Sportaholic College Football Preview: Tennessee Volunteers

College Football is just around the corner with the first games scheduled on September 1. So with that in mind, we here at the Sportaholic.com figured it was about time to rev up the college football machine and review some local team in our area. With our expanded roster, we now can cover teams from all over the nation but we will start with our home teams. Each week leading up to the season we will have capsules on the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, and Tennessee State University. We will follow those teams with some of the national powers as well, just to make sure we cover all of our bases.

To start things off, we will ask just a few basic questions on each team as: Offense, Defense, What are their strengths, What are their weaknesses, Who will be their impact player and What do you project as their season outlook just to name a few. We love college athletics here at the Sportaholic and this just one of many college football posts we have awaiting our viewers this season. So sit back and relax as we here at the Sportaholic preview some of your favorite teams from all over the nation.

University of Tennessee

By Carlos Paige

1. Offense - Tennessee’s offense will revolve around sophomore stud Tyler Bray as he looks to build off an impressive freshman campaign. Bray was 125 of 224 while throwing for 1,849 yards and 18 touchdowns last year. He won SEC freshmen of the week honors three of the four weeks he started last season as well, throwing for more than 300 yards in four games. So you can see why UT fans are antsy to see what Bray can do in a full season of work. Coach Derek Dooley just wants to see more consistency from his QB. The Vols also return 1,000 yard rusher Taurean Poole, who gained those yards running under a inexperienced offensive line. The line should be much improved after a year of experience under their belt, especially young players like Ju'Wuan James, Zach Fulton and James Stone, who all started as true freshman at one point or another last season. Look for sophomore Raijon Neal to take the load off Poole as he did last year and is a good second option for the Vols. 4-star incoming Freshman Marlin Lane has also received a lot praise this spring, as some have even compared him to former UT great Jamal Lewis, so expect for him to steal a few carries from Poole and Neal as well. The receiving core took a couple of big losses in Gerald Jones and Denairus Moore but it opens the door for two talented sophomores in Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers. Both showed flashes of becoming the next great at the school formally known as Wide Receiver U. Hunter is a just a freakish athlete who made multiple spectacular catches and averaged an unheard of 25.9 his freshman year. Rogers, who was more heralded than Hunter coming out of high school, has NFL size and measurables already and made his mark on the offense last year with his versatility. When you add incoming 4-star recruit DeAnthony Arnett in the mix and possibly at the slot receiver, than you have the makings of an explosive effense.

2. Defense – It was tough to watch sometimes for the Vols defense last year, as they lacked the physical bruisers on the interior of the defensive line that you need when you play in the ultra physical SEC. As a result, they allowed 25.1 ppg and 382.2 total ypg in 2010, in other words this was a bad defense. They still face that problem this year as DT Malik Jackson is the only proven big man for the Vols, but they did snag the 2nd rated JUCO defensive tackle in the nation with Maurice Couch. A lot will be riding of the contributions of Couch and converted offensive linemen Daniel Thomas as Tennessee’s much maligned defensive front tries to raise its level of play from last year. The ends will be anchored by Jacques Smith, Willie Bohannon and Marlon Walls who all have experience but will receive expansive time at the position. The linebacker core took a big loss as Junior Herman Lathers suffered an ankle injury that will sideline for a few weeks. He was the teams most experienced player at that position, recording 75 tackles last year. In Lathers absence, seniors Daryl Vereen and Austin Johnson will finally get their shots at starting. They will most likely be joined by one of the two impressive freshman coming into the fray, A.J Johnson and Curt Magiit. The coaches have raved about Magiit as he has wowed everyone in spring practice. He has been exceptional in playing either from the 2.0 stance or the 3.0 and could serve as the all important edge rusher for the Vols. He could also provide depth for the defensive line. The most impressive unit for the Vols has to be the secondary. After a tumultuous off-season, Janzen Jackson returned to bolster an already strong unit. When you couple Jackson with, sophomore Brent Brewer and Prentiss Wagoner at the safety positions then you can see why it should be one the better secondary’s in all of the country. Dooley also recruited well in that department as he landed speedster Justin Coleman and former USC player and transfer Byron Moore. Both of them should push incumbents Marsalis Teague and Eric Gordon for playing time. If the defensive front can at least hold their own, then this could be a surprisingly good defensive unit.

