Thoughts at the end of another season

#1

Lexvol

I'm Your Huckleberry
Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Messages
22,252
Likes
172
#1
1. Congrats to the Vol Seniors who go out with a 9-3 regular season record. They finished better than I anticipated.

2. The Vols were watchable this year in every game except UK and Arkansas. I hoped for better performances against Bama, SC, Marshall and Air Force, but I did feel those were much more "watchable" efforts this year. They hung with teams like LSU and Florida who are FAR more talented in the trenches.

3. CPF's mailing list to the North Pole should include:
some offensive and defensive lineman that can play football, and for Robert Meachem to return next year. For the record the former is more likely than the latter, but I am doubting both items.

4. The win against Cal kept UT in the spotlight long enough to get the attention of a few recruits and make UT media darlings.

5. I have heard all of the excuses about players on the O line and Dline missing off season workouts due to injury. Most notably Josh McNeill. Next year Volnationals should expect improvement in the trenches, or else......

6. The talent level on this team will need to double in the off season in order to compete with LSU, Florida, and Georgia next year. The class of 2004 with names like Dre Mathis, D Morely, A Meyers-White, J McClendon, D Bolden, and L Coker better be ready for primetime.

7. Penn State is the best bowl matchup for this team, but I would not be shocked if the Cotton eventually pushes for a UT vs. UT matchup. That may not bode well for this team.
 
#3
#3
Nice post Lex, and I agree with all of your items. I'm hopeful that with some of the youth on the lines, along with another month of practice for the bowl that we missed last year, will show marked improvement in the trenches before next season. If it does, we could be looking at a very good season. If it doesn't, I think we could be looking up at the usual suspects in the SEC again.

And we really need playmakers at receiver. Meacham and Smith, or Hancock and Briscoe, somebody had better be getting open, catching balls, and breaking tackles at wide-out if we hope to match this year's offensive production.
 
#5
#5
Thanks HV. One more thought. Please let the offense play to it's strengths. Go verticle. Run the ball out of the spread. I am still convinced that teams know when we will be running based on formations.
 
#6
#6
Nice post Lex, and I agree with all of your items. I'm hopeful that with some of the youth on the lines, along with another month of practice for the bowl that we missed last year, will show marked improvement in the trenches before next season. If it does, we could be looking at a very good season. If it doesn't, I think we could be looking up at the usual suspects in the SEC again.

And we really need playmakers at receiver. Meacham and Smith, or Hancock and Briscoe, somebody had better be getting open, catching balls, and breaking tackles at wide-out if we hope to match this year's offensive production.

Amen on the receivers! It seems that the younger receivers still have way too many drops. Has anyone heard if Hancock can get a redshirt this year?
 
#7
#7
Agree with most but with a couple of notes:

Think the talent level and play doesn't need to double but certainly does need to get better. We played with but couldn't get over the hump vs #3 UF and #5 LSU. Arkansas another story. Total loss of concentration in that game.

We will recruit better this year but the simple fact that we played better and recruits could see glimpes of the Vols of old. Fulmer's job is no where near complete and rebuilding will include SEC title game next year. Its the infamous hump we need to get over which Fulmer needs to improve coaching and more players need to step up.
 
#8
#8
1. Congrats to the Vol Seniors who go out with a 9-3 regular season record. They finished better than I anticipated.

2. The Vols were watchable this year in every game except UK and Arkansas. I hoped for better performances against Bama, SC, Marshall and Air Force, but I did feel those were much more "watchable" efforts this year. They hung with teams like LSU and Florida who are FAR more talented in the trenches.

3. CPF's mailing list to the North Pole should include:
some offensive and defensive lineman that can play football, and for Robert Meachem to return next year. For the record the former is more likely than the latter, but I am doubting both items.

4. The win against Cal kept UT in the spotlight long enough to get the attention of a few recruits and make UT media darlings.

5. I have heard all of the excuses about players on the O line and Dline missing off season workouts due to injury. Most notably Josh McNeill. Next year Volnationals should expect improvement in the trenches, or else......

6. The talent level on this team will need to double in the off season in order to compete with LSU, Florida, and Georgia next year. The class of 2004 with names like Dre Mathis, D Morely, A Meyers-White, J McClendon, D Bolden, and L Coker better be ready for primetime.

7. Penn State is the best bowl matchup for this team, but I would not be shocked if the Cotton eventually pushes for a UT vs. UT matchup. That may not bode well for this team.

