University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee-Alabama Preview
October 16, 2000 | Football
| QUICK FACTS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama (3-3, 3-1 SEC) at Tennessee (2-3, 0-3 SEC)
TV: CBS (Verne Lundquist, Todd Blackledge and Jill Arrington). Comcast Delayed (Bob Bell and Terence Cleveland). CTSN-Delayed (David Crane and Doug Layton) Associated Press Poll (UT:NR/UA:NR) THE COACHES: Alabama Crimson Tide
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GAME NOTES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama Crimson Tide (3-3) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (2-3) The University of the South, popularly known as Sewanee, is the only team to have won six straight games over the Crimson Tide. The Tigers defeated the Tide six times in Birmingham, Ala., from 1896 to 1911. In fact, Sewanee owned a nine-game unbeaten string over Alabama from 1896 to 1914 including a 6-6 tie in 1912. Texas owns an eight-game (7-0-1) unbeaten string over Alabama, but did not post six straight wins because of a tie in the 1960 Bluebonnet Bowl. This year's meeting marks the first time since 1984 that neither team is ranked in the national polls. It is also only the second time since 1966 that the game will be played without a ranked team. The other meeting came in 1968. Tennessee won both meetings of the unranked teams, 28-27 in 1984 and 10-9 in 1968. The Vols have scored at least 20 points in each of the last five games, while Alabama has been held under 20 points four times during those meetings. The Volunteers have won the last two meetings in Knoxville. Head coach Phillip Fulmer is 6-1 versus Alabama. The series began in 1901 and the teams have played every year since 1928 with the exception of the war year of 1943. VOL DEFENSE CONTINUES TO RACK UP SACKS; LEADS SEC WITH 23 The Vols have gotten to the quarterback at least three times in each game, with a season-high nine sacks in the season lidlifter against Southern Mississippi. They had three each versus Florida and LSU, with four more against Louisiana-Monroe and Georgia. They are on pace to record at least 50 sacks this season which would break the record of 47 set by the 1997 Volunteer squad in 12 games. The Vols have recorded at least 30 sacks in each of the last 10 years, including four seasons of more than 40 sacks. Spearheading the Vol defenders is junior defensive tackle John Henderson who leads with five sacks, registering at least one in four of the five games. He now has nine sacks in 17 career games. Defensive end Will Overstreet has 3.5 sacks, while linebackers Anthony Sessions and Dominique Stevenson are tied for third with three sacks apiece. UT defensive linemen have combined for 14 sacks, while the linebackers have nine. TENNESSEE'S RUSH DEFENSE RANKS 11TH NATIONALLY; 2ND IN SEC The Vols allowed their first three opponents to run for 143 yards on 78 carries for an average of 47.7 yards per game and 1.8 yard per rush. Over the last two games, the Vols have given up 288 yards on 80 attempts for for an average of 144.0 and 3.6 yards per carry. Through five games, the Vols are making an average of 11 stops behind the line of scrimmage for a minus 220 yards (44.0 yards per game). The Vols have allowed 13 rushing touchdowns in their last 28 regular-season games and 28 over the last 51 regular-season contests. Over the last 15 regular season games, the Vols have given up an average of 84.7 yards per game while holding opponents to a 2.61 per carry average and seven rushing scores. They have allowed only four backs to rush for over 100 yards in the last 30 games (Shaun Alexander, Alabama, 132 yards in 1998; Cedric Cobbs, Arkansas, 107 yards in 1999; Dan Alexander, Nebraska, 108 yards in 2000 Fiesta Bowl; LaBrandon Toefield, LSU, 120 yards in 2000). HEAD COACH PHILLIP FULMER
BIG, BAD JOHN Offensive coordinators and linemen across the league are finding out that defensive tackle John Henderson can be mean and nasty. Henderson, who made a career-high 10 tackles versus Georgia, leads the Vols with five sacks and has recorded at least one in four of the five games. He had two against Florida when he registered eight solo tackles. In addition to making at least six tackles in four of the five games, he has also recovered two fumbles, force one fumble, made two tackles for loss and swatted away two passes. Henderson is tied for third on the team with 34 total tackles (30 solos). He ranks first in the SEC in tackles among defensive tackles and defensive ends. In addition, Henderson's five sacks rank in a tie for fourth place in the league, just a half-sack off the SEC sack leaders. WESTMORELAND RECORDS CAREER-HIGH 15 TACKLES Against ULM, he recorded his second career interception, caused a fumble that led to a touchdown and registered a half sack with two tackles for loss. The fifth-year senior is the Vols' leading active