3. What are the team’s strengths? It has to be their athleticism at wideout with Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers. These two will be beasts as they have the size and speed to create problems all over the field. Tyler Bray has a gunslinger mentality so they will have plenty of opportunities. You also can’t forget incoming freshman DeAnthony Arnett at the slot position as his speed will offer a counter to the size of the outside receivers. The Vols will be able to create multiple mismatches with these guys and if they face an inferior secondary then you can forget about it, as Big Orange should put up huge numbers on them.

4. Who are the team impact players? Tyler Bray and Malik Jackson. Both players are the leaders on their respective sides of the ball for the Vols. A lot is expected from Bray after his sensational freshman campaign. And to be realistic he has to be even better than he was last year when there wasn’t any film on him besides his high school days to study. Bray has the chance to follow in the footsteps of the great Peyton Manning as he has all the tools to become that good. His learning curve and ability to lead this team could be the difference in a 6-6 year or a 8-4 year. Malik Jackson is the lone starter on a defensive line that was mediocre at best. The USC transfer produced the most for the Vols recording 5 sacks and 19 tackles as he was named to the AP All-SEC Second Team. He has to be the leader for that unit as they hope to improve to at least average this year in the SEC.

5. What is the team weakness? It has to be the defensive line. The Vols ranked ninth out of twelve teams in the SEC in total defense last year, they were 60th in the nation with 26.0 sacks, and 60th again in the nation in rushing defense. Those numbers will not cut it for a winning club. The Vols as we all know have their problems up front and its difficult to fathom a team that has had greats like Reggie White and Albert Haynesworth (At least while he was in college) now having trouble landing the big time recruits for big men. Hopefully junior college transfer Maurice Couch can provide any type of contribution to Malik Jackson and that would help improve this unit's performance from last year.

6. Season projection and predicted record: I have seen some projections that the Vols will finish second to last in the SEC East and some actually have them winning the East. I say it’s somewhere in-between with this current version of the Vols. I believe this team is good enough to win 8 games this year. It will all depend on how they play early and especially what they do in their first real test of the season versus Florida. If they go out and defeat the Gators, then the season could gain momentum and be a good one. The Vols could be 4-0 entering October, but thats when the real meat and potatoes of the schedule hits Rocky Top. The Vols have one of the toughest stretches for any team in college football as they face Georgia, LSU, Alabama, and South Carolina in consecutive weeks in the month of October. That tough spell will truly test the Vols will. If they could win at least 1 or 2 of those games and finish strong in November as they always do, then they could be on their way to a New Year’s Day bowl game. Realistically, I see the Vols winning 7 games, which will be just the next stepping stone in the rebuilding of the program under Derek Dooley.

Can James Franklin change Vanderbilt from lovable losers to contenders?

Franklin's relentless energy has been contagious for the Commodores

When someone mentions the Vanderbilt football program, It’s difficult for me not to go into a chuckle. I honestly have to stop myself from bursting into full blown hardy laughter because the Vandy program has always been a joke here in Nashville. There are various reasons behind Vandy football being comical as this is a team that perennially in the cellar of the mighty SEC conference. They are synonymous with losing just as the Chicago Cubs, the L.A. Clippers and the Cincinnati Bengals (insert jokes here) all are in there respective sport leagues. Speaking of the Chicago Cubs, the Vanderbilt football program are the lovable losers of the SEC. Teams usually facing the Commodores routinely mark that game as a win when they look at their schedule because lets face it, the Commodores usually are a bad team. They are a premier academic school (Ranked # 17th by US News and World Report) smack dab in the middle of the behemoth football conference in all of college. So it’s understandable that they will have a hard time getting W’s with so many players not solely focused on athletics as they would be at powerhouses like Florida, Alabama and LSU just to name a few. The ineptitude of Vandy is remarkable when you take a look at the numbers. Check a few quick facts below for better illustration of my point:




• Vanderbilt football has not won a conference championship since 1923




• Vanderbilt has competed in only four bowl games total in its history dating back to 1894.



• By comparison, all of the other SEC's charter members (Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, LSU, Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida, Georgia, and Ole Miss) have no fewer than 14 bowl appearances.



