RockyTopics

Dooleyites

noreply@blogger.com (josh_dub_u) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:28:00 +0000

As we are all aware there is an on-going coaching search for the next head coach for the great University of Tennessee. With coaching searches, as in anything, there are people for it and people against it. In this instance I cannot for the life of me understand how people cannot see that it is time for Dooley to go. The people who want to retain Dooley have been named “Dooleyites” because of their love of him.

The Dooleyites Argument

You can currently look on any UT sports forum and find Dooleyites uniting and posting on forums how Dooley needs more time, and how it isn’t his fault it is the players, and how no one could have turned this program around based on the shape it was in when he took it over. Below I have copied and pasted some of my favorite Dooleyite comments from some of the forums. Enjoy:

Dooley: "Well Jon if you do come coach here I have some advice.

1. Make sure you're undefeated by your second season, or the fan base will hate you

2. Every time you play the #1 team in the country, beat them, or this fan base will hate you

3. If you lose a bunch of starters, don't mention it in press conferences, or this fan base will say you 'make excuses' and they will hate you

4. If you tell your guys to wrap up and hit hard and they don't, it's your fault

5. Make sure the team you used to coach has ZERO success, or this fan base will hate you"

Gruden:"Yeah I'll pass"

Gruden to Dooley: Derek, you can keep this job! There's no way in hell to make these fans happy! I took a winning program in Tampa from Tony Dungy and just trashed it, there's nothing for me to do here!

Dooley "so john what was your record your last three years at Tampa bay?"

John"21-26"

Dooley "Good luck here with that record"

Doesn't matter how many people post to the contrary followed by "Period", "book it" or "take it to the bank", getting beat by the BCS #s 1,2,11, and 12 isn't getting him fired. Gruden,Fulmer,Petrino,Smart or you high school coach isn't coming to UT. You can either pull for more wins now, or you can hope we implode so you predictions will seem validated. Just the facts. UT fans are reminding me of people who wanted the economy to get worse to blame Obama, or things to get worse in Iraq to blame Bush.

I can’t help but laugh at these people when I read these comments. I am a person that likes to use data when making a decision and clearly these people don’t or they are just stupid. Somehow some way they really feel like Dooley is the man for the job and they are ready to throw a hissy fit on forums if you call them out on it.

The Rational Side:

Here is the counter argument I make to all the Dooleyites:

“Make sure you're undefeated by your second season, or the fan base will hate you”

I haven’t heard anyone say that Dooley should be producing an undefeated caliber team here at UT. All we want right now is a win the same thing we wanted last year and did not get. Something that we haven’t seen in the Dooley era, but let’s be fair we almost had 2 big victories just to have them ripped from us a few minutes later because our coaching staff can’t count and the fact the Dooley has the biggest black cloud over him.

“Every time you play the #1 team in the country, beat them, or this fan base will hate you”

Once again you are miss-understanding what rational people are expecting. Let’s just beat someone that matters. Maybe a ranked team or what about beating a SEC team besides Vandy!

“If you tell your guys to wrap up and hit hard and they don't, it's your fault”

I don’t want a coach to tell his players to do something I want a coach that can coach and embed football fundamentals into a player. I want a coach that can build a young man up and make him play above his level in big games and make their players believe in your system. I haven’t seen any of that in the Dooley era. In fact I have seen the opposite. I have seen great players quit and become undisciplined because they may get told something but they are not being coached.

“Make sure the team you used to coach has ZERO success, or this fan base will hate you"

Come on that is just stupid! The fact that Dooley’s former program has done nothing but get better since his departure only speaks to the lack of ability he has to get it done here. Dooley had a losing record there just like he does here. That is not a coincidence people that is a lack coaching ability and nothing else.

“Gruden to Dooley: Derek, you can keep this job! There's no way in hell to make these fans happy! I took a winning program in Tampa from Tony Dungy and just trashed it, there's nothing for me to do here!”

This one really gets under my skin. I sit here today as I type this wearing orange because I am a fan of UT sports even though I know we are going into a game tomorrow that more than likely UT is going to get their tails kicked. However I will be watching the game in its entirety and routing for UT because I am a fan, however I am not a fan of Dooley. Do not attack me for understanding that the UT football program deserves better. The problem is people are becoming a fan of coaches these days and not the sport programs themselves. People are a fan of Dooley because who his dad is, or the fact that he is a southern man, or the fact that he is a family man. All those things are great but don’t let those things lower the standards of a traditional power house in the SEC.

“Doesn't matter how many people post to the contrary followed by "Period", "book it" or "take it to the bank", getting beat by the BCS #s 1,2,11, and 12 isn't getting him fired.”

Then what is going to get him fired? Those teams are number 1, 2, 11, and 12 because Dooley couldn’t beat them. It is the coach’s job to put a game plan to go out that attacks the other teams weaknesses. Ok maybe the number 1 and 2 teams don’t have that many weaknesses and we have already discussed that I think everybody understands at this time we are not asking to Dooley to go out and beat every team, specially a 1 or 2 team) but we are asking to be competitive in those games and you can’t say that the number 11 and number 12 teams did not have weaknesses. The fact is our game plans were pour in those games and the UT coaching staff did not do their job and give their team a fair shot to win. Also don’t forget that we used to be that number 1, 2, 11 and 12 team and why was UT there in the ranking I ask? Because UT was better than them and they couldn’t beat us.

The fact of the matter is that Dooley is done and anyone that refuses to see that is just plain out of their mind. Let’s let go off this black cloud over the UT football program and move on to greater things. It is time people to reclaim our spot atop the SEC and be a force to be reckoned with.

JDub

The Truth

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:05:00 +0000

COUNTDOWN CLOCK WIDGET

This is the reality that fans need to go ahead and accept. You can throw out all the numbers and stats you want, but there is only one that matters now and that is the number of fans in Neyland Stadium. After talking to UT fans last week I began to realize more and more how important the Florida game was for Derek Dooley. I knew we were going to lose but I enjoyed the optimism of other fans. However after listening to more and more fans share their excitement it made me realize the coming reaction if we did lose.

Dooley still has several supporters who live on message boards declaring anybody who thinks Dooley will be fired is crazy, but empty seats at Neyland will get you fired faster than any loss. I am not calling for his job. I don’t have to. He has done a good job getting recruits interested in UT, but who believes in him as a coach? Dave Hart said back in the summer there are no more excuses. Any fan that thinks Dooley is going to take this team to UGA and Mississippi Mistake then come home and play Bama and USCjr and come out on top is delusional. If we go 0-2 in our next two SEC games there will be more Bama fans at Neyland than UT fans.

The reason the clock is set for October 29^th is because we fired Fulmer and Majors the Monday following USCjr. People laughed at me when I said we should fire Dooley the day after NSD. It isn’t that I don’t like him but I knew he would not turn the program around. Since Dave Hart did not pull the trigger after the Kentucky game we had to wait until the recruits signed. I said then if we don’t make the change now then we will the Monday after the South Carolina game. Well if you don’t believe me start counting the empty seats this weekend.

GBO

The Drop

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Do you remember Allama Matthews? Well if you don’t then maybe this name will ring a bell, Jabar Gaffney. Oh yeah that guy. Matthews is the official that took it upon himself to redefine the rule of what was considered a catch. On September 16^th 2000 with seconds to go in the game and Florida was trailing Tennessee until Jesse Palmer threw a pass to Jabar Gaffney in the end zone that bounced off his chest and hit the ground. Matthews came running in from the side with his arms in the air ruling it a touchdown.

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville argues
a call with Head Linesman Allama Matthews
during their NCAA college football game against
top-ranked Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium
in Tuscaloosa, Ala.,
Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008.
(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

The call itself was terrible but what made it so difficult to take, as a Vol fan was the fact UT dominated Florida on the ground. Tennessee ran 78 plays for 343 yards versus Florida’s 64 plays for 329 yards. Travis Henry ran the ball 37 times for 175 yards to help us out rush Florida 203 yards to their 39 rushing yards. We had the ball almost 14 minutes longer than Florida. To think we had the ball almost an entire quarter longer than them may help put this in the best perspective. We dominated the line of scrimmage, but it ended with a ridiculous call.

Matthews ran down the goal line selling the call. He kept bouncing his hands in the air signaling touchdown. This was before officials used replay (like that would have mattered) so the officials huddled up to discuss the play. A few moments later Head Umpire Al Ford signaled touchdown and the game was all but over with a 14 seconds on the clock.

Ironically Matthews had some ties to both of these teams. Matthews a native of Jacksonville Florida played high school football at Jackson High and earned a scholarship to play football at Vanderbilt. In 1982 he earned All American honors and played on the last Vanderbilt team to beat Tennessee and Florida in the same year.

The 2000 Florida game was the last game he called at Neyland until last year’s UGA game. Once again he made his presence known by throwing a flag and calling interference on Tennessee on a critical 3^rd down that would keep an UGA drive alive. Why was he own our field again? The tribal knowledge was that Fulmer had made it clear to the SEC office that Matthews was to never call a game at Neyland again. Now he shows up a few years later after Fulmer is fired in our stadium.

Should Matthews be allowed to call Tennessee games again? There are some folks that are convinced he is a great guy who has no ill will against Tennessee and would never make a call out of resentment. I mean why would we ever think a Jacksonville Florida native who played for Vanderbilt would have it in for Tennessee? In October 2004 the Florida Times Union interviewed Matthews about life after football and when asked about the emotions of fans after critical calls he said,

"Having played collegiately and professionally, I know how much players work to prepare for games and all the game-planning that coaches do," Matthews said. "The added incentive to go out and do a good job comes from my understanding of having played the game."

Does this make you feel better knowing that he cares about making the right call because he played the game? Well this is not the only game that Matthews was a part of screwing up. In the UGA and Georgia Tech 1999 game Matthews was one of the referees under Head Umpire Al Ford who was suspended after an incorrect fumble call against Jasper Sanks lost the game for the Bulldogs.

Now we approach Florida week again and I promise you that every time we play them at home I think of the 2000 game. It is so clear in my mind. Florida fans still laugh at UT fans because we refuse to let this go. They act as if it was a catch and there was no harm done. However one week after the 2000 game Florida gave up 504 yards to Kentucky but still won 59-31. One Florida Times Union writer said,

“Without the four Kentucky turnovers that led to 28 points, who knows how dangerously close Florida might have been to giving back the gift presented them a week ago by SEC line judge Allama Matthews?”

