Phillip Fulmer's Tuesday Media Day Comments

InSIDe the Vols -- TENNESSEE NOTES AND QUOTES
A Tennessee win Saturday lifts head coach Phillip Fulmer???s SEC home record to 44-14...Fulmer already stands 44-14 in SEC road games and is 2-2 in the SEC Championship Game...Tennessee under Fulmer is 21-8 following an open date...Saturday???s game is UT???s first against Georgia following an open date since Nov. 1, 1969, when the Vols won 17-3 in Athens...The visiting team has won the last four games in this series...The last time both teams had a loss entering this game was 2003...Tennessee faces nothing but SEC foes in October, and those opponents currently have a combined 14-6 record...Georgia and South Carolina are each 4-1, while Mississippi State and Alabama both stand 3-2.

TENNESSEE HEAD COACH PHILLIP FULMER???S TUESDAY MEDIA DAY COMMENTS
???Needless to say, as I have said to a number of the guys that have been at practice, this open date came at a great time for us. We had a chance to go back and really spend quality time on our fundamentals. Our team work was geared around preparing for Georgia, so we got a chance to get ahead a little bit there. Where we needed to, we were able to get healed up some.

???We continue, as we did last week, to work on our depth and positions for this stretch of SEC games that we have coming up, starting with Georgia. Obviously, we continue to have work to do to get prepared for Georgia and also to improve from a fundamental standpoint. The great thing about it is that the players have been extremely responsive to what we have asked them to do. We???re certainly excited about the challenge vs. Georgia and??even this early in the season??the championship implications that come with this kind of game.

???Georgia is a very good football team, offensively and defensively as well as in the kicking game. Even during the course of this week, our focus will continue to be on us, getting where we need to be along with working on the Georgia schemes. As you look at Georgia, one of the most important things that we have to do is play the kicking game extremely well. They have an outstanding punter, kicker and kick returner. We must take care of the football. In the two big games, we did not do that and we lost. That is something that we absolutely must do.

???We have to play the run well, better than we have done to this point. Their two backs are quality backs, hard to tackle and certainly a challenge for anyone that plays them. We can???t forget about the past, obviously, but the first order of business will be to take on their run game and try to get the downs and distances in our favor.

???Defensively, our challenge is to be consistent in our gap patrol, playing off blocks and making the tackle. The big plays that we have given up have come from these areas that we have addressed during the open date. Offensively, we would certainly like to rush the football better. But as you study it, we???re averaging about 4.3 yards per attempt, which is not terrible. Georgia is averaging 4.8 yards per attempt, and their focus to this point has been on the running game. So we???re not that far off. The decision that you have to make is whether to call (the run) more and not use Erik Ainge and his abilities to throw the ball and get the ball down the field. At this point, even though we are searching for more balance, we like the production that Erik is having as a quarterback. The bottom line is the production, whether it be run or pass.

???In the kicking game, I???m excited that Britton (Colquitt) is healthy. We do expect him to be able to kick off, and that will help us a lot as far as his hang time and distance and his ability to kick the ball deeper, higher and longer. We have a real challenge in (Mikey) Henderson, a really outstanding punt returner. I???m really happy with what Daniel Lincoln has been able to do this year for us. There is no question that the kicking game will be a big part of this ballgame.

???As we???ve worked during the open week and yesterday, where we can make progress either from a fundamental standpoint, an assignment standpoint or building depth, we will continue to do that. There have been a number of young men that have continued to progress that I???m really happy about. I think we???ll see those guys more as we go along. Certainly every team has goals they want to set offensively and defensively and in the kicking game, but the bottom line and the main goal is to win the football game. That???s kind of where we???re focusing at this particular time.

???One of the things that we have to do is take care of the football. We???ve got to do a good job??even though we are plus-one in turnover ratio??of not giving up plays that can lose a football game. The turnovers and takeaways always play a factor in a big ballgame. It???s also obvious that we have to play the run well in this game. We???ll take that challenge as a football team.

???I do like this team a lot. They have character, work ethic, and they have been very responsive to the challenges we???ve thrown out there. Certainly, we???ve been tested as a football team during the course of the year. I don???t know that anybody has played a tougher schedule than we have. All of that should make us better as we go through this SEC stretch.

???We are young in spots, but talented. As the secondary continues to grow, I think that is going to be a really strong group for us. A number of guys have continued to develop. I???m really happy with J.T. Mapu and the way he has taken the challenge. He has had his best two weeks of practice since he???s been back from his mission. He has pushed himself at least into the rotation if not back into a starting position.

???Another young man that is working and developing is Nevin McKenzie at linebacker. I???m really encouraged by where he is. He???s not 100 percent with all of his assignments and adjustments and those kinds of things, but he is getting really close. He is one of those guys that can run you down.

???There is (DeAngelo) Willingham and (Brent) Vinson. Vinson has kind of been thrown into it, and he responded well. Probably the guy that is most pleasing is Robert Ayers. He and Antonio Reynolds are locked into a battle where whoever practices the best during the week will start the game.

???Right now, our entire attention is turned to Georgia and getting ready for them, along with the daily process of making sure we avoid losing by taking care of the football and not giving up big plays. ???