2001 Tennessee Volunteers football team
Encyclopedia
The 2001 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee
in the 2001 college football season. The team was coached by Phillip Fulmer
. The Vols played their home games in Neyland Stadium
and competed in the Eastern Division of the SEC
. The Vols finished the season 10–2, 7–1 in SEC play and won the Citrus Bowl
45–17 to Michigan
.
"Sometimes that's a blessing and sometimes that's a curse to get off to that kind of start," Fulmer said.
Casey Clausen connected with Donte Stallworth on a 37-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes into game, but the No. 8 Vols' offense struggled for most of the game en route to a 33–9 season-opening victory over Syracuse on Saturday.
"Seven points I guess is a blessing," Fulmer said "But we lost some of what we were trying to do focus-wise there for a little bit. Execution wasn't good for 2 quarters."
John Henderson, Tennessee's star defensive tackle who chose another year of college instead of an early trip to the NFL, gave the Vols a much needed boost in the third quarter.
With Tennessee ahead 12–3 despite an anemic offense, Syracuse (0–2) turned the ball over when the snap sailed over the head of Troy Nunes, who chased it 31 yards toward the Vols' end zone. Henderson was right behind him and recovered it at the Syracuse 5.
Travis Stephens, a fifth-year senior and last year's backup to Travis Henry, pushed through the line from 4 yards out for the touchdown to put Tennessee ahead 19–3 with 5:53 to go in the quarter.
Stephens, who has been plagued with injuries and lost starting jobs to Jamal Lewis and Henry, finished with a career-high 111 yards on 14 carries, including long runs of 40 and 34 yards. It was the most he had handled the ball since rushing for 107 yards against Georgia in 1998.
"I just want to make the best of my opportunities," he said.
"Travis won't say much," Fulmer interrupted. "But this kid worked in practice for a purpose to prove he can play every down at this level. I'm really proud of him."
With Tennessee ahead 19–3 with 6:35 to go and the game pretty much decided, the teams scored three touchdowns in 30 seconds.
Stephens' backup, Corey Larkins, scored twice on TD runs of 38 and 16 yards. Johnnie Morant caught a 74-yard touchdown pass from Syracuse backup quarterback, R.J. Anderson.
Clausen looked anything but spectacular in his second season after taking over in mid-season last year and leading the Vols to sixth straight wins in the regular season. He was 14-of-27 for 136 yards and connected with Stallworth just two more times after the TD.
"If we have games like this all year with that part of the offense, I'll be bald before the end of the season," Fulmer said. "I couldn't believe some of the things that happened."
Aside from the late offensive spurt, defense ruled the day for both teams.
"I don't think the score is indicative of how well our defense played," Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni said. "Coming in here, we knew we had to play a nearly mistake-free game."
Quentin Harris intercepted Clausen on the Vols' third possession in the game. Tennessee's Rashad Baker returned the favor, picking off Nunes three plays later. Neither offense could cash in those turnovers for points.
Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney extended his sack streak to 10 games, getting at Clausen twice.
"I thought we came out focused and the crowd was out of the game," Freeney said. "We have the whole season ahead of us, and who's to say we can't win them all?"
Nunes had just as tough a day as Clausen. Constantin Ritzman gave Tennessee a 9–0 lead when he tackled Nunes in the end zone for a safety. Alex Walls' 24-yard field goal put Tennessee ahead 12–0 before halftime.
Nunes, who is right-handed, left the field at the beginning of the fourth quarter, after chipping his left wrist bone when he was tackled. He returned to the field with the arm heavily wrapped but didn't play the rest of the game.
Syracuse's defense gave its offense a chance at the beginning of the second half to cut the lead. Will Hunter batted the ball away from Clausen, and Freeney recovered it at the Tennessee 5.
On fourth down, the Orangemen settled for Justin Sujansky's 22-yard field goal to make it 12–3 with 8:22 to go in the third quarter.
The Vols have won six straight home openers by at least 24 points. The Orangemen started the season with two losses for the first time since 1996.
Syracuse went on to go and finish in the Big East Conference.
was held on April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at Madison Square Garden
in New York City
. The following University of Tennessee players were selected:
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in the 2001 college football season. The team was coached by Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Fulmer is a TV college football analyst and the former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, who compiled a 152–52 record from 1992–2008 as head coach, but was fired during a 5–7 season in 2008...
