This is Closer to the Truth

[GAVol]

Originally posted by allvol@Nov 11, 2004 10:29 AM
I don't hold him up on the pedestal that others do... just because they always compare Sanders to him.

I'm in the same boat with you on Cutcliffe. No doubt he is a good coach, but let's be honest - he's been very fortunate with the personnel that he's had to work with. Think about it. Prior to this year, the worst QB that he has had since he became a coordinator/head coach was probably Tee Martin.

 

[allvol]

Originally posted by GAVol+Nov 11, 2004 10:35 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (GAVol @ Nov 11, 2004 10:35 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-allvol@Nov 11, 2004 10:29 AM
I don&#39;t hold him up on the pedestal that others do... just because they always compare Sanders to him.

I&#39;m in the same boat with you on Cutcliffe. No doubt he is a good coach, but let&#39;s be honest - he&#39;s been very fortunate with the personnel that he&#39;s had to work with. Think about it. Prior to this year, the worst QB that he has had since he became a coordinator/head coach was probably Tee Martin. [/quote]
Yes, and although they were 12-0 during the regular season... they averaged less than 400 yards of total offense per game... and were not very consistant. They scored alot of points via field position and big plays. Did not have very many sustained lengthy drives in 1998. And Tee Martin&#39;s passing stats were horrible to start the season.

9-of-26 against Syracuse
7-of-20 against Florida
5-of-14 against Auburn

Tee did pick up his stats by the end of the season to finish completing 57.3% including his record setting performance against South Carolina (23-of-24).

 

[OrangeCrush18]

:good: Good insight and stats guys&#33; :good:

Makes you go ummmmm. :question:

 

[allvol]

Originally posted by GAVol@Nov 11, 2004 10:35 AM
I&#39;m in the same boat with you on Cutcliffe.  No doubt he is a good coach, but let&#39;s be honest - he&#39;s been very fortunate with the personnel that he&#39;s had to work with.  Think about it.  Prior to this year, the worst QB that he has had since he became a coordinator/head coach was probably Tee Martin.

It does make me think :question: .... for most of his time as coordinator, he had Shuler and Manning.... both finished 2nd in the Heisman and were 1st round draft picks in the NFL.

I&#39;ve updated the list of o-coordinators above to list some key offensive players during each coaches&#39; tenure. Cutcliffe&#39;s list is like a who&#39;s who of NFL players... and the ones not successful in the NFL are stars in Arena or Canadian football leagues. :question:

Maybe Fulmer should look for a new recruiting coordinator? :yikes:

 

[rwemyss]

Originally posted by allvol+Nov 11, 2004 12:14 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (allvol @ Nov 11, 2004 12:14 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-GAVol@Nov 11, 2004 10:35 AM
I&#39;m in the same boat with you on Cutcliffe.  No doubt he is a good coach, but let&#39;s be honest - he&#39;s been very fortunate with the personnel that he&#39;s had to work with.  Think about it.  Prior to this year, the worst QB that he has had since he became a coordinator/head coach was probably Tee Martin.

It does make me think :question: .... for most of his time as coordinator, he had Shuler and Manning.... both finished 2nd in the Heisman and were 1st round draft picks in the NFL.

I&#39;ve updated the list of o-coordinators above to list some key offensive players during each coaches&#39; tenure. Cutcliffe&#39;s list is like a who&#39;s who of NFL players... and the ones not successful in the NFL are stars in Arena or Canadian football leagues. :question:

Maybe Fulmer should look for a new recruiting coordinator? :yikes: [/quote]
Part of the problem is that times have changed. Scholarship caps have really hurt the larger programs, allowing some mid-major schools to get some of the best talent. Guys want to go somewhere that they can get on the field as freshmen...

 

[OrangeCrush18]

Originally posted by rwemyss+Nov 11, 2004 2:07 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (rwemyss @ Nov 11, 2004 2:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by allvol@Nov 11, 2004 12:14 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-GAVol

@Nov 11, 2004 10:35 AM
I&#39;m in the same boat with you on Cutcliffe.  No doubt he is a good coach, but let&#39;s be honest - he&#39;s been very fortunate with the personnel that he&#39;s had to work with.  Think about it.  Prior to this year, the worst QB that he has had since he became a coordinator/head coach was probably Tee Martin.

It does make me think :question: .... for most of his time as coordinator, he had Shuler and Manning.... both finished 2nd in the Heisman and were 1st round draft picks in the NFL.

I&#39;ve updated the list of o-coordinators above to list some key offensive players during each coaches&#39; tenure. Cutcliffe&#39;s list is like a who&#39;s who of NFL players... and the ones not successful in the NFL are stars in Arena or Canadian football leagues. :question:

Maybe Fulmer should look for a new recruiting coordinator? :yikes:

Part of the problem is that times have changed. Scholarship caps have really hurt the larger programs, allowing some mid-major schools to get some of the best talent. Guys want to go somewhere that they can get on the field as freshmen... [/quote]
Like Tennessee?

 

[rwemyss]

Yup. I just don&#39;t think kids are willing to wait a couple of years to become a starter, so they go somewhere else, and the better teams lose depth... players that have potential to become playmakers after they learn football on a college level are lost.

 

[Vol67]

Last 2 years UT is 26 of 51 on 3rd or 4th Down and 2 yards or less

 

[OrangeCrush18]

Originally posted by TNVOLS1@Nov 11, 2004 2:48 PM
Last 2 years UT is 26 of 51 on 3rd or 4th Down and 2 yards or less

WOW.....Now that&#39;s NOT power, smash mouth football, that&#39;s twinkle toe finesse football&#33;

 

[volmanjr]

cutcliff or sanders doesn&#39;t matter defense took them to the big dance and defense won it .... that years offense was good enough to make big plays at key moments but they weren&#39;t dominators.... but they could run off tackle anytime they wanted too.

 

[Vol67]

Sorry but I don&#39;t agree that they could run off tackle anytime they wanted to. The last 6 games they are 8 of 20 on 3rd or 4th down with 2 yards or less.

 

[rwemyss]

I think he meant in &#39;98.

 

[volmanjr]

I was referring to &#39;98

 

[allvol]

I was just looking at the team stats from 1998 and realized that Tennessee&#39;s stats from 1987 look very similar. That season the Vols finished 10-2-1 and ranked 13th after beating Indiana in the Peach Bowl. The tie was to No. 3 Auburn and losses were to Alabama (41-22) and Boston College(20-18). In the 2 losses, Jeff Francis threw 4 int against Alabama and Randy Sanders threw 3 interceptions against BC. The Vols beat 16th ranked Iowa in the Kickoff Classic. The biggest difference was that the Vols played on 2 ranked teams in 1987, while they played 6 ranked teams in 1998. In 1987, Auburn finished 7th, Iowa finished 16th and Indiana finished 20th.

Rushing Totals
1987 2652 yards and 36 TDs
1998 2536 yards and 27 TDs

Passing Totals
1987 2219 yards and 12 TDs (14 int)
1998 2250 yards and 27 TDs (7 int)

Regarding the Vols rushing in 1998. Very impressive with Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Travis Stephens, and Shawn Bryson... and even Tee Martin. However, all was not rosy in every game. Auburn held the Vols to 150 yards rushing. 67 of it came on a 1st quarter run by Jamal Lewis. Coupled with an 90-yd int td, the Vols staked a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and then hung on. A couple of goal line stands highlighted this game, 17-9, including the last play of the game. Although rushing for 222 yards against Arkansas.... prior to "the fumble" that was forced by the surge of the defensive line, the Vols needed to move down the field and score and were forced to punt. The inability to get the first down could have cost the Vols the championship? Miss State led the Vols 14-10 in the 4th quarter while the Vols struggled on the ground. Martin&#39;s two 4th quarter TDs to Price and Wilson saved the game and the championship. And the Vols were held to 114 yards against FSU in the bowl game.

After writing all that, however, it is in my opinion that the 1998 team was the best running team that the Vols have put on the field in a long time.

Some of the same players were there in 1999, but it was not the same. Henry ran with the same desire.... but Jamal Lewis seemed to be saving himself for the NFL? Even then, the Vols were just a few plays from doing it again. Just like the Vols were a few plays from 10-3 in 1998.... the 1999 version could have gone 13-0 too.

 

[volmanjr]

yeah Jamal didn&#39;t let it all hang out his last year, and we know he could have just look at what he&#39;s done in the pros

 

[rwemyss]

Originally posted by allvol@Nov 11, 2004 5:20 PM
... and Randy Sanders threw 3 interceptions against BC. ...

Sanders haters jumping on this one?

lol: :dlol: lol:

 

[kiddiedoc]

Originally posted by volmanjr@Nov 11, 2004 5:46 PM
yeah Jamal didn&#39;t let it all hang out his last year, and we know he could have just look at what he&#39;s done in the pros

Yeah, he&#39;s certainly "done" a lot recently&#33; (oh, no, wait. . . .he was just using the phone. . . .)

 

[OrangeCrush18]

Easy does it, that was several years ago. He ran like a man set on fire last year.

 

[allvol]

Originally posted by kiddiedoc@Nov 12, 2004 9:25 AM
oh, no, wait. . . .he was just using the phone. . . .

That was 1999, before he was under contract with the NFL. He also failed a couple of drug tests and was suspended for 4 games in 2001. He eventually missed the entire season due to knee surgery.

The plea bargain was based upon legal advice. He would have missed more than 2-games had he gone to trial.... and also had he gone to trial there was still the remote chance a jury would convict him and his NFL career would be over.

The 2-game suspension by the NFL was more of a PR move. Had they done nothing, it would have looked bad for the NFL.

In my opinion he was with the wrong crowd. He was dating a girl who could get drugs... and he had a friend who wanted drugs.... my understanding was he was just trying to hook the 2 up and let them work their own deal?

The conspiracy charge comes from him calling his girlfriend on a cell phone and telling her that his friend wanted to buy some drugs?

 

[volmanjr]

off the field problems aside the man is one helluva running back who slacked off his senior year