Recruiting Football Talk VII

[drvenner]

Who did Joe beat? Every game we won because of the run game, every game we lost was because Joe sucks.

Well, let's see, We have had 2263 yards rushing and 2562 passing. We have scored 18 TD rushing and 17 passing. First downs, 112 rushing, 109 passing. I would say we're pretty balanced, but maybe you interpret these numbers differently. Also, Milton is our 4th best rusher at 288 yards and 5 TD.

 

[CAVPUT]

We will play a good team in Gator Bowl...Rutgers isn't going to a decent bowl at 6-6.....Penn State or Iowa ....is what I'm thinking or maybe the Irish...

Beat Vandy? I made it a question because I don't think it's a given. This team is down and beat up. They've been embarrassed two straight weeks. The fans are in a state as well. Ordinarily I'd expect us to take it out on little brother, but I'm not sure this team is made this way. It's not like we haven't had a team or two mail it in when all goals were gone. Goes without saying that this team comes up a bit short in the leadership department. No, I won't count vandy as a win with this team this year.

 

[UpstateVol613]

For context I thought this was a good tweet.

 

[drvenner]

Tyler Bray making fun of someone else for being able to throw 80 yards but not having it between the ears is the richest irony that has ever existed.

Somebody should have responded by asking how far Joe could throw a beer bottle.

 

[Outofmyvolcanmind]

Gotta love the "Mertz trucking Mizzou defenders. Why can't our QB do that?"

Mertz broken collar bone. Out for the year.

 

[drvenner]

Bray had nfl OL and wr all around him, and he had an offense built for him. He'd crumble in cjh offense with the OL and wr Joe is working with.

He also would have likely quit in a few games because he did not want to go to some BS bowl game.

 

[Rishvol]

For context I thought this was a good tweet.

Tell that guy he went 7-5

 

[JCVol00]

I just hope it's still an appealing job to coaches. Never should've went to Quarles. Lazy hire and I have no idea why it was done other than what he did at Maryville HS

Yup, ETSU was successful under Sanders and then GQ turned it into a terrible program in 2 years. No doubt we could get someone decent, a lot of people I know are interested in Tre Lamb from Gardner Webb. Or maybe ETSU can take Tim Banks off our hands

 

[Rishvol]

Gotta love the "Mertz trucking Mizzou defenders. Why can't our QB do that?"

Mertz broken collar bone. Out for the year.

When our QB trucked people they were out for the game

 

[Rishvol]

Yup, ETSU was successful under Sanders and then GQ turned it into a terrible program in 2 years. No doubt we could get someone decent, a lot of people I know are interested in Tre Lamb from Gardner Webb. Or maybe ETSU can take Tim Banks off our hands

I wouldn't hate that hire. I think his defense would work well in FCS
Also Gardner Webb lost to the peay-ers as badly as ETSU did. That would not be a good hire

 

[Volnut]

The coaches did not plan on redshirting Nico. There was no promise made as a condition of his recruitment. They planned to get him game experience throughout the season, but things did not go as planned. Opportunities to play him were missed, and now that the season is almost over, the risk-reward scenario has changed. He'll get a RS because that's how the season unfolded. Nobody's thrilled about how the QB situation or the offense played out this year.

Do you all remember back in September when there were some rumors that Nico hurt his hand or wrist? Maybe that slowed his development and thus the decision to redshirt.

 

[headhunter15]

 

[JCVol00]

I wouldn't hate that hire. I think his defense would work well in FCS
Also Gardner Webb lost to the pea-ers as badly as ETSU did. That would not be a good hire

Could definitely help etsu some, and would help UT too, would benefit both parties

 

[drvenner]

No one expected the team to repeat last year. Everyone with more than 2 brain cells knew the team would take a step back. My steps to rebuilding TN football was pretty simple, get to a point where you consistently beat SC, Vandy, KY, and MO be competitive with AL, FL, and GA. I thought we'd have taken step one, probably a little earlier than anticipated. If you judge this season based on that criteria, we've not achieved that. Not really competitive against the 3, disappointing considering how pathetic FL is. Obviously, completely dominated by Mizzou. It's not about the record, 8-4 isn't all that bad. I think most thought that was about right preseason. It's really about how those losses occurred. Totally embarrassed.

I'm 100% behind Heup but I have to admit doubt is creeping into my head. Hoping Nico fixes a lot of what ails this team. Joe's done a lot of damage to Heupel 's "qb whisperer " reputation. Here's to hoping Nico fixes that.

I'm done with the '23 vol footballers. Looking forward to basketball, baseball and the '24 football team.

I would say we are competitive with both FL and Bama. We laid a huge egg in Gainesville and in the second half in Tuscaloosa. However, you, yourself, along with many of us, have bemoaned the terrible officiating against Bama. Still have a long way to go to beat Georgia. Heup has put UK, Vandy, and SC back in their proper place, IMO. TAMU was a parallel to that level of team this year. Missouri is very good this year, but we were absolutely horrible in that game and I agree we still have work to do. I think we are on the right track, but the step back this year was a little bigger than I thought. Let's see where we go with Nico next year.

