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Vols Control Action In Win

Tennessee Run Game, Defense Lead Way

Last updated Saturday, November 10, 2007 8:12 PM CST
in Razorback Central

By Kurt Voigt
THE MORNING NEWS

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee beat Arkansas at its own game.

Whether running the ball, stopping the run or controlling the clock, the Volunteers turned the tables on the Razorbacks in a 34-13 win in Neyland Stadium on Saturday.

Tennessee entered the game No. 11 in the Southeastern Conference in total defense but held Arkansas to just 289 total yards. Meanwhile, a Volunteers offense No. 2 in passing offense and No. 9 rushing controlled the action via the run -- outgaining the top-ranked Razorbacks 151-127 on the ground.

"We had (279) yards of offense, I wouldn't say that was a great offensive day," Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. "But we did what we had to do to win the football game against a solid Arkansas defensive team and a great offensive team."

Tennessee set the tone early in improving to 6-0 at home for the first time since 1999, holding Arkansas to just 49 total yards of offense on 20 plays in the first half. One key for the Volunteers was time of possession. Tennessee had the ball for 20 minutes, 55 seconds in the half, compared to 9:05 for the Razorbacks.

Another was holding Arkansas' running back tandem of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones to just 31 yards on nine carries. The duo combined for 487 yards a week ago in a 48-36 win over South Carolina, with McFadden's 321-yard performance sparking talk that the junior was back in the Heisman trophy hunt.

All that talk this week served as motivation for Tennessee junior running back Arian Foster, who finished with 83 yards on 13 carries on Saturday. Foster's 59-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter gave the Volunteers a 27-3 lead.

"Our running back motto this week was 'steal the show,'" Foster said. "That's what we lived by this week."

Tennessee senior quarterback Erik Ainge, who missed last season's 26-20 loss to Arkansas with an ankle injury, didn't control the action on Saturday, but he didn't have to. Ainge finished 12-of-25 passing for 128 yards, but he threw for two touchdowns and helped the Volunteers finish 7-of-16 on third-down conversions, including a 14-yard touchdown to junior Josh Briscoe with 10 seconds left in the first half that gave Tennessee a 20-3 lead.

"There were a lot of things we probably could have done (on offense)," Ainge said. "But you've just got to try and win the football game, throw the ball on third down, and it worked out for us."

With two games remaining, at home against Vanderbilt and at Kentucky, Tennessee still controls its own destiny. If the Volunteers win out, they would represent the East in the SEC championship game in Atlanta.



Reader Comments (45 comment(s))


The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.

HawgCowboy wrote on Nov 10, 2007 10:27 PM:

" NO BIG NAME COACH WILL COME TO ARKANSAS when Nutt leaves. Arkansas does not have nerly enough money to match all of the universities that are more than double the student enrollment of Arkanas (2X times the size of U. of Arkansas), 5 universities in the SEC Conference and 10 in the Big Ten Conference and others in other conferences are 2X as big as us. We stand no chance of matching the millions of dollars that those large schools twice as large as us can offer a football coach.....Any of you guys on here ready to mail in a $53 contribution to the Razorback Foundation to build up a nest egg for hiring? "

hawgballer wrote on Nov 10, 2007 11:25 PM:

" "HawgCowboy" so I guess your fine with having HDN for the next 10 years? There's plenty of bright coaches out there that could be UA's coach.. "

hog wild wrote on Nov 10, 2007 11:46 PM:

" "HawgCowboy", just where to you get your into? Student enrollment is not the only factor used to measure how much we can pay a coach. Booster, private donations..etc. How in the world do you think we got the ammenities we have i.e. DW Ren. stadium...Bud Walton etc. Use your brain, We have plenty to offer any big name coach and they should consider it an honor to be offered a coaching position, whomever that may be. "

UCARazorback wrote on Nov 11, 2007 4:15 AM:

