Chartervol
Bama Delenda Est
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- Nov 25, 2011
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One Man Gang is on double-secret assignment -- says he is maneuvering behind enemy lines someplace in Ohio -- and he has tossed me the keys to this weeks Maxim Report.
OMG would have watched todays game and come up with some parallel to Zulus and Gatling guns, or how Western Kentucky won the Battle of Borodino last week in Nashville but fell apart today at the gates of Moscow. My analysis is a little more pedestrian in historian circles, but here goes:
-------------
Trouble was afoot December 13, 1862 on the low hills west of the embattled Virginia city of Fredericksburg. Confederates of the Army of Northern Virginia gazed across their stone emplacements as the Federal Army of the Potomac massed downrange, aligning their ranks to cross the open fields toward the Rebel works.
It was an impossible situation for the bluecoats, but as so often happened to that star-crossed army, its leaders simply failed to assess the situation and rethink its plans.
General Robert E. Lee watched the power being assembled down the slope. He turned to his artillery man, Col. Porter Alexander, and asked him what he could do about it.
General, when we open up a chicken could not live upon that plain, Alexander said.
And so it was. Wave after wave of Yankees advanced across open ground toward the limestone walls of Maryes Heights, and wave after wave was shot to pieces. By nightfall the Union bodies were piled high; they served as human breastworks for the remaining Yankees, who were pinned down until dawn.
The most lopsided win in Lees career came in a manner for which he is not known. Lees legend was built on his offense, his ability to maneuver and concentrate his forces on the enemys weak spot. His fabled quarterback, Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, was the gunslinger of the Shenandoah Valley, slipping through the passes of Massanutten Mountain to keep the offense moving.
But not at Fredericksburg. The offense was barely necessary. Defense won going away.
Saturday Tennessees much-maligned defense turned on its tormentors and erased the nightmares of the recent past. Bobby Petrino, Offensive Genius, was supposed to find the holes in the Volunteers and exploit them in the manner of ancient Vol nemesis Steve Spurrier.
Not this day.
Playing with discipline and passion, the Vol defense took the ball from Petrinos offense five straight times and settled the issue before halftime. The offense shook off a slow start and put the game out of reach after the half.
A chicken couldnt live on Shields-Watkins Field Saturday when the defense opened up its artillery on the Hilltoppers.
Whether a chicken can live on that field on October 19, well, we will see.
-----------------
So how did the Vols live up to the Maxims?
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
Tennessee went almost six quarters into the season before committing a penalty. Not bad. On the other hand, Western Kentucky made enough mistakes in the first quarter to lose three games. Deduct points for a dropped TD pass and blocked kick that gave the Hilltoppers hope going into halftime.
2. Play for and make the breaks. When one comes your way, SCORE.
Five takeaways in six snaps for 31 points. Neyland purrs in heaven.
3. If at first the game - or the breaks - go against you, dont let up. Put on more steam.
Western looked good on its first drive and it was clear the Tennessee offense was not sharp. The Vol D then put on more steam -- and how. The Hilltoppers seized a break of their own to draw close before the half, but Tennessees offensive line provided the steam in the third quarter to restore order.
4. Protect our kickers, our quarterback, our lead and our ballgame.
Western got more first-half heat on Justin Worley than it should have, and as Butch said, the blocked kick was unacceptable. Still, when the issue was in some doubt the Vols protected the lead and the ballgame by wearing out the Hilltoppers in the third quarter.
5. Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle -- for this is the WINNNG EDGE.
It is nice to see the Vols sailing around and getting to the football again instead of scratching their noggins and wondering how to line up. No way they were as bad as they looked last year.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
Vincent Dallas did a nice job stepping up for Devrin Young; coverage was pretty good; and pinning the Toppers on the two was a nice touch. Still, a blocked punt could have unraveled the whole business.
7. Carry the fight to Western Kentucky and keep it there for 60 minutes.
At 00:00 the Vols motor was still running, and so was the one on the Red Hanky Team Bus.
OMG would have watched todays game and come up with some parallel to Zulus and Gatling guns, or how Western Kentucky won the Battle of Borodino last week in Nashville but fell apart today at the gates of Moscow. My analysis is a little more pedestrian in historian circles, but here goes:
-------------
Trouble was afoot December 13, 1862 on the low hills west of the embattled Virginia city of Fredericksburg. Confederates of the Army of Northern Virginia gazed across their stone emplacements as the Federal Army of the Potomac massed downrange, aligning their ranks to cross the open fields toward the Rebel works.
It was an impossible situation for the bluecoats, but as so often happened to that star-crossed army, its leaders simply failed to assess the situation and rethink its plans.
General Robert E. Lee watched the power being assembled down the slope. He turned to his artillery man, Col. Porter Alexander, and asked him what he could do about it.
General, when we open up a chicken could not live upon that plain, Alexander said.
And so it was. Wave after wave of Yankees advanced across open ground toward the limestone walls of Maryes Heights, and wave after wave was shot to pieces. By nightfall the Union bodies were piled high; they served as human breastworks for the remaining Yankees, who were pinned down until dawn.
The most lopsided win in Lees career came in a manner for which he is not known. Lees legend was built on his offense, his ability to maneuver and concentrate his forces on the enemys weak spot. His fabled quarterback, Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, was the gunslinger of the Shenandoah Valley, slipping through the passes of Massanutten Mountain to keep the offense moving.
But not at Fredericksburg. The offense was barely necessary. Defense won going away.
Saturday Tennessees much-maligned defense turned on its tormentors and erased the nightmares of the recent past. Bobby Petrino, Offensive Genius, was supposed to find the holes in the Volunteers and exploit them in the manner of ancient Vol nemesis Steve Spurrier.
Not this day.
Playing with discipline and passion, the Vol defense took the ball from Petrinos offense five straight times and settled the issue before halftime. The offense shook off a slow start and put the game out of reach after the half.
A chicken couldnt live on Shields-Watkins Field Saturday when the defense opened up its artillery on the Hilltoppers.
Whether a chicken can live on that field on October 19, well, we will see.
-----------------
So how did the Vols live up to the Maxims?
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
Tennessee went almost six quarters into the season before committing a penalty. Not bad. On the other hand, Western Kentucky made enough mistakes in the first quarter to lose three games. Deduct points for a dropped TD pass and blocked kick that gave the Hilltoppers hope going into halftime.
2. Play for and make the breaks. When one comes your way, SCORE.
Five takeaways in six snaps for 31 points. Neyland purrs in heaven.
3. If at first the game - or the breaks - go against you, dont let up. Put on more steam.
Western looked good on its first drive and it was clear the Tennessee offense was not sharp. The Vol D then put on more steam -- and how. The Hilltoppers seized a break of their own to draw close before the half, but Tennessees offensive line provided the steam in the third quarter to restore order.
4. Protect our kickers, our quarterback, our lead and our ballgame.
Western got more first-half heat on Justin Worley than it should have, and as Butch said, the blocked kick was unacceptable. Still, when the issue was in some doubt the Vols protected the lead and the ballgame by wearing out the Hilltoppers in the third quarter.
5. Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle -- for this is the WINNNG EDGE.
It is nice to see the Vols sailing around and getting to the football again instead of scratching their noggins and wondering how to line up. No way they were as bad as they looked last year.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
Vincent Dallas did a nice job stepping up for Devrin Young; coverage was pretty good; and pinning the Toppers on the two was a nice touch. Still, a blocked punt could have unraveled the whole business.
7. Carry the fight to Western Kentucky and keep it there for 60 minutes.
At 00:00 the Vols motor was still running, and so was the one on the Red Hanky Team Bus.
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