OneManGang
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Tennessee vs The Maxims vs Florida
It can be argued that we pay presidents of these United States, when all is said and done, to make three or maybe four really important decisions over the course of a four-year term. So it is with college football. We, the living fans, cough up money for tickets, lukewarm cold drinks and the opportunity to sit in the midst of 100,000 of our closest sweaty friends on hot days. We also sit through boring games (last years Duke and Rutgers games come to mind) or worse through debacles like the 02 Miami game or last years Georgia mess. We dont come back time after time because of all that. We do it for games like Saturday nights contest between the Vols and the Gators.
It was at some point in the middle of the third quarter when it occurred to me that I might just be witnessing one of the best college football games Ive ever seen in person. Saturday nights game goes into the file along with such legendary games at Neyland Stadium as the 1990 Notre Dame and 1998 Florida games. These were hard-hitting games where neither team gave or asked for quarter. Both gave 110% and it was too bad one had to lose. It was typical of this game that the Gators pulled out all the stops during the last kickoff return, throwing a spot pass from the return man to another Gator, trying to make something happen.
There was even an element of redemption involved as James Wilhoit nailed a 50-yard game-winning field goal just three minutes and nineteen seconds of game time after slicing an extra point attempt wide right. I wish someone could have held a sound meter as Wilhoit struck the ball. There was complete dead silence for the four seconds or so of flight time. And then, to borrow a phrase from John Ward: Pandemonium Reigned!
So how did the team do compared to the Maxims?
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
Both teams played relatively error-free football. There were nine total penalties between the teams and turnovers were roughly even. The critical error was a Florida player getting chivvied into a personal-foul penalty on Florida's final possession that set up the final field goal.
2. Play for and make the breaks. When one comes your way SCORE!
Tennessees biggest break came when Florida drove to the one yard line and came away empty. If the Gators hit that field goal, they very likely win.
3. If at first the game or the breaks go against you, dont let up PUT ON MORE STEAM!
This was the critical Maxim Saturday. In a contest between such evenly matched teams, every play is almost live-or-die. The Vols could have curled up in a ball after Wilhoits missed PAT but they didnt.
4. Protect our kickers, our quarterback, our lead and our ballgame.
For whatever reason, Tennessee seems to have a hard time with the edge rush. Shaeffer coughed up yet another fumble after getting blind-sided on a pass play.
5. Ball! Oskie! Cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle THIS IS THE WINNING EDGE.
Crossing patterns befuddled Tennessees defense all night. As with the UNLV game, the tackling simply sucked. No other word for it. Time and again, after holding Florida to third-and-long, poor tackling allowed the Gators to escape and live another series.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
Kickoff coverage is still suspect at best. Fulmer pointed out after the game that both Tennessee opponents have fumbled punts only to recover the ball.
7. Carry the fight to Florida and keep it there for sixty minutes.
On the dot.
Tennessee is by no means a contender for the National Championship at this point. With two young quarterbacks and a defense that is still somewhat suspect, there is room for a great deal of improvement. At some point this season the wheels will come off. The thing that I like about this team is the never surrender attitude. Even if it all goes wrong, they will not quit. Saturdays win over the Gators, though, may have set the stage for future teams to be, in one of Fulmers pet phrases, Something Special.
MAXOMG
© 2004 One Man Gang
It can be argued that we pay presidents of these United States, when all is said and done, to make three or maybe four really important decisions over the course of a four-year term. So it is with college football. We, the living fans, cough up money for tickets, lukewarm cold drinks and the opportunity to sit in the midst of 100,000 of our closest sweaty friends on hot days. We also sit through boring games (last years Duke and Rutgers games come to mind) or worse through debacles like the 02 Miami game or last years Georgia mess. We dont come back time after time because of all that. We do it for games like Saturday nights contest between the Vols and the Gators.
It was at some point in the middle of the third quarter when it occurred to me that I might just be witnessing one of the best college football games Ive ever seen in person. Saturday nights game goes into the file along with such legendary games at Neyland Stadium as the 1990 Notre Dame and 1998 Florida games. These were hard-hitting games where neither team gave or asked for quarter. Both gave 110% and it was too bad one had to lose. It was typical of this game that the Gators pulled out all the stops during the last kickoff return, throwing a spot pass from the return man to another Gator, trying to make something happen.
There was even an element of redemption involved as James Wilhoit nailed a 50-yard game-winning field goal just three minutes and nineteen seconds of game time after slicing an extra point attempt wide right. I wish someone could have held a sound meter as Wilhoit struck the ball. There was complete dead silence for the four seconds or so of flight time. And then, to borrow a phrase from John Ward: Pandemonium Reigned!
So how did the team do compared to the Maxims?
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
Both teams played relatively error-free football. There were nine total penalties between the teams and turnovers were roughly even. The critical error was a Florida player getting chivvied into a personal-foul penalty on Florida's final possession that set up the final field goal.
2. Play for and make the breaks. When one comes your way SCORE!
Tennessees biggest break came when Florida drove to the one yard line and came away empty. If the Gators hit that field goal, they very likely win.
3. If at first the game or the breaks go against you, dont let up PUT ON MORE STEAM!
This was the critical Maxim Saturday. In a contest between such evenly matched teams, every play is almost live-or-die. The Vols could have curled up in a ball after Wilhoits missed PAT but they didnt.
4. Protect our kickers, our quarterback, our lead and our ballgame.
For whatever reason, Tennessee seems to have a hard time with the edge rush. Shaeffer coughed up yet another fumble after getting blind-sided on a pass play.
5. Ball! Oskie! Cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle THIS IS THE WINNING EDGE.
Crossing patterns befuddled Tennessees defense all night. As with the UNLV game, the tackling simply sucked. No other word for it. Time and again, after holding Florida to third-and-long, poor tackling allowed the Gators to escape and live another series.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
Kickoff coverage is still suspect at best. Fulmer pointed out after the game that both Tennessee opponents have fumbled punts only to recover the ball.
7. Carry the fight to Florida and keep it there for sixty minutes.
On the dot.
Tennessee is by no means a contender for the National Championship at this point. With two young quarterbacks and a defense that is still somewhat suspect, there is room for a great deal of improvement. At some point this season the wheels will come off. The thing that I like about this team is the never surrender attitude. Even if it all goes wrong, they will not quit. Saturdays win over the Gators, though, may have set the stage for future teams to be, in one of Fulmers pet phrases, Something Special.
MAXOMG
© 2004 One Man Gang
