The scariest thing right now...

#26
#26
Another scary thing is that the Austin Peay game wasn't just a fluke. We are really that bad.
 
#27
#27
NEWDAYVOL said:
We looked soft. They even said that during the half time show. That is not something you can change. We either got grit or we don't. Not sure who it was that didn't even try to wrap up the guy on their first touchdown...but how does that happen?

With that said the officiating was oddly one sided in the second half. I never blame the game on officiating...but the calls that were and weren't made in the second half were some of the worst I've ever seen.

I didn't think any other aspect of the game was considerably concerning...other than the lack of toughness...which is terribly concerning.

People are too hard on Milton. He missed some (that's football) but also made some perfect throws.
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We are not nearly aggressive on offense or defense as we were last year. I don't know if that is a difference in coaching or a difference in leadership on the field. It could be some of both.
 
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#28
#28
Proud Army Wife said:
Kind of topic, but I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen from Castles. That guy has grit. Him and Bru. I wish some of that would rub off on the rest of the players.
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Agreed. He looked solid and Bru had some tough catches and always fights hard! I thought Squirrel had a nice game too and I was encouraged to see Donte finally catch the ball.
 
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#29
#29
Milton checked out I think at the end of 4Q. Heupel looked like he himself checked out mentally in the 2Q. When those two gave up then the rest of the team followed suit. Where is the never-say-die in this team? So close and then the coaching gives out. Worse is Heupel taking all that time before the halftime....just wasting darn near the full play clock's worth and then TO??!? Why?!?
 
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#30
#30
Yep.
We failed the gut check.
The D was out-toughed, and the OLine was playing distracted and sloppy.
We looked weak in every direction last night.

Weird that so many different players under so many different head coaches have delivered the same results for 3 decades at the Swamp.
 
#31
#31
obxvol said:
If we have one of the most prolific qbs in college football, why was the offense so run heavy? I knew we would try it early to keep them honest but we never left the run game even when it was obvious it wasn’t working.
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As I've said elsewhere the playcalling with just over 2 minutes to the half was quizzically bad. Just inexplicable why you wouldn't take downfield shots there.
 
#32
#32
OrangeWave2 said:
Milton checked out I think at the end of 4Q. Heupel looked like he himself checked out mentally in the 2Q. When those two gave up then the rest of the team followed suit. Where is the never-say-die in this team? So close and then the coaching gives out. Worse is Heupel taking all that time before the halftime....just wasting darn near the full play clock's worth and then TO??!? Why?!?
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Yes, just saying that. Even as a Gator fan I was just sitting there, shaking my head. Kept expecting some sort of airing it out.

Never happened. And then under a minute to go everyone stood there for about 20 seconds as the clock ran.
 
#33
#33
lawgator1 said:
Yes, just saying that. Even as a Gator fan I was just sitting there, shaking my head. Kept expecting some sort of airing it out.

Never happened. And then under a minute to go everyone stood there for about 20 seconds as the clock ran.
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That's incredibly telling that none of the coaching staff was on the same page at all. Heupel didn't know what the OC was doing, the QB coach doesn't know what the OL has subbed out. Then Milton has to digest it all while managing a clock!
 
#34
#34
VOLfrombama said:
Meh, he whiffed on quite a few extra protection blocks. And if he uses his hands to block the guy instead of putting his shoulder near the head, i don't think they call the crackback block that killed our momentum late in the game. All he really needs to do there is get between him and Small. I still think it was a BS call, but he gave them part of the formula for calling it by lowering his shoulder into a player looking the other way.

They all have to get way better in a hurry, especially pass blocking.
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He said in an interview recently that he hadn’t really been taught proper blocking techniques until he got to the Vols so that aspect is still an ongoing learning experience for him and he’s really working hard to learn fast and be good at it.
 
#35
#35
OrangeWave2 said:
That's incredibly telling that none of the coaching staff was on the same page at all. Heupel didn't know what the OC was doing, the QB coach doesn't know what the OL has subbed out. Then Milton has to digest it all while managing a clock!
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Milton was always looking to the sideline for a play. He has very little if any autonomy.
 
#36
#36
obxvol said:
If we have one of the most prolific qbs in college football, why was the offense so run heavy? I knew we would try it early to keep them honest but we never left the run game even when it was obvious it wasn’t working.
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Probably because our Coach’s system is and has been a run first style of offense. The run is what opens up the passing game and the tempo increase.
 
#37
#37
This team simply does not have the "it" factor. No one on this team, including Milton, makes you say "Wow". Well, not in a good way.

