Heck yes it’s scary. Tony’s been pounding the drum all week and with good reason. South Carolina will have the home field advantage, a raucous, hungry-for-success, oiled-up crowd, and Steve Spurrier’s success against Fulmer (and most everyone else) on their side. The Gameday crew will be there as well and you can bet Lee Corso will be eager to put on Cocky’s head and rev up the balck-clad throng further. So should the Big Orange even show up or simply take another week off and the “L” that goes with it? Not so fast my friends. The Vols will show up at Williams-Brice-Saint-Steve Stadium and they will do just fine thank you. Here are the reasons why:

THE VOLS ARE MORE TESTED
Tennessee has gone 6-1 versus teams whose cumulative records are 30-21. If you remove Marshall and Memphis the teams Tennessee has defeated are a combined 21-9. The Gamecocks on the other hand are yet to defeat a team with a winning record. Mississippi State, Wofford, Florida Atlantic, Kentucky and Vandy are closer to being half of the Bottom-10 than they are to Murderers Row. If you’re interested they are a combined 12-24.

THE VOLS ARE MORE BIG-GAME ENVIRONMENT READY
Night game on ESPN. The Gameday Crew standing on the sidelines. SEC-East positioning at stake. Which program would you say has more experience at this type of thing? Sometimes the spotlight is too bright for the home team.

THE GAMECOCKS PASS DEFENSE STATS ARE BLOATED
Tennessee can throw the football. A quick glance at the SEC stats suggests the Gamecocks can defend it. My contention is that their stats are misleading. Of the SEC teams that the Gamecocks have faced to date the only one in the upper-half of the SEC Passing Offense Rankings is Kentucky whose 244.1 (3rd in SEC) passing yards per game is 49 less than the Vols throw for. The others can’t throw a lick. Georgia (7th in SEC 187.1), Auburn (8th-182.2), Mississippi State (9th-176.2), and Vanderbilt (10th-160.9) aren’t exactly Texas Tech. Even at that Kentucky (+45) and Georgia (+2) ACTUALLY exceeded their seasonal averages when facing the Cocks and Auburn (-2) essentially met theirs. The Gamecocks bloated pass defense numbers are a product of holding a wretched Mississippi State team to 82 yards in the season opener where Michael Henig was injured. Want even more feel-good info? Fred Bennett is an outstanding Corner but he’s the only member of the Gamecock secondary that stands 6’0” tall. South Carolina is also a middle of the road SEC pressure team with 18 sacks. The Vols will throw early and often.

COMMON OPPONENT RESULTS
The only common opponent is Georgia. The Vols thumped the Dogs in Athens 51-33, while the Gamecocks lost at home 18-0. Believe me I know that week-to-week comparisons of College Football are mostly a waste of time but regardless of who was playing QB how does THAT Georgia team shut you out.

NEWTON IS A WEAPON BUT THE COCKS SIMPLY DON’T SCORE ENOUGH
The Gamecocks are 9th in the SEC in scoring offense. They average only 22.7 ppg and against a less-than-daunting schedule have scored 30 points or more only twice (45-Fla-Atlantic, 31-Vandy) The Vols on the other hand against what we’ve already seen is a much more challenging slate have failed to score 30 only twice.

So there you go Vol fans. Don’t let Spurrier’s years at Florida and his 06 success versus a dreadful Tennessee team ruin your week. This time he simply doesn’t have the horses to win the rodeo.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT HOOPS NOTES

SCRIMMAGE SETUP

Two sessions where the clock was set at 5 Minutes with the score tied 70-70. This simulated down the stretch play to prepare the players to execute with a sense of urgency.

The lineups in these two sessions were as follows:

ORANGE TEAM
1G-Marques Johnson
2G-Chris Lofton
WF-Tony Passley
PF-Dane Bradshaw
C-Wayne Chism

WHITE TEAM
1G-Ramar Smith
2G-Josh Tabb
WF-JuJuan Smith
PF-Ryan Childress
C-Duke Crews

RESULTS
White Team won both sessions 82-80 and 84-76

The third and fourth sessions were scholarship players versus non-scholarship players. 10 minutes each starting with a 60-60 score

