University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee vs. Notre Dame Postgame Notes
November 03, 2001 | Football
Nov. 3, 2001
Recap?|? Final Stats?|? Quotes?|? Photo Gallery
Tennessee 28, Alabama 18
Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend Ind.
Attendance: 80,795-equals Notre Dame Stadium Record
Strong Second Half Keys Tennessee's 28-18 Win at Notre Dame
Following today's 28-18 win by Tennessee
? Tennessee leads the series 4-2-0
? In South Bend, UT now leads the series 2-1 ... UT has won the last meeting here 35-34 in 1991 ... Lost 31-14 here in 1978
? Notre Dame's last win in the series came in 1990, a 34-29 victory at Knoxville
? Today's Attendance: 80,795-equals Notre Dame Stadium Record
? Tennessee improves to 6-1, while Notre Dame falls to (3-5)
? Tennessee has a 61-3 mark in November game since 1985, including a 2-1 mark vs. Notre Dame
? Tennessee plays host to Memphis next Saturday (2 p.m.) .... The Vols lead the UT-UM series 17-1 (9-0 at Neyland Stadium)
? The Vols entered the game ranked No. 7 in the AP & Coaches poll ... UT was also No. 7 in this week's BCS rankings
Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer is the nation's winningest active head coach...Following today's game, Fulmer has a 90-19 (.826) mark now in his 10th season at his alma mater ... Fulmer is now 2-0 against Notre Dame and has a 30-5 mark against non-conference opponents.
Senior tailback Travis Stephens gained 63 yards on 24 carries today ... Today's game was just the second this season that Stephens... Stephens entered today's game ranked third in the nation in rushing, averaging 145.0/game ... Stephens has 933 yards on the year, needing 67 next Saturday for 1000 this season ... Stephens scored his eighth rushing TD today (9th total).
QB Casey Clausen completed 17-of-29 for 228 yards for 1 touchdown and 1 interception today ... Clausen also rushed for the Vols final score ... Clausen is now 12-2 as a starter at quarterback for the Vols ... He has a 7-1 mark as the Vols' QB when throwing for at least 200 yards (4-1 in 2001) ... Clausen has now thrown for 1336 yards the past five games.
Clausen became the 12th UT quarterback to amass at least 3000 career passing yards today ... Clausen enters next week's game against Memphis with 3,031 yards ... After throwing for just 64 yards in the first half, Clausen completed 10-of-17 for 150 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter.
Tennessee's offense, held to just 97 total yards at the half, exploded for 175 in the third quarter as the Vols took a 21-10 advantage into the fourth quarter ... Notre Dame had just 46 yards in the third quarter after gaining 198 in the first half.
After having no catches in the first half, WR Kelley Washington became a big factor for the Vols in the second half ... Washington hauled in five catches for 59 yards during the third quarter alone ... Washington leads the Vols this season with 43 catches for 714 yards.
WR Eric Parker helped key the Vols' 3rd quarter 12-play, 80-yard drive with two catches for 37 yards ... Travis Stephens capped the drive with a three-yard TD run to give UT a 14-10 advantage with 8:19 remaining in the third stanza ... Today's game marked season highs for Parker in receptions (4) and reception yardage (59)...Donte' Stallworth had three catches today for a season-high 83 yards and a touchdown ... Since coming back from a wrist injury that forced him to miss three games, Stallworth as caught 10 passes for 188 yards and two TDs.
LB Dominique Stevenson picked off a deflected pass with 2:41 remaining at the Notre Dame 25 to ice the game for the Vols ... DT John Henderson tipped the ball at the line of scrimmage, then Albert Haynesworth knocked it up in the air before Stevenson picked it off ... The pick was Stevenson's first of the season and second of his career.
SS Julian Battle forced two Notre Dame fumbles in the first half to end Irish drives deep in UT territory ... With 11:01 to go in the second quarter, Battle ran down ND's Arnaz Battle at the UT 1 and stripped the ball to the ground where DE Constantin Ritzmann recovered ... Later in the quarter (5:12), Battle and Mark Jones teamed up to strip Ryan Grant at the UT 19, where Battle scooped up the loose ball and returned it 81 yards for UT's first score ... Battle's fumble return is the fourth-longest in UT history ... Battle's two forced fumbles are his first of the season, while Ritzmann fumble recovery was his first of the season and second of his career.
Battle's 81-yard fumble return for a touchdown was the first UT score off a fumble return since DeAngelo Lloyd's 34-yard return against Arkansas last season (Nov. 11) in a 63-20 UT victory.
TENNESSEE DEFENSIVE BIG PLAYS
Tackle for Loss: (3) 1-Haynesworth (-7), 1-Moore (-2), 2-Hand (-2), 1-Jackson (-2), 1-Henderson (-6)
Sacks: (4) 1-Haynesworth (-7), 1-Jackson (-2), 1-Moore (-9), 1-Henderson (-6)
Passes Broken Up: (2) 1-Burnett, 1-Henderson
Interceptions: (1) 1-Stevenson
Fumble Caused: (2) 2-Battle
Fumble Recovered: (2) 1-Ritzmann, 1-Battle (81 yd return-TD),
? Sacks included in Tackle for Loss stats
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