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In Tennessee's first three games this season, the Vols were outscored in the fourth quarter 35-10. However, over the last three games, the Vols have finished strong by outscoring the opposition 58-13 in the fourth quarter. SERIES HISTORY & NOTES
Tennessee and Alabama will write another page in the storied history between the two schools, as the longtime rivals meet for the 89th time Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
Dating back to the first meeting in 1901, the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 44-37-7, but the Vols have won nine of the last 11 meetings. Alabama won a low-scoring affair in Tuscaloosa last year 6-3, giving fourth-year Alabama head coach Mike Shula his first win against UT in three tries.
Generally, though, UT head coach Phillip Fulmer has made things tough on Alabama, running up a 10-3 record against the Crimson Tide since taking over for the Vols in 1993. The Vols edged the Crimson Tide 17-13 in the last meeting in Knoxville in 2004.
The 2006 Tennessee roster features four players hailing from the state of Alabama: Wes Brown (Athens), Jayson Swain (Huntsville), preseason All-America offensive tackle Arron Sears (Russellville) and walk-on Stephen Dorning (Florence).
Tide running backs coach Sparky Woods is the father of current Vols junior Casey Woods. Casey handles UT's holding duties on special teams and also plays wide receiver. Sparky Woods began his coaching career at Tennessee as a part-time coach in 1976. MEACHEM PROVING WORTHY OF BILETNIKOFF CONSIDERATION
Junior wideout Robert Meachem has led the Vols in receiving yards each of the last two years. This season, the Tulsa, Okla., native is pacing a much larger group.
Meachem ranks second in the nation in receiving yards per game (112.5) through six contests, as the junior has emerged as one of the leading candidates for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's best receiver. Meachem has piled up 675 yards on 34 catches for six touchdowns to help pace the SEC's most prolific offense.
Meachem has also been one of the nation's biggest surprises. Despite leading UT in receiving yardage in each of his two previous seasons on Rocky Top, he wasn't even listed on the preseason "Watch List" for potential Biletnikoff Award finalists. He's leaped to the forefront, however, thanks to a record-breaking campaign that easily surpasses his previous season-bests (459 yards and four TDs in 2004) through just six games.
Among SEC receivers, Meachem ranks first in receiving yards per game, second in receptions per game (5.67) and third in all-purpose yardage (116.5 ypg). | NCAA's Top Receiving Duos | | (2006 Average Yards Per Game) | | Duo (School) | Yards | | 1. Williams-Dubois (NMSU) | 202.0 | | 2. Meachem-Swain (UT) | 175.5 | | 3. Jones-Broussard (SJSU) | 165.8 | | 4. Hall-Brown (Ala.) | 159.4 | | 5. Bess-Rivers (Hawaii) | 154.0 | MEACHEM, SWAIN COMPRISE ELITE RECEIVING DUO
Tennessee wide receivers Robert Meachem and Jayson Swain comprise the second-best receiving duo in NCAA Division I-A in terms of average yards per game this season. The two have combined for 1,053 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, with Meachem totaling 675 yards and Swain gaining 378 for a per-game average of 175.5 yards. Their averages rank them second and 61st, respectively, amongst individuals in NCAA Div. I-A. The tandem's numbers are even more impressive when one takes into account that Swain suffered an ankle injury Oct. 7 at Georgia and did not catch a pass vs. the Bulldogs.
Tennessee's tandem averages 16.1 more yards per game than Alabama's D.J. Hall and Keith Brown, who make up the nation's fourth most potent duo. CUTCLIFFE'S MAGIC NUMBER = 30
During David Cutcliffe's two stints as Tennessee's offensive coordinator (1993-98 and 2006), the Vols have been awfully tough to beat when they score at least 30 points. In fact, with Cutcliffe gripping the offensive reins, Tennessee has scored at least 30 points in 52 different games; and UT owns an impressive 50-2 (.962) record when that happens. Cutcliffe's UT teams score at least 30 points in 65.0 percent of their games (52 of 80). The Vols average 34.6 in those contests.
When Cutcliffe's UT offense totals at least 30 points, Tennessee outscores its opponents by an average of 25.9 points per game (43.04 ppg to 17.10 ppg).
Below are some of Tennessee's scoring breakdowns with Cutcliffe as offensive coordinator: - Home SEC Games: 35.2 ppg
- Home Non-Conference Games: 38.4 ppg
- Road SEC Games: 35.5 ppg
- Road Non-Conference Games: 29.0 ppg
- Neutral-Site Games: 27.5 ppg
VOLS OFFENSE LEANING HEAVILY ON THE PASSING GAME
Not since 1997 -- Peyton Manning's senior season -- has Tennessee's offense relied so heavily on the passing game as this year. Through six games, the Vols are averaging 161.5 more passing yards than rushing yards per game (291.5 to 130.0). In 1997, UT averaged 180.7 more passing yards per game (331.8 to 151.1).
