[Bamabeachlivin]

TEN at UGA
3:30

[JRL]

Yet another tough game for UGA as PhatPhil knows his job is on the line and he will have his team pumped up. They have talent - they have just failed to utilize it. This game scares me more than most because it is one we should win but PhatPhil has got to have a win.

[Stoney]

It's been well-documented how much Tennessee misses former offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe, who's now the head coach at Duke.
With Cutcliffe as his offensive coordinator, Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer was 85-19 with two SEC championships.
Without Cutcliffe, Fulmer is 64-29 with no SEC championships.
Rest assured that Georgia is thrilled to see Cutcliffe in Durham, N.C., right now, because he owned the Bulldogs.
Cutcliffe never lost to Georgia in nine games as Tennessee's offensive coordinator/play-caller (1992-98 and 2006-07). In those nine games, the Vols averaged 35.3 points and were held under four touchdowns only once.
In the five trips to Athens with Cutcliffe overseeing the offense, the Vols averaged 35.4 points. In the three trips without him, they averaged just 14 points.

Tennessee Vols, Georgia Bulldogs, Phillip Fulmer, David Cutcliffe

[Stoney]

Will the real Georgia football team stand up? The last time the Bulldogs took the field, they were flattened by Alabama at home. This is a better team than the one that showed up in the first half of that game. The Bulldogs have had a week to shake off the physical and mental effects of that loss and should heal up even more this week against a teetering Tennessee team.

[JRL]

Originally Posted by Stoney

Will the real Georgia football team stand up? The last time the Bulldogs took the field, they were flattened by Alabama at home. This is a better team than the one that showed up in the first half of that game. The Bulldogs have had a week to shake off the physical and mental effects of that loss and should heal up even more this week against a teetering Tennessee team.

They will stand up - trust me. Tenn is in a must win situation but UGA has a renewed fire in their belly. The game concerns me but only because of injuries. If the young talent (a new OG, TE (both freshmen) and new MLB) plays up to potential Tenn will go home with a loss.

They team has been doing up / downs for two weeks every time someone makes a penalty - can you say focused Watch MLB Gamble (# 50) he is starting his first game replacing the injured Ellerbe. Watch the TE too - another freshman starting his first game - he could put on a show if he lives up to potential.

[Stoney]

Amidst the trophies, game balls and personal mementos that make the office of Phillip Fulmer a veritable Tennessee football museum, a poem rests on the desk of the Volunteers' veteran football coach.

It is Rudyard Kipling's "If," and it takes reading only the first stanza to understand the relevance of poetry in the plush office of a gritty college football coach, a former offensive lineman who built his reputation as a tireless recruiter and worker.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: -- from Rudyard Kipling's "If"

In a candid, exclusive conversation with VolQuest.com, Tennessee's longtime leader, a man who has spent 35 years at UT including the last 29 as first an assistant coach, offensive coordinator and head coach since late-1992, discusses the Vols' 1-3 start, the quarterback derby and his coaching future, among other topics.

document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/879/698464.jpg', '698464.jpg', 0, 360, 250, 1, '', '', 1223015302000, 'Fulmer office', 879, 'Align=Left'));Q: Among other coaches, we specifically have heard both you and Tommy Tuberville mention being two or three plays or a couple field goals away from very different records or seasons. How fine is the line between winning and losing, and how difficult is it to get players to understand this?

Phillip Fulmer: Well, I think you've got to make that point to the team. You talk about it all the time, particularly when you're playing in the Southeastern Conference. You can look at it any way you want to, and I certainly share the frustrations that we haven't been successful this season to this point as we would like to be. But the fact is, we're two fumbles or two field goals away from being 3-1 instead of 1-3, and the mood's probably a lot different around here. But the reality is that we're not, and we've got to work to get better.

Q: How staggering is it that among the most visible and damaging mistakes this season are several basic, fundamental plays that we've all seen the team execute countless times in practices and scrimmages?

PF: It's frustrating. This has been a good practice team, a team that executes in practice. But you've got to make those plays in the games. You've got to be better prepared. And what I mean is better prepared for the moment. The preparation for the games has been good. You've got to better prepare yourself and have a better focus for those moments as they arise during games.

Q: Aside from the mistakes that have clouded the season, what do you like about this team, offensively and defensively?

