Karl hurts as a Vol, fan

By Wesley Rucker

Staff Writer

KNOXVILLE -- Ryan Karl said he understands why Tennessee fans are so frustrated with the school's football program.

Karl grew up in Franklin, Tenn. He cheered for the Volunteers long before he signed to be one.

Their 1-2 start this season is just the fourth such beginning for the program in Karl's lifetime, a stretch since 1985 that features 202 wins and 68 losses.

"I don't like being a part of a team that's losing like this, especially being a big Tennessee fans always growing up," Karl said. "It's just hard for me, personally. I'm also a fan. I'm not just a player."

He started at strongside linebacker in Saturday's 59-20 loss at Florida, UT's most lopsided setback since 1981.

The Vols are 25-15 since Karl's freshman season, and they've lost 13 of their last 19 games. He played special teams in 2005, the program's first losing season since 1988 and first ever with Phillip Fulmer as head coach.

"When you get the so-called 'worst loss in Fulmer's era,' and I was also on the 5-6 team, it's just, it's something I don't like to be a part of," Karl said. "I've got to go tell all my family when I get older that I was a part of this team, and it's just not something I want to be a part of."

Karl said he's also embarrassed for ex-Vols, many of whom -- including South Pittsburg's Eddie Moore -- visited the complex Monday.

"They don't like seeing this type of stuff happening, especially against Florida," Karl said. "It's just disappointing to make them have to go through this."

Though Tennessee's offense hasn't been flawless, 30 points per game is usually enough to win. But allowing 41 points and nearly 460 yards per game is barely enough to win in the Arena Football League.

And it's not nearly enough to please Tennessee's fans. Karl knows that well, but not more than Fulmer -- another Tennessee native who played for the Vols.

"There's no panic," Fulmer said. "I think there's just a clear understanding. The players are going to hear all kinds of things all over the place, but the fact is there's a bunch of coaches here that are really fine coaches that have done it for a long time.

"It's a tough time. Tough times don't last, but tough people do. We've been here before and fought through it, and we're going to fight through it again."

Senior tight end Chris Brown said Fulmer and his staff aren't to blame for this team's shortcomings.

"It comes down to the players," Brown said. "All the coaches can do is call the plays. They see a lot of things that we don't see, but it comes down to just executing and doing things properly that you're coached to do."

Karl said defensive coordinator John Chavis had "a great scheme" for Florida.

"I think we had all the scheming that we could possibly have," Karl said. "We were ready coming into the game. We knew what play they were going to run a lot of times. We were in position a lot of times. We just didn't make the plays."

Fulmer said Sunday that the Vols, while "talented enough to win the rest of our football games," were "not all that we need to be at every position on defense."

Karl said Saturday's game tape showed two similarly athletic teams.

"When they did make their long passes or their long runs or whatever, they weren't just wide open," Karl said. "We were stride-for-stride with them. Their speed wasn't something we hadn't seen before. We just didn't make the plays.

"It wasn't mental at all. It was just, it was ... I don't even know what it was. It's hard to explain."

The Vols return to SEC play Oct. 6 against Georgia. This Saturday, they host an Arkansas State team that opened the season with a 21-13 loss at Texas. In the final minute, the Indians recovered an onside kick that was wiped away by a procedure penalty that Big 12 officials later admitted was a mistake.

Karl said the Vols will have to "earn the respect from our fans back against Arkansas State," but that might not be all they're playing for at this point.

"The coaches ... put us in positions to make plays," Brown said. "If we don't execute and we don't do the things that we need to do and control what we can control, we feel bad for the coaches, because it's their livelihood that we're out here playing for."

E-mail Wesley Rucker at wrucker@timesfreepress.com