 | | Right tackle Albert Toeaina is part of a solid offensive line that has yielded the second fewest sacks in the SEC (13). | DID YOU KNOW?
Tennessee is 62-16-3 all-time in homecoming games, including a 7-0 mark against Memphis. SERIES HISTORY
Tennessee hosts its annual homecoming game Nov. 12 vs. intrastate rival Memphis. The Volunteers lead the all-time series with the Tigers 18-1, dating to 1968 (Memphis was known as Memphis State for all gridiron meetings prior to 1994). Tennessee has won its last three games against Memphis. UT head coach Phillip Fulmer sports a 4-1 record vs. the Tigers, with the lone loss coming in 1996 in Knoxville by a score of 21-17. Fulmer is 1-0 against fourth-year Memphis coach Tommy West. A 1976 graduate of Tennessee, West lettered for the Vols as a tight end from 1973-75. The Vols' roster includes the following players from the West Tennessee area: Antonio Gaines (Covington), Jon Poe (Covington), Brad and JeffCottam (Germantown), David Ligon (Germantown), Ramon Foster (Henning), Bo Hardegree (Jackson), Justin Harrell (Martin), Ryan Fusco (Memphis), Malcom Rawls (Memphis), Dan Williams (Memphis), Ellix Wilson (Memphis), Jake Finlayson (Selmer). TENNESSEE DEFENSE TO FACE STIFF TEST AGAINST NCAA'S LEADING RUSHER
Memphis' DeAngelo Williams enters this weekend's game as the NCAA's leading D-IA rusher with a average of 184.5 yards per game (and a 6.8-yards-per-carry average). Tennessee's defense is holding its opponents' top rusher to a average of 4.2 yards per carry. 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 67.9 yards. On Nov. 5, the Vols gave up a season-low 48 net rushing yards at Notre Dame (on 34 carries -- a 1.4-yard average). Georgia's Thomas Brown is the leading ground-gainer against the Vols this season, as he managed 94 yards Oct. 8. NOVEMBERS TO REMEMBER
Tennessee has a 75-6 (.926) mark in the month of November since 1985. Since that season, the Vols are 43-3 (.935) at home and 32-3 (.914) on the road in November. The rare November losses came in: 1990, 2004 and 2005 to Notre Dame; 1996 at Memphis; 1999 at Arkansas; and 2002 vs. Miami (Fla.). Against Southeastern Conference opposition, the Vols boast a 54-1 (.982) record in November (including a perfect 28-0 home mark). VOLS' LOSSES HAVE COME TO OPPONENTS SPORTING COMBINED 32-8 RECORD
Tennessee's five losses this season have come against teams that are a combined 32-8. Alabama is 9-0, Georgia is 7-1, Florida is 7-2, South Carolina is 6-3 and Notre Dame is 6-2. The Vols' defense gave up just eight touchdowns in its five losses, with two coming against Georgia, one at Florida, two vs. South Carolina and a season-high three at Notre Dame. Three were rushing scores, and five came through the air. HARALSON THIRD ON TENNESSEE'S ALL-TIME TFL LIST
Senior defensive end Parys Haralson ranks third on Tennessee's career TFL list with 41.5 since 2002. The two-time co-captain trails only Reggie White (51 TFLs from 1980-83) and Leonard Little (53 TFLs from 1995-97). Both White and Little went on to be top-three round NFL draft picks and NFL Pro Bowl selections following their playing days on Rocky Top. FOSTER GAINS 273 YARDS IN FIRST TWO CAREER STARTS
Redshirt freshman Arian Foster's 273 yards in his first two career starts are the most by a Vol since Jamal Lewis ran for 387 yards in his first two starts in 1997 (155 yards vs. Mississippi and 232 yards vs. Georgia). Foster ran for 148 yards vs. South Carolina Oct. 29 and 125 yards at Notre Dame Nov. 5. On the season, Foster is averaging 4.6 yards on 89 carries. His 28 rushes at Notre Dame were the most by a Tennessee back since former Vol Cedric Houston carried the ball 32 times (for 149 yards) at Mississippi State in 2002. 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. Foster was forced into the starter's role in the Vols' backfield after senior Gerald Riggs Jr. suffered a season-ending ankle injury at Alabama Oct. 22. UT FOURTH NATIONALLY IN RUSH DEFENSE
Tennessee ranks first in the Southeastern Conference and fourth nationally with a rushing defense that allows an average of just 80.9 yards per game. The Vols' opponents are averaging just 2.5 yards per rush this season. In addition, John Chavis' unit has allowed just three rushing plays of 20 yards or longer. TENNESSEE'S DEFENSE DOMINANT IN THIRD QUARTER
Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis and his staff have done an excellent job making halftime adjustments this season, as the Vols' eight opponents have scored just 15 third-quarter points (less than 2.0 points per game in the third quarter). The third quarter has proven to be the lowest-scoring quarter in Tennessee's games this year, as the Vols and their opponents have combined to post a grand total of just 43 third quarter points. 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 six catches and 91 yards of one another statistically. Meachem leads the group in receptions (24), while Swain leads in yards (293) and average per catch average per catch (14.0). Each of those five receivers is also steadily working towards the 1,000 career receiving yard milestone. Swain leads that charge with 946 yards followed by Fayton (936), Hannon (788), Meachem (733) and Smith (626). UT NEAR TOP OF SEC SACKS LEADERBOARD
Tennessee ranks second in the SEC in both sacks-by (24) and sacks allowed (13) this season. The Vols are averaging 3.0 sacks per game to lead all conference teams. South Carolina has 26 total sacks this season but has played one more game than UT. Of the 13 sacks allowed by Tennessee this year, seven have come against Rick Clausen and six have been against Erik Ainge. Senior defensive ends Parys Haralson and Jason Hall have combined for 12.5 (52.1 percent) of Tennessee's 24 sacks this year. As a unit, the defensive line has 18 (75.0 percent) of the Vols' sacks. THREE VOLS AMONG SEC'S TOP-20 TACKLERS
Senior linebackers Kevin Simon and Omar Gaither rank sixth and 10th, respectively, on the 2005 SEC tackles leaderboard. Simon averages 8.9 stops per game, while Gaither averages 7.6 tackles. Sophomore safety Jonathan Hefney ranks tied for 18th in the league with 6.2 stops per game (tied for seventh among all SEC defensive backs). Gaither's two forced fumbles rank tied for fifth in the league, and Hefney's two interceptions rank tied for fourth this season. WILHOIT EIGHTH ON UT CAREER SCORING LIST
Junior placekicker James Wilhoit ranks eighth on Tennessee's all-time career scoring charts with 206 points. He is also the SEC's active career scoring leader. The Hendersonville, Tenn., native needs 28 points to tie James Stewart (1991-94) for seventh place on the Vols' all-time list. Wilhoit is 36-for-55 on field-goal attempts during his career and 98-of-100 on extra-point tries. VOLS' STARTING DEFENSE HAS GIVEN UP JUST THREE SECOND-HALF TOUCHDOWNS THIS SEASON
Although UT's opponents have scored seven second-half touchdowns this season, only three of those scores have come against the Vols' defensive starters. Georgia and Notre Dame each returned punts for TDs against the Vols in the second half, and the Irish also returned a second-half interception for a score. Mississippi scored an offensive TD in the fourth-quarter against Tennessee, but it came against the Vols' second-string defenders, as UT held a 17-point lead. Until that drive, the Rebels had a negative net rushing total in the game. The only three second-half TDs that have been scored against Tennessee's starting defense this year have been by UAB, Georgia and South Carolina. TWO-TIME CO-CAPTAIN, LEADING CAREER TACKLER ALLEN OUT FOR SEASON
Tennessee's defensive charges were dealt a serious blow during the Vols' game against Georgia Oct. 8, as senior co-captain Jason Allen suffered a season-ending hip injury while tackling Bulldogs tight end Leonard Pope in the second quarter. With 220 tackles to his credit, Allen was UT's active career leader at the time of his injury. He also led all active Vols with 18 career PBUs. He played in 44 games during his career with four interceptions and four forced fumbles. As a safety in 2004, Allen led the SEC with 123 tackles. He returned to his favored cornerback position for the Vols this season after garnering first-team All-SEC acclaim for his efforts as a junior. A preseason All-America selection, Allen is one of six Vols who have already earned a bachelor's degree (Sport management) He is currently pursuing a second degree in Child and family studies. QUARTERBACKS
Sophomore Erik Ainge made his third start of the season and played a complete game for the first time since the 2004 Alabama game when the Vols faced Notre Dame Nov. 5 ... Ainge was 13-of-32 for a season-high 187 yards with a TD and two INTs ... Senior Rick Clausen did not play against Notre Dame, marking the first contest in which he hasn't played since the 2004 South Carolina game ... Ainge is completing 41.0 percent of his passes for 510 yards this season, while Clausen is completing 59.4 percent of his passes this season and has thrown for 1,107 yards ... ... Ainge and Clausen each have three passing TDs on the year ... Tennessee is averaging 202.1 passing yards per game and 5.8 yards per pass attempt. RUNNING BACKS
Redshirt freshman TB Arian Foster made his second career start last weekend at Notre Dame and gained 125 yards on a career-high 28 carries ... Foster has three rushing TDs and is averaging 4.6 yards on 89 carries this season (410 net rushing yards) ... Junior FB Cory Anderson has 11 catches for 105 yards this season ... As a team, the Vols average 3.2 yards per carry and 110.5 rushing yards per game. WIDE RECEIVERS
Sophomore Robert Meachem averages 11.4 yards on his team-leading 24 catches this year and is the only Vol with multiple receptions in every game ... Junior Jayson Swain leads the team in receiving yardage (293) ... Meachem and Swain are the only Vols with a catch in every game this season ... Sophomore Chris Brown is the only Vols tight end to catch a pass this season; he has nine receptions for 91 yards ... Tennessee averages 11.3 yards per catch this season and has 1,617 total receiving yards. OFFENSIVE LINE
Tennessee's offensive line has allowed the second-fewest sacks in the SEC this season, allowing just 13 on the year ... Junior OG Rob Smith's 21 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 seven games ( Albert Toeaina) ... UT averages 110.5 rushing yards per game (10th in the SEC) and is gaining 3.2 yards per attempt. 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 80.9 rushing yards per game (first in the SEC and fourth nationally) ... Senior co-captain DE Parys Haralson has a team-leading 6.5 sacks and 11.5 TFLs ... Haralson is the SEC's active career sacks leader with 19 ... All-America DT Jesse Mahelona has two sacks and seven TFLs this season ... Senior DE Jason Hall continues to play well and has six sacks and 11 TFLs on the year ... A Vols' defensive lineman has had multiple TFLs in each of the last seven games. LINEBACKERS
Senior LB Kevin Simon leads the Vols with 71 total tackles and his 8.9 stops per game rank sixth in the SEC ... Fellow senior Omar Gaither ranks second on the squad with 61 stops ... Senior Jason Mitchell has 27 tackles this season ... Sophomore Ryan Karl leads the Vols with five special teams tackles and two fumble recoveries ... Junior Marvin Mitchell tied a career-high with four tackles at Notre Dame. SECONDARY
Injuries recently forced sophomore DB Inquoris Johnson into a starting role, and he has responded well, posting PBUs in each of the last three games ... Junior DB Jonathan Wade and sophomore FS Jonathan Hefney each have two INTs on the year ... Hefney ranks third on the team with 50 total tackles ... Junior SS AntwanStewart has made more than four tackles in five of UT's eight games this season ... Tennessee is allowing 219.1 passing yards per game and has given up six passing TDs on the year. SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior placekicker James Wilhoit is 9-of-14 on FG attempts this season and has made six of his last seven ... Nine of Wilhoit's last 13 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks ... Redshirt freshman punter Britton Colquitt is averaging 40.1 yards per punt (ninth in the SEC) ... Tennessee's kick-return average stands at 19.0 yards, and the Vols are averaging 5.6 on punt returns ... The Vols' opponents average 20.5 yards and 17.9 yards on kickoff and punt returns, respectively. UP NEXT
Tennessee plays its second consecutive game at Neyland Stadium and its sixth and final home contest of the season when it hosts Vanderbilt Nov. 19. The Volunteers lead the all-time series with the Commodores 67-26-5, dating to 1892. Tennessee is currently enjoying a 22-game win streak against Vanderbilt, as UT head coach Phillip Fulmer has never lost to the `Dores. Fulmer's Tennessee squads sport a 26.5-point average margin of victory over the Commodores (35.4 ppg to 8.9 ppg). Vanderbilt has been held scoreless in four of its last seven games vs. Tennessee, including the last two in Knoxville. 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 | | 
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