• Vanderbilt has posted only four winning seasons—in 1974, 1975, 1982 and 2008.



• They have beaten rival (If you can even call this a rivalry), Tennessee only once (2005) in the past 28 years.

Brian Kimbrow

However, that lovable loser mentality may be changing when the Commodores added new coach James Franklin to their payroll. The former hotshot offensive coordinator of Maryland has brought a fresh approach and new spunk to a program that needed a nice kick in the rear. This was never more evident then when Franklin recruited and landed the top three prospects in the state of Tennessee this year, out-dueling Derek Dooley and hated rival University of Tennessee for their services. Tennessee has always dominated the in-state battles for talent around these parts, so this was monumental for the Commodores. In landing Caleb Azubike, Brian Kimbrow (Rated best player in the state of Tennessee by Rivals.com) and Corey Batey, Franklin served notice that HIS Vandy team will be no push-overs. Franklin has identified what is what most fans and pundits think as a weakness and turned it into a powerful recruiting tool. The weakness that I am speaking of is their prominent academics reputation. Just like Jim Harbaugh did at Stanford, Gary Barnett at Northwestern and Tyrone Willingham at Notre Dame were able to utilize scholastic value in recruitment, so has Franklin. This is important because as most recently proved by Harbaugh at Stanford, if you can turn that perceived chink in the armor into an actual positive, then you have set yourself up in an enviable position.

Also, Franklin’s persona and charisma has seemed to resonate with the younger generation of players. “I've had a chance to think about this for two years now," Kimbrow said. "I've been being recruited since 10th grade. ... This is where I feel comfortable. This is where I want to go." Franklin is young, hip, and understands players more than older coaches ever will. He has embraced technology in a way former Vandy coach Bobby Johnson never did. Franklin is on twitter, facebook and all the various social networks used today by young players. He also hasn’t brought into the notion that Vanderbilt can’t be a successful football school. And his confidence is a breath of fresh air for a school use to playing but not competing with the big boys of the SEC. He has been relentless and it seems to rubbing off on his players as they see a man they can put their trust in.

In closing, James Franklin has come to a down and out program and already put his stamp on it. This is a team that is coming off two consecutive 2-10 seasons and is not far removed from having its most successful coach retire (Bobby Johnson) right before the start of the season (2009). The program was in shambles even for Vandy, but it appears all this has changed since the slam dunk hiring of Franklin. A lot credit has to given to David Williams of Vandy for choosing to bring in the young and brash Franklin. The results on the field may not show this year as Vandy still has holes all over its roster. They still need to find a consistent QB who can lead the offense and they also need former 1,000 yard back Warren Norman to return to pre-injury form. It’s a lot to ask for but considering the miracles Franklin has already accomplished it shouldn’t be that hard for him. Vandy has a bright future which is something you almost never heard before he arrived. “This is an opportunity to be a part of something special ... turning a program around ... building something with your own hands so that when you look back, three, four, five years from now, you can be very, very proud of what you've accomplished," said Franklin regarding the future of the program.



Only time will tell if Franklin pans out here in Nashville. One thing I gather from researching and writing column is that it won’t be for lack of trying and that is just what the doctor ordered for the lovable losers of the SEC, better known as the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Who Didn't See This Coming?: Mike Hamilton Steps Down As University of Tennessee’s AD:



The news of Mike Hamilton stepping down as UT’s AD should really not come as a surprise to those who closely monitored the situation. His tenure as AD was the most tumultuous in Tennessee’s long and storied athletic department history. He oversaw three coaching changes in Tennessee’s usually stable football program including the firing of UT legend Phil Fulmer and the hiring of Lane Kiffin (Kiffin is a curse word around these parts). Kiffin replaced Fulmer and everyone knows how that one ended. Derek Dooley is still working to get the Kiffin’s stench out of Knoxville. Hamilton also hired and fired former men’s beloved basketball coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl was Hamilton’s best hire until Pearl’s scandal and allegations led to his eventual firing amid a media firestorm. Tennessee has been charged with 12 major violations since Hamilton has taken over in 2003. There were multiple player suspensions from the likes of fighting, robbery, drug charges, gun charges and many more. Now all of this wasn’t his fault, as it was the coaches’ job to control their players. But Hamilton DID hire those coaches who were take care of that side for him. He has always been accustomed to change as AD of Tennessee, because it was the one constant he has dealt with while serving.

