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A day-long downpour ended, on cue, shortly before kickoff Saturday night. Still, there wasn't much of a rainbow to marvel at from Tennessee's viewpoint.
The Vols were pressed to the end to subdue 23-point underdog Ohio 34-23 before launching into a menacing SEC gauntlet.
Perhaps a short-handed defense - three starters were missing - was a factor in the Vols' inability to dominate the Bobcats.
Before the final horn, two more defensive starters were sidelined. One, linebacker Nick Reveiz, appears out for the season.
"We've got to make plays, I don't care who's in there,'' said UT coach Lane Kiffin.
"We're a long ways from being a championship team.''
An announced attendance of 95,535 included a significant number of ticket-buyers who chose to stay home and watch the game on pay-per-view, listen on the radio or check their computer.
The Vols (2-2) got 140 rushing yards and a touchdown from Montario Hardesty.
Jonathan Crompton threw touchdown passes to Brandon Warren and Bryce Brown - and his eighth interception.
Half of the NCAA lost today. We won. We'd feel a lot worse if we didn't win.UT head football coach Lane Kiffin
And defensive end Chris Walker chipped in with a 7-yard interception-return touchdown to give the Vols some needed breathing room.
Kiffin was clearly less upbeat than he was a week ago when his team played better than expected in a 23-13 loss at No. 1 Florida.
The consistency and momentum he hoped to see Saturday night didn't materialize.
"Half of the NCAA lost today,'' he said. "We won.
"We'd feel a lot worse if we didn't win.''
The Bobcats (2-2) roughed up UT for 340 yards of offense but had only one offensive touchdown.
That came on a 2-yard pass from Theo Scott to LaVon Brazill in the first quarter after Crompton's interception gave the Bobcats a short field.
Their other touchdown was a 95-yard kickoff return from Chris Garrett that answered UT's opening-drive score.
Another Ohio score - a 46-yard return of a Crompton fumble - was wiped off after the replay officials determined linebacker Noah Keller had stepped out of bounds as he scooped up the fumble.
Tennessee got a Daniel Lincoln field goal on the final play of the first half to take a 24-17 lead into the break.
But the lead shrank before it grew.
Lincoln missed his first field goal of the year, hitting the upright from 46 yards in the third quarter. After which, Ohio drove for one of Matt Weller's three field goals to make it a 24-20 game.
The Bobcats almost got more than that after arriving with first-and-goal at the 4.
On third-and-goal at the 2, Reveiz stopped Donte Harden at the 1 and Ohio opted for the field goal.
The Vols answered with a 73-yard drive - all on the ground until Crompton flipped a screen pass to Brown for a 26-yard touchdown.
That made it 31-20 as the fourth quarter began.
It began with a near-disaster for the Vols.
On the second play of the final period, Crompton fumbled while retreating from a pass rush near the sideline. Keller picked up the football and ran for an apparent touchdown.
When the play was reviewed, however, Keller had stepped out of bounds as he scooped up the ball. Tennessee retained possession.
But there was no knock-out punch.
Weller hit a field goal to make it a one-score difference again at 31-23.
Lincoln answered and it was 34-23 with 6 minutes to play. That's where it stayed as Weller missed from 32 yards with 2:08 left.
Crompton finished 17-of-34 passing for 222 yards.
Scott was 30-of-52 for 319 yards.
"For whatever reason,'' Kiffin said, "we gave up big plays. And there were more out there they missed.''
Tennessee scored on the game's opening drive but quickly found itself in a catch-up posture.
Hardesty's 11-yard TD run capped a 69-yard drive and put the Vols on top 7-0.
While the Vols were celebrating on the sideline, Ohio's Garrett took Chad Cunningham's kickoff and darted 95 yards for the game-tying touchdown.
It's not as if UT shouldn't have been warned. It was the fourth kick-return score of Garrett's career.
Tennessee then followed its special-teams mistake with one on offense - a Crompton interception.
On third-and-14 at his 28, Crompton threw a pass that deflected off Gerald Jones into the arms of Ohio's Keller.
