By JIM MASHEK
Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer was embarrassed by the Volunteers' 5-6 record in 2005. So when the Vols bounced back with nine victories last season, it seemed they might be back on their way to prominence. Then came Tennessee's 20-10 loss to Penn State in the Outback Bowl. And restlessness in Vol Nation set in again. Tennessee has not won an SEC title since its national championship season in 1998. "We laid an egg in the (bowl) game," Fulmer said. "I think we were the better team. Obviously, the better team doesn't always win. Three fumbles will do that to you sometimes. "It was disappointing. If we'd had 10 wins, we'd all have been happy about a 'turnaround season.' Somebody asked me if there's a magic number every year. Yeah, win 'em all. That's the magic number to make everybody happy in Knoxville." Tennessee returns 12 starters, including senior quarterback Eric Ainge, from last year's 9-4 squad. The Volunteers should again be a factor in the SEC East, however, and will know where they stand after their mid-September trip to play Florida. Former Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe returned to UT last year to become the offensive coordinator, and Ainge responded with his best season to date. The 6-foot-6 quarterback passed for 2,989 yards and 19 touchdowns last year with nine interceptions. The Vols also found a keeper at tailback in LaMarcus Coker, who rushed for 696 yards as a freshman.
Tennessee must replace All-SEC left tackle Arron Sears, but the Vols have plenty of experience up front. The big question on offense will be replacing wide receivers Robert Meachem and Jayson Swain. Meachem was the New Orleans Saints' first-round draft pick in the spring. Fulmer is looking for Ainge to set the example during the transition period.
"I expect big things from Erik," Fulmer said. "He has all the tangibles and intangibles. He's been through the gauntlet now of the Southeastern Conference. He's had great success when nobody expected him to. "From a maturity standpoint, his skin ought to be pretty thick and he ought to be able to handle anything." Former Long Beach High School standout Xavier Mitchell is one of the Vols' proven performers on the defensive line. Defensive coordinator John Chavis has moved junior linebacker Jerod Mayo from the outside to the middle, where he'll get a chance to make plays from sideline to sideline. The Vols have just one returning starter in the secondary in senior free safety Jonathan Hefney.
"Our goals are to build off last year," Mayo said, "and get ready to compete this year." The Vols will be tested early. They open the season on the road against California, which went 10-3 last year and crushed Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl. Then they'll play host to Southern Miss, which is still looking for its first victory at 102,000-seat Neyland Stadium, followed by the road trip to Florida. "As far as managing expectations, it's a lot about scheduling," Fulmer said. "This is just the truth. It's a lot about scheduling. It's a lot about staying healthy. It's about making plays that win the game." Fulmer is the SEC's longest tenured coach and has compiled a 137-41 record in 15 years at Tennessee. "Year in and year out," Fulmer said, "this is the toughest league of any in the country. I don't think that's going to change anytime soon."
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