So you tell me how are we supposed to take it when a game is stole from us and gift wrapped for Florida?

This game is always so critical to both teams and once again this season’s game has a major impact on the direction of our program. With some of the nation’s best recruits attending the game and the divisional race on the line we cannot afford to lose a game due to some BS call.

I am not some crazy delusional fan that believes football games are sacred and are of higher importance than world issues, but as a fan I invest time and money. I don’t think it is too much to ask to have games called correctly. The NCAA office must have agreed this call was bad for the game because they adopted a rule at the end of the season to define a catch. My point is that it doesn’t matter if Allama Matthews is against Tennessee or not. It doesn’t matter to me that he wants to make the correct call. The issue is he blew a call and failed to do his job. Human nature tells me he will never be able to see Tennessee in an objective light after how the ending and the events that took place after the game. Allowing him to call our games again is simply wrong and the SEC office knows it. We as fans should not have to settle for this guy calling anymore of our games. I don't condone mean or harmful behavior towards other people, but we are the paying customer and the SEC office needs to be reminded we will not tolerate this guy calling anymore of our games!

GBO

Week 2 and a FCS Murder

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:51:00 +0000

How nice has it been this week? After ending last season in the bowels of Hell losing to that dumpster fire basketball cheating school we needed to come out and get that win last Friday night. Although at times it was obvious we have areas to improve on nobody can deny some of the threats we now have on campus. Now we have a strange addition to our schedule and play some nobody before the week we all live for each year.

This week Texas A&M and Missouri are baptized into the conference. You have to give the league office some credit how they set this week up. We have a divisional game and a cross divisional game on two new SEC campuses. Everybody will be watching to see how these two new teams play in their new conference. This isn’t UGA’s first time welcoming new members. In 1992 they introduced South Carolina to the conference with a 28-6 defeat. Arkansas that same year started their conference season by beating South Carolina 45-7 but then loss to their first traditional foe Alabama 38-11. I would expect similar results this weekend. Maybe not by those margins, but both Missouri and A&M will be shocked by the speed of the front 7 and will not have much to give in the 4^th quarter. Although they lose in their first games I do expect both teams to play well and challenge other SEC teams each week.

The SEC east is wide open and I think each week we will see a few teams move around as leaders. I wouldn’t be surprised if Florida looks like the leader after this Saturday. After taking a lot of heat this week for their play against BGSU they will be focused and prepared. Their baboon of a coach is the most prepared of all SEC coaches to go into A&M due to his time at UTjr (Texas). Not to mention the Aggies are playing with a brand new QB who will make his first start under a new coaching staff due to Hurricane Isaac’s visit last week.

What does this mean for us? Nothing! Tennessee has its own path to travel and it begins next Saturday. In order for us to have the type of season to be relevant we have to beat Florida. There will be tons of big name recruits for both football and basketball on campus next week, and if Tennessee can get a win there will be a snowball effect of momentum in recruiting. More importantly it will put us back in the topic of conversation as a team who can compete on a high level.

This Saturday I hope to see an absolute beat down in Neyland. I would like to see Bray with 280 yards and 3 TDs at the half and then Worley play the entire 2^nd half. We need to score a lot of points and create some highlights, but we also need to get some new guys on the field. Jason Croom , Justin King, and Drae Bowles to name a few are guys that we need to log in several minutes. There are talks about Pig Howard playing, but everyone says he is not in game shape so his snaps will probably be limited. We also need to get our young DBs on the field and what few LBs we have left to clock in some time.

This weekend has an odd feel for Vol fans as we already have a win over an ACC team on the books and now we face a FCS team that we will destroy, but everyone knows the season has yet to start. This is our final week of fall camp. The season begins on September 15^th and it is building up to be a night of excitement like we have not had in Knoxville in a while.

GBO

It's Football Time in Tennessee

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:13:00 +0000

Finally. I thought this day would never arrive and now we are about to start another season. In my 35 years as a Vol fan no offseason can even come close to compare to this one. I thought the 2011 season would never end, and then late in the 4^th quarter of the Kentucky game I was hoping it would not end. It did. As the Kentucky fans stormed the field to celebrate the end of the streak I could not believe that Tennessee Football had fallen so low.

During the offseason I dove into every type of information I possibly could to find out what are we doing to get back on top. For the first time ever I got into the bowels of recruiting, coaching hires, and workout reports. While so many friends and family members looked to have given up hope occasionally I would learn about something we were doing that finally showed promise.

Today I write to you to encourage you and give you great hope that we are only hours away and UT Football will begin to claw its way out of the mire and take back its God given right as a premiere football program.

Why will this team be better? In order for you to compete at any level in the game of football you have to be good at the line of scrimmage. Tennessee this offseason could not have done anything better to improve its defensive front. This coaching staff should be given some credit by putting guys where they can make an immediate impact. Against NC State we will start three Jucos. Maurice Couch has proven he is an SEC talent and a leader of this team. With him and Darrington Sentimore on the ends we will be much improved and the guys backing them up have played in more SEC games than they have. Not to mention the man in the middle Daniel McCullers who comes in at 360lbs. As for our linebackers we now have put some guys in a position to make plays. Dooley said that when our starting LBs are on the field it is our best unit on the team.

On the other side of the ball we now have an SEC offensive line that is pissed off and nasty. When Dooley started the O-line had zero starts and now has over 100. The addition of Tiny Richardson at left Tackle has put Dallas Thomas in a better spot for him and we have speed to pull tackles and guards to create mismatch in the running game. Rajion Neal worked out all summer with the O-line and he is a little bigger and faster than 2011 Heisman finalist Monte Ball from Wisconsin. Make no mistake this team will run the ball well!

The best way I know to relate this upcoming season is to think about the 2006 team. Erik Ainge was coming back for his junior year and had yet play an entire season as a starting QB. We had our old OC back and were tougher on the O-Line again. We had a nasty attitude and a terrible taste in our mouth from the 2005 season that ended on senior day with a loss to Vandy. When we took the field against Cal there were pads popping early and orange jerseys flying to the ball.

I have heard for two weeks the typical down trodden fan accepting the fact we are in a tough game with NC State. There is no way we lose this game. If you think this team who has not been on a field since Lexington will let this golden moment pass them by then you are only thinking of the 2010-2011 football team. Daniel Hood said “we will always be remembered as the team that broke the streak to Kentucky until we win again”. This is the mindset of this football team. They have worked their tails off this summer and have heard the heartache of the VolNation. These players are ready for the Dome……… are you? Vol Fans are you ready for success? Are you ready to rock Cumberland Avenue again? Are you ready to chant SEC after we have sung Rocky Top for the 97^th time in the Dome? Well I am, and God willing I will be there to see it all happen!

GBO

Meanwhile, 7 months later

noreply@blogger.com (Ajar) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:41:00 +0000

43 days

As we inch closer to August 31^st, we are starting to hit milestones that feed the big orange monster. This afternoon, Derek Dooley will take the stand at the SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama. What surely looked like a firing line of hot seat questions, has, overnight, potentially turned into a recruit war with Florida. Dooley will surely get asked multiple times about the academic status and eligibility of Phillips; questions he most certainly was not anticipating being asked.

Dante Phillips, the former 4* DT Florida commit who was denied entry by UF admissions, committed to and was accepted into the University of Tennessee, per an announcement last night. Phillips joins fellow incoming D-Line monsters Darrington Sentimore, Daniel McCullers, and Danny O’Brien; the difference in Phillips? He’s already got a personal vendetta against the Gators. My confidence level in Derek Dooley just went from 5% to 10%.

I still haven’t gotten over losing to Kentucky, and maybe I never will. In my mind, Dooley committed an unforgivable sin. I knew the streak would end one day, but come on, not to that Kentucky team. Not to a wide receiver playing quarterback on 3 days practice. Just unacceptable. Throw in the turnover on the staff, and I’ll gladly tell anyone who will listen that Derek Dooley is over his head and won’t last.

However, as we chug through these milestones (the next one is when the Vols report to camp on August 3^rd), I can’t help but start to get excited. Basically, I’m tired of attacking our own, and I’m ready to go after some NC State, Florida, and Georgia cronies. I skipped Georgia State and Akron on purpose, because if I even have to acknowledge anything with those teams, then none of the other games are going to matter, because we’ll get to start talking about the next head coach after Dooley.

Anyway, back on topic with Media Days. Dooley is taking Tyler Bray, Herman Lathers, and Ja’Waun James with him. Sure, we all would’ve loved to see Da’Rick Rogers get the nod, but I think we can all understand why he didn’t. The real question, since we all know Dooley will field questions about the temperature of his desk chair, is if Barbara Dooley will be in the crowd.

Okay, that’s my last Dooley shot for a while. There’s plenty of negativity swirling, and even though I want to join in, I’m going to choose not to. Dooley has taken his criticisms, put them in the trash bin, and still slapped together, arguably, a better staff than what bailed off of the perceived sinking ship. He also assembled an *excellent* recruiting class. Sure, it’s not the highest ranked class (17^th overall (6^th in the SEC) per Rivals), but the class filled many areas of serious need. Defensive line aside, running back, wide receiver, and the defensive secondary got some serious depth. Would’ve liked to pickup at least one more running back or offensive lineman, but it was still a really good class, in spite of all the turmoil and discontent swirling around Knoxville.

So as we sit 43 days from Atlanta, and 15 days from Fall Camp, my cynicism is draining, and my excitement level is rising. It’s a new year, and I can’t do anything (aside from heavy drinking) to erase last year. It feels like this Tennessee team is primed to be explosive, offensively and defensively, it’s just a matter of making it happen. I feel like these guys are hungry; I just hope their as hungry as the rest of big orange nation is.

I wonder how long it will take before the Gator jort-holes start ripping Dante Phillips and Tennessee’s low admission standards. I can hear them now: “Anyone can get into UT. We have standards at Florida. UT’s admissions are so low so the dumbass rednecks can get in to watch football.”

Or this one: “Dante Phillips sucked anyway. He wouldn’t have played even if he did come here, we’re loaded with D-linemen.”

He’s a 4-star lineman, registered at 6’6”, 268 lbs. Monster. You don’t just throw an athlete with his skills and accolades to the curb because you didn’t need him. Hopefully Tennessee actually lets him in, and we don’t walk away from this looking worse than Florida did.

