This is a Talent Issue

[perico]

We look beat up to me as well. I agree that their are coaching issues, but on talent alone, Auburn is 17 points better than we are.

Yep. You play 3 top 10 teams in a row, including a humiliating loss to your traditional rival, you get worn down when there is a significant talent drop whenever you take a starter off the field.

 

[Dragon18]

We still have real issues with scheme on both sides. Bajay has disappointed this year.

Well, How would you have schemed differently? How would you have kept Auburn from getting the ball out into space were they flat out exposed our lack of speed? I'm afraid any adjustment you would have made would have exposed us in some other way that would have been equally bad. They were simply fast and skilled enough to make us look that bad. I'm asking sincerely because watching that game I didn't see ANYTHING we could do to stop them and I've been around this game a long time.

 

[CNCVol88]

Exactly.

No excuse in this day and age for a team to win the way Auburn did today.

They are that much faster and better than us? Seems pretty simple to me

 

[Lexvol]

There's no way you can tell that with how many times players were out of position, read plays wrong, etc.

No one is "fast" enough to run 5 yds in the wrong direction then run down SEC skill players from behind.

Oh, and I forgot leverage. If your job is to set the edge then they start teaching you in Pop Warner to keep your outside arm free. I guess that's not important to this "scheme" though.

I don't entirely disagree. But this is exactly what we've seen from everybody on the field as long as they've been here. We need new faces on defense.

Coleman and McNeill look un-coachable to me. I just don't think they are that smart.

The biggest disappointment for me is the number of times we put our heads down when we are tackling. I see no excuse for that.

 

[vol4eva]

Honest question...

Do we have a single player that would have started on any of our teams between 1995 and 2001?

I'm not sure we do.

There's not a single player on D that would start in that era. There would be a couple at most on offense, an that's being generous.

 

[CountVolcula]

When they attempted 7 passes all game and still score 55 points, that's a coaching issue

Great point

Stack the box and force them to throw. I only saw a constant 4 man rush. Same as last three games

I miss 3rd and Chavis

Pay him a million 5 to come back

 

[sjt18]

It's more of some players have quit and we have the worst group of linebackers in the SEC. Our o-line has been very disappointing and our pass rush is non-existent again.

I would blame it on the LB's.... except for the DL being pushed down field 5 yds on virtually every play. Has the UT DL visited an opponent's backfield anytime during the last 3 games?

Right now, if I am an opposing OC. I find McCullers and run off tackle in his direction. The OL on him is going to push him back creating traffic that the LB's have to fight through.

Honestly. Isn't this 4-3 Defense 101? DT's occupy the interior OL so the DE's and LB's can set the edges and make plays?

 

[Lexvol]

Well, How would you have schemed differently? How would you have kept Auburn from getting the ball out into space were they flat out exposed our lack of speed? I'm afraid any adjustment you would have made would have exposed us in some other way that would have been equally bad. They were simply fast and skilled enough to make us look that bad. I'm asking sincerely because watching that game I didn't see ANYTHING we could do to stop them and I've been around this game a long time.

Would have started by kicking the ball out of bounds on every kick.

Would not have run the exact same offensive play on third down for three possessions in a row.

Would have handed the ball to Marlin Lane off of right tackle 20 times.

 

[sjt18]

Great point

Stack the box and force them to throw. I only saw a constant 4 man rush. Same as last three games

I miss 3rd and Chavis

Pay him a million 5 to come back

Ummm. NO.

There are plenty of good DC's out there. Recycling Chavis would not help this team.

Depending on what Spurrier does, there could be a good one from there looking for a job or at least open to offers.

 

[Dragon18]

Would have started by kicking the ball out of bounds on every kick.

Would not have run the exact same offensive play on third down for three possessions in a row.

Would have handed the ball to Marlin Lane off of right tackle 20 times.

OK we were talking about scheming defensively.

 

[NCFisher]

I will agree if we're having the same issues next year.

So, you're saying it all talent now regardless of any tangible progress this year? We're playing as we did opening day, without discipline, effort, and mailing it the last 2-3 quarters. Only the irrational would say fire Butch, but only the fervently faithful - and faith is all it is at this point - can blame the gap of these losses solely on talent. IMO, of course.

Jones is nearly 1/3 the way through his tenure if he expects to be the HC past 2015. It is not unreasonable to expect fundamental progress.

 

[General Jack]

Great point

Stack the box and force them to throw. I only saw a constant 4 man rush. Same as last three games

I miss 3rd and Chavis

Pay him a million 5 to come back

Chavis was only great when he had top notch DTs. That's why he continues to do well at LSU, no shortage of DTs down there smh.

