My Thoughts on the LSU Game After Sleeping on It

[NighthawkVol]

Obviously a huge win. I mentioned a couple of times last week that Tennessee seemed due for one of those stress free games where we jump on an SEC team early and never have to sweat it out, ala Missouri and SC last year. I was cautiously optimistic that we might get that against LSU. We sure did. I was thinking if it happened, it would start with a long run or pass. Instead, it started with a HUGE fumble recovery on the opening kickoff by walk-on Will Brooks, which led to a TD. Then a long punt return by Dee Williams set up another score. Two guys who hadn't touched the ball all season make huge plays that really got the blowout rolling. That's so symbolic of what this program has become...a true PROGRAM, with different guys making plays when needed. Mincey out with a concussion? No big deal. Insert JJ Crawford who plays as well as Mincey has all Season. Cedric Tillman out? No big deal. The other WRs don't miss a beat. Heupel truly has this program in a place where it's not about individual pieces, but the whole. Players will be developed, players will play aggressive attacking winning football, and players who haven't been called upon before will step up when called upon. It's beautiful. The aspects I liked most about that win were the running game, the defensive performance, and special teams.

-The running game. I've wanted Dylan Sampson to play more and eventually start. But Jabari Small told me to shut my stupid mouth Saturday. He found creases, ran hard, and had himself a great day. He also looked much better in pass pro than he did against Florida. He broke two long runs that were daggers. He'll never be the guy to take those to the house with his speed (which is why I've want a guy like Sampson in there) and on one long run, he tripped on his own feet. But the fact that he's making the right reads/cuts to get into the open field is something. Some guys aren't game-breakers, but are still productive. Small was outstanding Saturday. Jaylen Wright looks good too. He had a couple of nice runs. He just has to hold onto the football. Both Small and Wright have better vision than last year. Contrary to popular belief, RBs can be coached to see/anticipate holes.
-The offensive line was phenomenal. It's time to start considering them a strength of this team. I wasn't high on Cooper Mays last season, but he got better as the year went on. He's gone to another level this year. The whole group played well. What was most impressive was how good they were in situations when LSU knew we were going to run down near the goal line. Small just walked in on one goal like run because the OLine just destroyed LSU. And this was against the best red zone defense in the SEC...I believe they hadn't allowed a red zone TD before this game.
-Speaking of the offensive line and running game...the 8 minute drive to close out the same was a thing of beauty. After all the criticism of the end of the Florida game and "going conservative," this team showed that it can be a ball control team when it needs to be. I just loved that drive and what it meant. The oline deserves a ton of credit for that drive.
-The defense looked much better, especially considering Daniels was actually hitting a lot of throws he normally doesn't. The secondary still isn't perfect by any stretch and they still missed some tackles, but they were better. Charles had some tight coverage and forced Daniels to make perfect throws on a few occasions. Flowers' INT at the end was pretty.
-The defensive line was fantastic. Byron Young made some money Saturday. Josephs is getting more and more involved and looks explosive. He's going to be a beast next year. Tennessee is absolutely shutting down opposing running back this season.
-I've been worried about Special Teams this year, but Ekeler is a great STs coach. He's obviously corrected some things. Dee Williams was a weapon at PR, 4 made FGs, a fumble recovery, and a punt downed inside the 5...good day for teams.
-I haven't even mentioned Hooker. He had an average day for him, which was a great day for most QBs. He missed some throws at the end of the half that could've led to getting a TD instead of a FG, but that's being picky. His deep ball to Hyatt was gorgeous.
-Speaking of the drive before the half...is any team in America winning the "middle 8" like Tennessee? It seems like every game we score before the half, then come out and get a TD to start the 2nd half. But maybe I'm imagining that.
-On Hyatt's 14 yard TD, did y'all see where they telestrated the route before it happened? It wasn't on the reply...it was live. What was up with that? Did a delay/tech glitch cause that?
-I've seen some posts saying that Tennessee was fortunate the game wasn't closer because we fumbled 3 times and lost none. That's true. The fumbling needs to stop. But think about this...Tennessee had to settle for five FG attempts (hitting 4). That's 12 points that could have been a lot more. Tennessee still isn't at its max potential on offense. We can get better. And probably will. LSU's 2nd TD came after a bogus PI penalty in the end zone gave them a new set of downs. That should have been a FG attempt. But hey, bad calls happen.

On to the 3rd Saturday in October. #3 vs. #6. It's finally back to what it's supposed to be.

