ATLANTA - Tennessee senior linebacker Eddie Moore doesn't know what it's like to sit out. He's one of only two Volunteers to appear in every game of his college career.

Come Tuesday, however, he might be a spectator for the first time. Moore, Tennessee's second-leading tackler this season with 101 stops, had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his knee after his team's final regular-season game against Kentucky on Nov. 30.

Team doctors felt the month off before the Peach Bowl would be enough time to recover, but so far that hasn't been the case.

"It hasn't really responded like the doctors had hoped it would," said Vols coach Phillip Fulmer. "His status for the game is pretty uncertain. He could play a little bit; he could play a lot. If I know Eddie, he'll be out there if there's any way that he possibly can. That's just who he is."

Fulmer said Moore has played with pain in the knee for at least the last six games, but it didn't stop him from recording 10 tackles against Alabama and 10 more against Miami. He finished the year with 7.5 tackles for a loss, second on the team behind leading tackler Keyon Whiteside.

"He didn't practice very much, but he still played very well," Fulmer said. "The doctors thought that with the period of time between the bowl game and the end of the season, they'd be able to go in and clean it up a little bit and it would be better for the bowl game."

If Moore can't play, the Volunteers will likely look to both senior Steven Marsh and freshman Omar Gaither to pick up the slack.

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said Moore's injury wouldn't affect the Terrapins' game plan.

"Obviously, he's a starter and the next guy isn't as good," Friedgen said. "But I don't see a tremendous dropoff like you see on a lot of teams. I don't see a guy you can attack."

Ticket giveaway

Maryland announced yesterday that it would give 3,500 of its tickets to bowl officials in Atlanta for the purpose of distributing them to military and local nonprofit organizations.

The university ticket office has reportedly sold 15,000 tickets for the game, a quarter shy of the 20,000 seats it pledged to buy when it accepted the bid from the Peach Bowl on Nov. 30. The school will keep 1,500 tickets, allowing fans to purchase them on Tuesday, "while tickets last."

Greater respect?

One of the eyebrow-raisers for this bowl has been Maryland's status in the betting lines. Although the game is now even, the Terps had been 1-point favorites over traditional power Tennessee, which could be taken as a sign that they've moved up in the football pecking order.

"I hope they're right," Friedgen said. "It will speak well for us if we're a 1-point favorite after the game."

Et cetera

Offensive tackle Matt Crawford's status for the game remains questionable, with his sprained left shoulder making his participation in practice sporadic.