Tennessee no longer feared by opponets

[hatvol96]

Donte Stallworth was a 1st rounder in the last 4 years.

Stallworth was drafted after the '01 season. That would be five drafts ago. No Vol offensive first rounders in the April '03,'04,'05, or '06 drafts.

 

[gonygonygo]

gonygonygo,

The offense has been blamed because it's come up short more often than the defense has, particularly in games where it's supposed to really turn it on. If the defense allows 17 against Florda, 6 against Alabama, 16 against South Carolina, and 28 against Vanderbilt then those should all be victories instead of losses. Had that been the case, 2005 would have been a 9-2 season instead of 5-6. The defense last year allowed 205 points against, which is the lowest since 1999 (and trails that team and the 98 team by 11 and 16 points, respectively).

I'm not going to say that the defense is stellar; any offensive coordinator going into a game against a Chavis-led defense knows that draws, counters, and counter treys are absolute gold. Look at what Florida did in the first half of 2004 (running the misdirections) versus the second half (when they didn't), or the SEC title game in 2001 when it was nothing but draw-draw-draw.

As I mentioned here and elsewhere, how predictable the offensive playcalling is really doesn't matter; the trick is being able to run those few predictable plays better than the defense can prevent them from being run. I refer again to Nebraska of the 1990s, with a playbook that was primarily four plays 75% of the time.

Why are you showing stats about the 2005 defense when the comments I made about the defense were PRE-2005?! :banghead:
The defense was definitely the strength of last year's team... a VERY bad team. They were good, but slightly overrated. Alabama's offense was horrible once they lost Tyrone Prothro. South Carolina's offense wasn't that good. Spurrier was working with inferior talent. 28 point to Vanderbilt is nothing to brag about. Florida's offense struggled with a QB like Leak who isn't right guy for their system. We allowed Georgia to run up and down the field on us. We were lucky to keep it as close as we did. The score did not indicate the azz whooping they gave us! Notre Dame ran an offensive clinic on our higly touted defense. Don't get me wrong, the defense was good last year, but not as great as everyone wants to believe. The offense just happened to be so sorry that they looked that much better. Any decent offense could have put up around 30 pts. on that defense last year. Especially when our offense turns it over and leaves them backed up to defend a short field.

In the past (<2005), the defense has come up short many of times&#33;&#33;

Remember that game against Georgia (here at Neyland) when Travis Stephens took that screen pass and scored at the end?? We left 40+ seconds for Georgia to score (they needed a touchdown), and the game seemed all but over. Then what?? Georgia EASILY drives down and scores a winning touchdown-on the road-at Neyland Stadium-with seconds to spare.

Remember that game against Florida when they won the game on the last possession??? The one where the guy caught and dropped the ball in the endzone.

The 2000 Cotton Bowl, we were dominated on BOTH sides of the ball. We were dominated in both Peach Bowls, giving up 30+ points in each.

The Florida game we barely won in 2004 and the defense struggled to get stops down the stretch. It pretty much came down to who had the ball last.

We made Cedric Cobbs (Arkansas) look like Jerome Bettis, running all over our defense.

I remember many of games when I thought the team we just played had a future 1st rounder tailback, only to see him shut down the following week. That led me to the conclusion that since 2001, we&#39;ve had pretty poor defenses.

Our offenses haven&#39;t been great, but they take more heat than they deserve.


I think the biggest problem with the team cannot really be a matter of the offense vs. defense blame game. It&#39;s an overall talent drop-off. I just don&#39;t think we have the best players in the nation anymore. You can say what you want about the coaching & development, but I just do not think those players are THAT good anymore.

Programs have their ups and downs, that is a fact of sports. Even the Yankees don&#39;t win the World Series every year&#33;

 

[gonygonygo]

Stallworth was drafted after the &#39;01 season. That would be five drafts ago. No Vol offensive first rounders in the April &#39;03,&#39;04,&#39;05, or &#39;06 drafts.

These new draftees haven&#39;t even had their first training camp, so IMO the &#39;06 group is so new, that I&#39;ll accept &#39;02 to make the list. If you round the numbers, 4.2 still equals 4.

 

[hatvol96]

These new draftees haven&#39;t even had their first training camp, so IMO the &#39;06 group is so new, that I&#39;ll accept &#39;02 to make the list. If you round the numbers, 4.2 still equals 4.

You must really be desperate to find something positive. Don&#39;t let the facts get in the way of your orange tinted analysis.

 

[allvol123]

You must really be desperate to find something positive. Don&#39;t let the facts get in the way of your orange tinted analysis.

yea gonygonygo, don&#39;t let your orange tinted glasses get in the way, hatvol is the know it all of UT sports and he can&#39;t stand anything that is the color orange.

 

[volinasheville]

People may find it offensive, but Hat is a realist and expects excellence from a program that is provided the resources necessary to excel. You may not like it but it isn&#39;t wrong to expect greatness and be intolerant of mediocrity or less.

 

[GAVol]

How many times do we have to go through this?

