Nick Stephens News

Just 27 hours after breaking ground on a new $39 million football complex, the Tennessee Vols played Memphis in front of approximately 15,000 empty seats at Neyland Stadium.

View full size photo>> Best beginning. David Oku , who took the opening kickoff 69 yards and set the tone for the entire game.

After Tennessee suffered its third loss of the season in early October, there was hardly a person in Neyland Stadium dressed in orange who didn't want to bench quarterback Jonathan Crompton.

Ball in hand. Where it belongs. One of the more interesting changes to the Tennessee Volunteers this year is found in the turnover statistics.

Visiting Tuscaloosa as a Tennessee student six long years ago proved to be an interesting experience to say the least.

The records alone show change. But not much. To understand the depth of change, a closer inspection is required.

Sundays have generally been soul-searching days the past two falls around the University of Tennessee.

Commence the 15-minute immediate post-game mostly incoherent and questionable-impression-filled ramblings on Tennessee's 45-19 win over the Georgia Bulldogs .

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee offensive tackle Chris Scott has had a quiet week. Not so for linebacker LaMarcus Thompson.

At this time last year, Tennessee was sitting at 2-3 with a loss to UCLA, two losses to SEC foes Florida and Auburn, a fairly impressive victory over a bad team , and an unimpressive win over another bad team .

Excuses, excuses: you hear them every day. This is really beginning to get old. For the past 10 months or so that I have been writing on this website, I've fed myself and others with excuse after excuse for Tennessee football's latest swoon.

Pass after pass sailed over receivers' heads, landing meaninglessly beyond the sidelines at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Nick Stephens often gives himself helpful reminders. Be positive. Support your teammates.

If this were late in the season, Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin probably would plug in redshirt freshman Herman Lathers or true freshman Nigel Mitchell-Thornton for injured middle linebacker Nick Reveiz.

The University of Tennessee football team's woeful passing game has lost its leading receiver for at least one game, and possibly a few more.

Lane Kiffin said Monday the University of Tennessee offense could make several significant changes this week, following deficient performances against UCLA and Florida.

KNOXVILLE - Tennessee Coach Lane Kiffin would prefer to not be reminded about how his Volunteers are ranked 73rd in the nation in total offense right now.

Okay, I'll say it: If B.J. Coleman was still a student at the University of Tennessee the chances are pretty good he'd be the Vols' starting quarterback this week against top-ranked Florida.

Got to appreciate that Florida coach Urban Meyer didn't even deny that he's going to use Lane Kiffin against, well, Lane Kiffin this week when the Gators host suddenly fledgling Tennessee.

His name is Tyler Bray, which seems perfect the weekend of Tennessee -Florida. As a verb, bray is the noise made by a donkey.