Jan. 1, 2008 Tampa, Fla. - Raymond James Stadium - ESPN - 11 a.m. EST
Tennessee and Wisconsin are renewing football ties for the first time in 26 years when the 2008 Outback Bowl kicks off New Year’s Day in Tampa, Fla.
“We’re thrilled to have the Volunteers (winners of the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division and owners of a 9-4 record this season) back in our Outback Bowl,” said Jim McVay, Outback Bowl President/CEO. “We think we have a classic matchup with a Wisconsin Badgers team at 9-3 (that finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference this season)."
“We’re excited to be playing an outstanding football team like Wisconsin,” said Tennessee (Head Coach Philip) Fulmer, who now in his 16th season owns a 146-45 overall record. “We’re excited about going back to Tampa."
“We are excited about the opportunity to play Tennessee,” (Wisconsin Head Coach Bret) Bielema said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us but it should be a classic Big Ten-SEC matchup."
Tennessee was the only SEC team to finish undefeated at home this season, going 7-0, but the Badgers matched that record at Camp Randall Stadium when they defeated Michigan 37-21 on Nov. 10.
Tennessee and Wisconsin have met just once previously on the gridiron, and that matchup was also of the bowl variety. The Volunteers defeated the Badgers 28-21 in the Garden State Bowl in East Rutherford, N.J., on Dec. 13, 1981.
Tennessee landed three players on the 2007 Coaches All-SEC first team. Left guard Anthony Parker made the first-team offensive line, while middle linebacker Jerod Mayo was among the top linebackers named and free safety Jonathan Hefney was a member of the first-team secondary unit.
Four Wisconsin football players earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. TE Travis Beckum and DB Jack Ikeqwuono were both consensus first-team selections, while C Marcus Coleman was a first-team choice of the media and kicker Taylor Mehlhaff was a first-team selection by the league’s coaches.
Wisconsin is bolstered by good news.
Beckum said Thursday that he has decided to return to the Badgers for his senior season.
“Playing at Wisconsin in front of the greatest fans in college football is something I want to continue doing for one more year,” said Beckum, a junior and finalist for the 2007 John Mackey Award. “I looked into my options and found the best one is right here with this university. I’m enjoying being a Badger and can’t wait for our bowl game in Tampa, as well as for next season. I’m glad this decision is behind me and I’m looking forward to another year at Camp Randall.”
Meanwhile, Tennessee is suffering from coaches leaving the program.
Offensive Coordinator David Cutcliffe has been named Duke’s next head football coach. The whirlwind courtship began with a Tuesday phone call, a Wednesday interview on the Durham, N.C., campus and two days of negotiations and decision-making, Cutcliffe said he expects only minimal distractions leading up to the Vols’ Jan. 1 Outback Bowl date with Wisconsin.
Assistant head coach for player development and wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor has accepted the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach position at Oklahoma State University. Taylor is also expected to coach at Tennessee through the Outback Bowl.
Does Wisconsin have the mo? Is it bad karma for Tennessee? Does it matter when a football game kicks off at 11:00 a.m. Eastern? Are any football players actually awake that early in the morning? Oh well, wake up on the 1st, grab a Big Orange juice, add Vodka if necessary (you Badgers may want a Bloody Mary instead) and set up camp for an entire day of New Year's Day College Football bowl games.
"Jonathan Zenon scored on an 18-yard interception return with 9:54 left to put LSU (11-2) ahead, then Darry Beckwith picked off another pass by Erik Ainge deep in Tigers territory to seal it."
Yes, that was the bottom line.
Ainge played like a poised senior until his final few throws, when he tossed the ball to the wrong team. Zenon stepped in front of a receiver making a square-in and had an easy romp to the end zone.
"I shouldn't have thrown it," Ainge said.
