Tennessee win speaks VOL-umes
By BRIAN KESSLER
Sports Editor
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
That wasn't just football. That was Tennessee football.
The Volunteers played at a whole different level in their 38-14 victory over the Irish Saturday, showing why they are an elite team in college football.
"That football game was played at a different speed by the team in orange," head coach Bob Davie said. "They have a lot of weapons from top to bottom. I give them a lot of credit. That's a good football team."
A team Notre Dame just couldn't measure up with.
The Irish circled this game on their calendars before the season started, knowing it would be a chance to prove their return to prominence. But instead, the Irish left Rocky Top and tumbled down to the bottom of the mountain. The Irish got a taste of big time football — a concept that has been absent in South Bend since 1993. Now they're left to ponder the uphill battle they face to return the program to the ranks of Tennessee.
"I think its talent and scheme," offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers said. "They do a great job coaching those guys. They have an incredible amount of talent."
Let's start with coaching.
Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer is the winningest active coach with a record of 74-12. Davie has one more loss than Fulmer and 53 fewer victories.
Now for talent.
The Vols' Cosey Coleman and Darwin Walker are Outland Trophy candidates. Defensive backs Deon Grant and Dwayne Goodrich are semifinalists for the Thorpe Award. Linebacker Raynoch Thompson is a Butkus Award candidate.
As for the Irish? A few preseason magazine awards top their lists.
Davie even acknowledged that his team couldn't play at Tennessee's level, citing that Julius Jones was just one of a few players that could.
"Our players competed and played hard," Davie said. "I think No. 22 [Jones] for us is probably like those guys they're playing with. He's a guy that has some speed and gives us a shot in the arm."
And as if Tennessee's talent wasn't enough, the hostile crowd in Neyland Stadium gave the Volunteers an almost unfair advantage.
Leprechaun Mike Brown called it "the loudest place I've ever been."
The second largest crowd in school history (107, 619) was as intimidating as it gets, helping the Vols to their 21st-straight home victory.
"Darn right, I was concerned [with the noise]," Davie said. "That crowd was so loud, you couldn't even hear the snap count."
Whether they were amplifying the noise with speakers or not, it made Notre Dame Stadium sound like the Basilica. Even with just three-quarters of the fans on hand for the player introductions, the ovations for Tee Martin and Jamal Lewis were deafening. And while the Irish were unable to play more than 60 minutes of football, the Volunteer fans were able to bring the noise for over three hours.
But the Irish battled and played their hearts out at least for 30 minutes.
"I thought we competed our butts off," Rogers said. "I think we really played hard. Offensively, I don't think we ever gave up."
The Irish did score the first two rushing touchdowns of the season against the mighty Volunteer defense.
"I think this is the strongest we've played as a team," junior defensive end Grant Irons said. "We came out in the first half determined to execute our game plan and we did that."
Their strongest effort, however, wasn't enough. The defending national champions were too much for the Irish.
"Tennessee played a great ball game," Jackson said. "They have outstanding players. I take nothing away from Tennessee and nothing away from us. They just outplayed us tonight."
"Anytime a team gives up seven big plays, you're not going to play well," defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said. "I didn't think we played like we were going to play. You can't play a team like that and not be on all cylinders."
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
All Sports Stories for Monday, November 8, 1999