UT Picks Up Game Breaker at WR

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:18:00 +0000

Following one of the worst weeks of news in Tennessee Football history last week, UT fans now are breathing refreshing air. First there was the news break that Derek Dooley had hired former Vol RB Jay Graham to coach RBs and now the announcement of one most sought after WR in the nation.

Today 4 star standout WR Alton “Pig” Howard from Orlando Florida Edgewater announced that he is a VFL! Howard has been highly sought after and has 21 official offers according to rivals. Howard is listed as 5’9” 178lb and runs a 4.4 / 40 time. The addition to the current list of recruits is another emphasis this staff is committed to upgrading in speed. It also is another message to the state of Florida that UT Assistant Coach Darin Hinshaw is a Beast in recruiting and continues to go into Florida and make UT known among top recruits.

Expect Howard to make an immediate impact to this football team. He plans to graduate from high school this month and he will enroll at UT in January. This will allow him to begin workouts with team and get bigger, faster, and stronger. This also means we will get to see Howard in the Orange and White Game.

The addition of Howard to this team will be dual threat. He is athletic enough to run the Wildcat package and will defiantly be in the hunt and the mix in the return game. Look for Howard to line up in the slot and attack the middle of the field against the 2012 opponents. This addition to the team will only make this Passing attack more dangerous as Tyler Bray will now have another dangerous target to make plays in space!

Ladies and gentlemen welcome the “Pig”!

Go Vols

Radical

My Therapy (Caution: Lengthy)

noreply@blogger.com (Ajar) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:06:00 +0000

I’ve been eerily quiet the last month or so. After some early season rants about Florida, Georgia, Conference Realignment, defending Derek Dooley, and countless pot shots at the ACC and other SEC teams, I felt the need to take a step backward after watching how poorly this year’s Tennessee football team has performed. Over the last month, I’ve taken gut shot after gut shot, each and every Saturday. Even when Tennessee beat MTSU and Vanderbilt, there were caveats I just couldn’t digest.

If I could just vomit on my keyboard and it would translate to this webpage, I would stop writing right now. If I knew exactly what I wanted to say and how to say it, I would’ve posted a long time ago. I am so disgusted and embarrassed with the state of Tennessee football. I have never been more ashamed to associate myself with a brand. Even as an alumnus, I would rather tell a complete stranger I’ve played all the LEGO games on Xbox, I’ve read the entire Harry Potter series, and I watch Glee and Grey’s Anatomy every week than to profess my love, loyalty, passion, and obsession with Tennessee athletics and all things bathed in the PMS151 shade of orange. It’s too difficult to dodge the jokes and insults initiated by the word “Tennessee.” It’s too painful to attempt to explain the reasons when asked “What the hell happened to Tennessee?”

I supported Lane Kiffin. I loved the enthusiasm and the confidence. I’m not one to talk a lot of trash (I pick my battles), so I didn’t agree with many of Kiffin’s media shots. But damn it, he was OUR coach, and if OUR coach believes in what he’s saying and doing, then damn it, I’ll stand behind him and defend him. Maybe this is the reason I (all of us) felt so betrayed when he left like a thief in the night. Tennessee got their pants pulled down and exposed. Lane Kiffin had us all believing Tennessee was a hot program, rapidly making waves in recruiting and media circles nationwide. Maybe we were, hard to say now. When Lane Kiffin jet for USC, he officially turned Tennessee into a mid-tier program. Perhaps we were already a mid-tier program, but the orange-colored glasses and kool-aid kept the Big Orange Veil down in Knoxville. We die-hards couldn’t see through or around it.

Lane Kiffin ripped down the curtain and officially made Tennessee a stepping stone; a middle of the road program. The type of school where a coach goes to build a resume to campaign for a better job. This thought saddens me to no end. Remember 1998? What an awesome time. Tennessee was a monster program in the 90s, we must be a football powerhouse, and everyone across the country must believe it also. Unfortunately, Tennessee is far, far removed from 1998. Tennessee has underachieved far more times than overachieved since, and I don’t see the trend changing.

Tennessee fans often wonder why ESPN shows us no love. I’ve noticed, over the last two years, Tennessee gets about as much air time as every other school not in the top 25. We just aren’t relevant outside the state, and especially outside the SEC.

I support(ed) Derek Dooley. I knew last year we were severely talent depleted, but we played hard against some really good opponents. We were fed the youth and inexperience excuse, and I accepted it as truth. This year started off so well. Tennessee thumped Montana, then came out and mollywopped Cincinnati. Tennessee was competitive in Gainesville, and it was obvious Justin Hunter’s injury was devastating to the entire team. The ensuing weeks are inexcusable. Dooley’s press conferences have gone from funny and sarcastic to insulting and annoying. The VFL program seems like more of a crutch; a weapon to use against anyone saying negative things about the program. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to not be in the news for arrests and failed drug tests, but Dooley’s job 1 is to win football games, or at least it should be. Designing apparel, modifying blueprints, entertaining the media, and making it difficult for former players to come back should be WAY down the list.

I completely understand the impact of firing Derek Dooley right now. Four coaches in five years is nearly as bad as three in three. For the program’s sake, Dooley has to be kept around to attempt to right the ship. I don’t like it, but it is what it is. Feelslike98.com has a wonderful article right now describing all the things Derek Dooley hasn’t done to warrant being the head coach at Tennessee. 17-20 in 3 seasons at Louisiana Tech should not get you into the Tennessee head coach conversation, let alone an interview. But it did, and here we are.

Change has to be made, if for no other reason than Tennessee's abysmal running and kicking games. How can Tauren Poole go from over 1000 yards to under 700 in year two of an offensive scheme? How can Tennessee accept such inconsistency with its place kicker and punters? How can a team, second only to Alabama in bowl appearances, with the recruiting budget, facilities, and funding of Tennessee, be so broken and in pieces to the point no high profile coach would want to come here? What is the turn-off at Tennessee? Are we too passionate? Are we too fickle? Are we too demanding, nosey, or inquisitive? You can’t tell me our fanbase is so ravenous it scares coaches away. Is the pressure to win at Tennessee just too overwhelming? I just don’t buy it. Any of it.

So, here we are. We’re stuck, two years in, with a coach who STILL hasn’t proven he can win a meaningful game. All I see is a laundry list of mismanaged games, poorly coached and out of position players, questionable play calling, no improvement, and I’ve yet to see a gameplan where I said “Damn. We had ‘em. If we had just a few more plays, we had ‘em.” Sure, we’ve had flashes, but this staff’s inability to adjust is killer. The first half of the Alabama game was masterful; however, Alabama realized we were stacking against the run, made an adjustment, and blew us out the 2^nd half. Thus is the story of Tennessee football. At least you could tell Lane Kiffin knew how to manage the game and put a plan together, whether he had the talent to win or not.

It really hurts when you see the positive momentum being generated by the in-state school to the West. It also hurts to see Ohio State, fresh off of NCAA sanctions and in the midst of probation (sound familiar?), stick with the 1-year interim strategy (where is Kippy Brown?) and lands the hottest free agent head coaching name in college football today. How can Ohio State rebound from a scandal in less than 18 months and move forward while Tennessee is still stuck spinning its tires.

Does the Tennessee athletic administration (future or present) truly believe spending the money on a high dollar coaching staff is impossible? I will never understand why we are unwilling to throw upwards of $4M / year at a head coach. The return on investment and the economic boost to the Knoxville area would be gigantic. Good Tennessee football is great for business. Fans will spend more money on orange gear, spend more money at restaurants, spend more money in the bookstore, spend more money on, and at, the game, spend more money at the bar, and spend more, spend more, spend more. See a pattern? The bottom line: When Tennessee wins, everyone wins. And I mean everyone. You think enrollment went down after 1998? Hell no.

Here’s an example from my life. I marched saxophone for 4 years in the Pride of the Southland marching band. In 2002, the directors encouraged people to learn other instruments to realign the numbers. The Pride was maxed out, easily at 350 people. By the end of band camp in 2005 (fresh off of an SEC east title and a Cotton Bowl thrashing of Texas A&M), the band was making roster cuts to reduce the numbers. Since the 2005 season (finished 5-7 with a loss to Vanderbilt), the band’s numbers have been declining at a steady rate, to the point the pregame drill (and the opening of the T) had to be made smaller so it was still able to be formed. Kids want to be at Tennessee (and in the band) when the team is winning. The football team’s struggles since 2005 and the Pride’s declining numbers aren’t exclusive from each other.

I won’t quote Einstein here about insanity, because we all know the quote. Something has to change, and it has to change soon. Tennessee fans are restless. The decline of Fulmer and rise of Bruce Pearl really hurt the perception of the football program, and it gave Tennessee fans a taste of how an energetic and exciting coach can really boost a team. Lane Kiffin decimated the remnants of Fulmer’s top recruits, and Kiffin's one class is labelled as one of the biggest recruiting busts of all time. If Dooley has one saving grace, it’s his recruiting. So far, the recruiting numbers seem to be stable. I know all the negative discussion and “Fire Dooley” jargon can’t be good for recruiting, but I also imagine a 102k-capacity stadium with 75k people can’t be good either.

I’ll end with a quote from a friend of mine from Virginia Tech. He’s from Richmond and hasn’t been tainted by Knoxville media in regard to his opinion of Tennessee:

" I feel bad for you and Tennessee in general. Not sure what the heck is going on. You guys should be able to land a big name coach and land some of the best recruits in the nation. I never did understand the Dooley hire, but I never knew anything about him other than he coached at Louisiana Tech, which didn't exactly jump out at me as "the next Tennessee head coach". "

How are we supposed to get behind this guy (Dooley) and shower him with unwavering support? Maybe it's just me, but I consider the loss to Kentucky to be unforgivable. No matter what Derek Dooley does with the rest of his time at Tennessee, he'll always be the coach who lost to Kentucky.

Hot Seat: Dooley Days are Counting Down

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:32:00 +0000

Before I begin let me say this post does not reflect everyone at RockyTopics. This is a difficult situation right now, but I feel completely confident in saying Derek Dooley is not the man for the job at the University of Tennessee.

