Tennessee Volunteer running back Arian Foster and offensive lineman Ramon Foster have been selected by SEC coaches for the all-freshman team.

Arian got his first start on October 29, 2005 after Gerald Riggs’ injury and gained 879 yards over the Vols’ final five games. Despite not getting much playing time until then, he finished the season with the fifth-best total in Tennessee freshman history, averaging 148 yards per game.

Ramon Foster won Tennessee’s Harvey Robinson Award for most-improved offensive performer during spring drills. As a freshman, Ramon played in seven games, starting at left guard against UAB and starting at right tackle at Kentucky.

First, the Tennessee Volunteers lost six games.

Now they’ve lost a total of five running backs:

Freshman LaMarcus Coker underwent shoulder surgery on Thursday and became the fifth Vols running back to hit the operating table since early October.

* * * *

Coker joined Gerald Riggs Jr., Montario Hardesty, Ja’Kouri Williams and Arian Foster on the list of UT backs needing surgery in the past two months.

* * * *

Hardesty, a freshman from New Bern, N.C., was the first casualty when he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Ole Miss on Oct. 1.

Listed as second-team tailback prior to the injury, Hardesty won’t be available for spring practice.

Riggs came next as his senior season ended with an ankle injury suffered Oct. 22 at Alabama. He finished with 556 yards rushing and three touchdowns in six games.

Williams, a redshirt freshman who saw most of his playing time on special teams, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-November.

Then came Foster and Coker this week. Team orthopedic surgeons Dr. Greg Mathien and Dr. Russell Betcher performed both surgeries.

John Pennington has some advice for Coach Phillip Fulmer:

Run, Forest Foster, run!

And don’t let Ainge throw the ball unless absolutely necessary. When it’s necessary, don’t roll him out, and make him throw quick and short until he gets his confidence. Oh, and pray the receivers catch the thing.

Pennington’s gut is telling him the Vols will win today, but his head is no longer listening.

From GoVolsXtra:

In the frustration after the Vols’ failed last play – an end-zone interception by Vanderbilt – several UT players appeared to throw their helmets on the ground. A number of players went to the locker room leaving their helmets on the field.

Offensive lineman Albert Toeaina reportedly spit on a Jumbotron cameraman as he left the field. The cameraman, Scott Liston, told WBIR-TV’s Steve Phillips on Sunday that Fulmer had called him to apologize for the incident.

John Pennington has more:

Nearly as bad as Helmet-gate was the amount of jawing, talking and showboating that UT’s 4-6 players did during the Vandy game. Several times, UT defenders ran their mouths to Vandy’s Cutler following defensive stops. But for the day, Cutler was 27 of 39 for 315 yards and 3 touchdowns and he recorded the first signature win of his career. Guess who laughed last.

Two UT defensive players also popped off to Vandy (and former Knox Central) running back Cassen Jackson-Garrison as the teams made their way to the lockerrooms at halftime. Jackson-Garrison responded by pointing to the 21-14 lead on the Neyland Stadium scoreboard.

My guess? This was the first time that a Vandy player had been able to say “scoreboard” to a Tennessee player since the game clocks went from analog to digital.

Prior to the 4th and a foot at Vandy’s 4, several of UT’s offensive linemen were seen bobbing their heads and gesturing for the Vols to go for the first down. It was more than energy and enthusiasm… it was #####. And as I noted earlier, it was misplaced ######### since the O-Line could [sic] blow Vandy off the line of scrimmage.

Lastly, after the disappointing loss, the popping off, the mid-season “we’re not a .500 football team” promises, the numerous Clausen quotes… in the end, only 5 people associated with the Vol team came out to speak to the media after the game: Phillip Fulmer (who gets paid to do it), John Chavis (good for him), and players Foster, Mahelona and Jason Mitchell (who had played all season on a torn ACL and a torn MCL).

I echo Pennington’s praise of Chavis, Foster, Mitchell, and Mahelona, who said the helmet thing was evidence of a lack of maturity.

UPDATE: GoVolsXtra is now reporting that Toeaina spit on the ground, not on the cameraman. They have video. Toeaina is suspended for Saturday’s game against the Kentucky Wildcats, though, for inappropriate conduct, which apparently consists of throwing his helmet after the loss, leaving it on the field, and yelling an expletive at the cameraman.

Toeaina has apologized:

“I apologize, to all concerned, for my conduct after the Vanderbilt game,” Toeaina said. “It was done out of anger and frustration. It is not reflective of what I have been taught by my family or my coach. I would like to thank coach Fulmer for the opportunity to be a part of the Tennessee Volunteers.”