. The Vols played their home games in Neyland Stadium
Neyland Stadium
Neyland Stadium is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several NFL exhibition games. The stadium's official capacity is 102,455...
and competed in the Eastern Division of the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. The Vols finished the season 10–2, 7–1 in SEC play and won the Citrus Bowl
2002 Florida Citrus Bowl
The 2002 Florida Citrus Bowl was a college football bowl game held on January 1, 2002 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The Tennessee Volunteers, champions of the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, second place finishers in the Big Ten...
45–17 to Michigan
2001 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2001 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the college football season of 2001-2002. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr...
.
Coaching staff
- Phillip FulmerPhillip FulmerPhillip Fulmer is a TV college football analyst and the former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, who compiled a 152–52 record from 1992–2008 as head coach, but was fired during a 5–7 season in 2008...
– Head Coach - John Chavis – Defensive Coordinator
- Randy SandersRandy SandersRandy Sanders is the American football offensive coordinator and assistant coach of quarterbacks for the University of Kentucky Wildcats...
– Offensive Coordinator
Schedule
- Schedule Source: Dates and Matchups for Tennessee Football Games for the 2001 SEC Season
- Originally Scheduled for September 15. The UT Florida Game (along with all sporting events we're postponed to a later date due to the September 11th Attacks).
Syracuse
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer thought the Volunteers might have gotten off to too good of a start for their own good with a touchdown on their first offensive play."Sometimes that's a blessing and sometimes that's a curse to get off to that kind of start," Fulmer said.
Casey Clausen connected with Donte Stallworth on a 37-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes into game, but the No. 8 Vols' offense struggled for most of the game en route to a 33–9 season-opening victory over Syracuse on Saturday.
"Seven points I guess is a blessing," Fulmer said "But we lost some of what we were trying to do focus-wise there for a little bit. Execution wasn't good for 2 quarters."
John Henderson, Tennessee's star defensive tackle who chose another year of college instead of an early trip to the NFL, gave the Vols a much needed boost in the third quarter.
With Tennessee ahead 12–3 despite an anemic offense, Syracuse (0–2) turned the ball over when the snap sailed over the head of Troy Nunes, who chased it 31 yards toward the Vols' end zone. Henderson was right behind him and recovered it at the Syracuse 5.
Travis Stephens, a fifth-year senior and last year's backup to Travis Henry, pushed through the line from 4 yards out for the touchdown to put Tennessee ahead 19–3 with 5:53 to go in the quarter.
Stephens, who has been plagued with injuries and lost starting jobs to Jamal Lewis and Henry, finished with a career-high 111 yards on 14 carries, including long runs of 40 and 34 yards. It was the most he had handled the ball since rushing for 107 yards against Georgia in 1998.
"I just want to make the best of my opportunities," he said.
"Travis won't say much," Fulmer interrupted. "But this kid worked in practice for a purpose to prove he can play every down at this level. I'm really proud of him."
With Tennessee ahead 19–3 with 6:35 to go and the game pretty much decided, the teams scored three touchdowns in 30 seconds.
Stephens' backup, Corey Larkins, scored twice on TD runs of 38 and 16 yards. Johnnie Morant caught a 74-yard touchdown pass from Syracuse backup quarterback, R.J. Anderson.
Clausen looked anything but spectacular in his second season after taking over in mid-season last year and leading the Vols to sixth straight wins in the regular season. He was 14-of-27 for 136 yards and connected with Stallworth just two more times after the TD.
"If we have games like this all year with that part of the offense, I'll be bald before the end of the season," Fulmer said. "I couldn't believe some of the things that happened."
Aside from the late offensive spurt, defense ruled the day for both teams.
"I don't think the score is indicative of how well our defense played," Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni said. "Coming in here, we knew we had to play a nearly mistake-free game."
Quentin Harris intercepted Clausen on the Vols' third possession in the game. Tennessee's Rashad Baker returned the favor, picking off Nunes three plays later. Neither offense could cash in those turnovers for points.
Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney extended his sack streak to 10 games, getting at Clausen twice.
"I thought we came out focused and the crowd was out of the game," Freeney said. "We have the whole season ahead of us, and who's to say we can't win them all?"