During UT's 1998 national championship season, the Vols actually averaged 23.8 more rushing yards than passing yards per game (211.3 to 187.5). But from 1999 through 2005, Tennessee has averaged 76.7 more passing yards than rushing yards per outing. That number has risen significantly this season by 84.8 yards. HONORS PILE UP FOR AINGE AFTER COMEBACK WIN BETWEEN THE HEDGES
After leading his third career fourth-quarter comeback Saturday at then-ninth-ranked Georgia, Tennessee junior quarterback Erik Ainge was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation's Division I-A National Offensive Player of the Week and the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.
Ainge completed 25 of 38 passes for 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also scored his first career rushing touchdown and helped the Vols convert on seven of 12 third-downs. The victory was Ainge's second in two career tries at Sanford Stadium. VOLS OFFENSIVE NUMBERS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST
Tennessee ranks among the top-20 teams in NCAA Division I-A in four separate offensive stat categories this season.
UT's passing efficiency rating of 175.82 is third-best in the nation. The Vols rank eighth in the country with 291.5 yards of passing offense per game. Tennessee also ranks 13th nationally in scoring with 35.2 ppg and 13th nationally with 421.5 yards of total offense per game.
The Vols' offensive numbers place them atop the SEC rankings in six different categories: total offense, passing offense, passing efficiency and third-down conversion percentage (59.5). VOLS DEFENSE SPREADING THE NET
The Tennessee passing game has improved by leaps and bounds. The Vols aren't too bad against the pass either.
After intercepting just nine passes in all of 2005, Jonathan Hefney nabbed the eighth pick of the season for the UT defense when he intercepted Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford in the closing minutes of the Vols' 51-33 win over the Bulldogs. The interception was the third for the Vols in the game, and also marked the third consecutive game that the junior defensive back had hauled in a pass that wasn't intended for him. The last Vol to pick up a hat trick of picks was Rashad Baker in 2002.
Senior cornerback Jonathan Wade has also been instrumental in leading the No. 18 ranked passing defense in the country. Wade recorded his second interception of the season against the Bulldogs, and the Shreveport, La., native leads the Vols with 11 defensive big plays this season.
Fellow senior Antwan Stewart also picked off a pass against the Bulldogs to give him two on the season. The Dumfries, Va., native also intercepted California quarterback Nate Longshore in the season-opener. The Bears quarterback ranks No. 17 in the nation in passing efficiency with 17 touchdowns and 1,586 yards, but the Vols held Longshore to 85 yards and zero touchdowns on 11-of-20 passing.
The three defensive backs combined for five picks last season -- two fewer than they've snagged through six games. AFTER LOSING ITS ANCHOR, DEFENSIVE LINE PROVING CAPABLE OF CONTAINING THE RUN
Tennessee has played the last three games without the services of injured preseason All-America defensive tackle Justin Harrell. Following the loss to Florida -- Harrell's final game -- the Vols brought a number of relatively inexperienced players into the fray. In fact, four players ( Wes Brown, Walter Fisher, Chase Nelson and Dan Williams) who have seen action in Harrell's absence had no previous Division I game experience entering this season, and another (J.T. Mapu) spent the last two years away from football.
Despite the relative inexperience along the defensive front, Tennessee has surrendered just 311 rushing yards on 95 carries over the last three games, limiting the opposition to 3.3 yards per carry. All three of those contests have been wins for UT, and two of those games were on the road. OPPOSING RUSHERS STRUGGLE TO HIT 100
Tennessee's defense has allowed just three opposing ballcarriers to rush for at least 100 yards in the last 30 games. During that span, the opponents' top rusher has averaged 72.1 yards per game.
Florida's DeShawn Wynn is the most recent back to hit the 100-yard mark in a game against Tennessee, gaining 104 yards on 22 carries Sept. 16. Wynn's performance snapped a streak of 14 straight games in which the Volunteers defense held the opponents' top rusher to less than 100 yards on the ground.
UNLV's Dominique Dorsey (121 yards in the 2004 season-opener) and current NFL standout Carnell "Cadillac" Williams (100 yards in the 2004 SEC Championship Game) are the only other backs to reach 100 yards against UT in the last 30 games.
Among the backs who recently came up short in their quest for 100 yards are such names as Ronnie Brown, Kenneth Darby, Joseph Addai, Thomas Brown, Darius Walker and Marshawn Lynch. WILHOIT SEC'S ACTIVE SCORING LEADER
Tennessee senior placekicker James Wilhoit is the SEC's active career scoring leader with 276 points. He also ranks tied for fifth with Gene McEver (1928-31) on UT's all-time career scoring list.
