Legacy Defined - Erik Ainge Leads LSU To SEC Championship
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The game was the tale of two halves as LSU dominated the first part of the game, but still trailed 7-6 at intermission. The Vols dominated the second part of the game, but found themselves on the losing end of a 21-14 final score.
It was an odd afternoon of football in many ways as Tennessee's senior quarterback looked more flustered and confused than the back-up he was facing on the other side. The much-maligned Tennessee defense was physically taking it to an LSU team that had physically dominated teams all year with its giant offensive line and tough-as-nails tailback Jacob Hester. Both surefire kickers looked shaky & missed easy field goals. Down was up. Black was white.
Maybe it was the orange pants.
Last week I called yesterday's game a "defining moment" for Erik Ainge whose career as a Tennessee Vol has been full of highs and lows. Would he be remembered as a one of the greats or remembered as one of the also-rans.
After yesterday, there is no doubt about his Tennessee legacy. After the opening drive of the ballgame, Ainge could not get anything going offensively in the first half. While not taking sacks has been a bright spot of the season, Ainge's inability to stand in the pocket long enough for a receiver to get 10 yards downfield was being exposed by the blitzing, man-to-man coverage attack from the Tigers.
The second half started promising for Ainge and the offense. The Vols opened the half with two solid drives and seemed to have the Bayou Bengals on their heels. Tennessee entered the 4th quarter up a point and poised for its first SEC championship since 1998.
Then, with one throw, everything changed. Just as the television commentators mentioned that the Vols had committed no penalties and no turnovers, Ainge took the cue and threw a Pick-Six to Jonathan Zenon. The senior cornerback sat on the receiver's route and Ainge never should have thrown the ball. It was a deflating blow the Vol cause, but not a dagger in the heart.
Now - the dagger. A huge play to Arian Foster had the Vols inside the red zone, but Ainge failed to notice a giant linebacker standing in front of his intended receiver and threw his second pick of the 4th quarter, ending the Vols chances for the afternoon.
With two throws, Ainge became Casey Clausen instead of Peyton Manning. He had the ballgame and his legacy in the palm of his hand, but could not lead the Vols to a championship. Fair or not, Ainge will forever be known on Rocky Top for his short-comings and failures more than his accomplishments.
