 | | Defensive end Parys Haralson has led a Vols' defensive unit that ranks 13th nationally in total defense. | SERIES HISTORY
Tennessee returns to Neyland Stadium for its fourth home contest of the season when it plays host to SEC Eastern Division rival South Carolina. The Volunteers hold a 19-2-2 all-time lead in the series, dating to 1903. Tennessee has won its last 12 games vs. the Gamecocks, as UT head coach Phillip Fulmer has never lost to South Carolina. Under Fulmer, the Vols average 32.7 points per game against South Carolina. Fulmer is 2-7 all-time against first-year Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier, with all previous meetings coming when Spurrier was head coach at Florida. The Vols' 2005 roster includes seven players from the state of South Carolina: junior DT Tony McDaniel (Columbia), redshirt freshman DE Robert Ayers (Clio), senior C Richie Gandy (Darlington), redshirt freshman DB Sinclair Cannon (Greer), sophomore DB Jonathan Hefney (Rock Hill), sophomore OT Eric Young (Union) and walk-on TE Brett Weyman (Charleston). VOLS' LOSSES HAVE COME TO OPPONENTS THAT SPORT COMBINED 19-2 RECORD
Tennessee's three losses this season have come against teams that are a combined 19-2. Georgia and Alabama are both 7-0 and ranked Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, in the current AP and USA Today polls. Florida is 5-2, and both the Gators' losses have come at the hands of Alabama (31-3 on Oct. 1) and LSU (21-17 on Oct. 15) -- both of which the Vols have played this season. Florida is currently ranked 16th and 18th in the AP and USA Today polls. The Vols' defense gave up just three touchdowns in its three losses, with two coming against Georgia and one at Florida. All three were rushing scores, as Tennessee has yet to allow a passing touchdown in SEC play. HARALSON CONTINUING TO DISRUPT LINE OF SCRIMMAGE
Tennessee senior defensive end Parys Haralson has led a Vols' defensive unit that ranks 13th nationally in total defense. The preseason All-America selection leads the Vols with 9.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks thus far in 2005. The Flora, Miss., native has multiple TFLs in each of UT's last four Southeastern Conference games, and he recorded a season-high seven tackles at Alabama Oct. 22. Haralson's 11.5 defensive "big plays" lead all current Vols. He has four career recovered fumbles and three career forced fumbles. Haralson is also the SEC's active career sacks leader with 18. On Tennessee's career charts, he ranks fifth in total TFLs (39), eighth in sacks (18) and fourth in quarterback hurries (36). UT SIXTH NATIONALLY IN RUSH DEFENSE
Tennessee ranks first in the Southeastern Conference and sixth nationally with a rushing defense that allows an average of just 89.0 yards per game. The Vols' opponents are averaging just 2.7 yards per rush this season. In addition, John Chavis' unit has allowed just three rushing plays of 20 yards or longer. CORRALLING OPPOSING TAILBACKS
The Volunteers' defense has not allowed an individual opposing player to reach the 100-yard rushing mark this season. The leading rusher on each of the teams Tennessee has faced thus far has averaged a net rushing total of just 70.0 yards. Georgia's Thomas Brown is the leading ground-gainer against the Vols this season, as he managed 94 rushing yards Oct. 8. SIMON, GAITHER AMONG SEC TACKLES LEADERS
Senior linebackers Kevin Simon and Omar Gaither rank fourth and 10th, respectively, on the 2005 SEC tackles leaderboard. Simon averages 9.5 stops per game, while Gaither averages 7.7 tackles. The seniors combine to average 17.2 tackles per game. Gaither's two forced fumbles rank tied for third in the league. UT ALLOWING NO PASSING TDs IN SEC PLAY
In 2004, Tennessee's defensive secondary allowed seven passing TDs through the first six games of the season. This year, however, the Vols have allowed jut one TD pass in six outings (UAB threw a 27-yard TD pass in the season-opener). This season marks the first time in the Fulmer era (1993-present) that Tennessee has not allowed a passing TD through its first five SEC games. One reason for the lack of opponents' scoring strikes could be the disruptive nature of UT's defensive front seven, which has logged 17 sacks and 24 QB hurries so far this season. DEEP RECEIVING CORPS SHARING CATCHES, RACING FOR 1,000 CAREER YARDS
