Alabama, Tennessee hoping to put on offensive show or not

Posted 6:13PM on Thursday 19th October 2006 ( 18 years ago )

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - With the way the offenses of Alabama and Tennessee have been playing, it's unlikely Saturday's matchup will produce another defensive battle like last year's 6-3 game. Or maybe it will. In a rivalry like the Third Saturday in October, nothing is certain. Seventh-ranked Tennessee (5-1, 1-1 SEC) hosts the Crimson Tide (5-2, 2-2) in a border-state series that dates to 1901. The Volunteers have won nine of the last 11 meetings, including seven in a row from 1995 to 2001. The teams have split the last four games with Alabama winning a year ago in Tuscaloosa 6-3, one of the lowest-scoring outcomes in the series. ``It's close pretty much every year. Is it going to be like last year 6-3 or is it going to be like '03 with the score when you add it up it's almost 100 points? I don't know which one it would be,'' Tennessee offensive guard David Ligon said. The Vols won 51-43 after five overtimes in 2003, but this rivalry has also produced three scoreless ties. The first game played in 1901 ended 6-6 when the official made a controversial call and complaining fans rushed onto the field and started fighting. Tennessee had last week off after winning 51-33 at Georgia, marking only the second time the Bulldogs had given up 50 points at Sanford Stadium. The Vols, rebounding from having one of the worst offenses in the country during last year's 5-6 record, now lead the SEC in total offense, pass offense, pass efficiency and red zone offense. Tennessee has scored 21 out of 23 times inside the opponents' 20-yard line. In last year's game, the Vols fumbled the ball through the end zone while the score was tied at 3, and the Tide won with Jamie Christensen's field goal with 13 seconds left. ``This is one of the best offensive football teams we have seen on tape in a lot of years. They have all of the ingredients right now,'' Alabama defensive coordinator Joe Kines said. Tide coach Mike Shula, a former Alabama QB, says Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge is very different from last year. Ainge, a junior, has become one of the most efficient passers in the country now that he's under the tutelage of offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe. ``Their quarterback is starting to improve and improve greater and greater each week. He's the one that probably makes them even more dangerous than what they've been the last couple of years offensively,'' Shula said. Alabama sophomore quarterback John Parker Wilson is making his first start in this rivalry on Saturday and is one reason there's talk about the Tide's offense. He has thrown for at least 200 yards. Then there are receivers D.J. Hall and Keith Brown, who have combined for 1,116 yards to rank second in Division I among duos. They'll have a nice competition with Tennessee's duo of Robert Meachem and Jayson Swain, who have a combined average higher than their Tide counterparts. And don't forget Alabama's running game led by Kenneth Darby. ``Their quarterback does a really good job of running their offense and getting the ball to their big-play wide receivers. It's kind of a double challenge there, trying to manage Darby and then Hall and Brown,'' Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. Alabama has not scored as many points as the Vols, averaging 24.4 compared to 35.2 a game. But Wilson has come through under pressure. He completed a 2-yard pass to Le'Ron McClain to beat Mississippi 26-23 in overtime last week. ``Their offense is putting up a lot of points right now, so we've got to be prepared to come out and light it up,'' Wilson said. ``Their offense is good and they're going to make plays and they're going to score touchdowns. They put up 51 against Georgia. If you put up 51 points against an SEC team that's saying something, so we've got to be ready.'' On the Net: Alabama football: www.rolltide.com Tennessee football: www.utsports.com

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