Tennessee at Alabama Preview

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, October 21, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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The Tennessee Volunteers will be playing for pride at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. The Alabama Crimson Tide will be playing for revenge. That, plus the long tradition shared by these two perennial Southeastern Conference rivals, should make for a lively 60 minutes of football.

Now 17th-ranked, Tennessee had a bye week to "heal its soul" (coach Philip Fulmer's words) after a loss to Georgia that will probably exclude the Vols from the conference championship game. Meanwhile, No. 5 Alabama barely squeaked by unheralded Mississippi on a late Jamie Christenson field goal, 13-10.

Fulmer is not a popular figure in Alabama, not since it was revealed that he had provided the NCAA with some information about Crimson Tide recruiting violations that helped put Alabama on probation in 2002. This is probably more of an incentive for "Bama" fans than for coach Mike Shula and his players, most of who weren't around for that year in purgatory.

But even without the payback factor, Shula can point to the recent history of the series to inspire his team -- Tennesee has won nine of the last 10 meetings. In addition, the Volunteers have demonstrated a knack for springing upsets on the road -- Florida in '01, Miami in '04, Georgia last year, LSU earlier this season.

"We've always been fighters," Fulmer said earlier this week. "That's not going to change."

What has changed, to Fulmer's dismay, is Tennessee's usual success at running the football. The Volunteers rank 103rd national in rushing offense, and lead back Gerald Riggs Jr. has scored just three touchdowns. Thus, an Alabama stop unit ranked fourth stingiest among Division 1-A schools in scoring defense (11.3 points per game) and fifth in total defense will no doubt adjust its schemes to stop UT quarterback Rick Clausen (929 yards passing). DE Mark Anderson and linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Freddie Roach are the defensive leaders for the Tide.

The Alabama offense took a hit when it lost leading receiver Tyrone Prothro for the season, but QB Brodie Croyle (1,345 passing yards, nine TDs) is a clever and confident leader who has thrown just two interceptions this season and converted three third downs on the game-winning drive against Mississippi.

Tennessee will try to harass Croyle out of his comfort zone with a strong pass rush led by All-America candidate Jesse Mahelona.

Game time is 3:30.
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