 

[allvol123]

I don&#39;t find hat to be offensive, I find him to be the know it all type. He is just like this idiot that sits in my section, if they run he says why didn&#39;t they pass, if they pass he says they should have run, all game long he has complaints. And I don&#39;t just mean last year, which is worth complaining about, I mean every year. The easiest thing in the world to do is to criticize. I do like Fulmer but if we have another year like last year then he does need to be gone. But he does not deserve to be fired for one bad year. I thought last year was disgusting and hope he has gotten his act together. But when I see these stupid comments about weight and crap like that, that just tells me these people are Fulmer haters. I think one time he was criticzed on here for lack of charisma, what a stupid comment on coaching ability. I mean we all know how critical this is to coaching, look at Bill Belichick in New England, boy he&#39;s charismatic.

 

[VolinArizona]

I don&#39;t find hat to be offensive, I find him to be the know it all type. He is just like this idiot that sits in my section, if they run he says why didn&#39;t they pass, if they pass he says they should have run, all game long he has complaints. And I don&#39;t just mean last year, which is worth complaining about, I mean every year. The easiest thing in the world to do is to criticize. I do like Fulmer but if we have another year like last year then he does need to be gone. But he does not deserve to be fired for one bad year. I thought last year was disgusting and hope he has gotten his act together. But when I see these stupid comments about weight and crap like that, that just tells me these people are Fulmer haters. I think one time he was criticzed on here for lack of charisma, what a stupid comment on coaching ability. I mean we all know how critical this is to coaching, look at Bill Belichick in New England, boy he&#39;s charismatic.

So 8-5 was okay with you before?

 

[GAVol]

What does that have to do with anything?

He conceded that last year was a disaster and that one more bad year should lead to CPF being fired. What do you want him to do, advocate shooting him??

 

[hatvol96]

I don&#39;t find hat to be offensive, I find him to be the know it all type. He is just like this idiot that sits in my section, if they run he says why didn&#39;t they pass, if they pass he says they should have run, all game long he has complaints. And I don&#39;t just mean last year, which is worth complaining about, I mean every year. The easiest thing in the world to do is to criticize. I do like Fulmer but if we have another year like last year then he does need to be gone. But he does not deserve to be fired for one bad year. I thought last year was disgusting and hope he has gotten his act together. But when I see these stupid comments about weight and crap like that, that just tells me these people are Fulmer haters. I think one time he was criticzed on here for lack of charisma, what a stupid comment on coaching ability. I mean we all know how critical this is to coaching, look at Bill Belichick in New England, boy he&#39;s charismatic.

Belichick can speak intelligently and interestingly about military and football history. Fulmer&#39;s only areas are expertise are the specials board at Shoney&#39;s and how to be a snitch.

 

[hatvol96]

What does that have to do with anything?

He conceded that last year was a disaster and that one more bad year should lead to CPF being fired. What do you want him to do, advocate shooting him??

Is manatee hunting legal in Tennessee?

 

[GAVol]

Is manatee hunting legal in Tennessee?

I don&#39;t know. Go bang your head repeatedly on the floor and let us know how it turns out.

 

[hatvol96]

I don&#39;t know. Go bang your head repeatedly on the floor and let us know how it turns out.

I would rather spend the evening intellectually eviscerating Fulmerites. They&#39;re such easy marks.

 

[GAVol]

Most people refer to that as trolling.

 

[hatvol96]

Most people refer to that as trolling.

That&#39;s not the dynamic here. I give my opinions. Fulmerites then decide to attempt character assassination against me. I am then forced to give them the intellectual equivalent of an Ike Turner style beatdown. I&#39;ve had my integrity and my loyalty to my University questioned. That&#39;s why I enjoy excoriating those who worship The Illegitimate Brother of the Shoney&#39;s Big Boy.

 

[OWB]

That&#39;s why I enjoy excoriating those who worship The Illegitimate Brother of the Shoney&#39;s Big Boy.

And comments like that is a big reason why it will never stop.

 

[LadyinOrange]

And comments like that is a big reason why it will never stop.

So is defending Tommy Gallion on a Vol board. :shakehead:

 

[WA_Vol]

That&#39;s not the dynamic here. I give my opinions. Fulmerites then decide to attempt character assassination against me. I am then forced to give them the intellectual equivalent of an Ike Turner style beatdown. I&#39;ve had my integrity and my loyalty to my University questioned. That&#39;s why I enjoy excoriating those who worship The Illegitimate Brother of the Shoney&#39;s Big Boy.

If you want to be the man you got to beat the man. Wooo&#33;

 

[GAVol]

If you want to be the man you got to beat the man. Wooo&#33;

Give me a friggin&#39; break.

 

[volinasheville]

DX is back baby&#33;&#33;

 

[LadyinOrange]

If you want to be the man you got to beat the man. Wooo&#33;

GaVol?? Is that you? :blink:

 

[hatvol96]

Give me a friggin&#39; break.

The movement is just too strong GAVol. You&#39;re in the same position Barry Windham was in &#39;87. On one hand, you can cry and moan with the self appointed saints/Fulmerites. Your other option is to join up with those of us who demand excellence in an unaplogetic manner.

 

[OWB]

The movement is just too strong GAVol. You&#39;re in the same position Barry Windham was in &#39;87. On one hand, you can cry and moan with the self appointed saints/Fulmerites. Your other option is to join up with those of us who demand excellence in an unaplogetic manner.

There&#39;s a third option...

 

[hatvol96]

DX is back baby&#33;&#33;

Are you ready?.....Are you ready?.....Well, you better get ready.....Bow to the Masters.....Break it down&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;