UTVols News and Opinions

OK, I know, I know. So we lost a close one to the hated Gators. Yeah, believe me, the gall is bitter in my mouth too. It shouldn't have been like this. No one in Hollywood would have written it like this. In the fantasy version, UT would have probably won by at least two touchdowns and Erik Ainge would have been perfect. Well, they didn't and he wasn't. This wasn't scripted. I'm here tonight to tell you, and help you over your knee jerk reactions that no doubt include suspending Ainge indefinitely and leaving Coach Fulmer adrift in a real swamp with real 'gators circling and his hands tied, why you should still feel great after losing a tough one.

I'm here to tell you it ain't that bad. I'm not here to tell you to be a 'good loser', because I don't even know what that is. But what you do need to hear, is why you should feel okay about losing this game tonight.

1. Florida is an extremely good SEC team this year, and could potentially be a national title contender. For a young team like Tennessee, with two key injuries a week before this game, and lots of freshman and sophomore talent, it's a foreshadowing of greatness to be within one point of beating such a quality opponent.

2. OK, it was tough for me to call them a quality opponent. Suffice it to say, I had to mouthwash before continuing. Reason number 2: they have a tough road ahead, and we could, just maybe, still back into the SEC East championship. They could lose to Georgia and Auburn. Of course, we need to beat LSU at home, but hey, it's still early and stranger things have happened.

3. Ainge wasn't really bad. In fact, I was still encouraged after seeing him play again tonight. Yeah, there were interceptions, but overall I thought he made good decisions for a quarterback in the positions he was in. Even the beloved Peyton Manning throws a couple of ill-advised passes when he's trying to carry a team to victory. I thought Ainge displayed good judgment, and when that appeared suspect, you could say he's showing leadership. he never appeared to lack confidence. He might be a Heisman contender next year.

4. Despite having absolutely no running game--this week against one of the nation's best run defenses, that is--we still almost won. That's a testament to several things: our receivers still stepped up, Ainge is a real talent, and our defense can still put some serious pressure on a QB despite having only half of one starter returning and going against a shotgun formation. (I'm counting Justin Harrell, who played with one arm tonight after sustaining a season-ending injury to his left bicep tendon against Air Force one week ago.)

5. With only one exception, our defensive backs stayed with the highly touted Florida receivers for the whole game. Even with the loss of a key starter in Inquoris Johnson, UT still has some real talent on the secondary. Demetrice Morley's star will shine bright at Tennessee.

6. Montario Hardesty can run, even if he got stuffed tonight. I'm anxious to see him against another team, and watch him develop over time. Same for our young offensive line.

7. Give credit to our coaching staff for being aggressive with the play calling. We tried to maybe get too aggressive, with the first ill-advised play that netted an interception for Florida. They changed things up a bit with the gutsy trick play, having Lucas Taylor (freshman!) throw a pass to LaMarcus Coker that resulted in a touchdown.

In summary, what happened tonight was just short of a miracle. Meanwhile, it bred character and kindled a fire in the bellies of our young team. Next year will be very special indeed, as our young playmakers gain experience and confidence this year. Nevetheless, there's still a lot of football to be played this year, and our Tennessee team showed me plenty to be positive about in tonight's tough loss. Vol fans, don't give up; we're still very much in the hunt, given Florida's schedule, and the future is very bright. It's time for the fan base to display the kind of toughness, and confidence that you ask of your favorite team on a weekly basis.

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