Are the Vols that good?

#1
missvol

missvol

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Aug 13, 2004
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#1
Did Tennessee have a very good day in all aspects, and California had a bad day in all aspects, or is California that bad and Tennessee that good? Was yesterday's game an example of how Tennessee will play the rest of the year? What are Vol Nations comments?
 
#2
#2
The Vol's defense is as fast as it has been in the last five years. The linebackers and stunts made up for the inexperience on the Dline, although part of that was dependent on the linemen keeping the center and guards off of the linebackers.

The offense was more mobile and more prepared than most people expected (including myself) expected. Practicing against the quick UT defense had to help that. There were no false starts, and more importantly there were no delay of game penalties and no calling timeouts called because they could not get the play in. The offensive line looked svelt and quick. The run blocking was not as stellar as the pass blocking, which was magnificent. UT's biggest challenge now appears to be establishing the run.

Ainge seemed to see the field well, but one has to wonder how many five yard out routes would have been converted into touchdowns against a faster defense. The Cal defense looked big and slow.

There were no major mistakes on special teams.

A long answer to a short question, IMO UT probably dominated an average Cal team that will turn out 8-4 or 7-5. Longshore was rattled from the beginning, and the dropped passes eliminated momentum at key times. UT looked to be miles ahead of last year's team in the opener. And again IMO Cutcliffe has made an unbelievable difference.
 
#3
#3
I thought Cals D was pretty fast. I also dont think there is anyway Cal goes 8-4 or 7-5..They need to stick with Ayoob and with the play makers they have, i believe they'll have a very good season. I think it was a little of both, we played a great game and Cal played an ok game.
 
#5
#5
i think we are gonna be strong on both sides of the ball this year. i think the players will get better and make bigger plays as the weeks go on and baby FLORIDA better be scared cause we are comin for them in 2 weeks
 
#6
#6
Slim Jimmy says that the Vols racked da Bears. Slim Jimmy saw many good crackblocks from Vol WR's. Slim Jimmy hopes that the Vols can Rack Air Force next week.
 
#8
#8
"I can't wait until practice on Monday, to show these guys how good they can really be."

- Coach Cutcliff
 
#9
#9
Think of what would have happened last year. The offense probably wouldnt have found a rhythm and put the defense in bad spots. we would have lost this game last year.
 
#11
#11
One thing that worries me is the lack of depth on the D and O line. Won't mention the i word. Ainge looked a lot better, but did miss a couple of wide open receivers.
 
#13
#13
BACKDOC said:
One thing that worries me is the lack of depth on the D and O line. Won't mention the i word. Ainge looked a lot better, but did miss a couple of wide open receivers.
Click to expand...

He hit more then he missed. Very impressive. Can't find them all.
 
#14
#14
I short, the Vols are that good. They were that good last year. Just didn't have anyone to show them they were.

Cal- A very good team. They got racked, rolled, and raped. They lost their composure when they came out on the sidelines. They really had no clue about a "big" crowd in the SEC. If you don't play in the SEC, or play an SEC team regularly, you will be rattled. My only regret on the Pac-10/SEC matchups was that So.Cal only played Arky. They were not really that impressive, and Arky did hold on for a while. None of the current players or staff from Cal have been in Neyland since the 80's. Neyland was rocking. It's intimidating. A game like that can ruin their season. We efffectively handed their next 2 opponents an easy victory unless they can handle that type of dismantling.
 
#15
#15
I think they were really good. I think Cal is really average.

a better indicator will be facing an SEC defense.

the run game will have to get better....i don't see us breaking THAT MANY tackes in a single game again....

all that said, if we are that good, that's what good teams do when they play bad teams. they beat the crap out of 'em. and we beat the crap out of 'em.

i'm much more optimistic now but still could see where UF and LSU beat us. UF's and LSU's D will present much more of a challenge than Cal's ever did. And UGA's and BAma's RB's will be more of a challenge from an entire running game standpoint than Cal's entire running game gave us.

all that said, i think it's safe to say that we're better than many thought we would be this season. 9 or 10 wins is comletely feasible, and should we beat UF, the SEC Championship game is realistic.
 
#16
#16
I loved watching the team perform almost flawlessly on Saturday. I think cal is a good team that was ill prepared, tired and in a very VERY hostile environment. They were 3 missed tackles away from at least making us work a little harder for the scores. If the big orange doesnt get the big head, practices there butts off and the crowd is that electric all year for all game. then we could have a special year!!!
 
#17
#17
IMO they are for real.
WR's and QB are playing like everyone expected them to last year.
Defense appears solid.
 
