Ive been a Fulmer supporter for most of his time

[hatvol96]

Originally posted by orangetd88@Nov 18, 2005 2:01 PM
This is not just ONE bad season, though.  Have you already forgotten the disaster that was 2002?  Don't give the injuries excuse that the coaching staff laid out there every week that year.  A large part of the injuries that happened that year were on defense, but yet it was the offense that was horrible.  Yes, I know Clausen got hurt, but we were not good even with him in there.

2003 was not near as good as the record indicated.  Yes, I am being very picky here.  Yes, it was a 10 win team.  But the no-show in the Peach Bowl was flat out ridiculous.

There was also 2000.  A rebuilding year it was it was supposed to be, but again, the offense was not very good.  Problem was, neither was the secondary. 

1994 is another example.  While this is one of my favorite teams, it was still a 4 loss season.  This is not as good of an example as the others, because, again, it was a reuilding year, and again, injuries in key positions killed us early.  There is no excuse to get shut out at home, though.  I don't care who you are playing.  That Florida game was flat out pitiful.  So was the MSU game that year.  We had that thing won, and let it go.

I'm being very picky and critical here with 1994, 2000, and 2003, I know.  But 2002 and this year...there is no excuse for either of these 2 seasons. 
As far as disappointments go, you can probably throw 1999 in there, as well.  That team should have been playing in Atlanta.

To close the point...this is not the first subpar season under Fulmer's watch.

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We did win road games against Florida, Alabama, and Miami in"03. That's not too shabby.

 

[orangetd88]

Originally posted by hatvol96@Nov 18, 2005 1:18 PM
We did win road games against Florida, Alabama, and Miami in"03. That's not too shabby.

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No, it's not. Like I said, I know I was being very picky including that season in my post. But there was some very subpar performances in that year.

And to just counterpoint your point...Florida had Ingle Martin and a very green Chris Leak, Bama was in the middle of probation and a losing season, and Miami was vastly overrated.

But I won't complain alot about that year, other than the UGA game and the Peach Bowl.

 

[Liper]

Originally posted by orangetd88@Nov 18, 2005 2:27 PM
And to just counterpoint your point...Florida had Ingle Martin and a very green Chris Leak, Bama was in the middle of probation and a losing season, and Miami was vastly overrated.

But I won't complain alot about that year, other than the UGA game and the Peach Bowl.

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Yes.

Don't forget the WAY we lose, which DOES matter because it displays our preparedness, or lack thereof.

2003: Remember folks, we lost to an unranked 8-5 AUB team and an unranked CLEM team that year. We won zero championships and lost the bowl game. We barely finished in the top 20. If that's what we're going to hold up as a successful season, then we're worse off than I thought.

2004: All in all a good season with the young QBs. However, we got emabarassed by AUB and lost to a pathetic unranked ND team.

Is there ever going to be a season in Fulmer's ENTIRE CAREER where we don't lay an egg on national tv? Or get beat by a vastly inferior team? EVER?

 

[hatvol96]

Originally posted by Liper@Nov 18, 2005 3:21 PM
Yes.

Don't forget the WAY we lose, which DOES matter because it displays our preparedness, or lack thereof.

2003: Remember folks, we lost to an unranked 8-5 AUB team and an unranked CLEM team that year.  We won zero championships and lost the bowl game.  We barely finished in the top 20.  If that's what we're going to hold up as a successful season, then we're worse off than I thought.

2004: All in all a good season with the young QBs.  However, we got emabarassed by AUB and lost to a pathetic unranked ND team.

Is there ever going to be a season in Fulmer's ENTIRE CAREER where we don't lay an egg on national tv?  Or get beat by a vastly inferior team?  EVER?

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I'm uncomfortable defending a coach I will admit I personally dislike, but what "vastly inferior" teams did we lose to in '95 and'97? Were we more talented than Florida? Probably. However we certainly weren't vastly superior. The 2003 Auburn team you reference were the same guys who went 13-0 last year. I won't offer any defense for the Clemson game.

