Vols are ready for a rebound in 2006
Coming off the first losing season since 1988 the University of Tennessee is poised for a comeback in the SEC. There is a renewed excitement in Tennessee because history has a tendency to repeat ifself and if it does the UT Volunteers will be the SEC champs. The last time the vols had a losing season they won the SEC title two years in a row in 1989 and 1990. This season could very well have the same outcome. The vols are returning 7 on offense and 6 on defense along with the return of Coach Cutcliffe as offensive coordinator the vols will be hard to beat.
On offense UT will be led by Eric Anige coming off a horrible sophomore year he is looking to lead to UT to the SEC title game for a third time in six years. Finally getting all of the reps as the starting QB and with Coach Cutcliffe motivating him Anige will return to the superstar he was as a freshman. Anige will get a lot of help from a very talented group of receivers like Bret Smith, Jayson Swain and Robert Meachem, who underachieved last year but are ready to make a name for themselves. The running game will be as strong as ever with sophmore Arian Foster returning. Foster got his starting role last year when Gerald Riggs went down with a knee injury with five games to go in the season last year. In those five games which include games with Notre Dame and South Carolina, Foster ran for over one hundred yards in all five games, along with a two hundred plus yard game against Vandy. The offensive line has question marks but does return player with game experience.
The UT defense will be as dominant as ever with defensive coordinator John Chavis getting six starters back off of a defense that last year that ranked sixth in the nation. The majority of the experience returning comes in the secondary with players like Jonathan Wade and Jonathan Hefeny but the linebacking corp returns three players with experience starting in SEC football. Still with all the talent coming back on defense the vols have questions on the defensive line which lost three starters to the NFL draft.
The UT schedule will not be easy opening with #9 ranked California in Knoxville on Sept. 2, #7 Florida Sept. 16 and with games at South Carolina, Georgia and Arkansas winning another SEC title will not be easy. If there was a year that a team coming off a lossing record could win the SEC this could be the year. The vols could shock some very talented SEC teams if they are look over because of last year.
On offense UT will be led by Eric Anige coming off a horrible sophomore year he is looking to lead to UT to the SEC title game for a third time in six years. Finally getting all of the reps as the starting QB and with Coach Cutcliffe motivating him Anige will return to the superstar he was as a freshman. Anige will get a lot of help from a very talented group of receivers like Bret Smith, Jayson Swain and Robert Meachem, who underachieved last year but are ready to make a name for themselves. The running game will be as strong as ever with sophmore Arian Foster returning. Foster got his starting role last year when Gerald Riggs went down with a knee injury with five games to go in the season last year. In those five games which include games with Notre Dame and South Carolina, Foster ran for over one hundred yards in all five games, along with a two hundred plus yard game against Vandy. The offensive line has question marks but does return player with game experience.
The UT defense will be as dominant as ever with defensive coordinator John Chavis getting six starters back off of a defense that last year that ranked sixth in the nation. The majority of the experience returning comes in the secondary with players like Jonathan Wade and Jonathan Hefeny but the linebacking corp returns three players with experience starting in SEC football. Still with all the talent coming back on defense the vols have questions on the defensive line which lost three starters to the NFL draft.
The UT schedule will not be easy opening with #9 ranked California in Knoxville on Sept. 2, #7 Florida Sept. 16 and with games at South Carolina, Georgia and Arkansas winning another SEC title will not be easy. If there was a year that a team coming off a lossing record could win the SEC this could be the year. The vols could shock some very talented SEC teams if they are look over because of last year.
posted by threeguyssports at 4:02 PM
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