Keys to success in 2015

#1
VolFan4Life87

VolFan4Life87

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#1
What (in your personal opinion) are some of the KEY improvements this team needs to make in the off season to finally turn the corner? Are they attainable with the offseason ahead of us and the new stable of incoming recruits?

The obvious for me is the offensive line. Even if all else remains as is, significant improvement in that department should get us to 8 wins. I also hope to see more physicality out of our receiving corps. I'm not sure how they're being taught or if the woes of the OL made them seem worse, but it really seemed like they underperformed relative to their talent potential.

Last for me - this area doesn't NEED improvement by any means and in fact is one of our key strengths, but I hope we see our DL take it up a notch and get to the QB more often. Our DL consistently disrupts plays and sends QBs scrambling, but more often than not the opposing QB makes a successful conversion while being chased by Barnett or whoever. As often as they disrupt plays, just imagine if 75% of the time they break through the line the QB is sacked or throws it away. Our defense would be among the best in the SEC.

Thoughts?
 
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#2
#2
Finding an LT is the key to the OL... the OL is the key to the O. The O will determine how far UT can go. Agree with you that if there were no improvement anywhere else... a "middling" OL would take the Vols up to 8 wins. But I personally think there will be strides across the board.

The D looks to be very, very stout. There's more depth at DT than I've seen in all the time I've followed the Vols... and they're good players. Saulsberry can still be a major piece of the puzzle if he can stay healthy. I could honestly see scoring D cut another 4 or 5 ppg off of this past year's performance. That would cut scoring allowed to under 20 ppg... likely putting the Vols in the top 4 or 5 in the SEC.
 
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#5
#5
Agree with SJT and also like that you brought up the receivers OP.
It just seems like they should have been able to open a little more distance at times, given their talent. Not poor play by any means but just expected more in certain games.
 
#6
#6
Two things stick out to me:

-Improve the offensive line. Doesn't have to be elite. Just needs to be average.

-Improve Dobbs' accuracy. He completed 63.3% of his passes this year, but a lot of those completions came from short screen passes. I want to see him play like he did against USC and UK in every game next year. If he becomes that QB on every Saturday, he's a legitimate Heisman contender.
 
#7
#7
chargervol said:
Agree with SJT and also like that you brought up the receivers OP.
It just seems like they should have been able to open a little more distance at times, given their talent. Not poor play by any means but just expected more in certain games.
Click to expand...

I agree - so much criticism was placed on the OL, but they weren't awful every snap. There were ample opportunities for decent pass plays and either the QB was indecisive or the WRs weren't open; we see the LOS on TV, not the game film so I honeslty don't know which was the case.
 
#8
#8
sjt18 said:
Finding an LT is the key to the OL... the OL is the key to the O. The O will determine how far UT can go. Agree with you that if there were no improvement anywhere else... a "middling" OL would take the Vols up to 8 wins. But I personally think there will be strides across the board.

The D looks to be very, very stout. There's more depth at DT than I've seen in all the time I've followed the Vols... and they're good players. Saulsberry can still be a major piece of the puzzle if he can stay healthy. I could honestly see scoring D cut another 4 or 5 ppg off of this past year's performance. That would cut scoring allowed to under 20 ppg... likely putting the Vols in the top 4 or 5 in the SEC.
Click to expand...

I was hoping you'd weigh in sjt, I always appreciate your insight & logic on here
 
#9
#9
I absolutely agree that OL improvement (starters + quality depth), esp at tackles, is the key to offensive success... I include TE in that, too. Our scheme pulls the TE for interior blocking a lot. We could improve at the nickle and dime back spots, too.

Oh, and trade "Third Down For What?" for a simple toll of the Ayers Hall bell and/or a menacing Smokey growl. Something with a beat is cool, but if its gonna be music it needs to be something new and maybe more than one option. JMO.
 
#11
#11
VolFan4Life87 said:
I agree - so much criticism was placed on the OL, but they weren't awful every snap. There were ample opportunities for decent pass plays and either the QB was indecisive or the WRs weren't open; we see the LOS on TV, not the game film so I honeslty don't know which was the case.
Click to expand...

Agreed. With some of the talent, they should look against poor teams, like Amari Cooper looked against good teams.
 
#14
#14
I belive this is a good evaluation of the improvements needed to be made. I would like to mention that the LB corp aside from Maggit still has some room to grow with Johnson gone. They played good in the bowl game but IOWA is not the SEC. D-Line will be solid. O-Line will be better and I believe the weakest link will very well may be replaced by Mosely or an incoming recruit. I am really interested in seeing if Dobbs can get his long ball down, he did has some long-er passes towards the end of the season that were quite impressve but still has some work to do. If he CAN'T that really limits our WRs, and hurts our Offense.
 
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#15
#15
1. Significant improvement from OL....Blair must emerge as the clearcut LT and Crowder must get much stronger/solid up the middle, whether we're running or throwing the ball. Can't have the same type of penetration/push we saw from NGs and DTs last year.

2. WR corp must improve....ability to get off press man coverage and have to get better creating separation especially on go/deep routes. North and Malone must get much, much better and be the cornerstones of the WR corps given their immense physical abilities imo.

3. Dobbs get better/more accurate at passing from the pocket. Has to be able to control game from the pocket as well with his mobility.

4. Defense must get more consistent at limiting big plays and forcing turnovers. Also, must get off the field regardless of how well or how poorly offense is playing....must become better at keeping us in games if we're struggling offensively (think Ole Miss, Alabama and SCar). If our offense goes 3 and out, our defense must be able to match that and get off the field on third down as well imo.

5. Medley must increase his fg range and depth of kickoffs. He was automatic 40 yds and in, not so much from beyond there.

6. Need become more of a threat to score and flip field position with our punt and kickoff returns. Started to see this late in the season with Evan Berry and Cam Sutton late in the season....continue the development/improvement.
 
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#16
#16
I believe talent wise we can compete with everyone on the schedule, having said that ,win the turnover battle each week and the Vols will have a good shot in every game!!
 
#18
#18
amavol2 said:
I believe talent wise we can compete with everyone on the schedule, having said that ,win the turnover battle each week and the Vols will have a good shot in every game!!
Click to expand...

although winning the turnover battle is obviously very crucial I agree, but also would like to see our offense dominate games that are winnable to make it where 1-2 turnovers dont matter. Which would mean our everybodys really got to make strides this off season
 
#23
#23
I think the WR problem was the Oline mostly

Can't have too much variation when most of the routes must have fully progressed in less than 5 seconds.
 
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