GAME 11 – GEORGIA 18 NOV 2023
It looks like I was the luckiest Vol fan last night as after the Jaylen Wright TD and the Andre Turrentine TFL my method of watching the game live was removed. My only option was off to bed for four hours then watch the game. However, there were only highlights (perhaps that should read highlight in hindsight) available when I got up and then I saw the score so I have actually not seen the full game, and I am in a quandary if I will watch it as it feels about as much appealing as watching the video of my gallbladder being removed some years ago. So, I think it is better to write about some overall thoughts on what I have learnt.
We are an 8-4 team
2023 will be seen by many as a disappointing campaign, but after the 11 preceding years that is probably harsh, it perhaps should be seen as a transitioning year. If last year was 7-5 then this year would be viewed very differently but the bar was artificially set high by Hendon and his gang. Another way to evaluate this season is by comparing our record with Florida and South Carolina who are both 5-6 and they need to beat Florida State and Clemson respectfully next week just to get to .500 and an invitation to a minor bowl game. The 2023 Vols should not be remotely compared to the Elite teams this season but the aforementioned next rung.
The secondary is still a mess
Almost the whole time I have supported Tennessee we still seem to be ‘all at sea’ in the secondary, I have winced so many times over the years after having been stout upfront and leaving the opponent in 3rd and long I have watched in horror as the 3rd and long more than often has been completed. So, is it better this year? Well just look at the 4 losses this season. The opponent has been a combined 32-57 on 3rd downs, that is a ridiculous 56% completion rate. Sometimes the gap Moses created in the Red Sea seems less wide than our secondary gives some receivers. I always dislike calling for coaches to be replaced but whatever decision is made this MUST NOT continue if we really have aspirations of SEC and National Championships.
Injuries and Refs
These are two areas where there seems to legitimate concern, but if you go down those ‘rabbit holes’ you can easily miss the big picture. We have had a string big injuries this season that has hurt us badly but injuries has always been since time began, is this not why you has 85 players. It merely highlighted the lack of depth on the roster (this is down more to Pruitt than Josh Heupel). When I look at Heupel’s recruiting classes I am more confident this will not be a problem going forward. The Refs seemed to have been harsh on the Vols this year and the phantom hold on the Doneiko Slaughter INT whilst leading 7-3 was a back breaker, but maybe the Elite teams get bad calls as well but as our margin of error is so small it perhaps it is more visible. As they say, “if you can’t change it you have to live with it”.
What is the view on Milton's season
It would seem no article is complete without discussing this big question. I have supported Joe all year and whilst he hasn’t had a bad year it hasn’t been to level I hoped for after the Vanderbilt and Clemson games in 2022. Now there can be a number of reasons for this, i) the play calling is not as good or as innovative under Joey Halze than it was under Alex Golesh, ii) the play calling was deliberately vanilla to suit Joes restrictions such as his short inaccurate throwing, iii) the loss of Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman combined with injuries to Bru McCoy and later Dont’e Thornton, iv) Florida’s template for Defensive Co-ordinators was to play two deep safeties and keep everything in front of you was the perfect gameplan for Milton’s strengths and weaknesses. You can take your pick but the fact that is indisputable is that one of the largest arms in college football history did not throw 300 yards in any game this season.
Why Vanderbilt is a big game next week
Most will have written off the season after last night and probably started dreaming of Dalton Knecht leading the Vols to the Final Four, well there are two very big reasons why next week is important and that is the 2024 Class and 8 Months of thinking about what next season will look like. 2024 Class, a really sad side issue from lasts nights beat down was that we had a huge and impressive visitors list with many 5 and 4 Stars “in the house”. To really compete with the Alabama’s and Georgia’s we need elite talent not just coaching and schemes, so if we “check out” next week it would be a terrible look to the recruits. It will be much easier to say “yes, we have a gap to close on the blue bloods however its Nico time and with your help we can catch up”, but trying to sell that message if we lose to Vanderbilt will be much harder. 8 months, we will soon have a long 8 months to dissect 2023, So its time to let Nico loose and give us a small sample to show both the recruits and the fans that all will be fine under the “anointed one” in 2024. This really was only a transition year from Hendon Hooker to Nico Iamaleava.
Please feel free to discuss the above after all its just my thoughts.
GO VOLS
