Tennessee Preview

The Tennessee football team will return to Knoxville this weekend after a crushing defeat to rival Alabama to take on No. 21-ranked South Carolina in a Halloween night game at Neyland Stadium.

The Vols lost 27-6 last year in Columbia after trailing 21-0 at the half. UT head coach Lane Kiffin knows his team is going to need to play mistake-free to escape the nationally ranked Gamecocks. South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier has an 11-7 record against UT.

“We are excited about a great team coming in here,” Kiffin said. “We are going to have our hands full against a great defensive line and an offense that has really come together this year. This will be an intriguing matchup for us.”

UT defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin will face the offensive-minded Spurrier when the Gamecocks comes to town. Monte Kiffin is credited with creating the “Tampa 2” defensive scheme that saw success on the NFL level, and Spurrier’s offenses at the University of Florida helped the Gators garner seven SEC championships and one national championship. Spurrier also won the Heisman Trophy in 1966 as a quarterback.

Tennessee’s defense has been one of the best in the nation, ranking sixth in passing defense and 10th in total defense. The UT defense has only given up a combined 15 points in its last two games, and the Vols have not allowed a touchdown since the fourth quarter of the Auburn game. Monte Kiffin’s defense has kept opposing offenses out of the end zone for 133 straight minutes.

The Tennessee offense has shown improvement as of late and has run off 16 plays of 20-plus yards in the last three games. The offense has remained on the field as well, as the Vols topped both Alabama and Georgia in time of possession.

The Vols have given up a total of eight sacks in only seven games. The improved play from the offensive line has also led the way for senior running back Montario Hardesty. The New Bern, N.C., native ranks 20th in the nation and fourth in the SEC with 102.9 yards per game.

Redshirt freshman Aaron Douglas, who made his first career start at right tackle against Ohio, has played in six of UT’s games while starting four of them. The converted tight end likes the cohesiveness he has seen from the offense.

“Our coaches have been putting together some great game plans,” Douglas said. “It is all starting to come together on offense, and we are starting to play our style of football.”

Lane Kiffin has also opened up the playbook for senior quarterback Jonathan Crompton. Crompton has had four different offensive coordinators in his five years at UT, but Kiffin says Crompton is starting to show shades of his capabilities.

“I think he has put together two-and-a-half games of playing really well, going back to the last half of the Auburn game,” Kiffin said. “We have a lot of confidence in the way that he is playing. I think a lot of it has to do with his receivers being healthy, and the timing is better. He is playing just as well as anybody in the conference, and I believe he has four more touchdown passes than Tim Tebow.”