 

[holdemvol]

Originally posted by orangetd88@Nov 18, 2005 2:27 PM
No, it's not.  Like I said, I know I was being very picky including that season in my post.  But there was some very subpar performances in that year.

And to just counterpoint your point...Florida had Ingle Martin and a very green Chris Leak, Bama was in the middle of probation and a losing season, and Miami was vastly ove      .

But I won't complain alot about that year, other than the UGA game and the Peach Bowl.

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There is not a program out there that you can look at over a 10 year period that hasn't had some bad seasons along the way, talented or not. Maybe UT has had more than others, but you would be hard pressed to find a program that has overall been as succesfull as UT under Fulmer's watch. Look at this year alone....Iowa, Oklahoma, Michigan and others have underachieved. None have underachieved more than UT this year, but they have been disapointments none the less.

 

[orangetd88]

I'm not saying bad seasons should never happen. I'm not naive enough to think it wouldn't. But We've had our share of "down" years on Fulmer's watch. All of those xamples above were pointed out because someone stated this year was the first subpar year under Fulmer.

 

[U-T]

Who would we hire?

That is my question.

Everyone assumes firing Fulmer solves all of our problems. Not only does it NOT solve our problems but it puts the pressure on a new coach who may/may not have what it takes to succeed.

Though Fulmer may not win SEC Titles every other year, he still wins at a rate that is arguably the best in the SEC in his tenure.

People want Spurrier gone at UF in 2000 too when UF didn't win an SEC title for their 4th year (I think it was their 4th straight year of no SEC Title).

Fulmer is what we need. Get a new offense and we will be fine.

The win now attitude at UT has gotten not just a bit ridiculous but very ridiculous. Not that we shouldn't be angry that we haven't won the SEC since 1997 but the fact that people believe 9-2 records and East Titles are complete failures...which they are not....is a testament to what Fulmer has continued at UT.

 

[WA_Vol]

Originally posted by holdemvol@Nov 18, 2005 6:20 PM
There is not a program out there that you can look at over a 10 year period that hasn't had some bad seasons along the way, talented or not.  Maybe UT has had more than others, but you would be hard pressed to find a program that has overall been as succesfull as UT under Fulmer's watch.  Look at this year alone....Iowa, Oklahoma, Michigan and others have underachieved.  None have underachieved more than UT this year, but they have been disapointments none the less.

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I think you missing the point a little. Everyone has bad seasons thats a given, look at Bob Stoops. I think the concern is that the program has been in a decline since 99. Progressively worse seasons, and this was not a rebuilding year, this is a team loaded with seniors.

The concern is Fulmer let the program slide to the point changes had to be made. I'm not optomistic Fulmer can turn this around in 1 or 2 years. He's got to buid on a freshmen QB most likely, it will take probably 2 years to get going again. A lot of starters on defense and OL lineman to replace. Thats a tough job.

 

[hmanvolfan]

Preseason #3??? :blink:

 

[orangetd88]

Originally posted by oklavol@Nov 19, 2005 2:53 AM
I think you missing the point a little.  Everyone has bad seasons thats a given, look at Bob Stoops.  I think the concern is that the program has been in a decline since 99.  Progressively worse seasons, and this was not a rebuilding year, this is a team loaded with seniors. 

The concern is Fulmer let the program slide to the point changes had to be made.  I'm not optomistic Fulmer can turn this around in 1 or 2 years.  He's got to buid on a freshmen QB most likely, it will take probably 2 years to get going again.  A lot of starters on defense and OL lineman to replace.  Thats a tough job.

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My main problem is not having a subpar season every once in awhile. It's the discipline, or lack thereof. Every year, there's just a few more things that make us look bad, or go wrong, both on and off the field. The more off the field stuff that happens, it seems to creep on the field a little more.

 

[GVF]

I didn't read the entire topic, but here are the two main factors in our program:

1. Too much time left on Fulmer's contract. He stays. Will cost too much $$ to fire him so he was probably told to clean house and fix it, which he has done.

