The Official #5 Tennessee @ South Carolina Game Thread, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN

[VolDave53]

I don't remember Sal having a top notch run defense followed by a pass defense that could be beat by a team of quadriplegics.

Nah, he didn't have a defense that could stop ANYTHING.

 

[FLVOL_79]

Some members of my family have called and said "Youll be able to afford to take everyone to a bowl game this year now!"

Sad.

 

[WiseOlVol]

Bye bye heisman bye bye playoffs

HHooker looks better for Heisman now. Had to carry this sorry D all year.

 

[MADISONGAVOL]

Who is playing lights out Sc? Lol. They have sucked all year 6-4 team. Defense has not stopped a single drive. Vols going to lose.

We stopped 1 didn't we?

 

[OrangeBloodinTN]

We just need a good holding call to destroy one of their drives

I mean… we are long overdue in this game for it.

 

[patrick]

For whatever reason banks is only rushing 3 or 4 and even then they aren’t laying their ears back. Been playing basically a prevent defense but it has lead to huge chinch’s of yardage.

going to have to rush 5 and quit the zone sh$$.

 

[Voltrapnbama]

I'd say to Tim Banks, Volnation wants you fired. You better light a fire or it's gonna happen!

I think he is gone after this year, I really do. CJH has to know this can’t stand especially if we lose this game. Was Jeremy Banks that much of our defense?

 

[Orange931]

It's OK to be delusional. If is what it is.

You’re the only one being delusional. That ‘98 team was loaded with talent.

 

[NCFisher]

Umm I would’ve knocked his teeth out before this game.

Good luck with life.

 

[johnsonbrewer]

I wanna believe!

 

[lifeisdeep]

Martinez and Banks have to go after signing day. No way they can keep those two clowns.

They should not be allowed back on the plane. More than one DC has been fired the day after a game for far better performances than this.

 

[Volnbeers]

I don’t think it’s a banks thing, I think it’s a talent thing.

willie Martinez needs to be fired at the half, however

 

[JMSqb11]

Just go poach Derek Mason, Barry Odom, or Jim Leonard if he doesn’t get the head coach job this off-season. We are spending tons of money. Time to invest in top tier DC

 

[Stephen Gray]

Soft. Why do we expect different. Is it because we changed coaches? Tennessee will always be middle of the road. 1998 was a fluke.

We see different dude. Yeah we are having a bad game but even if we lose this one, as long as we learn from it and take care of Vanderbilt this season as a whole will end much better than almost anyone guessed we would for year 2 under a new staff.

 

[gandycv]

I think our starters on the backend are not SEC quality. No offense to them, they play hard but they’re just not getting it done. The coaches are not perfect clearly but these guys get beat time after time and I have a hard time believing it’s all scheme.

Our DBs are just not very fast.

 

[nashvol1]

Thank God that HH is not weak willed like the wimpy masses posting here tonight. We will get to find out if this revival of Rattler can be sustained in the second half. They hit us square in the mouth, got help from the refs they probably did not need but we trail by less than 2 TD.
So I will not give up yet. Not sure if our defense or our fanbase is the most embarrassing so far.... it is close.

HH been impressive. He can’t help if we give up 700 and 60 points

 

[CPVOL]

Fix the defensive scheme at half and we win this game yet.

I think it’s desire and lack thereof. Flat footed with not much fight

 

[DooleyOrangePants]

Of course halftime show saying this game is more surprising then the rest of the top 4 struggling, Mullen tried to put a word in and say but Tennessee can score ina hurry and Both of the other announcers said but can they play some defense in a spiteful way.. just bs man but I will say it’s our fault we put ourselves in this position.

Caught that, but they aren’t exactly wrong. Defense has been absolutely the worst they’ve been all season. Just pathetic effort top to bottom

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

Black Friday at Walmart, guys. Get off the internet.

 

[UTfan94]

I just want to see our defense get a 3 and out.

 

[saxvol]

We are not doing what Florida did to them, Banks want to do it his way.

 

[IndianaVol]

We score with 1st possession here and it's a 4 point game.
Then we need to see something from the special teams or defense to flip the field and put us up by 3...

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

After we win, we'll be the only team the CFP board downgrades for how we won.

 

[turbovol]

Play man-to-man and send the house on every play. Honestly, could we do any worse? We need to shake Rattler’s confidence. They have no run game.

That's exactly what we did on their last possession. Then Turnage got the holding call, and somebody else held. We were playing man on the TD throw--and it was pretty good coverage, to be fair--just a nice route and a perfect throw. Rattler looks like an All American tonight. We will blitz a lot in the 2nd half, and I expect they'll be expecting it. They've got some quick backs.

 

[Delmar]

Its the whole unit. Secondary is not good but D line & Blitzers are not getting pressure on the QB which is amplifying how bad our Secondary is.

Exactly. The pass rush has been able to cover for a poor secondary most all year. Not tonight so far. They have got to get some sort of pass rush in the second half because our secondary simply can’t cover.