#18
#18
jakez4ut said:
I think they were really good. I think Cal is really average.

a better indicator will be facing an SEC defense.

the run game will have to get better....i don't see us breaking THAT MANY tackes in a single game again....

all that said, if we are that good, that's what good teams do when they play bad teams. they beat the crap out of 'em. and we beat the crap out of 'em.

i'm much more optimistic now but still could see where UF and LSU beat us. UF's and LSU's D will present much more of a challenge than Cal's ever did. And UGA's and BAma's RB's will be more of a challenge from an entire running game standpoint than Cal's entire running game gave us.

all that said, i think it's safe to say that we're better than many thought we would be this season. 9 or 10 wins is comletely feasible, and should we beat UF, the SEC Championship game is realistic.
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i'm more realistic about having to face LSU and UGA. Those will be toss ups. They should be any given year. UF should also be a toss up, but not this year. I think that is a win. I just didn't see it for them Saturday. UGA and LSU were the only other 2 SEC top teams that did not stumble against their openers. And ours was a true team by any standard. Major conference D1A. So.Miss is a scrapper though.

By the time UF rolls around, we will have had Cal and Air Force as warm ups. Hopefully they won't overlook Air Force. They've been in big games many times.
 
#19
#19
O.K. - the missed tackles issues ike the 2 Meachum scored on were all about coaching and matchups. They put a big receiver on a small corner. They played the odds on that being a missed tackle, and won. They corner could have bowed up and made the play, but he got schooled physically, and directionally.
 
#20
#20
you know what really bothers me is that all these people are taking tennessee seriously now and they say ainge is so good and stuff
but it took one game for them to realize that and i knew that when the seson begain
 
#21
#21
thebradmanvolfan said:
you know what really bothers me is that all these people are taking tennessee seriously now and they say ainge is so good and stuff
but it took one game for them to realize that and i knew that when the seson begain
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I never underrate the Vols. I may get knocked down a few notches, but I always start the season undefeated with a NC. It is either a let down or even keeled. 2005 was a partial fluke. a culmination of changes that should have already been made emphasizing their point, or we'd see underachievment agiain in 2006. Atleast now having made the necessary changes, CPF is saying if you beat us now, you beat us with everything we can bring, on the field and from the coaches.
 
#22
#22
I think the Vols will get better with time. Florida doesn't seem to be as good as they were made out to be in the offseason. Air Force should be a good practice game. Ainge will get better with each game he plays. In the Cal game, he already looked better than he did his freshman year. I can't wait for the Florida game. We have some payback do dish out.
 
#23
#23
GVF said:
i'm more realistic about having to face LSU and UGA. Those will be toss ups. They should be any given year. UF should also be a toss up, but not this year. I think that is a win. I just didn't see it for them Saturday. UGA and LSU were the only other 2 SEC top teams that did not stumble against their openers. And ours was a true team by any standard. Major conference D1A. So.Miss is a scrapper though.

By the time UF rolls around, we will have had Cal and Air Force as warm ups. Hopefully they won't overlook Air Force. They've been in big games many times.
Click to expand...
agree about those games being toss ups in most years. by and large we should be, as should our competition at that level, be fairly competitive with each other.

though, i'm not impressed with UGA, but the problem with UGA is we get them at the wrong time. by the time we play them they should have the qb situation worked out and with some experience, regardless of who it is. that said, saw nothing against WKU that scared me to death. same with UF and LSU. But a lot of that for all three could have more to do with the teams they played rather than being how they will be the rest of the season.

we won't look past Air Force.
 
#24
#24
jakez4ut said:
agree about those games being toss ups in most years. by and large we should be, as should our competition at that level, be fairly competitive with each other.

though, i'm not impressed with UGA, but the problem with UGA is we get them at the wrong time. by the time we play them they should have the qb situation worked out and with some experience, regardless of who it is. that said, saw nothing against WKU that scared me to death. same with UF and LSU. But a lot of that for all three could have more to do with the teams they played rather than being how they will be the rest of the season.

we won't look past Air Force.
Click to expand...

UGA is a tweener this year. That makes them dangerous cause you just don't know what they are capable of bringing. They're "tween" the talent that left, and the talent coming up. UF - Something tells me they'r just not all that great overall. nothing we can't handle. There is no Gatorball like Spurrierball. LSu is just deep, and Auburn can ride Irons to the stables.
 
#25
#25
I am not going to hand out the "that good" title yet. I am one those so called Fulmerites on this board, and was happy with the effort I saw on Saturday night. But, I try to stay realistic also. I thought several of Ainge's passes were very close to being taken the other way. Hardesty's run was great but it had nothing to do with great offensive blocking. The defense was awesome, can't really nit pick any of their play. I lean more towards the "that good" label if we handle Florida in a similar fashion.
 
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