 

[BigALWiLson]

I was there and I watched a Tennessee team who were confident and strong for 4 quarters of football. I saw all three phases of the team put on a show. We played good team football. LSU is not a bad football team however if I were them I would cut cord with #7. That dude is bad juju in a locker room. Boutte was total ass and his attitude and lack of respect for his teammates and coaches show in his play on the field. He is the definition of a "me" first guy. I have a feeling that will get handled in the locker room soon.

My take on New Orleans.... dirty as hell and its ok for a day or two. My wife and I will pass on that adventure going forward lol.

Tiger stadium is actually pretty nice and most of the fans we encountered were pleasant. The outter areas of campus need work.

 

[Rickyvol77]

Obviously a huge win. I mentioned a couple of times last week that Tennessee seemed due for one of those stress free games where we jump on an SEC team early and never have to sweat it out, ala Missouri and SC last year. I was cautiously optimistic that we might get that against LSU. We sure did. I was thinking if it happened, it would start with a long run or pass. Instead, it started with a HUGE fumble recovery on the opening kickoff by walk-on Will Brooks, which led to a TD. Then a long punt return by Dee Williams set up another score. Two guys who hadn't touched the ball all season make huge plays that really got the blowout rolling. That's so symbolic of what this program has become...a true PROGRAM, with different guys making plays when needed. Mincey out with a concussion? No big deal. Insert JJ Crawford who plays as well as Mincey has all Season. Cedric Tillman out? No big deal. The other WRs don't miss a beat. Heupel truly has this program in a place where it's not about individual pieces, but the whole. Players will be developed, players will play aggressive attacking winning football, and players who haven't been called upon before will step up when called upon. It's beautiful. The aspects I liked most about that win were the running game, the defensive performance, and special teams.

-The running game. I've wanted Dylan Sampson to play more and eventually start. But Jabari Small told me to shut my stupid mouth Saturday. He found creases, ran hard, and had himself a great day. He also looked much better in pass pro than he did against Florida. He broke two long runs that were daggers. He'll never be the guy to take those to the house with his speed (which is why I've want a guy like Sampson in there) and on one long run, he tripped on his own feet. But the fact that he's making the right reads/cuts to get into the open field is something. Some guys aren't game-breakers, but are still productive. Small was outstanding Saturday. Jaylen Wright looks good too. He had a couple of nice runs. He just has to hold onto the football. Both Small and Wright have better vision than last year. Contrary to popular belief, RBs can be coached to see/anticipate holes.
-The offensive line was phenomenal. It's time to start considering them a strength of this team. I wasn't high on Cooper Mays last season, but he got better as the year went on. He's gone to another level this year. The whole group played well. What was most impressive was how good they were in situations when LSU knew we were going to run down near the goal line. Small just walked in on one goal like run because the OLine just destroyed LSU. And this was against the best red zone defense in the SEC...I believe they hadn't allowed a red zone TD before this game.
-Speaking of the offensive line and running game...the 8 minute drive to close out the same was a thing of beauty. After all the criticism of the end of the Florida game and "going conservative," this team showed that it can be a ball control team when it needs to be. I just loved that drive and what it meant. The oline deserves a ton of credit for that drive.
-The defense looked much better, especially considering Daniels was actually hitting a lot of throws he normally doesn't. The secondary still isn't perfect by any stretch and they still missed some tackles, but they were better. Charles had some tight coverage and forced Daniels to make perfect throws on a few occasions. Flowers' INT at the end was pretty.
-The defensive line was fantastic. Byron Young made some money Saturday. Josephs is getting more and more involved and looks explosive. He's going to be a beast next year. Tennessee is absolutely shutting down opposing running back this season.
-I've been worried about Special Teams this year, but Ekeler is a great STs coach. He's obviously corrected some things. Dee Williams was a weapon at PR, 4 made FGs, a fumble recovery, and a punt downed inside the 5...good day for teams.
-I haven't even mentioned Hooker. He had an average day for him, which was a great day for most QBs. He missed some throws at the end of the half that could've led to getting a TD instead of a FG, but that's being picky. His deep ball to Hyatt was gorgeous.
-Speaking of the drive before the half...is any team in America winning the "middle 8" like Tennessee? It seems like every game we score before the half, then come out and get a TD to start the 2nd half. But maybe I'm imagining that.
-On Hyatt's 14 yard TD, did y'all see where they telestrated the route before it happened? It wasn't on the reply...it was live. What was up with that? Did a delay/tech glitch cause that?
-I've seen some posts saying that Tennessee was fortunate the game wasn't closer because we fumbled 3 times and lost none. That's true. The fumbling needs to stop. But think about this...Tennessee had to settle for five FG attempts (hitting 4). That's 12 points that could have been a lot more. Tennessee still isn't at its max potential on offense. We can get better. And probably will. LSU's 2nd TD came after a bogus PI penalty in the end zone gave them a new set of downs. That should have been a FG attempt. But hey, bad calls happen.

