University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Travels to Florida Saturday for SEC Showdown
September 10, 2001 | Football
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| Tennessee (2-0) at Florida (2-0)
RADIO TV RANKINGS THE COACHES: Florida Gators | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Vols-Gators Meet in Weekend's Biggest Matchup Complete Release in PDF Format
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Tennessee and Florida clash in a game that has decided the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division winner in each of the last nine years. Either Florida or Tennessee has won the division title since the league split into divisions since 1992. They are the only two schools to represent the SEC East in the league's Championship game. Also, these two teams have combined to win seven SEC titles in the last eight years. Despite Tennessee holding a 16-14 lead in the series, Florida has won 12 of the last 15 meetings and the last seven games in Gainesville. The Vols last win at Florida Field came in 1971, 20-13. This is the first time since 1995 that the Vols have not opened SEC play against Florida and have not had an open week prior to the game. In each of the last six seasons and nine of the last 11, both teams have entered this game ranked in the top 10. The last three meetings have been decided by five points or less with 13 of the 30 meetings decided by seven points or less. It's come down to the running game in the last 11 meetings with the team winning the battle on the ground coming out the victor 10 times. The team committing the fewest turnovers is 8-2 those game (Tied is 1994). TENNESSEE AT A GLANCE After the Florida game, the Vols will only play twice in the next four weeks with back-to-back home games versus LSU and Georgia sandwiched between two open dates. UT will close the season with six straight games. Phillip Fulmer, the winningest active college football coach, is in his 10th season at the helm of the Volunteer program. He guides a team that has posted at least eight wins in each of the last 12 years and played in 11 New Year's Day bowl games. WHAT TO LOOK FOR . . . STEPHENS POSTS 200-YARD GAME TO REACH 1000 YARDS, TIES UT SINGLE-GAME CARRY MARK It was his second straight 100-yard rushing game of the season and third of his career. Stephens posted 111 yards against Syracuse in the season opener and had 107 versus Georgia in his first start in 1998. Along the way, Stephens tied the Tennessee record for carries in a game with 41 (Johnnie Jones vs. Rutgers 1983). He and Jones are the only two UT backs to ever rush the ball at least 40 times in a game. Stephens accounted for 219 all-purpose yards against Arkansas while posting 18 runs of five yards or more with a long of 25. Versus Syracuse, he had 145 all-purpose yards with two long runs of 40 and 37 yards and a 34-yard reception. Stephens ranks No. 2 in the NCAA in rushing yards per game at 158.5 which also leads the SEC. He is seventh in the NCAA (1st in SEC) in all-purpose yardage at 182.0 ypg. As a backup tailback on the 1998 national championship team, Stephens ran for 477 yards on 107 carries with four scores. Following a redshirt season in 1999, he posted 359 yards on 81 attempts with seven TDs last year.
DEFENSE RULES THE DAY The Vols really showed their mettle against Arkansas, trailing 3-0 after three periods, the defense kept the Razorbacks off the field during the second half. Here are a few impressive numbers from the Arkansas game. * Arkansas had four first downs in the first quarter and none in the second half while finishing with five for the game Against Syracuse, the Vol defense dominated in all but one play. If you negate Syracuse's 74-yard touchdown pass, the Orangemen would have been held to just 116 yards of total offense with just 41 coming via the air. They were equally as tough on the ground, holding Syracuse to 75 yards while allowing just three runs over 10 yards and not giving up a rushing score. The defense played aggressively, recording five sacks, five tackles for loss, three PBUs, two fumble recoveries, one interception and a safety. Tennessee saw five first-time defensive starters against Syracuse (DE Omari Hand, DT Rashad Moore, LB Eddie Moore, SS Julian Battle, LB Keyon Whiteside). Defensive end Bernard Jackson will return to start at left end after serving a one game suspension due to a team rules violation. WASHINGTON BREAKS OUT Washington leads the Vols with 12 receptions in two games for 109 yards and 12.1 yards per catch average. VOLS DEFENSIVE NOTES TENNESSEE'S SACK EXCHANGE VOLS OFFENSIVE NOTES VOLS SHOW BIG PLAY ABILITY * Tennessee has passed for 272 yards in two games with 145 of those