University of Tennessee Athletics
COACH FULMER'S COMMENTS ON GEORGIA GAME
October 04, 2005 | Football
Oct. 4, 2005
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"Well as we go into this Georgia game, obviously I am really happy with the staff's effort and our team's effort in getting through that last week with playing two games (LSU and Mississippi) in one week and winning both of those games against SEC football teams. I think that mental toughness, that physical toughness, that emotional toughness as we go along will continue to pay great dividends for us.
"The exciting part about it is our team still realizes that as well as we've played, there's a considerable amount of room for improvement. We're calling on some young players to put themselves in a position to be able to help and continue to improve fundamentally. Obviously we will have a huge challenge this week to get those things done versus an outstanding Georgia football team.
"Offensively I don't know that we have completely found our personality. I do like the fact that we had no turnovers (against Mississippi), and we were able to hold the ball 10 minutes more than our opponent which allows our defense to stay off the field and rest and get themselves ready to play well.
"In the last ballgame (at LSU) we made with some silly penalties and those kinds of things and weren't moving the football. I do believe the big plays will come as we go along. Again, it's just a huge challenge for us against a really outstanding University of Georgia football team.
"Regarding our kicking, James (Wilhoit) has done a fantastic job for us kicking the ball in the end zone, and Britton (Colquitt) made a huge difference in the ballgame by being able to kick away from (Mississippi's) returner. So I'm really encouraged about their progress. At first (we were taking) baby steps in the kicking game but now were making some serious strides to be a better kicking team. Obviously Lucas Taylor has made us a better return team, so I'm excited and hopeful that we'll have some breakout plays from our return game.
"Talking about Georgia, they're just a really outstanding team. They're 4-0 and highly ranked and, coming to Knoxville, I just don't know how much better it gets for a football setting in the country than that. They're an outstanding football team. Obviously, offensively (D.J.) Shockley is just a really great football player. I hated to see him come in the game when he came in (off the bench) before when he was playing sparingly. Now we're going to have to face him every play. But he's a really good player. They have a very balanced attack. Their running backs, (Thomas) Brown and (Danny) Ware, are really good players. (Georgia also has) outstanding speed at wide receiver, and their tight ends are just a handful as well to handle in the passing game.
"So there's a lot of work to be done this week to control that the best that we possibly can. I don't know if we can stop them or not, but hopefully we can slow them down and get after them a little bit that way.
"Defensively, (they have) a lot of the same faces that we faced for the last several years. They had three players, I guess, drafted in the first round last year. And I watched the tape and it was like they haven't gone anywhere; it's the same strong foundation for their defense. They're very physical up front, fast at linebacker and very athletic in the secondary. So they're a handful.
"Every year there's a play or two that shows up in the kicking game. I don't think this year is going to be any different. They've got outstanding kickers and punters, outstanding return teams and coverage teams, so we'll have to match that intensity as a football team in the kicking game so that that plays to our advantage as well."