PF: I like the spirit of this team. They've gone back to work with a determined attitude on the practice field, and that's how I have to judge it. We had a big game at home (against Florida), and one that we had worked really hard to prepare for and it got away from us because of the mistakes in the kicking game, basically, and not getting it done down on the goal line. They bounced back and played their rears off the next week. Two top 15 schools, both have been in the top 10 and top 5, and we played Auburn very physically. I like that spirit of this football team, and I like what I see on the practice field. Going out there and working to get better and knowing how to practice. But we've got to make the execution transfer to the game.

Q: There is a belief that you've been much more animated this season on the sideline. Some have suggested that maybe this job isn't as quote "fun" for you as it was. Is it that, or is that simply the style of coaching this team requires? Or is too much being made of your sideline demeanor?

PF: Well, I don't know what's been made of it. I haven't read or kept up with that. I'm doing everything I possibly can from early in the morning until late at night, from the practice field or whatever, and are coaches are as well, I don't mean it's just me. We're all working together to get our team to where it needs to be. We're going to get there. We've just got to get there really fast.

Q: Much has been made of the perceived talent gap for Tennessee vs. other SEC teams such as Florida, Georgia, LSU, and even Alabama and Auburn. Do you agree with that sentiment, and if so, why do you think this has occurred?

PF: No, I don't accept that. If we were 3-1 or 4-0, or it wouldn't be a question. We're sitting here, like I told you, two fumbles or two field goals away from being that.

Q: Do you point to last year's SEC Championship game against eventual national champion LSU, a team loaded with talent, as further proof that Tennessee still has elite athletes?

PF: This league is very, very close, period. Yes, I would point to last year's SEC Championship (game). Look at the guys that we've recruited, and then who's recruited them as well. We've signed a number of those guys. But it comes down to a couple of special players along the way. Offensively, I think we have that at tailback. We have that at other places on our team. Some of it's youthful yet, but I wouldn't trade Gerald Jones for anybody in the league, I don't think. I don't think that's the case. Florida's got (Tim) Tebow and (Percy) Harvin and a lot of good players. Everybody's got their own.

Q: What did you learn from your team's similar starts in both 1994 and 2000, and even a year ago, that helps you right now and that you can apply right now to this team?

PF: We're fighters, or we wouldn't be in this profession. Or we certainly wouldn't last in it, not as long as we've lasted in this profession. You draw on the experiences that you've had and the tough times that you've had. That would be true in anything in life. Ever since I can remember, people have said, 'You can't do this. You can't do that.' I don't buy that. I think what the mind can conceive, you can achieve. And the big thing is to get everybody into what we're doing.

Q: Is there any doubt in your mind that this team is capable of a similar sort of turnaround that you engineered during those aforementioned seasons?

PF: I'm very hopeful. In each of those other years, we didn't win every game after a tough start, but we had certainly reason to be proud of what we accomplished and certainly hope for the future. Any coach that's had longevity has had their difficult times. That just comes with the territory. It could be because of injuries, all kinds of different things. Scheduling can have a lot to do with everything, every year. It could be a lot of reasons.

Q: You referenced the future. How does a start like this have an impact on recruiting?

PF: Well, it's not the start, it's the finish that's going to matter. We're off to a heck of a good recruiting start, and we've got a lot of people interested in our program. We just had an underclassmen, probably the best player in that state, who's committed to us. I can't say who it is because of rules, but he heard me after the Florida game talk to the prospects, and he and his family are excited about the character in the program. Those things are positive. We've got a couple of underclassmen committed, I'm talking about sophomores and juniors. It's not just seniors.

Q: This is a new time for several members of your offensive staff, just being on this stage, and I imagine they lean on you during this time, but who do you lean on when it's a tough start like this that you obviously didn't foresee coming?

PF: You're in it together, so you lean on each other. I have friends that are out there that I trust and believe in, and I have conversations with them. But most of the time you have to fight through it yourself and with the people that are in the battle with you.

Q: What are the difficulties of a midseason quarterback situation like you have right now, not just on the field but what are the difficulties of just managing that situation?

PF: I mean, it's part of it whether it's the left tackle or the safety or the middle linebacker or whatever. Unfortunately that position gets a lot of scrutiny and everything, and he has the ball in his hand on every play, practically, and he's going to make a difference in the game. You know, you're looking for guys that can make those plays along the way. And we've made some nice plays. But we've practiced actually better than we've performed in the games. You've got to take the practice to the games.

Q: You've given 30-plus years of your life to Tennessee, and a couple of weeks ago on your coach's radio show, you had some people call in and ask you to resign or to step down. How troubling is that? What's your reaction to that?

