Phil Fulmer's Record Since 1998 Season

Phil Fulmer's failures did not just begin this season nor did they begin with the 2005 season. Phil Fulmer has left behind a long pattern of failure. All one had to do was look and it was there for all to see.

Fulmer's record since 1998:
* Losses to unranked teams 6 years in a row
* 6 consecutive seasons with 3 or more losses (8 out of last 9)
* 4 year records immediately following national championship:
- Fulmer ranks 57th out of 77 national champions since 1936
- Fulmer ranks 18th out of last 19 national champions?
* Overall record 2005 - 2007: 18-13 (.581)
* Overall record 2002 - 2007: 46-24 (.657); worse than any 5 year stretch since 1980 - 1984
* SEC games 2005 - 2008 10-11
* SEC East games 2005 - 2008: 6-7
* 4-10 (.286) vs. Ranked Teams 2005 - present
* Lost 5 out of last 6 games vs. ranked teams (last 4 losses were non-competitive)
* 2006 Vol rushing defense gave up more yards per carry (4.70) than any Vol team since UTAD begin keeping the stats in 1951?

* Consecutive seasons without SEC title: 9
* Consecutive seasons without BCS bowl: 8
* Consecutive seasons without top 10 ranking: 6

* Seasons excluded from AP and/or Coaches Top 25: 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006 (and probably 2007)
* Seasons with 3 or more losses: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
* Seasons with 4 or more losses: 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007
* Seasons with 5 or more losses: 2002, 2005
* Seasons with multiple losses to unranked teams: 2003, 2005, 2007

* Consecutive seasons with a loss in last two games of season: 8
* Seasons with double digit postseason loss: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 (every year they played in the postseason)

UT SEC Titles
* 1933 - 1939 - 2
* 1940 - 1949 - 2
* 1950 - 1959 - 2
* 1960 - 1969 - 2
* 1970 - 1979 - 0
* 1980 - 1989 - 2
* 1990 - 1999 - 3
* 2000 - 2007 - 0

Longest intervals without SEC title:
1. 1970 - 1984 (Bill Battle was fired)
2. 1957 - 1966 (Bowden Wyatt was fired)
3. 1999 - current
4. 1991 - 1996 (Majors was fired)
5. 1933 - 1937 (SEC formed in 1933 - Neyland was away in 1935)
5. 1941 - 1945 (Neyland was away during WWII - no team in 1943)
7. 1947 - 1950
7. 1952 - 1955 (Neyland retired after 1952)
9. 1986 - 1988
10. 1968

Records Versus Top SEC Coaches
* 4-8 (.333) vs. Spurrier: (2-3 since 1998)
* 0-4 (.000) vs. Meyer
* 3-4 (.429) vs. Richt
* 1-3 (.250) vs. Tuberville (at AUB after 98, 3-3 overall)
* 1-3 (.250) vs. Saban
* 9-22 (.290) vs. above 5 coaches

* SEC teams that Fulmer has a winning record vs. the current head coach: KY, Vandy, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and ARK

Records Versus Better SEC Schools
* 10-19 (.345) 1999 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB (thank God for Zook!)
* 8-18 (.308) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB
* 6-17 (.261) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB excluding games vs. Zook
* 6-16 (.273) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, AUB
* 4-13 (.235) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, AUB excluding games vs. Zook
* 6-11 (.353) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA
* 4-10 (.286) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA excluding games vs. Zook
* 3-5 (.375) 2000 - present vs. GA

Record Versus Top Ten Opponents
* 8-16 (.333) vs. Top 10 teams 1999 - present
* 1-8 (.111) vs. Top 10 teams at home 2000 - present
* 6-14 (.300) vs. Top 10 teams 2000 - present
* 18-24 (.429) vs. Ranked Teams 1999 - present
* 9-17 (.346) vs. Ranked Teams 2002 - present

Bowl Game Performance
* 4-6 (.400) Bowl games since 1998 (all losses were by double digits)
* 5-6 (.455) Postseason record since 1998 including SECCG (all losses were by double digits)

National recruiting rankings:
* 2003 FL 2 TN 5
* 2004 FL 7 TN 12
* 2005 TN 2 FL 13 (Zook was fired and Meyer was just hired)
* 2006 FL 5 TN 24
* 2007 FL 2 TN 6
(Phil Steele's rankings which are a composite compilation of many recruiting services rankings)

