Game Preview: Arkansas vs. Tennessee

Tennessee-Arkansas Series History/Notes

Tennessee leads the all-time series with Arkansas 12-3, dating to 1907. The Volunteers hold a 5-1 edge in games played in Knoxville. The last time these teams met in Neyland Stadium, Tennessee triumphed 41-38 in a six-overtime thriller.

Arkansas defeated the Vols 31-14 last season in Fayetteville, with highly touted running back Darren McFadden rushing for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns. 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.

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer boasts a 9-2 record against Arkansas, including six straight wins to start his career against the Razorbacks. Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt is 2-4 against the Vols.

Two players on Tennessee???s 2007 roster???Derrick Furlow (Crossett) and Ricardo Kemp (Warren)???hail from the state of Arkansas.

Vols Lead FBS In Sacks Allowed

Tennessee???s offensive line has allowed just three sacks this season, and just two against starting quarterback Erik Ainge. Overall, the Vols have attempted 338 passes, meaning UT???s opponents are averaging one sack in every 112.7 attempts.

The Big Orange lead the nation (FBS) in sacks allowed, giving up just a third of a sack per game (0.33). Two of Tennessee???s remaining opponents currently average more than two sacks per game. Vanderbilt ranks tied for 22nd with 2.78 sacks per game, and Arkansas is tied for 47th with 2.22 sacks per game.

The Vols??? outstanding pass protection???a credit to offensive line coach Greg Adkins and the depth of his unit???has given Ainge plenty of time to make good decisions when throwing the football. Ainge has thrown five interceptions in 323 attempts this year. For his career, Ainge is averaging one interception every 33.8 pass attempts.

Prior to a fourth-quarter sack by South Carolina against Ainge back on Oct. 27, the senior had attempted 290 straight passes without being sacked. His only other sack this year came during the season-opener at Cal in what would have been his third attempt of the game/season.

Visiting Offenses Struggle Early In Neyland Stadium

John Chavis??? defense has given visiting offenses fits early in UT???s last three home games. The Vols allowed zero points in the first half against Georgia, South Carolina and Louisiana-Lafayette. Tennessee has taken advantage of its defense???s efforts as well, outscoring those three opponents 73-0 in the first half.

In first-half action, the Vols surrendered two first downs and 59 yards vs. Georgia, nine first downs and 146 yards vs. South Carolina and 10 first downs and 172 yards vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. Additionally, in 18 first-half possessions, opponents have not reached the red zone and have only driven into field goal range once.

The defense also has done a good job of getting its hands on the football early in games. In the last two contests, the Vols have forced three first-half turnovers, all of which the Big Orange offense converted into touchdowns.

Novembers To Remember

Tennessee has a 79-9 (.898) mark in the month of November since 1985. Since that season, the Vols are 45-5 (.900) at home and 34-4 (.895) on the road in November.

The rare November losses came in: 1990, 2004 and 2005 to Notre Dame; 1996 at Memphis; 1999 and 2006 at Arkansas; 2002 vs. Miami (Fla.), 2005 vs. Vanderbilt and 2006 vs. LSU.

Against Southeastern Conference foes, the Vols boast a 57-4 (.934) record in November (including a 29-1 home mark).

2005 Wide Receivers Signees Coming of Age

Tennessee wideouts Josh Briscoe, Austin Rogers and Lucas Taylor were all members of UT???s 2005 signing class. Their collective impact on the Vols??? offense had been minimal prior to this season, but they have been clutch thus far in 2007.

All three players have already set new career-highs for catches and yards.
Taylor has 52 catches for 741 yards and three touchdowns this season. The Carencro, La., native is currently second in the SEC with 82.3 receiving yards per game and is tied for third in the SEC averaging 5.8 receptions per game.
Rogers has 35 catches for 428 yards and one touchdown this season. The Nashville, Tenn., native averages 47.5 yards per game and is tied for 10th in the SEC with 3.9 receptions per game.
Briscoe has 35 catches for 291 yards and two touchdowns this season. The Shelby, N.C., native is tied for 10th in the SEC with 3.9 receptions per game.

Freshman All-America Candidate Berry Living Up To The Hype

One of the nation???s most highly sought-after recruits a year ago, true freshman Eric Berry has started all nine games this season and is currently fifth on the team with 51 tackles after setting a career-high Oct. 27 against South Carolina with 12. Berry is tied for second in the SEC among true freshmen in tackles and trails rookie leader Rolando McClain of Alabama by only three tackles.

The starting safety also has added a big-play element to Tennessee???s defense. Berry???s 96-yard interception return for a touchdown at Florida tied for the third longest in the history of Tennessee football. It was the longest by a Vol since Art Reynolds returned an interception 96 yards against Memphis State in 1972.

Berry???s 52-yard fumble return to set up a first-and-goal against South Carolina was the longest fumble return by a Vol since Julian Battle rumbled 81 yards for a touchdown at Notre Dame in 2001.

Foster Climbing UT's All-Time Rushing List

Junior tailback Arian Foster???s 100-yard performance against Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 3 made him the 12th Vol ever to log 2,000 career rushing yards.

He currently ranks 12th in school history with 2,001 career rushing yards and needs just 89 yards to crack UT???s all-time top 10.

Foster is on pace to net 1,066 rushing yards this season. That would give him the 12th-best single-season total in school history.

And should his career average of 64.5 rushing yards hold steady throughout his career, Foster could make a serious run at Travis Henry???s school record of 3,078 career yards (1997-2000).

Lincoln Is SEC's Top Field Goal Specialist, Among National Leaders

Freshman placekicker Daniel Lincoln continues to work his way up the Tennessee season field-goal charts. The Ocala, Fla., native has made his last 21 kicks (seven field goals and 14 extra points) and now has 16 made field goals in 18 tries. Lincoln???s lone field goal last weekend lifted him into UT???s season top-10 chart, and he is only one away from tying the school???s freshman record of 17 set by James Wilhoit in 2003.

Speaking of Wilhoit, the Hendersonville product made 18-of-22 field goals during his consensus All-SEC season of 2006. Mostly forgotten is the fact Wilhoit finished the 2005 season with a streak of eight consecutive made field goals. Add Lincoln???s success rate this year, and the Vols as a team now have made a whopping 42 of their last 48 three-pointers for an 87.5 percent success rate.

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