Nov. 18, 2006
Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson
“Tennessee played an excellent game. We had a hard time stopping them on first downs. We tried to fight back, but couldn’t make a game of it.”
On Vanderbilt performance:
“Buggs and Joyce were playing hurt and so were Spead and Langford. They all tried to play hurt and didn’t play well.”
On Earl Bennett’s defenders:
“Tennessee played extremely good defense. They rushed the passer. For those routes to develop they have to have more time than that.”
On the last game of the season:
“Right now the mindset is we’re beat up and need Thanksgiving break. It’s an important period in their school life, so we’ve got to concentrate on things they need to do off the field. We’ve got plenty of time to get to the weight room. We’ve developed some younger players, we’ve got a good core coming back.”
Vanderbilt Player Quotes
Vanderbilt Linebacker Kevin Joyce
“We started off well, but Tennessee came on and played a great game. They’re a better team. We had a lot of guys playing injured and a lot of the younger guys trying to step up, but that’s no excuse. They played more physical.”
Wide Receiver Earl Bennett
“We didn’t execute. The coaches came out and gave us a lot of great plays, but we just couldn’t execute.”
On Tennessee’s Defense:
“They have a pretty good defense. They have some great players. They’re one of the fastest defenses I’ve seen.”
Quarterback Chris Nickson:
“I don’t feel like we reached our potential this season. I felt like we had a decent season and had some good wins. I would have liked to do some bigger and better things.”
On Tennessee’s Pressure:
“I think they had a good game plan of getting pressure on me. We have to be able to learn from this. We have to be able to handle these situations.”
Tennessee Head Coach Philip Fulmer
“I am really proud of our football team and our staff that we have been able to keep our focus and keep our intensity and that we have worked like the dickens to get better.”
“The defense really rose to the occasion today by getting pressure on the quarterback. We really were able to contain him.”
“I don’t think that I will get fined for this, but I think that we have to look hard in this conference at the officiating. Against both South Carolina and LSU, we had difference making plays that the officials just did not get right. That is why I got so adamant about some of the calls today. I am hopeful that everyone will take a good hard look at what we are doing.”
“We approach every game as though it is the most important game and we expect to win every game that we play. There has not been a single game since I have been here at Tennessee that I have not expected to win. So whether it is Vanderbilt or Florida or Georgia, we expect to win. That is why people come to Tennessee.”
“Look at [Ainge’s] numbers all year long. If he hadn’t gotten injured, he’d have a chance to be the all-conference quarterback. I think he is the all-conference quarterback. We’ll see. But he is a really good player.”
Tennessee Player Quotes
Defensive back Jonathan Wade:
On Vanderbilt’s long scoring drive and how the defense reacted:
“They made some plays,. They are all scholarship players and good athletes. They had a good scheme, but we knew after that series we were going to buckle down.”
Running back LaMarcus Coker:
On his touchdown run:
“It was a zone play to the left side. I hit it up between the tackle and the guard and (Robert) Meachem was over there split out wide and cut his man off. That let me get to the sideline and it was basically off to the races after that.”
On the team answering Vanderbilt’s touchdown drive with their own:
“It’s real big when a team scores and you come right back and score on them. You are making a statement that you aren’t going to go out easily.”
What Coach Fulmer said at halftime:
“He basically told us to go back out and re-establish ourselves in the first five minutes and that was the most important part of the game.”
Wide receiver Robert Meachem:
On how the receiving corps played today:
“We stepped up and took the challenge that was at hand. Coach (Taylor) Trooper said we were going to have to make big plays and we made big plays.”
On Eric Ainge’s return:
“It was very nice to have Eric because for one, he is taller, and he knows a little bit more than (Jonathan) Crompton. Don’t get me wrong, Crompton is a great quarterback and once he gets a few more games under his belt and under Coach Cutcliffe a little bit longer, he will be better.”
