Oct
2008
We’re 5-0! We beat Auburn! I’m so unbelievably glad that this is a Vandy blog that stresses how awesome Vandy football is! It’d suck to be a Tennessee blog right now, wouldn’t it??
Sigh.
13-9? Really? That’s the best we could do? N. Illinois actually has a high powered offense, and the defense did a pretty good job. But where was the running game? It used to be the only thing we had going for us, and that seems to be gone too. It’s obvious that this team’s problems run deeper than just at QB, where Stephens did a marginal job as the starter.
I think the question that begs to be asked – what is the real problem? Does it lie in the coaching? Is it just a bunch of bad luck? It looks as though a major problem is that almost none of the players are properly motivated and have matured into the type of player that is needed to compete at a top Div I school.
But hey, maybe we’ll finish the season at .500.
Maybe.
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I think I know football pretty well, and I can’t put my finger on the problem. I’m as frustrated as any fan with the mistakes that are being made, but I get more frustrated with the behavior of fans that want to slash and burn the coaching staff. I do know this: whatever offensive system that UT runs, they can’t have a QB that can’t hit open WR’s, nor can they have WR’s and TE’s that drop catchable passes often. Something is up with not being able to run the ball, even against NIU. If it’s the offensive scheme, how did the kids at Richmond run the Clawfense well enough for it to be called “prolific”?
There was little problem with not being ABLE to run the ball against NIU. However, there was a huge problem with being WILLING to run the ball.
In the first half, there were only nine rush attempts out of 31 plays. This is with a first time starter at QB and an offense that has shown an astounding inability to throw the ball.
Also the vaunted G-gun was used three times; all in second and 3 or 4 situations. Each time we were then left with third and 3 or 4. Is there a pattern here? Unless Jones learns how to throw the ball this week, the G-gun needs to be retired, effective immediately.
They do need to suck it up and let Gerald throw it around a little; otherwise we might as well tell them when we plan to run and throw. But at this point, we might as well be doing that. At least there’d be an excuse for the shitacular play we’ve seen up til now.
I think we all saw why Gerald doesn’t throw the ball. Besides, I thought that’s what a QB is for. Silly me.
I’m not sure what games the rest of some of these posters were watching, but I can’t see how you can really fault Stephens for anything. The guy had 1 bad pass the entire game; every other ball he threw was either batted down (not necessarily something he can help) or simply dropped. I mean where does the receiver want the ball to go; he threw the ball right into their hands.
I think the issue lies with the play calling and the team being ready to play (which is poor coaching). I had seats in the upper deck and NIU spent most of the game without a defender more than 10 yards off of the line of scrimage. Why didn’t we run well? Because they had 9 guys in the box. I think we did very well considering the amount of defenders the line had to clear away. I think the more important quesiton should be, with the defense loading up in the box, why did the Vols offense not throw the ball down field more? The two passes that were actually thrown more than 10 yars were completed (one of those thrown off of Stephens back foot). I think if Tennessee had thrown the ball down the field and forced the secondary to play deeper, I’m sure they would have run the ball better.
I think that this team is seriously under coached. They don’t look prepared for the game and that is coaching. Fulmer wants to run more plays, try calling plays that will get 1st downs. How about the coaching at the end of the first half. With 1:30 or so on the clock, he allowed NIU to run the clock down to what, 30 seconds rather than calling time outs to stop the clock. Better yet, what was that to end the game? Why not just kick the field goal and put the game out of reach? I know it is unlikely that NIU comes back and score the winning touchdown, but why take the chance. What’s the point?
Sorry I wasn’t clear; when I said “they can’t have a QB that can’t hit open WR’s” I meant Crompton. Whether he is a good QB playing crappy, or just a crappy QB, I thought Stephens deserved the chance he got and played pretty well. He did just drop the ball there on his fumble (which surprised me because I read his hands are so big he can put them almost all the way around the football), and UT was lucky NIU fell on it instead of picking up like I thought they were about to do.
Here’s what I don’t get: Jimmy Hyams on the Knoxville radio said the Clawfense is based on the West Coast offense, which is designed to pass the ball to WR’s while they are running. But it seems to me most of the pass plays UT runs are thrown to WR’s standing still, and are short passes that look designed for most of the yardage to come after the catch. What really pissed me off was the 2-pt play at Auburn. The ball was on the 2 and thrown laterally to the 2 where I guess the WR was supposed to run it in. Just didn’t seem like a good call against Auburn’s defense.
Maybe (hopefully) since Stephens hit the bomb to Moore we’ll throw more downfield to take the safeties out of the box. I still think it’s a combination of coaching/playcalling and execution though.
……and by “Whether he is a good QB playing crappy, or just a crappy QB” I was referring to Crompton again. so sorry.
[...] 4. Tennessee blogs are pretending to actually be Vanderbilt blogs. [...]
I think the biggest issue Tennessee faced was bad QB play in the first 4 games. The issue: Crompton couldn’t perform under pressure. UCLA used a lot of blitzes, really got after Crompton, who threw poorly. UAB: protection was great, Crompton was okay, threw a few bad passes. Florida: Crompton wasn’t really that good. We were able to move the ball, but I’d like to note that the key play for me was when Florida had 12 men on the field. Crompton saw this, I think, and threw the ball deep to a WR who had several steps on the corner. the pass was woefully underthrown, intercepted. Against Auburn the WRs ran the right routes but Crompton didn’t read the hot read often at all, which is why we saw so many passes go to nobody. That or Crompton paniced and threw the ball out of bounds.
Stephens was better, from what I heard on the radio. He held the ball and delivered a shot downfield, though he did get sacked several times. NIU is a decent team, they played well in their games so far and had scored (I’m not checking my facts here) 80+ points the past to games to their opponent’s 7.
We escaped, barely. Let’s turn ship around. Hopefully with a QB who isn’t afraid to get hit we can upend Georgia and make some noise again.
Also, to the big hand comment, I’ve heard that QBs with big hands have a tendancy to fumble more. Heard something about this concerning Donovan McNabb, I think.
There’s nothing more can be said about our team nothing,The AD should have step in and did something but he has not that tells me something is wrong with our AD department. Can someone tell me if fulmer and our AD has any connections any.
[...] 4. Tennessee blogs are pretending to actually be Vanderbilt bl… [...]
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