Offensive gameplan and running the football. Once again, offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe gave up on the run too early. I’ve read his comments after several Tennessee losses in the last couple of years and on numerous occasions he’s admitted that he gave up on the run prematurely. The difference in those games was at least the run had been ineffective and therefore the Vols decided to focus on gaining yards through the air.
Yesterday’s game against Alabama was a different story all together. Tennessee was able to successfully run the football against the Tide. Arian Foster was averaging 7 yards per carry (13 rushes for 91 yards). Not only did we not run it enough, Foster (and Coker for that matter) watched from the sidelines as freshman Lennon Creer was inserted into the game on a third and one from the Alabama 47 yard line in a crucial situation. The Vols trailed only 17-14 at the time. It was an interesting personnel decision and the rush was Creer’s only one of the game.
Oh, and where exactly was Montario Hardesty? He’s run the ball very well the past couple of weeks but did not even see the field against Alabama. Fulmer cited that Hardesty is not a great receiver and didn’t fit the three wide and other open sets that we used. Huh?
Hardesty’s quote after the game when asked why he didn’t play:
“(Expletive), you tell me,” he said.
Defensive woes. The Vols defense surrendured 510 yards of total offense. This is after Tennessee gave up 554 yards at Florida and 471 yards at Cal. There isn’t even much to say besides the fact that it’s clear that our defense has serious issues. They were outschemed, outcoached, and outplayed.
Lucas Taylor. I don’t know how much of a factor Lucas Taylor’s toe injury was, but we needed a big performance from him yesterday and we didn’t get it. He was only able to make two catches for 15 yards. In addition, Josh Briscoe went down with a head injury and was not a factor the game. Austin Rogers was the only one of our three main receivers that wasn’t injured.
Other than those above our young, and supposedly very talented, receivers haven’t been able to make a contribution this season and it held true again with the possible exception of Gerald Jones. I expect we will see a good bit of him down the stretch now that his redshirt is blown.
When all was said and done, tailback Arian Foster led the team with 74 receiving yards and fullback/tight end Chris Brown led the team in receptions with 5.
The weekly “heck”. You have to know that Fulmer threw out the “like heck” comments a few times yesterday in post game interviews and it’s not surprising it was regarding the defense.
We’ve been sporadic. We’ve been better the last two weeks, but today we weren’t where we needed to be. I can’t put my finger on it right now, we’ll go back and study the heck out of the tape and see what we’ve got to do to get to where we need to get to.
Coaching Changes. Fans want to talk about coaching changes but at this point we still have to finish out the season and see how things play out. It is hard to imagine, based on what we saw yesterday, that Tennessee isn’t headed for a couple more losses before season’s end. Comine that with the margin of victory in Tennessee’s losses and I belive Fulmer could be in serious trouble (just stating the obvious).
11 responses to “Thoughts from Tennessee's loss at Alabama”
A GRADUATE OF UT AND A FAITHFULL FOLLOWER FOR YEARS. THIS WAS THE MOST POORLY PREPARED TENN TEAM I HAVE EVER SEEN TAKE THE FIELD AGAINST ALABAMA. A TEAM WITH OUTSTANDING TALENT BUT IS LACKING SOMETHING SPECIAL, COACHING.
I just want to say thank you to those of the Vol Nation that made the trip down to T-Town. Your fans, no matter how good or bad UT played made up for it in class shown before kick, during the game and afterwards. You made Gen. Neyland and Bear Bryant proud. Go Vols and Roll Tide!
Nate Davis
I have been a life long UT fan and I have never witnessed such a poorly coached team (from the HC to the positions coaches). I feel that our skilled young recruits are being short changed in the SEC experience and are not being given the guideance to become the players that they can be. It is time for a coaching change no matter how the rest of the year plays out cause its only the tip of the iceberg of the problems that this program has.
Once again Phillip Fulmer refuses to make changes to his game plan during the flow of the game. As the Head coach, at what point do you approach your def. corr. and tell him if DJ Hall is wide open one more time he’s fired. At what point when you realize that you can control the clock and run agaisnt your opponent, do you abandon the “Spread” offense package and do what you have to to win the game. Talent and Coaching ability have passed Tennessee by and unless we want to become what Vandy and Kentucky used to be, a change has to be made. The clapping and trying like “heck” won’t cut it any more.
In what world do you burn the redshirt of a valuable freshman and use a fumble prone freshman back on a crucial 3rd down. It has been obvious to all but the coaching staff that Tennessee is not able to win games without a run game, this game was no different. Cut jumps to throw the ball all over the field to our depleted receiving core when we have a stable of backs who were having a great game. So, what happens? Without the run game to set up the pass Ainge throws into triple coverage at the goal line. It’s hard to get behind a coaching staff that makes worse play calling decisions than Britney Spears parenting.
What do you say? Well heck! I think Phil Fulmer is Tennessee Football and once gone, well who knows? Heck! What a gamble, who’s available? Heck!
It’s just that the fans deserve more. Frustrating, yes, but Heck why can’t all of our coaches get on the same page?
What gets to me is that UT has the best facillities in the country. The best fan base, and the fact that an Alumni has to pay outrageous fees for season tickets to watch this level is ridiculous.
Heck, Heck, Heck, double Heck!
Phil please win out and show us that we have what it takes.
i think its time for a change in tennessee and that means.fulmer has to go he has been a good coach for many years but its time for him to move on,and get a new crew in tennessee.that can take the team back to another national championship game and win it.tennessee hadn’t won a sec title and a national championship title since 98.so please coach fulmer do the right thing and leave at the end of the year. you have been a good coach and i thank you for that, so tennessee do the right thing and get a new coach.
I don’t think you are seeing anything any different this season that in the past several seasons. The lower rated teams in the SEC are getting better and we are remainning the same. I think the game has passed our coaching staff by, as they don’t have a clue how to adjust during the game or how to defend the spread offence. I am disappointed that the athletic department can’t see what is happening. The longer we wait to make a move, the longer it will take to get back to the top. Any coach that loves the Vols as he says he does would think of the team and fans and step down.
I still believe we could have possibly won the game but it seems Coach Fulmer did not want to take a chance and go for it on fourth down till it was pretty much too late in the game to make a diference. Coach Sabin had no qualms of taking risks and Alabama reaped the rewards. On a 3rd down play deep in our own territory T Martin hit a speeding Peerless Price going down the right sideline and Tennessee won the National Title. The point is we took a chance. Taking a chance or risk does not always work out but being predictable and unwilling to change a failing strategy seems to guarantee a loss.
41 – 17 Roll Tide!!!!
Some of the responses I’ve seen from some of the Vol nation have been pretty nice to Fulmer. I know that many of you, no differently than me, have grown up with Fulmer and remember the successful years. I’m not forgetting the national championship, and I’m not forgetting the types of players we had back then. Think about it. Linebackers: Al Wilson, Ray Thompson, Eric Westmorland; D-line: Big Cat Ellis, Darwin Walker, Billy Ratlif; Running backs: Jamal Lewis, Henry, Travis Stephens, Shaun Bryson. T. Martin, Peerless price, Cedrick Wilson, etc., etc.
All that fulmer did was not mess up that season. In fact, almost all of Tennessee’s recent success was around that period between 97 and 02 when we had talent that rivaled poor NFL teams.
It just seems like UT football will be resigned to mediocracy until we move on, hire a new, up-and-coming coach who has some fire in his belly, and who will instill some piss and vinigar back into my beloved Vols–just like Bruce Pearle has done on his side.
War the VOLS winning a N.C. by 2010 and War the Basketball teams bringing some respect to our Athletic Department–Damn, I sound like a Kentucky fan.