Chavis vintage 2006, 2007 and 2008 wasn't so hot for us when our DT talent was gone.

 

[photovol]

I'm so very tired of the Vols being Cursed....exorcism is needed

 

[CountVolcula]

I would take Casper the Friendly Ghost over Jancek right now

 

[Lexvol]

OK we were talking about scheming defensively.

When the middle of the defense played like it did today….it is much more about fundamentals than scheme. If I had a nickel for every missed tackle….

 

[Lexvol]

Did a DE get his named called at all today?

 

[Lexvol]

I'm so very tired of the Vols being Cursed....exorcism is needed

The Dooley stink will be gone after this year.

 

[Burger]

How would we know? If they are constantly out of position then how can you assess their "talent"?

Someone will say, "Well, you can see by how they get beat in space." If you got one guy trying to stop an SEC skill player on the edge with no pursuit and no help... that's not a battle many defenders from any team can win.

I've seen players in the right position, but they miss the tackle. We suck, and nobody could change that until these guys graduate. Auburn is almost as talented as bama, and were about as talented as Vandy if even that.

 

[PanicVol]

So we need 5 star players to make special teams tackles?

 

[Spartacavolus]

where was Randolph today?

I think we are a lot more beat up than Butch is letting on. There are real coaching issues on this team….but they are far surpassed by a lack of team speed.

Agreed. Has to be some coaching issues, just hard to figure out when at times. Jaques getting shoved back 5 yards as they go around the end over and over is incredible, really. I can't believe Stripling would coach that.
Fact is that outside of Mccullers, none of our front 7 would be in the 2 deep for the top 10 sec teams, or maybe even all of the sec teams, and we are seeing it with these beatdowns.

 

[General Jack]

The Dooley stink will be gone after this year.

God I hope so. A couple more years of this and we are no longer a top 10 all-time program.

 

[sjt18]

Well, How would you have schemed differently?

First, play your LB's... not your nickel back. Use the OLB's to set the edge and force everything back inside.

Sit McCullers big rear on the bench. Go with your "smurf" package... go with Saulsberry. Slide Walls down inside. Find SOMEONE who well take on blocks and leave AJ "clean" to make tackles.

Go man to man. Disguise it but force them to do something other than run over you.

Spy the QB. It doesn't necessarily even matter who it is as long as they can run a little. JRM is a decent candidate for that too.

There are only about a million things that could have been tried as opposed to running out there and doing the same things that WERE NOT WORKING.

I'm afraid any adjustment you would have made would have exposed us in some other way that would have been equally bad.

Really? Did you miss the final score? "Equally bad" was worth trying when they're basically moving the ball at will. Here's a
"fun" stat for you. They avg'd 8.5 ypc vs UT. The ONLY team who allowed more was Western Carolina... a 2-8 FCS school.

They were simply fast and skilled enough to make us look that bad.

Worse than FAU? Arkansas? MSU? Ark St?

I'm asking sincerely because watching that game I didn't see ANYTHING we could do to stop them and I've been around this game a long time.

Well the only thing left once the game starts is to take more risks. There was PLENTY that could have and should have been done in game prep. Reads... horrible. Pursuit... horrible. DL play... horrible. Angles... horrible.

ALL of these things are "coachable"... and it doesn't take YEARS for them to start getting better.

 

[NCFisher]

So we need 5 star players to make special teams tackles?

Even when return men dribble the ball down the 10 yard line. Odd, how your kicker is the last man constantly getting a hand on the guy - even fighting through three blockers near the goal line - but every one else is too slow & talentless to get a lick on the basketball player somewhere in the 90 yards prior.

 

[PanicVol]

So, you're saying it all talent now regardless of any tangible progress this year? We're playing as we did opening day, without discipline, effort, and mailing it the last 2-3 quarters. Only the irrational would say fire Butch, but only the fervently faithful - and faith is all it is at this point - can blame the gap of these losses solely on talent. IMO, of course.

Jones is nearly 1/3 the way through his tenure if he expects to be the HC past 2015. It is not unreasonable to expect fundamental progress.

I totally agree. Our schedule sucks no doubt, but geez. At least a little improvement would be nice to see. I thought that was what good coaches do?

 

[sjt18]

The Dooley stink will be gone after this year.

Yeah... because Dooley is responsible for the playcalling, gameplanning, and coaching of THIS defensive staff.

Dooley stank. Dooley is NOT a valid excuse for players not getting better over the last 10 months.