SkidsisVFL's Gen Neyland Ultimate Maxim Countdown to FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE!!!

#1
SkidsisVFL

SkidsisVFL

Vols in your face
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#1
Team Maxim #1: Thou shalt charge a block.

This is probably the Maxim that we will have to see exercised by Team 118 the most in order to overachieve this year. Having to replace 8 seniors starters and a junior starter is never an easy task, but I feel our pool of mostly juniors and highly touted freshmen are ready to prove that they can get it done. If the OL can charge into a block and have the innate mean streak to hold it for a few seconds, our offense will thrive. Defensively, our men must be able to charge quickly into a block and shed it to make a play on the ball. I hope to see our DL in the backfield and their QB on the ground more often this year than last.

44 days left! GO VOLS!!!

P.S. I can't wait to see Khalil McKenzie "charging blocks" in orange next year!
 
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#5
#5
Ignore these guys SkidsisVFL. Bored or not, Twitter handle or not, I'm ready for some damn football, and always ready to soak in a little more knowledge from the General. Bring it on!
 
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#6
#6
Love the yearly maxim countdowns. When they start popping up I know that we're getting really close!
 
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#7
#7
Appreciate the countdown, OP.

But, aren't there 38 maxims? What about the other 6 days before kickoff? :)
 
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#14
#14
Team Maxim #2: Thou shalt charge a fight.

This area was an improvement last season from previous years. When Georgia and South Carolina began taking the game for themselves in our house, we charged back and took it for ourselves. Of course, we were one split second away from holding the Georgia game, but we could've easily been out of it long before if we hadn't fought back. Obviously, we had other games that ran away from us, but the flash of potential was there. Now is the time for Team 118 to take the next step and 1) eliminate blowout losses and 2) finish more than one close game. By overcoming adversity in a pinch, Team 118 can prove to us and our opponents that we aren't a pushover anymore, we are ready to compete and contend.

43 days left! GO VOLS!!!
 
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#15
#15
Team Maxim #3: A good interferer never looks back.

This will be a good test to see how well our run game does. Beginning in fall camp, through the open practice, and into the opener, keep an eye on the OL and the WRs blocking. The key is to always look downfield to the next defender to continue to eliminate threats to the ball carrier. The upperclassmen OL should fare well against defenders at the 2nd level, but will they be able to handle experienced SEC DL? Hopefully so. I believe they will until they prove otherwise.

42 days left! GO VOLS!!!
 
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#16
#16
Team Maxim #4: One good interferer is worth 3 ball carrying stars.

The good news is we already have 3 good ball carriers. The better news is that we have at least 3 good blockers on the line and the other 2 can prove themselves quickly. This statement is reflected in the staffs desire to have the WRs be good blockers as well as route runners and pass catchers, especially since a lot of runs either can be bounced or are already edge rushes. As always in football and especially in the SEC, line play is paramount in the success of either side of the ball, and will be a big factor to our competitiveness this year. Can they handle the pressure? We'll see.

41 days left! GO VOLS!!!
 
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#17
#17
Team Maxim #5: A team that won't be beat can't be beat.

This is what I hope to see out of our team going forward. I want to see a team that refuses to beat itself, one who refuses to let the other team score or take the ball away, and most specifically, one who can SET THE EDGE AND KEEP IT!! Our Achilles heel in the past few seasons has been edge rushes where the D did not set the edge and lost it in a long run for the other team. This is where I hope the new kids on the block contribute the most. These kids coming in are ready and willing to change the game, and the team is feeding off this new energy. Team 118 can take a critical step forward in the rebuilding process this year...but first we must refuse to beat ourselves.

40 days left! GO VOLS!!!
 
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#19
#19
Team Maxim #6: The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.

This was so important, it became Game Maxim #1 as well. Mistakes are an unavoidable part of life. In the game of football where there are ample opportunities for missteps and mistakes, it comes down to who can reduce mistakes and overcome the ones they've made. A reason for concern: a LOT of freshmen and first-year players will see game action this year and as such will likely have some learning curve difficulty early on in the season. A reason for optimism: despite having a decent number of first-time starters last year, Butch and Team 117 were able to pitch a shutout in the opening game...and with ZERO penalties. Hopefully Butch and co. can duplicate that level of discipline this year, especially opening against 3 non-conference opponents who all believe that they can take down Tennessee.

You're gonna make mistakes, just make fewer than the other guy.

39 days left! GO VOLS!!!
 
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#20
#20
Team Maxim #7: Never stop till the referee's whistle blows.

