Why playing in Athens may not matter (as much)

[GAVol]

1. Noise matters at the LOS more than anything else.
2. Having a 6th year Senior QB is HUGE in an environment like Athens.
3. The dirty secret is our offense isn't overly complicated and often relies more on option routes and reads than play calls anyway.

 

[AthensVol2007]

Death Valley didn't slow us down

They weren’t liquored up yet at 11 am.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Whup some Dawg butt!

[yes, anyone going to the game Saturday who wants to turn this into a GameDay poster, feel free]

 

[AthensVol2007]

we travel well

We’ll have a fair amount but I think the prices of this game limit a lot of people. Tickets on the secondary market combined with accommodations, fuel, food etc. will make this a $2000 weekend minimum for a party of 2. The UT crowd in Athens won’t be anything like LSU. I may have spent $400 total for my son and I to go to LSU and we’re 7 hrs away.

 

[JRich]

Won at Pittsburgh and at LSU, no easy task. Crowd noise does not impact the UT offense like any conventional offense.

This what I want to see:

 

[paulyvolnuts]

Was thinking about how much difference it makes to play a home game vs away. Certainly, it has mattered for Alabama in Neyland. I am convinced they made so many mistakes because they couldnt hear themselves in the huddle or at the LOS. The bookies even bake 3 points or so into the game for the home team.

This is the knock I hear a good number say against us - that we have had all these wins at home but we will not be so great on the road. I think its also why people believe somehow that we havent really been tested yet. Yes but when you beat Florida, when you beat LSU, when you beat Alabubba, you need a win against a top team on the road. It's always something. At some point though they, and we fans too, will run out of excuses. This Saturday will be the last wall of resistance.

So that got me thinking. How much advantage does the home team still have in a raucous stadium like we will no doubt be in on Saturday - when the visiting team doesn't actually huddle? When they get their signals by looking at huge flags on the sidelines?

Sure, they have the benefit of not having the loudness when THEY are in the huddle nor do they have the pressure of so many people there just lusting for your destruction (and its a real, palpable thing) so there is that in their favor.

But for Heupel's offense, I think the way that they call it may take away at least a portion of the advantage of noise. Granted, I know we do a LOT of quick adjustments on the line but our guys are used to lining up and doing things so fast all of that has to be pre-set mostly but I don't know.

Does the no huddle remove the or reduce the home team's advantage when we play on the road? Maybe the true football minds here can better elucidate.

I think the noise will hurt Georgia. It will add to georgia defense confusion at the speed Tennessee runs as well as hamper the defenses communication

 

[VOLfrombama]

I think the no huddle helps, and Heupfully they have some signals that help the Qb call the audibles as verbal calls aren't going to work.

Another way to calm the crowd is score early and often, which is really Heup and Co's MO.

 

[MiramarVol]

Kirby can't stop the Heup Train!!!!!

 

[onevol74]

Kirby out here begging for help 6 days before the game…
Till I see it with my own eyes..
No one can stop this offense.
View attachment 508488

Desperate measures for sure.

 

[LargeOrange1]

A couple quick scores will take the home crowd at Sanford & Son stadium out of it. Vols go up 21-7 in 1st qtr and the Doggy faithful will mail it in.

I truly believe we stomp them!!
GO VOLS.....

 

[GVF]

Was thinking about how much difference it makes to play a home game vs away. Certainly, it has mattered for Alabama in Neyland. I am convinced they made so many mistakes because they couldnt hear themselves in the huddle or at the LOS. The bookies even bake 3 points or so into the game for the home team.

This is the knock I hear a good number say against us - that we have had all these wins at home but we will not be so great on the road. I think its also why people believe somehow that we havent really been tested yet. Yes but when you beat Florida, when you beat LSU, when you beat Alabubba, you need a win against a top team on the road. It's always something. At some point though they, and we fans too, will run out of excuses. This Saturday will be the last wall of resistance.

So that got me thinking. How much advantage does the home team still have in a raucous stadium like we will no doubt be in on Saturday - when the visiting team doesn't actually huddle? When they get their signals by looking at huge flags on the sidelines?

Sure, they have the benefit of not having the loudness when THEY are in the huddle nor do they have the pressure of so many people there just lusting for your destruction (and its a real, palpable thing) so there is that in their favor.

But for Heupel's offense, I think the way that they call it may take away at least a portion of the advantage of noise. Granted, I know we do a LOT of quick adjustments on the line but our guys are used to lining up and doing things so fast all of that has to be pre-set mostly but I don't know.

Does the no huddle remove the or reduce the home team's advantage when we play on the road? Maybe the true football minds here can better elucidate.