During the week of the Vanderbilt game I told folks if we lose to Vandy and UK Dooley will be fired. After what we have seen over the last 24 hours it is easy to see what the fan base would be thinking if we had lost both of those games. You don’t lose to Kentucky and Vandy. You never lose to a Kentucky team this bad, and we did so Dooley better be glad he got that Vandy game to finish 1-7 in SEC play.

I realize our program is down. We were not going to win a lot of games this year and I get that. Dooley cannot help we have a depleted roster and a huge talent gap. I have supported Dooley since he has been here, but I have disagreed with him as the man for the job since the day he was hired. Look, I know he is not getting fired this year. He is here for year 3…………. or is it 2 in Dooleyism? Regardless of how long he has been here the overwhelming issue is Derek Dooley is not qualified to be the HC at a SEC school.

I know we have the speech police out there telling everybody to shut up because if you have an opinion and speak it you are hurting recruiting. You know what sheep? I pay for my season tickets, and they don’t give rebates for junk games in junk seasons. DD is making major cash and I don’t feel sorry for somebody who makes 2 million dollars and the worse thing in their life is they lost a bunch of football games and people are mad. Are you kidding me! We are supposed to give them a break because they are a good guy! WTH is wrong with you people. Derek Dooley is just like every other coach out there he does not care about the specifics of your life. He has tons of people everyday tell him how much they love him, and you have a better chance meeting your US Senator who will help prepare a multitrillion dollar budget than to have a conversation with this guy or his peers.

Let me ask you this question. If Tennessee was playing a game this week and Derek Dooley got food poison the night before and could not make it to the game would it make any impact to the outcome of the game? Dooley has no credentials as a coach or as specialist of an area in the game. What does he do? Pick who should kick? How in the world do people think Cheney should be fired but not Dooley? Jim Cheney is 10X more qualified to be the HC then Dooley. The only reason he isn’t a HC is because his appearance. Dooley has the southern accent and good ole boy look and he gets 2 million dollars to point the blame at everybody but himself. Incase you have not noticed I am urinated off!

Here is the bottom line Derek Dooley will be fired one day at UT. My guess is it will happen next year after the South Carolina game. (Seems to be the normal time to fire a coach). For all of you that are so worried about recruiting I can assure you that all we are doing is putting off the obvious. He will not get it done and we will have to replace him. Then next guy will come into a much better situation and that means the interest level in our program will be much higher this time among coaches looking for a change. The next football coach at UT will be the highest paid coach in the Eastern Division. The new AD knows how this works and he understands that the Athletic department keeps the lights on so he will not have a problem telling donors they are going to pay for the next guy.

The best thing Derek Dooley can do during this offseason is getting the biggest splash possible in recruiting. If he has an in the pocket recruit he better get them to the podium to announce soon. Then when the season begins he better win. I hope he proves me wrong and turns out to be a great coach, but I think we all know what is going to happen.

Go Vols

Radical

Hot Seat: Derek Dooley Has to Start Winning

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:01:00 +0000

I want to be real clear about this right off the bat. I do not want to see Derek Dooley lose his job, and more importantly I believe firing him would put this program further behind schedule to rebuild. With that said I strongly believe there is a very good chance Dooley will be fired at the end of the year.

There really isn’t anybody out there saying this is even possible, but we live in a world dominated by sports in the moment and results are supreme. UT fans by nature love their coaches. We have never made a habit of firing coaches. Most of the coaching changes in my lifetime have been around basketball but we have never seen a hair trigger firing. So what could lead to an early dismissal of Dooley? The answer is obvious Vandy and Kentucky.

Vanderbilt and Kentucky are the cesspool of the SEC. These two programs are absolutely a disgrace to the conference. Considering how bad these two programs are plus the thought of losing to them would lead to horrific images and sounds on the TV and radio. If Tennessee loses to these two teams this year they will finish the season at 0-8 in SEC play for the first time in school history, and it will be the first time since 1964 Tennessee has lost to both teams in the same year. It would also be their first 4 win season in 34 years and the first back to back losing seasons in 100 years of Tennessee football.

Do I think Tennessee will lose to both Kentucky and Vandy? No, but it is very possible. From what I have seen so far this year there is absolutely no reason to believe Tennessee will beat Vandy. Derek Dooley is 10-0 with the spread and 0-13 against the spread since he has been at UT. The last time Tennessee scored in the 2^nd half was late in the game against UGA on Oct 8^th. There is no way Tennessee can beat Vanderbilt if they do not score in the 2^nd half. I know UT fans don’t want to hear that we are out manned against Vandy but we are. You can say all day that Vandy is Peabody U and we have more talent but that is not the case. Don’t get me wrong there is never an excuse to lose to Vandy! However we are basically a Junior Varsity football team. If you don’t believe me then take notice of the senior class this Saturday night when they come through the T and ask yourself how many of them have been contributors. Just look at these numbers to grasp what type of football team we have.

§ Senior Class 13 players 4 starters

§ Junior Class 19 players 5 starters

§ Sophomore Class 35 players 7starters

§ Freshman Class 40 players 6 starters

My fear is that Tennessee will just pack it in after a loss to Vandy and then walk through the motions against Kentucky. Even though UK is horrible you cannot just lie down and beat a SEC team. Most people think Dooley has one more year. Personally I think he needs two more years. I want to be clear and say I am not a Derek Dooley fan. I am a Tennessee Fan. (I don’t care who the coach is as long as we beat Florida and Alabama.) I did not want to hire him in the first place, and when we hired him I said we just hired another Mike Shula. Ironically he has the same record as Shula at this point with a 10-13 record in his first 23 games. Even though this is pathetic you cannot place all the blame on Dooley. He has taken over a program that basically has been through a series of events that only major probation could create such an uneven class level. This mess did not happen overnight and it will not be fixed over night.

The good news is Tennessee will be back. We can easily see in recruiting circuits that UT has a lot of Pop out there and some nice prospects are starting to pay attention to UT. Peter Sirmon and Darrin Hinshaw are creating networks among 2012 and 2013 recruits that is going to pay off if their staff is still in place long enough to bring these recruits into the program. Dooley and his staff will have a top 10 class this year based on what I have heard from the guys they have committed plus who they think they may get by February. The 2013 class is also looking like there is a possibility to land a good class because the staff has had time to build so many relationships with high school players and coaches.

If Dooley can survive another year there will be enough players on campus to compete in the SEC, but he may never have the chance to coach a full roster. If Derek Dooley is going to be a coach much longer at UT he is going to have to start winning games that he probably should not win, but for now he has to beat the teams we never lose to.

Go Vols

Radical

Response to the South Carolina Fans

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:44:00 +0000

Dear Cock,

Thanks for playing our game this week “How to make a Cock Pissed”!

The funny thing is we like USCjr fans. So far you win the award for the most passionate about their schools pride. UGA fans and FU fans are the cesspool of fan bases. You guys are much more fun to be around whether it is in Knoxville or when I have been to Columbia. As usual the Gamecock fans around me Saturday night were some of the most respectable fans that been to our stadium. This is the very reason why I hope you guys win the East, but I seriously doubt you will.

To be honest I did think we would win. When you lose a player like Lattimore in this league it is tough to survive. Just so you know I hated like heck to hear about his injury because he is a dynamic player and may have a chance to make a lot of money. Win or lose I would have rather seen him on the field Saturday night.

After we turned the ball over on the goal line in the 3^rd qtr I figured many of you were beginning to write your response to my last post. This became very clear after reading posts, tweets, and messages asking to meet me so we could fight. I offer no apologies to anything I said. Your program has won 4 bowl games in 100 years and that is just the plain truth. This current UT football team is the worst team in my lifetime and we will still win 5 games. You guys went 1-22 in two years. That is the definition of dumpster fire.

By no means am I attempting to live in the past. Sports are about the “here and now”. I just wanted to share some facts that would ruffle Gamecock feathers to create fun and entertaining conversation. We did not “Troll” on SC or internet sites as we were accused by some of you. As a matter of fact 90% of the post’s traffic came from USCjr sites that require membership and annual fees. I have never met anybody as juvenile who would pay money to be members of South Carolina online sports talk so don’t blame RockyTopics!

I also will not make any excuse for why we lost. UT should never lose to USCjr. What I completely will stand on without question is your team is average at best. Bama and LSU are head and shoulders above everybody in this conference. You guys did not accomplish anything Saturday by beating us. The Eastern division is terrible and the only reason you guys may win it is because nobody else is worth talking about.

For those of you who hate me than all I can say is, your school is a joke. For those of you who loved the trash talk and shot back with fun and friendly competition then I say, we will see you next year in Columbia!

Until then,

Go Vols

Radical

South Carolina: The Story of Conference Expansion Mediocrity

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:05:00 +0000

With all the talk of conference expansion and the fact this is South Carolina week I wanted to take moment to share with you a simple fact. If your team has been average or less in the history of the program than you can only expect to be an expected win for the other SEC opponents. Take note Texas A&M and Mizzou fans!

Each year football fans look at their schedule and count the automatic wins and then of course try and determine what kind of record they can expect. In the SEC there are a few teams we can look at expecting them to be wins. South Carolina is always one of those teams. I know the USC fan base is living in some allusion right now because they won the East last year, but the fact is that is the best they will ever do is a season like last year. How good is that? They got beat 56-17 in the SEC Championship game and finished the season 9-5. When Steve Spurrier was hired at USC Lee Corso said “South Carolina will never win a SEC title”, and lets face it he is right.

Assume the Position

The “Yell Leaders” and the Mizzou fans need to learn something from USC. Expect average. South Carolina fans probably would say “hey RockyTopics” we beat you last year. Our response is, “sure every once in a while you guys will win, but we promise you we will beat you way more than you beat us”. Not even close! However the Big 12 refugees can rest assure in one thing and that is their programs are not near the dumpster fire as the Gamechickens. You guys are more like Arkansas (another team yet to win a SEC title). So don’t expect to be relevant!

Hope

Seriously USC will not beat UT this weekend. The spread came out Sunday night -7 for USC and was -4.5 by Lunch Monday. Why? Because USC is nothing more than a homecoming game each year. They are 1-4 against the spread the last 5 times they have played UT! Do you think I am being unreasonable? Well I say if you think they are a serious opponent then you have no idea how bad this program has been and still is. In 20 seasons USC not only has yet to win a SEC title they have never won more than 9 games in a season, and they only have done that twice! Did you know USC all time record is 543-539-44 (.502)?