The Bobcats were in business at Tennessee's 30 and the Vols almost made the defensive stand.
On third-and-5, however, Scott hit Taylor Price for 25 yards to the 2. Then, spotting an apparent coverage bust, Scott flipped to a wide-open Brazill for the go-ahead score.
An exchange of punts that concluded with a 21-yard Nu'Keese Richardson return gave UT excellent field position at the Bobcats' 30.
On fourth-and-1 at the 21, Crompton flipped a short pass to Hardesty, who rambled 18 yards to the 3.
From there, Crompton hit Warren for the score to tie it 14-14 on the last play of the first quarter.
The second quarter settled into a stalemate, broken when Walker intercepted a Scott pass and returned it 7 yards for a touchdown and a 21-14 UT lead.
In the final 3:18 of the half, both teams executed hurry-up drives, each good for three points.
Weller's 36-yard field goal made it a 21-17 game with 40 seconds on the clock.
The Vols hustled in position for Lincoln's 38-yarder on the final snap of the half and Tennessee went to the locker room with a 24-17 lead.
The second half, however, probably raised more questions than it answered as UT faces Auburn and Georgia the next two weeks.
"We've got a long ways to go,'' Kiffin said.
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Comments » 107
VOLKING writes:
Wow. And the game's only been over for 4 hours. KNS, switch from dial-up to cable high speed, please. The difference between this year and last year. Last year we would have lost this game. Move on to Auburn. Rebuilding takes time, folks. Reveiz out for the year....huge loss.
bosscat writes:
Here's to fans that are supportive of their team regardless of the outcome. But to those that are not so inclined, here's a recent history lesson: In 2007, Nick Saban had an up-and-down first year with Bama. One of the ups was a 41-17 win over us. One of the downs was a 21-14 loss to UL Monroe (that's the University of Louisiana in Monroe, not Baton Rouge). The regular season ended with a loss to Auburn. "We're not any better off now that we were before", moaned many Bama "fans". And now, shrines are being built to Saban's glory. But, not to fear, Saban had better do better in the SEC Championship game and the bowl game this year or those same Bama "fans" will be gathering up the lynch mob. Morale of the history lesson: If you are a "fan" only when your team wins or only when your team plays up to your expectations, YOU'RE NOT REALLY A FAN!
UrbanStopCallingMe writes:
Well said.
dbc5361 writes:
You left out one minor detail..... Saban was a proven NCAA head coach with a BCS Championship to prove it.
Lane Kiffin Hasn't done squat, ever!
UTVOLSFAN4LIFE writes:
I am glad we had a gut check today. Kiffen will have this group fired up and ready to lay some Tigers on their as*es now. Jackson is going to be special. He has rocked a receiver in the last 2 games. This guy is a freshman and is playing to hurt someone. I love it. Auburn might want to get their back ups ready. McCoy, Jackson, Berry, and team are coming for you so buckle your chin straps.
dra172 writes:
There is not one reason but many reasons why we are where we are. I am sure Lane Kiffin is fully aware of what has to be done to begin regaining that UT dominance we had in the 90's. I personally think we all get too wrapped up in wins and losses. I would like to know if anyone has thought about why we let BJ Coleman transfer to UT Chattanooga. If we had a better quarterback I think that would go a long way at this point. Just one man's opinion.
V0LUNT33R writes:
Crompton's struggles are well documented, but it is worth noting that our 3 best receivers are freshmen, and two of them are running backs. Jones and Moore have been non-factors so far this season. We are recruiting good talent for next years wide receiver group, but we are a LONG way from Wide Receiver U, right now. It's going to be a long season, and none of it will have anything to do with the coaching staff. In fact, almost any win we get can be directly contributed to good coaching, because the talent level at our beloved UT is way down. Hang in there D! Tough luck Nick. We will miss you.
Go Big Orange
go_vols2009 writes:
A W is a W. Go Vols!
Lostvolinhighweeds writes:
And what, exactly, have you ever done?
(Complaining don't count).