Furthermore, Hamilton hasn’t had the support base of the Tennessee family for some time now. His handling of the Fulmer and Pearl situation left many doubters. He always seemed a step behind when it came to having the right amount of fortitude and leniency on his coaches. Kiffin was able to get away with many violations right under Hamilton’s nose and the same can be said about Pearl. Those two were direct hires of Hamilton’s. Just listen in to one the sports shows in town and when someone mentions Hamilton the conversation immediately takes a downward spiral. There are websites dedicated to Hamilton titled “FireHamilton.com” and some other ones I can’t even mention due to vulgar language. He will join the long list of coaches who were bought out by UT including Fulmer, Pearl, former baseball coach Todd Raleigh. The sum of those parts are costing the University $3.1 million dollars annually and when you throw in Hamilton’s projected buy out at $1.3 million, your looking at a staggering amount of money for guys who are not on the sidelines.

It will be interesting to see what Hamilton’s legacy is remembered for at UT. He did hire the most successful men’s basketball coach in the school’s history in Pearl. He did fire one of the most loved coaches in UT history as well in Phil Fulmer. The school was always in the media rather it is for the right or wrong things. He wasn’t the most well like man but he had the have support of the right people at UT and that has to be one of the reasons he kept his job as long as he did. Chancellor Jimmy Cheek had to know inevitably this day was coming soon. From what he said in the press conference lets you know as much as he stated he did not force Hamilton out BUT DID NOT TRY TO CONVINCE HIM TO STAY EITHER. Wow, that about sums it up best. No one in Tennessee wanted to force him out but now that he is gone most of the Tennessee faithful are breathing a sigh of relief.

Sportaholic Mid-Week Speed Drills: Nashville Preds Update, Tennessee State Fairgrounds News, Vandy Basketball and Recruting News for UT and Vandy.

National Signing Day: Tennessee Vols Head Coach Derek Dooley is charging hard at the finish line on national signing day. The second year coach has closed on three 4-star recruits over the last 48 hours including the top ranked player in the state Antonio Richardson of Pearl-Cohn. UT also signed Cameron Clear out of Memphis as the Vols are doing a good job closing the borders of the state and keeping the talent in Tennessee Orange. The other top recruits for the Vols include Curt Maggit from Florida, DeAnthony Arnett from Michigan, Maurice Couch a JUCO transfer from Kansas, Marcus Jackson from Florida, Marlin Jackson from Florida and A.J Johnson of Georgia. The Vols have a total of 27 commitments and are ranked 11th by Rivals.com in the nation and 10th by scouts.com. The Vols needed to beef up their defensive line and secondary and by all indications they have emphatically did so with these signings. Recruiting in the SEC is as cutthroat as it gets but it appears Dooley can hold his on against the big boys of Nick Saban, Les Miles, Mark Richt and Gene Chizik. Derek Dooley and his staff did one heck of a job for Tennessee and should reap the benefits next fall. For a complete list of all the UT signings click this link: http://www.utsports.com/signingday/

Vandy’s new Head Coach James Franklin also did a tremendous job for the Commodores as he reined a few surprise recruits to his first class. The biggest issue facing Vandy was quarterback and they addressed that by signing Lafonte Thurgood, a 4-star stud from Virginia Beach, VA. He should come in and immediately compete for the QB position. Franklin also snuck in on Dillon Van Der Wall of Westlake Village California. He originally committed to Arizona State but after meeting with Franklin changed over to Commodore black and gold. Vandy has a solid class following the late start they got due to coaching search. To see Vanderbilt’s full list click this link: http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/2011-signing-day.html

Predators Update: The Nashville Predators have 31 games left to make their playoff push and things didn’t get started the way they would have liked against the Calgary Flames last night. The Preds, losers of their last 3, lost in a shootout battle thanks to Rene Borque as he scored the only goal in the shootout.



The Preds led 1-0 off the strength of a Patric Hornquist goal going into the 3rd period, only to see their lead be erased as Matt Stajan and Corey Sarich each tallied goals for Calgary. The lost dropped the Preds to 5-4-1 over their last 10 games. Nashville had been 6-2 in shootout games entering this contest but just couldn’t come away with the victory this time around.