Realistic Expectations

Although USC has had a break-even all time history, since joining the SEC they have only got worse in the last 20 years with a record of 115-116-1. That is not even the worst figure to consider! To prove to you how bad South Carolina has been and is do you realize their SEC record since joining the conference is 41-71-1? That’s pathetic and reeks of dumpster fireness!

South Carolina is a joke and they are nothing to fear. Today they are #13 in the country and they will not finish ranked. They have only 1 loss coming into the end of October and this Saturday will be the1^st of 4 more losses before this season ends. There has never been a season for the Gameroosters that they have won more than 5 SEC games and this year they will do well to win 4. South Carolina truly is nothing more than a win to most SEC teams and I look forward the win this weekend!

Go Vols

Spurrier and Staff working on Gameplan Typical Carolina Football

SEC: What 2 Watch 4 - Week 8

noreply@blogger.com (Ajar) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:29:00 +0000

12:00, Commonwealth Stadium

Lexington, KY

ESPNU

Record [point spread]:

Jacksonville State (5-1, 4-0 OVC)
Kentucky (2-4, 0-3 SEC) [-9.5]

W2W4: Jacksonville State has a recent history of beating bad SEC teams. Look no further than Ole Miss just a year ago. JSU knows they can compete, and Jack Crowe has the team believing they are better than Kentucky. Led by Washaun Ealey (formerly of UGA), I think Jacksonville State is definitely primed to dominate the bottom of the SEC. Kentucky is bad, folks. Really bad. They're slow all over the field, and their offense is atrocious. If Jax State gets the momentum early, this could be a runaway game.

On a side note, Kentucky spent $200,000 on Big Blue Madness last week. Want to know how much Kentucky plans to spend on its "football team and recruiting travel" in FY12? You guessed it, $200,000. Link. Can we now please officially label Kentucky as a basketball school? And perhaps ship them over the ACC?

Prediction: Jacksonville State, 20-13

12:21, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium

Oxford, MS

SEC Network

Record [point spread]:

#9 Arkansas (5-1, 1-1 SEC) [-15.5]
Ole Miss (2-4, 0-3 SEC)

W2W4: And attempting to take the bottom spot away from Kentucky, we move on to Ole Miss. Are these folks tired of Houston Nutt yet? Of course they are. And you mean to tell me those Hotty Toddy-old cotton money-plantation-owning-so's-and-so's just west of the Mississippi can't afford a $6M buyout? Give me a break. C'mon Ole Miss, "Nutt" up and show you care about competing in the SEC. On the other side of the field, Arkansas is rolling right now. They were humbled by Alabama, but came back fighting against Texas A&M. Now Arkansas is sitting at 5-1, #9 in the nation, and Tyler Wilson is showing why he was pre-season All-SEC.

Prediction: Arkansas, 38-3

3:30, Tiger Stadium

Baton Rouge, LA

CBS

Record [point spread]:

Auburn (5-2, 3-1 SEC)

#1 LSU (7-0, 4-0 SEC) [-21]

W2W4: If there were ever a battle of two luckier teams, I'd like to see it. The Mad Hatter was forced to suspend 3 players for this game, and two of them are starters. Spencer Ware and Tyrann Mathieu won't play against Auburn, but John Chavis will just roll in another playmaker, and Michael Ford will probably have a career game. Auburn's ability to simply just make plays will keep this game much closer than the experts think, and I don't expect this to a be blowout. I think Auburn will be able to run the ball, control the clock, and ultimately shorten the game. I wouldn't be surprised if some crazy special teams play swings the momentum one way or the other.

Prediction: LSU, 27-20

7:00, Vanderbilt Stadium

Nashville, TN

ESPNU

Record [point spread]:

Army (2-4)
Vanderbilt (3-3, 1-3 SEC) [-11]

W2W4: Vanderbilt surprised me last week against Georgia, in more ways than one. First, they actually had a shot to win the game. Second, Logan Stewart's RIDICULOUS chop block against Kwame Geathers. SportsByBrooks has a nice summary here. After the game, James Franklin stated he was changing the view of Vanderbilt forever. He sure is. And the SEC seems all for it, by suspending both Stewart and Geathers for half a game. No way Geathers should have been suspended for his reaction. No. Way.

I don't expect the game to be close. Vanderbilt's a little iffy stopping the run, but Army just isn't very good. They'll play hard, but in the end, I think Vanderbilt probably scores on defense to pull away.

Prediction: Vanderbilt, 24-10

7:15, Bryant-Denny Stadium

Tuscaloosa, AL

ESPN2

Record [point spread]:

Tennessee (3-3, 0-3 SEC)

#2 Alabama (7-0, 4-0 SEC) [-29.5]

W2W4: Another week, another "sure loss" predicted from the experts in regard to Tennessee. Sure, things look bad, but you never say never. Stranger things have happened, and even stranger things have happened during the 3rd (4th) Saturday in October. Sure, Trent Richardson runs in beast mode, and Alabama's defense is NFL-esque. If Tennessee can run the ball effectively, avoid turnovers, and win special teams, I believe they have a chance. Will it be easy? Hell no, and it'll take a near-perfect game. But this rivalry seems to have an effect on both teams, and only God knows what the effect will be. Maybe Alabama overlooks Tennessee? Maybe the confidence gained in the first half of the LSU game is enough to have Tennessee believing they can compete? Maybe Devrin Young becomes the first Tennessee player to house a kick return in 8 years? Who knows. One thing I know for sure, I'm guaranteed to say "Buck Fama" at least 200 times on Saturday, and by the end of the night, I'll probably be saying it without the filter engaged.

If you're going to the game down in Tuscaloosa, be sure to stop by T-Town MensWear. I hear they've got some great discounts.

Go Vols. Buck Fama.

Prediction: Tennessee, 20-17

Third Saturday in October Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:56:00 +0000

Alabama………….. Do you know how many times that name has made me sick to my stomach? During the 90’s through mid 2000 era many Vol fans thought that Florida was the big game. As far as divisional play they are because of their success and the fact that they are the first SEC game of the year, but on many occasions I tried to explain to fans that Alabama is the game that matters. If you are a UT coach and you want to keep your job then beat Alabama. Alabama coaches who lose to Tennessee don’t last long either. Now there is no need to explain how big this game is now, but it is not because of tradition as much as it is the success of Nick Saban and the Tide in the last five years. To me it is all about tradition.

Before the SEC went to divisional play they had to play Auburn and Alabama every year. Auburn was in the Florida spot of the schedule and Bama was the same place, “Third Saturday in October”. In order to win the SEC then we had to beat both of these teams and to just have a chance you had to beat at least one of them. As I wrote in my last post on this subject in 1985 we beat them both and I was in 3^rd grade. What I had no idea was that the next time we would beat these two teams again in the same year would not come until 1997, my 3^rd year in college.

One of three Bobby Humphrey's TDs 1986 Alabama 56 Tennessee 28

The Misery

In 1986 the #2 ranked and 6-0 Alabama Crimson Tide came to Knoxville to take on a 2-3 Tennessee team. Alabama’s team was stout and led by QB Mike Shula, RB Bobby Humphrey, and Lombardi Trophy Winner Cornelius Bennet. I was very confident that we were going to get our season on track by beating Alabama. Shula threw only six passes and completed 3 of them and they beat us 56-28. Have you ever seen your team give up 56 points to a team who only completed 3passes? Humphrey ran for 217 yards and had 3 TDs. We were whipped from the moment we stepped on the field in those terrible orange cleats. What I did not realize though is this was the only beginning. When I was in school everybody ragged on me because they knew how much I loved UT. Kids love a winner and they easily jumped on the Bama bandwagon. Every year I was so confident that we are going to beat Bama, and then year after year it was nothing but defeat.

In 1990 the role was reversed. A 2-3 Alabama team came to Knoxville to play the #3 ranked Tennessee Volunteers. There was no doubt that this was the year that UT turned the streak back around on the Tide. We were loaded with maybe the most talented team in school history.

The game was a slugfest and going into the 4th qtr both teams had yet to score a TD. Early in the 4^th Tennessee FG kicker Greg Burke kicked a career long 51 yard FG to take the lead 6-3. Not much time would pass and Phillip Doyle would tie the game for Alabama. Andy Kelly had struggled to move the ball that day at QB so Johnny Majors put in back-up QB Sterling Hinton, and he gave Alabama a fit. Late in the game Hinton was using his legs to move the ball and on a run up the middle he got hit and as he landed he broke his wrist. After Hinton went out UT could not move the ball. With 1:37 left in the game UT attempted what could be a game winning 50-yard FG. I clearly remember this play. I knew he would miss it, but I had no idea what was about to happen. It was one of those moments that you never think of worse getting worse. You see before that kick I remember thinking this is terrible we are going to tie these bunch of clowns 6-6. I knew after he missed it they would not be able to move the ball on us. However what I did not know is that we were about to lose the game. When Burke Kicked the ball it sounded like somebody shot a gun. The ball hit some Bama player and went flying back towards the Alabama goal line. Now Burke kicked the ball from the Bama 40 yard-line. The ball went flying in the air and it looked like somebody was throwing a Hail Mary towards the other goal line. The ball landed out of bounds on the UT 37 yard line. It may have only went 23 yards but considering they

could barely get a 1^st down on us and Phillip Doyle was one of the best Kickers in the country it might has well landed on the 1 yard line. Bama ran three plays and gained six yards. Phillip Doyle came in and kicked a 48-yard FG with no time on the clock and UT lost to Bama again.

Phillip Doyle 48 yard game winner 1990 Alabama 9 Tennessee 6

In 25 games UT had only lost 3 times. All 3 times were to Alabama. That game did something to me that I will never forget. It was the first time I ever believed as a fan that UT would never beat somebody again. I was 13 years old and I knew we would lose to them for the rest of my life, and as I walked out of that stadium and saw the Alabama fans laughing and celebrating I developed a relentless hatred for Alabama Football.

Go Vols

DY19

noreply@blogger.com (Ajar) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:46:00 +0000

For years, Tennessee's special teams has been one of the weakest areas on the field. Between punt/kick coverage, punt/kick returns, kick-offs, punts, and field goals, you would be hard pressed to find a more disappointing or non-improving area of Tennessee football.