Lostvolinhighweeds writes:
Yes, as a matter of fact, it is.
wags32 writes:
DUDE SHUT UP!
teampenny#658108 writes:
Well said!
Orangeblood13 writes:
really, and who are you? I forget about us "Morons" wanting to return to Tenn of old is to much to ask for. Looking at your comments, you don't deserve to have a vol tag in your name, so go climb in your hole somewhere or play in the street.
brat52 writes:
Is Crompton really the best we have to put in as quarterback? He wasn't that good under Coach Fulmer and he isn't lighting the board this year either. I don't really like to knock our players, but at some point, you start expecting better and more consistent playing.
mm29680#645909 writes:
Please don't let us be 2-6 after the next 5 weeks. GO VOLS.
xvolx writes:
you're definately Strange. You keep mentioning Crompton's interception, but never once mention that it was a good pass that hit Jones in the hands and deflected into an interception. That's not on Crompton. It's on Jones. Call them the way they happened, not with a biased intention toward Crompton. If you want to bad mouth someone, jump on that def. corner secondary that can neither cover nor tackle.
txvolsfan writes:
NICE!!I Love the VOLS
TXVOLSFAN
paul5170 writes:
People,it's just a game.There's always going to be ups & downs,highs and lows any way you look at it.Any real FB fan knows this,especialy after having to get so high before agame{Florida}to even have a chance to win.IS almost always followed by a low.How about some postive chatter for a change,look @ some of these other programs,it will get worse before it gets better.I beleave in this coaching staff give them a chance.If you think back we've had some poor QB's before,but managed to win.
Bodecker writes:
This story seems unfair. UT won, plain and simple, and this is the kind of markee win that can propell us into the top 25 by yearend.
watchdog writes:
This team is rebuilding, remember? Learning new schemes, starting a bunch of 18 year olds? We didn't win the game convincingly because just pursuing the result was apparently never our intent. Did you all who are fussing even watch the game? Hardesty was averaging seven yards a carry. Our run blocking looked consistently good, and from the north end zone I saw holes all night you could drive a truck through. Seriously, we could have done that all night and had the convincing victory over Ohio that some of you all apparently crave.
Instead, remember how the game started? We threw, then we threw, then we threw again. Coach decided Crompton could use some live practice against a team where the outcome wasn't really in doubt. He did okay. He made some mistakes, sure, but the whole team did too. We need a more developed team, much more so than we need a bigger margin of victory over Ohio.
beatfla2009 writes:
good post
pdhuff#552644 writes:
I'll take the W.
Get 'em ready for Aubie.
TatersDaddy writes:
Don't look like Kiffen's Kittens are much better than Fill's Fellers was.
beatfla2009 writes:
I have taken up for Crompton all year and Iwas lucky enough to get the game for free on my laptop on the internet, which is better than watching it on a big screen.
There was alot of dropped passes, I call alot 5 at least one of those went for an INT. And a couple of bad routes by the receivers,which I think evened out with a couple of great catches, so I have Crompton being 25-34 with close to 300 yards and one less INT. What concerned me the most is the big plays he missed and I will admit I am getting a little tired of him throwing up his hands like it is always interference or letting everyone know it was not his fault, but I ask you try to be sensible and show respect for the team and the state of Tennessee, just point out the facts and do not act like the hillbillys that we in the south are sometimrs referred too.
His name is Crompton not Crapton that is not funny it is insulting and backwards, It is Lane Kiffin not LAME KIFFIN, I am begining to think it will take a miracle for Crompton to turn it around but do not be surprised if he starts a NFL game before Eric Ainge.
Iknow it is hard for some of you but try to show some class,I do wish he had a A.J.Green to throw to.
beatfla2009 writes:
True, and the bad economy is Obama's fault,lol
beatfla2009 writes:
Come on people show your true colors, have you grown up over night or is everyone one hung over,LOL.
bY NOW SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TAKEN A PERSONAL STAB AT ME FOR SAYING CROMPTON WOULD PLAY IN THE NFL, OR NOW YOU CAN MAKE FUN OF ME FOR USING ALL LARGE CAPPS.LOL.