Tennessee's top-five wide receivers this season -- seniors C.J. Fayton and Chris Hannon, juniors Bret Smith and Jayson Swain and sophomore Robert Meachem -- are all within two catches and 62 yards of one another statistically. Swain and Hannon lead the group in receptions (17), while Swain leads in yards (233) and average per catch average per catch (13.7). Each of those five receivers is also steadily working towards the 1,000 career receiving yard milestone. Fayton leads that charge with 899 yards followed by Swain (886), Hannon (774), Meachem (643) and Smith (595). FOSTER MAKING CASE FOR MORE CARRIES
Redshirt freshman Arian Foster's 14-carry, 54-yard game at Alabama Oct. 22 gave the San Diego, Calif., native a firm grasp on Tennessee's backup tailback job. On the season, Foster is averaging 3.8 yards on 36 carries. His most extensive action came against the Crimson Tide and against Mississippi, when he scored his first career touchdown to cap Tennessee's victory. Foster has also been a receiving threat out of the backfield, catching four passes for 51 yards, including a career-long 25-yard reception vs. Mississippi. WILHOIT 10th ON UT's CAREER SCORING LIST
Junior placekicker James Wilhoit ranks 10th on Tennessee's all-time career scoring charts with 192 points. He is also the SEC's active career scoring leader. The Hendersonville, Tenn., native needs six points to tie Vols All-America Beattie Feathers (1931-33) for ninth place on the Vols' all-time list. Wilhoit is 32-for-50 on field-goal attempts during his career and 96-of-98 on extra-point tries. PEYTON MANNING No. 16 RETIREMENT RECOGNITION
Former Tennessee All-America quarterback Peyton Manning (1994-97) will have his No. 16 retired by the University of Tennessee during an on-field recognition prior to the South Carolina game Oct. 29. Manning will be joined by his wife, Ashley, and other family members. He becomes just the sixth Vol to have his jersey number retired, joining the late Reggie White (92) and four men -- Clyde Fuson (62), Bill Nowling (32), Rudy Klarer (49) and Willis Tucker (61) -- who died during World War II. Doug Atkins (91) will also have his number added to that list at a recognition ceremony before the Vanderbilt game Nov. 19. This will bring UT's total of retired numbers to seven. TAYLOR ADDING PUNCH TO VOLS' RETURN GAME
Entering Tennessee's third game of the season (at LSU), the Vols were averaging 14.3 yards on kick returns and 5.3 yards on punt returns. True freshman Lucas Taylor took over UT's returner's duties against LSU and has since returned nine kickoffs for a 21.1 average, upping the Vols' season average to 17.8 yards. Taylor has returned 11 punts for a 7.0-yard average, raising UT's overall punt-return average to 6.6 yards. Taylor's 41-yard kick return Oct. 22 at Alabama was a career-long, and it set up Tennessee's only score of the day (a 32-yard field goal by James Wilhoit in the fourth quarter). FULMER TIED WITH SPURRIER FOR NINTH ON SEC'S ALL-TIME WINS LIST
Phillip Fulmer's 126 head coaching victories put him in ninth place on the Southeastern Conference's all-time wins list, placing him in a tie with South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier and making the pair the only active head coaches in the league's all-time top 10. Fulmer needs just 11 wins to tie former LSU coach Charlie McClendon (1962-79) for eighth place on the SEC chart. Fulmer ranks even higher on the SEC regular-season victories list, as his 89 regular-season conference wins are good enough for fifth place all-time. QUARTERBACKS
Senior Rick Clausen made his fourth start of the year when UT faced Alabama Oct. 22 ... Clausen is completing 60.4 percent of his passes this season, and he passed the 2,000 career passing yards mark vs. the Crimson Tide ... Sophomore Erik Ainge has started two games this season and played sparingly at Alabama, marking his first action in three games ... Clausen has recorded 1,073 yards and three TDs through the air, while Ainge has thrown for 258 yards and two scores. TAILBACKS
Senior TB Gerald Riggs Jr. ranks seventh in the SEC with a per-game rushing average of 88.3 yards ... He also averages 4.2 yards per carry this season ... Riggs has also developed into a receiving threat this season, having recorded 10 receptions for 74 yards ... Redshirt freshman Arian Foster is averaging 3.8 yards on 36 carries this year and enjoyed his best outing of the season at Alabama ... Junior FB Cory Anderson has 10 catches for 100 yards this season. WIDE RECEIVERS
