Our real problem is not the players, it's the coaching

[JohnWardForever]

Reviewing the post mortem comments after last night's game, I see many comments blaming players. This is college ball, so you play the hand you are dealt. Nico always over throws his receivers on the long bomb, so delete it from the playbook. Sure, Dylan Samson is always good for 2-3 yards but we run that play up the middle too often. So if I, a TV room armchair doofus knows what play they will call next, then I'm pretty certain the opposing defense also knows it's coming.

Last night they called Sampson's number at mid field on a 2nd and 12. He gained 3 yards, and good for Sampson--that's what he does. But now the Vols are facing 3rd and 9, a low probability gain to convert. It stopped the drive. Are they incorporating their analytics?

The coaches have virtually no trick plays in their book. A fake punt at mid field is a play they can't even conceive of. They don't break up the plays enough to keep the opposing defense guessing. They don't have enough screen plays in their playbook; I saw only one screen last night. That stupid lateral pass to the sidelines has to go. The line of scrimmage discipline is atrocious, and it's obvious that all season Heupel has neglected the well established simple fix: execute pre-snap drills in practice.

The playbook needs a complete overhaul. Tailor the playbook to Nico's talents: short to mid range passes. More screens and more short slants to the sidelines. This will spread their defense deeper and wider and will enhance Sampson's rushing average. And finally, Josh Heupel needs to fire offensive coordinator Joey Halzle. The problem is the coaching.

THIS, and maybe start paying receivers so much per catch...... Defenders so much for tackles, sacks, PBU, Int's.

 

[JohnWardForever]

Bring back Cornbread so we can be in the cellar of the SEC. I agree with you guys. The possibility of going 10-2 is really miserable and horrible and as a Tennessee fan it really pisses me off. We need to start a campaign to hire somebody from Alabama and get rid of Josh, hopefully the entire state of Tennessee burns everything orange today and bulldozers at university in Knoxville flatten that dirty stain up there that’s called Neyland Stadium. Burn it all to the ground!!!

Anybody know if there’s an ancestor of Sherman lurking around and handy? You know the mad bastard that burnt Atlanta to the ground.

Yep, there were a thousand left in Afghanistan.

 

[overseasorange2]

I too was very disappointed at the results of the UGA game.

On the other hand, things were stacked against us:

UGA losing the week before just made them all that more determined not get knocked out of the playoffs.
As usual, despite his recent play, the opposing QB played like a Heisman candidate against us.
Although not critical, the refs did not do us any favors. But it is usual for them to side with the home team.
It is very difficult to win away games in the SEC, Both UGA and Bama have as many away game losses as us.
Nobody has beaten UGA at home in 5 years.


JUST BEAT VANDY!

 

[Ballboy]

Reviewing the post mortem comments after last night's game, I see many comments blaming players. This is college ball, so you play the hand you are dealt. Nico always over throws his receivers on the long bomb, so delete it from the playbook. Sure, Dylan Samson is always good for 2-3 yards but we run that play up the middle too often. So if I, a TV room armchair doofus knows what play they will call next, then I'm pretty certain the opposing defense also knows it's coming.

Last night they called Sampson's number at mid field on a 2nd and 12. He gained 3 yards, and good for Sampson--that's what he does. But now the Vols are facing 3rd and 9, a low probability gain to convert. It stopped the drive. Are they incorporating their analytics?

The coaches have virtually no trick plays in their book. A fake punt at mid field is a play they can't even conceive of. They don't break up the plays enough to keep the opposing defense guessing. They don't have enough screen plays in their playbook; I saw only one screen last night. That stupid lateral pass to the sidelines has to go. The line of scrimmage discipline is atrocious, and it's obvious that all season Heupel has neglected the well established simple fix: execute pre-snap drills in practice.

The playbook needs a complete overhaul. Tailor the playbook to Nico's talents: short to mid range passes. More screens and more short slants to the sidelines. This will spread their defense deeper and wider and will enhance Sampson's rushing average. And finally, Josh Heupel needs to fire offensive coordinator Joey Halzle. The problem is the coaching.

Reviewing the post mortem comments after last night's game, I see many comments blaming players. This is college ball, so you play the hand you are dealt. Nico always over throws his receivers on the long bomb, so delete it from the playbook. Sure, Dylan Samson is always good for 2-3 yards but we run that play up the middle too often. So if I, a TV room armchair doofus knows what play they will call next, then I'm pretty certain the opposing defense also knows it's coming.

