Pruitt talks offensive struggles

And you keep blaming the players and let the coaches slide.

You and CJP seem to have that in common.

Wrong. I put the blame on both. But these mental mistakes are on players. You learn things like blocking, catching and tackling in middle school. Then those same things are taught in HS. By the time you reach college, these simple techniques should be entrenched. But we see our players, through the last coaching regime and this one, suffer with these simple things.

Is that coaching? Some of it, but not all of it. Also, I have heard Saban echo similar to what Pruitt does about players so there is that.

So I am curious, at what point do you personally hold players accountable?
 
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Pruitt is a real coach and not like either of those losers imo.....He still has to prove it on the field....nobody believed in Dooley at all....Butch was harder to tell but the signs were there to see that he was not the man for the job.

I bet you loved both of them until the day they were fired.
 
I dont know where you get this from. The players are playing with a lot of heart. Pruitt is just being honest. There is nothing wrong with that.


There was a shouting match with Drew Richmond on the sideline. It was pretty serious. I wish we had even a semblance of depth at OL.
 
Haven't read through this whole thread, but in the postgame he looked and sounded as he always has. I agree he seemed a little tired/annoyed/depressed at half and post game-on field, but he also has a very monotone/serious demeanor. He hates those field interviews - most interviews for that matter - and its obvious.

He might not have realized just how bad this roster really is, but Pruitt comes off as a consummate professional and he will continue to bust his tail while he's here. I also don't think he is void of vision. He knows the players he wants, and he DEFINITELY knows what he can do with those players (at least on D) once he gets them.

Hang in there fellas. Pruitt ain't giving up on this team or university. I think its obvious he is using these games as extra motivation in recruiting. Go Vols!
 
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Wrong. I put the blame on both. But these mental mistakes are on players. You learn things like blocking, catching and tackling in middle school. Then those same things are taught in HS. By the time you reach college, these simple techniques should be entrenched. But we see our players, through the last coaching regime and this one, suffer with these simple things.

Is that coaching? Some of it, but not all of it. Also, I have heard Saban echo similar to what Pruitt does about players so there is that.

So I am curious, at what point do you personally hold players accountable?
That is a very good question, but let me ask you, how does one explain how these guys, rated 3, 4 and at least almost 5 stars coming from HS forget this stuff? If players learn these fundamentals, how do the two and low three star players that Charlotte surely gets outplay our three, three and a half, and four star players who came through the same middle school and high school systems?
 
Just read this entire thread.

You guys do know that the Vols won tonight, yes????

Every group of P5 players has a let down/didn’t get up for it game during a 12 game season.

Our was today. And luckily it resulted in a W.

I was at Auburn 2 weeks ago. THAT was a legit D1 D line. And our O line got the job done well enough to consistently throw down field and to get the W.

The O line is absolutely the weakest link in this collection of Vols. And they admittedly overlooked/played down to an inferior Charlotte opponent today.

But the won. One more step closer to those 15 extra bowl practices.

IMHO CJP has a vision of what he needs and the recruiting chops to get the right players here.

Rome was not built in a day. Go Vols!
 
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Is it just me or does JP seemed resigned to the fact that theres no hope for this team. Watching his interview at halftime and at end of game, he seemed extremely depressed.

Maybe he realized that a first year head coach is in way over his head trying to a job that he isn't ready for. In the mean time Leach's WS Cougars are ranked 8th in the country.
 
Maybe he realized that a first year head coach is in way over his head trying to a job that he isn't ready for. In the mean time Leach's WS Cougars are ranked 8th in the country.
No offense, but there really isn't a comparison. Leach and most others couldn't have done more WITH THIS ROSTER! Give it up. Very few are sorry that they didn't choose Leach. Leach is ranked where he is with the roster he cultivated--he couldn't have done the same with this roster. Whiners and carpers! Let's work with what we have.
 
That is a very good question, but let me ask you, how does one explain how these guys, rated 3, 4 and at least almost 5 stars coming from HS forget this stuff? If players learn these fundamentals, how do the two and low three star players that Charlotte surely gets outplay our three, three and a half, and four star players who came through the same middle school and high school systems?

I honestly dont know. It confuses me. I played middle school football and I learned those things. Now I am not saying I was very good, I wasnt. But I played on the DL and knew how to tackle. Its puzzling. Coaching definitely plays a part but like you say, how can our higher rated guys just seem to not know how to do things they have been doing since high school? I mean are they just not trying hard enough? I think the lack of a good S&C program plays a good part.

I know Pruitt is a rookie HC and some other position coaches are rookies. But considering that many if these guys have coached at places like Bama, Florida and Georgia, I find it hard to believe that they just dont know how to properly teach fundamental techniques. Maybe I am wrong.

What do you think?
 
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Thank you Casey Pruitt. Why do t we give him an extension this year for being honest and telling us like it is in so many press conferences. Havent you heard- Pruitt hasnt lost a Press Conference this year as a head coach

Who the **** is Casey Pruitt? And yeah because its Pruitts fault that we have a team full of undeveloped big east players.
 
