Tennessee Football Notes - Kentucky Game - University of Tennessee Athletics

Nov. 24, 2008

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GAME 12: Vols to Pay Tribute to Coach Fulmer in Season Finale

Quick Facts

Tennessee: 4-7, 2-5 SEC

Kentucky: 6-5, 2-5 SEC

UT: Phillip Fulmer: 151-52 (17th yr)

UK: Rich Brooks: 122-149-4 (24th yr)

UT: NR AP / NR USA Today

UK: NR AP / NR USA Today

Series: UT leads 71-23-9

At Knoxville: UT leads 37-10-6

Site: Neyland Stadium (102,038)

TV: ESPN2

Announcers: Mark Jones, Bob Davie

Radio: Vol Network

Announcers: Bob Kesling, Tim Priest, Mike Stowell

Related Links

TENNESSEE-KENTUCKY SERIES HISTORY & NOTES

Tennessee leads the all-time series with the Wildcats 71-23-9, including a 37-10-6 mark in Knoxville. Phillip Fulmer is 15-0 vs. the Wildcats in his tenure at Tennessee. The Vols are putting their 23-game winning streak on the line as Kentucky has not defeated Tennessee since taking a 17-12 decision in 1984. The Vols pulled out a 52-50 win in a four-overtime classic last season in Lexington. The Wildcats are 6-5 overall this season and 2-5 in the Southeastern Conference.

Only one Vol on the two-deep depth chart calls the state of Kentucky home. Sophomore tight end Luke Stocker is a native of Berea, Kentucky.

BERRY MAKING ARGUMENT FOR ALL-AMERICA HONORS

Sophomore safety Eric Berry snagged his FBS-best seventh interception of the season in the second quarter of the Vanderbilt game and added a 45 yard return for a touchdown to it. The pick was the 12th of his career, which tied him for ninth in school history in that category. The return gave him 487 career interception return yards, which extended his SEC record and moved him within 14 yards of the NCAA record held by Terrell Buckley of Florida State (501 yards).

He now has 265 interception return yards this season, which breaks both the school record he set last season (222 yards) and the SEC record set by Florida's Joe Brodsky (244 yards) in 1956. Southern California's Charles Phillips set the major college season record in 1974 with 302 interception return yards.

Berry is now seventh on Tennessee's all-time list for single-season picks with seven. He is the only player in the NCAA FBS with more than 200 return yards. Only 19 other players have more than 100 return yards and just one other player has more than 175 yards.

VOLS TIED FOR 10TH NATIONALLY WITH 17 INTERCEPTIONS

Through 13 weeks of NCAA play, Tennessee ranks tied for 10th nationally among FBS teams and third in the SEC with 17 interceptions. The Vols are averaging 1.5 interceptions per game and 28.1 yards per return.

Eight different Vols have recorded picks thus far, but sophomore safety Eric Berry and senior cornerback DeAngelo Willingham lead the way with seven and three interceptions, respectively.

THREE MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES vs. KENTUCKY

In Tennessee's 101 previous clashes with Kentucky, there have been some memorable Vol performances. Here are three of note:

You're My Aingel: Erik Ainge, 2007
In the Vols 52-50, four overtime victory over Kentucky on Nov. 24, 2007, senior quarterback Erik Ainge set career highs in touchdowns with seven and passing yards with 397. He completed 28 of 45 passes on the night. His seven touchdowns were also a single-game school record. His first half was the best half of his career, throwing for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Ainge threw touchdown passes to Arian Foster, Lucas Taylor, Gerald Jones, Austin Rogers, Jeff Cottam and two to Quintin Hancock.

Manning Up: Peyton Manning, 1997
Peyton Manning set a school record for single-game passing yards that still stands today with 523 yards against Kentucky on Nov. 22, 1997. Manning was 25 of 35 and threw for five touchdowns. He was named CNN/SI College Football Player of the Week following the performance. The Vols also set an SEC record for single-game total offense with 695 yards.

Double D Dominates: Daryl Dickey, 1985
Senior quarterback Daryl Dickey led to Vols to the SEC championship with a 42-0 victory over Kentucky on Nov. 23, 1985. Leading only 6-0 at halftime, Tennessee exploded for 22 points in the third quarter. Wide receiver Tim McGee caught touchdown passes of 37 and 12 yards to lead the charge. Dickey completed 13 of 19 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns. He was named SEC offensive player of the week for his efforts. The next week against Vanderbilt he led the Vols to a 30-0 victory, followed by a 35-7 win over Miami in the Sugar Bowl.

TENNESSEE TO HONOR 24 SENIORS SATURDAY

Saturday's season finale marks the last game in Neyland Stadium for 24 Tennessee seniors, each of whom will be making the traditional solo run through the "T" during pregame.

Those seniors are Robert Ayers, Brett Barnes, Demonte Bolden, Josh Briscoe, Jake Brown, Britton Colquitt, Stephen Darville, Walter Fisher, Arian Foster, Ramon Foster, Brent Freeman, Derrick Furlow, Antonio Gaines, Ryan Hill, Nevin McKenzie, Adam Myers-White, Anthony Parker, Lucas Taylor, Brett Thomason, Phillip Tritapoe, Ben Weisensel, Ja'Kouri Williams, DeAngelo Willingham and Ellix Wilson.

FULMER TO BE HONORED AT KENTUCKY GAME

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer will be honored at the Kentucky game for his 32 years as a Tennessee Volunteer - four as a player and 28 as a coach. Phillip Fulmer announced the Monday before the Wyoming game that he will step aside as the Volunteers head coach at the end of the season. He is the second winningest coach in school history with a record of 151-52.

Fulmer was an offensive guard at Tennessee from 1968-71. He began his coaching career at Tennessee before stints at Wichita State (1974-78) and Vanderbilt (1979). Fulmer returned to Tennessee in 1980 and was promoted to head coach in 1992. He has been enshrined in both the Tennessee Sports and Knoxville Sports halls of fame.

FOSTER SECOND ON CAREER RUSHING LIST

Senior tailback Arian Foster moved into a second place on the Tennessee career rushing chart during the South Carolina game.

Foster carried 11 times for 53 yards in Nashville to improve his career rushing total to 2,905 yards, moving him 173 yards from the top of UT's all-time list.

The San Diego native also stands third on Tennessee's career all-purpose yardage list with 3,804. Stanley Morgan (1973-76) owns the school record with 4,642 yards, followed by Willie Gault (1979-82) at 4,035.

ROGAN CLIMBING KICK RETURN CHARTS

Sophomore defensive back Dennis Rogan returned three kickoffs for 79 yards vs. Vanderbilt and now stands in fifth place on UT's career kickoff return list with 1,101 total yards. Rogan's career average of 26.37 yards per kickoff return ranks 11th among all active FBS players.

For his career, the Knoxville native has 1,308 combined kick and punt return yards and that mark ties him for sixth place on the Tennessee career list.

Rogan is averaging 24.9 yards per kickoff return this season after posting the third-best single-season mark in school history last season at 29.5 yards per return.

DEFENSE AMONG NATIONS BEST STATISTICALLY

Through 11 games, the Tennessee defense ranks among the nation's best in several statistical categories. The Vols are in the top 20 nationally in five categories.

Stat Category	NCAA Rank	SEC Rank
Rushing Defense	14th	4th
Passing Defense	9th	2nd
Total Defense	6th	2nd
Scoring Defense	16th	4th
Passing Effic. Defense	13th	3rd

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