What Factor has hurt UT Foorball more since 2000

[Low Country Vol]

Fulmers legal issues
Player Development
Assistant Coaches


I feel it is combination of them all but Fulmer should have never been invloved with the bama situation. The smallest distraction can take away the attention to detail especially to all the young players who are now upper classman on this years past 5-6 team. Those same players were frosh and soph during the height of the litigation process and frankly it hurt player devolopment and fulmer needed coaches like sanders who was loyal to him to stick by his side. I feel all that has happened with the players off the field issues, to the offensive decline and Fulmers legal issues finally caught up to him. The blow outs in the Peach Bowl was a big sign which no changes were done then. Maybe it is too little too late, but i hope this team can return to its pre-1999 form again and keep our noses in our program only and focus on player development.

 

[CWB]

This sort of reminds me of an article. I'll post it.

 

[85Destiny]

The factor that has hurt ut football the most since 2000 is the drop off in offensive line play. The athleticism is not what it once was. Against good teams we have struggled to control the line of scrimmage. If we can't run the football effectively and pass protect we can't beat good teams. There are other factors. As far as wins and losses, I think the offensive line play has hurt us the most.

 

[volfan2024]

The fan base.Specifically those fans that say they are true Tennessee fans but all they do is keep everyone stirred up until we win again and here they come,the legions of fair weathered UT fans.WooHoo!Go Big Orange!

 

[dan4vols]

The factor that has hurt ut football the most since 2000 is the drop off in offensive line play. The athleticism is not what it once was. Against good teams we have struggled to control the line of scrimmage. If we can't run the football effectively and pass protect we can't beat good teams. There are other factors. As far as wins and losses, I think the offensive line play has hurt us the most.

AMEN! Ive only posted thi a dozen times. Everyone wants to talk coaching or skill player problems....if you can't move the chains and get 1st downs the best skill players in the world wont get it done in the SEC where the best talent is played on the defensive side.

 

[hatvol96]

The fan base.Specifically those fans that say they are true Tennessee fans but all they do is keep everyone stirred up until we win again and here they come,the legions of fair weathered UT fans.WooHoo!Go Big Orange!

Exactly. If the fans would quit fumbling, committing false starts, and making terrible special teams plays everything would be fine.

 

[volfan2024]

Exactly. If the fans would quit fumbling, committing false starts, and making terrible special teams plays everything would be fine.

:lolabove:

 

[milohimself]

The factor that has hurt ut football the most since 2000 is the drop off in offensive line play. The athleticism is not what it once was. Against good teams we have struggled to control the line of scrimmage. If we can't run the football effectively and pass protect we can't beat good teams. There are other factors. As far as wins and losses, I think the offensive line play has hurt us the most.

Bam. In college football, no offensive line = you ain't gettin' jack, son

 

[duckman398686]

keep in mind that discipline has been a problem too. everybody remembers "mr. nfl" kelly washington who was more of an individual player than a team player. off the field issues in 04 and 05 didnt help either. if fulmer is going to start building the program up again, then something is definitely going to have to be done in this area.

 

[Ole Smokey]

Fulmers legal issues
Player Development
Assistant Coaches
I feel it is combination of them all but Fulmer should have never been invloved with the bama situation. The smallest distraction can take away the attention to detail especially to all the young players who are now upper classman on this years past 5-6 team. Those same players were frosh and soph during the height of the litigation process and frankly it hurt player devolopment and fulmer needed coaches like sanders who was loyal to him to stick by his side. I feel all that has happened with the players off the field issues, to the offensive decline and Fulmers legal issues finally caught up to him. The blow outs in the Peach Bowl was a big sign which no changes were done then. Maybe it is too little too late, but i hope this team can return to its pre-1999 form again and keep our noses in our program only and focus on player development.

I see what your saying and respect your opinion but I dont personally believe that Fulmers legal situations played into this 5-6 season I think it boils down to the players ''actions'' during the offseason however Fulmer is at blame for 1 thing and thats not being hard enough on his players ever since Kelly Washington came through this system it hasnt been the same i think Fulmer needs to get his fire back i think :gun:

 

[85Destiny]

keep in mind that discipline has been a problem too. everybody remembers "mr. nfl" kelly washington who was more of an individual player than a team player. off the field issues in 04 and 05 didnt help either. if fulmer is going to start building the program up again, then something is definitely going to have to be done in this area.

The only reason that discipline is brought up is the fact that we have not been as successful as previous years. When we win no one cares about discipline. kelly washington is a heck of an athlete and a good football player. He is not the one person to blame. He performed well. The team did not. Lack of talent in other areas hurts the team more than selfishness.

 

[OWB]

I see what your saying and respect your opinion but I dont personally believe that Fulmers legal situations played into this 5-6 season

Probably not, but it was a huge distraction.

 

[Ole Smokey]

The only reason that discipline is brought up is the fact that we have not been as successful as previous years. When we win no one cares about discipline. kelly washington is a heck of an athlete and a good football player. He is not the one person to blame. He performed well. The team did not. Lack of talent in other areas hurts the team more than selfishness.

