As basically a new team...

#76
#76
fade route said:
All I know is that a gator troll on here predicted that our first play from scrimmage last year would be a false start.............and it was. At the time I laughed, then I think I cried.
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I remember that. I was sitting there in the dome and all I could think was "damn, sonofa***** was right."
 
#78
#78
sjt18 said:
Dooley seemed to be a "details" guy... in fact... kind of anal.

But being detail oriented is only good if you can take a big step backwards and take in the big picture. You have to make it all fit together in the end. Maybe that was/is his problem as a HC?

He did tend to disregard people and their feelings in the way he conducted his business. Without the gameday deficiencies... none of us would have cared.
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+1
 
#79
#79
KBVol said:
The rest, however, not so much. I don't think teams win with youth at skill positions, I think you win with talented experienced skilled players, juniors and seniors at QB, OLand WR, with RB being the possible exception.
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The two easiest positions for a new player to make a big impact are RB and WR. EVERY program replaces a starting QB.

The number one offense in the SEC last year had a RS Fr QB who had never played a college game (a 3* no less). Their top WR was a Fr. Two of the top 5 were Fr and another was a Soph. Their returning RB's were similar to what UT has coming back... and they lost a very good one. Neither of their two top returning TE's had 110 receiving yards in '11.

Do I think UT has a Johnny Football at QB waiting to emerge? Probably not. Do I think UT has as much or more talent at WR and RB as TAM did coming into last season? Yes.

It comes down to coaching. You can do alot on a foundation like UT's OL. An OL that is as good as they should be... can cover a multitude of deficiencies elsewhere if the coaches do their jobs.

Throw in that we have one of, if not the most difficult schedule in college football, and I don't see how in the world we say if he doesn't win more than 7 games that Jones is definitely not the right coach. I don't see how you can honestly get there.
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Part of it is that it would mean that he probably didn't win a single game that he "wasn't supposed to win". The "right guy" will do that... and do it early.

The other part is the realization that UT gets younger in his second year. They likely lose 3 of the top 4 LB's from this fall. They lose DL's. They lose maybe the whole OL. They lose one of their top two RB's. So if 7 is realistic for this year... what about next year? 4? 5?

If he wins less than half his games next year then what do you think his situation will be in '15? IMO... pretty much what Dooley's was this past fall.

I believe the team will be significantly better coached for obvious reasons. Moving back to 4-3 helps our defensive personnel, but there's still a lack of talent, speed, depth over there.
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ALL of the guys on UT's D have played in the 4-3. All of the ones who played for Wilcox were better when they played it... now they are older and more developed.

There isn't a severe lack of talent. This D will be more talented than the '11 D and more experienced. Being fast and playing fast are two different things. Sunseri apparently didn't know how to coach the scheme well enough for the players to understand it. There were warning signs last spring and none of us wanted to see it. They played slow... that doesn't mean they are slow... or that they cannot play fast.

Unless UT's posted recruit speeds were just consistently further off than other programs... there is speed and athleticism in the secondary.

There is a lack of speed at LB. But if that starts to hurt then you put a DB in as a bandit. Sapp and Brewer help with speed at LB.


And... bottom line... good coaching makes a defense better than the sum of its talent. Vandy was 5th in the SEC in total D last year. Do you think they had more talent than UT will have this fall?

Much work to be done and a lot of patience required.
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Patience? This is deja vu all over again. Three years ago there were folks here who assured me that UT fans understood the work needed to get UT turned around. They were certain that the fans would have "patience". I said that there was no way Dooley survived year 3 if he didn't accomplish something significant.... There was a relatively large number of fans ready to fire him after the UK loss. Pretty much all of us had had it by Vandy '12.

Jones has the exact same challenge but a better starting point. He really needs to win 8 or 9 this year to buy time if next fall is as rough as it has the potential to be. He really needs to get a signature win this fall to keep some of those "patient" fans patient. Plus... he needs players. If he wins 7 this year and fewer next year then he will have a rough time getting them going forward.
 
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#80
#80
General Jack said:
I almost always agree with what you have to say, but with 5 games against likely top 10 teams, and us having a new system (again), and losing most of our offensive productivity and one of the worst defenses in UT history last year, I think if he can manage to go 7-6 then he is definitely the right guy for the job. I'd be utterly shocked with anything better than that.
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IMO, the "right guy" will beat someone he isn't supposed to beat plus those he is supposed to beat. The program NEEDS a big win. When UT finds its "right guy", he will get an early, turning point win that elevates the image of the program.
 
#82
#82
If you think this team will be a mirror-image of the last few years, you are sooo wrong! We now have a real coach. Even the games we lose we will proud of this staff.
 
