"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.
We have been here before. Eric Ainge is hurt! Will he play? Or will Jonathan Crompton lead the Volunteers? While it is certain Tennessee Football Coach Phillip Fulmer did not ask for this situation, it is just as certain that he is not going to show his entire hand to the California Golden Bear coaching staff either.
Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer said Wednesday he expects his senior quarterback to play in Saturday’s opener at California, despite the latest news that Erik Ainge has a broken little finger on his throwing hand.
“He is going to play,” Fulmer said of Ainge. “He has thrown and it looks like he’s going to be able to throw just fine. I appreciate him showing the toughness to get himself back out there.”
Fulmer faced a similar situation last year when Ainge was injured late in an Oct. 28 win at South Carolina. Ainge started the next week against LSU, but Jonathan Crompton played most of the way in Tennessee’s last-season loss to the Tigers.
“If it doesn’t work out great, then obviously Jonathan will have to be ready,” Fulmer said. “I have the utmost confidence in Jonathan getting the job done. We have said all along we’re going out there to win this football game as a team, and that’s exactly what we’re going to try to do.”
Crompton, a junior, has one career start in seven appearances. He has completed 47-percent of his career passes (31-of-66) for 401 yards. The Waynesville, N.C., product passed for 183 yards last year in the LSU game, then followed that with a 174-yard effort in his start at Arkansas. Crompton had two TDs and one interception in each of those games.
After plummeting to a 5-6 season in 2005, Tennessee's 9-4 record in 2006 appears to put the program back on the right track. As far as the Vols are concerned, though, they aren't moving nearly fast enough to suit their own goals.
I am not sure Vol fans are convinced. We need to see another year at least to be sure. We last won the SEC east in 2004. Vol fans want to compete for that every year. I think the jury is still out on whether or not coach Phil Fulmer can restore this program to the preeminece he had it operating at from 1998 through 2002.
"Our best game was Cal (the season opener), and we haven't played like that since then," linebacker Ryan Karl told The Tennessean. "We've just got to be able to put those pieces together and play like that every game."
A 9-4 season meets or exceeds the expectations at most Division I-A programs but not at Tennessee. That's particularly true when two of those losses came at home to Florida and LSU. Add a road loss to Arkansas and all three regular-season losses came to teams that entered the bowl season ranked in the top 11. The fourth and final loss came in a disappointing performance in a 20-10 Outback Bowl loss to unranked Penn State. Tennessee has won just two bowl games since winning national championship in 1998.
Again I offer this as evidence that coach Phil Fulmer uses bowls more as winter practice than a game fans want to see the Vols win. I know it sounds like sour grapes. And I know Phil will never admit it. But he is trying to save his lucrative job. And Championships have more to do with that than bowl wins given bowl losses are quickly forgotten being they happen at the end of the year.
Offensively, the Vols became a better passing team in 2006, due in part to the return of offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe and the growth of quarterback Erik Ainge, but the running game rarely produced on a consistent basis. Three turnovers, including Ainge's critical third-quarter interception, kept the Vols from climbing out of their hole against Penn State. "Erik made a couple of really undisciplined plays, to be honest with you," Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. "Again, they're young and learning and not professionals, and even professionals make mistakes." The defense allowed 183 rushing yards and 197 passing yards without forcing any turnover, prompting defensive coordinator John Chavis to vow offseason changes.
Tennessee entered the season replacing six of the seven starters on the defensive line and at linebacker. Particularly, the challenge has been up front.
Phil Fulmer was asked during Thursday's Outback Bowl Joint Press Conference about the Volunteer defensive woes. His response?
"We've got a ton of issues and problems particularly defensively. We haven't played at the level defensively this year as we have in the past. We have great concern going into this game with their running game and being able to stop that. We have not really played particularly well since California and Alabama. We have not been ourselves on defense this year at all."
Tennessee gave up 281 yards rushing to Air Force in a one point victory and 231 yards to LSU in a four point loss. Ryan Williams of Air Force rushed for 99 yards against the Vols while JeMarcus Russel of LSU ran for 82.
If this is true then I know where I want to see Jon Gruden next. I want to see him and his wife back in Knoxville, Tennessee. I want him coaching the Volunteers and I want him to bring his brother with him.
Phil Fulmer has had an excellent run and won us a national championship on the hill in 1998. But that was 8 years ago. He can only thank Florida and LSU for getting into the BCS games this year and keeping him out of the Peach, (oops, I'm sorry, Chil-Fil-A) bowl again. Lets face it January dates in Atlanta, Atlanta, Dallas, Knoxville and Tampa over the last five years do not cut it in Big Orange Country. We want, no we expect, no we demand dates in Pasadena, Phoenix, New Orleans, Miami or Orlando.
TAMPA, Fla. (Dec. 11, 2006)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden insists he's not concerned about the possibility that missing the playoffs for the third time in four seasons could cost him his job. The Bucs (3-10) officially were eliminated from postseason contention Dec. 10 after a 17-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. They've lost six of their past seven games and haven't scored a touchdown in the past 11 quarters. "I don't worry about about those things. I really don't," Gruden said, adding that he has confidence that the sons of owner Malcolm Glazer "will do what's right for Tampa, and that's all I care about."
Tampa Bay went 12-4 and won the Super Bowl in its first season under Gruden. The Bucs won the division and made the playoffs at 11-5 in 2005. The Glazers were not available for comment. Gruden, who has two years remaining on his contract, said the owners have been "supportive of me and my staff." "I don't ever speak for them. ... I'm not going to address any speculation. That'll be a decision that they make."
AP NEWS The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
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