Are we just a QB away from being good?

[I40flyer]

How do we ever get into a year that is not a rebuilding year? If we have players graduating (leaving) and/or going pro, and recruiting HS players (giving them scholarships) thus New players, how do we ever have a Built year as opposed to the Rebuilding year I hear so much about? I've missed the trick somewhere along the line. In fact every time I hear, Rebuilding year, my first guess is, the person relying on that statement doesn't have a clue how NCAA football works-we are always in a building year, and so is everyone else.

 

[Daniel_Lincolns_Foot]

I see u wont let this go lol. If the offense turns the ball over in their own territory they gave away points. It dnt matter if its 3 or 7. U directly put the opponent in scoring position. We did that 3 times which cost us 17. If u take those 17 off the board we win the game period. That defense was missing 3 key players, had 0 dlineman who started 1 game at UT, going against the triple option. Still managed to only give up 350 total yards even with the offense giving Ga st 3 extra possessions smh. The offense put us in a whole and when we started to climb out we fell even deeper. Just a bad game that im trying to forget.

.....I’ve never not “got it.” I understand how points off turnovers work.

Next time, don’t give up as many points off of turnovers. I don’t care if they get the ball on your 40–be the stronger and faster and better team and stop them.

And if you don’t, be prepared to face criticism. From the very beginning, that’s all I’ve been saying.

 

[cgrish]

Mizzou game was fool's gold. We had a 400 yard passer and three 100 yard receivers and only managed 24 points..... In what world does that happen?

Only with jg as qb. He has never been good in red zone.

 

[cgrish]

I know the history well, I know our QB history and I know the awful coaching we've had at QB play has been as bad as it's ever been with gym coach Jones. I also know how difficult it is to recruit those top guys and for the last 4-5 years how hard it's been for us to recruit those type QBs. Pruitt has done a great job changing that back to what we've all seen before and has made our QB position better. JG adds incredible value to the QB room, he's been through the wars, he's improved every year he's played and he can provide valuable leadership to the new young gun in Bailey, who we are all excited about, me included. I've said numerous times that because of our numbers, because of the individual talents of each QB as well as all the game experience they have we are in a positive situation at QB for years to come, which will very likely include JG starting out at the very least next year. We've got several that believe it's the end of the world with JG at the helm and I simply don't think it's anywhere near that bad. Florida won 10 games with both Franks and Trask and neither one of them are any better statistically than JG. We can win 9+ next year with JG/HB and could potentially win really big the next 2 years with HB at the helm. It seems like the most logical path to me and similar to the path we had with Peyton. I've got zero worries with the QB position next year.

I personaly do not want jg giving any advise to our qb. By the way fla would not have won 10 games if franks had not got hurt. Trask is a much better qb than Franks. In other words the back up was better than the starter. We need a new start with a different qb, if not 7 or 8 wins with jg if that many.

 

[Vol Kilmer]

decent qb and we are 10-3, maybe 11-2 and ranked 5th or 6th if we beat BAMA.

always it is all about qb play.

 

[VolFanNC09]

Yes, we are a QB away from being a 10-11 win team. A good QB next year and we are a 9-11 win team.

 

[ftsandersvol]

That’s what the “experts” say.

 

[mj755]

A good QB would have won us the first two games but we'd have still lost to Bama, UGA and UF.

Would look good on paper but we'd still be in the same pecking order in the SEC.

We obviously need a good QB but we'll need talented depth to compete with the top half of the conference

Not so sure we would have lost to Bama with a good QB performance. Good qb makes 28-20 instead of 35-13. Who knows what happens after we get within 8 points in 4th quarter.

 

[mj755]

Without a doubt! But also not just a QB away from being good.
Not a single one of them 10 wins would be against anything more than a just average team. We need better play everywhere to talk about being good.

Let’s see. UK, MSU and UAB went to bowl games. We beat Mizzou after they beat us by 50-17 in the last two years. S.C. did beat UGA. We have played much this year on the OL and Defense. I realize Ga. State will live in infamy on this board forever but let’s give the Vols credit for winning 7 out of the last 8.

 

[Tnslim1]

I was hoping with 2 years under Chaney that JG would turn the corner from bad to mediocre but he didn't. He has never been nor will ever be a serviceable SEC QB.

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

I do believe the coaches when they say JG gives us the best chance to win. And it can be argued he did win us a few games. Fine.

To get where we all want to be, winning the East and going to the SECCG, it's time to find and develop a QB that can get you there. We have made really good strides on defense (IMO they are ahead of schedule), OL shows signs of solid improvement, depth is better, RBs can hurt you when the OL executes, and receivers have stepped up. All these areas are rounding out, to be competitive with the teams we gotta beat.

We had holes, big ones, on both side of the ball, for several years. QB was one. But now it's starting to show that everything around that position has improved. To the point the QB is the liability negating these improvements. JG's body of work speaks for itself. He is not going to get you where you need to go.....he is not going to help you make that next step up when that time comes.

He's helped us get to where we are now which is much better than where we were when he got his 1st start of his career. We are a pretty good team right now and I think we'll be an even better team next year and it will likely include JG at QB at the start of the season.

 

[Sin City Vol]

If Bituli played all year and we weren't missing four d starters the first few games we win 10 this year. Availability of players seemed to be the biggest factor. Even when Bituli went out last night they had their best drives.

thank you

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

I was hoping with 2 years under Chaney that JG would turn the corner from bad to mediocre but he didn't. He has never been nor will ever be a serviceable SEC QB.