On to the 3rd Saturday in October. #3 vs. #6. It's finally back to what it's supposed to be.

Good assessment

 

[Jauan't Some?]

I was there and I watched a Tennessee team who were confident and strong for 4 quarters of football. I saw all three phases of the team put on a show. We played good team football. LSU is not a bad football team however if I were them I would cut cord with #7. That dude is bad juju in a locker room. Boutte was total ass and his attitude and lack of respect for his teammates and coaches show in his play on the field. He is the definition of a "me" first guy. I have a feeling that will get handled in the locker room soon.

My take on New Orleans.... dirty as hell and its ok for a day or two. My wife and I will pass on that adventure going forward lol.

Tiger stadium is actually pretty nice and most of the fans we encountered were pleasant. The outter areas of campus need work.

I think the vibe of that LSU team is just terrible. If the rumors about Boutte’s attitude are true, the fact that he is still on the team says all you need to know about how well the coaching staff controls that locker room. Brian Kelly is a fraud and he’s being exposed at LSU.

 

[sjt18]

@GregAmsler Lots of good points.

I was critical of Banks and am still not completely ready to "buy" on him. But the D took a nice step forward. Giving up completions is forgivable if you make it hard. Versus UF, there were just way too many times that it wasn't hard. Guys with huge cushions and throwing windows that didn't close fast enough if at all. The LSU game wasn't perfect but like you mention a lot of those throws they made were difficult for both the QB and WR. IMO, LSU's WR's are better than UF's so that would indicate even more progress.

All in all... a great and complete effort... but still things to improve.

For the first time in my entire 30+ years as a Vol fan... I think UT has a coach who develops and coaches players well and gets more out of a roster than the sum of its parts. Love the leadership. Love the culture he's developing. Love the confidence the team plays with. Like you I really love what I'm seeing.... and it is sustainable.

 

[BigALWiLson]

I think the vibe of that LSU team is just terrible. If the rumors about Boutte’s attitude are true, the fact that he is still on the team says all you need to know about how well the coaching staff controls that locker room. Brian Kelly is a fraud and he’s being exposed at LSU.

Boutte is just that. IMO he is a cancer to that team. He is lazy on the field when the ball doesnt come his way and he has an attitude with his own teammates. His routes are also lazy and he appears checked out. PS that guy is noweher near as good as Da'Rick was and I say that as a comparison although Da'Rick had a problem with green and beef.

 

[walkenvol]

Glad to see you’ve come to your senses concerning Small. Sampson blew his one pass blocking assignment and almost got Hooker killed which led to a streak of poor accuracy before halftime. You can’t play rb’s who don’t pass protect!

 

[Jeff Clark]

Obviously a huge win. I mentioned a couple of times last week that Tennessee seemed due for one of those stress free games where we jump on an SEC team early and never have to sweat it out, ala Missouri and SC last year. I was cautiously optimistic that we might get that against LSU. We sure did. I was thinking if it happened, it would start with a long run or pass. Instead, it started with a HUGE fumble recovery on the opening kickoff by walk-on Will Brooks, which led to a TD. Then a long punt return by Dee Williams set up another score. Two guys who hadn't touched the ball all season make huge plays that really got the blowout rolling. That's so symbolic of what this program has become...a true PROGRAM, with different guys making plays when needed. Mincey out with a concussion? No big deal. Insert JJ Crawford who plays as well as Mincey has all Season. Cedric Tillman out? No big deal. The other WRs don't miss a beat. Heupel truly has this program in a place where it's not about individual pieces, but the whole. Players will be developed, players will play aggressive attacking winning football, and players who haven't been called upon before will step up when called upon. It's beautiful. The aspects I liked most about that win were the running game, the defensive performance, and special teams.