I honestly dont know. It confuses me. I played middle school football and I learned those things. Now I am not saying I was very good, I wasnt. But I played on the DL and knew how to tackle. Its puzzling. Coaching definitely plays a part but like you say, how can our higher rated guys just seem to not know how to do things they have been doing since high school? I mean are they just not trying hard enough? I think the lack of a good S&C program plays a good part.

I know Pruitt is a rookie HC and some other position coaches are rookies. But considering that many if these guys have coached at places like Bama, Florida and Georgia, I find it hard to believe that they just dont know how to properly teach fundamental techniques. Maybe I am wrong.

What do you think?
I think it's a hell of a lot harder than you or I can imagine. No matter how good you've been told you are, there's somebody right below you almost as good. The difference between 4* (89) and 3* (88), is pretty razor thin. All of us old guys played some football when we were young--I got to practice a little for Lon Herzbrun (linebackers coach under Bill Battle, formerly head coach at Fulton). I distinctly remember the phrase, 'piss-poor'..lol.

I don't know, I think CJP will get it done. He'll get guys who can compete, who get into a S&C program, and learn good fundamentals. Right now, we have skill guys who can compete with most anybody. Just need the O line, D line depth, and maturity elsewhere. Lots of holes, but light at the end of the tunnel.
 
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I think it's a hell of a lot harder than you or I can imagine. No matter how good you've been told you are, there's somebody right below you almost as good. The difference between 4* (89) and 3* (88), is pretty razor thin. All of us old guys played some football when we were young--I got to practice a little for Lon Herzbrun (linebackers coach under Bill Battle, formerly head coach at Fulton). I distinctly remember the phrase, 'piss-poor'..lol.

I don't know, I think CJP will get it done. He'll get guys who can compete, who get into a S&C program, and learn good fundamentals. Right now, we have skill guys who can compete with most anybody. Just need the O line, D line depth, and maturity elsewhere. Lots of holes, but light at the end of the tunnel.

I am sure its harder than we think. Its just really frustrating to see this team suffer like they do. I think Pruitt will get it done as well but its gonna take a few recruiting classes and like the late great Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part.
 
It takes years to rebuild an offensive line with depth. Drew Richmond is nothing short of a bust. Should've let him go to ole miss.
 
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A part of the problem is that Pruitt had issues with the D. Today he is getting a lot more out of them and becoming more familiar. They have improved, they are better. Basically he knows how to deal with an underperforming D now and through the draft. Pruitt has never had his performance evaluated (that I know of) on the performance of the O as well. It's out of his "comfort" zone. Say or dictate what you want you're not going to solve the OL woes this season ..... that's beyond repair at this point. His view is to solve much of it by recruiting ..... why? Because that's what he thinks he knows knows. Can't say he is wrong but penalties and play calling don't make him right either.
 
We moved down in D to about ten rows back, so I got a good look at the Charlotte players up close. There is no way that we aren't a more physically-fit team than them. Honestly: I think we just have a bunch of guys who aren't very good and don't have the fire/know how to win.

Butch killed the love of the game for these guys on the sidelines now. O-line simply has to be broken down and rebuilt. We'd be better off if they forgot everything they thought they knew and just hit the first guy in front of them and push them back for the rest of the season.

CJP and crew earn their money now. It's time for this coaching staff to teach this team how to go cornbread on the bottom of the SEC East. It starts by relearning how to beat Kentucky and Vandy.
 
Just think about Pruitts comments after his first team meeting after getiing hired. He remaked about how small we were. That spoke volumes. Think about what he is used to. Bama, UGA and FSU. He is used to having players who know how to do their jobs effectively. He has said time and time again that he needs better players. And if anyone cannot see that he does then you are blind. How could Pruitt not feel lost with this roster? He has an OL that is small, soft, weak and just flat out terrible. There is no quality depth. Your best OL is unfortunately not able to get healthy. He has no quality depth anywhere on the defense.

I mean what in the world is Jeremy Pruitt supposed to do?
I think the expectations are not realistic by the fans.Let's say he gets a decent crop of freshmen recruits next year---what school expects a team to turn around a program with a class of freshmen---and playing in the SEC? Fans have a "right now"mentality when it may not happen over a season,or two.
 
Pruitt may be terrible or awesome. All we knew when we hired him is that he was great at coaching elite talent as a coordinator.

Jury's still out, I hope he's the guy
And I’m a GREAT Grand Prix driver as long as I have a Ferrari competing against a field of Yugos.
I’m starting to wonder what the folks that did the hiring saw that made them think JP can DEVELOP young men into competitive football players in the SEC..??
It’s a question... not a knock. I VERY MUCH hope JP is the guy, and we will one day look back fondly at the Pruitt era in Big Orange country.
GO VOLS..!!
 
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