This past week, the Volunteer coaching staff made sure the Vols wouldn’t come out without intensity for the homecoming game against Memphis. Saturday night, the players didn’t disappoint.
The Volunteers came out and scored early and often in the first half, then let the backups get playing time as UT cruised to a 56-28 victory.
“Toward the end of the week it came to me that I had to make sure the team felt my intensity and that the team felt how much we were going after this thing,” UT Coach Lane Kiffin said. “Obviously, they were very motivated throughout the week fro
m the (Memphis) coach's comments. I had to really make sure they knew we were going after this thing. So I told them there would be fourth downs where we will go for it. We're going to throw a halfback pass. We're going to try an onside kick. It was so they felt the coaches were being very aggressive so we didn't come out and have a letdown game after we had such a big game last week."Part of the intensity came from a joke Memphis Coach Tommy West made before the season about Kiffin selling a talking dog that lied. The comments didn’t sit well with Vol players, even if the punch line missed the mark. Tennessee, however, got their revenge on the field.
Jonathon Crompton, wh
o has overcame his slow start, had a career night passing as he went 21 of 27 for 331 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. With the performance, Crompton went to 21 passing touchdowns on the season, a stat that he currently leads the SEC in. Crompton also added a rushing touchdown on a QB sneak.For Memphis, their night started bad on the opening kickoff and never improved.
After David Oku returned the opening kickoff 69 yards, Bryce Brown jumped into the end zone from a yard out to give UT the early 7-0 lead. Crompton hit Gerald Jones, Luke Stocker, Quentin Hancock, and Nu’Keese Richardson for touchdowns in the first half, and ended the half with the QB sneak.
Memphis managed to get on the board right before the break, but by then it was too little too late as Tennessee led 42-7 at the half. Crompton added another touchdown when he hit Denarius Moore for a touchdown in the third before the second and third strings got playing time.
Moore also caught a touch
down from Stephens.Montario Hardesty had 13 carries for 60 yards for the Vols, while Bryce Brown added 55 yards on 11 carries. Stephens ended the game 5 of 9 for 98 yards and a touchdown and interception. All together the Vols gained 566 yards.
Eric Berry recorded an interception and inched closer to the NCAA career interception return record. He is five yards away from that record.
Despite the lopsided score, Kiffin was not happy with his team’s effort in the fourth quarter.
“We lost the fourth quarter for the first time, I think, all season, and that was depressing to see,” Kiffin said. “It doesn't matter who is in there. We need to play better,
and obviously we need to go recruit. We're a little down after the game because of the way we finished. We need to finish better, it does not matter who is in there." The Volunteers look for their first road victory over the year when they head to Oxford to take on the Ole Miss Rebels. UT needs more one more victory to become bowl eligible.
Note: On Monday morning, the Commercial Appeal out of Memphis first reported that Memphis Coach Tommy West had been fired. It was later confirmed by the Memphis Athletic Department. The Tigers are 2-7 on the season.
