• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Tennessee makes second straight Outback Bowl appearance

Jan 1, 2008 - 12:00 PM No. 18 Wisconsin (9-3) vs. No. 16 Tennessee (9-4) 11:00 am EST Outback Bowl January 1

TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- Tennessee returns to the Outback Bowl for the second straight year hoping for a different result.

The 16th-ranked Volunteers look to reverse their recent bowl woes when they face No. 18 Wisconsin on New Year's Day in the Outback Bowl.

The Volunteers completed last season with a 20-10 loss here to Penn State, its lowest point total of the year.

This time, Tennessee faces Wisconsin in what is only the second meeting between the schools. The only previous contest also came in a bowl game, with the Volunteers posting a 28-21 victory in the 1981 Garden State Bowl.

Overall, Tennessee is making its 47th bowl appearance, which ranks second all-time to Alabama's 55. The Volunteers' 24 bowl victories are tied for fourth with Oklahoma.

Tennessee overcame a turbulent year in which some fans called for coach Phillip Fulmer's ouster to capture the Southeastern Conference's East Division title.

After losing at Alabama, 41-17, to fall to 4-3, the Volunteers won their final five regular-season games, including a memorable 52-50 four-overtime victory over Kentucky.

The Volunteers, however, lost to Louisiana State, 21-14, in the SEC championship game.

The Outback Bowl marks the final appearance of Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge, who ranks third on the school's all-time passing yards list behind Peyton Manning and Casey Clausen.

Ainge has 300 completions this year, breaking Manning's previous school singe-season mark of 287 set in 1997.

Wisconsin finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference despite ranking sixth in the conference in scoring (30.3) and points allowed (23.3). Its three losses came to Illinois, Penn State and Ohio State.

Wisconsin's top offensive threat is sophomore P.J. Hill, who rushed for 1,080 yards - the sixth-best mark in the Big Ten - and 14 touchdowns.

However, Hill missed Wisconsin's final regular-season game against Minnesota due to a thigh bruise and his status for Tennessee is uncertain.

If Hill is unavailable, freshman Zach Brown likely will get the start. He rushed for 358 yards and four touchdowns in two late-season starts, including a 250-yard effort against Minnesota.

Tennessee is vulnerable on the ground, allowing 162 yards per game, which ranks 68th in the Football Bowl Subdivision.