Vanderbilt Commodores 28, Tennessee Volunteers 24.

The good news? Arian Foster is good.

The bad news will have to wait, as it will unfold slowly in agonizing detail over the next several days, weeks, and months.

Much like the 2005 season.

GoVolsXtra coverage (subscription required) of last night’s game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks:

Mike Strange’s game recap begins:

How low can it go?

Alabama. South Carolina. Who’s next?

Tennessee’s disappointing football season took another hit Saturday night and nobody saw this one coming.

South Carolina ended a 12-year losing streak to the Vols with a stunning 16-15 upset at Neyland Stadium.

. . . and ends with this interesting tidbit:

“We’ll make whatever tough decisions need to be made,’’ Fulmer said. “We will get this back on track.’’

In his post-game post, Spring Forward, FALL BACK… to the Pack, blogger John Pennington says there will be coaching staff changes:

One coach is as good as gone now. Another, who uncharacteristically insulted a reporter to his face a couple of weeks ago, will probably be leaving on his own. And if things continue to go South (can they?), a third coach might leave or be re-assigned.

Pennington had this to say about the Volunteer offense:

(Insert sound of crickets here.) What offense?

* * * *

So what happened vs USC? ZERO playmakers. And terrible gaffes at the worst times.

UT left 2 sure touchdowns out on the turf (which would have meant a sure win). Arian Foster, who looks to have an “I can make you miss” quality that Gerald Riggs lacked, once again fumbled (as he did vs Alabama). This week, it was HIS turn to fumble into the end zone. If he doesn’t drop the ball at the goal line, Sanders’ offense gets the TD.

Then there’s Chris Hannon. I believed Hannon to be the best receiver on the team going into the season. So much for that belief. I was disappointed to see him shake his head and show up Erik Ainge after an incompletion early in the game. How funny, then, that Hannon dropped a SURE touchdown on a perfectly thrown ball later in the game? Perhaps Ainge should have shook his head and shown up Hannon.

Either way, that’s 2 TDs that were ABSOLUTELY there if UT’s “playmakers” could actually make plays.

On attendance for the game:

Tennessee fans call themselves “die hard.” Well, judging from the thousands of empty seats around Neyland Stadium (and the mass exodus at halftime), there are apparently a lot of folks around here that are already dead.

Drew Edwards has the Best and Worst feature and the article Spurrier Leads Gamecocks Over Huge Hump.

Mike Griffith does the impossible and finds the silver lining: special teams improvement, and his Report Card gives the first failing grade I remember seeing: an F for the coaching. Overall, he gave the team a D, and summarized the effort this way:

Tennessee had more talent, more opportunities, and a fired-up home crowd. Phillip Fulmer was the first to admit his team failed, calling the performance “unacceptable.’’ Coaching changes appear imminent, some at the hand of Fulmer, others possibly leaving on their own accord.

Mark Burgess says the Volunteer quarterbacks looked dazed, glassy-eyed, and exasperated, and he quotes quarterback Erik Ainge:

“I heard some of our student section start chanting ‘Fire (offensive coordinator Randy) Sanders’ after the game,” Ainge said. “Coach Sanders didn’t throw an interception, or drop a ball in the end zone, or miss two open receivers on third down like I did.

“It’s not play calling. Guys are open and we put that on us. It’s Rick and I and the offense in general.”

Dave Hooker writes on the Vols’ running back and fumbling woes.

And John Adams has a must-read column on the extent of the Vols’ offensive futility. Just one excerpt:

You can’t comprehend the magnitude of the loss unless you know a little something about the winners.

South Carolina lost by 23 points to Alabama and by 41 to Auburn. It ranks 111th in the country in rushing and 85th in rushing defense.

There’s more.

The Gamecocks start two walk-ons on offense. They lost arguably their best player, wide receiver/quarterback/running back Syvelle Newton, to a season-ending injury last week.

Their injury situation only got worse against the Vols. They lost two more wide receivers — Carlos Thomas and Noah Whiteside — to game-ending injuries in the first half.

With all that stacked against them, the Gamecocks would have to play a mistake-free game to have a chance, right?

Not hardly. They lost two fumbles and threw an interception in the first half. They were penalized 10 times.

It doesn’t get much worse.

Does it?

Dave Hooker has a nice introductory piece on Tennessee Volunteer running back Arian Foster, who will get his first start in place of injured back Gerald Riggs tomorrow night against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Randy Sanders couldn’t believe what he saw.

