University of Tennessee Athletics
VOLS BRAVE ELEMENTS, START WORKING ON TIDE
October 16, 2006 | Football
Oct. 16, 2006
Steady rains greeted Tennessee's return to the practice field Monday, showering the Vols during their entire 90-minute workout at Haslam Field. Yet UT was all smiles and in full gear as preparations for Saturday's visit from Alabama began in earnest.
"If we can focus and show our maturity, we'll have an excellent chance to play well and win this football game against Alabama," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "I don't think, personally, that there is a better or more historical series than this one and I believe our players understand this is a very important game for a lot of reasons."
Tennessee, 5-1 overall and 1-1 SEC, is coming off its only open week of the season, while Alabama, 5-2 and 2-2, defeated Mississippi 26-23 in overtime Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
"I think our bye came at a good time for us," Fulmer said. "We were coming off a pretty good high from the Georgia game. But from a realistic standpoint for us to get better, it was a good time for us to work on fundamentals.
"And also, three or four key guys who were banged up had a chance to get well. Hopefully, that will be a good advantage for us."
The Vols, ranked seventh by Associated Press, ninth in the USA Today coaches poll and 11th in the initial Bowl Championship Series standings, begin a stretch Saturday of six consecutive conference encounters. None looms larger than the Crimson Tide.
"Alabama has a fine football team," Fulmer said. "They are playing their rears off. They have a quarterback who can make plays, two receivers who are right up there with ours nationally, a tailback we know a lot about, guys who can run around defensively -- it doesn't change. They are a fast, physically football team."
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Eastern time.
INTERVIEW OF COACH Phillip Fulmer BEFORE ALABAMA GAME
1. How were you able to use the off week to advantage in looking ahead to the Alabama game?
A - "We made a great point to our team of emphasizing we needed to use our open date to become fundamentally stronger in all phases of the game. We especially needed work on kick coverage, which has been less than desired. We have made some strides. We used the time to improve our team's health from an injury standpoint."
2. What were the main elements that have allowed the Vols to reach this stage of the season with a 5-1 record?
A - "We worked really hard, and that was the key. We've become more physical. Individuals who had dynamics about them have stepped forward. We need to advance in all areas."
3. Comment on the play of the running backs -- LaMarcus Coker, Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty -- in sparking the Vols' offense.
A - "It's been a good mix of those guys. Coker has given us some dynamics with his quickness and speed. Arian Foster, before he was hurt, and Montario Hardesty are also very capable."
4. How has quarterback John Parker Wilson solidified the Alabama offense, which also features running back Kenneth Darby?
A - "Wilson is exceptional, and he makes things go. He understands the system and is a very good quarterback. Darby contributes tremendously, and so do their receivers."
5. What will the Vols need to accomplish in order to post a victory over their great traditional rival, Alabama?
A - "We need to stop the run and put pressure on Wilson, the quarterback. We can't let him pick us apart. Offensively, we need to fight off their pressure. In addition, we need to make something happen in the kicking game."
UT-SOUTH CAROLINA SET FOR EVENING KICKOFF
The Southeastern Conference announced Monday that Tennessee's Oct. 28 contest at South Carolina is being televised by either ESPN or ESPN2 and kicks off at 7:45 p.m. Eastern time. The network will be determined Oct. 23.
The Vols have appeared on ESPN three times this season, in victories over California, Memphis and Georgia. UT's most recent ESPN2 contest was last season's 16-15 loss to the Gamecocks in Knoxville, a decision that snapped a 12-game winning streak by the Big Orange over USC.
Tennessee leads the series against South Carolina 19-3-2, having won six in a row in Columbia. Two years ago, UT rallied from a first-half deficit to claim a 43-29 triumph.
Other SEC teams involved in Oct. 28 televised games feature Auburn at Mississippi on Lincoln Financial Sports (11:30 a.m. Central), Georgia versus Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., on CBS (3:30 p.m. Eastern) and Arkansas versus Louisiana-Monroe in Little Rock, Ark., on ESPNU (6 p.m. Central).