Last night they called Sampson's number at mid field on a 2nd and 12. He gained 3 yards, and good for Sampson--that's what he does. But now the Vols are facing 3rd and 9, a low probability gain to convert. It stopped the drive. Are they incorporating their analytics?

The coaches have virtually no trick plays in their book. A fake punt at mid field is a play they can't even conceive of. They don't break up the plays enough to keep the opposing defense guessing. They don't have enough screen plays in their playbook; I saw only one screen last night. That stupid lateral pass to the sidelines has to go. The line of scrimmage discipline is atrocious, and it's obvious that all season Heupel has neglected the well established simple fix: execute pre-snap drills in practice.

The playbook needs a complete overhaul. Tailor the playbook to Nico's talents: short to mid range passes. More screens and more short slants to the sidelines. This will spread their defense deeper and wider and will enhance Sampson's rushing average. And finally, Josh Heupel needs to fire offensive coordinator Joey Halzle. The problem is the coaching.

Comments like this amaze me. Coach Heupel's coughs have more knowledge about the game than everyone on this board. How many years experience do you have coaching college football? With your knowledge I'm sure you could pick up a coaching offer from your choice of SEC schools.

 

[DaddyChad]

No one would have made that catch. That was on Nico for throwing a 98mph fastball.

Name them. Several?

Nope. Sorry

It wasn’t that hard a pass to Sampson.

 

[jwells]

"We run up the middle too much"

I'm so tired of this one. We don't call that when the opportunity for it to work isn't there. But when the OL mishandles assignments and whiffs left and right...you get stopped.
Plus...3 yards per rush isn't the worst thing in the world. No one whines when Sampson busts open that 2nd and 12.

OL couldn't handle their DL. This changed the entire game. Just like Arkansas. When you can't outnumber their pass/rush defense, there's a WHOLE lot of guys available to defend passes and get to the rusher.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

"We run up the middle too much"

I'm so tired of this one. We don't call that when the opportunity for it to work isn't there. But when the OL mishandles assignments and whiffs left and right...you get stopped.
Plus...3 yards per rush isn't the worst thing in the world. No one whines when Sampson busts open that 2nd and 12.

OL couldn't handle their DL. This changed the entire game. Just like Arkansas. When you can't outnumber their pass/rush defense, there's a WHOLE lot of guys available to defend passes and get to the rusher.

Like a lot of teams, we abandon the run at times because OCs like to get too cute. We ran it right down their damn throats late in the 2nd quarter. That's the way you win games on the road. We should have had a run/pass ratio of 2:1 in the 2nd half. We win if we had done that

 

[Yikesman]

A lot of truth in this statement. It does make for a BORING unproductive offense.
Not sure where the disconnect is, coaching or players but I do know for a fact that it’s the responsibility of a well paid coordinator/coach to figure it out.
Halzle and Pope are over their heads imo…..

Are they so bad that they can't fake a punt or run a reverse?

 

[Yikesman]

"We run up the middle too much"

I'm so tired of this one. We don't call that when the opportunity for it to work isn't there. But when the OL mishandles assignments and whiffs left and right...you get stopped.
Plus...3 yards per rush isn't the worst thing in the world. No one whines when Sampson busts open that 2nd and 12.

OL couldn't handle their DL. This changed the entire game. Just like Arkansas. When you can't outnumber their pass/rush defense, there's a WHOLE lot of guys available to defend passes and get to the rusher.

Three yards per rush is great. In the right situation.

Let's recap. 2nd and 15 against Arkansas. Up the middle for 3 yards. Next play, 3rd and 12, up the middle, 2 yards. Punt. Saturday against GA: 2nd and 12, up the middle. Stopped the drive.

WTF are they thinking? Are they playing the super low probability for a long run breakout? Bad odds.

 

[Yikesman]

What about a jet sweep? Have we run one all season?

I'd love to see it.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Some truth here. GA called some creative plays last night that really opened up the game. Other teams do the same.

What frustrates me are the dead ball fouls and dropped balls that hit hands. I didn’t attribute that to coaching (other than recruiting maybe).

You call plays accordingly to the depth and talent of your players.

