Coach Fulmer's Media Day Comments

???Needless to say, we???re very pleased with our win over Georgia. We played well. We played our most complete football game of the year. I really appreciate how the team has continued to have a tremendous attitude as we???ve been going through the season. They???ve been really hard workers, really tough guys as we have fought through a number of injuries. Fortunately??and a credit to the team??effort has never been a problem. We solved some of the problems that we were having, giving up big plays to good teams and helping teams. The result was an outstanding win for us.

???The fact that we have had to handle some adversity so far, I think will help make our team stronger. I think it will also help us in handling this latest success. My only way of knowing for sure is on the practice field, and yesterday they went about their business with a great energy, enthusiasm, focus and purpose as they prepare for a fine Mississippi State team. We are as healthy as we???ve been in some time, which is very much a blessing. There are a couple of things we are still concerned about, and we???ve got to get those guys completely well.

???We are still a work in progress in spots on our team. When you take three seniors out of our lineup??we???ve lost Brad Cottam, David Holbert and Antonio Gaines??other people have to step up and help us, whether it be offensively, defensively or in the kicking game.

???Of all the things that happened vs. Georgia, I was most pleased with what we were able to accomplish on defense. I was very, very proud of that group of young men and the fact they were able to control the line of scrimmage for the day. We???re playing well up front. The linebackers allowed the safeties to be safeties and the corners to be corners. We did not have to get them that involved in the run game, although there are games and formations that will force us to do that. When you end up with a defensive front playing as well as they did and the inside linebackers having 11 tackles apiece, that???s a good day for the secondary.

???It goes without question to say that Britton Colquitt made a tremendous difference and was a real weapon for our football team. His injury really hurt us the first four or five weeks. We???re glad to have him back at 100 percent. We look forward to continued big things from him.

???As we reach this halfway point in the season, our theme is to practice and play with that energy, enthusiasm and purpose that we talked about. We played well in the last game, now how much better can we get? You watch the tape and you see that we can be better in a lot of places. I think our team will respond well to that.

???Mississippi State is a good football team at 4-2. They beat a good Auburn team at Auburn. They???re dangerous, physical, tough guys up front. The running backs and tight ends have my good friend Woodrow McCorvey???s fingerprints all over them. He is a tough guy.

???Defensively, they are a very multiple, talented group of guys. Titus Brown might be the best defensive lineman we???ve played against to this point. In the kicking game, they are very, very solid; a good team.

???I told the guys yesterday, it???s natural for everyone to talk about other things, but we should understand what we have to do as a football team to get better and have the mindset that we???re going to be fundamentally better. That???s an area that we can make significant progress in. We???re not going to give up plays that people don???t earn. We???re going to maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses as we go forward.???

InSIDe the Vols -- TWO VOLS TABBED AS GREATEST TO EVER WEAR THEIR NUMBERS
National Football Foundation historian Dan Jenkins has released a list of the greatest college football players to wear each jersey number ... Two former Vols landed on that elite list as ???owning??? their respective numbers above all others ... Jenkins tabbed 1951 Tennessee tailback Hank Lauricella as the greatest No. 27 in college football history, and 1951 defensive tackle Doug Atkins was selected as the ultimate No. 91 ... The following Vols earned honorable mention: quarterback Peyton Manning in 1997 for No. 16, quarterback Bobby Dodd in 1930 for No. 17, guard Bob Suffridge in 1940 for No. 42, tailback Johnny Majors in 1956 for No. 45, halfback Beattie Feathers in 1933 for No. 48, linebacker Steve Kiner in 1969 for No. 57, quarterback George Cafego in 1939 for No. 72 and defensive tackle Reggie White in 1983 for No. 92.

Tennessee???s offensive line leads the country with only two sacks allowed through five games ... Next closest are Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, Florida, Arkansas, Tulane, Rutgers, California and Kansas State with four apiece.

Head coach Phillip Fulmer has identical 44-14 records at home and on the road against SEC competition ... He also is 2-2 in the SEC Championship Game, giving the Vols mentor an overall 90-30 (.750) mark against arguably the nation???s toughest conference.

Quarterback Erik Ainge, who Saturday moved past Andy Kelly into third on UT???s career passing yardage list (6,473), is 5-0 thus far in his top five passing yardage games ... Included was a career-best, 334-yard effort last month in a 48-27 win over Arkansas State ... Other top performances, all in 2006, came in wins over Air Force (333), Memphis (324) and Alabama (302) and California (291) ... Among Phillip Fulmer-coached quarterbacks, Heath Shuler was 3-2 in his top five yardage games, Peyton Manning 4-1, Tee Martin 4-1, Casey Clausen 2-3 and Rick Clausen 4-1.