We went 5-3 in conference play this year. When you get a chance you should look up how many teams in the SEC had a worse conference record. He's a serviceable SEC QB, probably in the top half of the league really.

 

[nomads-11]

He's helped us get to where we are now which is much better than where we were when he got his 1st start of his career. We are a pretty good team right now and I think we'll be an even better team next year and it will likely include JG at QB at the start of the season.

Agree on all counts, to include starting next year. I am contending that at some point the potential of the team around him will exceed his ability to take advantage of it. Maybe we are closer to that than.....not.

 

[Tnslim1]

We went 5-3 in conference play this year. When you get a chance you should look up how many teams in the SEC had a worse conference record. He's a serviceable SEC QB, probably in the top half of the league really.

You forgot the blue font.

 

[bamavol53]

The problem is Jg’s ability to see a the window to throw the ball in without seeing the receiver. Even the announcers could see how late and erratic he was with his throws.

 

[VOLywood]

HB is day 1 starter and we have Kasim Hill as a backup. Don't need another QB.

 

[FLVOL_79]

YES

 

[901 Orange]

.....I’ve never not “got it.” I understand how points off turnovers work.

Next time, don’t give up as many points off of turnovers. I don’t care if they get the ball on your 40–be the stronger and faster and better team and stop them.

And if you don’t, be prepared to face criticism. From the very beginning, that’s all I’ve been saying.

U obviously dnt understand how points off turnovers work. Kinda hard to stop somebody when u fumble at your own 20 yardline. The defense held them to 5 yards after we threw an interception. The problem was we turned it over in fg range so stop it dude. If u give up the ball deep in your own territory the other team will score just about every time. Idc whose defense it is, if u give a team the ball in scoring range their gonna score. U cant turn the ball over at your 20 and turn around and expect the defense to bail u out. Thats just not realistic. U do know that teams that turned the ball over 3 times in a game lost 85% of the time right?? So if u want the reason why we lost to Ga st its becuase the offense sucked that day simple as that.

 

[Bigworm87]

I don't think JG is phenomenal by any stretch, but he did plenty enough against GA state amd BYU for us to win. He didn't give up 30+ points against GA state and sure as hell didnt give up the long pass play at the end of the BYU game. Could he have played better, absolutely, but the first 2 games were lost because of the defense.

 

[901 Orange]

You are right, and the point I set out to make is that I refuse to point solely at Guarantano for the loss (hinted at in my original post). That, yes, he is inconsistent and flat out bad at times, but both sides of the ball need to be ultimately criticized for the loss.

I think it's disingenuous to say that 17 points were caused because of the offense leaving the defense with their backs against the wall, and the other 21 ARE ALSO because the defense was gassed because the offense couldn't sustain drives? All 38 points are on the offense? No defensive accountability? It's all on Guarantano? I'm not willing to do that.

U keep talking about the other 21 but those points wouldnt have mattered without the 17 becuase 21 wasnt enough for them to win. I didnt just put the blame on JG i blamed the entire offense.

 

[peaygolf]

Short answer...........No. UT is already "Good"

a legit QB and DL from being great!

 

[901 Orange]

I don't think JG is phenomenal by any stretch, but he did plenty enough against GA state amd BYU for us to win. He didn't give up 30+ points against GA state and sure as hell didnt give up the long pass play at the end of the BYU game. Could he have played better, absolutely, but the first 2 games were lost because of the defense.

He didnt give up 30 against Ga st but he lead an offense to 8 straight drives, against one of the worse scoring defenses in the ncaa, that resulted in less then 200 yards, no TDs, and turned the ball over 3 times in our own territory. Those 17 off turnovers were the difference in the game. He didnt give up the deep ball against BYU but he threw the int that got them back in the game deep inside our own territory. In both cases if u take care of the ball u win the game

 

[901 Orange]

If the defense can't stay off the field and the o sits for long stretches of time the offense can stagnate. It works both ways.

Also 23 should be enough for UT to beat GSU.

Defense allowing 9/10 on third or fourth and short was the problem.

They dnt even get 10 3rd down attempts if we dnt give them 3 extra possessions. If u dnt turn the ball over 3 times u win the game. 21 points wouldnt have been enough to beat us. When teams turned the ball over 3 times in a game this year they lost 85% of the time. Some of us may need to read General Neylands Maxims. If u are going to give the ball away multiple times in your own territory u have no shot.

 

[South Florida Vol]

We went 5-3 in conference play this year. When you get a chance you should look up how many teams in the SEC had a worse conference record. He's a serviceable SEC QB, probably in the top half of the league really.

Agreed. I do not think there is any doubt we need a generational QB talent to elevate our program to being an SEC contender each year. By that I mean a day one starter who is a first round NFL draft pick (Peyton, Tua, Trevor Lawrence type). But we don't have that.

So why can't we just support what we have for now? I do not understand why our fans treat JG like they do, they act as if he tries to do poorly. JG has turned into one of my favorite players ever. Last year he got beat up all year behind a terrible line and ridiculed by fans. This year he does awful and gets benched. Then when he comes back in Alabama game he makes one of the all time bad plays in Tennessee history. After all that most his age in this day of college football would have quit and entered the transfer portal. But he sticks around to do whatever he can to help his team win........and we won several in a row. There are so many examples in youth/high school/college athletics of when things do not go your way you just quit on current team and find somewhere else to play. JG is a wonderful, selfless example for my boys to emulate and I hope he is here next year.

JG was not good in the bowl game until the last two drives. But he was pretty good and definitely serviceable down the stretch. Let's just appreciate that he is giving his all for Tennessee and trust the coaches to put the best guy in there.