KNOXVILLE -- A rare Sunday practice on a rare cool and rainy August afternoon wrapped up Tennessee's first week of football at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Vols added shoulder pads to their practice attire and staged another 2 1/2-hour session under the watchful eye of head coach Phillip Fulmer.

"The kids caught a real break with the weather," Fulmer said. "But
I thought the energy again was good. We got a lot of work done in team
situations, which certainly will make everybody better on both sides.

"Defensively and offensively, we're just going really fast with what
we're putting in. We've always said we'll do the whole before the
parts and there will be some real freshman head-spinning in the next
two or three days. We'll get more out there than what they can handle
but then we'll come back and teach them and go from there."

Fulmer talked about the early competition for Tennessee's starting
center position between senior Richie Gandy and junior David Ligon.

"Somebody's still got to come out and prove they can be a starting
center," Fulmer said. "Richie, I'm really happy with where he is as
far as his physical health. I had no idea he would be doing this much
work from what the doctors said. And David is still working on the
finer things of being a center.

"At least Richie's been around longer and understands things better.
David both physically and some mentally is working to catch up. I
could see the progress coming along with both of them. They are both
good athletes and they stayed and stuck it out."

Gandy appeared in 11 games last season, with five starts providing
the Darlington, S.C., native's first significant playing time. Ligon,
a Germantown product, played in nine games and contributed key
minutes in reserve roles against Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

"This is big for both of them and they are taking it very seriously,"
Fulmer said. "Even though they are friends, they are fighting every
day for playing time."

Former Tennessee offensive coordinator and Mississippi head coach David Cutcliffe visited Sunday's soggy practice. Cutcliffe was with the Vols from 1982-98, the final six years as offensive play-caller. He then produced a 44-29 ledger at Ole Miss from 1999-2004 before being fired in December.

"It's good to get him on the practice field," Fulmer said, adding
with a laugh that Cutcliffe told him he recognized a lot of the play
calls. "That was a little disconcerting, but he's welcome any time."

Cutcliffe underwent heart bypass surgery in March and briefly
accepted the position as quarterback coach at Notre Dame under
Charlie Weis before resigning in June, citing health concerns. He and
his family have relocated to the Knoxville area and Cutcliffe's son,
Chris, is working as a Vols student manager.

(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)