It’s Hard For Old Timers To Change

[happy-go_vol]

You might be short changing our D a little bit. We are good enough to take away the run and make a team 1 dimensional. We held florida running backs to 79 yards. We stuffed LSU and made them throw. When we stabilize the secondary, we will have a very good defense. We made it real hard for bama to run last night.

You got to run in the sec still. We took the run game away but young is a beast

 

[Remy]

Here’s the deal. Bama had a top rated defense and our defense statistically were bottom feeders.
Each defense gave up over 560 and change total yards for the game.
It came down to who was the more disciplined team and made the least mistakes. Bama had a record setting 17 penalties and those were not their only mistakes.
That’s how Tennessee won, not it’s offense as see the total yards stats, we were better led on the field and we made the least mistakes.

 

[perico]

It wasn’t so long ago (maybe even as recent as when we hired Heupel) that some folks on TN message boards were still wishing to see us return to the I Formation as our base set and using a fullback. Now the classic 2 back formation can still be useful (beautifully done to get Fant into the end zone), but only in goal line situations because WRs aren’t going to be as attracted to that style of offense. It has also mitigated the desire to see a pure drop back passer. The last decade has shown (to me) that we are a better team when we have a QB that can tuck and run.

I also remember how much I hated when we started trending away from 4-3 base defense (I don’t think I’ll ever be a fan of the 3-4 after Sal Sunseri even though we ran it with Pruitt decently at times), but going to 2 LBs frees up a star or whatever term used for the extra DB on the field to defend against the extra receivers that have pushed the FB position into the history books.

 

[901 Orange]

Fl and LSU both passed on us and their qbs aren't near Heisman status. Our pass d is near the bottom of college football. I do agree we can stop the run but we need a passing defense a little better than what we have.

Florida & LSU both got QB's that beat you with their legs. So the game plan should always be to make them beat you with their arms. You looking at numbers I'm looking at results. They both lost trying to beat us throwing and in LSU's case they got blow off the field at home.

 

[Madscientistvol]

The beauty of it was shown especially with Florida and LSU. The pressure is that the opposing O can’t play the field position game. When it doesn’t matter if we have to go 35 or 75 yards the opposing team can’t risk giving us back the ball. That’s why we’ve seen what has to be a some kind of record of 4th down attempts in those two games. Bama is an offense that can go score for score with us on sheer athletic will of their QB and RB, but without an offense that can go toe to toe it’s incredibly dangerous to give us back the ball no matter where on the field. I wonder how many 4th down goes UK goes for against us.

 

[Rickyvol77]

Fl and LSU both passed on us and their qbs aren't near Heisman status. Our pass d is near the bottom of college football. I do agree we can stop the run but we need a passing defense a little better than what we have.

Our defense wins games and makes plays.

 

[MadWorld]

The Athletic Recruiting Mailbag - Is Tennessee poised to join the elite college football league of recruiting programs with this win/start and NIL combination?

Everyone in the country was watching that game. Most people wished they were there. And when Tennessee won, the subsequent celebration was exactly what you’d expect from a fan base starving to return to national relevance.

Tennessee did just that.

I’ve said many times before that recruits don’t often look at a single game and make their college decisions based on the result.That still is probably the case here. But if there ever were going to be an outlier to that point of view, this game was it. Why? Because this game wasn’t just a W in the win column. This was a program-legitimizing win, not just when it comes to what Josh Heupel is building, but what it has to offer. That stadium, those fans, that win? That’s literally playing college football at the highest level.

The NIL stuff is hard to really predict right now. There is no question that Tennessee was at the forefront of the movement and has some really nice pieces coming in as part of its 2023 class — yes, five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava is coming to Knoxville...That’s why NIL alone was never something I thought could build a program on its own.

But this win combined with NIL? Wow.

Going from a solid program to one of the “it” programs is one of the more difficult things a coach can do in college football. I can’t imagine how a team could take a bigger step forward on a single Saturday than Tennessee just did.

