Conservative Playcalling (merged)

[VolRage]

We got conservative because that grass was going to wipe out our team.

Exactly. The field was trash and likely could’ve caused unnecessary injuries. I’d much rather destroy Oklahoma but the Vols beat them on their field, a field that they had the right cleats to play on and the Vols didn’t. Plus it was a night game. The Vols overcame a lot to take the win.
With that said, I think the spread would be wider if the game was played on a quality field where the Vols could’ve used their speed on offense.

 

[Gandalf]

I swear, reading some posts on this site make it seem like we

1) At least haven't covered any game (we have every game)

2) At worst are 0-4( we are 4-0)

I absolutely do not understand how some on here can't be happy with success!?

You clearly did not bet on the 14+ line. Lol

 

[NCFisher]

Nico still has a ways to go to become elite. Yeah I said it. Unless he improves tremendously, I don’t see us as a playoff team.

You could have said it's literally his second career game against a good defense in his first year as starter. With two OTs out. On the road.
The team has a ways to become elite. He's seen an SEC level defense now. I'm not too concerned by his progress.

 

[NCFisher]

i.m sayin he took it easy on his almater. looks like what happen to me.

Yeah, but no.
Hungry for a BLT suddenly...

 

[Daniel_Lincolns_Foot]

I have a strange feeling that people would be going nuts with hype had the 10 point win been 45-35 instead of 25-15.

Not sure why there is an inability to temper expectations of a freshman QB starting his first real big games. We’re not going to win
every game by three touchdowns while putting up 500 total yards of offense. If that’s your expectation then you may as well not even watch.

In 2022, with our best team in who-knows-how-long, we had three single digit wins—two of which were at home. Pitt, a severely outmatched team in hindsight, took us to overtime.

It’s just the nature of the game. Sometimes I think people get the view of football based on playing Dynasty Mode in NCAA ‘25. Those people are unreasonably dense.

 

[Volfan2012]

The defense won this game for Tennessee they were awesome. If someone has a better Defensive line that us it has to be the great of all time. Those guys were amazing in this game. They dominated the big Oklahoma offensive line and they could not run the ball.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

I didn’t think the play calling was all that different than normal. It just seemed different because the run plays weren’t nearly as successful as usual.

One consistency among at least all Southern college football fans is that few can give another team credit. The other team never plays well in any respect, the fan's team is only playing or being coached poorly. You can read examples of this on every board in our conference the day after a game.

 

[VolBallGuy]

The Vols are 4-0

Well 2-0 really but yeah

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

You could see it coming all week with ridiculous predictions of a massive blowout. I think it's the world of trash-talking we live in. For a whole week people post about how TN is going to humiliate the opponent then they get disappointed when that doesn't exactly happen. Emotional unintelligence at its' worst.

Bingo, it's people's egos being hurt.

 

[Swiftybaby]

Well last night I was givin em hell about the play calling but after sleeping on it and sobering up I realize it was the best game plan we could’ve had

 

[hUTch2002]

Dude, I am not being biased. Unlike some, I don't live and die on one game. The conditions called for a conservative approach. I was confused bybit as well at first, but it turned out the best for the TEAM. The announcers were still touting Nico's play at the end of the game. 1st real road game for a REDSHIRT FRESHMAN playing in a hostile stadium. Whether he does or doesn't win the Heisman is moot. Back handed jabs are just passive/aggressive BS. Something in some "fans" just drive them to complain about anything. We are 4-0. Still 8 games to play. Stop looking for the black cloud behind the silver lining. WE WON!

We didn’t just win. We controlled that game throughout and never let them really get good momentum. Even after their first TD and they got the ball back, our D slammed the door shut.

 

[RockyTopTexas]

Honestly offense looked like ****
I was there

 

[hUTch2002]

With 12min left in the game, OU had scored just 3 points and were down by 19 points. That’s two touchdowns, two 2-point conversions, and a field goal needed just to TIE in 12 minutes. The likelihood of doing that without help from a Tennessee turnover is almost zero.

I was very happy to see them put the ball in Sampson and the defenses’ hands to close the game out.

I’m happy we have that capability because when you’re up 1 score against a team like Bama or UGA or, say, a playoff game, you have to be able to do that.