GO Vols I am proud to be a Tennessee fan, beat Auburn.
PlaidinOrangeandWhite writes:
Please remember that this team was leading the Buckeyes in the fourth quarter last year. All I want to do is win by one point. At least the guys are not full of themeselves and will work their butts off for next weeks game.
82cat writes:
I am amazed when I read these post on here.
Wake up folks Ohio is not Ohio state but lets make it clear they are well coached and have plenty of talent on the field.
A win is a win period especially for a 5-7 team that has a new staff and playing freshman all over the field and by the way this is a team that LOST AT HOME TO WYOMING!
Positives- Offensive line is jelling and opening up holes and the backs are hitting them full speed.
Did any of you watch Douglas at tackle? He looked great and every time I focused on him dominated his man.
Crompton looked much better the int was not his fault and he threw some good balls and also made some good decisions.
negatives:
Cromptons fumble was troublesome- even though we got it back that is a mistake you just dont expect a 5th yr senior to make.
This was a sandwich game between Florida and Auburn and as I said a w is a w.
I heard Mack Brown on radio say " a good team finds a way to win those games where they dont play well or anywhere near perfect, teams will usually play their best possible maybe 2 or 3 times a year and those wins come easy its all those others you have to find a way to get a w
at the end of the year they just add the W's and the L's and nobody cares how you won them."
beatfla2009 writes:
iDO NOT REMEMBER THAT THANKS FOR A INFORMATIVE POST, I AM GUESSING, WELL NEVER MIND DID WE PLAY oHIO sTATE OR IS THEIR ANOTHER TEAM CALLED THE BUCKEYES NOT BEING A CRITIC, JUST ASKING
seventysevenvol writes:
"half the NCAA lost today, we didn't". Great analogy. Uplifting. Makes me want to drive for success at all costs. I don't get it...maybe it's just that UT was complacent...maybe it was Ohio playing inspired ball. This game should have been a rout. I guess patience is needed as the team adjusts. But Kiffin's comment ranks in the "we gotta go study film and work like heck" category. Oh well, beat Auburn! They're not as good as their record indicates.
beatfla2009 writes:
Yeah, how about Georgia they are begining to look like our 1998 team without a good as defense, could very well beat Florida as well as Tennessee could beat Georgia, but let's beat Auburn for now as are Freshman are getting some time to play better, we will miss Revez though, so I hope Tennessee can get some good luck in the injurie department the rest ofthe way!
82cat writes:
My guess would be either a breakfast buffet or doughnut shop!
With Phil as coach Ohio would have embarassed us yesterday just like--------WYOMING
panties4tebow writes:
Sorry to inform you but according to board records you never did board the LANE TRAIN instead you boarded the PEE WEE meyer KIDDIE PANTIES TRAIN......YES YOU CAN GET OFF AT THE NEXT STOP FOR THE PEE WEE meyer KIDDIE PANTIES TRAIN - THE NEXT STOP IS IN SOUTH BEND!!!!!!!!
beatfla2009 writes:
Not a good post alot of misinformation, Kiffin is making what he is making for a good reason, he is taking less money as he was able to pay his dad and other great coaching to come here, I do not have a problem with that it will make him a better coach, and he will get his contract soon.
GainesvilleVol1 writes:
I knew this could be a trap game, sandwitched between UF and Auburn. We were sloppy on defense and special teams, which suprised me somewhat. The bottom line is we won, but lost Reviez in the victory. Hopefully someone will step up, and this team will ready itself for more league action next week, as Auburn rolls into Neyland. Auburn has shown it can score, but has not faced a defense like UT. This game could mean the difference in going bowling or staying home again. I don't care what bowl, it's critical we use the time for pratice. I know the season is early, but thats how I see it.
As for me, I'm eating at the waffle house, not the cracker barrel this weekend. Took KY and the points, and took UT and gave the points. That's why they call it gambling, not winning. Oh well, there's always the NFL today to get back, right??
GO VOLS!!! Get ready for the Screaming War Beagles.
