Tennessee punter Dustin Colquitt is the only remaining finalist from last season’s Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s best kicker.

After Colquitt’s performance against South Carolina, UT head coach Phillip Fulmer suggested the Ray Guy might not be enough.

“Whatever award they give the punter – the Ray Guy Award or the Heisman Trophy if a punter can get it – Dustin Colquitt deserves it. He won the game tonight,” Fulmer said following Saturday’s 23-20 overtime win.

Fulmer isn’t the only person noticing the SEC’s leading punter.

Colquitt was named the SEC’s Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against the Gamecocks.

Only four games into the season, this is the second time the junior from Knoxville has received the honor.

“We didn’t do a really good job at anything consistently except punting (against South Carolina),” Fulmer said. “Dustin Colquitt was special.”

Even Gamecock head coach Lou Holtz marveled at Colquitt’s play during Sunday’s SEC teleconference.

He said the effort was one of the best he had seen in his coaching career.

“Not only did he kick it 52 or 53 yards, but maybe with a 5-second hang time,” Holtz said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Colquitt didn’t want to take credit for UT’s dominance in special teams. He said after the game the praise should fall on his teammates making the tackles.

“It starts with everything – a good snap, good protection, and everybody being about to get down there,” Colquitt said. “I’m just kicking it down there and those guys are making the plays.”

Colquitt didn’t need his teams to make many tackles Saturday, though.

After averaging a career-best 51.7 yards a punt, Colquitt nailed four of seven punts inside the 20-yard line – three inside the five.

“He turns the field position around,” UT special teams coach Steve Caldwell said. “That makes it a lot easier on the defense.”

With the Vol defense struggling against South Carolina, Caldwell said Colquitt’s effort was that much more impressive.

“He stepped up when we needed him the most,” Caldwell said. “You need players like that.”

Colquitt currently stands as the nation’s second leading punter with a 45.05 average.

Crying Fowl: During the SEC teleconference, Holtz said his players were reporting dirty play on the part of UT’s defense.

Holtz said the Vol defenders were imitating the cadence of the Gamecock’s quarterback, which would be a violation of NCAA rules.

“The command where you move the defense has to be something like ‘move’ or ‘shift,'” Holtz said.

“It can’t be ‘yep,’ which is our cadence. Our players claimed that’s what was happening. I know coach Fulmer and I can’t believe he would teach that. So I don’t question that.”

Fulmer said he wasn’t aware of his players interfering.

Banks Loan: Following his game-winning catch against South Carolina, sophomore wide receiver James Banks wanted to present a gift to his coach.

“He came up to me after the game and said ‘Coach, this ball’s for you,'” Fulmer said. “I’ve been really tough on James, and I said ‘Wow, that’s really neat.’

“I looked down at it and it had ‘DB’ written on it. He had gone and gotten a practice ball.”

Coaching Brief: A frustrated Holtz sat down for the postgame press conference and only had a short statement.

“Tennessee played well,” Holtz said. “Any questions?”

The head coaching veteran of 32 years began to walk off before the first reporter shot out a question.