Tennessee football career passing leader No. 3: Erik Ainge (2004-07)
- 8,700 passing yards
- 72 passing touchdowns
- 60.6% completion
- 7.2 yards per attempt
Before Tennessee fell off and the Phil Fulmer era ended, the Vols had one last strong run, and that came with Ainge at quarterback. He led the Vols to back-to-back Outback Bowls in 2006 and 2007. The Outback Bowl win to conclude the ’07 season was completed Fulmer’s final 10-win season.
In his freshman season, Ainge was the starter and threw for 1,452 yards in just nine games. Tennessee managed to go 10-3 with a Cotton Bowl win. The Vols came into 2005 ranked No. 3 in the country, but Ainge only played eight games because of an injury he suffered against LSU. Tennessee went 5-6 and missed a bowl game for the first time in 13 years.
The Vols bounced right back with a healthy Ainge the next season, but his final year was his best as threw for 3,522 yards and 31 touchdowns with just 10 picks.