1ST SESSION HIGHS AND LOWS

HIGHS:
-Ryan Childress was very noticeable with solid entry passes, solid defense and connecting on 2 of 3 treys
-Josh Tabb did the little things like getting in the passing lanes and passing to open teammates
-Crews challenged and deflected a potential game tying shot by Chism as the session ended.
-Tony Passley hit two FTs to bring the Orange within 2 points with 10 seconds left
-Chism got an in-traffic defensive rebound to give the Orange a last possession and a chance to tie the game
-Chris Lofton showed he will penetrate and look for a close in shot

LOWS
-Both Chism and Crews struggled to finish at the rack
-Neither Johnson or R. Smith got their teams into a rhythm

2nd SESSION HIGHS AND LOWS

HIGHS
-Dane Bradshaw had a nice penetration and finish
-Ramar Smith controlled his team much better than in the first session
-Josh Tabb defended so well that Lofton was a non-factor
-The White allowed almost no second shots for the orange
-Ryan Childress had a follow slam of a JaJuan Smith miss

LOWS
-Crews and Chism continued to struggle with finishing inside
-Orange team was taken out of it’s attack by the Whites defense and rebounding.
-Lofton’s disappearance

Now that’s what Tennessee and Alabama is all about. A clear, fresh, October afternoon with the colors of fall coming into focus that sees a hard-hitting, no-nonsense, closely contested football game between two traditional southern powers. I think the General and Bear would have approved.

This season has been a welcome reprieve from what most of this decade has been for Vol fans. This team is not as talented as many of it’s predecessors but it is entertaining, focused and resilient. It also continues to build drama and keep most if not all of its preseason goals attainable. Some more far-fetched than others but all remain a possibility. Here are my thoughts on the game:

THE GOOD:

ROBERT MEACHEM/BRETT SMITH
So this is why Oklahoma was so upset with Meachem’s last minute change of heart during the recruiting process. His routes, hands, and toughness after the catch have been a very pleasant surprise. Smith remains the silent assassin. Rarely is the spotlight on him but he continues to make big catch after big catch. With Swain’s ankle injury appearing to be lingering these two must continue to lead and perform.
(Meachem: 6 catches, 87yds; Smith 7-97)

RUN DEFENSE:
The Tide appeared to have fine-tuned their ground game with wins over Duke and Ole Miss. Kenneth Darby had put together consecutive 100 yard+ efforts after a slow start. Even in a down year the Tide was averaging almost 150 ypg (148.7). Saturday the Vol front totally took Darby out of the game plan limiting the talented Senior to 30 yards on 14 carries for a paltry 1.9ypc. Jimmy Johns was a far more effective rusher with 37 yards on only 3 carries. Bama was stoned for only 58 yards net on the ground and a 1.8ypc average.

ARIAN FOSTER STEPPING UP:
There is probably not a top-notch SEC back in the Vols stable but they all seem to step up and give the Orange a workman-like effort when it’s their turn. Saturday due to injury and coaches decision LaMarcus Coker had only 5 carries for 12 yards. In his absence Foster rushed 11 times (40yds) and scored the Vols only Touchdown. He also was a reliable target for Erik Ainge catching 5 passes for 42 yards.

JEROD MAYO:
Jerod was noticeable from the start and especially at the very end. He had 12 tackles, 2 tfl and 1 huge sack that saw the clock tick to 000 as his teammates celebrated.

THE BAD:

ERIK AINGE’ ACCURACY:
Ainge was wild in the strike zone and out most of the day. His 28 completions included a number that receivers reached behind or above themselves to pluck from the air. One of his overthrows was picked and he’s lucky there weren’t several others.

RUN BLOCKING:
Yes Bama changed their defensive approach but this line must become better at creating lanes for the Vols serviceable running back corps. The Tide was giving up 120 yards rushing/game yet the Vols could only muster 64 on 21 attempts for an unacceptable 2.7ypc.

ICING OUR OWN KICKER:
Due to not having enough men on the field for our first FG attempt we were forced to call a timeout which in effect iced our own kicker. We also gave CBS an opportunity to walk their Red Hat onto the field which turned James Wilhoit into a glacier. After both of those ridiculous incidents we should have run our offense back onto the field and gone for the first down.

OPEN DATE RUST:
A mid-season open date is much better than an early season one but we were obviously not as sharp as we had been in the preceding weeks. For the first time all season our offense was self-destructive on many drives.