" Taking into consideration it would cost about 49.00 to buy out Nutt's contract, paying 4 dollars more to get a better coach sounds like a deal to me... Also, I'm not exactly sure the Vols beat us at our own game. They actually scored 2 passing touchdowns for a QB, that would never happen in the Hogs gameplan "

tulsa_cane_fan wrote on Nov 11, 2007 5:08 AM:

" how bout them tulsa canes "

Hoggish1 wrote on Nov 11, 2007 6:53 AM:

" OK, it's time. Announce that Nutt has accepted a buyout and get on with the next phase of Razorback bootball. 12 penalties, most of which either kept their drives going or killed ours. This was the worst coached game in Nutt's tenure. No discipline, no motivation, no play calling ability. How long does this go on? "

BigHog wrote on Nov 11, 2007 7:25 AM:

" Coach Broyles can further cement his legacy of building one of the best athletic programs (in a small state - e.g. Razorback Stadium, Baum Stadium, Walton Arena, McDonnell Field, etc.) by initiating the buy-out of HDN and staff's contracts ... WHEN? The day after the LSU game! Allow the kids to enjoy the rest of this season minus the turmoil & soap opera ... then fire the coaching staff (even if we miraculously receive a bowl offer). Find a proven SEC-level coach from outside the conference ... please, no Tubberville. It's time to pony up those $$$$ for the buy-out gentlemen! So razordd, 12247, etc., are you willing to pay-up??? "

HawgCowboy wrote on Nov 11, 2007 7:34 AM:

" BIGHOG, razordd, 12247, CoHog, hawgballer, and others have NEVER said that they would contribute money to the Razorback Foundation for a buyout...or for anything else...and certainly not checks with at least three zeros behind them, as in xx,000. They are all talk and no stepping up. "

12247 wrote on Nov 11, 2007 8:03 AM:

" Bighog, let me help you rewrite your post. Coach Broyles, you certianly built one of the finest facalities in college football, unfortunately, while doing that you were also a granite cornerstone standing squarely in the middle of us getting decent people to operate out of those facalities. Good coaches didn't really want to come work for you. That said, please finally do the right thing and remove this current blight you allowed to hang around for too long and improve your sagging image just in time for retirement. I am calling on folks like 12247 who says he has supported this team since the 60's to help undo the mistakes of this adminstration, yourself included, and hopefully contribute cash to help offset you guys gross mistakes. I do not want Tubberville and hope the rumor that Butch Davis has already been offered the job is true. I was a huge supporter of Nutt and company and was one of the very last to have to off-handledly admit I was DEAD WRONG about him. There now, you can feel better about finally ponying up the truth. "

CO-Hog wrote on Nov 11, 2007 8:11 AM:

" ... and Hawgcowboy, all that nonsense about UA doesn't have the money to buy out any coach is hogwash (all puns intended). When a literally small school like South Carolina hires, back to back, big dollar coaches (Holtz and Spurrier) - don't tell me Arkansas can't keep up. UA is THE University of Arkansas - the state's PREMIER school. The school has all the money it needs for anything it needs. "

12247 wrote on Nov 11, 2007 8:35 AM:

" Since some amoung us want to play the small poor state and little enrollment card, here is what Tulsa did yesterday with the smallest D1. Won over Houston, a school they had never beaten in this conference, 56-7. QB went 15 of 28 for 313 yards and 5 TDs. 6 players received passes, 10 players rushed the ball, 104 return yards, over 200 yards rushing, 515 total yards, won the time of possession by over 2 minutes, punting average over 45 yards, 1 turnover, 22 first downs, 7 yard average per play and run 74 offensive plays. This was all accomplished by a small poor school and a bunch of lower paid coaches with players a school like Arkansas wouldn't even recruit. You can find budget coaches that can produce if you know where to look and what to look for. Granted, they will not stay budget coaches long if they produce but we either pay the fiddler or quit dancing. Whining and excuses is what we have now and they aren't cheap. Whining and excuses also define a portion of our fanbase and that is really holding us back. Go Hogs, overcome the uneducated fan base. "

MisterE wrote on Nov 11, 2007 8:40 AM:

