Here are your talking points for this Gamecock Tuesday:
- Steve Spurrier is still poking fun at coach Fulmer.
- The Tennessean has a nice feature on Vol defensive back Jonathan Hefney, who's done everything from gain weight to switch to safety to lose it to switch back to corner to return punts and kickoffs. Hefney leads all SEC defensive backs with 52 tackles and has three interceptions so far this season. Hefney, a South Carolina native, is amped up for this Saturday's trip to Columbia to take on the Gamecocks.
- Since after the first half of the Georgia game, the Volunteer defense has held opponents to just four of 21 on third down conversions. With mobile Syvelle Newton under center, the Gamecocks are converting better than half of their third downs.
- With all of the talk about offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe's masterful performance this year and the recent termination of North Carolina head coach John Bunting, you'd think that Cut might be distracted by all the talk about him leaving the Vols for a smaller but greener pasture. Not so.
- Throw your helmet into the, uh, ring, in the Tennessee-South Carolina Hail Mary Haiku.
- ESPN.com's Pat Forde takes a stab at establishing a pecking order of the one-loss teams. His take on Tennessee?
There is another loss out there with Tennessee's name on it. The Volunteers will land outside of the BCS bowls but can take 10-2 as a pretty fair bounce-back from 5-6 in 2005.
- Coach Fulmer's media day comments concerning the Gamecocks, courtesy of UTSports.com:
South Carolina is a great challenge for us. I think we'll have to play one of our best games of the year to win the game. Each week you face different kinds of challenges, and South Carolina certainly presents a number of problems. Versus our defense, their ability to run the ball with (Cory) Boyd and (Mike) Davis, (quarterback Syvelle) Newton's ability to make plays, particular turning scramble-type plays into big plays for them is a very big concern for us, and their wide receivers are exceptional players. For us to do well, we've got to prevent the big play and play really good assignment and fundamental football.
Offensively, it's another set of challenges in that you're going to get multiple looks from them. We should have some carryover from the last few games that we've played. You look at their defensive football team, and they're only giving up 14 points per game, and that's quite impressive. They have a lot of ways to pressure you. We've got to see how they play us, and as a team be prepared to go into a very hostile environment. Manage, as we say, the 'poise for the noise.' Find our balance offensively, and on both sides of the ball execute very well.
The kicking game is an area that we want to continue to try to win. They have a very fine kicker in Ryan Succop who we recruited and looked at for a long, long time, but we just weren't in a position (to bring him in) with (punter) Britton (Colquitt) and (kicker) James (Wilhoit). He's done very well as their kicker and their punter, and our kicker and punter will have to take the challenge, which I believe they will and they are capable of doing.
- More UT-'Bama YouTubage: