[Lefty Noob]

No quarterback controversy for the Tennessee Volunteers this year; Rick Claussen is gone and its all up to junior Erik Ainge in 2006. Ainge completed 66 of 145 pass attempts for 737 yards, 5 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in 2005. David Cutcliffe returns as the offensive coordinator hoping to revitalize the SEC's 10th ranked offense from a year ago. Under his tutilege, can Ainge become a solid, or at lease decent, signalcaller?

[KENVOL]

You Betca. I think Tenneessee is a team to be in contention this year.

[retUTalum]

I mentioned in a thread earlier that I think that Ainge had the potential to be a star or a least it seemed so his freshman year and I think his last year was plagued by the rotating system that everyone agrees is not a very good idea. I remember watching what a powerful and unbelievably accurate arm he had (freshman year) and thinking UT was going to be set for a while.
If he can hold his focus and mentally stay in the game I think that he will do really good.

[rmjvol]

I read today that Ainge is still keeping in touch with Randy Sanders. I guess that's not a surprise seeing as Ainge was probably closer to Sanders than anybody else.

Ainge said Cutcliffe is way more intense than Sanders. He's getting schooled in confidence from Coach Cut for both on field and off field.

All in all, it sounds like Aigne is on track to be what we all expected him to be after his great freshman year. So maybe we do have some things to look forward to this football season

[fulmersbelly]

Without trying to sound too much like a spoil sport (because I do hope that Ainge is the guy that we all hoped he would be), but say, we lose to Cal, beat Air Force, lose to Florida, beat Marshall and Memphis (not convincingly... maybe even lose to Memphis) and lose to Georgia...
You don't think fans would be SCREAMING for Crompton to be put in the game? Then you have the same situation with Ainge not being able to compete, and him transferring to Oregon where he can play in front of "loud" fans.

Like I said, not to be a spoil-sport, and not to mention that I just listed half of the schedule at which point there should be a pretty good idea of the direction the team is going.

[KENVOL]

Well, wouldn't that happen at any school in the country? If the team is doing bad then any fan will be yelling for a change.

[Lefty Noob]

Did you guys hear where Chris Fowler of ESPN Gameday today said that, one way or another, Ainge would be the game-changing performer against Cal today? I'm not a Vols fan, so I don't know how you guys feel about it, but I sure wouldn't want to put my team's fate in his hands. Too inconsistent.

[Lefty Noob]

Erik Ainge: 11-for-18, 291 yds, 4 TDs, 1 INT

Shut my mouth. Ainge had a damn fine game for you guys in a big win.

So to what do you Tennessee fans attribute his turnaround?

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Erik Ainge: 11-for-18, 291 yds, 4 TDs, 1 INT

Shut my mouth. Ainge had a damn fine game for you guys in a big win.

So to what do you Tennessee fans attribute his turnaround?

Big, big game...but where was Cal and their Heisman candiate of a halfback? Lynch got all of 75 yards on the ground.

[rmjvol]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

So to what do you Tennessee fans attribute his turnaround?

Another year of maturity plus Coach Cutcliff. Ainge has a lot of talent, maybe not as much as the Manning kids but he's definitely got enough talent to take the Vols a long way.

I'm up in the clouds after this HUGE win!!

[RJGOVOLS]

Ainge looked good today but at times iffy. But the big difference well really many big plays in the first three quarters. Those recievers #3 &#1 caught some passes and made the Cal D#### pay for it after the catch also that run by Hardesay (spelled wrong) was great when he broke away from those tackels. That was pretty real pretty just like the old days. Ainge and the team seemed to have a different look than last year I mean they came to play and win and run and catch and pass and kick all day long. Did I say the D#### palyed as if they wanted to tell the SEC and the nation we're and you better be ready when you play in our house this year. Anyway fun to start the year off with this win and I get to go to work and brag all year to the bear fans here. I still can't wait till next year when i'll get to see the game in person instead of just on tv. Well next week Air Force and looking to our next win.RJGOVOLS

[tvolsfan]

Ainge looked great. Had he played the whole game, he would have easilly had 350 yards passing. the rushing was great too.

[BaltimoreVol]

I don't think Ainge played that great. The receivers did all the work. Basically Cal said, "We're going to try and stop the run and single cover the receivers to make Ainge beat us". If Meacham is tackled as soon as he catches those passes, Ainge's stats wouldn’t look so great.

One thing I did like was the first pass to Meacham on the first offensive play. He threw it behind him. It looked like an under throw, but I think it was done on purpose. I think previously Ainge tried to be too perfect, which would mostly result in an overthrow. If you under throw at least you give your receivers a chance. This is how Brady Quinn and Samardja killed us last year.

Ainge does seem to be telegraphing his passes a bit too much. He stares his receivers down. Sooner or later its going to be six the other way.

I was pleased with the first game, and I think it is a great first step, but I think its crazy how everyone is drooling all over him like he is a Heisman contender.

[rmjvol]

Originally Posted by BaltimoreVol

I don't think Ainge played that great. The receivers did all the work. Basically Cal said, "We're going to try and stop the run and single cover the receivers to make Ainge beat us". If Meacham is tackled as soon as he catches those passes, Ainge's stats wouldn’t look so great.

One thing I did like was the first pass to Meacham on the first offensive play. He threw it behind him. It looked like an under throw, but I think it was done on purpose. I think previously Ainge tried to be too perfect, which would mostly result in an overthrow. If you under throw at least you give your receivers a chance. This is how Brady Quinn and Samardja killed us last year.

Ainge does seem to be telegraphing his passes a bit too much. He stares his receivers down. Sooner or later its going to be six the other way.

I was pleased with the first game, and I think it is a great first step, but I think its crazy how everyone is drooling all over him like he is a Heisman contender.

Hi BaltimoreVol, welcome to GoTeamsGo

If he strings 5-6 games in a row like the Cal game, I'll be ready to talk some Heisman hype. But for now, I'm with you. He had 1 game with great stats & no 2005-ish bonehead plays.

But it's a huge thing to get a season opening win over a top 10 opponent. Even if Cal drops way down, it shows that the Vols weren't intimidated by the pregame hype.

Look forward to chatting with you.

[OrangeFuzzyVols]

I agree with both of you about Ainge. ‘The proofs in the pudding.’
I watched his eyes during that Cal game and there is a definite difference in his confidence tho. He’s probably not quite as good as his stats would suggest, but he is a greatly improved QB. I know the receivers made some plays but the biggest difference from last season was that Ainge didn’t beat us. He looked good and I’m totally behind him. Before that first game, I wouldn’t have said that.