University of Tennessee Athletics
TENNESSEE OFFENSE LOOKS TO PICK UP WHERE IT LEFT OFF
October 19, 2006 | Football
Oct. 19, 2006
AP - Coming off its bye week, the high-powered Tennessee offense looks to pick up where it left off when it hosts Alabama in an SEC matchup at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
Led by quarterback Erik Ainge, the seventh-ranked Volunteers (5-1, 1-1) lead the conference in passing yards (291.5 per game), total offense (421.5 ypg) and scoring (35.2 ppg).
In its last contest, Tennessee rallied from 17 points down as the offense exploded for 37 second-half points in a 51-33 victory over then-No. 10 Georgia on Oct. 7.
"Offensively," Volunteers coach Phillip Fulmer said, "we are playing on all cylinders now."
Tennessee's offense struggled last season, averaging nearly 100 fewer yards a game (326.3), and was third-worst in the SEC in scoring (18.6 ppg).
The Volunteers lost 6-3 to Alabama (5-2, 2-2) last season, failing to score a touchdown for the first time since losing to Maryland 30-3 in the 2002 Peach Bowl.
While the Crimson Tide have allowed only one of their last six opponents to eclipse 300 yards of offense, Tennessee has averaged 461.0 over its last three games.
After going 5-6 last year - their worst record since 1988 - the Vols are slotted at No. 11 in the first BCS rankings of the year.
"It's nice to be worrying about what your BCS ranking is as opposed to being able to win a football game," Ainge said. "We all know if we don't win this weekend, that 11 becomes an 18 and then we're struggling to get back in it."
A major reason for the Vols' turnaround has been the play of Ainge, who split time with Rick Clausen last year.
Ainge has thrown seven touchdown passes to just one interception in his last three games, and has 1,657 passing yards with 14 TDs and five interceptions this season.
Ainge's favorite target, Robert Meachem, leads the team with 34 catches for 675 yards, and is fourth in the nation with 112.5 receiving yards per game.
Ainge believes the offense won't be slowed after its week off.
"I don't worry about getting the timing back at all," said Ainge, who was 0-for-2 with an interception against Alabama last season. "We'll come back and have the best week of practice that we've had. Everyone will be feeling great and everyone will be ready to go." The week off should have helped offensive lineman Arron Sears, who had a sprained ankle and elbow injury, and receiver Jayson Swain, who also had a sprained ankle.
"It was good to get a break for our team and have a week for some of our guys to heal up," Fulmer said. "I thought we did a good job of keeping our focus during open week."
Last year's loss to the Crimson Tide was just Tennessee's second defeat in the last 11 meetings. The Vols have won four of five against Alabama at Neyland Stadium, but the Tide still lead the all-time series 44-37-7.
Alabama has won its last two games, and is coming off a 26-23 overtime victory over Mississippi last Saturday.
After the Rebels kicked a field goal on their first possession of overtime, the Tide's Le'Ron McClain grabbed a 2-yard touchdown pass from John Parker Wilson for the victory.
"We need to use this win to build confidence, correct mistakes and get ready for Tennessee. They've got some momentum as well," Alabama coach Mike Shula said.
The Tide had 434 yards of total offense, and Kenneth Darby rushed for 141 in the second half on his way to gaining a season-high 162 yards on 25 carries.
Darby has 277 yards on 43 carries over his last two games after rushing for 309 on 91 attempts in his first five games.
"When he's going good like he's been doing the last few weeks, the mind-set for everybody on the sidelines, the guys in the huddle and the guys calling the plays. ... It kind of opens up a lot of things for us to go to, to kind of feed off his ability to make yards like he did," Shula said.
Top receivers D.J. Hall and Keith Brown were injured against Ole Miss, but Shula expects both to play against the Vols. Hall, who has 603 yards on 29 receptions, aggravated a shoulder injury, while Brown, who has 37 catches for 513 yards, had a mild sprain in his left knee.
"The early prognosis is that, positively thinking, they'll be ready to play in this week's game," Shula said on Sunday. "It's better news than I think what we all thought after seeing those guys getting hurt."
