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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Saturday, September 26, 1998 No. 4 Tennessee to match strengths against Houston By DUNCAN MANSFIELD Associated Press Writer KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - To hear the coaches, Houston is better than its winless record and Tennessee is better than its No. 4 ranking. "Houston is the best 0-3 team in the country," Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer says. "I know that sounds like coach speak, but it really is a very good team." Meantime, Houston coach Kim Helton says the Cougars "are probably playing, in my opinion, the best team in the country" Saturday night in 102,000-seat Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m. EDT. Fulmer doesn't give a clue that his Volunteers are a 25-point favorite - entering the game with a 2-0 record after big wins over No. 8 rival Florida and No. 12 Syracuse. And Helton gives only passing regard to No. 3 UCLA, which beat the Cougars 42-24 last Saturday even though "physically I thought we dominated UCLA." "They have had some tough losses," Fulmer says. "They took UCLA and outgained and out-first-downed them and played really well." Helton views the Vols' victory over Florida as enough to "claim that title" of best in the country. "Ohio State is about third compared to those two guys," he says. If all this sounds like a couple of Southeastern Conference alums swapping compliments, well, it is. Houston of Conference USA and Tennessee of the SEC have played each other only twice before - each winning at home. The most recent game was in 1965, won by Tennessee 17-8. But Helton and Fulmer have faced each other from opposing sidelines a little more recently. Helton was a senior center on the Florida team that beat Tennessee 14-13 in the 1969 Gator Bowl. Fulmer was a sophomore offensive guard for the Vols. Fulmer said they have talked in recent days. The subject was dirty play in the UCLA-Houston contest. Fulmer said he saw things "I would doubt that either team is very proud of." "We pride ourself on being a very clean football team, but if you slap us in the face we are going to slap you back," Helton said. Both coaches say there will be no repeat in Knoxville. Houston and Tennessee both are averaging about 300 yards of offense. Houston is getting it mostly through the air - sophomore quarterback Jason McKinley completed 21 of 46 passes for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns against UCLA. Tennessee is getting it mainly on the ground - Jamal Lewis ran for 82 yards on 21 carries and Shawn Bryson collected 64 yards and a touchdown on five carries. Both teams have showed strength on defense. "They certainly have not played a team with the magnitude of running skills that Tennessee has," Helton said of his Cougars. "But we have stopped a couple of football teams that had average offenses on the ground." Houston ranks third nationally in rushing defense, giving up just 42.3 yards a game, including 89 on 33 rushes by UCLA. Fulmer's Vols held Florida to minus 13 yards on the ground and had five sacks. "Their strength kind of matches up with our strength," Fulmer says. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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