KNOXVILLE L-- The Southeastern Conference announced Monday that Tennessee's Oct. 21 contest against Alabama is being televised by CBS and kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time.
The game marks Tennessee's second appearance on CBS this season and fifth nationally televised game. The Vols trail the series against Alabama 44-37-7, but have won nine of the last 11 meetings. Alabama defeated UT 6-3 a year ago in Tuscaloosa after the Vols had won the previous two contests -- 17-13 in 2004 and 51-43 in five overtimes in 2003.
Other SEC teams involved in Oct. 21 televised games feature Mississippi at Arkansas on Lincoln Financial Sports (11:30 a.m. Central) and Fresno State at LSU on ESPN2 (8 p.m. Central).
AINGE NAMED SEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge added to his list of recent accomplishments Monday when the Southeastern Conference selected him Offensive Player of the Week. The junior completed 25-of-38 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score in Tennessee's 51-33 win at Georgia.
Sunday, Ainge was named Walter Camp Football Foundation’s Div. I-A National Offensive Player of the Week and also has a chance to be voted by fans as the Cingular All-America Player of the Week.
Ainge helped rally Tennessee from a 17-point deficit against the Bulldogs, completing a personal two-game career sweep at Sanford Stadium as a starting quarterback. The Vols’ 51 points were the second-highest total by a Georgia opponent in Athens.
Trailing 24-14 at halftime, Ainge scored on a 1-yard TD run on UT's first drive of the second half. On Tennessee's first drive of the fourth quarter, Ainge connected with Robert Meachem on a 15-yard TD pass to put the Vols ahead for good, 31-27. Ainge hit Bret Smith with a 16-yard TD pass for UT's first score in the contest.
The Hillsboro, Ore., product leads the SEC in all three major passing categories -- pass efficiency rating (171.6), passing yards per game (276.2) and total offense per game (269.0).
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)