University of Tennessee Athletics
UT-USM Postgame Notes
September 08, 2007 | Football
Noting Tennessee
Tennessee improves to 1-1; Southern Mississippi falls to 1-1
The Vols entered the game ranked No. 24 in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls; Southern Mississippi was unranked in both polls. Today???s game marked the first time in Tennessee???s history that it played a game ranked 24th in the AP poll.
Tennessee returns to action Sept. 15 when it opens SEC play against Florida at Gainesville. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on CBS. It will be the 12th consecutive season that CBS has shown the game.
Tennessee has now won 13 consecutive home openers.
Tennessee-Southern Mississippi Series
Tennessee leads the all-time series vs. Southern Mississippi 5-0, dating to 1950. All games have been played in Knoxville.
Today???s contest marked the fourth meeting between UT head coach Phillip Fulmer and Golden Eagles coach Jeff Bower, with Fulmer boasting a 4-0 edge.
Phillip Fulmer???s Record
Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer???s record now stands at 138-42 (.767) in 16 seasons with the Vols.
Fulmer owns a 49-13 record against non-conference opponents and is 16-1 all-time against current members of Conference USA.
Ainge Solid in Home-opener
Vols senior QB Erik Ainge was 23-for-36 today for 276 yards and two TDs. Ainge has thrown 83 passes this season without an interception. The 276 yards is the fifth-highest passing total of his career.
Ainge completed his first seven passes against Southern Miss. He completed his first 10 passes in the season-opener against California. In the first quarter this season, Ainge is 17-of-21 for 201 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs and has a QB rating of 192.78.
Ainge is now 18-7 as a starter.
Taylor and Rogers Both Have Career Nights; Set Career-Highs for Receiving Yards
Austin Rogers (112) and Lucas Taylor (118) both had over 100 yards receiving tonight. That feat marked the first time UT has had two receivers post more than 100 yards receiving in a game since Marcus Nash (126) and Peerless Price (161) accomplished it against Auburn in the 1997 SEC Championship game.
Taylor finished the game with five receptions for 118 yards. In the first 22 games of his career, Taylor caught 14 passes for 101 yards. In the first two games of this season Taylor has 11 catches for 221 yards.
Rogers established career-highs by halftime. His first-half numbers of seven receptions for 112 yards topped his previous marks of six receptions and 69 yards. He did not catch a pass in the second-half.
The Vols scored on their opening possession when Austin Rogers hauled in his first career TD reception -- a 26-yard pass from Erik Ainge.
Rogers??? TD catch gave UT a 7-3 lead; which was UT???s first lead of the 2007 season.
Foster Goes Over 100 Yards Rushing for the First Time Since 2005
TB Arian Foster rushed 23 times for 125 yards and two TDs and had no rushes for negative yardage.
It marked the first time since Kentucky in 2005 that Foster went over the century mark.
Foster has 214 yards rushing this season in two games; last season he finished with 322 yards.
Noting the Offense
Jeff Cottam???s 4-yard reception in the opening quarter was the first of his career.
TB LaMarcus Coker saw his first action of the season. The Antioch native finished the game with four carries for 11 yards.
TB Lennon Creer???s first career rush went for 38 yards in the fourth quarter; the freshman also caught his first career pass for nine yards in the fouth quarter. Creer finished with 58 yards on six carries.
Noting the Defense
Rico McCoy???s INT on the final play of the first half was the first INT of his career and the first INT for the Vols this season. McCoy also led the team with nine tackles.
Antonio Reynolds tied his career-high with six tackles (previous set vs. Penn State in Outback bowl)
Ricardo Kemp and Jerod Mayo both had their first career forced fumbles; Jarod Parrish had his first career fumble recovery.
DB Nevin McKenzie had his first career sack and forced a fumble in the foutth quarter; Southern Miss punted the fumble out of the endzone for a safety.
Mayo and Robert Ayres combined to sack Young in the fourth quarter to record UT???s first sack of the season.
Xavier Mitchell, who left the California game on a stretcher after suffering a mild concussion, came back to start his 13th consecutive game tonight and finished with four tackles.
Jeremy Young???s 69-yard TD pass to Chris Johnson in the first quarter was the longest by a Vol opponent since Notre Dame???s Brady Quinn hit Jeff Samardzija for a 73-yard completion on Nov. 5, 2005. It was the longest TD pass allowed by the Vols since Jay Cutler and Brandon Smith of Vanderbilt hooked up for an 80-yard TD on Nov. 20, 2004.
Miscellaneous Notes
Today???s attendance was 106,311.
Tennessee???s game captains today were seniors Erik Ainge, Chris Brown, Antonio Gaines, Antonio Reynolds, Jerod Mayo and junior Ramon Foster.
High school teammates and true-freshmen Lennon Creer and Denarius Moore lined up deep to return Southern Mississippi???s kickoffs.
Chad Cunningham???s 39-yard punt in the first quarter was the first punt by a UT player other than a Colquitt since James Wilhoit pooch-punted against Mississippi on Oct. 16, 2004
Britt Barefoot???s 51 yard FG in the first quarter was the longest by a Vol opponent since Brent Garber of Duke hit a 54-yard FG on Nov. 1, 2003.
The first quarter of tonight???s game featured 256 passing yards and 27 points.
DT Dan Williams made his first career start and finished with a career-high six tackles.
PK Daniel Lincoln connected on all three of his FG attempts (38, 36, 47). The 47-yard FG was a career-long.
The following Vols made their Tennessee debuts today: Gerald Jones and Dennis Rogan.
