Postgame Notes

Sept. 25, 2004

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Tennessee vs. Louisiana Tech

Sept. 25, 2004

Neyland Stadium -- Knoxville, Tenn.

Noting Tennessee

Tennessee improved to 3-0 (1-0 SEC); Louisiana Tech falls to 1-2 (1-0 WAC).
The Vols entered the game ranked: Associated Press No. 11, USA Today/ESPN No. 8; Louisiana Tech was not ranked.
Tennessee will return to action next week, Oct. 2, against Auburn at Neyland Stadium.
Tonight's attendance: 104,257

Tennessee-Louisiana Tech Series

Tennessee leads the series 2-0 over the Bulldogs.
The Vols won 50-0 in the 1993 season opener in Knoxville when Tech was a member of the Big West Conference.
Tennessee owns a 15-1 record against teams comprising the WAC, with the only loss coming to Rice 8-0 in the 1947 Orange Bowl following the 1946 season, although Rice was a member of the Southwest Conference at the time.
Since 1989, UT has a 58-12-1 record in non-conference games, with only four of the losses coming in the regular season.

Phillip Fulmer's Record

Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer improved his record to 116-28 in 13 years with the Vols.
The win moves Fulmer to 11th on the SEC's all-time coaching victory list, passing former UT coach Johnny Majors and longtime Alabama coach Frank Thomas.
Fulmer now has a 41-9 non-conference record, including a 29-1 mark at home.

Homecoming On The Hill

The Vols have a 62-16-3 record in homecoming games.
Tonight's game was only the fifth September homecoming game, the first since 2000 when UT beat Louisiana-Monroe 70-0.
The Vols have won 20 of their last 21 homecoming games, with the only loss coming to No. 1 Miami in 2002.
This is the eighth consecutive year the homecoming opponent was a non-conference team, with the last SEC team being Arkansas in 1996

Houston, There Is No Problem On The Ground

Cedric Houston had consecutive rushes of 36 and 37 yards in the first quarter, with the 37-yarder resulting in the Vols' first touchdown.
He finished the day with 16 carries for 160 yards, including 108 yards on six carries in the first quarter.
Houston needs 61 yards to become the 11th UT player with 2,000 career rushing yards, as he currently sits at 1,939.
Gerald Riggs rushed for a career-high 116 yards on 16 carries, surpassing his old high of 51 yards.
It was the first time UT had two players rush more than 100 yards since James Stewart (121) and Jay Graham (121) vs. Vanderbilt in 1994.
The Vols' 347 rushing yards were the most for UT since 334 vs. Houston in 1998

Aerial Assault Impressive

Erik Ainge's 60-yard aerial score with 7:09 left in the second quarter was the longest pass play of the season for the Vols.
Two of the Ainge's three touchdown passes went to Bret Smith, and the other went to C.J. Fayton.
Ainge finished 10-of-15 for 198 yards and three touchdowns, including a 7-of-8 mark for 168 yards in the first half.
Brent Schaeffer earned his third career start tonight, going 3-of-7 for 50 yards and one touchdown.

Receivers Reel In The Yardage

C.J. Fayton's second-quarter touchdown made him the first UT player on the season to score two touchdowns.
Of Fayton's three receptions this year, two have been touchdown catches, with the other score a 43-yarder against UNLV.
Chris Hannon's 38-yard reverse rush was the Vols' longest rushing play from scrimmage this season.
Robert Meachem's 24-yard touchdown catch was his second career catch, both of which have been TDs (other was 35-yarder vs. UNLV).
Ten different receivers caught passes for UT, and no player caught more than three balls.

Sharing The Wealth

Tennessee scored its first 11 touchdowns in three games this season with a different player.
Last season, it took seven games for 10 different players to score touchdowns.

Driving Force

Three of the Vols' first four scoring drives of the game spanned a total of 2:17.
Tennessee had three scoring drives that spanned less than two minutes: 0:19, 2:31, 1:11 and 0:45, respectively.

Defense Denies

Interceptions: Omar Gaither (first of career), Kevin Burnett (first of career).
Sacks: Jonathan Hefney / Justin Harrell (-12), Jason Allen (-11), Jason Hall (-2), Xavier Mitchell (-2), Antonio Reynolds (-3).
Omar Gaither led the Vols with 11 tackles, while Jason Allen finished with 10.

Fast Facts

Tennessee's three opponents this season have scored first in each game, including tonight's scoring by the Bulldogs, a 33-yard pass from Matt Kubik to Julius Cosby.
The Vols' 19-second first-quarter touchdown drive was their first touchdown drive of the season that was not 80 yards or more.

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