 

[drvenner]

Don’t let any of the seniors come back, thanks

We need the senior OL to come back, brah.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

Well, let's see, We have had 2263 yards rushing and 2562 passing. We have scored 18 TD rushing and 17 passing. First downs, 112 rushing, 109 passing. I would say we're pretty balanced, but maybe you interpret these numbers differently. Also, Milton is our 4th best rusher at 288 yards and 5 TD.

SCAR 65% completion rating, 1 TD, 2 picks 47.3 QBR
AM 50% completion rating, 1 TD, 1 pick 53.5 QBR
FLA, SCAR, Bama, Mizzou all games the offense had to rely on Joe and he was garbage.

UK is the only game you can look at the stats and say he mightve won that for us, and the run game still dominated that game.

 

[drvenner]

Yea there's 0 comparison between Bray and Joe. Bray could complete passes over 5 yards.

He sure could lay down against Kentucky and sling them beer bottles, too.

 

[UTProf]

We wound up where most expected. The difference is that the QB position held things back which is also what most non fans expected. With injuries to the OL being what they were and us having only 2 scholarship QBs I don’t think it was ever as simple as just throwing Nico into the fire. He wasn’t ready at the beginning of the season and when he was finally looking more ready Milton was quietly putting together some decent showings. TBH with the issues and injuries we’ve had we’re lucky we’re looking to finish with 8 or 9 wins.

The loss that we should have avoided was UF. That game our OL showed how lost it was without Mays. Defense eventually improved but then injuries. Offense never found its footing and while some of that was on WR drops early, most of it was the fact Milton limited things and our lack of depth at QB limited things even more.

 

[drvenner]

Ah, the “guess you’ve never made mistakes in your life” argument. I literally had these same arguments with Dooley, Butch, and Pruitt followers.

I like Heupel. You don’t win 11 games without some coaching chops. But, the fact that he continued to have an obsession with Milton being his QB is troubling and yes, I’d call it coaching malpractice. He started him over Hooker in 2021 and would’ve continued to do so except Milton got hurt. He didn’t bring in a transfer QB to play over him this year. The fact that he’s seen Joe play for 3 years and still is pedal to the metal with him is maddening and shows his stubborn streak. He doesn’t seem to have the ability to admit mistakes and correct them. I continue to see it in coaches and in players. He’s still a young coach so I’m hoping he learns and has a mentor that will wake him up to that fact.

You have no idea he would have continued to in 2021. He didn't bring him back when he got healthy. He may have been able to find a QB in the portal willing to come, but not sure how much better than Milton he would have been. You also don't have all the data. There is a reason he did not go away from Milton. It might be that he is just stubborn. I don't believe it is.

 

[Devo182]

I still like Huepel and think he could be the one. Hopefully he learns quickly that blind loyalty to experience can cost you games and ultimately get you fired.

You believe that, without evidence.

CJH knows his choices, right or wrong.

He isn't a child or ignorant of his decisions. He decided this was the way to maximize wins.

Fans just always want to assume things aren't really that bad/fair and the backup would have taken them to 10 wins and then folks saw the backups to JG

 

[UTProf]

Our backup OL were not able to even come close to opening running lanes against the UGA front 7.

When we played UK with OL subs on a few snaps we got our rears handed to us. I’m surprised we got as much protection as we did yesterday but a lot of that was UGA knowing that with our WRs out and Joe being inconsistent as hell they’d rather us throw.

 

[drvenner]

Bray quit like a b&tch.

He also would not have been a culture fit with this team and this staff, IMO. I know people like to deride that philosophy, but I think it is important for us to continue to improve.

 

[Outofmyvolcanmind]

We don't play them next year.

Probably Germans at this point, but yes we do play Florida next year. .

 

[InVOLuntary]

I would say we are competitive with both FL and Bama. We laid a huge egg in Gainesville and in the second half in Tuscaloosa. However, you, yourself, along with many of us, have bemoaned the terrible officiating against Bama. Still have a long way to go to beat Georgia. Heup has put UK, Vandy, and SC back in their proper place, IMO. TAMU was a parallel to that level of team this year. Missouri is very good this year, but we were absolutely horrible in that game and I agree we still have work to do. I think we are on the right track, but the step back this year was a little bigger than I thought. Let's see where we go with Nico next year.

Competitive to me means having a chance to win at the end of the 4th qtr. We weren't in either game at the end. Also, being Competitive against FL this year shouldn't have been the standard.

 

[SouthKnoxVOL]

Probably Germans at this point, but yes we do play Florida next year. .View attachment 596681

He was referring to Mizzou...whom we do not play next year