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Vols' QB Decision Set for Friday

Oct. 2, 2008

Head coach Phillip Fulmer said after practice that offensive coordinator Dave Clawson and he would evaluate the latest footage and announce their decision on this weekend's starter after Friday's walk-through at Neyland Stadium. The Vols host Northern Illinois on Saturday in a 7 p.m. Eastern time kickoff.

"This gives us another day to continue to look at it and be complete and thorough in our decision," Fulmer said. "We're looking for the very best guy who can help us win football games and this is the way we've decided to handle it.

"If it was just clear-cut, we probably already would have made the decision. Both of them are competing; both of them have had good weeks. So we're going to evaluate the film and see where we are."

Jonathan Crompton has been the starter through Tennessee's first four games -- only the second, third, fourth and fifth starts of his career. Nick Stephens stood second on the depth chart until this week, when the coaching staff decided to bracket the two signal-callers in hopes of giving the offense a jump-start.

The Vols coach says he's simply looking for someone that finds a rhythm.

"It just depends on who's got the hot hand. At quarterback, you don't want to be going in and out a whole bunch.

"There's a good competition and both of them have taken that challenge; that's what you like to see. Jonathan certainly has taken it and Nick is trying to seize the opportunity."

UT-NORTHERN ILLINOIS ON PAY-PER-VIEW

Saturday's Tennessee-Northern Illinois game is being televised on a pay-per-view basis across the state of Tennessee. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern time (6 p.m. Central).

The announcing team for the game telecast will be Randy Smith (play-by-play) and former Vol and NFL quarterback Pat Ryan (color analysis).

Cable systems across the state of Tennessee are scheduled to carry the telecast from the VideoSeat pay-per-view service. The game also is being made available as a pay-per-view event to Tennessee Dish Network subscribers and DirecTV subscribers. Channel numbers and ordering information for home dish owners will be forthcoming next week.

ESPN GamePlan is expected to offer the contest to fans living outside the state of Tennessee via the ESPN GamePlan package. The game will be blacked out on ESPN GamePlan in the state of Tennessee and cannot be ordered as part of ESPN's package.

FANS TREATED TO FREE UT FOOTBALL DVD WITH PURCHASE OF SOUVENIR GAME PROGRAM

Football fans visiting Neyland Stadium for Saturday's game against Northern Illinois will be welcomed with a special offer from the Vol Network. The first 1,500 fans to purchase a souvenir game program receive a free DVD titled "This is Tennessee."

The video showcases the sights and sounds of the UT football program and the many traditions that make it such a cherished part of so many people's lives. Special features include the Vol Walk, the "Volunteer Navy," running through the "T," the "Kickoff Call-In Show," the Pride of the Southland Marching Band and additional interviews with former Tennessee football players.

Souvenir program vendors can be found in and around Neyland Stadium beginning five hours prior to kickoff. This year's official game program has more than 175 pages of full-color content including updated stats, rankings, player features and lineups.