| | KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin insists he's
not trying to stir up anything by predicting the Vols will beat
Florida.
"If you don't have confidence, you've already lost the fight,"
said Martin, who is 14-0 as a starter since replacing Peyton Manning.
"If I know we can get the job done, I'll say so. I'm not talking
trash, I'm just stating facts."
|  | | Tee Martin helped guide Tennessee to a 20-17 overtime win over Florida last season. |
Fact is, Martin says he's looking forward to playing the
fourth-ranked Gators at The Swamp on Saturday night.
"Actually, I might feel at home at The Swamp because I like it
when things get crazy," said Martin, who led the Vols to three
fourth-quarter comebacks last season. "I want them to be as loud as
they can be."
Then, just as he always seems to do after issuing bold words,
Martin flashed a playful smile.
"That's Tee," said UT coach Phillip Fulmer. "He tells me the
same things. He likes to play and he likes the excitement of the
game."
Offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said Martin's presence is key
to the success the No. 2-ranked Vols have enjoyed.
"I don't think there's any doubt he sets the tone, for the
offense, and the whole team," Sanders said. "Tee has had a great
deal of success and that breeds confidence.
"Of course," Sanders added with a chuckle, "last year he was
confident before he'd had any success."
Martin's teammates seem to feed off his cool, confident demeanor.
"Tee keeps things real calm," said redshirt freshman receiver
Donte Stallworth. "He keeps the tempo flowing and never lets us get
too high or too low."
Martin displayed this same sort of confidence prior to the 1998
national championship game against Florida State. He backed it up by
accounting for 297 of 392 yards in the Vols' 23-16 Fiesta Bowl
victory.
Not all of the Florida Gators were impressed. Some challenge that
Martin didn't make much of a difference in UT's 20-17 overtime victory
over Florida last season. Martin set up the game-winning field goal
with a 14-yard scramble, but he was just 7-of-20 passing for 64 yards
with a touchdown and an interception.
Chad Clifton, the Vols' preseason All-American left tackle, scoffs
at those who question Martin's ability.
"They're talking about Tee, saying he's not ready for The Swamp,"
Clifton said. "But let me tell you this, I don't think there's any
situation you could put him in that he couldn't handle.
"There's no doubt in my mind he's going to go down and shock those
Florida Gators," Clifton said. "This is a veteran guy. They had
better be ready for him."
Martin laughed when asked to compare where he is now to where he
was heading into last year's Florida game.
"Miles, I've come miles, man," Martin said. "Last year, I felt
like I was the caboose, and the rest of the offense was the train in
front of me."
Former Auburn coach Terry Bowden watched Martin closely last
season, once before the Tigers played the Vols on Oct. 3 and again
before the Fiesta Bowl.
"The first five games (of 1998) the rap was that he didn't do
much, that they were running a very conservative offense and allowing
him to develop without too much weight on his shoulders," said
Bowden, who recruited Martin heavily out of high school. "By the
second half of the season, he was great. Against Florida State, he was
100 percent totally there."
Over his last 10 games, Martin is 132 for 209 (.631) with 14 touchdowns
and four interceptions. Martin has thrown for more than 200 yards in
each of his last four performances and has emerged as a Heisman Trophy
candidate.
Florida coach Steve Spurrier, a Heisman Trophy winner himself,
gives Martin his due.
"I guess you can say the guy has never lost a game, (and) that
says enough about him right there," Spurrier said. "He's the
winningest quarterback ever in Tennessee history, so he has certainly
been good."
Martin said he and his teammates are on the verge of getting even
better.
"I looked into my guys' eyes, and I can tell they're ready to play
this game," Martin said. "You've just got to have faith. That's what
I'm all about, faith."
(Mike Griffith writes for The Knoxville News-Sentinel in
Tennessee.)
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