1/3 through the season: where we are & where we’re going

#27
#27
brentcontractor said:
TE - Oklahoma game was ok for TEs however they really flashed in NC State game. Pleaseant surprise. Hope they will be targeted more.
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Agree, Hyp even said preseason they were going to be more involved in the offense. Think in the OK game they were kept in close to the O line due to the bad OT play and had to be used for blocking, which they did not do a great job with.
 
#29
#29
VolInDayton said:
Next week will tell us a lot about Arkansas, but I think they are 20-25 best team in the country. They have a very big and athletic QB but he's not the most accurate passer. They have some talented players on both sides of the ball, but they aren't the best coached team either. I think we use the bye week to improve and come out ready against Ark. I do hope it's a early game because it can be a tougher place to play than a lot of people give it credit for.
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Gotcha, thanks. I'm hoping too cause our last what 3 were at night
 
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#31
#31
VolInDayton said:
Next week will tell us a lot about Arkansas, but I think they are 20-25 best team in the country. They have a very big and athletic QB but he's not the most accurate passer. They have some talented players on both sides of the ball, but they aren't the best coached team either. I think we use the bye week to improve and come out ready against Ark. I do hope it's a early game because it can be a tougher place to play than a lot of people give it credit for.
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And it's at night, 7 or 730
 
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#32
#32
If we are undefeated in October, we are lock for the playoff and possibly have a great chance at Atlanta. October is TN's hardest month (although November brings Georgia).
 
#34
#34
What has happened to using the RB screen pass to slow down aggressive DL's? Also I would like to see the WR screen ALOT LESS. Lastly we ran a slant one time at OU. The routes I saw were to slow developing for a OL having issues with the rush, got to make them honest.
 
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#36
#36
NighthawkVol said:
Don’t expect to see Tennessee run out wide under Heupel. He has been asked this question before, and his answer makes complete sense. He said, and I am paraphrasing, that we utilize the wide splits to spread the defense out, and pull defenders out wide, creating more space in the middle of the field, so why would we run out towards the defenders that we just removed from the middle of the field? It’s contradictory to their offensive philosophy.
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Maybe so, but you have a guy like Bru blocking a CB who is 30 lbs lighter and it should be off to the races. It doesn’t have to happen but a couple of times before the defense stops committing 6 guys to the box on run plays.
 
#37
#37
At this point in the season, Tennessee looks like an SEC championship team. Nico will hit his stride when he gets protection. If this team stays healthy, they will be right there at the end. Nico is a more athletic and accurate version of RG III. RGIII in this type of offense got close.
 
#38
#38
RockyTop140 said:
Especially with the state of their field. Sampson is a shifty runner and that was not gonna work out well with that pasture
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Don’t know if it’s legit, but I saw where it was posted that OU flooded the
field a few days before the gsme to make it “ sloppy “ in order to slow our
speed/ quickness.
 
#39
#39
I think Squirrel really benefited from when Jalin Hyatt and Bru McCoy took the spotlight away from him. Defenses focused on those two and he was able to excel because of them. I think he is having a hard time getting open consistently. As for Nimrod, I really like him. He has great hands and is reliable. He should play more I think. I am anxious to see more of Matthews after that great catch he made in the endzone. Finally, I hope they start getting the tight ends involved in the pass routes because all 3 can play.
 
#40
#40
Plove23 said:
Anybody know how good Arkansas Is and how we match up against them?
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Much Better offensively than OU with an athletic QB. I believe they are around 8th in total offense. However on defense, Arkansas is not even in the top 50. I would expect more points in this matchup.
 
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#45
#45
NighthawkVol said:
Since we’re 33% through, I thought I’d discuss where Tennessee is, what our strengths and weaknesses are, and how they compare to what we expected. Also, what I hope to see improve over this by week and during the season.

-Nico is what we expected. No he isn’t a Heisman caliber QB yet. But he is an elite talent who is learning as he goes and will continue to improve as the season goes on. He has a month until the Alabama game to be an elite quarterback. At least for a game. Because we will need that to win that game. I think he can be that.

-the offensive line is a concern. No, I don’t think we have a bad or below average offensive line when everyone is healthy. In fact, when everyone is healthy, I think we have a top third offensive line in the SEC. But as Saturday showed, the depth is a huge concern. There is a huge drop off when a tackle gets hurt. We really need to develop some depth. I hope/think this will be a focus over the bye and subsequent weeks. Can Johnson take a step to be that 3rd OT? Can Sham get healthy and play OT? Can one of the freshmen (Perry, Warren, Ginther) step up? I hope the answer is yes to all of those. And also, that we stay healthy.

-The defense is even better than expected. We heard in preseason how good this defensive line would be. We didn’t realize it would be this good. And we worried about the secondary. The secondary is good. The corners are really good. Brooks can play. Thomas can play. Boo is getting better every week. Harrison is much better than I expected. And those linebackers, man. Those dudes are, well dudes. I hope to see Spillman get more work in the rotation as the season goes on. And I hope to see Matthews and Beasley develop as the backup CBs.

-WRs have been slightly disappointing. That is not to say they have been bad, but the expectation for that group was very high. Perhaps as Nico gets more comfortable, this group gets better. And perhaps their lack of production has been a result of game planning. I think that is part of it. But Squirrel has not been himself. Brazzell has flashed, but hasn’t been consistently good. Bru and Thornton, on the other hand, have been fantastic. This bye week is an opportunity for Mike Matthews. Can he get some of Squirrel’s snaps? Can Brazzell get better? If not, do you give Thornton more snaps? Or Nimrid? Something tells me Mike Matthews will become a factor down the stretch.

-RBs have been all we can ask for. Sampson is what we thought he was, if not better. Frankly, he’s been our offensive MVP. And Bishop has been way better than expected. Can we develop a 3rd RB? Is Seldon ready to start earning some snaps? These next 2 weeks are big for him and Peyton Lewis.

What have I missed? What other players/positions need to step up and have the potential to do so?
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Defenses are giving a lot of attention to the slot. That position seems to be a key to this offense.
 
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