coming of five big pass plays covering 34, 37, 20, 24 and 30 yards. * The Vols posted eight plays that covered more than 20 yards against Syracuse. They had three runs of at least 37 yards and three pass plays that went for 20 yards. They also had two kickoff returns go over 20 yards. * Travis Stephens has been able to break off three runs in two games of at least 25 yards, while one of Corey Larkins' two touchdown runs came on a 38-yard scamper in the fourth quarter on his fourth career carry against Syracuse. SACK ATTACK IS BACK Defensive end Will Overstreet had two sacks versus the Orangemen to push his career total to 16. Junior college transfer Demetrin Veal also recorded his first sack in his first game, while Dominique Stevenson and Jabari Greer combined for a sack. Also, defensive end Constantin Ritzmann got the fourth sack of his career as he tackled SU's Troy Nunes in the endzone for a safety. It was UT's first safety since Overstreet's sack of USM's Jeff Kelly in last year's season opener. Bernard Jackson and Kevin Burnett each registered fourth quarter sacks against Arkansas to push the total to seven Vols with a sack. DEEP BACKFIELD Highly touted backs Cedric Houston and Jabari Davis saw limited action as Houston gained 16 yards on seven carries, while Davis, who played fullback, rushed two times for six yards while also catching two passes. Derrick Tinsley had four carries for 23 yards, including a 12-yard run. Ed Harrison, a freshman walk-on, also played. Larkins and Davis were the only two to see action in the backfield against Arkansas. Larkins netted three yards on five rushes. WALLS HITS KEY FIELD GOALS AT ARKANSAS The SEC's leading scorer with 93 points was a Lou Groza Award finalist last season after connecting on 18-of-20 field goals and 39-of-39 extra points. He is a preseason candidate for the award this year. He is currently the second-most accurate field goal kicker in SEC history at 82.9 percent as he had made 29-of-35 career boots. Walls is 23-of-26 (.885) inside 40 yards and 6-of-9 (.667) outside 40.
EIGHT VOL FIRST-TIME STARTERS NEWCOMERS SEE ACTION Redshirt freshman getting their first playing time were TB Corey Larkins, WR Tony Brown, TE Courtney Rogers, DT Andre Taylor, FB Ed Harrison, LB Karlton Neal. AGAINST THE SEC Against the Eastern Division, the Vols are 36-9, going 19-3 at home and 17-6 on the road. They have won 16 of their last 19 over Eastern Division teams, 10 of the last 11 at home and seven of their last nine road tilts. Versus the Western Division, Tennessee is 24-6, going 11-3 at home, 10-3 on the road and 3-0 at neutral sites. They have won 19 of their last 21 against Western Division opponents. They have won nine straight at home and seven of their last nine road games. CLAUSEN IMPROVES TO 8-1 Clausen has thrown for 136 yards in each of the two games, while completing a season-high 76.5 percent (13-of-17) of his passes against Arkansas. Against the Orangemen, he completed 14-of-27 for 136 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He began the 2001 season the same way he started his career last season against Louisiana-Monroe--by tossing a touchdown pass on his first play of the year. HENDERSON SITS OUT AT ARKANSAS, EXPECTED BACK The 2000 Outland Trophy, had a productive day against Syracuse by recovering a fumble that set up a Travis Stephens TD run. He also registered two tackles for loss among his three tackles in the game. Henderson, who has only one career 10-tackle game, has been a force in the opponent's backfield his career, making at least one tackle for loss or sack in each of the last 12 games. In fact, he had made at least two stops behind the line 11 times in his career, including four multi-sack contests. Henderson, the second Outland Trophy winner in school history, was a first team All-America in 2000 after posting 71 tackles with 12 sacks, nine additional tackles for loss with four caused fumbles and three fumble recoveries. The 2001 preseason All-America looks to join Nebraska's Dave Rimington (1981-82) as the only two-time winner of the Outland Trophy. Henderson was only the sixth junior to ever win the award.
VOLS ARE FOURTH WINNINGEST TEAM SINCE 1990 NO PLACE LIKE HOME FULMER NEARS TOP 10
2001 CAPTAINS NAMED NON-LEAGUE ACTION A LOOK AT THE 2001 SCHEDULE SEVEN VOLS ON 1990s ALL-DECADE TEAM Those honored included quarterback Peyton Manning (1994-97), wide receiver Carl Pickens (1989-91), offensive lineman Cosey Coleman (1997-99), defensive lineman Leonard Little (1995-97), linebacker Al Wilson (1995-98), defensive back Dale Carter (1990-91) and kicker Jeff Hall (1995-98). SCORING STREAK ON THIS DATE DID YOU KNOW . . . MEDICAL UPDATE ? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
