Vol67
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SPORTS
by Jimmy Hyams
No 10-win season for Vols
Tennessee is the only SEC team that will start a true freshman quarterback this season and the Vols might start two.
Ten SEC starters have had at least two years in their schools system. The other starter that doesnt is Florida sophomore Chris Leak, and hes one of the two best quarterbacks in the SEC.
Tennessee also projects to start just five seniors, matching Mississippi State for fewest in the SEC. Ole Miss will start 11 seniors, South Carolina 10 and Alabama nine.
UTs projected senior starters: offensive linemen Michael Munoz and Jason Respert, receiver Tony Brown, defensive end Karlton Neal and linebacker Kevin Burnett.
On paper, Tennessee is a year away.
But Vol fans arent patient enough to play for the future. They might tell you they want a true freshman at quarterback, but they also want a 10-win season.
Usually, the two dont go hand in hand.
This season figures to be no exception, no matter how exceptional the freshmen quarterbacks are.
Peyton Manning was 7-1 as a true freshman quarterback in 1994, but he didnt take over until the fifth game. If hed started from Game One, UT might have had the same 1-3 start.
Casey Clausen was 6-1 as a starter in 2000, but the Vols might have had the same 2-3 record if hed started the first five games.
Its worth noting that UTs offenses were productive for the most part when Manning and Clausen started as true freshmen.
In 1994, the Vols averaged 28.9 points, 414.5 total yards (231.2 rushing) and completed 60.5 percent of their passes. They had four games of 41 or more points.
In 2000, the Vols averaged 32.7 points, 373.2 total yards (162.7 rushing) and completed 59.9 percent of their passes. They had three games of 59 or more points.
The 2004 Tennessee team would take any of those numbers right now.
Randy Sanders, Tennessees maligned offensive coordinator, has his work cut out for him.
Not only is he saddled with two freshmen quarterbacks and the absence in the first three games of last seasons top receiver (James Banks), but he faces two of 2003s top five defensive teams Georgia and Auburn in the first five games.
If there is a bright side, some of the defenses UT will face werent very good last year. Alabama ranked 46th in the nation, Florida 51st, South Carolina 53rd, Ole Miss 59th, Vanderbilt 63rd and Kentucky 66th. Among the non-conference foes, UNLV was about 58th, Louisiana Tech allowed at least 34 points in eight games and at least 43 points in six games, and Notre Dame was outscored 158-26 by Southern Cal, Michigan, Florida State and Syracuse.
Still, UT is going into the season with unproven quarterbacks, underachieving running backs and an offensive line thats been mediocre the past two years.
Sanders said Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge are ahead of Manning and Branndon Stewart athletically. He said sixth-year senior C.J. Leak wasnt far enough ahead of Schaeffer and Ainge to justify starting. He said its very possible he could have a two-platoon system in which each quarterback is given a set of about 25 to 30 plays for each game, thus, the offense would have a package of 50 to 60 plays.
Sanders said the decision to go with two freshmen wasnt a reaction to 2000, when the Vols started Joey Mathews and A.J. Suggs before going with Clausen. That season, Clausen had a bum shoulder in late August, otherwise there was a great chance he would have started the opener, Sanders said.
Without further ado, here are my predictions for the 2004 season:
Tennessee will go 9-2, losing to Georgia and one other SEC foe. The Vols will play Iowa in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. If UT loses to Florida, the Vols will go 7-4.
Schaeffer and Ainge will combine to pass for 1,800 yards and 16 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. They will complete 56 percent of their passes and get sacked 26 times.
The Vols will average 175 rushing yards per game (the most since 1999). Gerald Riggs will lead the team with 800 yards. Four backs will rush for more than 200 yards.
Tennessee will average 24 points per game, with a high of 42 and a low of 10. The Vols will have four games of 20 or fewer points. They will average 350 total yards per game, ranking ninth in the SEC.
Robert Meachem will lead the team with 40 catches. Tony Brown and Chris Hannon will have at least 25. Tight ends will catch eight.
Tennessees defense will allow 295 total yards and 16 points per game to rank in the top four in the SEC in both categories. The run defense will surrender 110 yards per game.
The defense will intercept 14 passes, four by Jason Allen, two by James Banks. Parys Haralson will have 8.5 of the teams 32 sacks, Kevin Simon 112 tackles and Kevin Burnett 24 big plays.
Dustin Colquitt will average 46 yards per punt with 20 exceeding 50 yards. James Wilhoit will make 17 of 22 field-goal attempts.
Eight true freshmen will play: Schaeffer and Ainge, defensive linemen Ell Ash, Antonio Reynolds and Xavier Mitchell, tight end Chris Brown, cornerback Jonathan Hefney and fullback David Holbert.
The womens basketball team has sold 44 of the 60 sideline seats, generating $800,000 thus far, according to womens athletics director Joan Cronan.
The women have sold 28 of the $40,000 per pair front-row seats and 16 of the $30,000 per pair second-row seats. The goal is to sell 60, which would generate over $1 million.
Ive been extremely pleased with the response, Cronan said. In life, timing is important, and this was the right time. People enjoyed the mens sideline seats and with what Pat Summitt has coming in, its a very positive situation.
The womens season tickets are at 9,000 and growing.
Among the Major League teams the Tennessee Smokies are talking to are Arizona, Los Angeles, Oakland and Florida. The Smokies will have a pool from which to pick on Sept. 5, then make an announcement in late September.
by Jimmy Hyams
No 10-win season for Vols
Tennessee is the only SEC team that will start a true freshman quarterback this season and the Vols might start two.
