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Tennessee To Play Wisconsin

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By TONY FABRIZIO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 3, 2007

Updated: 12/03/2007 12:11 am

Bret Bielema was 11 years old when Wisconsin and Tennessee met for the first and only time in football.

That was in the 1981 Garden State Bowl in East Rutherford, N.J. Tennessee won, 28-21.

"I didn't catch the game," the Badgers coach joked Sunday.

Bielema will catch the next meeting. Tennessee, denied a bid in a BCS bowl with Saturday's 21-14 loss to LSU in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game, accepted an invitation Sunday to play Wisconsin in the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl.

The Volunteers (9-4) will be making their second consecutive and third overall trip to Tampa, while Wisconsin will be playing in the game for the fourth time.

"We have our work cut out for us," Bielema said. "But it should be a classic Big Ten-SEC matchup - something we have fared on the good side of the last few years, defeating Arkansas and Auburn in the Capital One Bowl. We're looking forward to the opportunity to continue the tradition in Tampa."

Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer, the dean of SEC coaches, was an assistant coach when the Volunteers met the Badgers in 1981. He doesn't remember much about that meeting, but he said he's well aware of Wisconsin's 9-3 record in its last 12 bowl games.

"That's absolutely impressive, and I'm certain when we break the film down we'll see a very fine football team, as we always do when we play folks out of the Big Ten," he said.

Tennessee has had an odd season in which it has played shaky defense at times and yet won the SEC's East Division. The Vols rallied from a 1-2 start that included a 59-20 loss to Florida to win eight of their last nine regular-season games and earn a berth in the SEC Championship Game against LSU.

LSU beat Tennessee 21-14 in the title game Saturday, advancing to the national championship and denying Tennessee a BCS bowl berth.

"I know they have very talented players," Bielema said of Tennessee. "Their quarterback Erik Ainge, 3,157 yards, 29 touchdowns is very gifted. They have a wide receiver Lucas Taylor, 73 catches, 1,000 yards and a running back Arian Foster, 229 carries, 1,162 yards, 12 TDs who bring a lot to the table. Their offensive line has actually only given up four sacks the entire year."

Tennessee has won two of its last nine bowl games, with its only wins coming in the 2005 Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M and 2002 Citrus Bowl against Michigan. Despite having what the coaches regarded as good practices before last year's Outback Bowl meeting with unranked Penn State, Tennessee lost 20-10.

Fulmer said it's too early to say whether he'll change up preparations.

"I expected us to play much better than we did," he said. "We definitely want to play better and win the game."

Tennessee is the fourth team to make consecutive appearances in the Outback Bowl since 2001. South Carolina and Ohio State played each other in the 2001 and 2002 games, and Florida played in the 2003 and 2004 (and 2006) games.

Jim McVay, the bowl's president and CEO, said it's no harder to sell a matchup that includes a return team than it is one involving two new teams.

"We're very fortunate in that we have a great destination," he said. "People want to be on the west coast of Florida with the beaches and sunshine. It really is a neat trip. The key is to invite successful, winning teams that have strong fan followings."

Outback Bowl

TENNESSEE (9-4) vs. WISCONSIN (9-3)

WHEN: Jan. 1, 11 a.m.

TV: ESPN

WHERE: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

TICKETS: $65, (813) 287-8844, Ticketmaster outlets throughout Florida, ticketmaster.com; !utsports.com; !uwbadgers.com.

ABOUT TENNESSEE: After a 1-2 start, Tennessee won eight of its last nine regular-season games and captured the SEC East title before losing to LSU in Saturday's conference championship game. … The Volunteers rank in the upper half in several offensive categories, including first in red zone offense and first in fewest sacks allowed. … QB Erik Ainge, who threw a school-record seven touchdown passes in a 52-50 victory over Kentucky on Nov. 24, is the third-leading passer in the SEC (3,157 yards, 29 TDs, 10 interceptions). … RB Arian Foster is the workhorse on the ground (229 carries, 1,162 yards, 12 TDs). … Tennessee ranked second-to-last in the SEC in scoring defense.

ABOUT WISCONSIN: After going 12-1 last year, Wisconsin slipped to 9-3 with losses to Ohio State, Illinois and Penn State. Still, the Badgers are 40-10 over the past four seasons, and their nine bowl wins over the past 14 season is tied for the most of any team in the country. … Coach Bret Bielema's balanced offense is led by QB Tyler Donovan, who is fourth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency (179 of 309, 16 TDs, 10 interceptions), and a 1-2 punch at running back with P.J. Hill (1,080 yards, 14 TDs) and freshman Zack Brown (539 yards, including 250 against Minnesota). … Wisconsin ranked fourth in the Big Ten in scoring defense and is anchored by LBs Jonathan Casillas, DeAndre Levy (64 tackles) and Elijah Hodge.

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at (813) 259-7994 or afabrizio@tampatrib.com.

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