For his career, Wilhoit is 48-of-68 on FG attempts and 132-of-135 on extra-point tries.
The Hendersonville native has converted on 15 of his last 16 field goal attempts dating to 2005.
A communications graduate slated to earn his master's in sports psychology this December, Wilhoit is a three-time Academic All-SEC selection coming off his best on-field season. Last year's field goal percentage of 73.7 (14-of-19) was a career best. QUARTERBACKS
Junior starter Erik Ainge ranks first in the SEC and seventh in NCAA Division I-A with a 171.57 passer efficiency rating this year ... Ainge ranks seventh on UT's all-time passing yards chart with 3,846 yards through the air ... Ainge's five best career games (yardage-wise) have all come this season ... Redshirt freshman Jonathan Crompton has played in three games this year. RUNNING BACKS
Redshirt freshman TB LaMarcus Coker made his second career start last Saturday at Georgia and now averages 63.5 rushing yards per game ... After missing two games with an ankle injury, sophomore TB Arian Foster returned vs. UGA and rushed for three TDs ... Redshirt freshman Montario Hardesty (3.3 ypc) and senior David Yancey (4.6 ypc) give the Vols great depth at tailback ... The Vols are averaging 130.0 rushing yards per game and have scored 11 rushing TDs on the year while averaging 3.8 yards per carry. WIDE RECEIVERS
Robert Meachem continues to lead UT's receiving efforts, pacing the squad with 34 catches for 675 yards and six TDs ... Meachem ranks second in the nation with 112.5 receiving yards per game and has teamed with Jayson Swain to combine for the second-most average yards per game (175.5) in the country this year ... Swain's streak of consecutive games with a catch ended at 17 last Saturday ... Senior Bret Smith starred at UGA, setting career-highs for catches (seven) and yards (94) while also adding a TD ... Starting TE Chris Brown ranks fourth on the team with 16 catches this year ... Tennessee averages 291.5 passing yards per game and 14.2 yards per catch this season. OFFENSIVE LINE
Preseason All-America OT Arron Sears has made 29 consecutive starts (30 overall) ... Excluding Sears, UT's current offensive-line starters ( David Ligon, Josh McNeil, Anthony Parker and Eric Young) have just 27 starts between them ... Redshirt freshman center McNeil made his second career start last weekend ... Tennessee has allowed just five sacks all year. DEFENSIVE LINE
Tennessee is allowing 129.8 rushing yards per game this season and UT's opponents are averaging 3.7 yards per rush ... DE Antonio Reynolds tied his career-high with four tackles during the win at Georgia ... Preseason All-America DT Justin Harrell is out for the season with a ruptured biceps tendon ... In Harrell's absence, preseason All-SEC pick Turk McBride has moved from end to tackle and is performing well inside ... McBride's shift has increased playing time for DEs Robert Ayers and Wes Brown. LINEBACKERS
Senior Marvin Mitchell ranks second in the SEC with 9.3 tackles per game ... Sophomore Jerod Mayo ranks tied for 10th in the league with 6.8 stops per game ... Mayo's four sacks on the year rank him tied for eighth in the SEC ... SLB Ryan Karl averages 6.2 stops per game ... Redshirt freshman Rico McCoy is making the most of his playing time, as he has 13 tackles this season. SECONDARY
Tennessee DBs were responsible for five TFLs last Saturday at Georgia ... The Vols rank 18th nationally and fifth in the SEC in passing defense (160.3 ypg) ... Junior FS Jonathan Hefney ranks sixth in the SEC in tackles with 8.0 per game ... Hefney has an INT in each of the last three games ... Senior DB Jonathan Wade had a career-high nine tackles at UGA and leads the Vols with 11 "big plays" on defense this year ... Sophomore SS Demetrice Morley has started the last four games and is performing well ... Ricardo Kemp and Antonio Gaines have seen their playing time increase as a result of the season-ending injury to Inky Johnson. SPECIAL TEAMS
Redshirt freshman Antonio Wardlow blocked a punt at Georgia and recovered the ball in the end zone for a TD (earning himself a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated) ... Senior placekicker James Wilhoit totaled nine points at Georgia to remain atop the SEC's active career scoring list with 276 points ... Sophomore punter Britton Colquitt is averaging 47.2 yards per punt this year ... LaMarcus Coker gained 93 yards on four kickoff returns at UGA, including returns of 40 and 32 yards ... The Vols average 7.0 yards on punt returns and 16.2 yards on kick returns ... UT's opponents are averaging 11.4 and 22.3 yards on punt and kick returns, respectively. | 