Nunes had just as tough a day as Clausen. Constantin Ritzman gave Tennessee a 9–0 lead when he tackled Nunes in the end zone for a safety. Alex Walls' 24-yard field goal put Tennessee ahead 12–0 before halftime.
Nunes, who is right-handed, left the field at the beginning of the fourth quarter, after chipping his left wrist bone when he was tackled. He returned to the field with the arm heavily wrapped but didn't play the rest of the game.
Syracuse's defense gave its offense a chance at the beginning of the second half to cut the lead. Will Hunter batted the ball away from Clausen, and Freeney recovered it at the Tennessee 5.
On fourth down, the Orangemen settled for Justin Sujansky's 22-yard field goal to make it 12–3 with 8:22 to go in the third quarter.
The Vols have won six straight home openers by at least 24 points. The Orangemen started the season with two losses for the first time since 1996.
Syracuse went on to go and finish in the Big East Conference.
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
was held on April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The following University of Tennessee players were selected:
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Henderson | DT | 1st | 9 | Jacksonville Jaguars 2002 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2002 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's 8th year in the National Football League. The team finished with a record of 6–10 and finished 3rd place in the AFC South... |
| Donte Stallworth | WR | 1st | 13 | New Orleans Saints 2002 New Orleans Saints season The 2002 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 36th as a member of the National Football League. They improved upon their previous season's performance of 7–9, winning nine games. Despite the winning season, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs.... |
| Albert Haynesworth Albert Haynesworth -Tennessee Titans:Haynesworth was elected to the Pro Bowl for the first time for the 2007 NFL season. During this season following the stomping incident, he ranked second on the team with six sacks in his 11 games played up to the selection, led or tied for the team-high in total tackles three... |
DT | 1st | 15 | Tennessee Titans 2002 Tennessee Titans season The 2002 Tennessee Titans season was the 43rd season the team was with the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 7–9, managing eleven victories. The Titans qualified for the playoffs, but were unable to reach the Super Bowl, instead losing to the Oakland Raiders in the... |
| Fred Weary Fred Weary Fred Edward Weary, Jr. is an American football guard who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft... |
G | 3rd | 66 | Houston Texans 2002 Houston Texans season The 2002 Houston Texans season was the franchise's first-ever season and the city of Houston's first NFL season since the Houston Oilers left in 1997 to move to Tennessee to become the Titans.... |
| Will Overstreet Will Overstreet William Sparkman Overstreet is a former American football linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons in the 3rd round of the 2002 NFL Draft out of the University of Tennessee where he was a captain on the 2001 Tennessee team. He was a member... |
DE | 3rd | 80 | Atlanta Falcons 2002 Atlanta Falcons season The 2002 Atlanta Falcons season was their 37th in the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 7-9 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in four years. The team was also involved in a rare tie, matching the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-34 at the end of overtime... |
| Travis Stephens Travis Stephens Travis Tremaine Stephens is a former running back in the NFL. He played one season in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being drafted by the team in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee where he is the single season record holder for rushing yards... |
RB | 4th | 119 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was their most successful season in franchise history. The season began with the team trying to improve on a 9-7 season and did so with a franchise best 12-4 record. It was Jon Gruden's first season as the Buccaneers head coach... |
| Andre Lott Andre Lott Andre Marquette Lott is an American football strong safety most recently with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He is now a free agent. He played college football at the University of Tennessee and was drafted in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Washington... |
CB | 5th | 129 | Washington Redskins 2002 Washington Redskins season The 2002 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 8–8 record from 2001.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:... |
| Reggie Coleman | T | 6th | 192 | Washington Redskins 2002 Washington Redskins season The 2002 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 8–8 record from 2001.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:... |
| Teddy Gaines | CB | 7th | 256 | San Francisco 49ers 2002 San Francisco 49ers season The first season following divisional realignment, the Niners won the new-look NFC West title with a 10–6 record; they swept new division rivals Seattle and Arizona while splitting with the Rams; the Niners lost to former division rival New Orleans... |
| Dominique Stevenson Dominique Stevenson Antone Dominique Stevenson is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Tennessee and was drafted in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft.... |
LB | 7th | 260 | Buffalo Bills 2002 Buffalo Bills season The 2002 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s forty-third season.The Bills acquired quarterback Drew Bledsoe from the New England Patriots on draft weekend in exchange for Buffalo's first round pick in the 2003 draft... |