PF: That's people in this generation that are just interested in having the best for Tennessee. That's emotion, so to speak. I'm glad to be at a place feels strongly about winning and everything. But just look at the record, that's all I can tell you. We've done it before, and we'll do it again. I almost wanted to say, not just no, but 'Hell no!' I'm not going to do anything like that.

Q: Last thing here. When we talked before the season in a question-and-answer format, you said, "John, I want to coach another six to eight years, and who knows beyond that." Is that still the belief with you right now?

PF: Sure, sure. I don't know if I said six or eight, or eight or 10. But yeah.

Q: Is there any scenario in your mind that doesn't include you as Tennessee's head coach next year?

PF: No, I don't see me doing anything else but being the head coach at the University of Tennessee.

[Stoney]

YouTube - a true ga fan, this is one awesome. video Here JRL this ought to put you in a better mood.

[JRL]

Thanks Stoney - what would really make me feel better - an improbable upward shift in the market or a crystal ball to tell me when to hold em & when to fold em.

[Stoney]

Don't believe the hype....

Memory lane YouTube - 9/27/08 ESPN College Gameday Alabama Georgia Analysis +Picks

YouTube - 9/27/08 ESPN Alabama Georgia Postgame + Saban (Part 1 of 2)

YouTube - 9/27/08 ESPN Alabama Georgia Postgame + Poll Talk (2 of 2)

[Bamabeachlivin]

Here is a little added motivation for Georgia fans ...YouTube - Georgia vs. Tennessee Highlights and YouTube - Georgia On My Mind

[Stoney]

Vols and 'Dawgs meet Between the Hedges

Athens, GA (Sports Network) - The Tennessee Volunteers travel to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in what figures to be a hard-fought SEC contest.
At 2-3, Tennessee is desperate for a victory. Sure, the club managed to squeak by Northern Illinois last weekend by a 13-9 final, but both conference games that the Vols have played thus far have resulted in defeat. They will play four of their final six regular season games at home following this weekend's tilt, and the level of competition is somewhat favorable. Still, head coach Phil Fulmer does not want to attempt to climb out of a 2-4 hole.
As for Georgia, it opened the season with four consecutive victories before falling to Alabama two weeks ago. The Bulldogs have had two weeks to prepare for this weekend's game and hope to move to 2-1 in conference. They are playing their second of what will be three straight home games against league foes, as nationally-ranked Vanderbilt comes to town next weekend.
Tennessee holds a 20-15-2 edge in the all-time series with Georgia, and the Vols crushed the Bulldogs by a 35-14 final last season.
Since scoring a combined 59 points in the first two games of the season, Tennessee has only managed 31 total points the last three times out. The fact that the Vols were limited to 13 points by Northern Illinois in Knoxville is downright scary for fans of the program. The lone touchdown came in the third quarter on a 52-yard pass from Nick Stephens to Denarius Moore. All 13 of the team's points came in a 12-miunute span that bridged the second and third quarters. For the rest of the game, the Tennessee offense did absolutely nothing. The club finished the tilt with nine first downs and 69 rushing yards, embarrassing to say the least. "I felt like we moved the ball well tonight," said Nick Stephens. "We did a great job at times and we stopped ourselves. We left some points on the field but it's time to go back to the practice field and get better for next week."
Clearly, Tennessee is staying optimistic, but the offense must play much better this weekend in Athens. The Vols are averaging just 18.0 ppg this season to go along with 317.6 total ypg. Arian Foster, the team's top running back, has yet to get into the end zone, but he is averaging 5.2 ypc. Stephens, who appears to be the team's new starter, is still inexperienced and needs the help of the running game during his acclamation to the speed of SEC football.
While the Tennessee offense struggled mightily against Northern Illinois last week, the defense played quite well. The Huskies were held without a touchdown and finished the clash with 190 total yards. They averaged 2.1 ypc on the ground and 8.4 yards per pass completion. Clearly, the Vols were up to the challenge and limited NIU to 5-of-16 success on third down conversion attempts while also posting four sacks. "I feel like we came out and gave a good effort against a good Northern Illinois team," said defensive end Robert Ayers. "We knew they were going to be tough to slow down on offense. There is a lot to go back and look at and get better for next week."
Foes are generating only 16.6 ppg and 244.4 total ypg against Tennessee, which has been tough defensively for most of this season. The Vols are solid against the run, permitting only 90.6 ypg and 2.7 ypc. In 20 quarters of action, they have yielded one rushing touchdown, impressive by any standards. They have allowed only five total touchdowns to opposing offenses and are surrendering fewer than 10 yards per pass completion.
Georgia is averaging 424.8 total ypg this season, and the offense has a couple of major stars at key positions. Start with tailback Knowshon Moreno, who may be the most talented player in the nation at his position. Moreno has rushed for 489 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging a stellar 6.3 ypc. The fact that he is averaging just over 15 carries per game is somewhat surprising, but expect his workload to increase beginning this weekend if he is able to fight through an elbow contusion. At quarterback, Matthew Stafford possesses a strong arm and plenty of big-game experience. He has completed 59.7 percent of his throws for 1,193 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. A.J. Green has been the team's top receiver, as he has made 22 catches for 388 yards and three scores.
Against Alabama, Green caught six passes for 88 yards and a score, while Stafford threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, Moreno only carried the ball nine times, as Georgia was forced to abandon the run after falling behind by a huge margin. "We may consider going with more four receiver sets or change up our personnel grouping," said Georgia head coach Mark Richt after the loss to Alabama. It will be interesting to see how the team responds this weekend.
The strength of the Georgia defense has been its play against the run, as the team is limiting its opponents to 62.4 ypg on an average of 2.3 ypc. The Bulldogs are permitting 286.3 ypg overall, as they have surrendered a rather high amount of yardage through the air. Still, this defense is quite strong and has played outstanding football with the exception of the first half against Alabama. While the Crimson Tide did score 41 points against Georgia two weeks ago, the Bulldogs held 'Bama to 334 total yards.
Still, Georgia knows it made mistakes and must correct them before Saturday, although Tennessee isn't nearly as potent offensively as Alabama. Richt is clearly frustrated with the amount of penalties that his team has committed, and penalties played a major role in the loss to Alabama. "It's been 10 at least every game, and I've got to send a stronger message to this point," said Richt on the penalties. "Whatever we've done, it hasn't worked, so we'll have to do something else."

