Well, no kidding, Fulmer…

When asked if this was more of a must-win or a game of pride, UT Coach Phillip Fulmer didn’t hesitate.

“It’s all of the above,” Fulmer said. “It’s not business as usual. This is a very important time for us as we fight like heck to stay in the championship mix and hope somebody else gets beat.”

Realistically, it doesn’t look good for the Volunteers. Despite stellar play by the defense, Fulmer said the offense is still a work in progress and new starting quarterback Nick Stephens needs to improve.

Those flaws can be masked against a team from the Mid-American Conference, but not against a top program like Georgia.

“We can’t stop ourselves, because if we do that against a team like Georgia, it’s going to hurt us a lot more than it did Saturday,” Stephens said.

Fulmer said there would be no quarterback competition this week and Stephens will be the starter at Georgia. Stephens had his first start against Northern Illinois and was 10 of 17 passing for 156 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown pass.

Another loss wouldn’t just hurt the Volunteers, it might be downright decimating, no matter who starts at quarterback.

This is the worst Vol team since pre-Fulmer… ridiculous … the lack of effort that goes on week-to-week.