KNOXVILLE -- The fourth-down Lane train finally got stopped Saturday night in Neyland Stadium.

It was only a brief stop, though.

Tennessee had converted eight consecutive fourth-down plays until late in Saturday's first quarter, when Memphis stuffed senior tailback Montario Hardesty on a fourth-and-1 from the Tigers' 29-yard line.

The Volunteers hadn't been stopped since the fourth quarter of their Sept. 19 loss at top-ranked Florida, and they converted a fourth down moments before Hardesty was stopped short.

Undeterred, Kiffin went for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 35-yard line on UT's next possession. Hardesty moved the chain with a 5-yard run, and the Vols gained 60 yards and a touchdown on the next two plays to take a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The Vols entered Saturday's game completing nearly 70 percent of their fourth-down tries this season.

"Our coaches have confidence in us, obviously, and we feel like we can convert it every time," UT senior quarterback Jonathan Crompton said during the week. "We want to go for it every time, because we always think we can make it."

Berry halfway there

Vols junior All-America safety Eric Berry collected his second interception of the season in Saturday's second quarter, but his 7-yard return was only half the distance he needed to tie Florida State's Terrell Buckley for the NCAA return-yardage record.

Berry's return put him at 494 career yards on 14 interceptions. He also led the Vols with five first-half tackles.

Closing Vols notes

The Vols' aerial attack did a vast majority of the work in Saturday's first half. Hardesty had 60 yards at the break on 13 attempts, while Brown added 20 yards on four runs.

Junior defensive end Chris Walker returned to the starting lineup Saturday after missing last week's game with a sore lower back, and he showed no rust. Walker had two sacks and a quarterback hurry in the Tigers' first 13 plays.

Senior guard Jacques McClendon was flagged 15 yards for a chop block in the first quarter. That penalty set up a first-and-goal from the Tigers' 27-yard line, but the Vols scored two plays later anyway. Crompton fired a 17-yard slant pass to wide-open junior receiver Gerald Jones.

The Vols recovered an onside kick after scoring two touchdowns in the first six minutes, but they had to rekick after getting flagged for procedure. Memphis returned the second kick to its own 33-yard line.

Former All-America kicker Ricky Townsend (1972-74) and center Bubba Miller (1992-95) were honored before the game as UT legends. Townsend, who came from Dalton, Ga., achieved notoriety for being the first barefooted kicker in program history. Miller was an All-SEC lineman who later played for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

Closing Tigers notes

The Tigers gained one-third of their first-half offensive yards on receiver Marcus Hightower's 36-yard score late in the second quarter. Memphis finished with just 104 yards in the first half. But the Tigers didn't lack for balance, with 52 passing and rushing yards.

Knoxville native Matt Reagan, a former Bearden High School standout, punted and place-kicked for the Tigers. He punted well in the first half, averaging 42.8 yards on his first four kicks. He converted the extra point after Memphis' lone first-half touchdown.

Jamon Hughes, listed as a second-teamer on the Memphis pregame depth chart, led all defenders with nine first-half tackles. Bryan White, a junior defensive back not listed on the pregame depth chart, had seven stops through two quarters.

Memphis had just 11 minutes, 23 seconds of possession in the first half, compared to UT's 18:37.

Chick-fil-A Bowl representatives were the only bowl scouts at Saturday's game, one week after five bowls visited Knoxville for UT's win over then-No. 21 South Carolina. ...

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