It may have been appropriate for Phillip Fulmer to walk around the Vols’ practice facilities this week with a bull’s-eye instead of his usual adidas pullover.
Tennessee’s football coach for the last 11 years has had more than the usual amount of projectiles thrown in this direction preceding his team’s matchup with Alabama (3-5, 1-3 SEC) on Saturday.
With the Vols on a two-game losing streak, conference title hopes dwindling and allegations from an Alabama lawyer about payments made to former UT players, Fulmer has been wearing more red than his Tennessee orange.
“It’s not something that you want to have to put up with,” Fulmer said. “But we’re totally focused on what we need to do as a football team.”
According to UT senior linebacker Robert Peace, the stress on Fulmer over the past week hasn’t been apparent to the team. He said the usual enthusiasm leading up to one of the Vols’ biggest rivalry games is still firmly in place.
“He’s (Fulmer) definitely got more pep in his step,” Peace said. “He’s a lot more intense and you can tell if he could still play he’d be ready to go this week.
“He has that kind of feeling for the Alabama-Tennessee game.”
Although it’s doubtful Fulmer will throw on pads for the game, the old coach might try anything to get the Vols winning again, UT sophomore linebacker Kevin Simon said.
“I think he just wants to get back on the winning track just like anybody else,” Simon said. “We had high expectations and got ahead of ourselves. A win this weekend would help everybody feel better.”
A 20-point home loss to the Crimson Tide a year ago, which ended Tennessee’s seven-game winning streak against ‘Bama, was probably the lowpoint of a dismal season for the Volunteers.
Preventing a two-game streak for the Tide this year would help keep the Vols alive in the SEC East race. They’re currently one game back of Georgia, which still has remaining games with Florida and Auburn.
“It’s out of our hands now, but we need this win to stay in the race (for a conference title),” Fulmer said. “A lot of things can still happen mathematically. You don’t have to look very far to last year, to the West, and how that all played out.
“Divisional play can be really interesting.”
Fulmer isn’t the only Volunteer wearing a bull’s-eye against the Tide. After being physically dominated against Auburn and giving up 41 points to UGA, the Tennessee defense is in a bit of a funk.
“I think we were shocked against Auburn and what they were able to do against our defense,” Fulmer said. “You saw some of that still left against Georgia, but everything should be cleared for this game.”
Peace said the defense is indeed ready.
“We know what we need to do and we’ve had great practices all week,” he said. “It’s time for us to turn things around.”
Simon said the Vols are ready to do just that.
“I think the first half against Georgia was probably the best half we’ve played all season,” he said. “So we can build from that. … Alabama does a lot of things to confuse you. But we, myself included, are as ready for this game as any all year.
“I think people will see us put our best foot forward this weekend.”
