Lewis has something to prove vs. Georgia
— -- KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- University of Tennessee junior tailback Jamal Lewis has had enough of running at aiming points and waiting for assigned holes to open.
"I think I need to go back to my old ways and just hit it and take the first thing I see," said Lewis, who has been held under 100 yards rushing in three consecutive games.
Lewis rushed for 232 yards on 22 carries against in a 38-13 win over the Bulldogs his freshman season. He admits there was added motivation in that first game.
"I was 'Plan B' for them," said Lewis, remembering how Georgia had openly stated that tailback Jasper Sanks was its top priority during recruiting. "But I'm over that."
UT safety Deon Grant remembers how Lewis and Sanks were always being compared to one another in high school.
"Jamal was talked about, but not as much as Jasper," said Grant, who is from Augusta. "When they'd compare them, Jasper would come out on top."
Indeed, Sanks is on top this season, averaging 6 yards per carry and 120.5 yards per game to Lewis' 4.5 and 91.8.
"A game like this, Jamal will play real good," Vols' quarterback Tee Martin said. "Jamal likes to play in big games, and Jamal plays his best in big games."
Martin points to the history between Lewis and the Bulldogs.
"Last year he didn't play, and the year before he had a big game; it was really his coming-out party," Martin said. "It's the return of Jamal. I think he's ready to have a breakout game."
Lewis opened this season in the explosive fashion that's made him a Heisman Trophy contender each of the last two seasons, rushing for 159 yards on 25 carries against Wyoming.
Lewis had 99 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries against Florida. His legend, however, started to slip when he came up short on third- and fourth-down carries in the final minutes of the Vols' 23-21 loss to the Gators.
Lewis needed to gain three yards between the two carries to sustain a potential game-winning drive. In all fairness, there was little running room, but few could remember Lewis ever being stopped in the clutch.
The following week, against Memphis, Lewis was held to a career-low 45 yards on 16 carries, and against Auburn he had just 64 yards on 19 carries.
"I was reading my blocks more and doing the fundamental type things, reading my line," said Lewis, a 6-1, 233-pounder. "That's like a laid-back way of running. My freshman year and last year, I'd just take the ball and run it. Just hit the hole flying and do what you can do. I'm going to try to get back to that."
Lewis appears to be just as fleet as he was prior to suffering a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee four games into the 1998 season.
"I think he's faster," Martin said, "and his cuts are stronger."
Lewis watched film of the "old Jamal" Tuesday night, and said he'll continue to do so until he's satisfied that he's back at his peak.
Tailback Travis Henry came on in relief of Lewis against Auburn and outrushed him with 13 carries for 84 yards to Lewis' 19 carries for 64 yards.
UT coach Phillip Fulmer indicated there's competition for the position.
"If Travis gets hot, Travis will play more and if Jamal gets hot, Jamal will play more," Fulmer said Tuesday. "It's like we've got two starting tailbacks."
Lewis, who is practicing with a bruised shoulder, has never shied away from competition.
"I'm ready to take care of business," Lewis said. "I've just got to do what I can do with the ball and take what I see."
(Mike Griffith writes for The Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee.)
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