Add in the fact that this team looks soft across the board...we are in Year 3 of Tim Banks and I'm not impressed...Martinez should have never been hired to start with...Hadden should not see the field again at UT (and he's no threat at all to play in the NFL)...the offense looks like they spin the bottle to call the next play...did I mention how the entire team looks soft?

This is a 7-5 team, plus or minus one. Anyone who has kicked their KoolAid addiction and taken the orange glasses off can see that. All last night did was save me a couple or more thousand dollars on going to the USCe and UGA games. Not worth my time, and definitely not worth my money. We'll spend it in the Smokies instead, where the Good Lord never disappoints with the beauty of His creation.

If the UF game was the barometer for the 2023 season...and it was...then UT Football still has a ways to go before we are competing for things bigger than the Music City Bowl. It is what it is. At this point, anyone with a room temperature IQ realizes that it's time to start working towards '24.

Yes...the SEC East, SEC, and CFB Playoff are out of reach at this point. There are too many potential points of failure (Milton, the OL, Banks, Martinez, Hadden) for this team to go on a prolonged run. We might pull off an upset down the stretch, but so did UF, last night. You're not going far when you are the team getting upset. Fact.

So...we will continue to pull for the Vols, but I'm not wasting any more Saturdays on a team that doesn't want it as bad as I do. I have spent an aggregate of over 40 years of trying to be the best I could. I have no time or tolerance for those who go all wobbly when the going gets tough. This team is weak, and south of Coach Heupel, only Coach Ekeler impresses me. The staff has glaring weaknesses, as does the team. The team is a reflection of the staff, IMO.

Heupel is a good coach. He has a good scheme. He needs to learn how to coach like his job depends on it. If not, it'll be too late when he finally does.

Go Vols.
 
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#38
#38
lawgator1 said:
Milton was always looking to the sideline for a play. He has very little if any autonomy.
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What I"m saying is that if the play is already botched from the top, then it's in tatters by the time they expect Milton to run it. No cohesion or unity out there. Pitiful coaching.
 
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#40
#40
GreyWolf1129 said:
This team simply does not have the "it" factor. No one on this team, including Milton, makes you say "Wow". Well, not in a good way.

Add in the fact that this team looks soft across the board...we are in Year 3 of Tim Banks and I'm not impressed...Martinez should have never been hired to start with...Hadden should not see the field again at UT (and he's no threat at all to play in the NFL)...the offense looks like they spin the bottle to call the next play...did I mention how the entire team looks soft?

This is a 7-5 team, plus or minus one. Anyone who has kicked their KoolAid addiction and taken the orange glasses off can see that. All last night did was save me a couple or more thousand dollars on going to the USCe and UGA games. Not worth my time, and definitely not worth my money. We'll spend it in the Smokies instead, where the Good Lord never disappoints with the beauty of His creation.

If the UF game was the barometer for the 2023 season...and it was...then UT Football still has a ways to go before we are competing for things bigger than the Music City Bowl. It is what it is. At this point, anyone with a room temperature IQ realizes that it's time to start working towards '24.

Yes...the SEC East, SEC, and CFB Playoff are out of reach at this point. There are too many potential points of failure (Milton, the OL, Banks, Martinez, Hadden) for this team to go on a prolonged run. We might pull off an upset down the stretch, but so did UF, last night. You're not going far when you are the team getting upset. Fact.

So...we will continue to pull for the Vols, but I'm not wasting any more Saturdays on a team that doesn't want it as bad as I do. I have spent an aggregate of over 40 years of trying to be the best I could. I have no time or tolerance for those who go all wobbly when the going gets tough. This team is weak, and south of Coach Heupel, only Coach Ekeler impresses me. The staff has glaring weaknesses, as does the team. The team is a reflection of the staff, IMO.

Heupel is a good coach. He has a good scheme. He needs to learn how to coach like his job depends on it. If not, it'll be too late when he finally does.

Go Vols.
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Can this team win 7 games, may be a better question, I’m not seeing it from what I’ve seen so far

The Vols Miss Cooper Mays more than anyone on the team
 
#41
#41
Pili being injured was also a big loss. Hooker, Hiatt and the stars from last season were Pruitt recruits and were extremely coached up by Heupel and staff to a championship level. 2023 can be seen as a rebuilding year but there are many seniors starting including Milton and if it is indeed a mid-level SEC squad at best - go ahead and rebuild with Nico and younger guys. The clock is running on some of these players if they can not perform better than the past 2 weeks.
 
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