beget touchdown passes.

After Crompton's fifth touchdown pass, one giddy fan could be heard yelling, "Crompton for Heisman!"

It was silly, of course. Utterly preposterous.

But on this first day of the Kiffin era, everything seemed possible.