10/08 10:53:25 ET

[Stoney]

Tennessee-Georgia Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Editor
Published: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 6:23 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 6:23 a.m.
Not only did Georgia suffer its first loss in its last game, but star running back Knowshon Moreno sustained a severely bruised elbow en route to his worst effort of the season.

If Moreno returns to action as expected, he'll face the team that held him to the lowest rushing output of his career.
Moreno and the 10th-ranked Bulldogs try to erase the memories of a disheartening loss and try to avoid a third straight defeat to struggling Southeastern Conference rival Tennessee on Saturday.
Georgia (4-1, 1-1) saw its hopes of playing for the BCS championship take a major hit with a 41-30 loss to then-No. 8 Alabama on Sept. 27. Moreno, considered a Heisman Trophy candidate before the game, had nine carries for a season-low 34 yards and suffered the injury as the Bulldogs fell behind 31-0 by halftime and never recovered.
Despite the bruised elbow, Georgia coach Mark Richt has indicated the sophomore will play against the Volunteers.
However, Moreno wasn't very effective in his only previous game against Tennessee (2-3, 0-2), a 35-14 road loss on Oct. 6, 2007. He carried 13 times for a career-low 30 yards as the Bulldogs fell into a 28-0 hole at the half and never mounted a serious rally.
That was Georgia's last loss until the game with Alabama two weeks ago. The Volunteers have won the last two meetings against the Bulldogs, as well as their last two visits to Athens.
``We've got tremendous respect for Tennessee,'' Georgia fullback Shaun Chapas said. ``The past two years, they've really taken it to us. It's going to be another tough SEC game, and we've got to work hard this week to get ready to play.''
Georgia may respect Tennessee, but Vols coach Phil Fulmer has come under fire for his team's poor performance. The Volunteers have averaged 10.3 points over their last three games, with SEC losses to Florida and Auburn before a lackluster 13-9 home win over gritty Northern Illinois last week.
The victory came in sophomore Nick Stephens' first career start at quarterback after Fulmer benched Jonathan Crompton for poor play in the two conference losses. Stephens completed 10-of-17 passes for 156 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown to Denarius Moore.
``Nick didn't disappoint me,'' Fulmer said. ``I was really proud of the way he managed the game and threw the ball, for the most part. There's certainly room to grow, and he'll do that.''
Stephens didn't get much help from the ground game, as Tennessee was limited to a season-low 69 rushing yards on 32 carries.
``We have a lot more things to work on and get better on for Georgia, because obviously we're going to have to play better to beat them,'' Vols offensive coordinator Dave Clawson said.
Georgia, meanwhile, has won nine of its last 10 games when coming off an open week.
``I hope it's a positive thing for us,'' Richt said. ``I pulled out my notes from a year ago before our open date and looked at our goals in those two weeks leading up to our next game. It's to get healthy, get some rest and work on our fundamentals, and we're on track.''
Richt has been unhappy with his team's discipline. Georgia is averaging 87.4 penalty yards, compared to 33 per game for its opponents.
``There's been at least 10 penalties every game,'' Richt said. ``I've got to send a stronger message than I've been sending to this point. That's my No. 1 priority right now.''