Losses To Unranked Teams:
1. 2008 UCLA 27 TN 24.
2. 2007 AL 41 TN 17
3. 2006 PSU 20 TN 10
4. 2005 Van 28 TN 24
5. 2005 SC 16 TN 15
6. 2004 ND 17 TN 13
7. 2003 Clem 27 TN 14
8. 2003 Aub 28 TN 21
9. 2001 GA 26 TN 24
10. 2000 LSU 38 TN 31
11. 1999 Ark 28 TN 24

Non-competitive games (see footnotes also)
1. 1999 NEB 31 TN 21
2. 2000 GA 21 TN 10 (1)
3. 2000 KSU 35 TN 21
4. 2001 LSU 31 TN 20 (2)
5. 2002 FL 30 TN 13
6. 2002 AL 34 TN 14
7. 2002 Miami 26 TN 3
8. 2002 MD 30 TN 3
9. 2003 AUB 28 TN 21 (3)
10. 2003 GA 41 TN 13
11. 2003 CLEM 27 TN 14
12. 2004 AUB 34 TN 10
13. 2004 AUB 38 TN 28 (4)
14. 2005 GA 27 TN 14 (5)
15. 2005 ND 41 TN 21
16. 2006 ARK 31 TN 14
17. 2006 PSU 20 TN 10 (6)
18. 2007 CAL 45 TN 31 (7)
19. 2007 FL 59 TN 20
20. 2007 AL 41 TN 17
21. 2008 FL 30 TN 6

Cliffhanger wins vs. weak teams (see footnotes also)
1. 1999 TN 17 Memphis 16
2. 2000 TN 19 Southern Miss 16
3. 2000 TN 19 Memphis 17
4. 2000 TN 28 Vandy 26
5. 2001 TN 38 KY 35
6. 2003 TN 34 Marshall 24 (
7. 2003 TN 23 SC 20 (9)
8. 2003 TN 23 Duke 6 (10)
9. 2004 TN 21 Miss 17
10. 2004 TN 38 Vandy 33
11. 2004 TN 37 KY 31
12. 2005 TN 17 UAB 10
13. 2005 TN 20 Memphis 16
14. 2006 TN 31 Air Force 30
15. 2006 TN 17 KY 12 (11)
16. 2007 TN 27 SC 24
17. 2007 TN 25 VU24
18. 2007 TN 52 KY 50

Since 1998, 53 out of 124 games (42.7%) have been losses to unranked teams, games the Vols were not competitive in, or narrow victories over weak teams.

Footnotes
Only AP polls were used for ranking purposes.
(1)One could legitimately question the inclusion of this game, but the loss dropped the Vols to 0-3 in the SEC, they lost by double digits, and the offense was anemic at best.
(2) The final score was not a blowout, but LSU outscored TN 24-3 in the second half after losing their starting QB and RB, and it was a double digit loss. The Vols also blew a shot at the NC.
(3) AUB dominated the game, and would have shut the door after going up 35-7 if not for an incorrect call wiping out an obvious AUB TD (replays by officials were not in effect yet).
(4) AUB had 36 FDs and almost 600 yards. When TN tied it up, AUB just cranked up the offense again and put the game away, and had the ball DEEP in TN territory when the game ended. TN defense was totally clueless and offense was comatose until second half.
(5) TN given a controversial TD on last play of game.
(6) This game was mainly included because TN QUIT at the end of the game, and it was a double digit bowl loss yet again also.
(7) Late fumble by CAL on the TN goal-line prevented it from being a 21 point loss.( Marshall might well have won if the Marshall QB had not knocked himself out of the game celebrating a TD with a jumping chest bump.
(9) SC was 5-7, 2-6 in the SEC that year.
(10) The game was included because TN only led 9-6 well into the 4th quarter, and they were so BAD the coach had already been fired. TN did not score a TD until Duke fumbled in their own territory. Duke had the ball 8 minutes more than the Vols, but missed 2 FG attempts also.
(11) OK, KY was not a weak team LY, but they are still KY, who has not beaten the Vols since 1984.