Biggest Source of Concern Going into 2013

Biggest Area of Concern for 2013?

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#26
#26
I voted for DBs....we still haven't proven we can cover anyone. QBs will be okay if we will allow the OL to lead the team and attack with the run with some play-action and screens...more West coast type throws.....
 
#27
#27
bleedorange0037 said:
The defense as a whole is my biggest concern. We're not going to have even a shadow of last year's offense to bail them out if they give up 50 a game again.
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UT has plenty of "talent" at DL and S. The first four or five at LB are good. If they give up 50 a game then Jones should be renting... not buying.
 
#28
#28
It comes down to coaching, schemes and players buying into the new system and not losing their confidence in the staff.
 
#29
#29
sjt18 said:
UT has plenty of "talent" at DL and S. The first four or five at LB are good. If they give up 50 a game then Jones should be renting... not buying.
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Just saying. It's basically the same guys who couldn't even slow down Troy last season. To think they're all of a sudden going to morph into a quality unit by SEC standards is asking a lot. There is a significant lack of SEC level speed on that side of the ball, particularly in the secondary.
 
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#30
#30
bleedorange0037 said:
Just saying. It's basically the same guys who couldn't even slow down Troy last season. To think they're all of a sudden going to morph into a quality unit by SEC standards is asking a lot. There is a significant lack of SEC level speed on that side of the ball, particularly in the secondary.
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There are also alot of the same guys who were mid-pack in the SEC the last time they were in the 4-3 with a relatively competent coach. Even the most negative of us here probably would not have expected the '12 D with almost everyone back would be two TD's worse under Sunseri. I do not think you can overestimate how stupid the move to the 3-4 was or how bad of a DC Sal was.

UT's DL and LB are unquestionably more talented/experienced than two years ago when Wilcox was forced to start Johnson and Maggitt at LB. The best DT... was a DE. Ayres I believe got some starts at DT.

I think UT has S covered. Losing Gordon and Gray were big deals @ CB/nickel.

I am not expecting a dominant D... just a return to avg'ing low 20's in ppg.
 
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#31
#31
Here's the starting D from the UGA game two years ago.
LE 55 Smith, J.
DT 97 Jackson, Mal.
NT 76 Hood, D.
RE 58 Walls, M.
SLB 56 Maggitt, C.
MLB 40 Johnson, Aus.
WLB 45 Johnson, A.J.
LCB 18 Lanier, I.
SS 17 Brewer, B.
FS 23 Waggner, P.
RCB 10 Teague, M.
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Smith is now a Sr and hopefully better than he was and IS backed up by better players. Walls is back. Couch became a starter by the end of that year. Hood started games. Miller and Sapp played.

Overall, the '13 D roster has more talent and even more depth than the '11 roster... except for CB.
 
#33
#33
bleedorange0037 said:
The defense as a whole is my biggest concern. We're not going to have even a shadow of last year's offense to bail them out if they give up 50 a game again.
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You mean the same defense (basically) that was ranked in the top 30 (around there) in 2011 playing in a 4-3......Im not worried.
 
#35
#35
the 2011 tennessee defense gave up 5.43 yards per play and 4.39 per rushing attempt.

how bad the 2012 defense was has clouded people's memory regarding the 2011 defense.

to give you an idea, the 2011 kentucky defense gave up 5.46 yards per play

tennessee gave up an average of 162 yards per game rushing.
 
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#36
#36
WR is close but QB takes it. Wrs will get it. Especially with north coming in. That position will iron out, but QB it's either true freshman or two inexperienced, unproven QBS we already have
 
#37
#37
bleedorange0037 said:
Just saying. It's basically the same guys who couldn't even slow down Troy last season. To think they're all of a sudden going to morph into a quality unit by SEC standards is asking a lot. There is a significant lack of SEC level speed on that side of the ball, particularly in the secondary.
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It will be a huge difference with the SAME guys because most of them are more familiar with the 4-3 instead of trying to play the 3-4....Please understand the difference in these two VASTLY different base defenses! :salute:
 
#39
#39
I do not know how much better the defense will be but I agree with several posters that moving to the 3-4 last year from the 4-3 was hard on the players a lot a whole lot of them were lined up in the wrong position the entire year and were out of position to be able to make tackles. Now this upcoming year moving back to the 4-3 defense should help tis defense improve immensely and they should not get cought in the wrong position a tenth as much as last year. But I still think the defensive line has to be more disruptive and get in the face of the opposing teams qb and on running plays the linebackers should not be cought sucked up to close to the line of scrimmage and have to get to the ball and fill the holes and make tackles. And then the db I am hoping that they grow up with another years experience and learn to take the correct angles when they need to and also learn to cover a little tighter.
 
#41
#41
After watching the spring game, I'm very concerned with our WRs if we get hit with the injury bug
 
#42
#42
The defense is suspect until it proves otherwise, our QB is unproven, and the passing game has the potential to be mediocre--at best. Other than those things, and the fact that we play three or four powerhouses, no worries.
 