TheBanker writes:
I do not hear this team or this coach making any excuses. I saw this game as an opportunity for the UT quarterback and receivers to develop the chemistry they desparately need. I do not think that G. Jones is where he was last year before his injury. I do not see vast improvement in the other WR's in order to threaten the sleep of defensive coordinators. However, the short drop-offs, and passes to the backs show significant promise to loosen the middle. I think Crompton could use his legs a little more to get short yardage.
I continue to be impressed with the defense and the ability to reload. Leadership is a premium and the loss of Nick will sting. A scrappy offense like OU was still unable to run the ball and our "fresh faces" played exceptional with the massive amount of "holding no-calls".
Message to Vol Fans:
No need to respond to "illegal immigrants" on our site. Few offer more than antagonistic rhetoric. This site is for fans. We praise our teams because of love and respect for Volunteer Sports. We criticize our teams for the same reasons. Don't discard the Kool Aid on this team. I have seen more heart and professionalism in this group than I have seen in a long time.
Question: how many teams have disappointed? I am unable to answer the question because I am not a fan of other teams. I do not care to be a part of their conversation. I am a fan of the Vols!!!!!
bosscat writes:
Question: How do you tell the inter-lopers from the fair-weather fans? Answer: You can't.
beatfla2009 writes:
It is War Eagles, I know it is hard for the people with anger management problems to show respect, but you could try it, and I am not a Auburn fan, beat Auburn with a good offense, that is what I would like to see.
blitzshoot writes:
Beat Auburn. In my opinion, this Auburn game is more important than any game of the season. It's next.
VolinChatt writes:
About giving Kiffin a chance, I'll use Nebraska's program as a good example. Roth UT and Nebraska have had an extreme amount of success in their football histories. Both programs have terrific fan bases. Both fan bases aren't satisfied with less than 10-win seasons. Just as Bo Pelini is bringing Nebraska back to college football's elite, so is Kiffin (just one year behind Pelini). Fellow UT brethren - give Kiffin time. Rome wasn't built in a day. UT's "Rome" won't be rebuilt in a day or a year. Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college football program. Pelini is getting his recruits; Kiffin is, too. Kiffin will have UT in the SEC Conference championship game in about two to three years from this December (at the latest).
I'll respect anyone who wants to disagree with what I've said. This is my gut feeling about where UT's football program is.
orangevolman writes:
So true!!
Pompey writes:
At this point if I had though about Coleman I would be too embarrassed to admit it.
rockytopatl writes:
We've got a much better chance of beating Georgia than Georgia has of beating Florida. You can take that one to the bank.
tennisvol writes:
Since UT is apparently dealing in "moral victories" now, this one will have to go to Ohio.
Next is Auburn, and they plan to win the game and not just get a moral victory.
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
yes, a full refund . We don't need pathetic fair weather fans like you, loser.
jmr68ut writes:
We're not very good. We need a lot more consistency on offense - we need a better QB. Until we get one, we won't win many games!!
navarrebeachvol writes:
wow. I am in awe. how long did you work on that clever post, Mr English major?
DancingOutlaw writes:
what i don't understand is why did we throw it so much? hardesty and brown were GASHING their D, OL was creating some good gaps. we were picking up 7-8 per rush. yet hardesty touched the ball FOUR TIMES in the first half. it we had kept it on the ground we score another 2 or 3 td's. we have easily identified crompton as our team's weak link, yet kiffin keeps involving him in the offense too much for his abilities. was monte betting against the spread? i think the best instance of crompton's lack of ability was when teague was FOUR STEPS past anyone, crompton had time to set and throw and COMPLETELY MISSED. i suppose it's better than the 08 bounce pass, but we aren't going to win many games making huge mistakes like that.
smokymtman writes:
Kiffen's Kittens ARE the remains of Fill's Fellers so we won't really know for three more years what kind of team Kiffen will have that can be called his own.
navarrebeachvol writes:
dang, I didnt know we played USC? credibility check: you have none, so shut up. p.s. there is no draft. shut up again. thanks. now have a nice day!
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