University of Tennessee Athletics
Game Preview: ASU vs. Tennessee
September 17, 2007 | Football
Tennessee-Arkansas State Series History/Notes
Tennessee has never faced Arkansas State on the gridiron. Saturday???s contest marks the first of two games the Vols will play against Sun Belt Conference teams this year (Louisiana-Lafayette visits Knoxville for Homecoming on Nov. 3).
UT head coach Phillip Fulmer owns a 3-0 career mark against current members of the Sun Belt Conference, with lone wins over Louisiana-Lafayette (38-3 in 1992), Louisiana-Monroe (70-3 in 2000) and Middle Tennessee (26-3 in 2002). No Sun Belt team has ever scored more than a single field goal against a Fulmer-coached squad. The only other time Tennessee faced a current Sun Belt team was in 1975, when the Vols fell to North Texas 21-14 in Knoxville.
Two players on Tennessee???s 2007 roster???Derrick Furlow (Crossett) and Ricardo Kemp (Warren)???hail from the state of Arkansas. Vols defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell received both his Bachelor???s and Master???s degrees from ASU and played linebacker and defensive end for the Indians from 1974-77. Caldwell also spent two separate assistant coaching stints at Arkansas State from 1978-80 and 1985-89.
Vols Have Rallied From 1-2 Start
Tennessee stands 1-2 for the first time since Peyton Manning???s freshman season in Knoxville (1994). The Vols dropped to 1-3 that year before Manning led the squad to seven wins in its final eight starts and an 8-4 finish as Gator Bowl champions.
Other 1-2 teams of note were the 1986 Vols, which dropped to 2-5 that season before rallying for five straight victories, a 7-5 finish and a Liberty Bowl victory over Minnesota. In 1983, Tennessee lost twice in the first three games to Pittsburgh and Auburn before rallying for a 9-3 finish and a Florida Citrus Bowl triumph over Maryland.
Coker Coming Off Record-Setting Return Game
Sophomore tailback LaMarcus Coker set Tennessee???s all-time single-game record for kickoff-return yardage by racking up 207 yards (on six returns) in last weekend???s loss at Florida. The previous mark was held by Leonard Scott (1999-02), who totaled 169 kickoff-return yards against Georgia in 1999. The Vols??? 260 total kick-return yards last weekend also marked a team record as well.
Coker is averaging 34.5 yards per kickoff return this season. That mark would rank sixth among all NCAA FBS players this season, but he has not played in 75 percent of his team???s games (Coker sat out UT???s opener at Cal) and thus does not yet qualify for the NCAA rankings. However, no player currently in the top 10 on the NCAA???s kickoff-return list has more than Coker???s six returns this season.
Lincoln Among National Leaders As Perfection Continues
Tennessee placekicker Daniel Lincoln continued his sparking debut to college football Saturday in Gainesville, converting both field goal attempts and both extra points to keep his perfect season to date intact.
A redshirt freshman from Ocala, Fla., Lincoln has made all six of his field goal attempts this year and is 10-of-10 on PATs to lead the Vols in scoring with 28 points. Lincoln also has been consistent no matter the distance, having converted two kicks from the 20- to 29-yard range, two from the 30s and two from the 40s, including a 47-yarder against Southern Mississippi.
He stands tied for ninth nationally with 2.0 field goals made per game and is one of only four kickers to have begun the season 6-of-6, joining LSU junior Colt Davis, Florida State senior Gary Cismesia and Kansas State junior Brooks Rossman.
Other freshman kickers off to hot starts nationally include Arkansas??? Alex Tejada (5-of-5), Auburn???s Wes Byrum (6-of-7), UCLA???s Kai Forbath (5-of-7) and Utah State???s Peter Caldwell (4-of-5).
Lincoln???s fast start also has him on the verge of an unprecedented accomplishment in Tennessee football history. His six field goals made ties him with Carlos Reveiz (1985) and Ricky Townsend (1972) for the best starts to a kicking career in Vols history. Reveiz, the uncle of current Vols linebacker Nick Reviez, was the consensus All-SEC placekicker that season and Townsend, UT???s barefooted specialist, twice earned All-America honors for the Big Orange.