However, I went to http://www.govolsxtra.com/ for a little consolation from Vol fans and was disappointed to read so many comments bashing and hating on Ainge. Some criticism is fair enough but blaming a loss completely on a quarterback, at any level, reveals only a lack of general football knowledge. Sad to see. Sometimes I am ashamed to be a native Tennessean and Vol fan. But, hey, there always were plenty of #### to go around.
I also can't believe the continuous Philip Fulmer hating when he had us only a few plays away from the first SEC Championship in nine years. And it's not like we didn't play for that championship in 2001 and 2004 as well. We have won the East Division three of the last seven years. That's something to be proud of, not something to fire a coach over. I can handle winning the East every three years with Florida and Georgia in our division.
And so many people bashing Jonathan Hefney? That one I really don't get.
When a four loss Vol team beats the two teams that beat the two loss SEC champion Tigers that are going to play in the National Championship Game, in this age of such tight parity that the number one and two teams in the BCS lose on each of the the last two weekends of the season, said behavior is simply not merited.
The Tennessee Volunteers (6-3, 3-2 SEC) can point to the stretch run of Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, knowing a sweep puts them in the SEC championship game on Dec. 1.
It's a good time to see an experienced fifth year senior return to the field.
Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer said Vol fans should look for tight end Brad Cottam to hit the playing field Saturday. The Germantown, Tennessee senior injured his wrist in a preseason scrimmage. Cottamwas expected to team with fellow senior Chris Brown as anchors for the Tennessee passing game, which was dealing with the loss of all three starting wide receivers from 2006..
“We’re playing for a championship here over the next several weeks. Brad was ready and we were ready and he’s had his wrist re-evaluated. We’re glad to have him back. He wants to play now,” Fulmer said after Wednesday’s workout at Haslam Field. "We’re trying to get ready to play a really fine Arkansas team.”
Having Cottam back just might be the extra weapon Eric Ainge needs to keep the Razorbacks on their heels.
The Tennessee Volunteers control their own destiny in the SEC East with a large hill to climb this weekend against Heisman Trophy candidate Darren McFadden and his Arkansas Razorbacks. Last year Arkansas defeated the Vols 31-14 in Fayetteville, with the highly touted McFadden rushing for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns thus proving his meddle. Jonathan Crompton played the entire game at quarterback for UT, as Erik Ainge sat out the contest with an ankle injury suffered two weeks before at South Carolina.
You can't convince me that Tennessee has fixed their problem and will be able to stop McFadden or the Hawgs passing game. I just don't feel it in my heart. So can Arkansas stop Tennessee? That will be the question that decides the game.
Arian Foster
“Getting back into the conference is a big deal,” Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer said. “We prepared well last week, worked a lot on fundamentals, and it showed. Hopefully, it will carry over into this football game with Arkansas.” “Our team knows that every week is a challenge. We’re certainly capable of meeting the challenge, but we’ve got to have ourselves centered. We’ve done a good job of that the last couple of weeks.
Daniel Lincoln kicked a game-tying 48-yard field goal with 5 seconds left, then provided the only points in overtime, and Tennessee recovered after blowing a big lead to beat No. 15 South Carolina 27-24 Saturday night October 27th. The Volunteers' 59-7 victory against Louisiana-Lafayette last Saturday was their most lopsided in seven years.
Against South Carolina Tennessee gained only 70 yards in the second half. South Carolina outgained Tennessee 501-317 and held the ball for more than 36 minutes. Cory Boyd finished with 20 carries for 160 yards.
Against Louisiana Lafayette (Southwest Louisiana State to Old Timers) Tennessee showcased a season-high 273-yard running game. Arian Foster finished with 100 yards on 20 carries, propelling him just past the 2,000-yard career mark. Lennon Creer finished with 109 yards on seven carries.
"South Carolina scored 21 (in the second half) last week," Foster said. "And when Louisiana-Lafayette scored to start the second half, we said it won't happen again."
Well Arian, the Rajin' Cajuns weren't exactly the Gamecocks. The question is are you ready for Arkansas? I must admit, Darren McFadden is scaring the #### outta me.
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Arian Foster
