We Have To Clean Up Backfield or Else....

#27
#27
keepitreal2022 said:
That's against the run, but what about passing? The passing game opens the running game. I hope you're right but our defense looks pedestrian, at best.
Click to expand...
Bama had over 400 yards passing but only averaged 3.7 yards per rush. UT defense held Bama to 114 yards rushing. We are built to stop the run and rush the QB. Our pass defense needs help for sure. But when it comes to stopping the run and rushing the QB, the Vols are one of the best on the country that do it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FLVOL_79, stewart6600, orangebloodgmc and 3 others
#28
#28
VFL-82-JP said:
Two things:

(a) we're playing walk ons and frat boys at this point, I think. Burrell is out, Hadden is out, McCollough is out, Charles is out, Turnage is out. I've seen names today that I never saw on the field before.

(b) even before all those guys were unavailable, this was our kryptonite.

Taking the weakness and bleeding it dry, that's never going to look good or fun or comfortable.

I think we can "clean it up" some if we can get at least a few of those guys back. But the real clean-up is only coming with a recruiting class or two.
Click to expand...

You nailed it. This will never be a lockdown defense this season…we just don’t have the horses.

All we can hope is that the defense provides enough resistance to let us outscore our opponents. That is reality.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SockeyeVol, Stephen Gray, MemphisVol77 and 3 others
#29
#29
VFL-82-JP said:
Two things:

(a) we're playing walk ons and frat boys at this point, I think. Burrell is out, Hadden is out, McCollough is out, Charles is out, Turnage is out. I've seen names today that I never saw on the field before.

(b) even before all those guys were unavailable, this was our kryptonite.

Taking the weakness and bleeding it dry, that's never going to look good or fun or comfortable.

I think we can "clean it up" some if we can get at least a few of those guys back. But the real clean-up is only coming with a recruiting class or two.
Click to expand...


^^^ all of this.

Oh..and we have 7 (seven) defensive backs committed for 2023...6 of them are 4* and the other was a high 3* last time i checked IiRC.... theres an article in the recruiting forum that shows that our LOWEST rated of the 7 new DBs coming next season is HIGHER ranked out of HS than 11 out of 14 DBs currently on our roster. Huge influx of talent coming in the secondary...huge.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SockeyeVol, orangebloodgmc, Stephen Gray and 1 other person
#33
#33
EZE said:
You nailed it. This will never be a lockdown defense this season…we just don’t have the horses.

All we can hope is that the defense provides enough resistance to let us outscore our opponents. That is reality.
Click to expand...

I do think we could have been more dominating on defense today than we were. The play calling was (intentionally, I'm sure) very vanilla. Not nearly as aggressive as we were against LSU and Bama. Tim Banks didn't let the dogs off the leash. Not nearly as many blitzes. Not nearly as much going after the QB.

Maybe that was a kindness to fellow UT system UT-Martin. Maybe it was not showing future opponents anything (though honestly, I think by now we've shown most or all of our defensive playbook in one game or another).

For whatever reason, we weren't particularly trying really hard today, with the part of our defense that is very good (the front 7).
 
Last edited:
#34
#34
Vol423 said:
I'm just trying to figure out where you've been all year. Our pass defense has been atrocious all year, and you're watching a game with a lot of defensive starters that never stepped on the field as well as a ton of second and third string guys now. Our best defense is our extremely high scoring offense and the pressure that places on the opposing team's offense to feel the need to score a TD on every possession. We will beat Georgia the same way that we beat Alabama. They will score a lot of points on us, but not enough to win. Georgia's offense isn't as good as Alabama's.
Click to expand...
The same place where everyone else has been regarding the team. man, Puuuuuleeze!!!!
 
#35
#35
keepitreal2022 said:
We're in trouble in Athens, GA. I don't like how UT Martin was able to drive the ball downfield on their 2nd drive. I know it's 58-7 but it's concerning...

We'll beat Kentucky- for instance, get the favorable calls and alloted time to integrate players back from injury; however, Nov 5th becomes real. I think we score on UGA but they will score us. Can someone suggest how we stop their running game and TEs? We will score on them as well but not sure we have enough defense to stop their offense. the guy from Cali and #0 will be a challenge

I still think we make the playoffs. This has been an unreal season!!!!
Click to expand...

Gosh they’re playing guys barely listed on the roster.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stephen Gray and Freak
#36
#36
Vol423 said:
I'm just trying to figure out where you've been all year. Our pass defense has been atrocious all year, and you're watching a game with a lot of defensive starters that never stepped on the field as well as a ton of second and third-string guys now. Our best defense is our extremely high-scoring offense and the pressure that places on the opposing team's offense to feel the need to score a TD on every possession. We will beat Georgia the same way that we beat Alabama. They will score a lot of points on us, but not enough to win. Georgia's offense isn't as good as Alabama's.
Click to expand...

I agree that Georgia's offense is nowhere near Alabama, but i think you are underestimating home-field advantage. If we had a dominating defense vs having e a high-octane offense, then my nerves would not be so bad; however, as someone who has followed football for years, I know defense travels, the offense does not, especially in a hostile crowd. UGA has just enough to outscore us if we don't run up the score on their defense.

my only concern is who will stop their TEs and no one here has answered... that issue won't just disappear- maybe at home but not away.

I'm just really nervous- maybe I'll feel better after the KY game next week.
 
#37
#37
keepitreal2022 said:
We're in trouble in Athens, GA. I don't like how UT Martin was able to drive the ball downfield on their 2nd drive. I know it's 58-7 but it's concerning...

We'll beat Kentucky- for instance, get the favorable calls and alloted time to integrate players back from injury; however, Nov 5th becomes real. I think we score on UGA but they will score us. Can someone suggest how we stop their running game and TEs? We will score on them as well but not sure we have enough defense to stop their offense. the guy from Cali and #0 will be a challenge

I still think we make the playoffs. This has been an unreal season!!!!
Click to expand...
Two things I noticed about Ga. If not for a super productive TE screen/ Lateral short passing game, they would be somewhat vanilla on offense. Find a way to limit that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stewart6600 and Vol in Buckeye Land
#46
#46
airvols said:
Dude we are in the top 10 against the run.
Click to expand...
Which means a whole lot less when teams are throwing the ball all over the field. Our secondary is terrible. Our front 7 is good enough to cover for then a lot of the time, thank goodness.
 
#47
#47
VolFreakJosh said:
He loves Georgia.

You won’t see him mention that.
Click to expand...
Not to mention Georgia had starters int hat game when Kent state was scoring. But nah let’s moan and complain about how are 17th string corners played, on homecoming. Our starters allowed less than 150 yards of offense. But nah let’s moan and bitch about being 7-0
 
  • Like
Reactions: orangebloodgmc
#49
#49
VolMarine1371 said:
UTM ranked #14 in FCS and is a playoff team.
Click to expand...

It's not like we are playing teams who have never won a game. They may not be at our level, but they can score points and play football. Most of these schools are pretty good in their divisions and conferences. We're not playing middle school or high school teams. The points from UTM are mostly coming without our starters.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top