 

[spacificislander]

A good defense still will win championships. We can't play first to 50 wins like we did against Bama against all the top teams. I am loving the product on the field and by no means a negavol but if we could stop a few more third downs and get off the field we would be unstoppable. Our pass d was the only thing keeping Bama in the game. These guys have came so far in 2 years its unbelievable. I can't wait to see who the coach brings in on d to sure it up but man this year has been exciting. I hope he hangs 40+ on all the teams the rest of the year.

I do think the d is getting better. I mean BY is incredible I think a regular really good QB struggles to score 30 if our d played like that

 

[VFL-82-JP]

A good defense still will win championships. We can't play first to 50 wins like we did against Bama against all the top teams. I am loving the product on the field and by no means a negavol but if we could stop a few more third downs and get off the field we would be unstoppable.

We'll see in 3 weeks.

UGa's 2022 defense isn't as potent as the 2021 version, but it's still pretty damn good. Best defense in the SEC, for sure, maybe in the nation.

And we're going to pit our high-powered offense against it. We have a decent defense, and it's getting better, but it is our offense that keeps the motor running at high revs.

So we'll see if defense still wins championships. I'm thinking the team that scores the most wins them. Let's wait and see.

Go Vols!

p.s. So far, we ARE unstoppable. That's what 6-0 means, brother.

 

[J C Higgins]

My definition is someone who remembers Bowden Wyatt’s teams. I was alive during the Neyland years but have no recollection of his games.

I guess I qualify...81 years old now....saw my first game in 1951.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

I’ve been watching football for a long time. I’ve always thought that a good defense was necessary for a good team. In fact, defense wins championships. Last year I started having doubts about my old thinking and I could see the advantages of an offensive team. I was convinced after Florida, and completely sold after LSU. Heupel’s offense puts so much pressure on other teams to score they make mistakes. And believe it or not, takes the pressure off our defense. All they have to do is make a few stops or creat a turnover or two and the opponent is in trouble. I’m sold on offensive teams and the advantage of the Heupel system. And it’s fun too.

Me too, am I am an Old.

 

[feathersax]

Me too, am I am an Old.

Told a Bama friend after Saturday that neither Bryant nor Neyland would have enjoyed a game like that one. The game has definitely changedl.

 

[wmcovol]

Georgia is still the prime example of Defense winning championships. If two high powered offenses go at it (ala a playoff game with two top 4 teams) and neither have a great defense, it's a shootout last man with the ball wins kind of game, which honestly, can definitely be controlled with coaching, but also could come down to a coin flip. Not a situation you want to put a National Title on.

They won one and that was because Bama lost 2 WRs. I’m not crowning them yet. If you wanna crown them, then go ahead and crown the MFers!

 

[Dr H Lecter]

I guess I qualify...81 years old now....saw my first game in 1951.

Yep, you qualify and if my memory is working, the was the year before Neyland retired. I was a radio listener until Dickey arrived. My first in person game was when UT would allow 4H members come for a day at UT and gave you tickets in Section ZZ (or was it Section XX).

 

[uncle chewii]

Florida & LSU both got QB's that beat you with their legs. So the game plan should always be to make them beat you with their arms. You looking at numbers I'm looking at results. They both lost trying to beat us throwing and in LSU's case they got blow off the field at home."
It still doesn't change the fact that our pass d is not what it should be. They both still had 300+ yards throwing and FLs QB couldn't buy a pass before TN, granted he wasn't going to play that way all year so it was bound to happen. Results are great in the W column right now but it will bite us at one point this season either regular season or playoff if we make it.

 

[uncle chewii]

We'll see in 3 weeks.

UGa's 2022 defense isn't as potent as the 2021 version, but it's still pretty damn good. Best defense in the SEC, for sure, maybe in the nation.

And we're going to pit our high-powered offense against it. We have a decent defense, and it's getting better, but it is our offense that keeps the motor running at high revs.