I thought we were pretty talented back in 2001,2002,and i do think that selfishness ''playes'' a big part in a teams downfall

 

[85Destiny]

I thought we were pretty talented back in 2001,2002,and i do think that selfishness ''playes'' a big part in a teams downfall

When players do not make big catches or make good tackles, does that have anything to do with selfishness. Good players will make good things happen. Does selfishness mean that you are talented but refuse to play hard?

The point of this thread is what has hurt ut football since the year 2000. Honestly, is it really selfishness?

I think it is the lack of talent in the line of scrimmage. You assume that division one running backs and wide receivers can make the basic plays if blocking allows.

 

[WA_Vol]

I've been disappointed with the game plans that Fulmer and the coaching staff put together for big games. It doesn't appear to me they do anything much different from game to game, its the same formation and set plays game after game.

I like what Richt has done at GA where he changes the offensive set depending on the strength of the offense and who he wants to feature. One year it was a spread offense with a single back a year later it was 2 tight ends and and a running back and fullback. I think thats been missing from UT.

 

[mattvols]

Biggest loss? No Cutcliff, we have been crap since a year or two after he left

 

[Lexvol]

I would have to say that player development on the offensive side of the ball has been a big issue. For instance, I don't think that Peerless Price was a world class receiver, but when paired with T Martin and Cut he was developed at UT.

It also seems that our QBs have not been as bright lately. Though Peyton seems pretty intelligent, Cut was able to get Martin, and most of all Heath Shuler (who is a pretty dim bulb) to play smart with the football.

Sometimes it seemed that Clausen had the ability, but he didn't always play smart. I remember so many 3rd and 7 situations when Casey wanted to throw the ball 25 yards down field. I think that Ainge falls into that category as well. He has a problem between the ears that coaching can influence greatly. All this to say we haven't developed a real QB since T Martin.

This along with discipline issues that I truly believe CAN influence costly turnovers combined with some key injuries have led the ball to bounce the other way on several occasions.

To address the offensive line issues, IMO a lot of our shortcomings on the OL have been relating to scheme. If the defense knows what you are doing with the ball, the faster defensive player will almost always get to the ball before they can be blocked. When you are not using your tight end and the linebackers are not slowed by some of the poorest play action that I have ever seen, there are often 3 more defenders than there are people to block them.

 

[QBvol7]

The factor that has hurt ut football the most since 2000 is the drop off in offensive line play. The athleticism is not what it once was. Against good teams we have struggled to control the line of scrimmage. If we can't run the football effectively and pass protect we can't beat good teams. There are other factors. As far as wins and losses, I think the offensive line play has hurt us the most.

Agree. We dont blow people off of the ball like we used to. That and special teams in the return game. We have been very poor since Eric PArker and Dante Stallworth left. The last consistent return guy we had was Terry Fair. Those thinkgs hurt us. Weve always had a good PK and punter. Those 2 things are what have really hindered us from having a solid all around game.

 

[bleedingorange]

Player development is a big problem but that comes directly from bad coaching. But i think the biggest problem is the players themselves. What i mean is we have had too many players with the I attitude. Everybody knows u win as a team and lose as a team. We need players who want to play for that T on their helmet instead of that name on their back. :twocents:

 

[OWB]

I was reading an article last week and Troy Flemming said that the players just need to grow up.

"At any level of football, the coaches can only do so much,'' said Fleming, who visited the Knoxville boys and girls clubs Thursday as part of the Tennessee Titans caravan. "It comes to a point where it's up to the players to make plays.''

Fleming, who enjoyed a 37-14 record as a Vol from 2000 through 2003, said if fans look at UT's history under Phillip Fulmer, they'd see strategy isn't lacking.

"There's nothing wrong with the scheme,'' Fleming said. "Look at the guys who came through that system, Peerless Price, Peyton Manning, Tee Martin and Jamal Lewis ... it's not the scheme.''

Fleming said that when he was in Knoxville, there was plenty of discipline.

"It wasn't loose when I was there, and it's really not loose now,'' Fleming said. "The guys probably won't like me saying this, but I think the guys here now are a bit more immature than the guys when I was here.

"It's part of growing up and learning to be a man.''

 

[OrangeSquare]

I think Troy has hit the nail right on the head.

"It wasn't loose when I was there, and it's really not loose now,'' Fleming said. "The guys probably won't like me saying this, but I think the guys here now are a bit more immature than the guys when I was here.

"It's part of growing up and learning to be a man.''

 

[KYVolFan]

Special Teams have completely fallen apart. This has cost us dearly in critical field position both offensively and defensively.

 

[hatvol96]

I was reading an article last week and Troy Flemming said that the players just need to grow up.

That would be the same Troy Fleming who was using his cellphone at halftime of the Peach Bowl.

 

[cd12]

That would be the same Troy Fleming who was using his cellphone at halftime of the Peach Bowl.

Exactly! Most insiders will tell you that Flemming was the biggest cancer on that team!

 

[cd12]

To answer the question with one word ACCOUNTABILITY!