Vols Send Fulmer Out In Style

By: Matt Laws (matt.laws@averyjournal.com)
Avery Journal-Times

Knoxville, TN- For a month, Phillip Fulmer knew Saturday night would be his last game. His Tennessee Volunteer football squad made sure he went out a winner, even though he wasn’t ready to leave just yet.

"This has been a really tough year and a particularly tough month,” Coach Phillip Fulmer said. “This group of kids is special. Every group I've had for my 17 years has been special. They have their own uniqueness about them. I don't want to sit here and rattle on. We've had a great run. I wasn't really ready for it to end, but it probably ended about as well as it could. With the emotions, to get the `W,' we finished up in a really positive way.”

Tennessee used a late first half touchdown to take the lead, and never gave it up the rest of the game as they took the 28-10 victory.

Tennessee with the victory pushed their winning streak over Kentucky to 24 games, and also kept Tennessee and Ohio State to not suffer eight loss seasons in program history.

After Jonathon Crompton scored on a one yard dive with little time remaining in the first half, the Vols came out in the second half with an impressive offensive display.

On the third play of the half, Crompton hit Denarius Moore for a 63-yard touchdown pass. Later in the half, Tennessee carried the ball on every play for 80 yards until Lennon Creer ran into the end zone from five yards out.

With less than six minutes remaining in the game, Gerald Jones ran 55 yards, but stepped out on the Kentucky 1-yard line. However, Jones’ number was called a few players later as he ran into the end zone to push the UT lead to 28-3.

Crompton was 6 of 8 passing for 101 yards with one touchdown. Jones had 67 yards rushing, and one touchdown also. Creer had 24 yards and a touchdown, while safety Eric Berry averaged 8.7 yards a carry for a total of 26 yards on six carries.

For Tennessee, it was a night full of emotion as it was Senior Night in addition to being Fulmer’s last contest as coach of the Vols. Fulmer leaves the Tennessee program as the second winningest coach behind General Robert Neyland with a record of 152-52. UT won two SEC championships and the 1998 National Title under Fulmer.

Fulmer participated in the traditional Senior Day activities, and made his last trip through the famous “T” after the senior players. After the game, the players carried Fulmer into the locker room.

"I feel like that's the way a legend should go out, on top,” Volunteer Defensive End Robert Ayers said of carrying Fulmer off the field. “Coach Fulmer is a legend of college football and he is always going to be remembered at the University of Tennessee for being a great guy and a great coach."

Fulmer spent 32 of the past 38 seasons with Tennessee, and was reflective in his post game press conference.

"I've been so blessed,” Fulmer said. “There's just no way to (rank the feeling of this game). I'm sure it's going to take a few days [to sink in]; I guess my wife to kick me out of the house because I don't have anything to do now. To end up with 100 more wins than we've had losses is a really great accomplishment. I've never really brought that up, but that's not done every day. I'm grateful, very, very grateful. Things change. Times change. Sometimes life's not always the way you want it to be. I've accepted that. They've [his players] accepted that."