Even as late as the Florida game, Tennessee fans would wait with bated breath on every kick. At times last year, Derek Dooley wouldn't even send a returner back to field the punt. When the head coach doesn't trust anyone to even field a punt, how can a team even generate a positive outcome from a 3rd down stop? A touchback is an accomplishment. Oh what a difference a single player can make. In just three games this year (Buffalo, Georgia, LSU), Devrin Young has rejuvenated kick-off and punt returns.

Now fans get excited when the opposing team trots out the punt team. Now fans have a glimmer of hope after the opponent scores. All DY needs is a seam, and we can re-take the momentum of this game! He seems to have the perfect combination of quickness, elusiveness, acceleration, and vision to be a special, special player. Against LSU, DY broke off a 60-yard return, and the stadium erupted like we'd just scored a go-ahead touchdown against the #1 team in the nation.

Tennessee has not returned a punt for a touchdown since 2003. Mark Jones went 58 yards against Vanderbilt. Tennessee hasn't returned a (non-on-side) kick-off for a touchdown since 2002. Also Mark Jones, but this was 82 yards against Alabama. Holy Johnny Majors, Vol fans! Are you kidding me? 9 and 8 years between kickoff and punt returns, respectively?? I don't have any data to back it up, but I doubt you'll find any longer period of time between returns in any Division 1 football program.

Sure, we've seen flashes. Nu'Keese Richardson and David Oku recently gave us hope. Neither are still on the team. Da'Rick Rogers had a really nice return last year against Kentucky, but he couldn't make it to the end zone. DY hasn't gotten there yet, but I'm convinced he will. Maybe he houses one this weekend against Alabama? How awesome would it be? It'd be like pulling down the orang-colored sun shade on the memory of Javier Arenas.

So many times Tennessee fans are left scratching their heads at players Tennessee doesn't sign. Especially those from this area, who go play at other SEC schools, become All-SEC and All-America, and even make an impact in the NFL. Randall Cobb should immediately come to mind. DY may not be the offensive machine Randall Cobb was, but he's still an exciting player, and he definitely has big-play potential. Derek Dooley took a chance on the little fella from Bearden High, and he's come in and made an immediate impact. He basically walked in the door being proclaimed the savior of UT return specialists, and he's lived up to the hype. He's even had an impact in the offense. He's a small, quick, and elusive scat back who runs with a purpose. He's not afraid of contact, and it's really exciting when he gets the ball.

Devrin Young is a high-energy player who didn't get away. Tennessee went out an found a return specialist, and even though he was a 3-star recruit per rivals, Derek Dooley was confident DY could be the guy Tennessee needed. Aside from dropping a weight bar on his chest, fracturing his clavicle, and missing 3 games, I see no reason to think he won't be a special player wearing the Orange for several years to come.

Recruiting Spotlight 10-19-11

noreply@blogger.com (josh_dub_u) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:16:00 +0000

This week’s recruiting spotlight athlete is UT’s most recent commit Trent Taylor. Trent Taylor is a 6’3” 245lb DE senior at Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland Florida. Taylor was initially committed to the University of Miami, but when the news of the Nevin Shapiro scandal broke Taylor started looking at other possibilities. Trent Taylor took an official visit with UT on 9/3/11 during our game against Montana. Trent Taylor stated that he felt right at home while visiting UT and committed to UT the following Wednesday 9/7/11.

Trent Taylor’s scouting report states that he is a power rusher who can ball rush, and a speed rusher. Taylor has shown ability to quickly avoid pass blockers and get to the QB in a hurry. He has good ability to get under the blocker’s pads and pushes them into the backfield or the QB. Trent Taylor is a true hustler and never lets up or gives up. Taylor is smart enough to stay in position and rarely gets caught in misdirection and can tackle with the best of them.

Trent Taylor averages 5.3 tackles per game and .9 sacks per game. He ranks 632^nd in sack rankings, 6883 in national tackling, 540th in state tackling, 141^st in state division, and 8^th in the league. Taylor frame will easily hold 275lbs and with his hustle style of play he will make an excellent SEC DE.

Trent Taylor was recruited by Lance Thompson and Darin Hinshaw from the UT coaching staff. Taylor established a very good relationship with Hinshaw and that relationship is believed to be the reason for the quick commit from Taylor.

All VFLs know that we could use some help on the defensive side of the ball and a little pressure on the opposing QB is never a bad thing! RockyTopics is excited to see what Trent Taylor will bring to UT!

Neyland and the Bear: Then and Now

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:04:00 +0000

The Tennessee and Alabama rivalry has plenty of traits to make it a storied tradition. One characteristic which stands out is the coaches who have been involved in the rivalry. There are not any two bigger names in College Football than Paul "Bear" Bryant and General Robert Neyland. Now most people will agree with me on the Bear, but the Neyland part would most likely be viewed as a “homer’s” point-of-view. However, if you look at the facts and consider Neyland never lost to the Bear, and basically taught him a lot about coaching, then he has to be one of the biggest legends in College Football. Still not convinced? Wait until you see the data. Unfortunately for Neyland, he did not live long enough to see football evolve into the American iconic sport it is today; therefore, he was never known personally by the media the way coaches are these days.

Considering the history of the two schools, I want to look at the facts about how good these coaches were, and also compare them to two modern coaches.

The table below shows the careers of the Bear, General Neyland, Phil Fulmer, and Nick Saban currently to date. Saban and the Bear have had HC positions at different schools, so I included a column for conference championships to reflect whichever conference they were in. As you can see, the General finished with the highest winning percentage. Even though Saban comes in last, he still has a very impressive record.

Coach	Overall Winning Percentage	Years Coaching	Total Record	National Champs	Conference Champs
General Neyland	0.800	21	173-31-12	4	7
Paul Bear Bryant	0.760	38	323-85-17	6	15
Phil Fulmer	0.745	16.5	152-52	1	2
Nick Saban	0.723	16	141-53-1	2	4

Before I go any further, let me be very clear. I despise Alabama, and I think Nick Saban is pond scum on the best of days. Would I like him to coach my team? Absolutely! But he is a perfect example of what is wrong with the game. He does not care about Alabama. I know Bama fans thinks he cares, but he doesn’t care about them or anybody else except for the guy signing his check. He made it clear this week the Tennessee and Alabama game didn’t mean anything to him when he was asked about the possibility of the rivalry ending due to conference realignment. The Bear played for Alabama and he hated Tennessee. Phil Fulmer played for Tennessee and he hates Alabama. Now we have two coaches, who are friends, with no ties to the school other than a contract. Another point I want to make: I am NOT a Fulmerite. I am simply sharing data to show how good these coaches are.

So how good were these coaches? Well, the record speaks for itself. Let's look at one more data set. In my lifetime, I don't know of any other coach who is clearly recognized as the very best at what he does besides Nick Saban. Since becoming the head coach at Alabama, Alabama has been nearly unstoppable, and had it not been for Tim Tebow, Nick Saban would have another SEC and NCAA title. You may have asked why is Phil Fulmer in the same category as these guys? Glad you asked. I chose about seven SEC coaches to compare to get a feel for the Bear and General Neyland. This is when I noticed how successful all these coaches were. If you asked anybody how good of a coach has Nick Saban been at Alabama, they would say "the best." Did you know, as of this week, Nick Saban and Phil Fulmer have the exact same overall record?

Coach	First 5 Years	Record	National Champs	SEC Champs	Notes
General Neyland	0.895	52-2-3	0	1*	Southern Conference
Nick Saban	0.820	50-11*	1	1	Saban still has a possible 7 games left in his 5th year
Phil Fulmer	0.820	50-11*	0	1	Not included are the 4 games that Fulmer coached as the Interim HC during the 1992 Season which would have made him 54-11 (0.830)
Paul "Bear" Bryant	0.808	41-8-5	1	1	1st 5yrs at Alabama

What I find most interesting is none of the coaches accomplished, in their first five years at Bama or Tennessee, what General Neyland accomplished when he was hired at Tennessee. In five years he lost only 2 games. Could you imagine if he was living and coaching today? How much money he would be worth?

When we look at these numbers, there are all kinds of intangibles which may have affected some of the records. It is hard to say who is the best sometimes, but here is what I believe to be a fact: you are only as good today as you were in your last game if you are still coaching .Once you have retired or have left this world, then you may get much better. It kind of speaks to how sick sports have become. With that said, I would warn fans today of wanting to get rid of your coach just because you are not #1. After all, only one team can finish first, and I would not be surprised if one day Nick Saban wakes up and he is not #1 anymore.

In closing, I just want to add this: no matter what kind of record a coach finishes with, in order for him to finish as a legend, he must embrace the tradition. The General and the Bear are the type of men who made this sport the number one sport in America. We need to keep this in mind when ESPN and Conference committees attempt to decide what is best for the game. Hopefully we will have more guys to come along who love the School they work for and hate the one across the field.

Go Vols

Third Saturday in October Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:55:00 +0000

I am a third generation Tennessee fan and although that may not be uncommon I believe what is uncommon about my experience is the time span in which it falls. For Example the first Tennessee and Alabama game was played in 1901 (Final Score 6-6). My grandfather was born that same year. He was an outdoorsman and a sports fan. He begin going to Tennessee games back when you could walk on the sidelines at the game. He told my dad that he remembered when General Neyland was hired. At that time he wasn’t a General, and he was hired to beat Vanderbilt. He raised my father to love Tennessee athletics and they listened on the radio together to Lindsey Nelson call the Alabama and Tennessee games and they would go to the game when they played in Knoxville.

My grandfather called the Tennessee and Alabama game “The Pride of Dixie”. People who are not from the south do not understand the significance of College Football on the lives of southerners. Today southerners do not carry the burden of defeat they way that folks did during the depression. In those days southerners were the sons and grandsons of the defeated Confederacy following the War Between the States. When my father was growing up southerners had no industry and men would leave their families and go north to work. My Grandfather worked for a $1 a day during the depression on a farm in Indiana while my dad and his family lived in a two room house nestled in Little Sycamore Valley. This type of story reflects many southerners, and schools like Tennessee and Alabama gave common folks a sense of pride when they went and beat other teams especially from the North. When Tennessee and Alabama played then it was to settle who the best in the South was. No wonder Paul “Bear” Bryant played and led Alabama to victory in the 1935 game with a broken leg. It was about pride.

