Articles: VolNotes T/G..I F

[orange+white=heaven]

Game 6.

MidTerms.

If you don't know the material by now, you got no shot at making it through the second half of the semester.

One last dose of quotes and opinions before the Vols open up their exam books between the hedges....

tfpOnline:With UGA.. It Begins With The Ends

Georgia’s defense, led by the end tandem of senior Quentin Moses and junior Charles Johnson, is the nation’s stingiest (allowing 6.8 points a game) through five games but hasn’t faced an offense owning Tennessee’s firepower.

That puts Georgia’s best chances of victory Saturday night at Sanford Stadium on the shoulders of its dynamic duo.

"Most definitely, there is pressure on us," Moses said. "Colorado and Ole Miss had quarterbacks who were elusive, mobile and fast. We get a pocket passer this week with Erik Ainge, and while it might be easier to get him down, he gets rid of the ball so quick. So it’s going to be a different type of challenge."

Garner said Moses, Johnson and the rest must pick up their play for Georgia to have a chance against Tennessee. The Bulldogs missed numerous "fits" and tackles last week in a 14-9 escape of Ole Miss, which got 135 yards rushing from tailback BenJarvis Green-Ellis.

"I would hope they would feel like they can do a whole lot better, because they’ll have to against a quarterback like Ainge," Garner said. "Cutcliffe has done a tremendous job with him. It’s like night and day compared to the guy that was there last year. Even though he came here in 2004 and beat us, his fundamentals are so much more improved and polished."

"Teams have been running a lot of screens and bootlegs, and they’ve also run a lot of power plays to get up in the middle," Johnson said. "I don’t think Tennessee is going to change their game plan, though, just because of me and Quentin Moses. I think they’re going to run their game plan regardless of who’s on the field or not.

"They’re very talented up front, and their quarterback right now looks like Peyton Manning out there."

tfpOnline:Long Piece on Chattanooga Vol Cam Mayo

Cameron Mayo isn’t eating as much these days.

The pain medication from his third knee surgery has robbed him of an appetite. He has lost a little weight, which isn’t recommended for a Southeastern Conference offensive lineman, even one with a large cast on his left leg who relies on crutches to make it to class on time.

This is the other, unpleasant side of a violent sport where large men collide at high speeds, and it’s a tough thing to throw at a sophomore not yet 21 years old.

"It’s hard to watch all my teammates and friends just go out there and play football every day, and I’m sitting there doing rehab," he said.

This week is tougher than most. The Volunteers are preparing for Saturday night’s nationally televised game at Georgia — Mayo’s home state.

"I know, I guess, over half the guys on their team," he said with a grin. "I just have a special little connection to the game, because I don’t like most of them, anyway."

The situation was so grim, Fulmer offered Mayo a medical hardship, which would allow him to stay in school on scholarship as long as he ended his college football career.

Mayo wasn’t ready to give in. "I think he was close to that a couple of times," Fulmer said, "but he made his mind up he wants to play. He wants to win, and win a job here at Tennessee. You have to respect and admire that."

Tennessean:Vols OLine Healing

Left tackle Arron Sears and right guard Anthony Parker, who missed multiple practices throughout the week, practiced on Thursday and are expected to start Saturday against ninth-ranked Georgia....
Both were still limited in Thursday, but they did enough to show Fulmer they're ready to play.
Some of the Vols' younger offensive linemen, including freshman guard Jacques McClendon, are still expected to see plenty of playing time.

Foster to play: Fulmer said tailback Arian Foster is "ready" to play on Saturday after going through practice this week without any setbacks.
Foster, who suffered a sprained ankle in the Sept. 9 Air Force game, will come off the bench after starting the first two games of the season. Offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe said Foster could help in short-yardage situations.
"When you play a defense like Georgia, you're going to have to break tackles," Cutcliffe said. "We've got to see when he really loads up that ankle with contact how it responds."

Georgia's special teams took a hit Thursday when All-SEC junior kicker Brandon Coutu injured the knee on his kicking leg on an onsides-kick attempt during practice.
Coach Mark Richt said he did not expect Coutu to be able to play Saturday. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI Thursday night.
If Coutu is unable to kick, the Bulldogs will go with junior Andy Bailey, who hasn't kicked since the 2004 season, on extra points and field goals.

Punt returners: Fulmer said Austin Rogers will get the first chance as a punt returner on Saturday. He said safety Jonathan Hefney and receiver Robert Meachem could also see action on punt returns.

Travel roster: Dealing with the 70-man roster limit for SEC games for the first time, the Vols will head to Georgia without a handful of players, including defensive tackle Jared Hostetter and receiver Stanley Asumnu.

No injuries: For the first time this season, the Vols had no players listed on their injury report.

Tennessean:Ainge Confident In Athens

"We had a real, real simple game plan going into that game," Ainge recalled. "I think we probably only ran five or six pass plays. We were able to run the football, and that made it easier on us. Then we just made a couple of plays. We converted on third and fourth down pretty well and made a couple of big plays."
But what Ainge remembers most about that game was the Vols' confidence, even though they were trounced a week earlier by Auburn.
"We were big underdogs," he said. "They were ranked real high. We got on that bus, and every single person on that bus knew we were about to go win. I think that's key. You have to get on the bus expecting to get a victory. We'll have that same attitude."

"The biggest change I've seen is his decision making," said senior rover Tra Battle, the only returning starter from a year ago in Georgia's secondary.
"With his new coordinator and everything, I can tell he's much better at finding the open man and making something happen when nothing is there," Battle said.
"It seems like he can throw the football the length of the field, and his receivers will go get it. It's a tremendous step up for our defense. If we don't stop (their passing game), we will not win this game."

"He's improved some, but we're not there yet," offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe said of Ainge's pocket presence.
"There's another level we've got to get to. It's something we coach hard, and I pay a lot of attention to, throwing to spots and being where he needs to be in the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield."
"That's going to be a big challenge this week. These guys come off that edge now, and it's real. This is going to be fun. This is when you step up and play."

I think they're ready, but it doesn't matter how much you've learned if you can't pass the test.

Pencils ready.
Begin.

Go Vols!!!

 

[hohenfelsvol]

Starting kicker down. Oohhhh dat gotta hurt.

 

[orange+white=heaven]

The replacement, Bailey, is from Athens Tennessee.
Don't you know that little traitor would love a chance....

 

[tidwell]

I'm not too crazy about Meachem returning punts... Hopefully Rogers and Hefney won't give the coaches a reason to put someone else back there.

 

[GAVol]

I'm not too crazy about Meachem returning punts...

Neither am I.

 

[jakez4ut]

can't wait...one more day. good stuff.

 

[orange+white=heaven]

Just a bump for the news of the day....