 

[arkyvol]

I get disgusted at the playcalling as well, but I consider Heupel to be an upgrade over the previous four head coaches by orders of magnitude (and I think his trend is definitely upward). I'm sure Oklahoma would swap in a heartbeat. For those overcome by nostalgia, I'm sure Butch can be had (he's not exactly knocking them dead at Arkansas State).

 

[Vol865]

Well hell if its just coaching Nick Saban should've won a National Championship at Michigan State. Or maybe players matter too.

 

[Yikesman]

Well hell if its just coaching Nick Saban should've won a National Championship at Michigan State. Or maybe players matter too.

Players matter A LOT. We have a Top 5 Defense. Our offense might not even be Top 15 quality.

 

[Yikesman]

Like a lot of teams, we abandon the run at times because OCs like to get too cute. We ran it right down their damn throats late in the 2nd quarter. That's the way you win games on the road. We should have had a run/pass ratio of 2:1 in the 2nd half. We win if we had done that

We were shut out in the 2nd half. I didn't see a lot of play variety for that 30 minutes.

 

[Yikesman]

Comments like this amaze me. Coach Heupel's coughs have more knowledge about the game than everyone on this board. How many years experience do you have coaching college football? With your knowledge I'm sure you could pick up a coaching offer from your choice of SEC schools.

As I said. I'm just a TV room armchair doofus, and I can often guess the next offensive play. If the opposing SEC defense can't figure that out then maybe I should submit my resume.

 

[Yikesman]

I too was very disappointed at the results of the UGA game.

On the other hand, things were stacked against us:

UGA losing the week before just made them all that more determined not get knocked out of the playoffs.
As usual, despite his recent play, the opposing QB played like a Heisman candidate against us.
Although not critical, the refs did not do us any favors. But it is usual for them to side with the home team.
It is very difficult to win away games in the SEC, Both UGA and Bama have as many away game losses as us.
Nobody has beaten UGA at home in 5 years.


JUST BEAT VANDY!

Anytime a top team loses in an upset, place your money on them to win and beat the spread next weekend.

 

[Yikesman]

You should send a strongly worded email to the staff

Would Heupel actually open it? And even if he did, would he really care to hear from a TV room armchair doofus like me?

 

[CPVOL]

They script the first several plays in a comfortable office with no play clock. That’s why we look sharp out of the gate. Then whoever calls the plays resorts back to middle run, sideline pass, overthrown deep pass. Rinse and repeat.

Thank you! The frustration is seeing that first drive when we look like we’re gonna score 50 just disappear. It looked like 2 different offensive play books.

 

[Cartervol]

What are you expecting to see ?

12-0 dammit..

 

[Volfan1000]

GA was somehow able to beat us with a backup TB and 3 TE’s. That’s pretty creative.

Tennessee had no answers for the Georgia tight ends.

 

[rikberry31]

Reviewing the post mortem comments after last night's game, I see many comments blaming players. This is college ball, so you play the hand you are dealt. Nico always over throws his receivers on the long bomb, so delete it from the playbook. Sure, Dylan Samson is always good for 2-3 yards but we run that play up the middle too often. So if I, a TV room armchair doofus knows what play they will call next, then I'm pretty certain the opposing defense also knows it's coming.

Last night they called Sampson's number at mid field on a 2nd and 12. He gained 3 yards, and good for Sampson--that's what he does. But now the Vols are facing 3rd and 9, a low probability gain to convert. It stopped the drive. Are they incorporating their analytics?

The coaches have virtually no trick plays in their book. A fake punt at mid field is a play they can't even conceive of. They don't break up the plays enough to keep the opposing defense guessing. They don't have enough screen plays in their playbook; I saw only one screen last night. That stupid lateral pass to the sidelines has to go. The line of scrimmage discipline is atrocious, and it's obvious that all season Heupel has neglected the well established simple fix: execute pre-snap drills in practice.

The playbook needs a complete overhaul. Tailor the playbook to Nico's talents: short to mid range passes. More screens and more short slants to the sidelines. This will spread their defense deeper and wider and will enhance Sampson's rushing average. And finally, Josh Heupel needs to fire offensive coordinator Joey Halzle. The problem is the coaching.

Have you ever even played one down of football in your life? I really hope you know about something else better than you know about football. I could not have said it any better than you did. TV room armchair doofus. I would have probably said dumbass instead of that metro word doofus.