[Stoney]

UT back's silence mirrors team struggles

Vols Foster won't give interviews on rushing mark

By BRYAN MULLEN • Staff Writer • October 7, 2008
KNOXVILLE — Arian Foster snickered.
He sat down and peeled tape off his ankles.
Practice had just ended last week. The Tennessee starting tailback, a senior on the verge of becoming UT's all-time leading rusher, was requested for media interviews.
He had a demand: whoever interviewed him had to speak Pterodactyl, some made-up dinosaur language. No interview was conducted.
It was kind of funny and it fit Foster's quirky personality. But considering the environment and Foster's recent demeanor, it quickly became sad.
The reason is because 10 yards away, Coach Phillip Fulmer was addressing reporters about his quarterback crisis. Fulmer discussed how starter Jonathan Crompton and backup Nick Stephens would duke it out for the starting job against Northern Illinois.
It was a national story about an offense looking for leadership.
It could determine the fate of Tennessee's season and Fulmer's legacy.
"Veeeeek! Veeeeek! Veeeeek!" Foster shrieked.
Up and down

Arian Foster is 347 yards away from becoming UT's all-time leading rusher. He leads the Volunteers in rushing this season, but is averaging almost four yards less per carry than No. 3 tailback Lennon Creer.
Foster has not scored a touchdown this year, while No. 2 tailback Montario Hardesty leads the team with four.
As a veteran, Foster been a part of a terrible season (2005), a remarkable one (2007) and one that could go either way (200.
His perspective on the current year would be a unique one.
Yet, it's been almost one month since Foster has spoken publicly, whether to defend his team or light a fire under teammates. Once the face of UT's offense at dozens of pre-season public functions, he has become an orange-clad Howard Hughes.
Before the self-imposed quarantine, Foster was widely applauded for returning for his senior season after passing up a stellar evaluation by the NFL Draft Advisory Board, which projected him as a second- or third-round pick. He could block, he could catch, he could bury his nose into a defensive line and pick up yardage.
His only knock, according to NFL scouts and general managers, was untimely fumbles.
• In 2005, Foster was a freshman and lost the ball at the goal line against South Carolina. The Gamecocks won 16-15.
• In 2006, Foster lost a fumble during the Outback Bowl and it was returned 88 yards by Penn State for the go-ahead score. The Nittany Lions went on to win 20-10.
• In 2007, Foster fumbled against South Carolina and the ball bounded 10 yards forward, but UT offensive lineman Jacques McClendon jumped on it. UT went on to win in overtime.
• This year, in the season opener at UCLA with UT leading 14-7 early in the second half, Foster took a carry from the 6-yard line and fumbled it away. The Bruins won in overtime.
Then things got worse.
Trend continues

Two weekends ago at Auburn, Foster fumbled a ball inside the Tigers' 5-yard line. It was recovered by Auburn in the endzone. The Tigers took a 14-6 lead and finished victorious.
Some blamed Crompton with the fumble, but the coaches said it was Foster's fault.
"It was on him," UT running backs Coach Stan Drayton said. "It was one of those base fundamental things that you do on a daily basis. You get hundreds and hundreds of exchanges from the quarterback to running back all the time."
Other options

The turnovers have led many to call for Hardesty, who UT offensive coordinator Dave Clawson calls his "hard-hat" guy.
Here's why: At Auburn two weeks ago, the junior refused to leave the field. He had just bashed heads with an Auburn defensive tackle and picked up some nice yardage.
"They were about to put in Lennon Creer, but I told them I wanted the ball and was going to score no matter what," Hardesty said. "They left me in there and I scored."
There were other options and Creer, a sophomore, was the main one. From the coaches' own comments, that puts Foster down the chart as UT's best true runner.
"Lennon gives us the best opportunity of a big play," Clawson said.
With Hardesty demanding the ball, and with Creer as the team's best big-play threat, Foster is in a weird spot. After the Northern Illinois game on Saturday when he rushed for 75 yards on 18 carries — and did not fumble — he was once again requested for interviews.
And once again, no one spoke Pterodactyl.
Reach Bryan Mullen at bmullen@tennessean.com or 865-712-4090.