Laying the Foundation for Me

If I had to give you one name that was synonymous with this series then it would be Tony Robinson. Not many people who watched football prior to 1985 know who he was, but I remember him well. He was way before his time. He had a NFL arm and could run out of the pocket and make things happen. The first Tennessee and Alabama game I ever saw in person was in 1984. That day I set with my mom. My dad had two sets of tickets, and he and one of his friends set together in the upper deck while my mom and I were in the end zone in section P. It was late in the fourth quarter and Tennessee was down 27-20 and they got the ball in Alabama Territory then all of a sudden my mom said she couldn’t watch anymore because she was to nervous. So she said we had to leave. I told her I wanted to see the end so she had me stand with an usher while she went into concourse and stood in the tunnel. Tony Robinson led the team down field and we scored a touchdown with very little time in the game and we were down by two. Johnny Majors kept the offense on the field and Tennessee lined up to go for two. Robinson rolled out like he was going to pitch the ball and then darted into the end zone and he landed on his back. He laid there in the end zone holding the ball in the air and the stadium went wild. It was the first time I ever saw goal post torn down.

The following year Tennessee would play at Alabama and this time both teams were ranked and the winner would be in the driver seat to win the SEC. Alabama was ranked 15^th and Tennessee was 20^th. UT was led by Tony Robinson who had beaten the #1 Auburn Tigers led by Bo Jackson a few weeks prior to this game and made the cover of Sports Illustrated. Robinson was the first UT player in years to be mentioned as a possible Heisman winner. The game was battle from start to finish. Tennessee had the lead late in the game and Tony Robinson got tackled and he did not get up. I remember my dad said “Oh Know it’s his Knee”. On that play Tony Robinson’s career ended. The Tennessee defense was now left in charge of preserving a 16-14 lead. Dale Jones intercepted a pass that he deflected and UT went on to win the SEC and beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl. It was another great Alabama and Tennessee game, and I lived and breathed every minute of it. We had now beaten them four years in a row. I was hooked on the series, but I had no idea the misery of the next several years would be like.

Check back for more of my thought of what this game means to me.

Go Vols

Third Saturday in October Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:00:00 +0000

There is no game on the Tennessee schedule with more tradition and meaning to me than the Tennessee and Alabama game. This game is different than all the rest. It is no wonder the SEC has always made sure these two teams play one another each year. They are the two most winning programs in the history of the SEC. Basically, if it had not been for the success of these two programs, the SEC would probably not be the power conference it is today.

This game is not like the Iron Bowl nor is it like the UT and Florida game. It simply cannot be described in a few words. You have to live this rivalry to understand it. You have to be on the side of a losing streak year after year to know what this game means, and there have been plenty of those. Since these two teams met in 1901 Alabama leads the series 47-38-7 and there have been 13 streaks in this series where one of the teams has won at least three games in a row. It truly is a storied rivalry that has plenty of stories from both fan bases. This week I want to share with you just a little piece of what it means to be a part of this history as a common fan.

True Story

You may recall the ESPN commercial last year where there are all these people carrying out everyday tasks and you hear them say “Roll Tide”. A couple years ago a man in our Church passed away and I had to do his funeral. About half of his family lives in Alabama so when I pulled into the parking lot of the funeral home I saw the Bama tags. Often times we take the family out of the Chapel and talk with them when the directors are closing the casket. This was a little challenging because half of the people there with me are folks whom I have never met. Sometimes you have to be serious because people are so broken. This man was a joker and loved life that had passed away, but I did not know about the rest of his family. So I took a chance. I said, “Before we go any further I need to know are any of you Alabama fans” then half of the people standing there in harmony said “Roll Tide”.

When it began for me

My first memory of the Tennessee & Alabama game was in 1983 and I was six years old. Tennessee was playing at Legion Field and the game was on TV but we did not get the channel it was on because we only got a couple channels. So we drove from my home in Tazewell to Knoxville (1 hour) and we stayed at the Holiday Inn on the World’s Fair Site. My brother and I got to swim at an indoor pool for the first time. That Saturday Afternoon my dad a lifelong Vol fan set on the edge of the bed glued to that 19” Hotel TV. All I remember is he began to yell as Johhnie Jones ran a 66 yard TD run to put UT ahead 41-34 that would go down in UT history as “The Run”. We all sat there and watch the clock run down and my dad was so happy we had beat the 11^th ranked Crimson Tide. During that time Tennessee had been down for several years and had not been ranked since the mid to late 70’s, and now we have beat them two years in a row and this time at Legion Field. However I still did not grasp what had happened after all I was only six. Then my mom walked my brother and I out of the room so we could go to the pool and then I saw what the Alabama game meant. People were running around that Hotel everywhere yelling a screaming “How bout them Vols”. I remember some guy picked me up and was throwing me in the air saying “We Won We Won”. On that day I learned that the Tennessee and Alabama game was a big deal.

Check back this week as I share some more thoughts on what this game means and why we must always play one another.

Go Vols

The View From Section M

noreply@blogger.com (Floyd Pancakes) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Saturday was another character building day in Neyland Stadium as our Vols were beaten soundly by the Tigers from LSU. It is a disgusting feeling when you arrive at the stadium on gameday and you are surrounded by rival fans who are smiling and walking around like they own the place. Yet this was the feeling as we arrived to beautiful weather for the 3:30pm kickoff. I was impressed with the turnout, considering the fact that our prospects of winning the game were not good at all.

As the 1st quarter got underway, you could sense that the Vols were "up" for this game. Our defense was holding stout and making the Tigers punt the football. As the half progressed, it was surprisingly close. Oh what could've been if we could have two plays back. First, Simms' int that was returned the entire length of the field. And then, we whif on a tackle and set the Tigers up for a FG to make it a 10 point lead at the half. Which, at the time, we were thankful wasn't a 17 point lead. But think about it, take away those to plays and it is CLOSE at the half.

In the second half, LSU just ran it down out throats and wore our guys out. But I've got to think that if we had those two first half plays back and it's a tighter ballgame that LSU maybe takes some chances at a big play and possibly turns it over. However that is also unlikely, as we haven't forced a turnover since the Montana game (that is mind-boggling). For the second game in a row, we've come out absolutely flat in the second half.. games were were still in. Is that on coaches? And why are we still so lost at times when trying to line up? We're halfway through the season, that is unacceptable.

Surprisingly, the LSU fans in the stands didn't irritate me. They cheered, yes.. but weren't obnoxious like UGA fans the previous week. I guess the old adage "act like you been there" applies here... LSU fans are used to winning, whereas UGA fans seemingly can't handle it. Actually, the most vitriol I witnessed was Vol fans bickering with each other in the stands. There was a point when I thought two guys were literally going to come to blows. And I still couldn't tell you what they were arguing about. Yes, we're all a bit on edge this point. While we knew we probably weren't going to conquer the CFB world this year, we thought we had a shot a pretty dang good season. Injuries have dashed those hopes, and now all we have left are moral victories. These are dark days on Rocky Top.

Leaving the stadium, I've come to realize that our SEC enemies no longer see winning at Neyland as a big deal. It's a pretty ho-hum environment. I can literally remember fights breaking out in the streets when we lost to Florida. While I support Dooley and will give him the time he deserves to right the ship, I just don't know what the future holds. Without a strong recruiting base like other SEC powers enjoy, rebuilding at Tennessee is a long and painful process. But we have no choice but to stay the course. What else is there? Another coaching change would set us back another five years or more, and during the last coaching search we didn't exactly have big name coaches knocking down our door. Hang in there, is all I can say.

Cordiallly,
FP

SEC Power Rankings Week 8

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:36:00 +0000

After another weekend of College football the top teams in the SEC remained on top. One thing for sure is the injuries are mounting up and are impacting the middle of the pack teams. Here are the SEC Power Rankings for this week.

#1 LSU: The Tigers continue to impress and now they set on top of the BCS rankings that were just released today. The balance that this team has at QB is shocking considering that last year both guys looked incapable of leading the team. The Defense continues to show their ability to create points for their team and the toughness of this team is apparent as they mounted up 114 yards in a row against UT without ever throwing a pass. They only get better as the game goes on.

#2 Alabama: The Tide put a smack down on Ole Mess. This team to me still looks like the team to have the advantage on Nov 5^th simply because they are at home and really have no weakness. The only thing the Tide has struggled with this year is in the Kickoff portion of the game, but if your kicking off then probably something good has happened for you. UT did have some success running the ball on LSU as they are only the 2^nd team this year to gain over 100 yards. However those yards came only between the tackles and this is where Bama is the strongest. This will be the biggest game in the SEC since Bama and Florida SEC Championship game 2008.

#3 Arkansas: Tyler Wilson is the best QB in the SEC. To bad for the Razorbacks they are not in the SEC East because they are the only team that can compete with Bama or LSU in the Georgia Dome. This team was fun to watch on Turf at Jerry’s World and I still think they have a chance of knocking off LSU if Bama doesn’t.

#4 UGA: The Bulldogs may not have LSU or Bama on their schedule but they are going to get to play one of the two in Atlanta. If I were a Bulldog fan I would be trying to by tickets now because nobody is going to finish ahead of UGA in the east. A tough Vandy team tested the Bulldogs Saturday night, but the ball bounced the right way for them. Looks like it is meant to be for Mark Richt to hold on to his title as the Dean of SEC coaches.

#5 Auburn: Now we get to the part were it is just a mess to rank each team. Auburn is not a very good football team right now, and that says something about the conference when they are ranked 5^th. They have a tough RB in Dyer but their QB play is not very good. Gus Malzone is using all tricks to keep this team moving, but if they don’t improve at QB then they may be in the Music City Bowl instead of a Florida bowl.

#6 South Carolina: I know they beat Auburn and I think they will probably finish ahead of Auburn in our standings, but losing Stephen Garcia and Marcus Lattimore in a 4 day period is a tough blow on this team. Their defense is great and may be as good as Bama or LSU’s but what are they going to do on offense? Can Connor Shaw lead this team to victory without one of the best RBs in the nation? I just don’t think so at this time.

#7 Mississippi State: They are not very good but they did play SC tough. Dan Mullen is doing his best to keep this team going after losing several tough games that the Bulldogs were very competitive in.

