2006 Tennessee Volunteers Football Preview

Welcome to the official MadduxSports.com 2006 Tennessee Volunteers NCAA season preview. Like we do each and every season we have inspected and broken down the team, you can also find the 2006 Tennessee Volunteers Football Schedule here. If you plan to bet on NCAA football be sure to use expert College football picks from Maddux Sports as well as bookmark our free college football lines page offering up to the minute point spreads for the weekly schedule.

Coach: Phillip Fulmer (15th year at Tennessee)
Team Name: Volunteers
2005 Overall Record: 5-6
2005 SEC Conference Record 3-5
Returning Starters: 12

Last season, this team could stop other clubs from scoring; their problem was that other teams also stopped them from scoring. The defense gave up an average of 18.6 PPG, while the offense averaged that same number of points.

One problem in 2005 was the QB situation, where coach Phillip Fulmer vacillated between Erik Ainge and Rick Clausen. This year, either the power passing Ainge or the athletic freshman Jonathan Crompton will have the job.

Sophomore Arian Foster (879 YDS, 4.8 YDS/Carry, 5 TDs), who has superior field vision, should be even better this season. The receivers are talented and versatile with junior Robert Meachem in the forefront. On the OL, Fulmer’s looking for better run blocking and tougher QB protection.

The frontline on defense is down 6 of 7 starters, with only standout Justin Harrell back. But there’s no lack of talent and senior Turk McBride is ready to blossom. Safeties Jonathan Hefney and Antwan Stewart lead an exceptionally deep secondary, while the linebackers are inexperienced but extremely talented.

Perhaps no other team in the SEC has so many games that can go either way—California, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, LSU and Arkansas are all possible wins or loses for the Volunteers. Look for the team’s first game against visiting California to be a litmus test. That contest could define the team and their season.

Tennessee Volunteers 2006 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Home/Road
Sep 2	California	Home
Sep 9	Air Force	Home
Sep 16	Florida	Home
Sep 23	Marshall	Home
Sep 30	Memphis	Road
Oct 7	Georgia	Road
Oct 21	Alabama	Home
Oct 28	South Carolina	Road
Nov 4	LSU	Home
Nov 11	Arkansas	Road
Nov 18	Vanderbilt	Road
Nov 25	Kentucky	Home

 

For more data on the 2006 Tennessee football program, view the Volunteers team website or scroll down below to read up on the rest of the SEC competition.