The Official #4 Tennessee @ Arkansas Game Thread, 7:30 PM ET, ABC

[patrick]

Last comment for me tonight.

Elarbee going to get Heupel fired if he stays at TN.

 

[RockyTop140]

This is where I am too. Not much can be done to “coach around” bad O-line play I don’t think, especially not with this offense. Running to the edges doesn’t appear to be an option with this offense so you just kind of hope the QB can read it and react and scramble when needed I think? Rough night but not the end of the season IMO.

I know 1 thing that can be done. Recruit good O lineman. We’ve only had 3-4 years to do it. I get what you’re saying, but recruiting is just as important as coaching. Cant coach bad players up to best good teams

 

[patrick]

Well to be fair Nico is a lot younger and less experienced than Hook was. Nico also doesn't have Hyatt and Tillman who could separate. Not sure why the guys we have can not separate consistently. The hope is we find that and mix in more intermediate routes. The running into the kicker thing was probably one of the dumbest situational plays I have seen in a long while. I think Josh needs to make some changes. For one Karic should sit and put Davis in at G. GE while he is a good OL coach isn't great. Not sure if that will happen. Not sold on Pope. And of course Martinez. Nico needs some designed runs early to get him into the game. A few plants wouldn't hurt either to get that feel good. I wonderd if leaning on the D at OU hurt Nico's confidence ?

I don’t disagree with any of this at all.

 

[Volintheswamp]

I’m just an amateur armchair offensive coordinator, but to me the game plan for Nico looks limited compared to Hooker and Milton. I don’t think Nico is 100% ready, probably 85% ready.

 

[TheVolsFrog]

I don’t think that Heupel trusts Nico. One reason being the oline is just bad. The other being Nico’s youth.

I do now wonder if Heupel-Hooker was more of an aberration than the reality of the Heupel offense - maybe Heupel just aired it out with Hooker due to his limited roster. But who knows.

Also Heupel must adjust his offense with the defenses that are being thrown at his offense.

Undisciplined football across the board. That is coaching deal.

Last year it was Heupel doesn't trust Milton.
So now it's Heupel doesn't trust Nico?
Honestly sounds like crap to me and I said last year maybe Golesh had a lot to do with our success and definitely felt that way during the Bama game where Milton threw a TD before the half and played pretty good. Came out the second half and the D crapped the bed and then the Offense play calling went conservative and everybody started in on the Heupel doesn't trust Milton troupe, yet he trusted him enough 1st half and he played well.
I think Golesh was key and Halzel just doesn't have that extra bit

 

[RockyTop140]

I don’t disagree with any of this at all.

Very fair take. Wide receivers are not doing us any favors. Hopefully Matthews and Staley develop well and give us some good weapons next season

 

[VolRage]

Disappointment? He wasn't the reason we lost tonight.

Play calling is awful, o line is trash, and receivers aren't getting open.

So roll the QB out of the pocket every now and then. Huepel did nothing to adjust to the Hogs D. He called a chicken sheet game. If I didn’t know any better I would’ve thought Dooley was calling the shots tonight. This is Huepel’s Homer Simpson game. There is a big difference between the talent on the Hogs team and the Vols but if I didn’t know that, you couldn’t convince me of it. The Hogs whipped the Vols on both sides of the ball. It was an embarrassing loss. The entire offense needs to take a long hard look in the mirror. It’s gut check time.

 

[C-south]

I’m just an amateur armchair offense coordinator, but to me the game plan for Nico looks limited compared to Hooker and Milton. I don’t think Nico is 100% ready, probably 85% ready.

Well we could try to run it but we couldn’t block 5 guys with 6 or 7.

 

[Mustng959]

An off week and a top 5 ranking ......
There was absolutely no sense in the playing or coaching of this team for this game.

 

[MemphisVolFan1978]

I’m just shocked at how bad the offense is. I know the competition has gotten stiffer the last 2 games, but there shouldn’t be this much of a drop off from what they showed they could do in the first few games. They went from breaking records to not scoring a touchdown in 5 out of the last 6 quarters played.