 

[EZE]

Where are the designed runs for Nico? Why haven't we seen one play where he just takes off running???? I get the injury aspect, but he is getting pressured and hit anyway. A designed run here and there would make things much harder on their defense.

If only Danny White would be smart enough to fire Heupel and hire this guy….

Sheesh, sometimes our fans are hard to understand.

Heupel played a masterful game of chess last night. First win on the road against a Top-15 opponent in FIFTEEN years. Beat a talented team in their stadium. Won by double digits and covered the spread.

I say, “great job Coach!”

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

We complaining about winning a game? Damn folks. That **** is ridiculous. There was not one second of that game where the University of Tennessee was in danger of losing. Why drop back and pass with the risk of injury to our quarteback or another lineman? Y'all ass just be complaining about anything. When things are going bad and when they're going great. That's sounds like a damned syndrome to me. The Vols are undefeated & will be in the top 5. Great Sunday morning.

 

[hUTch2002]

Nico still has a ways to go to become elite. Yeah I said it. Unless he improves tremendously, I don’t see us as a playoff team.

If we win all the games we’re supposed to from here on out we will be.

 

[Pride85]

Then why keep Nico in the game at all?

Because he is the starting QB. Because you are trying to protect him doesn't mean he has lost faith in him. I will repeat, WE WON. Stop trying to create something to complain about!

 

[VolunteerVandiver]

Nico still has a ways to go to become elite. Yeah I said it. Unless he improves tremendously, I don’t see us as a playoff team.

This is a playoff team. Nico developing will be the difference between a 1st round exit and a deep playoff run

 

[Pride85]

Score one more TD to make it 29-3 in the 4th quarter and OU would have absolutely quit at that point.
25-15 is very, very respectable for a night game on the road against a #15 team called Oklahoma (whose name is nice and sparkly for historical reasons), and I'm very pleased with this win, BUT....

If you think the reason for the conservative playcalling was:
1. the field sucked
2. OU defense was really good
3. our OL was injured and couldn't pass block
4. our defense was in total control of the game anyway
5. no sense risking further injury to Nico or the OL...

.... then why leave Nico in the game at all? especially if you can put this game away for real after only one TD either in the 3rd or early 4th to make it 29-3?
You don't need Nico to run a conservative offense.
You don't need Nico to hand off the ball.

So why did Nico even stay in the game?

I swear, why do we have such troublesome fans. Absolutely determined to complain. We won a game by more than we were predicted. We have a VERY competent coach, let him decide the gameplan and personnel. I cannot fathom why a "fanbase" can be unhappy with a 4-0 team. SMH AND ROTFLMAO.

We didn’t just win. We controlled that game throughout and never let them really get good momentum. Even after their first TD and they got the ball back, our D slammed the door shut.

We do have some intelligence on this site.

 

[Pride85]

You clearly did not bet on the 14+ line. Lol

I don't bet on any line. I have enough intelligence to know the house always wins.

 

[JohnWardForever]

No hold there. Refs hard carrying this sad team.

Damn I know. Okie was holding all night, and did they ever call it? I saw their Oline holding on every play. Blatant. They dang sure called holding on UT.

 

[JohnWardForever]

I don't bet on any line. I have enough intelligence to know the house always wins.

Not last night they didn't. 90% of the bets were on Tennessee, even after vegas tried to trick guys with that funky line drop to 6. They knew they were in trouble and tried to limit the late bets on Tennessee by making guys question the line move and Think---(Second guess themselves)

 

[volfan102455]

One consistency among at least all Southern college football fans is that few can give another team credit. The other team never plays well in any respect, the fan's team is only playing or being coached poorly. You can read examples of this on every board in our conference the day after a game.

This is so true of SEC football fans - it is always the fault of their team, their coach - never the fact that the other team played good as well.

I get so tired of that which is why I purposely shut the board down at one point during the game yesterday. Most were just not seeing that OU, at least defensively came to play.

 

[JohnWardForever]

Come on defense. Offense stinks

C'mon Man. Heuple went conservative, up by 19, and didn't want to risk further injury on that crap field. Once I saw what He was doing, I just sat back and enjoyed it. A 10 point win on the SEC Road is good any day. The Vols won and Covered the spread. Everyone was happy.

 

[volfan102455]

And this board would literally need to be shut down if we had to suffer through a 3-0 win in a downpouring rain where coaches were playing the punting game for field position.