Trading Cards Set

The UT Medical Center is sponsoring a football trading card set giveaway to the first 5,000 fans at both Gates 10 and 21 this weekend vs Vanderbilt. Senior players, Eric Berry and Coach Kiffin will be featured in the sets.

Crompton Climbing All-Time Charts

Senior quarterback Jonathan Crompton has overcome early season struggles to become one of the top quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference. The Waynesville, N.C. native ranks third in the league in passing at 212.4 yards per game and is tied for the league lead with 23 touchdown passes.

His 23 scoring strikes are the fourth most in school history behind Peyton Manning's 36 in 1997, Erik Ainge's 31 in 2007 and Casey Clausen's 27 in 2003.

Crompton has thrown for 2,124 yards this season to become just the 11th passer in school history to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark in a season. Crompton also threw for a school record 305 yards in the first half vs. Memphis.

In his last six games, Crompton has completed 114 of 194 (.587) passes for 1,473 yards and 16 touchdowns vs. just two interceptions.

In those six games, he is averaging 245.5 yards per game in the air and has not thrown an interception in 119 attempts, which is the fourth longest such streak in school history and just 24 attempts shy of the school record.

Through the season's first four games, Crompton had completed 62 of 105 (.590) passes for 641 yards and seven touchdowns vs. eight interceptions. Those numbers work out to an average of 160.25 yards per game and an interception every 13 attempts.

Crompton also finds himself as one of UT's top ten passers of all time. He has 3,511 career passing yards, which ranks ninth in program history. He needs 312 passing yards to reach eighth on the all-time list.

Crompton can average 163 yards per game if the Vols make a bowl or 245 yards per game over UT's last two regular season contests to become just the eighth passer in school history to throw for 4,000 career yards.

Hardesty Among SEC's Top Backs

In 10 games during the 2009 season, senior tailback Montario Hardesty has averaged 95.6 yards per game and scored eight rushing touchdowns.

He ran just 27 times for 115 yards in his last two games after posting 121 yards on 23 carries and scoring twice in UT's romp over South Carolina on Oct. 31. That game was his third 100-yard game this season and his second career multi-touchdown effort.

The New Bern, N.C., native currently ranks fourth in the SEC in rushing yards per game. He is on pace for 1,147 rushing yards in 2009, which would rank as the 11th-best single-season performance in school history.

Hardesty has reeled off 30 runs of 10 yards or more, including seven 20-plus yard treks and touchdown runs of 39 and 43 yards. His eight rushing touchdowns are tied for fourth in the SEC.

He became the 13th back in school history to eclipse the career 2,000-yard mark with his 55-yard effort at Ole Miss. He has rushed for a total of 2,0002 yards and has scored 21 career rushing touchdowns, which ties for 10th in program history.

Thanks in large part to Hardesty, the Vols are rolling up an average of 161 yards per game on the ground and have scored 13 rushing touchdowns.

Offense Continues to Make Big Plays

Tennessee has produced 31 plays of 20 yards or more in the last six games, and eight of those plays have gone for touchdowns. In the last four games alone, Tennessee posted 19 20-plus yard plays and 37 additional plays that gained between 10 and 19 yards.

The Vols have scored 15 touchdowns in their last four games, and the average number of plays on those scoring drives has been five plays. On seven of the 15 scores, UT took five plays or less to find paydirt.

In the first four games of the season, the Vols produced only three touchdown drives of five plays or less, and one came off a UCLA turnover in its own red zone. The Vols managed just 15 plays of 20 yards or more in those games as well.

Tracking The True Freshmen

Tennessee has played no fewer than seven true freshmen in each of its 10 games this season. Among those players are offensive standouts Bryce Brown, David Oku and Marsalis Teague.

The three have combined for 139 offensive touches and 817 total yards, good for 81.7 yards per game and 5.8 yards per touch. The trio has combined to score seven touchdowns.

Oku is averaging 25.8 yards per kickoff return as well.

Moore, Jones Excel after Early Season Injuries

Junior wideout Gerald Jones caught just three passes in his first three games of the season after sitting out the Western Kentucky game due to injury. In the last six games, Jones has caught 30 passes for 420 yards and four touchdowns.

He set a career high for receptions with seven in the Auburn and Alabama games and set a career high for receiving yards with 105 in the Georgia game.

Senior Denarius Moore has also overcome early season injuries to become a threat in the passing game. Moore made only one catch for four yards in the season's first three games, but he has posted 30 catches for 416 yards and five touchdowns in the last seven contests.

Moore posted a career-high seven receptions in the Memphis game and also notched the first multi-touchdown game of his career.

