University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols, Tide Not Just Rough and Tumble
October 17, 2007 | Football
Fans consider UT-Alabama the ultimate in smash-mouth football.
A pair of storied programs grinding out victories against their rival in any way possible, much like the Tide???s 6-3 decision two years ago and Tennessee???s two most recent low-scoring triumphs in Knoxville would attest.
But Vols head coach Phillip Fulmer knows the balanced game plan works best, and this week???s practice sessions at Haslam Field have emphasized that point to the extreme.
???We???ve had a couple good days of work,??? Fulmer said. ???As you look at our preparations, there is a certain amount of physicalness that goes into it that is always there. That???s an area we have improved from a consistency standpoint.
???But there???s also an area of finesse and understanding. That???s an area where we also have grown and Wednesday was a big day for that with our screens, draws and drop-back passes.???
Both teams are the epitome of balance when it comes to offense. Alabama sports an average of 226.6 passing yards and 173.3 rushing yards, while Tennessee has made better use of the air (270.5) than the ground (155.0) -- though the Vols??? numbers are leveling as the season progresses.
If quarterback Erik Ainge completes his first pass Saturday, he will have dead-on a two-thirds success rate throwing the ball. He already leads the league in passing yards (259.0) and completions (24.5) per game, and junior receiver Lucas Taylor continues to be the prime beneficiary with 41 catches for a conference-high 618 yards.
Yet is has been the rushing attack spearheaded by Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty that sparked Tennessee???s double-digit wins over Georgia and Mississippi State. Foster carried for 237 yards and four touchdowns in those victories, while Hardesty offered a punishing 146 yards and another score.
Fulmer and Co. hope to keep that balance in this high-wire act of 2007, which this week passes the midway point. One more day of practice offers yet another rehearsal on the road to Tuscaloosa, where the Vols will attempt to maintain what grip they have on this most slippery of football seasons.
???(Thursday) we will put the whole package together,??? Fulmer said. ???We will absolutely throw out anything that doesn???t look like it???s solid and sound, and then hopefully go play our best football game of the year.???
Do that, and it will be a smashing success.
InSIDe the Vols -- Desmond Howard and an ESPN College GameDay camera crew were at Wednesday???s practice taping a segment for this weekend???s show about the Vols offense and quarterback Erik Ainge ... Marsalous Johnson is this week???s CAREacter Star Athlete of the Week ... The sophomore cornerback has four pass deflections in 2007 and one interception to go with 17 tackles ... He had a career-high five stops Saturday at Mississippi State ... Off the field, Johnson is an excellent role model and turns on his great personality when visiting area youth ... Fulmer said he couldn???t be prouder of former Vols quarterback and current Colorado Rockies star first baseman Todd Helton ... ???It???s really unique that we have had a quarterback that played in the Super Bowl (Peyton Manning) and now a quarterback that???s playing in the World Series. There aren???t many people that have the opportunity to coach those kinds of athletes.??? ... Fulmer is elated with Helton???s finally reaching the pinnacle of his sport ... ???You can tell he???s really proud of what his team has accomplished. I don???t know of anybody who deserves it more. There???s not anybody that???s done any more for a team than Todd Helton has done for the Rockies for years. Now he has a chance to go to the World Series and I???m thrilled for him.??? ... Much has been made of the Colorado team???s roster and staff of former football college-caliber quarterbacks, including Helton and Rockies hitting coach Alan Cockrell ... Both were two-sports stars at UT -- Cockrell a two-year (1982-83) quarterback starter and baseball All-America while Helton drew a few spot starts at QB early in the 1994 season before moving entirely to the diamond and earning national player of the year honors himself ... Fulmer said their dual abilities makes sense ... ???Quarterbacks a lot of times are the best athletes on the field. Baseball takes a lot of athletic ability, to play at that level especially.??? ... Fulmer reminded Wednesday???s media contingent that he, too, has a baseball background ... ???I came here to play both sports back when, but I figured that out pretty quick,??? he said with a laugh of his sticking with football ... In addition to his prep gridiron glory, Fulmer was the starting catcher for a Franklin County High team that won the top-class state title his senior year.