-The running game. I've wanted Dylan Sampson to play more and eventually start. But Jabari Small told me to shut my stupid mouth Saturday. He found creases, ran hard, and had himself a great day. He also looked much better in pass pro than he did against Florida. He broke two long runs that were daggers. He'll never be the guy to take those to the house with his speed (which is why I've want a guy like Sampson in there) and on one long run, he tripped on his own feet. But the fact that he's making the right reads/cuts to get into the open field is something. Some guys aren't game-breakers, but are still productive. Small was outstanding Saturday. Jaylen Wright looks good too. He had a couple of nice runs. He just has to hold onto the football. Both Small and Wright have better vision than last year. Contrary to popular belief, RBs can be coached to see/anticipate holes.
-The offensive line was phenomenal. It's time to start considering them a strength of this team. I wasn't high on Cooper Mays last season, but he got better as the year went on. He's gone to another level this year. The whole group played well. What was most impressive was how good they were in situations when LSU knew we were going to run down near the goal line. Small just walked in on one goal like run because the OLine just destroyed LSU. And this was against the best red zone defense in the SEC...I believe they hadn't allowed a red zone TD before this game.
-Speaking of the offensive line and running game...the 8 minute drive to close out the same was a thing of beauty. After all the criticism of the end of the Florida game and "going conservative," this team showed that it can be a ball control team when it needs to be. I just loved that drive and what it meant. The oline deserves a ton of credit for that drive.
-The defense looked much better, especially considering Daniels was actually hitting a lot of throws he normally doesn't. The secondary still isn't perfect by any stretch and they still missed some tackles, but they were better. Charles had some tight coverage and forced Daniels to make perfect throws on a few occasions. Flowers' INT at the end was pretty.
-The defensive line was fantastic. Byron Young made some money Saturday. Josephs is getting more and more involved and looks explosive. He's going to be a beast next year. Tennessee is absolutely shutting down opposing running back this season.
-I've been worried about Special Teams this year, but Ekeler is a great STs coach. He's obviously corrected some things. Dee Williams was a weapon at PR, 4 made FGs, a fumble recovery, and a punt downed inside the 5...good day for teams.
-I haven't even mentioned Hooker. He had an average day for him, which was a great day for most QBs. He missed some throws at the end of the half that could've led to getting a TD instead of a FG, but that's being picky. His deep ball to Hyatt was gorgeous.
-Speaking of the drive before the half...is any team in America winning the "middle 8" like Tennessee? It seems like every game we score before the half, then come out and get a TD to start the 2nd half. But maybe I'm imagining that.
-On Hyatt's 14 yard TD, did y'all see where they telestrated the route before it happened? It wasn't on the reply...it was live. What was up with that? Did a delay/tech glitch cause that?
-I've seen some posts saying that Tennessee was fortunate the game wasn't closer because we fumbled 3 times and lost none. That's true. The fumbling needs to stop. But think about this...Tennessee had to settle for five FG attempts (hitting 4). That's 12 points that could have been a lot more. Tennessee still isn't at its max potential on offense. We can get better. And probably will. LSU's 2nd TD came after a bogus PI penalty in the end zone gave them a new set of downs. That should have been a FG attempt. But hey, bad calls happen.

On to the 3rd Saturday in October. #3 vs. #6. It's finally back to what it's supposed to be.

Glen Elarbee has done a hell of a job with this offensive line that's for sure.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Glad to see you’ve come to your senses concerning Small. Sampson blew his one pass blocking assignment and almost got Hooker killed which led to a streak of poor accuracy before halftime. You can’t play rb’s who don’t pass protect!

As I said before, I completely agree about playing the RB who pass protects. But as I also said before, Small wasn’t any better. He had at least 4 missed pickups against Florida and HH bailed him out on most of them. It didn’t make sense to say, “we can’t play Sampson because he can’t pass pro, so we have to play Small instead, who can’t pass pro!”

But Small did a much better job in that department Saturday.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Greg, this is the game so far this year that you didn't need to sleep on*. It was the same Sunday morning that it was Saturday afternoon: a really beautiful blow-out win.

Go Vols!



* (I know, I know, that's your thing)

 

[DiderotsGhost]

-On Hyatt's 14 yard TD, did y'all see where they telestrated the route before it happened? It wasn't on the reply...it was live. What was up with that? Did a delay/tech glitch cause that?

Great write-up as always, GA!

I noticed this, too. My fiance and I watched it and were like "did they just predict the route before it happened?", but the announcers didn't say anything about it, which made it weird. They never explained it.