“At least we got one point, but there comes a point where we've got to figure out how to lock things down. There are 31 games left, and if we're not going to...” Said defensemen Shea Weber.

The Preds look to get back in the win column this Thursday as the take on the Philadelphia Flyers.

Vandy Basketball: Florida 65 Vandy 61: The Commodores traveled to Gainesville for a national televised ESPN game against Florida. Vandy shot the ball well early and took an early lead. Jeff Jenkins showed why he is the SEC scoring leader, as he scored a game high 22 points on an array of acrobatic lay-up, runners and three-point shots. However the Dores continued to give the Gators second chance shots as Florida annihilated Vandy on the boards 42-29. Chandler Parsons of Florida was the thorn that stuck Vandy all game as he tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds, Vandy simply didn’t have an answer for his offensive versatility. Vandy’s big men added to their misery as Festus Ezeli, Steve Tchiengang, and Jeffrey Taylor all fouled out during the game which left the Commodores front-court paper thin. Without the big men to protect the basket, the 6-9 Parsons begin doing his damage in the paint. He drove toward the lane and hit a jumper that put Florida ahead 60-59. Florida got a big three-pointer from guard Kenny Boynton on their next possession to go ahead for good. Jenkins would get another shot for Vandy but air balled a three-point attempt. From my view it clearly looked like a foul was committed by Boynton but no call was made by the ref. Boynton all but admitted fouling after the game saying I think I got him, but I think on the other end they missed some fouls, too,” Boynton said. “If they called it, they called it. I think I jumped too high and he kind of tried to draw it. It was a foul, but they missed it.” Vandy Head Coach Kevin Stallings also had some input about the late-game no call “I’m pretty sure there was a reason there was an air ball,” Stallings said. “I’m not saying our guys shot an air ball. I think there might have been a reason.” The lost coupled with their defeat at the hands of Arkansas this weekend marks the first time Vandy (15-6 3-4 SEC) has lost consecutive games all year. Vandy looks to regroup and they face South Carolina this Saturday.

Tennessee Fairgrounds Racetrack Is Safe.... For Now: The demise of the Tennessee fairgrounds have been greatly exaggerated as the Metro council ratified a bill to keep the fairgrounds in business. This comes after a very public outcry that included some of the biggest race-car driver names in Tennessee with the likes of Sterling Marlin and Darrell Waltrip coming on board to save the track. This is good news for all local sports fan as a piece of nostalgia Nashville was saved. The track is one of the oldest in the country as it has been around since 1904 and has hosted Winston cup (Sprint Cup now) from 1958 to 1984. It would have been a shame to see it be demolished but looks like the local support saved it. Give yourself a pat on the back Nashville.

Editor's Note: Don't forget to check out my latest articles on Onetribenashville.com as well.

Music City Bowl Preview

Franklin American Mortgage Company Music City Bowl

Time: 6:30

Channel: ESPN

Weather: 50 ° with a 50% chance of rain.

Commentators: Sean McDonough, Matt Millen & Holly Rowe

The Tennessee Vols look to cap off an improbable season with a bowl victory in the Music City Bowl. Its fitting that they landed in Nashville for a showdown with the North Carolina Tar Heels, as both teams have fought off obstacles to just make it to a bowl game. Tennessee started the year off a disheartening 2-6 under first year coach Derek Dooley but upon inserting freshman sensation QB Tyler Bray for Matt Simms, the Vols and their once anemic offense took off. Bray would spark a unit that was previously ranked near the bottom of all the major passing categories in the SEC. Bray was just sensational in his 4 start as he took home freshmen of the week honors in two of his starts. Tauren Poole and the run game also benefited from Bray’s presence in the pocket. The Vols rolled to four straight victory earning them there second consecutive bowl berths. This is basically a home game for the Vols as the expected crowd is predicted to be 90% in Vol Orange. Local players like Eric Gordon, James Stone and Marsalis Teague will have to find a lot of tickets to accommodate family and friends. Although this should make for a familiar atmosphere, it can sometime become a distraction before the game itself. Coach Derek Dooley will be participating in just his second bowl game and is also learning the ropes of the bowl game aura as this basically amounts to a home bowl game in Nashville.

