UCLA vs. Tennessee Football 2009
Bruins Meet Vols in Key Non-Conference Game
The teams square off in a 4 p.m. EST matchup at Knoxville, Tenn. ESPN will telecast the game, which matches two unranked schools.
But while the Bruins and Volunteers are not in The Associated Press Top 25, both received votes in this week's poll; and could each vault higher with a win Saturday.
Tennessee (1-0) went 5-7 last season, and that got Philip Fullmer fired after 17 years as Vols head coach. Former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin is the Vols' new head man, and his debut was a smashing one.
The Volunteers routed Western Kentucky 63-7 last weekend. It was Tennessee's most one-sided victory since a 70-3 triumph over Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 23, 2000.
UCLA did not make as loud of a statement, but delivered a 33-14 triumph over San Diego State. The Bruins, under second-year coach Rick Neuheisel, are looking for major improvement after a 4-8 campaign in 2008.
UCLA Safety Makes Picks off 3 Passes
The Bruins don't have a defensive playmaker on the level of Tennessee star Eric Berry, but UCLA free safety Rahim Moore did a decent impression of him last weekend.
Moore, who impressed as a freshman starter in 2008, made three interceptions vs. San Diego State to match his total from the previous season.
Reggie Carter helped bolster the Bruins with a team-high six tackles, five unassisted. Fellow linebacker Kyle Bosworth had two tackles for losses among his four stops.
As a whole, the UCLA defense had some problems early on, but ended up yielding just 277 yards. The Aztecs gained 161 of those in the first quarter, when they scored on their first two drives. And 78 of those yards came on one play -- a TD pass from Ryan Lindley to Vincent Brown.
The Bruins, though, went without a sack. They'll need to put more pressure on Tennessee -- or they'll need to score more points. And that won't be easy vs. the Volunteers defense.
Bruins Rely on Young Running Backs
UCLA's offense ranked a dismal 111th in the nation last season, with the Bruins netting just 82.8 rushing yards per game to rate 116th nationally.
They more than doubled that vs. San Diego State, netting a solid 185 yards on 38 carries. A trio of young backs led the way.
Sophomore Derrick Coleman managed 69 yards and a touchdown on just four carries. Redshirt freshman Johnathan Franklin had 12 rushes for 48 yards and a TD, and Milton Knox -- also a redshirt freshman -- ran eight times for 45 yards.
Yet another redshirt freshman, quarterback Kevin Prince, completed 18 of 129 passes for 176 yards and a TD. But Prince, who beat out incumbent Kevin Craft for the starting job, was intercepted twice, and also lost a fumble.
Sophomore Taylor Embree had six receptions for 97 yards. Terrence Austin also made six catches – good for just 27 yards. But one was a TD.
The Bruins, who finished with 359 yards of total offense, also got a boost from their special teams.
Kai Forbath kicked field goals of 50 and 49 yards. He had a PAT blocked, but the Bruins more than made up for that when Alterra Verna returned a blocked San Diego State field goal attempt 70 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Tennessee Turns Up Offensive Power
The Volunteers' offense was virtually punchless last season, ranking 115th in the nation at 268.8 yards per game. But against Western Kentucky, they ran up 657.
Tennessee was blanked in the first quarter, but managed 28 points in both the second and fourth.
Vols quarterback Jonathan Crompton has struggled during much of his career at Tennessee, throwing nine touchdowns against nine interceptions in 22 games entering the 2009 season.
The senior threw two more interceptions on Saturday, but those were minor in comparison to his five touchdown tosses and 21-for-28 passing, which produced 233 yards.
Freshman receiver Marsalis Teague was his No. 1 target, making six catches for 86 yards, And Quintin Hancock had five receptions for 65 yards and a TD.
The Vols ground game, meanwhile, produced 380 yards. Montario Hardesty rushed 18 times for 160 yards and a TD and freshman Bryce Brown ran 11 times for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Another freshman David Oku rushed for 45 yards and two-fourth quarter TDs, and sophomore Tauren Poole had 62 yards on just five carries.
Vols Defense Still Looks Tough
Defense wasn't a problem for the Volunteers in 2008, as they ranked third in the nation at 263.5 yards allowed per game. And they looked fine Saturday, giving up just 83 to Western Kentucky.
Sixty-six of the yards came on the Hilltoppers' lone scoring drive, in the third quarter.
Defensive end Chris Walker registered five tackles and two sacks, and linebacker LaMarcus Thompson recorded five tackles -- three for losses. Thompson also had a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a sack.
Linebackers Savior Frazier and Nick Reveiz shared the team high with six tackles apiece, and Brent Vinson had an interception.
Tennessee didn't need big plays from Berry. The All-American safety, who had seven picks last year, recorded three tackles and a pass breakup.
Tennessee Plays No. 1 Florida on Sept. 19
The Volunteers obviously won't have things as easy against UCLA as they did against Western Kentucky, and the opposition will get even tougher the following week when they take on No. 1 Florida in a Sept. 19 Southeastern Conference opener at Gainesville, Fla.
The Bruins are at home vs. Kansas State on Sept 19, then open Pac-10 Conference play at Stanford.
Saturday's game will mark the 15th meeting between the Bruins and the Vols. Tennessee holds a 7-5-2 edge, but UCLA won the last meeting – a 27-24 overtime decision last season.
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