 

[white65]

"The running game. I've wanted Dylan Sampson to play more and eventually start. But Jabari Small told me to shut my stupid mouth Saturday. "

This is great Lol

Small is playing so well right now, and he's only getting better as the season goes.

Sampson needs to be ready, and he will definitely get alot of touches vs UT Martin.

 

[Memvol44]

Obviously a huge win. I mentioned a couple of times last week that Tennessee seemed due for one of those stress free games where we jump on an SEC team early and never have to sweat it out, ala Missouri and SC last year. I was cautiously optimistic that we might get that against LSU. We sure did. I was thinking if it happened, it would start with a long run or pass. Instead, it started with a HUGE fumble recovery on the opening kickoff by walk-on Will Brooks, which led to a TD. Then a long punt return by Dee Williams set up another score. Two guys who hadn't touched the ball all season make huge plays that really got the blowout rolling. That's so symbolic of what this program has become...a true PROGRAM, with different guys making plays when needed. Mincey out with a concussion? No big deal. Insert JJ Crawford who plays as well as Mincey has all Season. Cedric Tillman out? No big deal. The other WRs don't miss a beat. Heupel truly has this program in a place where it's not about individual pieces, but the whole. Players will be developed, players will play aggressive attacking winning football, and players who haven't been called upon before will step up when called upon. It's beautiful. The aspects I liked most about that win were the running game, the defensive performance, and special teams.

-The running game. I've wanted Dylan Sampson to play more and eventually start. But Jabari Small told me to shut my stupid mouth Saturday. He found creases, ran hard, and had himself a great day. He also looked much better in pass pro than he did against Florida. He broke two long runs that were daggers. He'll never be the guy to take those to the house with his speed (which is why I've want a guy like Sampson in there) and on one long run, he tripped on his own feet. But the fact that he's making the right reads/cuts to get into the open field is something. Some guys aren't game-breakers, but are still productive. Small was outstanding Saturday. Jaylen Wright looks good too. He had a couple of nice runs. He just has to hold onto the football. Both Small and Wright have better vision than last year. Contrary to popular belief, RBs can be coached to see/anticipate holes.
-The offensive line was phenomenal. It's time to start considering them a strength of this team. I wasn't high on Cooper Mays last season, but he got better as the year went on. He's gone to another level this year. The whole group played well. What was most impressive was how good they were in situations when LSU knew we were going to run down near the goal line. Small just walked in on one goal like run because the OLine just destroyed LSU. And this was against the best red zone defense in the SEC...I believe they hadn't allowed a red zone TD before this game.
-Speaking of the offensive line and running game...the 8 minute drive to close out the same was a thing of beauty. After all the criticism of the end of the Florida game and "going conservative," this team showed that it can be a ball control team when it needs to be. I just loved that drive and what it meant. The oline deserves a ton of credit for that drive.
-The defense looked much better, especially considering Daniels was actually hitting a lot of throws he normally doesn't. The secondary still isn't perfect by any stretch and they still missed some tackles, but they were better. Charles had some tight coverage and forced Daniels to make perfect throws on a few occasions. Flowers' INT at the end was pretty.
-The defensive line was fantastic. Byron Young made some money Saturday. Josephs is getting more and more involved and looks explosive. He's going to be a beast next year. Tennessee is absolutely shutting down opposing running back this season.
-I've been worried about Special Teams this year, but Ekeler is a great STs coach. He's obviously corrected some things. Dee Williams was a weapon at PR, 4 made FGs, a fumble recovery, and a punt downed inside the 5...good day for teams.
-I haven't even mentioned Hooker. He had an average day for him, which was a great day for most QBs. He missed some throws at the end of the half that could've led to getting a TD instead of a FG, but that's being picky. His deep ball to Hyatt was gorgeous.
-Speaking of the drive before the half...is any team in America winning the "middle 8" like Tennessee? It seems like every game we score before the half, then come out and get a TD to start the 2nd half. But maybe I'm imagining that.
-On Hyatt's 14 yard TD, did y'all see where they telestrated the route before it happened? It wasn't on the reply...it was live. What was up with that? Did a delay/tech glitch cause that?
-I've seen some posts saying that Tennessee was fortunate the game wasn't closer because we fumbled 3 times and lost none. That's true. The fumbling needs to stop. But think about this...Tennessee had to settle for five FG attempts (hitting 4). That's 12 points that could have been a lot more. Tennessee still isn't at its max potential on offense. We can get better. And probably will. LSU's 2nd TD came after a bogus PI penalty in the end zone gave them a new set of downs. That should have been a FG attempt. But hey, bad calls happen.

