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Tennessee Volunteers - South Carolina Gamecocks post game awards

Worst tie. Coach Fulmer's, on his Sunday morning television show. I mean, did you see that thing? Yikes. Purple, red, and blue splotches with a yellow shirt. I hope that was a joke I missed or something.

Best where-have-you-been-all-my-life. Linebacker Ryan Karl, who seemed to be everywhere at once in the first half, racking up TFLs, tipping passes, and generally wreaking havoc. He had a timely interception in the second half, too.

Biggest man crush. Me, on Eric Berry, who was an absolute monster, again, primarily in the first half. Dude finished the game with 12 tackles, one fumble recovery (and a 52-yard return), and one interception (and 13-yard return).

Best foot. Freshman kicker Daniel Lincoln, who hit two huge pressurized field goals, one from 48 yards to send the game into overtime and the game-winner from 27 yards in overtime.

Best lateral. Not Tennessee, but oh doctor, did you see this?

Best nickname. The First Family of Fourth Down, for the Colquitt family, of course.

Worst locker room speech. Whoever said anything in the Tennessee locker room at halftime to metamorphasize Bubba Hyde back into Barney Jekyl. Double Yikes. Let's just stay on the field next time.

Best defensive stand. On Steve Spurrier's last real drive of regulation, the tired, tired, tired defense was looking at what must have seemed like their 200th third and five of the evening. Get this, and the Gamecocks might go on to get a touchdown or, at the least, chew up more clock before hitting their go-ahead field goal. Blake Mitchell rolled out of the pocket for a throw, but the left tackle (couldn't see who it was) got pressure on him, and the pass was off the mark. Ryan Succopp hit the field goal, and Tennessee had time to get into field goal range themselves.

The Non-Sponsored Game-Changing Moment. LaMarcus Coker's timely kickoff return to the 47 giving the offense the head start it so desperately needed for its final game-tying drive.

Worst near miss. Arian Foster's fumble on the final game-tying drive. Like I said soon after the game, it was a novel way to get that elusive first down, but sheesh.

Fastest 300 pounds. Offensive lineman Jacques McClendon, who had just come into the game for an injured Eric Young when Foster fumbled the ball up field. McClendon was Jacquey-on-the-Spot and recovered the thing for a first down yards and yards away from where offensive linemen usually finish plays.

Worst timing. The team's third (and Erik Ainge's second) sack of the season, which caused Ainge to fumble and which came while the clock was winding down with the team trying to get into field goal range to tie the game. It's a good thing that Ainge isn't getting sacked more often as he's lost the ball both times it's happened this season.

Best oops, sorry, my bad. Tennessee's false start penalty on the potential game-tying field goal, which Lincoln missed. We got to do it again, and Lincoln hit it. Lincoln said post-game that he and the holder both already knew the play wasn't going to count, and they were just going through the motions half-heartedly. Okay, but still.

Best stat. Tennessee is 6-1 in OTs, which might explain why I love college football overtimes.

Got any post game awards of your own? Leave them below.

0 recs  |  Comment 4 comments

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Strangest Player of The Game Award
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=273002633: Awarding Erik Ainge the game ball. Sure he  had over 200 yards and a touchdown but the offense was nowhere to be found in the second half and the aforementioned 21 point cushion was largely due turnovers and Eric Berry. Also Ainge picked a hell of a pass defense to have an off night against.

by Getoffmyvols on Oct 29, 2007 10:19 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Best prophecy: me.
I was telling a friend at the tailgate that although it is great that Ainge usually doesn't get touched, the fact that he hardly ever does really worries me, because over his career, he seems to be willing to do almost anything to avoid taking a sack, whether it is tossing the ball into the air at the 3 yard line, intentionally grounding the ball, or simply dropping it, as he did on Saturday night.

If SC recovers that ball, that play would likely be Ainge's legacy.

He's great at throwing it away when all receivers are covered and the pressure is coming.  But once the pressure's there, he needs to learn to eat it, especially in situations like Saturday night's game-tying drive.

by Spirit of the Hill on Oct 29, 2007 10:31 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Regarding the kicker's half-kick, and more
On that missed figgie that didn't count, I'm not going to criticize the guy if going through the motions on a noncounting figgie helps keep him calmer and ready for the second attempt.  If relaxing 2 seconds sooner is easier on him, I'm all for it.  It's the only skill he's asked to have on the field, so I'll let him handle it however he may.  (Especially since he made the real kick. :D )

I didn't see the tie-shirt that Fulmer wore, but it sounds like it was prophetic of the game.  Seven shades of ugly, all packaged in one nice, neat little package with a bow on top.

Other than that, it's almost as if the two teams switched uniforms during halftime, and switched back for overtime.  "Bubba Hyde" and "Barney Jekyll" is brilliant.

And it was a lot of fun to be at the game.  Lots of energy by both sides.  If there were any sportsmanship categories, I would mention one incident for you.  When our left tackle was injured, while the trainers were still attending to him, the USC fans in the upper deck began a boisterous "Go Cocks!" cheer.  Reminiscent of the Alabama game last year, where the Bama fans began a cheer while one of our players was injured, our student section returned the favor with the ever-popular "F-U Gamecocks!".  You might hear about that one in the paper or from the university at some point.  I'm just waiting for the nastygram to come from the Chancellor or the President or somebody about sportsmanship.

Fortunately, when the USC player was injured near the end of the game, our fans kept quiet and didn't start up a UT cheer as retaliation.  You could tell it went through some peoples' minds, but they held back.  Nice restraint in an emotional moment of the game.

by Hooper on Oct 29, 2007 3:30 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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