The North Carolina Tar Heels season has been mired in controversy. They started off the season suspending thirteen players including standouts defensive end Marvin Austin and Michael McAdoo, starting cornerbacks Kedric Burney and Charles Brown, wide out Greg Little, Tailbacks Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston; safeties Brian Gupton, Da'Norris Searcy and Jonathan Smith; and defensive end Linwan Euwell for receiving improper benefits. And yet another scandal rocked Chapel Hill as the NCAA investigated a former tutor who was employed by the University committed academic misconduct by performing players’ papers for class. And lastly (I promise you North Carolina I’m not trying to pile on your guys) assistant John Blake was accused of setting up a meeting between an active college athlete and an agent could be a major NCAA violation. Blake resigned as the defensive line coach at UNC amid allegations that he was siphoning Tar Heel players to an agent. That is just the type of year it has for the guys in powder blue. Even with all the off-field distractions Coach Butch Davis and his team have weathered the storm though and finished up with a 7-5 record and were in contention for the ACC Coastal division to very end. While speaking of suspension, yet another was handed down for the Tar Heels as starting running back Anthony Elzy was suspended for as Coach Butch Davis termed it “Failure to meet his obligations as a student-athlete”.



Keys to the game:

1. T.J Yates vs. Tennessee defense: Yates was the glue that held this ravaged roster together as he finished the regular season with 3,184 yards and 18 touchdowns. His 148.78 passer efficiency was good enough for second in the conference. Tennessee will have to find a way to counter Yates. The Vols secondary actually is best unit they have on defense with the likes of Janzen Jackson and Prentiss Waggner. If the Vols can frustrate Yates it could lead to turnovers as Yates has been prone to interceptions. Who ever win this match-up will have the inside track to winning the game.

2. Tyler Bray’s Poise vs. North Carolina’s Pass Rush: North Carolina came into this year boasting a defensive line that featured two projected NFL draft picks in Mario Austin and Michael McAdoo but due to the suspensions at the beginning neither player has played a down for the Tar Heels this year. Even without those two they’ve managed 25.0 sacks. Bray has stood tall all year since he was handed the keys to the Vols offense but he is still a freshman. The Tar Heels must get pressure on him if they expect to have chance in this one.

3. Turnover battle: The team that usually wins the turnover battle wins the game and both North Carolina and Tennessee prove that theory to be true. North Carolina is +6 in that department this year and UT is +2 so neither team is terrible at this statistic. When teams are this evenly matched as they are in this one, it’s the little mistakes that lead to turnovers that so often determine the game.



Prediction: This is a game of evenly matched teams. Both have good passing games and decent running attacks. The difference in the game will be which defense can apply pressure to the opposing QB. UT will also have the crowd on their side and should use that to their advantage. I can’t go against the “home” team on this one. UT 28-24

UT Report

Tennessee earned their bowl eligibility with a high flying offensive attack, defeating the Kentucky Wildcats for the 26 straight time 24-14. This so called rivalry has been one sided but the Wildcats have been on the verge of beating the Vols, including an overtime loss to Tennessee just a couple of seasons ago. This is a remarkable turnaround for a team that was 2-6 entering the month of November and had a slim chance of going bowling for the second consecutive year; but by beating Memphis, Mississippi, Vanderbilt and now Kentucky, the Vols are bowl bound. If you notice the momentum began with freshman sensation, Tyler Bray being inserted as the starting QB.




The Vols offense was on the attack for most of the afternoon thanks to it new found leader, in Bray. He would throw for 354 yards and 2 touchdowns in the victory. Bray's main target was senior Denarius Moore who caught 7 passes for 205 yards and 1 TD and became the first ever Vol to have two 200 yard games in a season.



The game itself started out with a bang for Tennessee as Freshman receiver Da'Rick Rogers flashed his speed and returned the opening kick-off 78 yards to Kentucky's 17-yard line. The Vols however would end up with no points on the drive after rushing the ball twice and incompleting a pass on third down. The previous perfect Daniel Lincoln (9-9 on FGs) missed a 29-yard field goal.