#43
#43
TennFan0027 said:
I think as a whole the QB/WR chemistry is over rationalized. Ainge and Schaffer came in as true freshman and lit it up. WR's will follow and play hard for a QB that demands it, regardless of the QB's time on campus.
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A Lot of people think it's setting up like 04 did. We could start the season with 2 freshmen rotating at QB.
 
#45
#45
99gator said:
the 2011 tennessee defense gave up 5.43 yards per play and 4.39 per rushing attempt.

how bad the 2012 defense was has clouded people's memory regarding the 2011 defense.

to give you an idea, the 2011 kentucky defense gave up 5.46 yards per play

tennessee gave up an average of 162 yards per game rushing.
Click to expand...

People aren't interested in hearing it. They just don't want to accept the fact that our defense is as devoid of talent and speed (esp. in the secondary) as it is. We're talking about the same defense who simply let Trey Burton take a direct snap from center and run right past every one of them with a little stiff arm being the only effort he had to exert to score. It's not like he trucked or juked somebody out of their shoes, he simply ran by them. But all the experts on here seem to think that simply a new face on the sidelines is going to make guys who are slow as molasses (from an SEC standpoint) suddenly able to keep up with the elite speed all across the schedule.
 
#46
#46
The schedule is my main concern. We have enough talent to be fairly competitive but winning a game we shouldn't win would be highly encouraging! I love what CBJ and staff have done so far. Keep believing! VFL!
 
#47
#47
bleedorange0037 said:
People aren't interested in hearing it. They just don't want to accept the fact that our defense is as devoid of talent and speed (esp. in the secondary) as it is. We're talking about the same defense who simply let Trey Burton take a direct snap from center and run right past every one of them with a little stiff arm being the only effort he had to exert to score. It's not like he trucked or juked somebody out of their shoes, he simply ran by them. But all the experts on here seem to think that simply a new face on the sidelines is going to make guys who are slow as molasses (from an SEC standpoint) suddenly able to keep up with the elite speed all across the schedule.
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Being in the right places at the right times sure would help quite a bit.

Not all teams have SEC speed, but well coached teams can compete and sometimes beat SEC teams with way more talent.
 
#48
#48
2011 = More youth, less talent, less depth, MUCH MORE difficult schedule defensively... and 22.6 ppg, 340.5 ypg

2012 = More experience, more size, more depth, lighter schedule defensively... and 35.7 ppg, 471.3 ypg


Only two teams went over 400 yards vs the '11 Vol D- Bama and Arkansas. Only two teams DID NOT go over 400 yards vs the '12 Vol D- Akron and Ga St. Drop Arkansas which had a better O than anyone UT played in '12... and the difference is even more stark.

It is also worth mentioning that the '11 teams was plagued by an offense that could not stay on the field and could not score points. Points were not a problem for the '12 D... unfortunately 36 ppg was not good enough.

Someone's mind is "clouded" by the fact that this better performing, younger, less talented, less experienced D played a more difficult schedule and played it better. To say any different is to argue in complete denial of the facts.

List of common opponents with points allowed ('11/'12) and yards allowed ('11/'12):

UF- 33/37, 347/555
UGA- 20/51, 366/560
Bama- 37/44, 437/539
USC- 14/38, 318/510
Vandy- 21/41. 283/442
UK- 10/17, 217/412

Remember, most of the D returned from '11 to '12.

Other '11 opponents:

Montana- 16, 346
Cincy- 23, 396
Buffalo- 10, 264
MTSU- 0, 230
Arkansas- 49, 499

'12 opponents:

NCSU- 21, 407
Ga St- 13, 263
Akron- 26, 344
MSU- 41, 449
Mizzou- 51, 454
 
#49
#49
99gator said:
the 2011 tennessee defense gave up 5.43 yards per play and 4.39 per rushing attempt.

how bad the 2012 defense was has clouded people's memory regarding the 2011 defense.

to give you an idea, the 2011 kentucky defense gave up 5.46 yards per play

tennessee gave up an average of 162 yards per game rushing.
Click to expand...

In '11, UT's D gave up 22.6 ppg. UF's D gave up 20.3 ppg.... and played NO ONE with an O as potent as Arkansas. In fact, when you compare common opponents pts allowed by UF/pts allowed by UT:

UK- 10/10
Bama- 38/37
LSU- 41/38
UGA- 24/20
USC- 17/14
Vandy- 21/21

So against EVERY common opponent in '11, UT's D gave up equal or less points. In total D vs the SEC, UF allowed 338 ppg and UT allowed 356 ppg.

Those two D's were very similar statistically with UT being slightly better vs common opponents. Both brought most of their players back... and they went in two opposite directions. That was NOT a function of players or talent.
 
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#50
#50
PanicVol said:
Being in the right places at the right times sure would help quite a bit.

Not all teams have SEC speed, but well coached teams can compete and sometimes beat SEC teams with way more talent.
Click to expand...

Schemes can and do make slower players look fast and faster players look slow.

To believe that argument, you'd have to believe that UT's D got dramatically slower between '11 and '12.
 
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