Ten SEC starters have had at least two years in their schools system. The other starter that doesnt is Florida sophomore Chris Leak, and hes one of the two best quarterbacks in the SEC.
Tennessee also projects to start just five seniors, matching Mississippi State for fewest in the SEC. Ole Miss will start 11 seniors, South Carolina 10 and Alabama nine.
UTs projected senior starters: offensive linemen Michael Munoz and Jason Respert, receiver Tony Brown, defensive end Karlton Neal and linebacker Kevin Burnett.
On paper, Tennessee is a year away.
But Vol fans arent patient enough to play for the future. They might tell you they want a true freshman at quarterback, but they also want a 10-win season.
Usually, the two dont go hand in hand.
This season figures to be no exception, no matter how exceptional the freshmen quarterbacks are.
Peyton Manning was 7-1 as a true freshman quarterback in 1994, but he didnt take over until the fifth game. If hed started from Game One, UT might have had the same 1-3 start.
Casey Clausen was 6-1 as a starter in 2000, but the Vols might have had the same 2-3 record if hed started the first five games.
Its worth noting that UTs offenses were productive for the most part when Manning and Clausen started as true freshmen.
In 1994, the Vols averaged 28.9 points, 414.5 total yards (231.2 rushing) and completed 60.5 percent of their passes. They had four games of 41 or more points.
In 2000, the Vols averaged 32.7 points, 373.2 total yards (162.7 rushing) and completed 59.9 percent of their passes. They had three games of 59 or more points.
The 2004 Tennessee team would take any of those numbers right now.
Randy Sanders, Tennessees maligned offensive coordinator, has his work cut out for him.
Not only is he saddled with two freshmen quarterbacks and the absence in the first three games of last seasons top receiver (James Banks), but he faces two of 2003s top five defensive teams Georgia and Auburn in the first five games.
If there is a bright side, some of the defenses UT will face werent very good last year. Alabama ranked 46th in the nation, Florida 51st, South Carolina 53rd, Ole Miss 59th, Vanderbilt 63rd and Kentucky 66th. Among the non-conference foes, UNLV was about 58th, Louisiana Tech allowed at least 34 points in eight games and at least 43 points in six games, and Notre Dame was outscored 158-26 by Southern Cal, Michigan, Florida State and Syracuse.
Still, UT is going into the season with unproven quarterbacks, underachieving running backs and an offensive line thats been mediocre the past two years.
Sanders said Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge are ahead of Manning and Branndon Stewart athletically. He said sixth-year senior C.J. Leak wasnt far enough ahead of Schaeffer and Ainge to justify starting. He said its very possible he could have a two-platoon system in which each quarterback is given a set of about 25 to 30 plays for each game, thus, the offense would have a package of 50 to 60 plays.
Sanders said the decision to go with two freshmen wasnt a reaction to 2000, when the Vols started Joey Mathews and A.J. Suggs before going with Clausen. That season, Clausen had a bum shoulder in late August, otherwise there was a great chance he would have started the opener, Sanders said.
Without further ado, here are my predictions for the 2004 season:
Tennessee will go 9-2, losing to Georgia and one other SEC foe. The Vols will play Iowa in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. If UT loses to Florida, the Vols will go 7-4.
Schaeffer and Ainge will combine to pass for 1,800 yards and 16 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. They will complete 56 percent of their passes and get sacked 26 times.
The Vols will average 175 rushing yards per game (the most since 1999). Gerald Riggs will lead the team with 800 yards. Four backs will rush for more than 200 yards.
Tennessee will average 24 points per game, with a high of 42 and a low of 10. The Vols will have four games of 20 or fewer points. They will average 350 total yards per game, ranking ninth in the SEC.
Robert Meachem will lead the team with 40 catches. Tony Brown and Chris Hannon will have at least 25. Tight ends will catch eight.
Tennessees defense will allow 295 total yards and 16 points per game to rank in the top four in the SEC in both categories. The run defense will surrender 110 yards per game.
The defense will intercept 14 passes, four by Jason Allen, two by James Banks. Parys Haralson will have 8.5 of the teams 32 sacks, Kevin Simon 112 tackles and Kevin Burnett 24 big plays.
Dustin Colquitt will average 46 yards per punt with 20 exceeding 50 yards. James Wilhoit will make 17 of 22 field-goal attempts.
Eight true freshmen will play: Schaeffer and Ainge, defensive linemen Ell Ash, Antonio Reynolds and Xavier Mitchell, tight end Chris Brown, cornerback Jonathan Hefney and fullback David Holbert.
The womens basketball team has sold 44 of the 60 sideline seats, generating $800,000 thus far, according to womens athletics director Joan Cronan.
The women have sold 28 of the $40,000 per pair front-row seats and 16 of the $30,000 per pair second-row seats. The goal is to sell 60, which would generate over $1 million.
Ive been extremely pleased with the response, Cronan said. In life, timing is important, and this was the right time. People enjoyed the mens sideline seats and with what Pat Summitt has coming in, its a very positive situation.
The womens season tickets are at 9,000 and growing.
Among the Major League teams the Tennessee Smokies are talking to are Arizona, Los Angeles, Oakland and Florida. The Smokies will have a pool from which to pick on Sept. 5, then make an announcement in late September.
