Hardesty helps Vols knock out 'Cats

LEXINGTON, Ky.-- Tennessee tailback Montario Hardesty embodies resiliency.

Judging by the way he and the rest of the Volunteers responded to adversity in clawing out a 30-24 overtime win over Kentucky on Saturday, it appears his teammates have followed his lead.

Hardesty's 20-yard touchdown scamper on the Vols' first possession of overtime punched up the winning points Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium. It capped off an evening in which he totaled career highs in carries (39), yards (179) and touchdowns (3).

More importantly, it rescued Tennessee (7-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) from a perilous position of losing a game it clearly had in its grasp before Kentucky rallied late to force overtime.

"We talked before the game about this being a heavyweight fight so we just kept fighting and fighting until the end," said Hardesty, whose performance helped him to a share of SEC offensive player of the week honors. "I told coach before the game to keep giving me the ball. I'm not going to get tired."

No one would have blamed Hardesty if he had. His 39-carry performance came on the heels of 32-carry effort against Vanderbilt a week earlier.

"He did a wonderful job staying patient because he had a couple carries where he was hit in the backfield, but he didn't get frustrated," wide receiver Gerald Jones said.

The 6-foot, 215-pounder's numbers increased his season rushing total to 1,306 yards, which ranks as the fifth most prolific rushing season in Volunteer history.

"What's not to say about Montario? He runs fearlessly," quarterback Jonathan Crompton noted.

"His last regular season game, there was no way to say that if he got to a certain amount of carries that we were going to take him out," Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin said. "He got poked in the eye a couple of times and couldn't see. He would have to come out and they put his contact back in one time, I believe."

Eye irritation was nothing compared to what the senior had to fight through earlier in his Tennessee career.

Once a heralded prospect out of New Bern, N.C., Hardesty was forced to overcome a pair of serious knee injuries, including a torn ACL, his first two years in orange. His sophomore season toggled between battling nagging injuries and being hidden on the depth chart before he quietly topped the career 1,000-yard mark as a junior last season.

Those numbers pale in comparison to the sterling senior season Hardesty has enjoyed. In addition to becoming one of the leading rushers in terms of yardage in the SEC, Hardesty has accumulated 12 rushing touchdowns through 12 games. Perhaps even more importantly, he has failed to lose a fumble on a rushing attempt all season.

That leadership and resiliency was never more apparent than on Saturday.

While Tennessee's defense struggled to contain the Wildcats in the first half, Hardesty racked up 62 yards and scored twice to keep the Vols in the game. And when the visitors slowly took control by outgaining Kentucky 163-24 in yardage and 10-0 on the scoreboard in the third quarter, Hardesty led the way with 55 hard-earned yards between the tackles.

"Thirty-nine carries and to be able to run like that at the end says a lot," Kiffin said. "That's about a mentality. That's about being a champion, like being a heavyweight fighter. You just keep playing even though the legs aren't really moving, you just go. And, that's what he was doing. I'm sure he was tired, but he didn't allow himself to be. He's a warrior and he's proven it all year long."

It was only fitting that Hardesty was the one to burst through the line and race to paydirt for the winning score in overtime. The score gave Tennessee its 25th consecutive win over the Wildcats and built momentum heading into the Vols' return to bowl competition next month.

"Tonight's win was so fitting for this team," tight end Luke Stocker said. "We fought to the end and never gave up. In my mind, that's what this team is all about."

The same could be said about its senior tailback.