On to the 3rd Saturday in October. #3 vs. #6. It's finally back to what it's supposed to be.

Agreed..... good summary.. I also thought the telecaster play before it happened was very strange. Was that somehow one of our assistant coaches computers they happened to pick up?? Guess we will never know..

 

[LTVol]

Obviously a huge win. I mentioned a couple of times last week that Tennessee seemed due for one of those stress free games where we jump on an SEC team early and never have to sweat it out, ala Missouri and SC last year. I was cautiously optimistic that we might get that against LSU. We sure did. I was thinking if it happened, it would start with a long run or pass. Instead, it started with a HUGE fumble recovery on the opening kickoff by walk-on Will Brooks, which led to a TD. Then a long punt return by Dee Williams set up another score. Two guys who hadn't touched the ball all season make huge plays that really got the blowout rolling. That's so symbolic of what this program has become...a true PROGRAM, with different guys making plays when needed. Mincey out with a concussion? No big deal. Insert JJ Crawford who plays as well as Mincey has all Season. Cedric Tillman out? No big deal. The other WRs don't miss a beat. Heupel truly has this program in a place where it's not about individual pieces, but the whole. Players will be developed, players will play aggressive attacking winning football, and players who haven't been called upon before will step up when called upon. It's beautiful. The aspects I liked most about that win were the running game, the defensive performance, and special teams.

-The running game. I've wanted Dylan Sampson to play more and eventually start. But Jabari Small told me to shut my stupid mouth Saturday. He found creases, ran hard, and had himself a great day. He also looked much better in pass pro than he did against Florida. He broke two long runs that were daggers. He'll never be the guy to take those to the house with his speed (which is why I've want a guy like Sampson in there) and on one long run, he tripped on his own feet. But the fact that he's making the right reads/cuts to get into the open field is something. Some guys aren't game-breakers, but are still productive. Small was outstanding Saturday. Jaylen Wright looks good too. He had a couple of nice runs. He just has to hold onto the football. Both Small and Wright have better vision than last year. Contrary to popular belief, RBs can be coached to see/anticipate holes.
-The offensive line was phenomenal. It's time to start considering them a strength of this team. I wasn't high on Cooper Mays last season, but he got better as the year went on. He's gone to another level this year. The whole group played well. What was most impressive was how good they were in situations when LSU knew we were going to run down near the goal line. Small just walked in on one goal like run because the OLine just destroyed LSU. And this was against the best red zone defense in the SEC...I believe they hadn't allowed a red zone TD before this game.
-Speaking of the offensive line and running game...the 8 minute drive to close out the same was a thing of beauty. After all the criticism of the end of the Florida game and "going conservative," this team showed that it can be a ball control team when it needs to be. I just loved that drive and what it meant. The oline deserves a ton of credit for that drive.
-The defense looked much better, especially considering Daniels was actually hitting a lot of throws he normally doesn't. The secondary still isn't perfect by any stretch and they still missed some tackles, but they were better. Charles had some tight coverage and forced Daniels to make perfect throws on a few occasions. Flowers' INT at the end was pretty.
-The defensive line was fantastic. Byron Young made some money Saturday. Josephs is getting more and more involved and looks explosive. He's going to be a beast next year. Tennessee is absolutely shutting down opposing running back this season.
-I've been worried about Special Teams this year, but Ekeler is a great STs coach. He's obviously corrected some things. Dee Williams was a weapon at PR, 4 made FGs, a fumble recovery, and a punt downed inside the 5...good day for teams.
-I haven't even mentioned Hooker. He had an average day for him, which was a great day for most QBs. He missed some throws at the end of the half that could've led to getting a TD instead of a FG, but that's being picky. His deep ball to Hyatt was gorgeous.
-Speaking of the drive before the half...is any team in America winning the "middle 8" like Tennessee? It seems like every game we score before the half, then come out and get a TD to start the 2nd half. But maybe I'm imagining that.
-On Hyatt's 14 yard TD, did y'all see where they telestrated the route before it happened? It wasn't on the reply...it was live. What was up with that? Did a delay/tech glitch cause that?
-I've seen some posts saying that Tennessee was fortunate the game wasn't closer because we fumbled 3 times and lost none. That's true. The fumbling needs to stop. But think about this...Tennessee had to settle for five FG attempts (hitting 4). That's 12 points that could have been a lot more. Tennessee still isn't at its max potential on offense. We can get better. And probably will. LSU's 2nd TD came after a bogus PI penalty in the end zone gave them a new set of downs. That should have been a FG attempt. But hey, bad calls happen.

