Articles:Wednesday VolNotes

[orange+white=heaven]

Get ready to clip the hedges this weekend!!

Tennessean:Orange Blossom Offense

"We just needed to get a coach in here that everybody trusted and have everybody jump in the boat," Swain said. "We didn't have that last year. I knew we had the talent to do that. We're doing that, and everybody's in the boat. I think that's all we really needed."
Cutcliffe's stated goal is to score at least 30 points in every game. But the ultimate goal is to win the game.

Since 2001, when Mark Richt took over as coach, Georgia has ranked second to only Miami nationally in scoring defense.
"The challenge is still going to be to try and score 30 points," Cutcliffe said. "Now, nobody else has done that against Georgia. Over the last three years, I started looking at it, and it scared me and I closed the book. They don't give up points. It's amazing what they've done over the last three or four years. The bottom line is just trying to figure out how to win."

Tennesseanawg Secondary Expects Test

Georgia, with three new starters in its secondary, expects to see the ball in the air often Saturday from Tennessee....
"I'm sure (Ainge) is looking forward to trying to pick us apart," Georgia junior safety Kelin Johnson said.

Asked if he had any advice for McNeil, senior guard David Ligon said, "I would basically tell him in a nutshell that you think you have played the game until you've played the Floridas and the Georgias. It's a totally different world and a totally different level. That first snap, in your mind, you go, 'Oh God, wow.' "

For the second straight day, senior offensive tackle Arron Sears did not practice due to a left-ankle sprain and left-elbow sprain.
But Coach Phillip Fulmer remains optimistic that Sears will be able to play Saturday. Two years ago, Sears was banged up for this game and practiced very little, but ended up playing several different positions in the game.

Tailback Arian Foster has practiced the last two days and says he's "about 97 percent" after missing most of the last three games with a sprained ankle.
"I don't think I will have a lot of rust," Foster said. "Football is football. I have been playing for a long time, so I don't think I will have any rust."

Captains: Fulmer said the captains for the Georgia game would be Turk McBride, Marvin Mitchell, James Wilhoit, Sears and Swain.

tfpOnline:On Foster/ Run Game

Coker and Hardesty are redshirt freshmen, and Foster hasn’t been truly tested since rolling his ankle in the first half against Air Force.

"We’ve got to see when he really loads up that ankle in contact, how he responds," Cutcliffe said. "No law says we have to play all three. The guy that’s going to be productive is the one that’s going to play the most."

Now two starting offensive linemen, guard Anthony Parker and tackle Arron Sears, are missing practice with ankle injuries.

"We’re going to have to help ourselves every way we can to run the football," Cutcliffe said. "Our inability to do that against Florida made it very difficult to play offense. I think we’re better right now than we were, certainly going into the Florida game. These guys may be even more of a challenge, so we’d better be."

Traces are still evident from the sting of the Florida failure. It proved to be a turning point for Tennessee’s entire offensive approach.

Hesitant to run, the Vols are throwing on most of their third-and-short plays. Against Memphis, the traditional fullback formation was discarded in favor of two tight ends and a single-back alignment.

"That should help us run the football some," said Cutcliffe, pausing to add, "I hope."

shuffle
Freshman Chase Nelson has moved back to defensive end after a brief stay at tackle. Former end Walter Fisher has already emerged as a tackle to be relied on during games.

"Chase may eventually end up back inside, because he’s going to end up being a pretty good size player," defensive coordinator John Chavis said. "But right now, with what we’re trying to get done, he’s better suited to help us outside."

tfpOnline: Jacques McClendon's Time Approaching

Arron Sears has a sprained ankle and elbow. Starting guard Anthony Parker is in a walking boot, protecting a sprained ankle. Reserve center /guard Michael Frogg hurt his ankle last weekend against Memphis, and reserve guard Ramon Foster is still recovering from his own ankle sprain.

What’s left is McClendon, the former Baylor School standout who threatened UT weight-room records the moment he arrived on campus this summer.

"We can’t claim much credit for that," UT coach Phillip Fulmer said. "He came in here strong. He’ll get better from a technique, assignment and fundamental standpoint. These last two weeks, he’s really jumped up there, and now he’s ready to play some significant snaps."

Sears, who hasn’t responded to interview requests this week, has been described by more than one team member as "beat up." Those same Vols expect him to be available against the Bulldogs.

If not, freshman tackle Chris Scott would start opposite Georgia standout defensive end Quentin Moses.

Fulmer plans to audition bigplay receiver Robert Meachem as a future option to return punts.

"It’s another opportunity for him to have him hands on the ball," said Fulmer, who said Jayson Swain could be used there as well.