tackler with 207, while registering 31 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He has made at least one tackle for loss in 16 of his last 20 games. OVERSTREET BRINGS PRESSURE HENRY NEARS NO. 5 SPOT ON UT'S CAREER RUSHING CHART Henry is averaging 73.7 yards rushing over the last three games after running for 310 yards (155.0 per game) in his first two games against Southern Mississippi and Florida. He averaged 5.5 yards per rush in those two games and is down to 4.7 over the last three. His rushing attempts are down from 56 in the first two games to 47 over the last three. Henry, who is 596 yards shy of James Stewart's all-time Tennessee rushing mark of 2890 yards, must average 99.3 yards per game over the six remaining games to surpass Stewart. It does not get any easier over the next three games as South Carolina and Memphis are giving up less than 100 yards per game rushing at 98.7 and 64.0 respectively. Alabama is allowing 102.8 yards rushing per game and 2.9 yards per carry. With two rushing scores against ULM, he pushed his career rushing touchdown total to 19. With his next touchdown, he will become the fifth Vol in the nine-man 2000-yard club to have scored 20 rushing touchdowns.
HENRY: NINTH TO 2000 YARDS What makes Henry's run to 2000 yards remarkable is that he had only started eight regular-season games in his career prior to reaching 2000 yards. He reached the milestone in his 31st regular-season game, seventh fastest in Tennessee history. Henry set a career-high versus Florida by toting the pigskin 37 times, four carries shy of the school record of 41 set by Johnnie Jones against Rutgers in 1983. None the less, his 37 rushes was the fourth highest total in school history. His previous best was 32 set in the 1998 Arkansas game. HENRY: TEN 100-YARD GAMES The record is 13 held jointly by Jamal Lewis and Jay Graham. Johnnie Jones is third with 12 career 100-yard rushing games to his credit. Henry has reached the 100-yard mark in five of his last eight regular season games. WALLS: MR. PERFECTION Entering Saturday's game against Alabama, he ranks third nationally at 2.0 field goals per game and is tied for fiftth with his 10 field goals made. Walls is tied with Rhett Gallego of UAB for the nation's lead in field goal percentage among kickers who have attempted at least 10 field goals. Gallego is 11-of-11. Walls is 22nd nationally in scoring at 8.6 points per game and is second in the SEC. He ranks fifth among kickers nationally. Walls has connected on 18-of-21 career field goal attempts for 85.7 percent, going 12-for-13 inside 40 yards and 6-for-8 outside 40 yards. He has connected from distances of 32, 36, 19, 29, 19, 42, 47, 36, 46 and 27 yards this season. Since a miss against Kentucky last season, Walls has connected on 21 consecutive PATs while making 48 of 49 in his career. Already this season, Walls has tied the school record for field goals made in a game with five against Florida, and set the Tennessee mark for PAT's in a game with 10 versus Louisiana-Monroe. DEADLY ACCURATE He has placed 30 of his last 86 punts inside the 20, while 46 were not returned. He has punted for a 40-yard-plus average in 12 of his last 16 games, and his career average of 40.9 yards ranks sixth on UT's career list. He also ranks sixth with 150 career punts and sixth with 6132 yards. Thanks to exceptional punt coverage, the Vols are third in the SEC and 13th nationally with a net punting average of 39.1. Opponents average only 4.8 yards per punt return with a long of 15. AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM Leaverton has been a speaker at numerous churches and youth groups. He has volunteered at Winter Special Olympics, Juvenile Arthritis Foundation, Smokey Mountain Soccer Club and various other organizations. He has made an appearance in a Knoxville D.A.R.E. video and talked to children about the importance of staying away from drugs. Leaverton also regularly visits children's hospitals and nursing homes giving encouragement. WILSON LEADS SEC IN CATCHES PER GAME; RANKS 4TH ON UT'S CAREER RECEPTIONS LIST He continues to lead the SEC and is 25th nationally at 5.8 catches per game which is 0.23 more than Vanderbilt's Dan Stricker who is second at 5.57 receptions per game. Overall, Wilson is tied for fifth with his 29 catches and ranks ninth in the league at 56.8 receiving yards per game. The two touchdown receptions versus Louisiana-Monroe matched his career high set versus Wyoming last season. He now has 16 career TD catches which ties for fourth with Alvin Harper. He needs three more to tie Peerless Price for third at 19. WILSON GETS OPEN For the season Wilson leads the Vols with 29 catches, but has only 48 yards more than second place Donte' Stallworth who has 19 receptions. He has four career 100-yard receiving games, including the ninth-best day in school history with 183 yards against Wyoming in 1999.