SEC OFFICIALS CONFERENCES
Does EVERY call require a summit? Apparently so when you’re dealing with SEC officials. They get in more huddles than the teams do.

THE UGLY

BALL SECURITY:
The Vols surrendered 3 interceptions and fumbled twice though recovering both. The defense was up to the task but another -3 turnover margin will almost certainly result in defeat.

SUBSTITUTION PENALTY WHEN WERE TRYING TO RUN OUT THE FLIPPIN CLOCK:
I lost it in the stands. We’re in a position to make the ridiculous new timing rules work in our favor and we essentially give them an additional timeout due to our stupidity. It gave them at least 20 extra seconds for their last possession and we’re fortunate it didn’t cost us a win in regulation.

CBS:
“Hey YOU in the red hat. GET THE HELL OFF THE FIELD”

THE BEAUTIFUL:

DEFENSE GETTING OFF THE FIELD:
This is an area where John Chavis’ excellent defensive units have sometimes struggled. Not Saturday. The Chief’s troops disrupted Bama’s offense to the tune of 3 of 15 in 3rd down conversions including the last 9 in a row. Great job guys, YOU won this game.

ERIK AINGE’ HUSTLE:
Fans and teammates alike will remember his resilience and hustle after his worst throw of the game for years to come. His sprint down the field to prevent Simeon Castille from scoring with an interception is another memorable play in a classic rivalry. If he wasn’t already Ainge is definitely a team leader now.

SAAAACKS:
God bless you Antonio Reynolds and Jerod Mayo. We had only one sack on the day but you guys came up with what all of us wearing Orange were praying for.

SPECIAL TEAMS BEING SPECIAL FOR ONE DAY:
-Jonathan Hefney with 6 punt returns for 104 yards and a 17.3 yard average which betters our season average by 10ypr
-James Wilhoit going 4-5 on FGs and banging 4 of 5 kickoffs for touchbacks
-Britton Colquitt averaging 47 yards/punt
-Holding Alabama to 6.3 yards/punt return and 19 yards/kickoff return
Dang right I’ll take that every Saturday

WEATHER:
An absolutely gorgeous fall Saturday that old-time Vol fans like myself would have you believe always occur on the Third Saturday In October.

BEATING BAMA:
I NEVER tire of it. We’ve now won 10 of the last 12 and evened the series in Knoxville. Let us NEVER fail to appreciate anytime “Rammer Jammer” is not played when the clock runs out. Now let’s win the next six and even the series regardless of where it’s played.

Come and see us Monday at Quaker Steak and Lube and let’s celebrate beating the Tide while preparing for the Evil Genius.

It seems as if sanity has returned to the tradition-laden Tennessee-Alabama rivalry. That is a good thing. What for years had been the classiest battle in the south had deteriorated into a WWF-like loser leave town match where the off-field nonsense made the game itself almost insignificant. Be it Alabama’s blatant disregard for NCAA regulations, Phillip Fulmer’s obsession and across the line involvement in the investigation, Tommy Gallion’s insane showboating, demented fans from both sides and their chat site vitriol, Bama fans being lousy losers and Tennessee fans being lousy winners. I don’t care what or who was to blame I am elated that this week has evoked only conversation about the classic itself. Speaking of which here are my Third Saturday in October (and occasionally the 4th Saturday) memories:

FAVORITE GAME:
1982 TENNESSEE 35 ALABAMA 28
Chuck Coleman ran for 139 yards 34 of which came on a late TD run that gave the Vols a 35-21 lead that they would not relinquish. Mike Miller and Willie Gault caught TD passes thrown by Alan Cockrell and Lee Jenkins deflected two consecutive passes to the end zone by Walter Lewis the last of which was intercepted by Mike Terry with 17 seconds on the clock. FINALLY eleven years of misery had come to an end

LEAST FAVORITE GAME
1990 ALABAMA 9 TENNESSEE 6
The Vols seemingly spent the entire game in Bama territory with almost nothing to show for it. Alabama was showing signs of what a great defense they would become a mere two season’s later but the Vols loaded arsenal simply misfired on this dreadful day. With the Vols attempting to convert a late field goal and salvage a win against the 11 point underdog Tide Defensive Back Stacy Harrison burst through and blocked the ball which came off either his hand or head farther than either team had advanced the ball in a single play all day. The ball bounded toward the North End Zone far enough for Phillip Doyle to trot onto the field and break everyone wearing orange’ hearts.