On to the 3rd Saturday in October. #3 vs. #6. It's finally back to what it's supposed to be.

Good, comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the game

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

Hey GA, great analysis as usual. Can I make a friendly suggestion on the original post. When you make a long one like this, spaces between the paragraphs would make the reading of it a lot easier.

 

[Doberman]

Agreed..... good summary.. I also thought the telecaster play before it happened was very strange. Was that somehow one of our assistant coaches computers they happened to pick up?? Guess we will never know..

Orlovsky is a former QB. They can see these things before they happen. That’s why QBs make good analysts.

 

[Doberman]

I was there and I watched a Tennessee team who were confident and strong for 4 quarters of football. I saw all three phases of the team put on a show. We played good team football. LSU is not a bad football team however if I were them I would cut cord with #7. That dude is bad juju in a locker room. Boutte was total ass and his attitude and lack of respect for his teammates and coaches show in his play on the field. He is the definition of a "me" first guy. I have a feeling that will get handled in the locker room soon.

My take on New Orleans.... dirty as hell and its ok for a day or two. My wife and I will pass on that adventure going forward lol.

Tiger stadium is actually pretty nice and most of the fans we encountered were pleasant. The outter areas of campus need work.

N.O. Is a s—hole. As is most of the rest of that state. Not a fan. LOL

 

[MCScots4]

Great write-up as always, GA!

I noticed this, too. My fiance and I watched it and were like "did they just predict the route before it happened?", but the announcers didn't say anything about it, which made it weird. They never explained it.

I thought they were just predicting the route based on what they saw pre snap kind of like Tony Romo always does when he's calling games in the NFL.

 

[Firebirdparts]

Orlovsky is evidently a very fine analyst. I really hadn't ever thought about it, but that play is being talked about all over the internet. Funny how they "ho hum" it during the game.

 

[Memvol44]

N.O. Is a s—hole. As is most of the rest of that state. Not a fan. LOL

Last time I was there it was filthy Made Memphis look charming!

 

[NighthawkVol]

Greg, this is the game so far this year that you didn't need to sleep on*. It was the same Sunday morning that it was Saturday afternoon: a really beautiful blow-out win.

Go Vols!



* (I know, I know, that's your thing)

You're right. Truth is, I didn't have time until last night. Extended family time Saturday afternoon and evening, then did my fall planting Sunday. Gorgeous weather here in Nashville made for an enjoyable day of yard work.

 

[Wolfeman_Vol]

I thought they were just predicting the route based on what they saw pre snap kind of like Tony Romo always does when he's calling games in the NFL.

Yeah when the announcer illustrated it post TD, he mentioned seeing Hooker call an audible.. Orlovsky saw what Hooker saw and drew it as it happened. Pretty cool.

 

[kayman1]

Until sampson learns to pick up the blitz, he won't play much. Hopefully he learns that quickly!!

 

[LittleVol]

Obviously a huge win. I mentioned a couple of times last week that Tennessee seemed due for one of those stress free games where we jump on an SEC team early and never have to sweat it out, ala Missouri and SC last year. I was cautiously optimistic that we might get that against LSU. We sure did. I was thinking if it happened, it would start with a long run or pass. Instead, it started with a HUGE fumble recovery on the opening kickoff by walk-on Will Brooks, which led to a TD. Then a long punt return by Dee Williams set up another score. Two guys who hadn't touched the ball all season make huge plays that really got the blowout rolling. That's so symbolic of what this program has become...a true PROGRAM, with different guys making plays when needed. Mincey out with a concussion? No big deal. Insert JJ Crawford who plays as well as Mincey has all Season. Cedric Tillman out? No big deal. The other WRs don't miss a beat. Heupel truly has this program in a place where it's not about individual pieces, but the whole. Players will be developed, players will play aggressive attacking winning football, and players who haven't been called upon before will step up when called upon. It's beautiful. The aspects I liked most about that win were the running game, the defensive performance, and special teams.

