Majors or Fulmer

#1
tennfanatic

tennfanatic

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#1
Who was more conservative? Don't get me wrong they did great things for UT, but in many ways their conservative game plans cost us in many big games. I was watching the 1990 TN and Bama game and Majors basically gave them the game with his ultra conservative game strategy when we were clearly the better team. I think this is basically what kept these guys from being great coaches, they were good no doubt, but not great. Again I'm not trying to be negative because both guys were great ambassadors and loved their school, but that's just my thoughts.
 
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#4
#4
In before the thread degenerates into name calling and vitriol by spurned Knoxville waiters and the like. It's a good question, TennFanatic, but will likely be steamrolled by the same old Fulmer-v-Majors flamewars as earlier threads that included both names.

Sticking to your question for as long as we can:

Majors played an old-fashioned field position battle style of game. Not quite as old-school as punting on 2nd down, but still a pretty conservative approach.

Fulmer took risks more often. Certainly early on, through the NC year. He was part of the wider trend away from focus on field position and toward a focus on scoring opportunity.

That's how I saw it, anyway.
 
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#5
#5
I believe JP gave a fair assessment.
And neither man was doing anything uncommon for their time.
Not suggesting right or everyone else was doing it, just not uncommon.

Oh, and op, my first comment was because I knew some would turn it into a war of words, not that there was anything wrong with your question.
 
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#6
#6
VFL-82-JP said:
In before the thread degenerates into name calling and vitriol by spurned Knoxville waiters and the like. It's a good question, TennFanatic, but will likely be steamrolled by the same old Fulmer-v-Majors flamewars as earlier threads that included both names.

Sticking to your question for as long as we can:

Majors played an old-fashioned field position battle style of game. Not quite as old-school as punting on 2nd down, but still a pretty conservative approach.

Fulmer took risks more often. Certainly early on, through the NC year. He was part of the wider trend away from focus on field position and toward a focus on scoring opportunity.

That's how I saw it, anyway.
Click to expand...
I think that's a pretty fair assessment.
 
#7
#7
To look a Majors in the context of contemporary football is grossly unfair. The game was played differently then. Very, very few coaches are trend setters. Most all play within the conventions of the time, and so did he. Was he more conservative than some? Yes, but not an anomaly.

I have to wonder how Bryant would be looked on through today's lens.

"Playing conservative" is only a slight when it doesn't work. The the mid and late 90s, Fulmer wasn't "playing conservative," he was "taking control of the game."
 
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#8
#8
VFL-82-JP said:
In before the thread degenerates into name calling and vitriol by spurned Knoxville waiters and the like. It's a good question, TennFanatic, but will likely be steamrolled by the same old Fulmer-v-Majors flamewars as earlier threads that included both names.

Sticking to your question for as long as we can:

Majors played an old-fashioned field position battle style of game. Not quite as old-school as punting on 2nd down, but still a pretty conservative approach.

Fulmer took risks more often. Certainly early on, through the NC year. He was part of the wider trend away from focus on field position and toward a focus on scoring opportunity.

That's how I saw it, anyway.
Click to expand...

I agree I'll get destroyed for bringing up Majors or Fulmer in any negative light. I like both honestly just thought they became more conservative the bigger the game. I agree as well on what you said about Fulmer in his early years, he did take more risks.
 
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#10
#10
Both were Tennessee men and both represented the University well. Majors brought UT back to prominence and Fulmer took UT to the next level. Both men loved Tennessee and respected the tradition. You don't have to hate one to appreciate the other. I liked having a Tennessee man running the Football Program
 
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#11
#11
We didn't keep the moniker of "Wideout U" under CJM by being too conservative.

Johnny came marching home in 1977 after Bill Battle went 7-3-2, 7-5, 6-5 his last three seasons. Majors, given his 16 year tenure, though he did eventually bring Tennessee national recognition and took the '85 (Sugar Vols),'89, & '90 teams to SEC championships, had an alcohol problem in later years. So some give great credit to his staff for Majors successes in his later years. The "conservative" playing not to loose with CJM I just don't see as much as maybe with his staff. And, ahem, who was his OC during his last years? Fulmer. And who did sometimes seem to cling to a lead and play not to lose. As much as I did as do like CPF, I see him as going to conservative play and sitting on leads more than CJM.
 
#13
#13
SDV said:
I always thought they were very similar in playing not to lose
Click to expand...

And Butch needs to change this also. Maybe he will with better players that hopefully he'll trust to win the game. Playing not to lose makes you LOSE!
 
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#19
#19
turdherder11 said:
fulmer was lucky to have Coach Cut calling the plays. you see what happened when Cut left.
Click to expand...

Funny how the playcalling mysteriously looked good again 2001-2003 when we got some good QB play.

Cutcliffe is clearly a good play caller, but I'd venture to guess that Heath Shuler and Peyton Manning would have made a lot of coaches look smart.
 
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#20
#20
I'd say that Majors played more conservatively, but relative to other teams at their times they're probably pretty similar. Scoring increased for all of college football. Majors would sneak in a punter and quick kick or have the QB (Andy Kelly) fade back and execute a pooch punt. But that wasn't an unusual strategy.

They both puckered up against their nemesis. Alabama for CJM and Florida for CPF. Fulmer versus Memphis and Johnny versus Rutgers as well.

If I had to pick one I'd probably go with Majors as being more conservative... even if handicapping for their era.

I wonder which one deserves a statue more?
 
#22
#22
Majors....not even close. Mister Conservative.


When we played Bama, Johnny's butt would get so tight that...........

you could insert a quarter into his crack and he could grind it down to a dime for you.
 
#23
#23
Jax_Vol said:
Majors....not even close. Mister Conservative.


When we played Bama, Johnny's butt would get so tight that...........

you could insert a quarter into his crack and he could grind it down to a dime for you.
Click to expand...

And Spurrier had Fulmer ****ting diamonds after shoving in chunks of coal.
 
#25
#25
SDV said:
I always thought they were very similar in playing not to lose
Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree. I've had conversations back in the day with guys that knew football of their time. These are guys who would stress to the point of working you over if you played for them if you did not understand this very big priority. It was never ever beat yourself or make the big mistake first. I can see in my minds eye perhaps The General illustrating that kind of thinking to Johnny who may have went on to face his Dad Shirley after a game and have the illustration played on his head again. I know many will not agree with me but guys who taught this as if it were a religion are all dead or over 80 years of age consequently some of you young whippersnappers may not have seen the inside paw of one of these up side your head or back of said paw that was meaty headed toward somewhere in the nose mouth area as they trickle when some small leaks in them. Ad that was the Powder Puff coaches!
 
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