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Fulmer, Vols reload to defend East crown
Despite several key personnel losses, Tennessee’s coach says a title is in reach
Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer speaks to the media Thursday at the SEC football media days in Hoover, Ala.
Butch Dill/AP
Written by SETH EMERSON
semerson@thestate.com
Posted on 08.05.08
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AUDIO: Phillip Fulmer at SEC Media DaysABOUT THE VOLUNTEERS
COACH: Phillip Fulmer (147-45 in 17 seasons at Tennessee) 2007 RECORD: 10-4 overall, 6-2 in the SEC PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Arian Foster (1,193 rushing yards, 12 TDs in 2007), WR Lucas Taylor (73 catches, 1,000 yards), LB Rico McCoy (preseason All-SEC second team), DB Eric Berry (preseason All-SEC first team). THE SKINNY: The Volunteers should find out early how good they are, because their first-half schedule includes UCLA, Florida, Auburn and Georgia. That will be a tough stretch for a team breaking in a new quarterback and five new defensive starters. Fulmer is optimistic, but his team might be a year away from being back in the mix for the division title. SCHEDULE| Sept. 1 | at UCLA |
| Sept. 13 | Alabama-Birmingham |
| Sept. 20 | Florida |
| Sept. 27 | at Auburn |
| Oct. 4 | Northern Illinois |
| Oct. 11 | at Georgia |
| Oct. 18 | Mississippi State |
| Oct. 25 | Alabama |
| Nov. 1 | at South Carolina |
| Nov. 8 | Wyoming |
| Nov. 22 | at Vanderbilt |
| Nov. 29 | Kentucky |
Phillip Fulmer figured job-security questions had been put to rest early this summer when his bosses gave him a contract extension. Then, the night before his trip to SEC media days, the Tennessee football coach was at a barbecue when an older fan approached him.
“Hey, coach, don’t let them bother you,” the fan said.
Fulmer looked at the man and replied: “Who’s they?”
As the conversation continued, the man pointed out that Fulmer’s record compared well with the Volunteers teams of his day, the late 50s and early 60s. He had a willing listener in Fulmer, whose career record is 147-45, including a national championship.
As for recent history, you might be able to win a bar bet by asking who won the SEC East last season. Not Georgia, which clobbered Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, or Florida, with all its hype. No, it was Tennessee that used a late surge to win via tiebreaker, then lost to LSU in the league championship game.
That followed the most heated criticism Fulmer had faced in his 16-year tenure. Now he thinks he’s on the verge of another long run of success, despite losing his quarterback and best defensive player from last year’s team.
“If you go back and look at the era in the late ’90s, you’re talking about some really great players,” Fulmer said. “I think we’re getting close (to having those) kind of athletes at Tennessee again.”
Sophomore safety Eric Berry can “certainly be one of the best players that Tennessee has had in a long time and one of the best players that has played in the country in a long time,” Fulmer said.
Tailback Arian Foster passed on the NFL draft despite being projected as a second-round pick, according to Fulmer. Foster has a chance to become the program’s all-time leading rusher this season.
But what else do the Volunteers have? Not enough to make others expect them to finish better than third in the SEC East. In fact, in the media vote, Tennessee was closer to fourth-place South Carolina than to second-place Georgia.
Fulmer pointed out his team was picked third in the division in 1998, when it won the national title.
“We’re always picked third and are used to it,” Foster said. “We just have to wait and see what happens.”
Tennessee has to replace quarterback Erik Ainge, who started most of his three seasons. Junior Jonathan Crompton, who had 12 pass attempts last year, inherits the position.
A bigger loss could be linebacker Jerod Mayo, the newest defensive starter for the New England Patriots. Tennessee has to replace four other defensive starters.
“We won nine (in 2006), won 10 (last year) and hopefully have laid the groundwork to make a run again at the championship,” Fulmer said.
This year, that might be asking too much. But don’t tell Tennessee fans.
Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.
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