So we'll see if defense still wins championships. I'm thinking the team that scores the most wins them. Let's wait and see.

Go Vols!

p.s. So far, we ARE unstoppable. That's what 6-0 means, brother.

Well the team that scores the most is usually how the game is won. When one team stops another that is how you score more. And with our pass d that can be iffy. We have to be better on pass d because a good QB and good receivers will beat us when we go against a team that can play with our receivers.

 

[uncle chewii]

Our defense wins games and makes plays.

Lol. They made a play when it counted but didn't win the game. Our offense won that game just like every other game we've had this year.

 

[sjt18]

I’ve been watching football for a long time. I’ve always thought that a good defense was necessary for a good team. In fact, defense wins championships. Last year I started having doubts about my old thinking and I could see the advantages of an offensive team. I was convinced after Florida, and completely sold after LSU. Heupel’s offense puts so much pressure on other teams to score they make mistakes. And believe it or not, takes the pressure off our defense. All they have to do is make a few stops or creat a turnover or two and the opponent is in trouble. I’m sold on offensive teams and the advantage of the Heupel system. And it’s fun too.

D is still important but you have to judge it differently. People are talking about how UT has the 104th ranked D. But there's an important caveat to that. UT is 61st just after playing one of the best O's in the country in yds/play. Literally half the teams ahead of them in ypg give up more yd/play. And what matters more, yds or points? UT 47th with 23 ppg skewed by Bama.

They're not great but they make some plays and they're getting better. I'm looking forward to the next couple of games to see their progress.

PS- yeah. Heupel's O is a LOT OF FUN.

 

[wmcovol]

Def isn’t about stats anymore. Batting average doesn’t mean $hit in baseball if you don’t hit in critical situations. Def is about getting stops, and causing turnovers.

Tennessee defense held pretty good Sat. In light of the opponent. They gave up 42, could have been 38 without a terrible PI call. They got key stop after Hooker INT and at the end.

 

[HoopCreekVol]

The beauty of it was shown especially with Florida and LSU. The pressure is that the opposing O can’t play the field position game. When it doesn’t matter if we have to go 35 or 75 yards the opposing team can’t risk giving us back the ball. That’s why we’ve seen what has to be a some kind of record of 4th down attempts in those two games. Bama is an offense that can go score for score with us on sheer athletic will of their QB and RB, but without an offense that can go toe to toe it’s incredibly dangerous to give us back the ball no matter where on the field. I wonder how many 4th down goes UK goes for against us.

Are we fully equipped to take over on downs if it goes to 4th down? Can our D handle that consistently?

 

[Madscientistvol]

Are we fully equipped to take over on downs if it goes to 4th down? Can our D handle that consistently?

Probably not at this point. Our D has bent but not broken, but against better teams than UF and LSU we probably aren’t there yet. If bama had better field position I would not have felt confident about holding them 4th and short of they had been inclined. I expect our O to maybe take a step back next year without hooker, and hope our D makes some strides forward.

 

[901 Orange]

Bro when u score as much as we do, you're bound to give up a lot of yards. I totally get where u coming from but there are key stats that I believe are much more important in the outcome of winning and losing. U can go up and down the field & throw for a million yards but it means nothing if you can't punch it in. I'm pretty sure we rank in the top 20 nationally for RedZone defense and we don't give up 40-50yard plays, so you have to drive the field on us. We have been pretty good at 3rd down conversions allowed and we have been very good at taking the ball away. We lead the SEC at pressuring the QB while playing 1 less game than everyone else. When u put that with an elite run defense you're gonna be ok. Not saying our defense as a whole is great but I do think that front 7 is real. Sure I would love to have a top 5 secondary but I don't think it's necessary to continue winning. I believe not stopping the run would be a far more serious matter. Let's be real, how many QB's out there are actually capable of going blow for blow with HH without making at least 1 mistake?? Maybe a handful. And out of those guys how many can do it without a run game?? I would say maybe a couple.