barney
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1. Tennessee had the youngest team in the SEC this year.
2. Tennessee lost its starting quarterback the day before the spring game and got our new starter on campus at the beginning of June
3. Tennessee lost massive production at the runningback spot
4. Despite those losses, Tennessee put up insane numbers on the offensive side of the ball and turned Joey into a superstar and a clear upgrade over Nico.
5. Tennessee's defense was devastated by injuries this year, opening SEC play without its starting rotation in at defensive tackle and cornerback.
6. Tennessee's best linebacker was battling turf toe for most of the season
7. Despite those losses, we have one of the most disruptive defenses in the SEC, at or near the top of the league in turnovers and defensive touchdowns.
8. Despite all of that, we are as we speak 2 missed fields goals away from being a 1 loss football team.
Now I know this was a disappointing season and this team, especially the defense, has frustrated fans to no end. But just thinking it over a little bit, I don't think its time to cut bait on this staff or put Heup on the hot seat just yet. Its clear that change is needed. Specifically, we need:
1. More Depth, especially on defense: The drop off in experience from starters to backups undeniably hurt us this year. Our program doesn't have the depth it needs to weather the storm of a long season. Coaches need to be more aggressive about adding experienced depth pieces in the portal and much more aggressive about knowing when to retain talented players and when to let guys walk. I think we would all trade the 2025 version of Boo Carter for Jakobe Thomas.
2. We have to fix special teams: We need to do something at the kicker spot. Whether thats putting Gilbert through intensive sports therapy or making a change at that position, it cost us in too many situations this year. Getting a reliable kicker is absolutely worth the investment. Its the difference between a playoff run and playing in the Citrus bowl this year. Surely Danny can do the math on that one. Our kick return game was also a massive disappointment and punting is subpar. In an era of broad parity in the sport, the hidden yardage of special teams is more critical than ever.
3. Stay the course on Offense. The staff saw the problems last year and fixed them, leading to one of the best attacks in the SEC. With an offense this good, we'll always have a chance.
In short, I think if we can keep this team together and keep the fans together, this season, while disappointing, will leave us in a strong position to make a run in the next few years as our players get more experince. Edwin Spillman and Edrees Farooq took their lumps this year, but I believe they are both going to be great players for us! Go big orange!
2. Tennessee lost its starting quarterback the day before the spring game and got our new starter on campus at the beginning of June
3. Tennessee lost massive production at the runningback spot
4. Despite those losses, Tennessee put up insane numbers on the offensive side of the ball and turned Joey into a superstar and a clear upgrade over Nico.
5. Tennessee's defense was devastated by injuries this year, opening SEC play without its starting rotation in at defensive tackle and cornerback.
6. Tennessee's best linebacker was battling turf toe for most of the season
7. Despite those losses, we have one of the most disruptive defenses in the SEC, at or near the top of the league in turnovers and defensive touchdowns.
8. Despite all of that, we are as we speak 2 missed fields goals away from being a 1 loss football team.
Now I know this was a disappointing season and this team, especially the defense, has frustrated fans to no end. But just thinking it over a little bit, I don't think its time to cut bait on this staff or put Heup on the hot seat just yet. Its clear that change is needed. Specifically, we need:
1. More Depth, especially on defense: The drop off in experience from starters to backups undeniably hurt us this year. Our program doesn't have the depth it needs to weather the storm of a long season. Coaches need to be more aggressive about adding experienced depth pieces in the portal and much more aggressive about knowing when to retain talented players and when to let guys walk. I think we would all trade the 2025 version of Boo Carter for Jakobe Thomas.
2. We have to fix special teams: We need to do something at the kicker spot. Whether thats putting Gilbert through intensive sports therapy or making a change at that position, it cost us in too many situations this year. Getting a reliable kicker is absolutely worth the investment. Its the difference between a playoff run and playing in the Citrus bowl this year. Surely Danny can do the math on that one. Our kick return game was also a massive disappointment and punting is subpar. In an era of broad parity in the sport, the hidden yardage of special teams is more critical than ever.
3. Stay the course on Offense. The staff saw the problems last year and fixed them, leading to one of the best attacks in the SEC. With an offense this good, we'll always have a chance.
In short, I think if we can keep this team together and keep the fans together, this season, while disappointing, will leave us in a strong position to make a run in the next few years as our players get more experince. Edwin Spillman and Edrees Farooq took their lumps this year, but I believe they are both going to be great players for us! Go big orange!
Haters & whiners...take note!