 

[Memphisvol87]

Clearly Arkansas is not awful.

They are not good, which makes what we did tonight that much worse

 

[PerryCountyVol]

Last comment for me tonight.

Elarbee going to get Heupel fired if he stays at TN.

Agreed! Need upgrades in OL, OC, Secondary coaching

 

[FanDude]

Maybe he will learn the importance of staying focused and rest instead of being out @ 3:30 four hours before practice and classes.

I could swear Nico was working on a sammich with extra mayo on the sideline. Coach did not say one word to him about it.

 

[Z06Vol]

I have to wonder if Huepel even knew that Ark was using a backup kicker. They obviously let them score on that last run but several run plays before that looked pretty suspect also.

 

[keckjm]

Last comment for me tonight.

Elarbee going to get Heupel fired if he stays at TN.

The OL penalties have to get fixed, but it likely won’t happen bc it’s been a theme under JH the last 4 years. Just costly penalties killing us.

 

[BigALWiLson]

Boo Carter and his Belt to ass Twitter posts needs to be shut down also. I think we believed we were gonna walk in and destroy this team. Welp found out quickly that is dangerous in this league. Lock in learn from it and take the next game serious no matter who it is. Prepare the right way with focus and not getting caught up in the press. I think it would serve well for even our fans to get a dose of humble pie. Lot of talk about blowing them out the last two weeks. We really did look like we were shocked they came to play.

 

[SonOfGodVolforlife]

I’m just shocked at how bad the offense is. I know the competition has gotten stiffer the last 2 games, but there shouldn’t be this much of a drop off from what they showed they could do in the first few games. They went from breaking records to not scoring a touchdown in 5 out of the last 6 quarters played.

Me too. The passing game has disappeared and that’s a shame when you have a weapon like Sampson.

 

[lilesrt]

Yep, we’re beating Florida. This team will be pissed in Neyland next weekend.

We’re not beating Florida. Not with this three ring circus of an offense.

 

[Orange931]

We’re not beating Florida. Not with this three ring circus of an offense.

I think the circus was a one trick pony. I think this team comes out and dominates next weekend.

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

I know 1 thing that can be done. Recruit good O lineman. We’ve only had 3-4 years to do it. I get what you’re saying, but recruiting is just as important as coaching. Cant coach bad players up to best good teams

I agree it’s a legitimate concern. They’ve got the top OT coming next season and I know that’s the “next year” line but not sure what else can be done. Maybe they can grab some portal help and hope for injury luck? Didn’t anticipate Heard and Campbell being injury prone. Also I didn’t pay close enough attention tonight to see if they were rotating them often or not. Assuming that they did…

 

[lilesrt]

I think the circus was a one trick pony. I think this team comes out and dominates next weekend.

I hope so.

 

[DC_Vol]

Bet the house on Florida if you’re a gambler. They will win by 10+.

Well, well, well…

What a turn of events!

 

[RockyTop140]

I agree it’s a legitimate concern. They’ve got the top OT coming next season and I know that’s the “next year” line but not sure what else can be done. Maybe they can grab some portal help and hope for injury luck? Didn’t anticipate Heard and Campbell being injury prone. Also I didn’t pay close enough attention tonight to see if they were rotating them often or not. Assuming that they did…

I dont remember them being rotated much. Mainly because we couldn’t keep our offense on the field for long

 

[DooleyOrangePants]

lol Sampson with the honesty in the post game press conference. I think he spoke up on purpose. I’d be frustrated with this teams focus and discipline as well.

Missed it. What did he say?

 

[FanDude]

I think this could have been a good team, but it isn't -- or wasn't tonight. Maybe it is just one bad game, but they looked fuzzed, with no mojo. If we had to lose to anybody, I'd rather lose to Sam Pittman than any of the others we have to play. Let's hope the team learns from this game, gets it together, beats Florida, and takes it on the upswing from there.