2. UT has a bad history of playing to the level of their opponent. If we got after the Vandy's of the world the way we do the LSU's, we'd be whistling dixie to Atlanta then the NC. Spurrier understands that. He never layed down for us, or anyone, just to get the win. He went for pure domination.

 

[orangetd88]

2 very good points, especially the second one. This playing down to our opponents has come back to haunt us this year.

Of course, we are not a good team at all, but there is no excuse for losing to Vandy. NONE.

 

[JasonCajun]

Originally posted by gonygonygo@Nov 18, 2005 12:27 PM
What ungratefulness shown by you "loyal" fans.  It's only been ONE bad year.  Not 5.  All the bad seasons Lou Holtz had at South Carolina....  They weren't calling for his head after the first season, were they?

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Cause it is friggin' South Carolina! I don't think you can compare the tradition of the Tennessee program with that of the SC program.

And just because I do not support Fulmer does not mean that I am not a loyal UT fan. Geez! That is like saying you aren't a loyal American if you don't like the President. There is a difference between being a loyal Tennessee fan (which I am) and a loyal Fulmer fan (which you are).

 

[MtHomeVol]

Wow! The problem that I and others have talked about for the last few years has always been the lack of discipline by the team and the lack of heart shown on some occasions. This is a coaching problem. The University of Tennessee has a wealth of talented players, top notch facilities and tons of money spent on the program every year. There is no excuse for performance like this with expenditures like ours. The lack of discipline is bad coaching. Pure and simple. Yes we would have done better with a good leader on the field like Al Wilson, but the problem would still have been there. A good leader would simply have helped hide the problem for another year.

Someone must reinstate discipline in the program. The players need to be focused on the next practice. Focused on the next play of the next practice. Focused on getting better on the next play of the next practice. Focused on the team. That is coaching. Focusing the players on what is important.

I am not calling for CPF head. He is directly responsible for our success over the years. BUT...

He is also directly responsible for the lack of discipline and he must find a way to fix it. IMMEDIATELY!

I sincerely hope that Cutcliffe and Chavis can get it done. I do not think that CPF can do it by himself.

 

[KnoxKDX]

The frustrating thing about Tennessee is that it's like having a Ferrari that you know will go 210 MPH, and racing a Honda Civic CX that can barely pass on the freeway. Even though the driver knows it's a race, he only puts enough foot into it to beat the Civic by a nose...Occasionally, though, he manages to run off the road just enough to get beat by the Civic in the final stretch.

The frustration of watching this? Man, if you have a Ferrari, drive it like one!!! You should be able to get to the finish line, turn around and watch as the Civic crosses 10 minutes later.

I know...another frustration is reading this analogy!!! :crazy:

 

[Liper]

That's a good analogy.

Herbstreit said the same thing.

 

[surrealvol]

Fourth and a foot...against the Vandy defense...Vandy...good grief...never in a thousand years did I ever think that would happen.

It's a head thing...all the way.

 

[KnoxKDX]

Originally posted by surrealvol@Nov 23, 2005 12:45 PM
Fourth and a foot...against the Vandy defense...Vandy...good grief...never in a thousand years did I ever think that would happen.

It's a head thing...all the way.

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It's a head thing alright...a head coach thing

 

[bleedingorange]

AMEN :clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

 

[volbreaker]

Originally posted by KnoxKDX@Nov 23, 2005 9:14 AM
The frustrating thing about Tennessee is that it's like having a Ferrari that you know will go 210 MPH, and racing a Honda Civic CX that can barely pass on the freeway.  Even though the driver knows it's a race, he only puts enough foot into it to beat the Civic by a nose...Occasionally, though, he manages to run off the road just enough to get beat by the Civic in the final stretch. 

The frustration of watching this?  Man, if you have a Ferrari, drive it like one!!!  You should be able to get to the finish line, turn around and watch as the Civic crosses 10 minutes later.

I know...another frustration is reading this analogy!!!  :crazy:

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PURRRRFECT analogy!!!

 

[orangetd88]

That is a rather good analogy.