The only way palying at Sanford, since it is close to KTown, is UGA severely limiting the number of visitor tickets to this game. They all know how well we travel and how loud we will be in their own yard. We could literally fill up Sanford with nothing but UT fans for this game if allowed. Granted, UGS can be an intimidating place to play for a visiting team in a huge game. But, they will never match the home field advantage of Bama, LSU, or UF. Ark can be a tough stadium as well. Good Lord, KY had every advantage they needed in the stands Saturday and got pistol whipped. There's a high probability we will be just as loud for UGA at UGA as they will be for us. I don't think playing on the road there will be as big a factor as going to Bama, LSU, UF or a few select others.

 

[GVF]

A couple quick scores will take the home crowd at Sanford & Son stadium out of it. Vols go up 21-7 in 1st qtr and the Doggy faithful will mail it in.

I truly believe we stomp them!!
GO VOLS.....

We went up like that on them early at Neyland last year too. When you only fry an egg on one side it's called over easy.

 

[kckempf]

we travel well

We’re going to buy up every ticket that’s available, there’s just going to be way fewer available.

 

[Arrested Devolopment]

Ga crowd noise may impact Ga staff defensive adjustments more as Tennessee offensive

Solid point.

 

[Other_Guy]

Death Valley didn't slow us down

They fumbled the opening kickoff and immediately let them score. They never recovered. Won't be the same in Athens.

 

[VolArmy74]

Heupel visibly urges the crowd to be quieter while we are on offense, so it’s reasonable to assume that we prefer Hooker’s voice to be heard. That said, we already used our noise specific strategies at Pitt and LSU. I expect Georgia to be louder than either of those but the same strategies will be part of our play.

Georgia isn't a louder environment than LSU as a rule. But we took LSU's crowd out of it pretty fast.

 

[Other_Guy]

Kirby out here begging for help 6 days before the game…
Till I see it with my own eyes..
No one can stop this offense.
View attachment 508488

Either he's already desperate or setting up who to blame for the loss.

 

[Boone&Crockett]

They fumbled the opening kickoff and immediately let them score. They never recovered. Won't be the same in Athens.

I understand it's not gonna be the same but Death Valley is known for being loud, I'm sure there were some situations it was loud and it didn't seem to have any effect, also Pitt I'm sure was fairly loud but I'm just hoping they got to experience some degree of what they will see Saturday in those games.

 

[Mr. Lofton]

I feel like 28-3 would not seem like a safe lead in Georgia.

Nah, that's just the first quarter score.

 

[Other_Guy]

I understand it's not gonna be the same but Death Valley is known for being loud, I'm sure there were some situations it was loud and it didn't seem to have any effect, also Pitt I'm sure was fairly loud but I'm just hoping they got to experience some degree of what they will see Saturday in those games.

The only time I really see it as being a factor is when the pace has slowed a little and it's 3rd and 12 off a sack and Tenn is trailing.

 

[allvol123]

Had similar thoughts. A raucous crowd while Georgia is on D could certainly prevent getting calls made by Georgia D in a timely and accurate manner.

 

[Gandalf]

The only time I really see it as being a factor is when the pace has slowed a little and it's 3rd and 12 off a sack and Tenn is trailing.

Good - because that's not going to be a scenario we face this weekend then

 

[MiramarVol]

Earlier Dawg turnover leads to a quick 14 point lead for the Vols. UGa crowd is taken out of it and they never recover in another Vol high scoring upset.

 

[DickeyD]

The only way palying at Sanford, since it is close to KTown, is UGA severely limiting the number of visitor tickets to this game. They all know how well we travel and how loud we will be in their own yard. We could literally fill up Sanford with nothing but UT fans for this game if allowed. Granted, UGS can be an intimidating place to play for a visiting team in a huge game. But, they will never match the home field advantage of Bama, LSU, or UF. Ark can be a tough stadium as well. Good Lord, KY had every advantage they needed in the stands Saturday and got pistol whipped. There's a high probability we will be just as loud for UGA at UGA as they will be for us. I don't think playing on the road there will be as big a factor as going to Bama, LSU, UF or a few select others.

""here's a high probability we will be just as loud for UGA at UGA as they will be for us. I don't think playing on the road there will be as big a factor as going to Bama, LSU, UF or a few select others.""

UHHHH, so you are saying GA has no homefield advantage with their crowd....??? Are you drunk??

 

[DickeyD]

They fumbled the opening kickoff and immediately let them score. They never recovered. Won't be the same in Athens.

Guys....
Ga is not going to have 18 penalties...
Ga is going to have home field advantage aka crowd noise.
We haven't proven much of anything on the road this year. Pitt win late and we see now that Pitt isn't all that in a weak ACC. Whipped LSU's ass before they figured out that special teams exist.
Ga scores almost as many pts as we do
Ga gives up a lot less pts than we do

it's not gonna be a cake walk. We can win and byGoc I hope we do! But some of y'all need might be overshooting the moon on some predictions in this here thread.