The View From Knoxville

The Vols and Tigers put on a great show Saturday with a gripping, back and forth affair. As I said Thursday, LSU was due for a good road performance and they got one, sort of. While JaMarcus Russell is a phenomenal talent, he seems not to respect the ball when the Tigers are on the road. True to form, he and the Tigers turned over the ball way too many times Saturday, including one INT for an easy, easy touchdown on the second play of the third quarter. Despite the turnovers and thanks to a fantastic effort by LSU's defense and Jimbo Fisher's playcalling, LSU had its opportunity in the final seconds and it cashed in. Say what you will about JaMarcus, but he certainly has a flair for the dramatic (see Arizona State and Alabama for confirmation).

Besides the game, we had a great time in Knoxville. We ate well and enjoyed the Vol Walk and the Pride of the Southland's entrance to the stadium. Here are a few pictures of note:

I though both sets of fans were well behaved. The LSU fans were rocking the whole game. Even when they were down 17-7, they were still yelling. The UT fans were too quiet. I've been to a number of games in Neyland and it seems that the UT fans are awful quiet at times, especially when the opposing team scores first. I think I have seen Neyland at its loudest when Travis Henry ran a 80 yard screen pass for a touchdown in 2001 with about a minute left. I've never heard a louder stadium. However, the Vol fans don't come close to sustaining a high noise level like LSU or Florida. Overall, the UT fans are hospitable, good people. But, I have been to Neyland five times now since leaving UGA and I've seen the Vols win once. I suspect they are a bit more crass in victory.