Arclight
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 23, 2005
- Messages
- 4,259
- Likes
- 858
By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer
KNOXVILLE A dejected Tennessee offensive coordinator Randy Sanders offered the most appropriate description of the Vols' floundering offense last night.
"It's kind of like we have a car with four leaky tires," Sanders said. "When you fill them up with air, it moves pretty good. But pretty soon, the air runs out of the tires, and it's not a very smooth ride at that point.
"It seems every time we get something going, we find a way to mess it up."
The Vols were held to a single touchdown in their 16-15 loss to South Carolina last night. Four times they started in South Carolina territory and came away with no points.
There were penalties, turnovers and missed opportunities to break the game open.
Arian Foster, who finished with 148 yards rushing, lost a fumble at the goal line for a touchback in the first half just as he was about to cross the goal line.
The Vols appeared poised to take a 19-7 lead, but instead had to settle for a 12-7 halftime lead.
It was reminiscent of Cory Anderson's fumble last week at Alabama.
Coach Phillip Fulmer, his voice quivering somewhat as he opened his post-game press conference last night, sighed repeatedly as he tried to explain why the Vols have been so inept this season on offense.
"It's amazing," he said. "We play a good Alabama team tooth and nail and find a way to screw it up and play a good South Carolina team and find just enough to screw it up. We've got to change that."
Fulmer hinted a couple of different times last night that he was willing to change whatever necessary to get the Vols' ship righted.
But sophomore quarterback Erik Ainge said the coaches were a scapegoat for the players' poor play on offense.
"I feel terrible for our seniors who are going through this," Ainge said. "We've just got to go back to work. I've harped on it before and I'll say it again. It's not Coach Fulmer. It's not Coach Chavis. It's not Randy Sanders. It's Rick (Clausen) and I and the offense as a group.
"Coach Sanders dialed up some plays that if caught, it's a touchdown. If I wait a half-second more, it's possibly a touchdown. It's not the coaches. It's us, and I feel comfortable putting that on me and Rick."
Sanders said it's obvious the players are pressing now on offense.
"Sometimes when you try too hard, that seems like when mistakes happen," Sanders said. "That just seems like where we are right now." n
Fulmer reiterated that it's not a talent issue on offense, even though the receivers have been nicked up and tailback Gerald Riggs Jr. was lost for the season last week.
"It's just shooting ourselves in the foot," Fulmer said. "That's all I've got to tell you right now. We're just shooting ourselves in the foot."
Clausen started at quarterback, but was replaced by Ainge after throwing an interception on his first pass attempt.
Ainge led the Vols to their only touchdown drive, but couldn't cash in on good field percentage. Clausen finished the game and led the Vols on the drive that produced James Wilhoit's go-ahead field goal.
"They said that they were going with Rick," Ainge said. "It's not my place to say anything after that. I play as hard as I can when I'm out there, and they felt Rick was the better choice at the end of the game with the two-minute drill, and you have to live with that."
_________________
Staff Writer
KNOXVILLE A dejected Tennessee offensive coordinator Randy Sanders offered the most appropriate description of the Vols' floundering offense last night.
"It's kind of like we have a car with four leaky tires," Sanders said. "When you fill them up with air, it moves pretty good. But pretty soon, the air runs out of the tires, and it's not a very smooth ride at that point.
"It seems every time we get something going, we find a way to mess it up."
The Vols were held to a single touchdown in their 16-15 loss to South Carolina last night. Four times they started in South Carolina territory and came away with no points.
There were penalties, turnovers and missed opportunities to break the game open.
Arian Foster, who finished with 148 yards rushing, lost a fumble at the goal line for a touchback in the first half just as he was about to cross the goal line.
The Vols appeared poised to take a 19-7 lead, but instead had to settle for a 12-7 halftime lead.
It was reminiscent of Cory Anderson's fumble last week at Alabama.
Coach Phillip Fulmer, his voice quivering somewhat as he opened his post-game press conference last night, sighed repeatedly as he tried to explain why the Vols have been so inept this season on offense.
"It's amazing," he said. "We play a good Alabama team tooth and nail and find a way to screw it up and play a good South Carolina team and find just enough to screw it up. We've got to change that."
Fulmer hinted a couple of different times last night that he was willing to change whatever necessary to get the Vols' ship righted.
But sophomore quarterback Erik Ainge said the coaches were a scapegoat for the players' poor play on offense.
"I feel terrible for our seniors who are going through this," Ainge said. "We've just got to go back to work. I've harped on it before and I'll say it again. It's not Coach Fulmer. It's not Coach Chavis. It's not Randy Sanders. It's Rick (Clausen) and I and the offense as a group.
"Coach Sanders dialed up some plays that if caught, it's a touchdown. If I wait a half-second more, it's possibly a touchdown. It's not the coaches. It's us, and I feel comfortable putting that on me and Rick."
Sanders said it's obvious the players are pressing now on offense.
"Sometimes when you try too hard, that seems like when mistakes happen," Sanders said. "That just seems like where we are right now." n
Fulmer reiterated that it's not a talent issue on offense, even though the receivers have been nicked up and tailback Gerald Riggs Jr. was lost for the season last week.
"It's just shooting ourselves in the foot," Fulmer said. "That's all I've got to tell you right now. We're just shooting ourselves in the foot."
Clausen started at quarterback, but was replaced by Ainge after throwing an interception on his first pass attempt.
Ainge led the Vols to their only touchdown drive, but couldn't cash in on good field percentage. Clausen finished the game and led the Vols on the drive that produced James Wilhoit's go-ahead field goal.
"They said that they were going with Rick," Ainge said. "It's not my place to say anything after that. I play as hard as I can when I'm out there, and they felt Rick was the better choice at the end of the game with the two-minute drill, and you have to live with that."
_________________