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.
Briscoe, Rogers and Taylor have combined to catch 51 passes for 618 yards and two TDs through the first three games of 2007. Through three games last season, UT???s season-ending topthree receivers (Robert Meachem, Jayson Swain and Bret Smith ) had caught 36 passes for 604 yards and six touchdowns.
All three players have already set new career-highs for catches and yards.
In the first 22 games of his career, Taylor caught 14 passes for 101 yards. In the first three games of this season, Taylor has 17 catches for 278 yards. The Carencro, La., native is currently ranked fourth in the SEC with 92.67 receiving yards per game.
In the first six games of his career, Rogers caught six passes for 87 yards. In the first three games of this season, Rogers has 17 catches for 214 yards and one touchdown.
In the first 23 games of his career, Briscoe caught nine passes for 123 yards. In the first three games of this season Briscoe has caught 17 passes for 126 yards.
Opposing Rushers Struggle to Hit 100
Tennessee???s defense has allowed just seven opposing ballcarriers to rush for at least 100 yards in the last 40 games. During that span, the opponents??? top rusher has averaged 78.4 yards per game.
Cal???s Justin Forsett is the most recent back to hit the 100-yard mark in a game against Tennessee, gaining 156 yards on 26 carries in the 2007 season-opener.
UNLV???s Dominique Dorsey (121 yards in the 2004 season-opener), current NFL standout Carnell ???Cadillac??? Williams (100 yards in the 2004 SEC Championship Game), Florida???s DeShawn Wynn (104 yards in 2006), Arkansas??? Darren McFadden (181 yards in 2006), Kentucky???s Rafael Little (119 yards in 2006) and Penn State???s Tony Hunt (158 yards in 2007 Outback Bowl) are the only other backs to reach 100 yards against UT in the last 40 games.
Among the backs who recently came up short in their quest for 100 yards are such names as Ronnie Brown, Kenneth Darby (twice), Joseph Addai, Thomas Brown, Darius Walker and Marshawn Lynch.
Career Starts Record Within Reach For Hefney
Senior free safety Jonathan Hefney has a chance to stand atop Tennessee???s all-time list for starts by a position player,* as he currently owns a streak of 39 consecutive starts.
Former center and current Green Bay Packer Scott Wells (2000-03) made a school-record 49 straight starts, but Hefney could potentially tie that mark if Tennessee makes a bowl appearance.
Should the Vols play in the SEC Championship Game prior to a bowl appearance, Hefney would have a shot at 50 straight starts.
Hefney has played in 40 career games. The 2004 season-opener against UNLV is the only game during his career in which he did not start.
*Placekicker Jeff Hall started 50 straight games from 1995-98
Berry's Intercetion Return Ties For Third-Longest In UT History
True freshman defensive back Eric Berry???s first career interception was a memorable one. Berry picked off a Tim Tebow pass during last weekend???s game at Florida and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown (also the first of his career).
The 96-yard return tied for the third-longest ever by a Vol. Art Reynolds hasd a return of equal distance against Memphis State in 1972. Ray Martin owns the Tennessee record with a 100-yard return against Louisville in 1953, and Morris Vowell ranks second with a 99-yarder against Sewanee in 1916.
Berry???s interception was the first by a Tennessee true freshman since current senior linebacker Ryan Karl picked off a pass against Texas A&M in the 2005 Cotton Bow (which also was returned for a touchdown).
17 Vols Have Made UT Debut This Season
A total of 17 Vols have made their Tennessee debuts so far this season. Included in that group are eight true freshmen: starting defensive back Eric Berry, tailback Lennon Creer, wide receiver Gerald Jones, defensive end Ben Martin wide receiver Denarius Moore, defensive back Dennis Rogan, wide receiver Brent Vinson and defensive end Chris Walker.
The other Vols who have taken the field for the first time in Orange & White this year are: punter/kicker Chad Cunningham, fullback Ryan Hill, placekicker Daniel Lincoln, defensive back Nevin McKenzie, wide receiver Kenny O???Neal, linebacker Nick Reveiz, tight end Luke Stocker, linebacker LaMarcus Thompson and defensive back DeAngelo Willingham.