The Wildcats took on their own 10 yard line and promptly took the ball down the field for a touchdown. The drive featured RB Derek Locke and do-it-all receiver Randall Cobb. The two would combine for 68 yards on the drive, with Locke taking it on a 17-yard burst up the sidelines. Tennessee would go three-and-out on the next series. The Wildcats would drive the ball to the goal line of the Vols again, with a series of runs to Locke and play-actions passes. However, the Vols would force Locke to fumble and LB Nick Revivz would recover in the end zone for a UT touchback.



That was a momentum shifter as Tennessee got the ball on their 20 yard line and looked like a different offensive team. The drive began with a incompletion but from there Bray would hit his next three passes to TE Luke Stocker for 17-yards, then a 44-yard sling to Moore and finally a 12-yard TD pass to WR Gerald Jones. The quick lighting drive only lasted 61 seconds and tied the score at 7-7. Kentucky would get a one first down on their next series before being forced to punt. The deadly combo of Bray to Moore would strike again as freshman found his senoir wide out for a 49-yard bomb and again on a 12-yard touchdown pass. The Vols offense was red hot now and they took a 14-7 lead.



It would be the defense's turn next to heat up as they tackled Kentucky's Locke behind the line of scrimmage for a loss and DE Chris Walker sacked QB Mike Hartline for a 12-yard loss, ensuing another Wildcat punt. The Vols were penalized on the first two plays of the drive but on the second Bray again was able to find Moore for another 48-yards. The resulting penalty would make it 1st and 20 for the Vols and Bray would be sacked for another 10-yard loss. After the sack Bray would incomplete his next two passes and the red hot offense of the Vols had been cooled and forced to punt.



The Wildcats took over from the 26-yard line and after four plays fumbled as Alcoa native Randall Cobb was hit and coughed up the ball. As good as Bray is, we have to remember this only his fourth game starting and he would throw an interception on the Vols first play after the Cobb fumble. Kentucky got the ball back with 4:01 left in the first half. They would drive the ball all the way to the Tennessee 25-yard line to set up a Field Goal, only to the miss the 42-yard attempt. The score at half was UT 14 Kentucky 7



Kentucky coach Joker Phillips must have said the right things as The Wildcats scored on their opening possession to tie the game at 14-14. The combination of Locke and Cobb was at it again on the scoring drive. Tennessee’s Bray would misfire on his next three passes and UT looked to punt on the 4th and 10. The Vols however pulled out the trick play as punter Michael Parlardy scampered 17-yards for a UT first down. It would be short lived for the Vols as that drive ended with the second of the two picks for Tyler Bray. Kentucky would stall however and go three and out. The Vols would ride the hand of Bray again on the next drive as he hit Gerald Jones for a 21-yard gain on the first play. The run game also got cranked up as Tauren Poole had 13 rushing yards on the drive and capped it with a 2-yard touchdown run that put the Vols up 21-14.



Entering the fourth quarter, Kentucky would go three and out again on their initial drive and UT would move the chains on their next as Bray got TE Stocker involved as he hit him for 21-yard gain. The drive would continue and eventually lead to a field goal for the Vols as Daniel Lincoln would connect from 36 yards out, making the score 24-14



That would all that was needed as the Vols defense held the Wildcats offense in line for the rest of the game. Once again Tyler Bray was the star of the show with his performance. The freshman has all of Vol nation talking with his rocket arm. The win sets up a bowl berth for the Vols, who after a 2-6 start, turned things around to finish 6-6.



The Vols will likely end up with a Music City Bowl appearance for there efforts. The future looks very bright for the Vols with Bray, Justin Hunter, Da’Rick Rogers and Tauren Poole all returning next year. The defense also was key to their success as they ratcheded it up for the second half of the season. The Vol faithful should be proud of this bunch, as they came from the depths to have a classic Vol November finishing 4-0 for the month. Congrats to the Vols on a better than expected season.

UT and Vandy Report week 11

Tennessee and Vandy both  looked like the teams of their past this week. UT came out early and dominated the game versus the Ole Miss rebels, giving them an old-fashioned Vol beat down. Vandy on the other hand is looking more and more like the old SEC laughingstock they have for so much of their history.

