KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— The Tennessee defense noticed something when watching film on UCLA. The Bruins’ offense looked strikingly similar to what the Volunteers face every week in practice.

And for good reason.
Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin spent four years working with Bruins offensive coordinator Norm Chow when the two were at Southern California.
“Coach (Chow) was a very big part of my development as a coach,” Kiffin said. “I got to see him call plays for four years, and see how he did it. Obviously he’s had an unbelievable career and unbelievable success, and I’ve learned a tremendous amount from him.”
Kiffin worked as an assistant during Chow’s four years as offensive coordinator of the Trojans, first coaching tight ends, then working with wide receivers and eventually adding passing game coordinator responsibilities in 2004.
When Chow — who’s developed quarterbacks such as Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer — left to take the same job with the NFL Tennessee Titans in 2005 it was Kiffin who replaced him.
After Chow left for the Titans, rumors swirled that he had been pushed out in favor of Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian, USC’s assistant head coach who shared play-calling duties with Kiffin.
Kiffin said he still has a “very good” relationship with Chow, who didn’t return calls from The Associated Press. The pair met in a 2008 NFL preseason game last season while Kiffin was coaching the Oakland Raiders. Chow’s Titans won, 17-16.
But while keeping an eye on the two offenses Saturday should be entertaining, Kiffin says there is another subplot to watch.
Monte Kiffin’s defense vs. Chow’s offense.
“It’s kind of like a legend’s matchup with Norm Chow versus Monte Kiffin,” he said. “That’s a big chess matchup of arguably the best defensive coordinator in the NFL history versus the best offensive coordinator in college history.”
After joining the Tennessee staff in December, Lane Kiffin hired his father away from the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers to serve as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator. Monte Kiffin spent 13 seasons with the Bucs, and his Tampa 2 scheme ranked among the best in the NFL most of that time.
Monte Kiffin got to know Chow when he would spend time with his son in California during the offseason. In 2007, Monte Kiffin’s Tampa Bay defense helped hold off Chow’s Titans offense in a 13-10 win.
“Norm’s good. If he would miss the flight, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings,” he said.
All of that history gave UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel something to work with in preparing the Bruins (1-0) for Tennessee (1-0).
“It’s not an unfamiliar scheme for us,” Neuheisel said. “Lane worked with coach Chow, so they’ve got a lot of similarities. Monte and (USC coach) Pete Carroll are very close ... so the schemes are familiar.”
Chow left quite an impression last season on the Vols when the Bruins offense overcame a rough first half to win 27-24 in overtime at Pasadena.
After throwing four first-half interceptions UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft engineered three scoring drives in the second half to help send the game to overtime.
“I respect (Chow) a lot,” Tennessee safety Eric Berry said. “He’s a very good OC. Just the way he did call those plays and drive the ball down the field was very impressive.”