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The No.8 Tennessee Volunteers hosts No.13 LSU, as the Tigers and Volunteers meet for the 29th time at Neyland Stadium Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. (EST) kickoff. The game will be televised nationally by CBS.

The Vols took the last meeting between the two teams in historic fashion, turning a 17-point, fourth-quarter deficit into a 30-27 overtime win in Baton Rouge last year. Tennessee trailed by as much as 21 points in the second half, both deficits rank as the largest Tennessee has overcome in school history.

Not since 1997, Peyton Manning’s senior season has Tennessee’s offense relied so heavily on the passing game as this year. Through eight games, the Vol’s are averaging 174.6 more passing yards than rushing yards per game (288.1 to 113.5). In 1997, Tennessee averaged 180.7 more passing yards per game (331.8 to 151.1).

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Tennessee head football coach Phillip Fulmer enhanced the Vol’s passing attack when he brought back former offensive coordinator and Ole Miss head man David Cutcliffe. Cutcliffe is credited for developing quarterback Peyton Manning as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Tennessee prior to moving on to developing brother Eli Manning as head coach at Ole Miss. In 2006, Cutcliffe’s development project is junior quarterback Erik Ainge.

Not since 1997, Peyton Manning's senior season has Tennessee's offense relied so heavily on the passing game as this year. Through eight games, the Vols are averaging 174.6 more passing yards than rushing yards per game (288.1 to 113.5). In 1997, Tennessee averaged 180.7 more passing yards per game (331.8 to 151.1).

Tennessee wide receivers Robert Meachem, Jayson Swain and Bret Smith comprise the second-best receiving duo in NCAA Division I-A in terms of average yards per game this season. The three have combined for 1,671 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, with Meachem totaling 868 yards, Swain gaining 450 and Smith (who has played in seven of UT's eight games) totaling 343 yards for a combined per-game average of 215.0 yards. Each Vol has recorded a multi-touchdown game this season, with Meachem leading the pack with two multi-touchdown outings.

LSU goes into the Tennessee game with an offensive unit that ranks first in the SEC and 11th in the nation in scoring with a 35.88 average. The Tigers have scored 40 points a school-record tying five times this year, including 49 against Kentucky and 48 in a win over Mississippi State.

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The Tigers also lead the conference and rank No. 16 in the nation in total offense, averaging 414.75 yards per game. Tiger quarterback JaMarcus Russell has been the key to the LSU offensive attack, throwing for 241.6 yards per game. Russell leads the league and ranks fourth in the nation in pass efficiency with a 174.58 rating as he has connected on 135 of 193 passes for 1,910 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Defensively, the Tigers are not only the best in the SEC, but have been called the top unit in the nation. LSU currently leads the SEC and ranks No. 2 in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 8.2 points per game, some four points better than conference foe Florida, who is yielding 12 points per contest.

LSU also leads the nation in pass efficiency defense with an 85.36 rating and the Tigers are among the national leaders in pass defense (No. 5 at 139.0 yards per game), rushing defense (No. 7 at 72.63 yards per game) and sacks (No. 10 at 3.25 per game).

Odds makers are not showing Tennessee much respect, especially at home in Neyland Stadium, as LSU has been installed a road favorite by a –3-point chalk both offshore and in Las Vegas. Give LSU the edge in this game because the Tiger defense will give Erik Ainge problems in the passing game and Tennessee doesn’t run the ball well enough to create any balance.

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