[Stoney]

Georgia: A grateful farewell



By: David Paschall
(Contact)






http://media.timesfreepress.com/img/...8c10bd9c61 fe Staff File Photo by Angela Lewis -- The University of Tennessee at Knoxville's Montario Hardesty gains yards against Georgia defenders Akeem Dent, left, and Asher Allen in last year's game at Neyland Stadium. The Vols will play in Athens Saturday against the 10th-ranked Bulldogs.

Go, Duke!
It’s not the official cheer this week at Georgia as the No. 10 Bulldogs prepare for Saturday’s football game against visiting Tennessee, but it wouldn’t be that far-fetched. Tennessee’s 35-14 thumping of the Bulldogs last season in Knoxville marked the 10th straight time the Volunteers had defeated Georgia with David Cutcliffe on their offensive staff, and it followed a 51-33 beating in 2006.
Cutcliffe left after last season for the head-coaching vacancy at Duke and was replaced by Richmond head coach Dave Clawson.
“He was a really, really good coordinator for them,” Bulldogs cornerback Asher Allen said Monday night. “Hopefully, he’ll be doing some real good things over there at Duke. He obviously caused problems for us.”
Those are problems the Bulldogs are not revisiting this week. Georgia coach Mark Richt said his staff and players are studying “almost exclusively” the five games the Vols have played under Clawson.
By avoiding the horror films of the past two seasons, the Bulldogs will miss out on Tennessee taking a 28-0 lead a year ago after five possessions. The Vols amassed 279 yards in their first 30 plays, which translated to nearly a first down (9.3 yards) on every play.
Georgia never came close to sacking former Vols quarterback Erik Ainge, who wound up 3-0 as Tennessee’s starter against the Bulldogs.
“It was terrible,” Bulldogs defensive end Jeremy Lomax said. “It felt like we were hopeless out there, because we never got him out of his timing. He was either three-step dropping or he was five-step dropping with a quick release, and we didn’t feel like we provided any pressure. He just picked us apart.”
Ainge completed 42 of 60 passes (70 percent) his final two seasons against the Bulldogs, totaling 433 yards and two touchdowns. He led the Vols to 232 yards in the second half of the 2006 matchup in Athens, when they closed that game on a 37-9 run.
Tennessee allowed an NCAA-low four sacks last season but has already allowed seven this year. The Vols have trailed in four games and trailed the entire way in SEC games against Florida and Auburn, which Richt said makes a big difference.
“If you’re behind, you’ve got to throw the ball more, and you’re more vulnerable for the quarterback to be hit,” he said. “They’re still running a blend of what they’ve done in the past and a little bit of the spread, so you don’t expect them to hold the ball for very long at all, but everybody has to hold the ball a little longer when it’s third-and-6, -7, -8, -9 or -10. You put pressure on quarterbacks by stopping them on first and second down, or by getting a team behind.
“Tennessee has been in that situation enough to where people can kind of come get them.”
The Bulldogs are 13-point favorites Saturday but seem to be taking nothing for granted. Not after the past two seasons.
“They were only one play away from winning two of the games that they’ve lost, so we’re not dumb enough to think that this will be an easy game at all,” Allen said. “They’ve beaten us the last two years, and this is kind of like the situation last year, when they came out and really beat us. We’re going to get their best.”
Said Lomax: “It’s the same ol’ Tennessee. Run, run, run, and then a little pass off a three-step drop. It’s the same ‘T,’ and it’s the same orange.”
Odds and ends
The Bulldogs held their heaviest workout of the week Monday, practicing for more than two hours in full pads. ... Starting middle linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (knee) did not practice but still hopes to play. ... Allen wore a green noncontact jersey for what he described as nicks and bruises, but he expects to be back in red today. ... Georgia officials may know as early as today about television for the Oct. 18 home game against SEC East-leading Vanderbilt, but it won’t be known until Sunday if CBS uses a six-day option. ... Sophomore receiver Tony Wilson has undergone ankle surgery that could limit him next spring, but he should be at full strength by August.