Vols could get QB Ainge back for Vanderbilt

Posted 6:18PM on Monday 13th November 2006 ( 18 years ago )

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge arrived for his weekly media interviews Monday without a boot covering his sprained right ankle and declared he was going to practice more this week. The No. 22 Volunteers (7-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) travel to Vanderbilt (4-7, 1-6) on Saturday. Ainge was hurt Oct. 28 at South Carolina, and redshirt freshman Jonathan Crompton played most of the game against LSU and started last week at Arkansas. Tennessee lost both games. ``It's feeling good. Obviously not wearing (the boot) all day, it will get sore. I'm trying to get the strength back now, so I can be ready to go,'' Ainge said. Some parts of his ankle remain swollen, but he's working on keeping it flexible. Ainge said he would practice some on Monday after hardly practicing last week. ``I think Erik is ready to go. I'm expecting him to be out here and get some things done and be there all week,'' coach Phillip Fulmer said before practice. Fulmer didn't address whether Ainge or Crompton would start against Vanderbilt. Ainge was seen dressed out and loosening up with the other quarterbacks on the practice field. Ainge said he could have played at Arkansas in an emergency. His lack of mobility, however, would have been a problem. ``We decided it wasn't worth it to get me hurt and then not be able to play in these last three games,'' he said. ``I can stand and throw the ball. I can get in the gun and throw it just fine right now. I've been able to do that since two weeks ago. It's about being able to move. I don't have to be able to move like I used to. ... I just need to be able to move in the pocket enough I can get the ball off.'' Ainge has thrown for 2,216 yards and 16 touchdowns this season, but the offensive production has decreased the last two weeks. Crompton completed two touchdown passes in each of the last two games. Crompton completed 16 of 34 passes for 174 yards with one interception. He was sacked four times. ``I was really pleased when I watched the film. We had some drops early that hurt us. There were a couple of things he could have done better certainly, but there were also some things he could have done poorly. He took care of the ball. He didn't panic. He threw the ball reasonably well,'' Fulmer said. Ainge believes his return to practice might help the team. ``I think it's important. They've all been asking me, 'Are you going to practice? Are you going to practice? Are you playing?''' he said. ``It's just a matter of just getting it as healthy as possible.'' After Vanderbilt, the Vols finish the regular season at home against Kentucky, and they will play in a bowl yet to be determined. ``We've got to win these next two football games. So 7-1 to 7-5 if we were to lose, we don't want to do that. It's not going to happen,'' Ainge said. ``We need to go out there and we need to be Tennessee and get back on track to where we were before these last few games.'' On the Net: Tennessee football: www.utsports.com

http://accesswdun.com/article/2006/11/100262