-The running game. I've wanted Dylan Sampson to play more and eventually start. But Jabari Small told me to shut my stupid mouth Saturday. He found creases, ran hard, and had himself a great day. He also looked much better in pass pro than he did against Florida. He broke two long runs that were daggers. He'll never be the guy to take those to the house with his speed (which is why I've want a guy like Sampson in there) and on one long run, he tripped on his own feet. But the fact that he's making the right reads/cuts to get into the open field is something. Some guys aren't game-breakers, but are still productive. Small was outstanding Saturday. Jaylen Wright looks good too. He had a couple of nice runs. He just has to hold onto the football. Both Small and Wright have better vision than last year. Contrary to popular belief, RBs can be coached to see/anticipate holes.
-The offensive line was phenomenal. It's time to start considering them a strength of this team. I wasn't high on Cooper Mays last season, but he got better as the year went on. He's gone to another level this year. The whole group played well. What was most impressive was how good they were in situations when LSU knew we were going to run down near the goal line. Small just walked in on one goal like run because the OLine just destroyed LSU. And this was against the best red zone defense in the SEC...I believe they hadn't allowed a red zone TD before this game.
-Speaking of the offensive line and running game...the 8 minute drive to close out the same was a thing of beauty. After all the criticism of the end of the Florida game and "going conservative," this team showed that it can be a ball control team when it needs to be. I just loved that drive and what it meant. The oline deserves a ton of credit for that drive.
-The defense looked much better, especially considering Daniels was actually hitting a lot of throws he normally doesn't. The secondary still isn't perfect by any stretch and they still missed some tackles, but they were better. Charles had some tight coverage and forced Daniels to make perfect throws on a few occasions. Flowers' INT at the end was pretty.
-The defensive line was fantastic. Byron Young made some money Saturday. Josephs is getting more and more involved and looks explosive. He's going to be a beast next year. Tennessee is absolutely shutting down opposing running back this season.
-I've been worried about Special Teams this year, but Ekeler is a great STs coach. He's obviously corrected some things. Dee Williams was a weapon at PR, 4 made FGs, a fumble recovery, and a punt downed inside the 5...good day for teams.
-I haven't even mentioned Hooker. He had an average day for him, which was a great day for most QBs. He missed some throws at the end of the half that could've led to getting a TD instead of a FG, but that's being picky. His deep ball to Hyatt was gorgeous.
-Speaking of the drive before the half...is any team in America winning the "middle 8" like Tennessee? It seems like every game we score before the half, then come out and get a TD to start the 2nd half. But maybe I'm imagining that.
-On Hyatt's 14 yard TD, did y'all see where they telestrated the route before it happened? It wasn't on the reply...it was live. What was up with that? Did a delay/tech glitch cause that?
-I've seen some posts saying that Tennessee was fortunate the game wasn't closer because we fumbled 3 times and lost none. That's true. The fumbling needs to stop. But think about this...Tennessee had to settle for five FG attempts (hitting 4). That's 12 points that could have been a lot more. Tennessee still isn't at its max potential on offense. We can get better. And probably will. LSU's 2nd TD came after a bogus PI penalty in the end zone gave them a new set of downs. That should have been a FG attempt. But hey, bad calls happen.

On to the 3rd Saturday in October. #3 vs. #6. It's finally back to what it's supposed to be.

Very nice summary!

No delay in the telecast.
It was the commentary guy seeing it and calling it before it happened.

I saw that route open up too when the safety shifted down. Then immediately seeing the yellow drawn arrow was crazy haha.

 

[volwindy]

I was there and I watched a Tennessee team who were confident and strong for 4 quarters of football. I saw all three phases of the team put on a show. We played good team football. LSU is not a bad football team however if I were them I would cut cord with #7. That dude is bad juju in a locker room. Boutte was total ass and his attitude and lack of respect for his teammates and coaches show in his play on the field. He is the definition of a "me" first guy. I have a feeling that will get handled in the locker room soon.

My take on New Orleans.... dirty as hell and its ok for a day or two. My wife and I will pass on that adventure going forward lol.

Tiger stadium is actually pretty nice and most of the fans we encountered were pleasant. The outter areas of campus need work.

I enjoyed NO. The vibe around just seemed fun and happy. Plus the food was really good, but we didn't eat right around the quarter. Now it's not on my return list, just glad we added it to our trip.

The campus was a lot different than what I've seen at other SEC campuses. Just not the traditional southern, but Spanish style. Agreed that the stadium was nice though, as were the fans we encountered.