You've heard the phrase "give 110%" before and have probably thought about why the extra 10% is added. My belief is that it comes in the final moments, as the finish line approaches and you're fighting fatigue and embracing relief prematurely. If college football is any indicator, you absolutely cannot let up at the end when your opponent is within striking distance, because a good opponent will seize the moment and strike. Look just in this past year, we lost to UGA and Vandy at the end, beat SC at the end, Auburn beat GA and Bama at the end, FSU beat Auburn at the end, etc.

Never let up when the ref takes a breath, wait til he puts his whistle down.

38 days left! GO VOLS!!!
 
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#23
#23
Team Maxim #8: Press the kicking game.

This was one of the General's most echoed idea: "the kicking game rules." More often than not, two equally stacked teams can have a game decided on special teams. For instance, last years Iron Bowl. Auburn was able to challenge bama's kicking game and when it game up short, they made them pay for it.

We were also able to win a game on a FG and turn momentum our way by blocking a punt. We also had to watch as twice vs Auburn their return team blew past us, making a tough game almost impossible.

The big thing to remember is that when you need an edge against an opponent and your offense/defense isn't cutting it, a special teams play can make the difference between a deficit and a lead.

37 days left! GO VOLS!!!
 
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#24
#24
Team Maxim #9: Make and play for the breaks. One comes your way, score.

Someone must've pissed off Pig Howard. He caught an out route, denied a tackle attempt, and would've gotten closer to the red zone had Quez not ran into him. Two plays later, he took a flanker sweep ten yards, dragging a defender and splitting two others to reach the chains. It might've been just 2 plays, but it was enough to jump-start a comeback. Rajion Neal took it from there and scored two TDs. After UGA tied it up with :05 left, the game went to overtime. Pig Howard had been playing for the breaks and making them in the 3rd quarter. Finally, another one came his way. There was only one thing left to do--score...and he went for it. After all, that's what General Neyland and the maxims said, so no one can blame him for that.

On a brighter note, four games earlier, down 3-0 to a C-USA opponent, a lucky break happened upon Justin Coleman--his receiver had the ball bounce off his chest and high into the air. The ball descended directly into Coleman's arms and he did what he needed to--score. Two plays later, Cam Sutton played for and made a break when he jumped a curl route and he scored as well. The entire defense decided they could make some more breaks and went the next three consecutive offensive plays forcing turnovers. This is the kind of defensive performance we need to see more often this year.

There's been some talk that we could win as few as 5 games or as many as 10 (I mean, I guess if EVERYTHING was perfect, maybe...maybe...), but we will need some breaks to go our way regardless. Here's hoping the ball bounces our way a couple more times this year.

36 days left! GO VOLS!!!
 
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#25
#25
Team Maxim #10: If the game or a break goes against you, don't lie down, put on more steam.

In 1991, Johnny Majors took his Tennessee team to South Bend, Indiana to play Notre Dame. Tennessee was looking for revenge after Notre Dame beat UT on a last second pick at the goal line in Knoxville the previous year. ND was ready for the VOLS, though as they quickly jumped to a 31-7 lead. Down once again in Tennessee territory, the Irish were lining up for a FG to expand the lead to 34-7. The game was definitely going against the VOLS. They just needed someone to spark a big play and get some momentum back in their favor. Ask and ye shall receive. The Irish FG attempt was blocked and returned by Floyd Miley all the way for a TD. 31-14...a lot better than 34-7. At halftime, Johnny Majors leapt up on a locker room table and yelled "We're back in this football game!" He told his players to keep fighting back and to believe...and they did just that. TE Von Reeves caught a TD pass in the 3rd. ND would score a FG to go up 13. Aaron Hayden scored on a run in the 4th to close the gap to 34-28. Tennessee's final drive would be capped by a wonderfully executed screen pass that Aaron Hayden would house. The extra point by John Becksvoort would put UT ahead 35-34 with roughly 4 minutes left to go. Notre Dame refused to die and drove down the field, stopping at the UT 10 with 4 seconds left. They lined up for a game-winning FG and something incredible happened. Jeremy Lincoln, rushing off the edge...ran too far. He dove a little early and was past the ball when it was kicked...but in all incredibleness, it deflected off his rear end and fell wide right. Game over, UT 35, ND 34. Lincoln said he later thanked his mother for "giving him a wide rear end".

It's incredible what one play can do for morale and momentum. You never know which play is going to make the difference in the game, therefore, when things look bleak, push harder. You never know when you might spark something amazing.

35 days left! GO VOLS!!!
 
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