Sophomore Robert Meachem averages 12.3 yards on his 15 catches this year and is the only Vol with multiple receptions in every game ... Junior Jayson Swain leads the team in receiving yardage (233) and average per catch (13.7) ... Sophomore Chris Brown is the only Vols tight end to catch a pass this season; he has seven receptions for 70 yards ... Tennessee averages 11.5 yards per catch this season. OFFENSIVE LINE
Junior OG Rob Smith's 19 consecutive starts mark the longest such streak of any current Vol ... Right tackle is the only O-line position at which the same player has started in all five games ( Albert Toeaina) ... UT averages 100.5 rushing yards per game (11th in the SEC) and is gaining 3.0 yards per attempt ... The Vols have allowed nine sacks this season. DEFENSIVE LINE
Tennessee's defensive front, in the opinions of some publications, entered the season as the best in the nation ... Thus far, the unit has lived up to the hype, allowing just 89.0 rushing yards per game (first in the SEC and sixth nationally) ... Senior co-captain DE Parys Haralson has recorded multiple TFLs in each of UT's last four games ... Haralson is the SEC's active career sacks leader with 18 ... All-America DT Jesse Mahelona has two sacks and five TFLs this season ... Junior tackle Justin Harrell leads the team with six QB hurries this season. LINEBACKERS
Senior LB Kevin Simon (11 stops) posted his team-high third double-digit tackle game of the year at Alabama last weekend ... Simon leads the Vols with 57 tackles on the year, and fellow senior Omar Gaither ranks second on the squad with 46 stops ... Senior Jason Mitchell has 22 tackles this season ... Sophomore Ryan Karl leads the Vols with five special teams tackles ... Redshirt freshman Jerod Mayo has seen significant playing time as a backup in 2005. SECONDARY
Two-time co-captain and preseason All-America DB Jason Allen was lost for the season after suffering a hip injury vs. Georgia Oct. 8 ... Sophomore DB Inquoris Johnson made his first career start (replacing Allen) at Alabama and recorded a career-high seven tackles while also forcing a fumble and posting one PBU ... Junior DB Jonathan Wade has an INT in two of the last three games and returned both inside to the opponents' 5-yard line ... Sophomore FS Jonathan Hefney ranks third on the team with 36 tackles on the year ... Tennessee is allowing 202.7 passing yards per game and has given up just one passing TD on the year (vs. UAB). SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior placekicker James Wilhoit is 5-of-9 on FG attempts this season and has had two FG tries blocked ... Six of Wilhoit's last nine kickoffs have gone for touchbacks ... Redshirt freshman punter Britton Colquitt is averaging 39.8 yards per punt ... Tennessee's kick-return average stands at 17.8 yards, and the Vols are averaging 6.6 on punt returns ... Elusive true freshman Lucas Taylor has earned a spot as one of UT's top returners and averages 21.1 yards on kick returns and 7.0 yards on punt returns ... The Vols' opponents average 19.0 yards and 14.3 yards on kickoff and punt returns, respectively. UP NEXT
Tennessee breaks from Southeastern Conference play and travels north to South Bend, Ind., to face Notre Dame. The Vols lead the all-time series with Notre Dame 4-3, dating to 1978. This year's game marks the first meeting between UT head coach Phillip Fulmer and first-year Irish head coach Charlie Weis. Fulmer is 2-1 all-time against Notre Dame, including a 28-18 win at Notre Dame Stadium in 2001. Tennessee is 2-1 all-time in South Bend. OVERTIME SUCCESS
Since the NCAA established a tiebreaker system for Division I in 1996, Tennessee is 5-1 overtime contests. The Vols have won the coin toss four times and chosen to play defense three times. The only time UT chose offense after winning the toss was against Florida in 1998. Tennessee has played the second and third-longest overtime games in NCAA history at six (Arkansas 2002) and five periods (Alabama 2003). | Date | Opponent | OTs | Coin Toss | Game-Winning Play | Final Score | | 9/19/1998 | Florida | 1 | W (off) | Hall 41 field goal | 20-17 W | | 9/30/2000 | at LSU | 1 | W (def) | Royal 25 pass from Davey | 31-38 L | | 10/5/2002 | Arkansas | 6 | L (off) | Witten 25 pass from Clausen | 41-38 W | | 9/27/2003 | S. Carolina | 1 | W (def) | Banks 4 pass from Clausen | 23-20 W | | 10/25/2003 | at Alabama | 5 | L (off) | Clausen 1 run (2pt conv.) | 51-43 W | | 9/26/2005 | at LSU | 1 | W (def) | Riggs 1 run | 30-27 W | | 
Listen to Vol Network Broadcast | Sirius Channel 127
