Sand Mountain Reporter

PART 11 OF A SERIES

It’s been nine years since Tennessee last won the Southeastern Conference football championship, and the fans on Rocky Top are becoming restless.

Head coach Phillip Fulmer righted the Volunteers’ ship last fall after a dismal 2005 season.

Fulmer appears to have the Vols marching in the right direction again, but most college football observers don’t believe UT will capture that elusive championship banner this fall.

The Volunteers’ arch-nemesis, Florida, is predicted by many to claim the SEC East and overall crowns.

Tennessee will visit Gainesville on Sept. 15 in what is always a pivotal game on the conference schedule.

The Volunteers’ leader will be senior quarterback Erik Ainge, who completed a school-record 67 percent of his passes in 2006.

Ainge threw for 2,989 yards and 19 touchdowns, finishing second in the SEC in passing yards per game (249.1).

The Vols will be searching for targets for Ainge when preseason practice kicks off in August.

Tennessee lost receivers Robert Meachem, Bret Smith and Jayson Swain, who combined for 159 receptions last fall.

Josh Briscoe, Quintin Hancock, Austin Rogers and Lucas Taylor are the leading candidates at receiver, but they combined for just 26 catches in 2006.

Linebacker Jerod Mayo is an All-SEC candidate. He was in on 83 tackles and five sacks as a sophomore and was a two-time conference player of the week.

The Vols’ question mark on defense is the secondary, which will feature three new starters.

The only returnee is Jonathan Hefney, an All-America candidate, at free safety.

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Publisher: Ben Shurett

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