University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Kept It Close in Winning SEC East
November 29, 2004 | Football
Nov. 29, 2004
Coach Fulmer| QB: Clausen | C: Respert | DB: Allen
Don't use the phrase "Close, but no cigar" around the Tennessee Volunteers.
UT's rally for a 37-31 victory over Kentucky Saturday clinched the outright SEC Eastern Division title with a 7-1 record. The triumph was Tennessee's sixth in the league this year by six points or less and made for a season of nervous afternoons on the Big Orange sidelines.
"We won those games in a lot of different ways," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "First, the kids themselves worked hard to prepare. This team has done an incredible job of playing the games.
"Talent, character, work ethic, paddling through the injuries and other things allowed us to become East champions."
Tennessee began its SEC run by defeating Florida by two. The Vols upset Georgia by five, then tackled Mississippi and Alabama by four points each in consecutive weeks. To end the season, UT stopped Vanderbilt by five and rallied past Kentucky by six.
The Vols scored just 16 more points (215-199) in SEC games than they allowed, winning by an average score of 27-25. Compare that to Auburn's average league score of 31-12, and it's easy to see why Tennessee will have its hands full upending the nation's No.3-ranked team Saturday in Atlanta.
Yet the Vols have seemingly played their best when facing the tallest odds. Upset wins over Florida in 2001, Miami a year ago and Georgia this season show Fulmer's squads come to play each week.
"My opinion is when you get to the SEC Championship Game, all bets are off," Fulmer said. "Auburn is playing as well as anybody in the country, and we are not quite at full strength. We will do the best we can to hang in there with them."
INJURY UPDATE (SEC Championship Game Week): Probable -- WR Chris Hannon (thigh), LB Jon Poe (ankle). Questionable -- OG Cody Douglas (foot), DB Roshaun Fellows (foot), DT Justin Harrell (ankle), QB Brent Schaeffer (collarbone), DB Antwan Stewart (knee); Doubtful -- OT Michael Munoz (shoulder); Out -- QB Erik Ainge (shoulder).
FELLOWS NAMED FIRST-TEAM FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA BY RIVALS.COM; AINGE, HEFNEY SECOND
Redshirt freshman Roshaun Fellows made himself noticed during spring drills with numerous interceptions and assorted big plays. That notice is now national after Rivals.com named him Monday to its 2004 Freshman All-America team.
The Warren, Ark., native stands third in the SEC with 13 passes defensed. He picked off his third interception to seal Tennessee's win at Vanderbilt after earlier interceptions against Auburn and South Carolina. He has had at least one pass defensed - either a pass-breakup or interception - in eight of his 10 games played.
Fellows has made seven starts at cornerback for the Vols.
Quarterback Erik Ainge and cornerback Jonathan Hefney earned second-team status. Ainge completed 109-of-198 passes for 1,452 yards and a school freshman record 17 TDs before being injured in Tennessee's ninth game. Hefney has 10 starts at the other cornerback position and his tackle total is second among SEC freshmen.
