University of Tennessee Athletics
AINGE SHOWS NEW LIFE IN ENERGIZED TENNESSEE OFFENSE
September 03, 2006 | Football
Sept. 3, 2006
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - When David Cutcliffe returned to Tennessee as offensive coordinator after last season, Peyton Manning told quarterback Erik Ainge to do everything Cutcliffe said.
Looks like that plan is working.
The Volunteers led ninth-ranked California 35-0 in the third quarter and went on to win 35-18 Saturday in the opener for both teams.
Last season Tennessee finished 5-6 with one of the worst offenses in the country, and Ainge struggled in a rotation with senior Rick Clausen.
While Ainge looked a little shaky in some preseason scrimmages, the junior was in control from the start against the Golden Bears.
"If he told me to play without a helmet or a mouthpiece, with one cleat, I'd do it," Ainge said of Cutcliffe. "Whatever he tells me, I'm going to do. I think we've all bought in as an offense."
Cutcliffe replaced Randy Sanders, who resigned last season, and returned to the job he left in 1998 to be head coach at Mississippi. During his first tenure, Cutcliffe tutored quarterbacks such as Manning and Heath Shuler.
"I think David Cutcliffe has energized our offensive football team, and I'm proud of that," coach Phillip Fulmer said. "Certainly I feel like I made the right decision in bringing David back here."
The No. 23 Vols are likely to move up when the AP Top 25 is released Tuesday.
In finishing 11-of-18 for a career-high 291 yards with four touchdowns and one interception, Ainge showed few signs of the erratic throws and bad decisions that dogged him a year ago.
"I thought Erik played awfully well," Fulmer said.
Ainge looked sharp early, connecting with Robert Meachem on a 41-yard pass on the Vols' first snap. Tennessee fans, many apprehensive about Ainge after seeing him last year, cheered loudly.
Tennessee eventually had to punt, but the Vols' plan to go after the Bears' inexperienced secondary was in place.
"We were able to isolate the corner, and we feel like when we get our receivers one-on-one we have a chance anytime that happens," Fulmer said.
Tennessee got on the board with Ainge's 12-yard pass to tight end Chris Brown in the first quarter. The Vols didn't start piling on the touchdowns until after a mistake that might have sent the offense into a nosedive last season.
Tennessee had crossed midfield and Ainge saw Lucas Taylor open over the middle. But the ball bounced off Taylor's hands to Cal's Brandon Hampton, who returned it 30 yards to the Vols' 44.
"I thought he shook it off really well," Fulmer said of Ainge. "I looked at him as he came off the field. He knew exactly what happened. I watched him as he was getting ready to go back."
"His demeanor never changed. That's a big plus for Erik. Sometimes there are experiences that we have that aren't so pleasant that we grow from if we're the right kind of person. I think Erik has grown considerably and still has a lot of work to do to get to where he wants to be."
Ainge didn't have to wait long on the sidelines. Antwan Stewart intercepted a pass from Cal's Nate Longshore to get the ball back.
With help from officials who overturned a ruling on the field for a first down, Ainge completed a short pass to Meachem, who broke a tackle and beat the defenders to the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown.
The Vols wasted little time when they got back to the field in the second half. Tennessee scored three touchdowns in their first six snaps of the third quarter.
Meachem caught another pass for an 80-yard score, and Jayson Swain hauled in a 50-yarder. Redshirt freshman Montario Hardesty, the backup to starter Arian Foster, appeared stuffed on a running play before he bounced outside and outran the Cal defenders for a 43-yard touchdown.
"More than anything we were due," Ainge said. "We worked too hard to not get anything like that."
