Jrama
08-06-2006, 01:30 PM
Sunday, 08/06/06
Ainge still listens to Sanders
Former coordinator tells quarterback to forget last season
By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer
KNOXVILLE — Erik Ainge has received tons of advice about last season's disaster and how to bury it once and for all.
His best advice, though, came from the guy most Tennessee fans couldn't wait to run out of town — former offensive coordinator Randy Sanders.
"He just said, 'You're going to be a good football player and last year happened, so don't talk about last year. Talk about this year and go out there and play and have fun,' " Ainge recounted.
Even though Sanders is wearing blue now as Kentucky's quarterbacks coach, he and Ainge still talk.
"I call him. He doesn't call me," said Ainge, who last spoke to Sanders about a week ago. "He doesn't want to bother me. He's coaching at Kentucky now and doesn't want to be calling me. But I'll call him sometimes if I have some questions or just to talk. It's always good to have someone else to talk to. I love Coach Sanders."
But in keeping with Ainge's motto to live in the present, his focus now is doing it the way new offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe wants it done.
If you're going to play under Cutcliffe, there is no other way.
"It's like Coach Cut always says, 'Winning is an all-the-time thing,' " Ainge said.
The same goes for confidence, which Ainge seemed to be sapped of as last season went from bad to worse.
One of the many plays that sums up the misery that was Tennessee football a year ago was Ainge's desperation fling out of the end zone at LSU that resulted in an easy touchdown for the Tigers.
His teammates don't view anything that happened with Ainge last season as the real Ainge. They say the real Ainge is much closer to what everybody saw as a true freshman.
"The main difference in Erik from last year to this year is that he's being himself again," junior tight end Chris Brown said. "When he came in, he was doing what he wanted to do and wasn't trying to impress everyone else. He was just being Erik.
"Everybody knows he has the ability. You saw what he did as a true freshman. It's just him being Erik and getting things done the right way."
Senior receiver Jayson Swain said the mere fact that there's no quarterback controversy this preseason has been refreshing for everybody.
"Coach Cutcliffe has told him he's the guy and everyone on the team knows he's the guy, so in the summer we were like, 'Erik, come on, let's go throw because you're the guy,' " Swain said.
"Last year, we did not know who was going to be throwing us the ball on Saturday and now we know that Erik is the man, which makes a big difference."
The other difference, according to Ainge, is that he has a better overall feel for the game.
He's not worrying as much about calling the right play or getting in the right formation or trying to remember a certain check.
It's all coming naturally.
"Coach Cut is doing a great job of not making it too difficult," said Ainge, who completed just 45.5 percent of his passes last season while throwing five touchdowns and seven interceptions. "We're going to be complex at what we do, but we're going to get real good at something.
"I think the biggest difference with me right now is just a general understanding of the game of football. It slows everything down."
Ainge also feels a bond with his receivers he never really felt a year ago.
"You've got one quarterback throwing to the same guys all summer and spring," Ainge said. "We're starting to get a rhythm. I'm starting to know where guys are going to be, what they're going to do.
"We didn't have that connection — whether it was Rick (Clausen) or me in the game — with the receivers last season."
Coach Phillip Fulmer said Saturday he's still not ready to name captains. In an ideal world, you'd always like your quarterback to be one of your strongest leaders.
Cutcliffe has reminded Ainge more than once that leadership is earned.
"I can't give him that," Cutcliffe said. "I think he has earned some. We'll see how he responds this preseason. The best way to earn it is to know what you're talking about and know your business.
"When you step out on that field, the players know. Everybody knows. You don't have to tell anybody. You don't have to remind anybody.
"That's the kind of leadership I'm looking for." •
Ainge still listens to Sanders
Former coordinator tells quarterback to forget last season
By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer
KNOXVILLE — Erik Ainge has received tons of advice about last season's disaster and how to bury it once and for all.
His best advice, though, came from the guy most Tennessee fans couldn't wait to run out of town — former offensive coordinator Randy Sanders.
"He just said, 'You're going to be a good football player and last year happened, so don't talk about last year. Talk about this year and go out there and play and have fun,' " Ainge recounted.
Even though Sanders is wearing blue now as Kentucky's quarterbacks coach, he and Ainge still talk.
"I call him. He doesn't call me," said Ainge, who last spoke to Sanders about a week ago. "He doesn't want to bother me. He's coaching at Kentucky now and doesn't want to be calling me. But I'll call him sometimes if I have some questions or just to talk. It's always good to have someone else to talk to. I love Coach Sanders."
But in keeping with Ainge's motto to live in the present, his focus now is doing it the way new offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe wants it done.
If you're going to play under Cutcliffe, there is no other way.
"It's like Coach Cut always says, 'Winning is an all-the-time thing,' " Ainge said.
The same goes for confidence, which Ainge seemed to be sapped of as last season went from bad to worse.
One of the many plays that sums up the misery that was Tennessee football a year ago was Ainge's desperation fling out of the end zone at LSU that resulted in an easy touchdown for the Tigers.
His teammates don't view anything that happened with Ainge last season as the real Ainge. They say the real Ainge is much closer to what everybody saw as a true freshman.
"The main difference in Erik from last year to this year is that he's being himself again," junior tight end Chris Brown said. "When he came in, he was doing what he wanted to do and wasn't trying to impress everyone else. He was just being Erik.
"Everybody knows he has the ability. You saw what he did as a true freshman. It's just him being Erik and getting things done the right way."
Senior receiver Jayson Swain said the mere fact that there's no quarterback controversy this preseason has been refreshing for everybody.
"Coach Cutcliffe has told him he's the guy and everyone on the team knows he's the guy, so in the summer we were like, 'Erik, come on, let's go throw because you're the guy,' " Swain said.
"Last year, we did not know who was going to be throwing us the ball on Saturday and now we know that Erik is the man, which makes a big difference."
The other difference, according to Ainge, is that he has a better overall feel for the game.
He's not worrying as much about calling the right play or getting in the right formation or trying to remember a certain check.
It's all coming naturally.
"Coach Cut is doing a great job of not making it too difficult," said Ainge, who completed just 45.5 percent of his passes last season while throwing five touchdowns and seven interceptions. "We're going to be complex at what we do, but we're going to get real good at something.
"I think the biggest difference with me right now is just a general understanding of the game of football. It slows everything down."
Ainge also feels a bond with his receivers he never really felt a year ago.
"You've got one quarterback throwing to the same guys all summer and spring," Ainge said. "We're starting to get a rhythm. I'm starting to know where guys are going to be, what they're going to do.
"We didn't have that connection — whether it was Rick (Clausen) or me in the game — with the receivers last season."
Coach Phillip Fulmer said Saturday he's still not ready to name captains. In an ideal world, you'd always like your quarterback to be one of your strongest leaders.
Cutcliffe has reminded Ainge more than once that leadership is earned.
"I can't give him that," Cutcliffe said. "I think he has earned some. We'll see how he responds this preseason. The best way to earn it is to know what you're talking about and know your business.
"When you step out on that field, the players know. Everybody knows. You don't have to tell anybody. You don't have to remind anybody.
"That's the kind of leadership I'm looking for." •