FULMER'S NEXT TRIUMPH PUTS TENNESSEE IN ELITE COMPANY

Phillip Fulmer's next win will be his 150th triumph as Tennessee's head coach, allowing him to join Gen. Robert R. Neyland (173) as just the second Vols coach to reach that victory plateau. UT then will stand alongside Michigan as the only schools with two different coaches owning 150-plus victories at their respective school. Bo Schembechler (194) and Fielding Yost (165) passed the 150-win mark during their tenures for the Wolverines.

Tennessee also is one of just five schools with three different coaches owning at least 100 victories in the program, Johnny Majors having captured 116 wins during his Vols career. Other schools are Oklahoma with four different coaches and Southern California, Georgia Tech and Michigan with three apiece.

IN 20TH CAREER GAME, BERRY BREAKS SCHOOL INTERCEPTION RETURN YARDAGE RECORD

Sophomore strong safety Eric Berry ascended to the top of Tennessee's career list for interception return yardage in just his 20th career game when he returned a pick 54 yards out of the Georgia end zone on Oct. 11.

The 54-yard runback brought his career total to 325 yards, giving him the Tennessee all-time record and placing him third on the Southeastern Conference's all-time chart.

The NCAA career record for interception-return yards is 501 by Florida State's Terrell Buckley (1989-91).

In 2007, Berry intercepted five passes for a UT single-season record of 222 return yards. That figure also was the second-best season total in SEC history. This year, Berry has added four more interceptions for 103 yards to give him nine all time picks for 325 career return yards

VOLS TIED FOR THIRD NATIONALLY WITH 11 INTERCEPTIONS

Through seven weeks of NCAA play, Tennessee ranks tied for third nationally among FBS teams and tied for first in the SEC with 11 interceptions. The Vols are averaging 1.8 interceptions per game and an average of 19.8 yards per return.

Seven different Vols have recorded picks thus far, but sophomore safety Eric Berry and senior cornerback DeAngelo Willingham lead the way with four and two interceptions, respectively.

THREE MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE

In Tennessee's 43 previous clashes with Mississippi State, there have been many memorable individual Vol performances. Here are three of note:

HANNON HAULS IN THREE BIG ONES: Chris Hannon, 2003
Chris Hannon had three touchdown catches during the Vols' clash with the Bulldogs on Nov. 15, 2003, in Knoxville. Hannon finished the game with four catches for 69 yards. The three touchdowns tied UT's single-game record that is also held by six others. It was Hannon's first multi-touchdown game. The scoring passes from quarterback Casey Clausen went for 18, 30, and 5 yards.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT: PEERLESS PRICE, 1998
Peerless Price caught the touchdown pass that put the Vols ahead for good against Mississippi State in the 1998 SEC Championship Game, played Dec. 5 at the Georgia Dome. With Tennessee trailing 14-10 with 8:43 to go in the game, quarterback Tee Martin hit Price for a 41-yard scoring strike to put the Vols in front 17-14. UT would go on to win the game 24-14. Price was named the game's MVP, finishing with six catches for 97 yards and the critical score.

FUMBLE-ROOSKI: BERNARD DAFNEY, 1990
In Tennessee' 1990 meeting with the Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss., offensive guard Bernard Dafney surprised everyone in the stadium by scoring on a 32-yard run on a guard-around play called the "Fumble-rooskie." As the flow of the play went one way, Dafney scooped up the center's snap and went in for the score. UT won the game 40-7.

STEPHENS A DEVELOPING DEEP BALL THREAT

Sophomore quarterback Nick Stephens is just two starts into his collegiate career, but he has already started to develop an identity as a threat with the deep pass. In two starts this season, 12 of Stephens' 23 completions have been for more than 10 yards and six of those have been for more than 20 yards.

He has completions of 43, 52 and 60 yards to his credit as well.

At Georgia, seven of his 13 completions went for 15 yards or more, and vs. Northern Illinois two of 10 completions went for more than 40 yards. He also connected on a 42-yard bomb as the backup vs. UAB.

COLQUITT RETURNS AS VOLS STARTING PUNTER; THIRD ON UT'S CAREER LIST

Senior Britton Colquitt returned as UT's starting punter last Saturday after serving a five-game suspension that was handed down by head coach Phillip Fulmer in February.

Colquitt averaged 48.0 yards on six punts at Georgia. Colquitt's career average of 42.6 yards per punt currently ranks third in school history, and the Knoxville, Tenn., native has "Tennessee punter" etched in his DNA.

His cousin, Jimmy Colquitt, who averaged 43.9 yards per punt from 1981-84, is UT's career leader.

Britton's older brother, Dustin (currently punting for the Kansas City Chiefs), ranks second in UT history with a career punting average of 42.6 yards. And Britton and Dustin's father, Craig Colquitt (former Pittsburgh Steelers punter), ranks fourth with a 42.5-yard average.

Jimmy, Dustin and Craig Colquitt all rank among the top 20 on the Southeastern Conference's career punting chart, and Britton could potentially join them in that elite group.

Sophomore Chad Cunningham shouldered the punting responsibilities in Colquitt's absence early this season and averaged 39.5 yards on 25 punts through five games.

AYERS ENJOYS BIG GAME AT GEORGIA

Senior defensive end Robert Ayers was named a game captain at Georgia Oct. 11, and the Clio, S.C., native enjoyed a career day between the hedges.

Ayers logged a career-high nine tackles against the Bulldogs, including a career-high 3.5 TFL. That marks the most TFL in a single-game since current San Francisco 49ers linebacker Parys Haralson recorded four against Kentucky in 2005.

Ayers also nabbed his first career interception last Saturday at Georgia, stopping a Bulldogs drive in the red zone. That takeaway led to a Tennessee touchdown.

Ayers led the Vols last season with 12 TFL, and his seven TFL this year give him 23 for his career for a net loss of 82 yards.

WILSON LEADING SEC IN TACKLES

Senior defensive end Robert Ayers was named a game captain at Georgia Oct. 11, and the Clio, S.C., native enjoyed a career day between the hedges.

Senior linebacker Ellix Wilson leads the Southeastern Conference in tackles with 10.2 per game this season (51 in five games played).

After sitting out the Northern Illinois game Oct. 4 due to an injury, he returned last Saturday at Georgia to log a career-high 16 tackles (he had 11 stops at the half).

His performance vs. the Bulldogs put him over the 100-tackle milestone for his career.