University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Notes - Tennessee vs. Wyoming
August 31, 2002 | Football
Aug. 31, 2002
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Tennessee is now 78-22-6 (.764) all-time in season openers, and has won its last eight dating back to 1995
* Since 1984 the Vols are 15-2-2 in season openers
* UT's last loss in a season opener was a 25-23 setback at UCLA to open the 1994 campaign
* Tennessee tied Colorado 31-31 in the Vols' last neutral site opener in 1990 at Anahiem, Calif. (Pigskin Classic)
* Tennessee opened the 1999 season with a 42-17 win over Wyoming in Knoxville
* Wyoming was the "home" team in today's game ... The Cowboys elected to move the game to Nashville
* Today's game is the first of two contests for the Vols at Nashville's Coliseum ... UT plays Vanderbilt Nov. 23 in the NFL facility
Tennessee leads the all-time series against Wyoming 2-0
* UT won the only other meeting against the Cowboys 42-17 in the 1999 season opener at Knoxville
* UT has a 13-0 all-time mark against teams that make up the Mountain West Conference ... UT opens the 2004 season vs. UNLV
Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer has a 96-20 (.826) mark in his 11th season at his alma mater
* Fulmer has led Tennessee to more 11-win (3) and 10-win seasons (6) than any other coach in UT history
* Led UT to nation's best record (45-5) from 1995-98, including a 13-0 mark in 1998 at the National Championship
* The Vols are 10-1 in season openers under Fulmer (only loss: 25-23 at UCLA, 1994)
* Fulmer has a 10-5 mark in neutral site games
QB Casey Clausen completed 22-of-33 for 238 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception
* Clausen is now 18-3 as a starter at quarterback for the Vols
* He has a 13-2 mark as the Vols' QB when throwing for at least 200 yards (8-2 in 2001)
* Moved to No. 4 on UT's all-time passing list (4680), passing Tee Martin (4592)
* Moved to No. 6 on UT's all-time total offense chart (4630), passing Heath Shuler (4472)
PK Alex Walls moving up the UT career scoring & SEC Consecutive PATs list
* Scored career-high 17 points (4 field goals, 5 PATs) ... Ties UT single-game record of most points kicking (Alan Duncan, 1978-Kentucky) and Fuad Reviez (1982-Memphis) ... Walls previous career-best 15 points vs. Florida in 2000 (5 FGs)
* Moved to No. 5 on UT's all-time scoring list with (236) 253, passing RB James Stewart (240)
* Passed UT's Greg Burke (85) on the SEC all-time consecutive PAT list with (90)... Stands second on UT list behind all-time SEC leader John Becksvoort (161).
Tennessee's Defensive Notes
* Allowed just 187 total yards 43 yards rushing today on 22 carries
* Wyoming managed just 43 yards rushing on 22 carries
* UT limited Wyoming to 12 first downs
RB Cedric Houston rushed for 106 yards on 10 carries in his first career start at tailback
* Raced 46 yards (career-long), outrunning the Cowboy secondary, on a third quarter TD dash putting UT up 41-0
* Gave Vols a 17-0 second quarter lead on a 28-yard TD run
* Houston's previous career long entering today's game was a 20-yard run vs. Vanderbilt, 2001
WR Tony Brown leads Receiving in first career start
* Brown grabbed 7 passes for 77 yards, including a long of 29
* Jomo Fagan scored a TD on the first play of his career, giving the Vols a 7-0 first quarter lead on a 19-yard TD from Casey Clausen
Vols Pick Off Three
* DE Julian Battle's third interception of his career after picking off two last season as a junior
* LB Keyon Whiteside recorded his first career interception in the second quarter (no return)
* DB Rashad Baker recorded his first of the season (0) and sixth of his career ... Baker also played WR today and returned a punt
First Career Starts Today
* OFFENSE: RB Cedric Houston (So.), RB Troy Fleming (Jr.), WR Leonard Scott (Sr.), WR Tony Brown (So.)
* DEFENSE: DT Demetrin Veal (Sr.), DE Karlton Neal (So.)
Players Making Their First Appearance (redshirt/transfers/JC transfers)
DB Gibril Wilson, WR Jomo Fagan, LB Kevin Simon, LB Jason Mitchell, DB Chris Heath, DE Ovince Saint Preux, DB Robert Boulware, RB Keldrick Williams, WR C.J. Fayton, C Scott Newsome, LB Mondre Dickerson; PK Phillip Newman, RB William Revill, QB C.J. Leak, OT Richie Gandy, DB Shannon Benton, DE Wesley Holmes, OG Guillaume Dumont, WR Justin Reed, TE Jake Finlayson
Eleven True Freshmen See Action
DB Jason Allen, DE J.T. Mapu, LB Parys Haralson, TE Aaron Kirkland, LB Omar Gaither, RB Gerald Riggs, OG Rob Smith, OT Cody Douglas, DT Greg Jones, WR Chris Hannon, DE Jason Hall