#83
#83
sjt18 said:
The two easiest positions for a new player to make a big impact are RB and WR. EVERY program replaces a starting QB.

The number one offense in the SEC last year had a RS Fr QB who had never played a college game (a 3* no less). Their top WR was a Fr. Two of the top 5 were Fr and another was a Soph. Their returning RB's were similar to what UT has coming back... and they lost a very good one. Neither of their two top returning TE's had 110 receiving yards in '11.

Do I think UT has a Johnny Football at QB waiting to emerge? Probably not. Do I think UT has as much or more talent at WR and RB as TAM did coming into last season? Yes.

It comes down to coaching. You can do alot on a foundation like UT's OL. An OL that is as good as they should be... can cover a multitude of deficiencies elsewhere if the coaches do their jobs.

Part of it is that it would mean that he probably didn't win a single game that he "wasn't supposed to win". The "right guy" will do that... and do it early.

The other part is the realization that UT gets younger in his second year. They likely lose 3 of the top 4 LB's from this fall. They lose DL's. They lose maybe the whole OL. They lose one of their top two RB's. So if 7 is realistic for this year... what about next year? 4? 5?

If he wins less than half his games next year then what do you think his situation will be in '15? IMO... pretty much what Dooley's was this past fall.



ALL of the guys on UT's D have played in the 4-3. All of the ones who played for Wilcox were better when they played it... now they are older and more developed.

There isn't a severe lack of talent. This D will be more talented than the '11 D and more experienced. Being fast and playing fast are two different things. Sunseri apparently didn't know how to coach the scheme well enough for the players to understand it. There were warning signs last spring and none of us wanted to see it. They played slow... that doesn't mean they are slow... or that they cannot play fast.

Unless UT's posted recruit speeds were just consistently further off than other programs... there is speed and athleticism in the secondary.

There is a lack of speed at LB. But if that starts to hurt then you put a DB in as a bandit. Sapp and Brewer help with speed at LB.


And... bottom line... good coaching makes a defense better than the sum of its talent. Vandy was 5th in the SEC in total D last year. Do you think they had more talent than UT will have this fall?

Patience? This is deja vu all over again. Three years ago there were folks here who assured me that UT fans understood the work needed to get UT turned around. They were certain that the fans would have "patience". I said that there was no way Dooley survived year 3 if he didn't accomplish something significant.... There was a relatively large number of fans ready to fire him after the UK loss. Pretty much all of us had had it by Vandy '12.

Jones has the exact same challenge but a better starting point. He really needs to win 8 or 9 this year to buy time if next fall is as rough as it has the potential to be. He really needs to get a signature win this fall to keep some of those "patient" fans patient. Plus... he needs players. If he wins 7 this year and fewer next year then he will have a rough time getting them going forward.
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All that sounds fine, it really does. Remember that Saban was 7-6 with a loss to Louisiana Monroe his first year. He's worked out ok. Doubt anybody would say he's not the right guy.
 
#85
#85
sjt18 said:
IMO, the "right guy" will beat someone he isn't supposed to beat plus those he is supposed to beat. The program NEEDS a big win. When UT finds its "right guy", he will get an early, turning point win that elevates the image of the program.
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Totally agree, but I think winning 7 would be stealing a win somewhere.

We just aren't a good program right now. Defense is still slow. New system... again. Our kids don't know how to win. O-line is our only proven strength (and a good one... but I'm not sure good enough to win 7 games).
 
#86
#86
UGADawg4Life said:
You talking about the Virginia and UGA Law School grad who is now a millionaire, and coaching in the Cowboys organization? That idiot? You must have quite an impressive resume to be using such terms about him!!
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lol.

Sure he is educated and "smart" but is he football smart? To a degree yes but also no. He called him an idiot coach. Pretty sure this guy has a losing record in his last two head coaching positions.
 
#87
#87
dcm3w said:
lol.

Sure he is educated and "smart" but is he football smart? To a degree yes but also no. He called him an idiot coach. Pretty sure this guy has a losing record in his last two head coaching positions.
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I don't know how Dooley would do as a coach walking into a good situation, but it isn't like he got hired to coach a
juggernaut in his two head coaching gigs. I'm not certain that anyone would have a winning record after 6 years at those two places.
 
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#88
#88
1972 Grad said:
I don't know how Dooley would do as a coach walking into a good situation, but it isn't like he got hired to coach a
juggernaut in his two head coaching gigs. I'm not certain that anyone would have a winning record after 6 years at those two places.
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Well said. Probably will go over most on here's heads that cant take their "dooley ate my first born" or "stole my gf" glasses off, but dead on :good!:
 
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