" Hey, 12247, I had a good friend with that b-day... Do you live in Virginia? Do you have connections with Iowa? Anyway, I agree with most of your posts. I really think HDN is gone this time. If not, next year will be the worst in the past ten. "

Westcoast Hawg wrote on Nov 11, 2007 9:04 AM:

" The Razorback Foundation has the money in its funds to pay for a TOP COACH. I pledge and give a great amount more than $54.00. Please Arkansas is not a small state. "

hawgballer wrote on Nov 11, 2007 9:12 AM:

" "HawgCowboy"... Let me ask you a question, are you a Nutt supporter? It seems to me your more concerned about the UofA budget than rejuvinating the football program.. "

bigtimenutthater wrote on Nov 11, 2007 9:26 AM:

" IT's time folks. It has been time for a while now. Nutt has had ten years to prove himself, and all that has been proven is that he is a poor leader, has questionable ethics, morals, and leadership skills, and that he is WAAAAAYYYYYY over his head coaching in the SEC. The main thing proved over the last ten years is that he is no better than mediocre at best!!!! But, I am sure he will try to cheer his way out of things. "

texashogfan wrote on Nov 11, 2007 10:17 AM:

" NUTT has GOT to GO !!! GO NUTT GO GO NUTT GO GO NUTT GO GO NUTT GO GO NUTT GO LEAVE ARKANSAS "

texashogfan wrote on Nov 11, 2007 10:19 AM:

" Somebody wake me up out of this nightmare. Please wake me up and tell me I just had a bad dream!!!!! This is pathetic, just pathetic. "

12247 wrote on Nov 11, 2007 12:13 PM:

" MisterE, although I worked in Iowa for a short period of time in my youth, I am not in any way connected to Iowa or Virgina. I hope Nutt is gone but would like the Adminstration to address this situation instead of act like everything is just fine, wonderful, great, etc.. U of A has some deep pocket folks in their past and money to a point is not a problem. The big problem we have here is many of the big spenders like Nutt or the Nutt family and find it difficult to do the right. Any football person knows Nutt is failing at his job but many are having trouble pulling the trigger. They wish he would leave on his own and he might if he could find a decent job. Trouble is, million dollar per jobs are hard to come by for unskilled workers. Nutt's talents are in the 25K range, not 1 million. He has to hang on to the sugar bottle as long as he can. His family moving down to Wal-Mart products would ruin his ego to say nothing of the pride and ego of his family. Shoot, he and Donna might have to do a charity event for his very own family, that is, if she would still text message him after he falls on the sword. "

HawgCowboy wrote on Nov 11, 2007 2:12 PM:

" .....CO-Hog, I'm glad you're paying attention to how much we can pay a new football coach. But you're wrong about South Carolina being a small university hiring Holtz and Spurrier. South Carolina has a student enrollment of almost 9,000 more students than our beloved University of Arkansas. The South Carolina football stadium seats 80,250 fans while Arkansas' stadium seats 72,000....(Do the calculations on just how much more revenue they bring in a season with sellouts than we do.) The state of South Carolina has a population that is ONE AND ONE HALF TIMES as large as Arkansas' population. "

HawgCowboy wrote on Nov 11, 2007 2:21 PM:

" ...and CO-Hog what's more, the two Mississippi schools, plus Vanderbilt, plus Arkansas ARE THE SMALL UNIVERSITIES in the SEC. We would be lucky to outbid any of the colleges that are larger than us. Every state in the SEC has a LARGER POPULATION THAN ARKANSAS, plus every single state that touches the state of Arkansas. We have a proud tradition and love our University of Arkansas, but we will always have to find an "up and coming young football coach" like we did Pelphrey in basketball. This does not mean we can't overachieve in athletics, like I hope Pelphrey is going to do with the basketball team...if he can get these current players not to play as selfish players, but as team first, me second attitude players. "

dfwhogfan1 wrote on Nov 11, 2007 2:27 PM:

" Hawgcowboy....your first post is WAY OFF my friend. The U of A can offer the next coach $2 million a year if they need to and that may be what they do to get an expierenced coach in here. One with a proven track record. Don't let the fact that the u of a is not as big enrollment wise cloud your judgement in what we can pay. What we can pay would surprise you and it may be time for us to do that IF it is for the RIGHT coach. "

HawgCowboy wrote on Nov 11, 2007 2:47 PM:

" dfwhogfan1 my friend, if Arkansas offers a big time coach, other schools will offer 2.5 million dollars. Just watch at how much Texas A&&M is going to be willing to offer a big name coach to come there...it will be a staggering amount!! "

dfwhogfan1 wrote on Nov 11, 2007 2:49 PM:

" TO ALL POSTERS: Here is my thoughts (like they matter...ha) on how this H thing will play out. FB is not going to be the one who pushes for the buyout before the end of the year. My reasons for this are: if he does...he will get a bad rap for it, if he doesn't he will get a bad rap for it. So why even bother or mess with the headache of it all. New AD - do any of us truly believe that the he wants any part of the hiring of the biggest position in the athletic department in his first month on the job...no way! The only way this plays out in my opinion is that if we lose out (which very well could happen) then John White will be forced to get involved...lord help us all if he does. Or, H will choose to walk away and move on because if he does lose it it will get really ugly..much worse than last years offseason. My best guess is that H will walk away and move on. Just a thought to all this. "

S.CarolinaHog wrote on Nov 11, 2007 2:56 PM:

" you should all remember something: the razorback foundation has more money than God. (forgive my blasphemy). sure, USC has about 35000 students, which is around double what Fayettenam has, but we got the jack to hire somebody good. when Frankenbroyles leaves, the black cloud leaves. then there would be no reason for a good coach not to want to come here with the great facilities and rabid fans. lve heard terry bowden mentioned, plus a few others. also hot off the rumor mill is that nutt will take the baylor job. he belongs there.......no cussin, no drinkin, no winnin. "

HawgCowboy wrote on Nov 11, 2007 2:56 PM:

" dfwhogfan1 my friend, there is some truth to your last post. We need a "Pelphrey" football coach next, and I'm keeping the faith for the sake of our boys...I love all of our players and want the best for them...much more than what the fans want. "

razorvision wrote on Nov 11, 2007 2:58 PM:

" What a pitiful coaching performance we all witnessed yesterday. Clearly the team was not prepared to play football yesterday and that is on the coaching staff. Careless penalties and no game plan resulted in an ugly loss. Of course, this has been a current theme throughout this season. If a change is not made at the end of the season, this Razorback Fan will not be attending any football games next year. "

HawgCowboy wrote on Nov 11, 2007 3:27 PM:

" My friend S.CarolinaHog, I enjoyed the last line of your last post about the Baylor job rumors that Nutt will take where their tradition is no drinkin', no cussin', and no winnin'. Keep up the good posts, ole boy. "

hawgballer wrote on Nov 11, 2007 5:24 PM:

" We're 2-12 all time agains Tennessee... Does anybody remember when was the last time we beat either a Georgia, Florida, LSU team? What does this reflect on? "

HawgCowboy wrote on Nov 11, 2007 5:44 PM:

" The 2-12 reflects on the fact that Florida has 48,000 student enrollment...Georgia has 32,300 students, Tennessee has 27,000 students and LSU has 32,000 students enrolled. (ARKANSAS IS A SMALL COMPARED TO THESE UNIVERSITIES YOU MENTION). Be realistic, we don't live in a fantasy world where wishes always come true...but we did beat LSU in Little Rock's game before last. "

12247 wrote on Nov 11, 2007 6:37 PM:

" Gentlemen, I could be wrong but I doubt a recruit comes to a school because of its size or the population of the State. Todays recruit comes to a particular school because: 1. It is his only invite, 2. He likes the type of game they play and thinks his game fits the situation, 3. He likes the feel, meaning players are nice, coaches are nice, and night life is nice and 4. a small few go to a particular school to play football and get a good education. Arkansas football has been bad for so long that we no longer have a coaching bloodline to pull a good coach from. Jimmy Johnson is as close as we get to that. So we must pick from the mid-majors or steal someones Ace to get a good coach. The Ace costs 2.5 mil and up. The up and comer like Graham at Tulsa would come much cheaper but if he won, would soon demand the 2.5 mil and up. The University of Arkansas is located in the heart of money. What other SEC school has Wal-mart, Tyson, Jerry Jones, Jim Lindsey, and several others with money to spend. Point is, we aren't poor at our University. We can afford a decent coach. "

HawgCowboy wrote on Nov 11, 2007 7:03 PM:

" 12247 my friend, disgruntled fans on here seem to want to spend someone else's money. None on here have told of contributing thousands of dollars to the Razorback Foundation. To me it sounds like spoiled kids wanting things paid for by others money.....Wal-mart, Tyson, Jerry Jones, Jim Lindsey, and several others with money to spend may want to keep Houston Nutt as Arkansas' coach, you don't know. You guys come up with your own money and contribute it to the Razorback Foundation in the thousands. Still backing the boys! "

HawgCowboy wrote on Nov 11, 2007 7:21 PM:

" Will the unsatisfied fans contribute their own money to the Razorback Foundation or do they want others to cover their part, like the one 12247 mentioned above? Reminds me of little kids that expect their parents to pay all the bills, but these are not their parents. These fans need to carry their own weight of money, not just complaining. "

cardsfan wrote on Nov 12, 2007 7:41 AM:

" HawgCowboy..I don't know much about football so help me out here. Since all these other schools have a lot more students do they get to put a lot more players on the field? That would explain why we only had 1 first down in the first half? It doesn't seem fair that other teams get to use more players just because they have more students. I personally believe everybody should only get to put 11 players on the field regardless of how many students they have. I understand now why our record is so dismal. "

springdale hog fan wrote on Nov 12, 2007 9:50 AM:

" Is it wrong to shy away from the idea of bringing in some "high profile," big name coach? Why not search for someone who may not have the name, but has proven to bring innovation and excitment to the game of football (as well as wins)? Would Gus Malzahn be such a bad consideration to lead the Razorbacks into a new era? Before you tear me up with critizm, look at Coach Malzahn's history. Why would you think he couldn't do the same at the college level. He's certainly having a pretty good year at Tulsa.. "

Semperhog wrote on Nov 12, 2007 3:17 PM:

" HawgCowboy, do you honestly think that student enrollment creates great football teams? I always thought tradition and consistent winning seasons create great football teams. What about the big budget, high enrollment schools that do poorly in football? Arkansas is a football school and we can be small but mighty, again. I can tell you I am a supporter and have been for many years. How much I give or don't give is between the Foundation and me. I think we can afford a big time coach but I would be just as happy with an up and comer because this program needs new blood. John McDonnell has done pretty good creating something with this small enrollment school as did Nolan Richardson for several years and those sports are considered second and third to football. Yes, we have many challenges and it won’t be easy but I think that is why Hog Fans are so dedicated and passionate because on paper we are usually the underdog, underhog in our case. Should we allow that to stop us? "

TheDecider wrote on Nov 12, 2007 4:08 PM:

" HawgCowboy-I contribute to resolving the coaching dilemma with my tax dollars.Last time I checked Arkansas was still a state school,which means my state taxes go toward Nutt's pay. Enough with this talk of dollars.We all pay. "

TheDecider wrote on Nov 12, 2007 4:10 PM:

" Franlky I couldn't care whether he stays or goes.It's just football.But I sure would like a better return on my tax dollars. "

TheDecider wrote on Nov 12, 2007 4:11 PM:

" And by "franlky" I mean "frankly" :) "

dfwhogfan1 wrote on Nov 12, 2007 4:46 PM:

" Springdale Hog Fan...obviously you love Malzahn and his ideas and that is fine but truthfully, how can you possibly bring someone in with ZERO head coaching in a major conference, let alone a mid major. Maybe down the road he proves he can do it but I for one do not want someone that has NEVER been a head coach at the Mid or Major level. This program has the facilities and the money to bring in a VERY GOOD coach! 12247 was exactly correct in what he stated earlier about being located in the heart of money. We are avery good fit fit for an experienced coach to come in her and shake things up a little offensively. Hoestly, our talent level is is not that far off from some of the other big boys in our conference...its all in how you use them and get them prepared, scheme etc....but sorry no Gus. My fear is that some folks on the board like Gary George want him here and will do what they can to make this happen and that is a shame! "

Semperhog wrote on Nov 12, 2007 5:16 PM:

" Dfwhogfan1, I agree with the Gus Malzahn statement you made. I like him and I think he will be an outstanding coach in College Football but he isn't ready to be a head coach of a major D-1 program. That is setting him up to fail. I think he is too smart to come back this soon anyway because it would create another, if smaller, divide between the fans. He has proven he is willing to work his way up the food chain of football. Arkansas better not wait too long to try to get him back though or we may be going up against his offense at another SEC school. He is smart and he learns very quickly. "

hoggchadder wrote on Nov 12, 2007 5:36 PM:

" i have kept waiting and finally heard the name i've been waiting to hear, gus malzahn.... and i'm glad to hear some people step up and say that he isn't ready. he is one and a half years out of coaching highschool football. ever heard of a school in the dfw area called southlake carroll? that place was a heck of a bigger power house than shs was or is... take a look what todd dodge has done since he left the highschool ranks, i think one win maybe two. there is a HUGE difference between hs and div1 schools. that statement did it for me, i'm done. i'll support my favorite college team and the heck with this junk. won't listen to the whiners from shs anymore, the ones who a the biggestest whiners are worse than pee wee parents!!!!! "

Semperhog wrote on Nov 12, 2007 6:00 PM:

" Saying he isn't ready is not the same as saying he will not be ready. Todd Dodge took over a losing program at North Texas and this is his first year so I am not sure that is an easy thing to fix for anybody. Still North Texas is a second tier program as compared to Arkansas football. It would much tougher here. We saw North Texas talent and they have one or two standouts that is about it. Dodge is working with what horses he had in the barn so........Time will tell. "

springdale hog fan wrote on Nov 12, 2007 8:45 PM:

" dfwhogfan, I appreciate your comment and reluctantly agree. I think the world of Gus Malzahn and I've watched him coach at the high school level. What I like most is his dedication and ability to motivate his players. I had that in mind, because the Razorbacks deparately need someone with Coach Malzahn's dedication. What I fear most is that UA will look for a "big name" and end up grabbing someone who is on the downhill slide. We need someone to get this program fired up again, whoever it may be. Coach Malzahn will be ready someday. "

springdale hog fan wrote on Nov 12, 2007 8:51 PM:

" Morning News moderator, I don't mind you pulling my post in response to hoggchadder's garbage, but do you think his comments are any less inflammatoy. Let's be fair about this. "

tnew wrote on Nov 12, 2007 9:10 PM:

" I did this on another less active post so I will do it here, what options might realistically be available. My thoughts. Most obvious might be Butch Davis but North Carolina isn't a bad deal.Davis would be in a position to do whatever he wanted to do as far as a job goes. There are two coaches in the Big East in Jim Leavitt and Randy Edsall but I don't think the positive momentum that they have in their programs would take them to the SEC. George O'Leary is surely ready to get out of UCF and has paid for his resume controversy but he still isn't a great fit. I have heard the Malzahn chant but even if he turns out to be the next Bill Walsh, there is too much baggage at the UofA for him to come back. I am not crazy about any of the hot assistants from other programs with the exception of Charlie Strong, the defensive Coordinator of Florida. He seems ready for big time. He has some Arkansas ties in that he was born in Batesville and went to school at Central Arkansas and Henderson. If we could find a way to get him that would be my choice. The fastest easiest way to be competitive would be to put in a proven defensive guy. The ties to Florida would expand our recruiting base and him being an African American would help with the image of the University. "


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