Actually, I think that matchup could bode well for the VOLS. The longhorns are down, WAYYY down in a funk that they won't come out of for a while. Their starting QB may or may not be back for the bowl game - if not, a true freshman would be getting his first start against us. Also, Texas can not run the ball effectively and relies on the pass (better for us) and the Texas pass defense is subpar (better for us). Their kicking game isn't tremendous (push). Biggest negative for the VOLS would being outnumbered 3-1 in the crowd for that game.

I would HATE to lose to the 'horns, but I like our chances on paper.
 
#9
#9
We could be in deep trouble at WR next year. Have you ever seen a player over hyped by the coaches more than Lucas Taylor? Have you ever seen a player fall as fast and as hard as Arian Foster. I don't understand it; this time last year I was in love with this kid.
 
#10
#10
We could be in deep trouble at WR next year. Have you ever seen a player over hyped by the coaches more than Lucas Taylor? Have you ever seen a player fall as fast and as hard as Arian Foster. I don't understand it; this time last year I was in love with this kid.

I haven't heard that much hype about Lucas Taylor. However, the one scrimmage I saw before 2005, he was absolutely dominant. He's small, which means he can't do a lot of the things Meachem and Swain do. However, he is great in open space. I think he can be pretty good if they find a way to put him in the right situations. That's not exactly UT's calling card, however.
 
#11
#11
Only the bowl game remaining, where did the season go? It seems like we were kicking off against Cal a few weeks ago and now it is over. Can't wait till next year!!!
 
#12
#12
I'm not worried about the receivers because of Coach Troop. McClendon is already the strongest OL and will be an example for the others. All the talk about Crompton over Ainge, Coach Cut knows what he is doing. Slade is the one that has work to do...unless Hefney gets it done behind the scennes like Swain did this year. I wouldn't mind playing Wisconsin, how bad did Cal beat them?
 
#13
#13
I'm not worried about the receivers because of Coach Troop. McClendon is already the strongest OL and will be an example for the others. All the talk about Crompton over Ainge, Coach Cut knows what he is doing. Slade is the one that has work to do...unless Hefney gets it done behind the scennes like Swain did this year. I wouldn't mind playing Wisconsin, how bad did Cal beat them?

Cal didn't beat Wisconsin, Michigan did. Cal beat Minnesota, maybe that's what you were thinking. Anyway, I'm pretty sure the Wisconsin-Cal score would be about the same as the UT-Cal score. The Badgers aren't half bad.
 
#14
#14
I'm not worried about the receivers because of Coach Troop. McClendon is already the strongest OL and will be an example for the others. All the talk about Crompton over Ainge, Coach Cut knows what he is doing. Slade is the one that has work to do...unless Hefney gets it done behind the scennes like Swain did this year. I wouldn't mind playing Wisconsin, how bad did Cal beat them?

Cal didn't play Wisconsin. Cal killed Minnesota.
 
#16
#16
nice post Lex...pretty much agree with you on all points. I want to play Penn St, only cause my wife's family is from Pittsburgh, and it would be fun to have bragging rights...of course, it would suck if we lost and i had to listen to them all the time...

UT vs. UT sounds good...but the thought of playing them in Dallas sucks. not exactly an impartial crowd there.
 
#17
#17
I thought we would go 10-2 this season with the losses being FLA and LSU but I'll take 9-3...We need to recruit like everyone is saying WR's and D-lineman those have to be at the top of the list next I would say O-line...I think RM is a top 20 pick in this years draft so I think he is gone
 
#18
#18
1. Congrats to the Vol Seniors who go out with a 9-3 regular season record. They finished better than I anticipated.

2. The Vols were watchable this year in every game except UK and Arkansas. I hoped for better performances against Bama, SC, Marshall and Air Force, but I did feel those were much more "watchable" efforts this year. They hung with teams like LSU and Florida who are FAR more talented in the trenches.

3. CPF's mailing list to the North Pole should include:
some offensive and defensive lineman that can play football, and for Robert Meachem to return next year. For the record the former is more likely than the latter, but I am doubting both items.

4. The win against Cal kept UT in the spotlight long enough to get the attention of a few recruits and make UT media darlings.

5. I have heard all of the excuses about players on the O line and Dline missing off season workouts due to injury. Most notably Josh McNeill. Next year Volnationals should expect improvement in the trenches, or else......

6. The talent level on this team will need to double in the off season in order to compete with LSU, Florida, and Georgia next year. The class of 2004 with names like Dre Mathis, D Morely, A Meyers-White, J McClendon, D Bolden, and L Coker better be ready for primetime.

7. Penn State is the best bowl matchup for this team, but I would not be shocked if the Cotton eventually pushes for a UT vs. UT matchup. That may not bode well for this team.


Lex, abotu #6
Did we not compete with all of them this year?
 

VN Store



Back
Top