Tennessee’s offensive coordinator was in San Diego to recruit quarterback Richard Kovalcheck. The Vols were in desperate need for a quarterback in the 2003 class.

The field was loaded with talent. Kovalcheck’s teammate was tailback Reggie Bush, who is a Heisman candidate this year with Southern Cal.

Sanders, however, couldn’t take his eyes off the junior tailback on the opposing team from Mission Bay High School.

“I had no clue that there were any other prospects on the field,” Sanders said. “The way Arian played and the way he ran that night, it was pretty obvious that he was a good football player.”

On the one hand, it’s a bit disturbing to hear that Sanders had no clue that Reggie Bush was a prospect (he probably didn’t mean that), but on the other hand, it sure is encouraging to think that Foster might have the same potential as Bush.

College Football News’ breaks down Saturday’s game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks. Just Sort of like old times, Phil Fulmer and Steve Spurrier are tied in the SEC East, with each of their teams 2-3.

Asked and answered are:

• Why South Carolina Might Win (the Vol offense unlikely to encounter the suspicious powdery substance);
• Why Tennessee Might Win (the Vol defense);
• Who to Watch (running back replacements for injured Gerald Riggs, Arian Foster, and perhaps LaMarcus Coker, who was going to be red-shirted)
• What Will Happen (“This isn’t going to be pretty. South Carolina’s offense will sputter ‘n’ cough, but the Tennessee attack won’t do enough to make it a blowout until late.”)

CFN likes Tennessee, 27-13.

GoVolsXtra’s Mike Griffith captures the misery of the Vols’ game-losing drive:

“First-and-goal inside the 5, and it was going good,” UT left tackle Arron Sears said. “We definitely could have got it in.”

On first down at the 3, tight end Justin Reed raised out of his stance early. The penalty led to a spot at the 9, still first down.

Arian Foster was dropped a yard behind the line of scrimmage on the next play, setting up a second-and-goal.

Rick Clausen, scrambling right, appeared to have enough room to run close to the end zone, if not in it. Instead, Clausen chose to throw the ball away – from beyond the line of scrimmage – and UT was penalized another 5 yards and a loss of down.

Facing third-and-goal at the 15, offensive coordinator Randy Sanders called for a screen to fullback Cory Anderson. Anderson sprinted hard for the end zone, but Alabama linebacker Roman Harper got his helmet on the ball. Anderson fell forward as the ball squirted out of his hands and out of the back of the end zone, giving the Tide the ball back at the 20.

Meanwhile, left guard Rob Smith lay writhing on the ground with a rib contusion. The severity of the injury is not known.

“It was like a series of bad dreams,” Sears said.

John Pennington says enough talk about “all of the talent” of this year’s Tennessee Volunteer football team:

For anyone out there who wants to continue to talk about “all the talent on offense,” please, take it somewhere else. ‘Cause you happen to be living out an old John Conlee song…

“These rose colored glasses, that I’m looking through. Show ooo-nly the beauty, and they hide all the truth.”

The playmakers aren’t there. The execution’s not there. (Reminds me of the famous John McKay quote: “What do you think about your team’s execution?” “I’m all for it,” he answered.)

No playmakers + no execution = the talent’s not there. If it were it would show up on Saturdays.

Gerald Riggs wouldn’t routinely be tripped up by the first man to touch him.

Opposing defenses wouldn’t laugh at the idea of a UT QB completing a pass more than 15 yards down the field.

A wide receiver might actually take a 5 or 10 yard pass, break a tackle, make a man miss and go 30 yards with it.

But that doesn’t happen. And if it doesn’t show up on Saturday, well, then all you can say is that all those Parade All-Americans look like Tarzan, but they play like Jane.

Pennington’s other points include:

• Wide receiver Jayson Swain is this team’s only playmaker.
• Fullback Cory Anderson may have had the game’s most costly fumble, but if you’re placing blame, but every running back and a punt returner had a fumble, and there were several very costly penalties as well.
• Whether the offensive coaches are developing players may be a legitimate question, but Randy Sanders called a good game.
• The defense had one bad play in the entire game.
• “The QB situation has been butchered from the get-go.”
• Linebacker Kevin Simon may have learned that while you might be able to guarantee your own performance, it’s dangerous business to guarantee the performance of others.
• Running back Arian Foster had a better game — and is more apt to make defenders miss — than did starter Gerald Riggs.