#8 Florida: If they don’t get Brantley back soon they may not win another game. The injuries are piling up on the conferences youngest team and this team is snake bit right now. Even Sturgis their FG kicker is hurt. He is one of the most dependable kickers in the conference and Florida was forced to go on fourth down in the 3^rd quarter when normally it would have been an automatic 3points.

#9 Vanderbilt: The Commodores had a chance late to beat UGA but a blocked punt would just not bounce the right way for them to scoop and score. They are playing with a chip on their shoulder and I look for them to be a pain in some teams side for the rest of the year.

#10 Tennessee: Just a bad football team right now. Florida and Tennessee are on similar paths right now. They both are extremely young and have injuries in areas where they just can’t afford to have injuries.

#11 Ole Miss

#12 Kentucky

Go Vols

Post Game Battle of Coaches Weekend I: Vanderbilt Coach and UGA Coach have Words

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:31:00 +0000

Apparently coaches having words at the end of football games was in the air this weekend. You probably saw San Francisco 49ers HC Jim Harbaugh and Detroit Lions HC Jim Swartz get into a scuttle at the end of their game on Sunday but did you see Vanderbilt HC James Franklin and UGA DC Todd "I have no class" Grantham have words? You may recall Grantham made the choke sign to the Florida FG kicker Chaz Henry during OT of last years game.

Click here to watch Grantham and Franklin following the game as they share words. I can't wait until Grantham and Muschamp get into it!

Click here to watch Vanderbilt Head Coach James Franklin Press Conference following the UGA game Saturday night. This Vandy coach acts like he means business!

Tennessee Basketball Practice Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:56:00 +0000

I will have to admit it has been very hard for me to talk about Tennessee basketball since we fired the greatest HC in my lifetime the days following a loss to Michigan in the NCAA tournament. However life goes on and so does UT athletics, and now it is new Tennessee’s Men’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin’s turn to lead the Vols.

This past Friday was the first practice for the Vols and it sounds like the most common word coming out of practice about this team is “Defense”. At times the basketball team seemed to be sloppy on offense and that is expected with the youth and the lack of proven scorers on this team. Although the team may have struggled at times they showed they have the ability to keep the defensive pressure and intensity up by wearing 10lb weighted vests in the 1^st half of the practice.

A couple of notes coming out of the first UT practice of interest have to deal with the defensive intensity by true freshman guard Wes Washpun. He was all over Trae Golden and caused several of issues during the 5 on 5 scrimmages with his ball pressure. Also one change from the teams in the past is that Martin plans on using an 8 men rotation with never more than nine.

Tennessee’s first exhibition will be at TBA on November 3^rd at 7pm against Carson Newman.

Go Vols

Better Days Ahead for Big Orange Fans

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:28:00 +0000

Well I guess we can only expect another week of misery coming from sports radio in East Tennessee. When Tennessee loses it is hard on everybody and these are the times that I am glad I don’t have my own show because I just can’t handle hours and hours of negative talk. Our local sports radio consists of state run non-objective hosts who are controlled by the Knoxville Media or the Volunteer Network or there are the LSU fans like Hyams and Adams. We also have now a group of former players that are getting in the mix and although I love our VFL guys we must keep in mind that they are all Fulmer guys and would they be so critical if their old Coach was at the helm? The only guy in our area who represents the common fan is Tony Basilio who is and emotional train wreck most of the time (we have a lot in common) but Tennessee athletics is in such a state of ruin that it is easy to derail.

I want to share with you for one quick moment a very odd set of events that happened Saturday at the game. I have never seen our crowd react the way they did when the ruling was overturned and the long pass from Simms to Neal was ruled as a catch. Our crowd reacted as if we had just scored a winning FG. Another odd moment was after LSU went up on us 31-7 Devron Young returned the kickoff a little over 60 yards. Even though there was no way we could win the remaining 60K fans were jumping up and down. Why is this odd? Because I have never seen our fan base so desperate for success than they are now. There was a great crowd there Saturday and we knew we were not going to win, but the crowd came and cheered for the good moments. It was not crowd like we have had when we were competing for the SEC, but nevertheless the crowd supported their team and they did not boo. Could this mean that we are apathetic now or does this mean the fan base understands what kind of situation we are in?

I may be wrong but I think the majority of football knowledgeable fans know we just don’t have the players we need to compete. Anybody who this week is piling on this team or this staff just is not reasonable. As a matter of fact I seen more positive come from this game than negative. The fact that we rushed for over 100 yards on LSU is pretty impressive considering we were -29 in SEC play coming into the game. Both the offense and defensive staffs showed Saturday that they could adjust what personnel they have and make a difference. Our front 7 fought all day long on the Defense and our young OLBs finally showed some ability. Our I Formation run game was very impressive at times and if our WRs had shown up we may have extended some drives. Our special team play was much better and they were well prepared by playing to LSU fakes by continuing to show safe defensive fronts during punts and FG. Do we need to improve? No question that our 2nd half struggles remain, but it is not because the team and staff are not fighting.

Does this staff need to improve? No question, but before we all go singing the praises of other coaches like John Chavis I want to remind you of how personnel changes things. How many late hits did Al Wilson have? Very few because he played smart. How many did Kevin Burnett have? Two a game it seemed like, and remember what we all said? “That’s coaching”! Chavis coached both guys but there were different results. John Chavis is a great coach and a VFL, but if he had been in the other booth Saturday wearing Orange the score would not have been that much different. So when the talk shows rip Dooley for being so bad in the 3^rd qtr just remember he is playing with a hand full of players.

Finally I want to encourage Vol fans to hang in there. I know we don’t have a “snow balls” chance against Bama, but these players are playing to hard for us to quit on them. We just need to go to Bama and get better as a team. South Carolina is now a very winnable game since they have no experienced QB and probably will not have Marcus Lattimore.

We have to support this staff and team now. This staff is building a network of recruits and it is going to take time, but the future looks bright everyday with big time players like 2013 class RB Derrick Green who runs a 4.3 40yd at 6’0 and 215 lbs showing interest in UT. I have often quoted General Neyland when he said “there will be better days on other fields that will yield the fruits of Victory”.

Go Vols

SEC: What 2 Watch 4: Week 7

noreply@blogger.com (Ajar) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:49:00 +0000

12:00, Davis Wade Stadium

Starkville, MS

ESPN3

Record [point spread]:

#15 South Carolina (5-1, 3-1 SEC) [-3]
Mississippi State (3-3, 0-3 SEC)

W2W4: Connor Shaw performed very well against Kentucky, but I think Kentucky's defense would make Morgan Newton or Larry Smith look All-SEC. He'll get his chance to prove he can steer the ship this week against a decent Mississippi State defense. Plus, with the dismissal of Stephen Garcia, Connor Shaw knows the job is his. I expect Lattimore to get his yards and beat down the front 7 of MSU, and Alshon Jeffery should have his best game of the year with QB that can do more than just throw to the other team. South Carolina's defense will have a field day against Chris Relf, especially if Vick Ballard can't remember how to run the ball.

Plus, I fully expect South Carolina to be fired up in response to Steve Spurrier's media meltdown earlier this week.

Prediction: South Carolina, 31-10

3:30, Neyland Stadium

Knoxville, TN

CBS

Record [point spread]:

#1 LSU (6-0, 3-0 SEC) [-17]
Tennessee (3-2, 0-2 SEC)

W2W4: We all know how dominant LSU has been. They run the ball at will, their defense is quick, fast, and powerful, and the team is just as crazy as its head coach. This past Summer, when asked who he wanted a rematch against, Matt Simms responded immediately with "LSU." He gets his wish this week, as he's the starter with the injury to Tyler Bray's right thumb. Tennessee's offense was struggling without Justin Hunter, and now without Bray, Tennessee could be in big trouble. With Matt Simms getting the start this week, I fully expect Tennessee to lean heavily on the running game. Unfortunately, Tennessee has -29 yards rushing in two SEC games. This game always seems to have some crazy story to it, whether it's a second chance goal line play (2010), a 21-point 2nd half comeback (2005), or a backup QB leading the charge (2001). My orange-tinted crystal ball signed by Peyton Manning and Eric Berry says this game will be closer than the experts think. Plus, even in the face of certain defeat, I can't pick against my boys.

Prediction: 17-16, Tennessee

6:00, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium

Oxford, MS

ESPN2

Record [point spread]:

#2 Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC) [-25.5]
Ole Miss (2-3, 0-2 SEC)

W2W4: Alabama is on a mission to redefine the way teams play college football. They shutout Vanderbilt, and Nick Saban would love nothing more than to hold opponents scoreless for 8+ straight quarters. Their defense brings NFL philosophies, size, speed, and talent to every situation and position. The offense is built around the power running game, and Ole Miss is not equipped to handle it. The Houston Nutt reign continues, and from what I hear, Ole Miss is not willing to pay the $6M buyout to cut the cord. Shame. Oh well, Ole Miss. Enjoy your tailgates in The Grove and your Miss America tryouts.

Prediction: Alabama, 41-0

7:00, Jordan-Hare Stadium

Auburn, AL

ESPN

Record [point spread]:

Florida (4-2, 2-2 SEC) [-2]
#24 Auburn (4-2, 2-1 SEC)

W2W4: Florida's favored on the road, but I just don't see it. Alabama pounded Florida inside, and LSU exposed the secondary. I don't think Florida is equipped to handle the Gus Malzahn offense or Michael Dyer. On offense, without a quarterback, Florida is one-dimensional with Demps and Rainey, and I think Auburn defensively is good enough to take them both out of the equation. Florida's overall team speed keeps them in the game, but it's not enough to get a win. Plus, I'm not sure Brissett or Driskell will handle the road environment very well.

Prediction: Auburn, 17-10

7:00, Vanderbilt Stadium

Nashville, TN

ESPN3

Record [point spread]:

Georgia (5-0, 2-0 SEC) [-11]

Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-2 SEC)

W2W4: Aaron Rogers' younger brother, Jordan, should see the field at quarterback, but it won't be nearly enough against a stout Georgia defense. Vanderbilt's secondary is playing well, and they fly to the ball. Plus, Aaron Murray likes to throw the ball up for grabs. Isaiah Crowell is a little dinged up, but he should fine, and I expect him to get his 100 yards and 2 TDs. Crowell and Orson Charles should be able to dominate Vanderbilt's linbackers, and this game gets out of hand in the 2nd half.

Prediction: Georgia, 41-14