As for this week, receiver Austin Rogers’ sprained shoulder has healed enough for him to be the likely return man against Georgia. Jonathan Hefney and Lucas Taylor have shared punt-return duty since Rogers sprained his right shoulder during a Sept. 16 loss to Florida.

Demetrice Morley was the Vol who blocked a player Memphis player into Fulmer on Saturday. It was the first time in his head coaching career that has happened, Fulmer said. Morley said Fulmer has been using an ice pack on his leg this week.

tfpOnline: 5Minutes with.... Demitrice Morley

Q. What was your "welcome to college football" moment?

A. "My first college game against UAB. When I tipped down that fourth-quarter pass in the end zone, that’s when I knew I was in college. There were 100,000 fans screaming wild. All the orange you see and everybody running up to me and jumping on me, that’s when my eyes really opened and I knew that I was in college football playing for the University of Tennessee."

tfpOnline:Matchup-Mitchell v. UGA Run Game

"Great SEC teams are going to have great linebackers," Bulldogs fullback Brannan Southerland said. "Here’s Tennessee, who had Kevin Simon last year and now they’ve got Marvin Mitchell. They are reloading, and obviously he’s learned from some great ones who were there before."

Yet oddly enough, Southerland has scored three of Georgia’s four touchdowns in the past two games. Among the tailback trio, the Bulldogs rate 64th nationally in rushing offense. It puts them one spot ahead of the Vols, who also have three tailbacks and their share of running-game woes thus far.

Don’t think that Mitchell hasn’t noticed.

"If you get them out there and we stop that run real quick and they’re a one-dimensional team," Mitchell said, "there’s nothing else they can do."

tfpOnline:Buck Belue's Take On Game

"I would think Georgia defensively, and they would probably never admit it, is looking forward to having a pocket passer to chase after the last two quarterbacks they’ve seen. I think that plays to their advantage a little bit as far as getting heat on the quarterback. Offensively, even more shocking than the quarterback thing is not being able to find somebody to get some consistent play at wide receiver. I don’t know who you call plays for when you need a big catch or a big play. I don’t think there is anybody you can count on right now, so any of their receivers making a big play would be huge."

The final call: Belue initially went with Tennessee but quickly said, "I’d rather pick Georgia and lose than pick Tennessee and win, so I’ll go 21-20 Georgia. Georgia will get pressure on the quarterback and will stop the run."

Have a great day Nationals!!!

Go Vols!!

 

[tidwell]

"The challenge is still going to be to try and score 30 points," Cutcliffe said. "Now, nobody else has done that against Georgia. Over the last three years,

Weelll, maybe no one other than West Virginia.

Good stuff, o+w=h. Thanks for putting it together.

 

[OWB]

Georgia, with three new starters in its secondary, expects to see the ball in the air often Saturday from Tennessee....
"I'm sure (Ainge) is looking forward to trying to pick us apart," Georgia junior safety Kelin Johnson said.

:toast:

 

[orange+white=heaven]

On the theory that you just can't cover three recievers consistently, I'm thinking Bret Smith has the big number Saturday....

 

[cd12]

On the theory that you just can't cover three recievers consistently, I'm thinking Bret Smith has the big number Saturday....

He's due!

 

[tidwell]

Smith was getting a lot of balls thrown his way early in the Memphis game. Mostly udnerneath routes and whatnot. Is he the possession guy or is he capable of going deep with Swain and Meachem? I guess they've gotta use someone as the underneath guy.

 

[hohenfelsvol]

Great reading. Can't wait 'till the lights come on Saturday night in Athens.

 

[orange+white=heaven]

Smith was getting a lot of balls thrown his way early in the Memphis game. Mostly udnerneath routes and whatnot. Is he the possession guy or is he capable of going deep with Swain and Meachem? I guess they've gotta use someone as the underneath guy.

I like that some coach last weekend called 'em "move the chains" guys!

He has been, but that really means he's working the middle.
If the safeties get to cheating outside to help on Meach/Swain, that middle could well pop for big yards. And since Cut has shown he has the courage to allow passing into the middle, I like the idea that big plays can come from there....

 

[orange+white=heaven]

bumped, for the Happy Hour crowd...

 

[TravisHenryCBlockedMe]

Isnt Buck Belue a former uga qb? I cant stand him on sports radio.

 

[samanderson]

Isnt Buck Belue a former uga qb? I cant stand him on sports radio.

Yes, he quaterbacked UGA to a national championship in the early 80's. Precisely which year, I can't recall. That was the same UGA team that had a field goal kicker of Korean ancestry; he was very accurate and consistent.

 

[GAVol]

Buck Belue was the designated hander offer to Hershel Walker in 1980. I have no idea who the Korean kicker is supposed to be.

 

[volmanjr]

nice post, thanks O+W=H, Saturday can't get here quick enough!!!