Darren McFadden News
No. 22 Tennessee 34, Arkansas 13
With Victory, Volunteers and Their Coach Silence the Critics, for Now
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 10 - Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer leaned into the microphone. His voice boomed throughout the interview room Saturday, but he insisted that what made his voice fervent was excitement over a 34-13 victory against Arkansas, not defiance in the face of critics who want him fired.
Fulmer has been under siege because the Volunteers have been hammered this season by their biggest rivals - losing to Florida, 59-20, and to Alabama, 41-17. No. 22 Tennessee came into Saturday's game in Neyland Stadium with a 20-13 record over the past two-plus seasons, and with critics saying that the team has been backsliding under Fulmer, who has not won a Southeastern Conference championship since 1998.
After Tennessee's victory, Fulmer talked about the heart of his team, and his voice and slight smile seemed to reveal a coach who was taking glee that he and his team had stuck it to their critics, at least for the time being.
"I'm looking forward to Vanderbilt and moving past the negativity," Fulmer said, referring to the Volunteers' next game. "I hate the negativity."
The negativity evaporated the way the dominating Arkansas running game did. The Razorbacks, who were second in the country in rushing, averaging 315.2 yards with the all-American Darren McFadden and the backup Felix Jones, found themselves hemmed in by the Volunteers' fast-closing defense. Arkansas was held to 127 rushing yards, with Darren McFadden gaining 117 yards of that on 22 carries.
Tennessee (7-3, 4-2), which is ranked No. 11 in the SEC in total defense, is two victories from winning the SEC East and qualifying for the conference championship game. The Volunteers have conference games remaining against Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
Campaigns were being waged on both sides of Neyland Stadium on Saturday, with Fulmer and his supporters on one end and Darren McFadden, who has thrust himself into the Heisman Trophy debate, on the other.
Behind Fulmer was a group of 191 former Tennessee players, who took out a $7,400 full-page advertisement in The Knoxville News-Sentinel on Friday supporting Fulmer.
"When people take a lot of cheap shots at your coach, it's time to do something," said David Moon, a former Tennessee offensive lineman, who organized the advertisement. "The important people in the athletic department need to know what the lettermen have to say."
The pregame radio shows - and they are all over the dial in East Tennessee - reflected the restlessness of the Volunteers fans on the other side of the Fulmer debate. Many were predicting a Tennessee loss in a shootout.
Few were prepared for what actually happened. Tennessee clogged the middle with its front four of ends Xavier Mitchell and Antonio Reynolds and tackles Dan Williams and Demonte' Bolden. The Volunteers also kept run support close on the edge and would not let Darren McFadden sprint outside and turn upfield.
"He's a great back, but he's not going to win the Heisman in Neyland Stadium, I promise you that," said linebacker Jerod Mayo, who was in on a team-high nine tackles and returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown.
Tennessee took control of the game in the first half, when it held the ball 20 minutes 55 seconds to 9:05 for Arkansas. The Razorbacks ran seven plays on first down in the first half, gaining only 17 yards, and its offense never found a groove in falling behind by 20-3 after two quarters.
Jones, the speedy backup tailback who was averaging 114 yards a game, managed only 3 yards on three carries and left the game in the second quarter with a deep thigh bruise.
"They did a good job of turning everything inside," Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt said. "They were bound and determined to keep us off the edge and, of course, with Felix going out, that hurt us a great deal."
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