FAVORITE PLAY
JOHNNY JONES RUN IN 1983
Johnny Jones from Mumford Tennessee is one of my all-time favorite Vols. He was the first 1000 yard/season rusher in Vol history and he endeared himself forever with his 66 yard jaunt with a Cockrell pitch that put Tennessee ahead to stay in a wild 41-34 victory.

LEAST FAVORITE PLAY
SIMPLY CALL IT TOSS 28. Bobby Humphrey ran it, and ran it, and ran it, 217 yards worth in 1986. I got so tired of seeing it that I put my head in my hands and upon looking up realized all my buddies had departed the seats AND MY WIFE HAD LEFT WITH THEM.

FAVORITE ALL-TIME ALABAMA PLAYER
JOHNNY MUSSO: He played with such heart and determination there was no way to do anything but respect his ability. He is the 4th leading All-Time Rusher in Alabama history with 2741 yards. He played from 1969-71 and like Condredge Holloway his jersey always seemed to be torn to shreds with more pads than jersey showing.

FUNNIEST LEGION FIELD STORY:
My brother and I were sitting in lawn chairs by the car watching a youngster across the street park cars in a fenced in yard. He had a red towel that he was expertly popping to direct vehicles into the available spots. I left to go into the stadium early and when my brother arrived at the seats he was delirious with laughter. He told me that as soon as the last available space was taken up in the yard the young man took off like Carl Lewis on his best day with the cash he had charged the fans. A few minutes later a cab pulled up and a large woman got out. She surveyed the yard for a second then exploded into a profanity-laced tirade which ended in “I’ll be @$%^&*$ that little #$%*&^ has parked my yard full of cars again!

Now THAT is what this rivalry is all about.

Here are this week's game notes:

ALABAMA GAMEDAY NOTES
ALABAMA 5-2, 2-2; Tennessee 5-1; 1-1
Series Record 44-37-7 Bama @Knox20-19-1-Bama Fulmer/Bama 10-3
OFFENSE:
-So QB John Parker Wilson has completed 118-197 (.599) passes for 1579yds with 11 TDs and 5 INTs. He has thrown for 200 yds or more in all 7 games
-Jr WRs Keith Brown and DJ Hall have combined for 1116 yards receiving in 06
-Brown’s 7 career TD passes have averaged 41.7 yards/play
-Brown leads Bama with 37 catches and 513 yds (13.9 ypc)
-Hall leads Bama with 5 TD receptions which have averaged 39 yards in length
-Bama leads the SEC and is 3rd in the Nation in TOP (33:48)
-SR RB Kenneth Darby is the 3rd leading All-Time for Bama (3075 yds/12 TDs)
-Darby is the only Division 1A player with 100 or more rushing attempts without a TD

DEFENSE:
So DB Lionel Mitchell has 3 INTs for 101 yds
JR CB Simeon Castille also has 3 INTs
-The Tide is 4th nationally with 17 forced turnovers
-Sr Juwan Simpson is the Tide’s lone returning starter at LB (after losing Freddie Roach and DeMeco Ryans-579 career tackles). He has 41 tack and 3 TFL

SPECIAL TEAMS:
-Jr PK Jamie Christensen has been hampered by a pulled glut muscle. He is 21-32 (.656) on FGs in his career
-RFr P P.J Fitzgerald has punted 20 times for a 38.5 yard avg

THIS AND THAT:
-Vols have won 9 of the last 11 meetings
-Mike Shula is 1-2 vs Tenn as a Coach and was 1-2 vs Tenn as a QB (84-86)
-Tennessee/Bama is the longest running series in the UA record book in it’s 76th consecutive year (Aub, Miss St 58)
-Bama is 5-10 on the road under Shula including 0-2 this season

STATS OF INTEREST
BAMA ADVANTAGE
Rushing Yards 148.7-130 ypg

VOLS ADVANTAGE
Scoring 35.2-24.4 ppg
Passing Yards 291.5-227.7 ypg
Penalties Against27/205-45/305
Punting Average 47.2-38.3ypp
3rd Down Conv44/74- 59%48/102-47%
Sacks By 11 (-72)6 (-43)