Erik Ainge has had his ups and downs, but head coach Philip Fulmer er is thankful for the maturity of his senior quarterback this season.

Never moreso, perhaps, than in the Vols 52-50 win against Kentucky in four overtimes that clinched the SEC Eastern division title.

“I’ve personally never played four overtimes to win a game, especially under these circumstances," Ainge said.

The circumstances were certinaly dire.

The Vols had just blown a 24-7 lead on the road, and Eirk Ainge threw a costly interception in the second overtime of a must-win game.

Flash back to 2005, when Ainge threw just five touchdowns and seven interceptions while rotating with Rick Clausen en route to a dismal 5-6 season.r

Since then, he has bounced back with nearly 6,000 yards and 56 touchdowns.

"All of our experiences in football or life or anything else build character, and Erik especially has matured into a really fine quarterback," Fulmer said. "We're all proud of what he's become."

What Ainge has become is a quarterback capable of shrugging off bad throws, and delivering the good ones when it matters most.

After the interception in overtime, Ainge found a way to guide the UT offense to 14 more points and, most importantly, the win.

For the game, Ainge finished with 397 yards and a school-record seven touchdowns.

Fulmer expects Ainge's experience will play a key role in handling LSU's defense in Saturday's SEC Championship Game.

"It's a big plus for us, his play the last couple of years and his experience to handle multiple defenses and the no huddle offense.

"But most of all, it's his maturity." 

In his career, Ainge has completed just 8 of 25 pass attempts for 58 yards and an interception against LSU after struggling as a sophomore and playing hurt for just a few snaps his junior year.

Those numbers mean nothing for Ainge, though. Saturday provides just another chance to show how much he's grown.