Now for the breakdown of both games:

UT 52 Ole Miss 14 - The Tennessee Vols look to have their QB of the future in Tyler Bray. The freshman continues to impress as he put up gaudy numbers and led the Vols to their second straight victory, and first in the SEC this year. Bray got a break on his first pass of the game. On the play, Bray attempted a pass to Gerald Jones which was tipped by Mississippi's Jonathan Cornell right into the hands of Justin Hunter. Hunter had 80 yards of open field and and was able to race to the end zone. From their the route was on for the Vols. Bray would go on to finish 18 for 34 with 323 yards 3 touchdowns and no picks.

This guy has brought some swagger to the offensive side of the ball for Tennessee. The Vols have put up plus 50 points in their two games with Bray as the starter. Wide Receiver Justin Hunter received a lot of praise as well coming into the season and finally has shown what he can do. Hunter finished with 3 receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Taurean Poole led the Vols in rushing with 107 yards on 12 carries.

The defense got involved as well picking off Jeremiah Masoli 3 times and the Rebels a total of 4 times. Eric Gordon and Prentiss Waggner both took their INTs back for touchdowns. The defensive line is finally showing signs of life as well as they pressured Masoli all day long. It was just as through of a victory you can have for the young Vols.

This was the first time all season I watched a Vols game and got a glimpse of what this team could be. The offense finally looked like an SEC caliber unit with playmakers on the field. Bray has certain type of presence in him that can't be taught. They call it the "IT" factor and all the good ones have it. Da'Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter have the potential to become one of the best 1-2 tandem of receivers in college football over the next couple of years. If Dooley can find a way to add depth in the defense and continue to develop his players on the offensive side of the ball, The Vols will be a scary team in the upcoming future.

With the win the Vols still have a shot at a bowl game this year. All they need to do now is beat Vandy and Kentucky. The way they are playing now with Bray at the helm, I don't see why they couldn't run the table.

Kentucky 38 Vandy 20 - It seems every time I turn away from a Vandy game and then turn back, the score has changed dramatically and usually not in favor of the Commodores. As it stands, Vandy has now lost 5th straight and no longer have a chance at a bowl game under first year coach Robbie Caldwell.

Randall Cobb of the Wildcats had a career day rushing for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Derrick Locke ran for 145 yards and two scores in his first game in a month and quarterback Mike Hartline threw for 232 yards and a touchdown. The Commodores had a bright spot in RB Kennard Reeves who rushed for a career high 105 yards.

Vandy got off to a good start, driving down the field 60 yards and picking up a field goal, on their first drive. The Commodores actually showed some offense in the first half as they were able to drop 262 yards on the Wildcats. They would go up 13-10 going into halftime. In the second half however, the wheels would come off as they always seemingly do for the 'Dores. Randall Cobb took over the game, lining up in the apporiately named " Wild Cobb" formation and just feasted on the Dores defense. On the Wildcats initial possession of the half, Cobb was able to run to his left and make a deep cut back to his right and take it 73 yards for a touchdown to give the Wildcats the lead.

The best play that Cobb made of the day in my opinion came on Kentucky's two possessions later. He was able to take the snap and maneuver his way through defenders, going backwards and sideways some 10 yards back, then darted through the line and raced for a 52-yard gain. Vanderbilt's defense had no answer for Cobb and the Kentucky offense as they continued to make a mockery of the Commodores defense. Kentucky pretty much rolled after the Cobb pair of spectacular plays and would go on to win the game 38-20. They use to call this one a rivalry but Kentucky has now won six out of the last seven meetings against the "Dores.

Vandy did make some strides from last week. The offense looked in sync in the first half with the revelation that was Keenard Reeves and wide receiver Jonathan Krause made a couple of big plays to keep the Wildcats on honest. But it was more of the same offensive ineptitude that doomed Vandy in the second half. The Dores couldn't get it going as Kentucky started to find their  offense and as the momentum shifted to the Wildcats side, Vandy was never able to recover. With that being said, it was a much better effort than last weekend's debacle that was the Florida game. The Vols come to town next week as the rivalry between the two schools heats up. Both teams have had underwhelming season's and would both would love to beat the other one. It makes for a fun week in Nashville (Not to mention making my job a lot easier covering both teams) and in the entire state of Tennessee. To bad one team has to lose.