MARTIN CATCHES ON Martin hauled in 12 passes against LSU which tied Alvin Harper for the second-highest total and a third-place mark for single-game receptions at UT. The 12 catches was the most since Joey Kent tied the all-time Tennessee mark of 13 against Arkansas in 1995, joining Carl Pickens atop the chart. SUGGS COMPLETES 60 PERCENT OVER LAST TWO GAMES He has been extremely sharp over the last two games, completing 50 of 80 passes for 62.5 percent. Against LSU, when he tied the school record for completions in a game with 37, he completed 62.7 percent, going 37 of 59. Versus Georgia, he posted a 61.9 completion percentage as he hit on 13 of 21 pass attempts. Suggs has completed at least 50 percent of his passes in all four starts. He also had a string of 93 pass attempts without an interception until UT's last play in the Georgia game. MORE SUGGS Suggs' 319 yards passing against LSU was the first 300-yard game for the Vols since Tee Martin threw for 311 versus Arkansas in 1999. His 66 total offensive attempts tied for the second-most in school history behind Peyton Manning's 70 total attempts vs. Florida in 1996. Andy Kelly had 66 total offense attempts vs. Notre Dame in 1990. After going 10-for-16 for 79 yards in the first half, he completed 27-of-43 for 240 yards and three scores in the second half against the Tigers. He was also instrumental as the Vols tied the school mark for two-point conversions in a game as he completed two of three pass attempts. It was the first time since the 1994 UCLA game that Tennessee converted two two-point conversions and the fifth time overall. CLAUSEN GETS INCREASED ACTION He saw one series in the LSU contest, going 0-for-2. Clausen played the entire second quarter (four drives) versus Georgia going 5-for-11 with one interception and 40 yards. For the season, Clausen has completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 173 yards. VOLS BLOCKING KICKS One would have to go back to 1995 to find the last time a Tennessee team blocked as many as three kicks. That year, the Vols blocked four kicks, two punts and two field goals. Rashad Baker and Steven Marsh each blocked punts in the Louisiana-Monroe game which tied the school record set against Kentucky in 1986. CONSISTENT RECEIVING TRIO The 58 catches are 55.2 percent of the total receptions. Wilson has made at least three catches in each game, with a season-high nine for 70 yards against Florida. He has recorded at least 50 yards receiving in each of the last four games. Stallworth has made at least four catches in four of the five games. He posted a season-high 81 yards at LSU, while Parker had four catches each against ULM and LSU before having his string of 16 consecutive games with a pass reception snapped at Georgia. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Bobby Graham had his string of catching a pass in three straight games snapped at Georgia. It was the second three-game catch streak of his career. He caught a pass against Memphis, Auburn and Georgia last season. Travis Henry set a career-high with four catches for 22 yards against Georgia. His 11 receptions this season are four more than his career 7 catches for 34 yards he had entering the season.
AGAINST THE SEC Versus the Western Division, Tennessee is 21-6, going 9-3 at home, 9-3 on the road and 3-0 at neutral sites. They have won 16 of their last 18 against Western Division opponents. They have won seven straight at home, six of their last eight road games and three at neutral sites. OPEN DATE RECORD LAST TIMES MEDICAL UPDATE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