After using three different starting lineups at wide receiver in the first five games, Moore and Jones have each started the last five contests and combined for 46 catches, 670 yards and eight touchdowns.

Tight Ends Playing Major Role in Passing Game

Junior Luke Stocker and senior Jeff Cottam have played a pivotal role in the resurgence of the Tennessee offense in 2009. The two tight ends are both in their second season as contributors and their progress has been clearly noted.

Stocker caught just 13 passes for 139 yards in 2008, but has 17 grabs for 245 yards and three touchdowns this season. Cottam did not catch a pass in 2008 and has three receptions for 41 yards and a score this season.

The two are combining to average 14.3 yards per catch and have made nine grabs of 15 yards or more in 10 games this season.

Cottam caught his first career touchdown pass in the first quarter of the Ole Miss game.

McCoy Continues Stellar Play

Senior linebacker Rico McCoy continues to be a factor on the defensive side of the ball despite many of his position mates missing time due to injury. McCoy led the team in tackles for the fifth time this season vs. South Carolina and was second on the team with eight stops at Ole Miss. He posting 10 stops and added two forced fumbles vs. the Gamecocks. He posted only one stop in limited duty vs. Memphis.

The Washington, D.C., native has notched double-digit tackle efforts in three of his last six games and has led the team in stops 19 times in his career.

McCoy also has four forced fumbles through 10 games, which ranks third nationally and atop the SEC.

He leads the team and ranks fourth in the SEC with 84 stops (8.4 per game) after posting 87 (7.3 per game) last season.

McCoy also reached the career 300-tackle mark vs. South Carolina. He has 315 stops in four seasons on Rocky Top and could climb into the all-time UT top 10 in total tackles with 17 more stops this season.

Berry A Standout in New Role

Junior defensive back Eric Berry entered the 2009 campaign in search of the school record for career interceptions and the NCAA record for career interception return yards, but a change in coordinators has forced Berry into a new role playing closer to the line of scrimmage.

While Berry is second nationally among active players in interceptions with 14, he is also second on the team in tackles with 70, an average of seven per game. He is also third on the team in tackles for loss with five for nine yards. In his first two seasons, Berry averaged six stops per game and 5.25 tackles for loss per season. He tied his career high with 14 stops vs. Auburn, and has posted three double-digit tackle games this season and seven in his career.

Though his pursuit of the NCAA interception return record has slowed, Berry is still making big plays at key moments for the Vols. He posted a 46-yard fumble return that set up UT's final score vs. Georgia, forced and recovered a crucial fumble in the fourth quarter at Alabama and posted an interception and a fumble recovery vs. Memphis.

He now stands at 494 career pick return yards, just eight ticks shy of breaking the NCAA record of 501 yards held by Terrell Buckley of Florida State. He has 103 career fumble return yards on four returns.

Berry also ranks sixth in school history in total passes defensed with 30 in his career.

Williams, Walker Making Strides on D-Line

Senior defensive tackle Dan Williams has posted 35 tackles in the last six games after posting only 16 in the first four games of the season. Williams also has seven quarterback hurries, a sack and 5.5 tackles for loss in the last six contests. Williams posted 48 tackles last season, and has already notched 52 this season with at least two games left to play.

Walker missed the South Carolina game with a back injury, but returned with a flurry, posting two sacks for 14 yards in the next two games. He has a team-high six sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss this season. In 2008, he managed just three sacks and four tackles for loss in a backup role.

Youth Being Served on Defense as Well

Tennessee has played at least three true freshmen on defense in each of the last six games. Safety Janzen Jackson has started seven contests this season, but has missed the last two games for disciplinary reasons. Defensive tackles Montori Hughes and Marlon Walls along with linebacker Greg King and are also seeing significant snaps on defense. Walls saw his first action in a Tennessee uniform at Alabama and has played in the last four games.

Redshirt freshmen Herman Lathers and Prentiss Waggner have each earned starts in the last two games as well. Lathers has taken over middle linebacker duties after both Nick Reveiz and Savion Frazier were lost for the season with knee injuries.

Defense Creating Offensive Opportunity

After failing to win the turnover battle in each of the season's first five games, the Vols have finished even or won the turnover margin in their last five games.

The Vols are plus-3 in turnover margin on the season, but plus-8 since the Georgia game on Oct. 10, producing 12 takeaways while surrendering four turnovers.

Tennessee has forced a turnover in five-straight games and has not lost the football in two of the last three contests.

On the season, Tennessee has scored on 18 of 20 possessions created by turnovers, scoring 15 touchdowns and kicking three field goals. The Volunteer defense has surrendered just 33 points on 16 turnovers.