ARKANSAS’ ground game a formidable test for Tennessee defense

There are three 1,000-yard rushers in the Southeastern Conference.

Tennessee will face two of them today in Neyland Stadium as it tries to stay in control of its East Division destiny.

Arkansas’ Darren McFadden leads the conference with 1,314 yards and running mate Felix Jones has 1,029. They’re matched against a rush defense which ranks 74th nationally and has been shredded consistently.

Last year, when the Volunteers were much better on defense, it wasn’t close to a match. The duo rolled up 253 yards, 181 by McFadden, who added a touchdown pass in the Razorbacks’ 31-14 romp.

Last week, McFadden and Jones set an all-time SEC record with a combined 487 yards – 321 by McFadden – in Arkansas’ 48-36 drilling of visiting South Carolina. That would be the same South Carolina which held UT to 101 ground yards the previous week.

"They totally manhandled a South Carolina defense that we thought was pretty good," Vols coach Phillip Fulmer said.

How can UT hope to at least contain, if not stop a potent running game that is second nationally with 315.9 yards per game?

Senior linebacker Ryan Karl, the team’s best defender over the last two games, has an idea.

"The key this week more than anything is to stay in our gaps and tackle well," he said. "If we can do that, we can more than likely stop their run."

That’s something the Vols haven’t done with regularity, although it will help that they regain starting tackle Demonte Bolden from a one-week suspension.

However, there is precedent for UT to stop a dangerous runner. When it hammered Georgia 35-14 on Oct. 6, it held the Bulldogs to 69 yards in 25 carries.

That’s the same Georgia team which features the SEC’s other 1,000-yard rusher, freshman Knowshon Moreno. But Moreno found little room against the Vols, rushing for just 30 yards in 13 attempts.

"We like being the underdog as a defense, and we are going to go out and make some plays," Karl said.

Another way for UT to neutralize McFadden and Jones is for its offense to play up to its ability. A best-case scenario might be a 35-point, 35-minute performance that keeps the Razorbacks’ offense on the sidelines.

Don’t be surprised if the Vols try to establish big tailback Arian Foster early and often. Foster is on pace for a 1,000-yard season and has rushed for 100 or more yards three times – all UT wins.

"We need to keep the ball so that Darren McFadden can’t go out there and run around," Vols quarterback Erik Ainge said.

"We have to execute on 3rd down," wide receiver Josh Briscoe said. "We can’t have 3-and-outs; we have to score some points and keep our defense off the field."

If that happens, Arkansas’ double dose of four-figure runners might not get quite as fat as some think.

Orange Slices: Senior tight end Brad Cottam, who sat out the season’s first nine games due to a broken wrist suffered in August, will play today. Fulmer had hoped to gain a medical redshirt and a sixth year of eligibility for Cottam, but with no ruling forthcoming from the NCAA, he’s elected to play Cottam. The 6-foot-8, 270-pound Cottam should offer Ainge another reliable option in the short passing game ... UT is 5-0 at home, having outscored its opponents 208-91. It could enjoy its first unbeaten season at home since 1999. 

.. Freshman kicker Daniel Lincoln, who is 16-of-18 on field goals and 37-of-37 on extra points, has been named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s top placekicker.

| (276) 669-2181