If the score was anything to go by, Coach Fulmer ran the score up on himself in the spring Orange-White game 69-7. The lopsided Orange win came as a result of an Orange team comprised of next fall’s projected starters against the rest of the team in White. While providing a much needed confidence booster to the team, it also shielded any view of what first team offense against first defense would be like. Last season’s Orange-White game provided an early warning of the offensive woes that plagued UT in the regular season.
Casey Clausen had a strong outing against a secondary comprised mainly of walk-ons. He led the Orange team to six scores on seven drives. The lone non-score was a missed 54-yard field goal by James Wilhoit. Clausen went 16-26 and three touchdowns, and a blemish interception by Shannon Benton that was returned twenty-seven yards for the lone score by the White team.
James Banks and C.J. Leak failed to lead the White team to a score but Banks did make a nice pitch to Gerald Riggs while leading the Orange team that led to a sixty-four yard run for a TD. Josh Thompson and Jim Bob Cooter also took some snaps for the White team but were relegated to handing the ball off.
Mark Jones confirmed his status as the leading receiver, catching four balls for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Banks made some nice catches from Clausen including one for a score. Several Vols made catches but no one else emerged as a standout receiver. Work will continue at the position.
Cedric Houston looked solid at tailback. Riggs looked better than in the fall; his improved knowledge of the offense seemed to help, his ability to hold onto the ball was more noticeable. The offenses used fullback rushes several times that produced mixed results.
Ovince Saint-Preux led the teams in tackling, tagging five solo stops and five assists. The name that surprised everyone was walk-on Peter Chang. Starting for the overmatched White team in the secondary, Chang made stops but was burned several times by Clausen passes. The Orange defense looked good against a struggling White offense, but registered fewer stops and big plays as the White team’s progress was halted so quickly on its drives.
The “who dunnit” play of the game came in the fourth quarter. Clausen had just thrown to Banks for a TD and the Orange kicked off to the White, or rather the White kicked off to the white wearing black pullover mesh. Kip Hartman took the Wilhoit kickoff and pitched it backwards to Ryan Boswell, the ball hit the ground and an alert Kevin Shipley picked it up for the kickoff team and went into the end zone. Though the score counted for the Orange, hardly anyone noticed as six points went on the board and the White team started at the twenty as if it were a touchback. No PAT was tried.
The game was a hit with the crowd as it featured lots of offensive highlights that were missed last season, but it leaves a lot of questions open for the fall.

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