2007: Tennessee got off to a rough start last season, losing by double digits in two of its first three games. Even worse, the Volunteers’ defense gave up 45 points at California and 59 at Florida. Of course, this once again had the UT faithful all over head coach Phillip Fulmer, who has been under increasing scrutiny since the Vols went 5-6 in 2005.
But the 2007 Vols were a resilient bunch, bouncing back with three straight wins, including a 35-14 clubbing of Georgia as 1 ½-point home underdogs. After getting smashed 41-17 at Alabama, UT answered with five consecutive wins to take the SEC East.
Tennessee needed overtime to beat South Carolina and had to rally for a 25-24 win over Vanderbilt. With the division crown on the line at Kentucky, the Vols went to four overtimes before pulling out a 52-50 triumph.
In the SEC Championship Game, UT lost a 21-14 decision to eventual national champ LSU. Once again, the Vols bounced back to beat Wisconsin 21-17 as 1 ½-point favorites in the Outback Bowl. They finished 10-4 straight up and 8-4-2 against the spread.
Strengths: With the exception of quarterback Erik Ainge, who finished his career as the third-leading passer in school history (8,700 yards), all the offensive skill players return. Senior Arian Foster is probably the SEC’s second-best running back – behind only Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno – with 2,394 career yards and a 4.6 yards per carry average.
Foster will run behind one of the nation’s best offensive lines led by All-American OG Anthony Parker and three-year starting OT Ramon Foster. There’s also depth in the backfield with junior Montario Hardesty and sophomore Lennon Creer.
A trio of outstanding wide receivers emerged last year. Senior Lucas Taylor is the best of the bunch, garnering second-team All-SEC honors last season with 73 catches for 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. Austin Rogers (56 receptions, 624 yards, four TDs) and Josh Briscoe (56-557-6) round out the starting wideouts.
If junior Jonathan Crompton can provide adequate play at the quarterback position, the Vols should have one of the SEC’s best offenses.
The defense has a couple of All-American candidates in LB Rico McCoy and SS Eric Berry. McCoy was UT’s second-leading tackler in 2007, making 106 stops. Berry intercepted five passes and had 86 tackles.
As for special teams, the kicking game is in good shape with PK Daniel Lincoln.
Weaknesses: Crompton was highly regarded coming out of high school, but he doesn’t have much experience after playing behind Ainge for two years. The junior signal caller has one career start, 498 passing yards and a 5/4 touchdown-interception ratio.
The defense will have to replace MLB Jerod Mayo, who was UT’s leading tackler last season before going to the New England Patriots in the first round of the NFL Draft. That job will fall to Gerald Williams, a juco transfer.
Due to punter Britton Colquitt’s off-the-field woes, someone will have to step up at this position.
Player to Watch: Crompton is the key to the 2008 Vols. If he’s not sharp, defenses will stack an extra man in the box to defend against UT’s strength – Foster and the ground attack. If he’s accurate, the play-action game can be dynamic.
Returning Starters: 14 (8 offense, 6 defense)
Schedule: For the second straight season, UT opens up out west against a Pac-10 foe, UCLA. The rest of the non-conference slate is soft with home games versus UAB, Northern Illinois and Wyoming.
The Vols get Florida, Mississippi St., Alabama and Kentucky in Knoxville. They go on the road to face Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Letdown Spot: Oct. 18 vs. Mississippi St.: The Bulldogs come into Neyland Stadium the week after Tennessee goes to Athens to face Georgia. Sylvester Croom’s team will be a healthy underdog, but this on-the-rise squad is capable of causing UT trouble if the Vols are flat. Remember, Mississippi St. won at Auburn early in the season last year.
Look-Ahead Situation: Oct. 4 vs. No. Illinois: UT faces the Huskies in the middle of an Auburn-Georgia road sandwich. The Huskies might be worth a look as huge underdogs with the Vols clearly looking ahead to the UGA game.
Good Bets: Nov. 22 at Vandy: The Vols have an open date before facing Vandy on the road. However, ‘road’ games against the Commodores are a different beast, as UT fans gobble up most of the tickets in Nashville. Vandy has played UT tough recently, so the Vols should be focused and likely facing a team running on fumes, as the ‘Dores lost a lot of talent from last year. Anything less than 14 will garner a UT play, especially if Crompton is in a good groove at this point in the year.
Prediction: I have UT finishing 8-4 and fourth in the SEC East. The Vols are going to lose to Florida at home, in addition to dropping road games at Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina.
The home games against Mississippi St. and Alabama will be tough, but I’ve got the Vols winning those contests by narrow margins. They will also beat UCLA.
Again, Crompton is the key. If he plays like one of the best QBs in the SEC, maybe UT can go 9-3 or even 10-2? If UT has the QB woes it endured during the 2005 collapse, a 7-5 or 6-6 campaign isn’t out of the question.
Best Players:
1-Anthony Parker (OG)
2-Eric Berry (SS)
3-Rico McCoy (LB)
4-Arian Foster (RB)
5-Lucas Taylor (WR)
Brian Edwards can be reached at briane@vegasinsider.com.
