| Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee
GAME: Tennessee at Vanderbilt
TIME: 12:30 P.M. EST
VENUE: Vanderbilt Stadium
Tennessee showed how much it's missed quarterback Erik Ainge with consecutive losses to fall out of the SEC title race.
The 22nd-ranked Volunteers hope to have Ainge back - and seek revenge for a rare loss to Vanderbilt as the in-state rivals meet Saturday in Nashville.
Last season, Vanderbilt (4-7, 1-6 SEC) beat Tennessee for the first time in 22 years as Jay Cutler - now with the Denver Broncos - hit Earl Bennett with a 5-yard scoring pass with 1:11 to play in the Commodores' 28-24 win in Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee (7-3, 3-3), though, hasn't lost in Nashville since 1964. Under coach Phillip Fulmer, the Vols have averaged more than 36 points against the Commodores en route to a 12-1 record in his tenure.
Ainge, who is second in the SEC averaging 246.2 yards passing, sprained his ankle in a 31-24 win Oct. 28 at South Carolina. He started the following week against LSU but was replaced by redshirt freshman Jonathan Crompton after the first quarter.
The Vols lost 28-24 as LSU scored the go-ahead TD with 9 seconds to play.
Crompton started last week in a 31-14 loss at Arkansas and had 174 passing yards with two TDs and one interception.
"I wasn't as mentally prepared for (the environment) as I should have been," Crompton said. "At times we were (able to get into a rhythm), but I take that on myself that we didn't get into the kind of rhythm we could have."
Fulmer on Tuesday said Ainge, who did not play in last year's loss to Vanderbilt, was probable.
"He's better. He's not 100 percent," Fulmer said. "Can he protect himself? Can he get away from the rush? Can he move in the pocket? Yesterday was a good indication that he is making progress toward that."
Fulmer also said Crompton will continue to prepare to play.
"Jon will certainly be ready and available. I think with as much as Vanderbilt does (defensively) having Erik out there would be a real plus for us," Fulmer said.
Tennessee hopes to have fullback David Holbert back after he, safety Antonio Wardlow and tailback Arian Foster were suspended following their arrest for involvement in a disturbance at a nightclub following the loss to LSU.
Wardlow is suspended for this game, while Foster sat out the first half of last week's game.
Tennessee ends its regular season next Saturday at home against Kentucky.
Vanderbilt (4-7, 1-6) is coming off a 38-26 loss to the Wildcats last weekend. The Commodores had a season-high 621 yards of offense - including 446 passing - but were outscored 21-6 in the final quarter.
The Commodores had the chance early in the fourth quarter to take the lead, but Chris Nickson threw an interception on fourth-and-goal at the Kentucky 2-yard line, and the Wildcats scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
"It was awful big, because we could have put some pressure on them right there, and probably went ahead and won the game," said Nickson, who was 23-of-37 with one touchdown and two interceptions.
The loss ended Vanderbilt's hopes for a bowl game this season, but offensive lineman Mac Pyle said there still is significance to this game.
"We're making it our bowl game," Pyle said. "It's a chance to play a Top 25 opponent. That's basically what you're going to get in a bowl game, anyway." |