London Vol
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I will start by saying that I have been “all in” supporting Pruitt. I think he inherited a car crash and he has slowly improved each year but suddenly everything seems to have imploded and to quote your Harry S Truman “The Buck Stops Here”
After such an encouraging start to the season, in the last 2 ½ games we have been outscored 109 – 24. So, producing a micro analysis of how each area of team performed seems immaterial, something much bigger is happening so I decided to try to find one word to describe yesterday’s performance. I started with angry, annoyed, disillusioned, frustrated and hopeless (I’m sure you can add to the list) but in the end the word that fitted for me was Confused. I will try to give examples below and if I’m confused, how must the players feel?
Was the game plan yesterday to win or to keep the score respectable?
If the plan was to keep the score down then you slow the game down by running the ball, punting where necessary and reducing the number of times the opponent gets the ball, well we started by operating a hurry up offense (which all that got hurried up was the 3 and outs), So the plan was to win. If so, why would you kick a field goal on 4th and 2 when you are 14 – 0 down and punt the ball when were on their 40 when you are 25 points down. But then later on try an onside kick. Confused.
Who is the back-up quarterback?
Let’s not go through the Guarantano question again, we all now know he is starting this season whatever his performance is, but what is going on with the No2 quarterback? First JD Shrout gets one play and then gets yanked, Bailey gets 4 passes against Kentucky and gave a glimpse of the talent he has (and if he’s not ready to play then to quote Harry S Truman……) So, whose number gets call yesterday…… Maurer. Who the hell is the No2? If I was in the conspiracy camp, I would suggest that the chopping and changing was to stop a quarterback controversy. Confused.
Offensive Game Plan
Going into yesterday’s match Alabama’s defense had conceded 309 yards passing and 149 yards rushing per game, so Tennessee called a game plan of 38 rushes and 25 passes and that’s whilst being at least 14 points down most of the game. Finally, Guarantano throws the ball down field (the O Line were brilliant in pass protection all day and Guarantano had more time to spend than an inmate at Folsom) Palmer and Hyatt score in drives of less than two-minutes. Hyatt has two catches for 86 yards (could have been over 100 pending if his foot was not out of bounds) and he was NOT targeted again, that’s not confusing that’s madness. It is easy to blame Chaney, but he knows how to draw up a passing game plan, just as Tyler Bray. Could it be that Pruitt insists that its ground and pound old school in an era that even Saben realised you don’t beat the Clemson’s and Ohio States unless you score 40 points (last year 41 wasn’t enough to beat LSU). It seems we use a horse and buggy when everybody else have adopted the motor car.
Pruitt is a Defensive Back Whisperer
The DBs have been a shambles all season not just the last 2 ½ games. I have no idea how George gets on the field. The opponents don’t need to go near Thompson they just pick on George all game and when he does get a chance for an INT he has hands of concrete. Alonte Taylor, even if he not fit, is far better and at least he showed fight yesterday. Flowers is also a big liability, missing tackles and INTs and often defends too deep. I didn’t realise how much Warrior papered over the cracks last season.
The Defensive Line
Like every sane person I was totally confused why Jimmy Brumbaugh was singled out for blame but I recall at halftime of the Kentucky game Pruitt said that “apart from the interceptions and fumbles the offense was playing well” That reminded me of another famous American quote “apart from the assassination, what was the play like Mrs Lincoln?” Clearly, he was lining up the sacking for some while. But there again Brumbaugh had 4 games and was a Pruitt recruit so back to President Truman. Having done this, everybody was going to watch closely for a big improvement in the D Line. Well they quit on him, do you remember the 4th and 1 and the goal stop against Georgia? this week Najee Harris walked in untouched, and I do mean walked in 3 times for touchdowns from within the 5-yard line. I have no idea what the strategy is going forward to win back the D Line.
In 2 ½ games Pruitt was wiped out all the good work he has done and has placed himself firmly on the Hot Seat, luckily, he has two weeks to steady the ship (if that is possible?) before Arkansas. I’m no longer sure he can do it because I’m Confused.
GO VOLS
After such an encouraging start to the season, in the last 2 ½ games we have been outscored 109 – 24. So, producing a micro analysis of how each area of team performed seems immaterial, something much bigger is happening so I decided to try to find one word to describe yesterday’s performance. I started with angry, annoyed, disillusioned, frustrated and hopeless (I’m sure you can add to the list) but in the end the word that fitted for me was Confused. I will try to give examples below and if I’m confused, how must the players feel?
Was the game plan yesterday to win or to keep the score respectable?
If the plan was to keep the score down then you slow the game down by running the ball, punting where necessary and reducing the number of times the opponent gets the ball, well we started by operating a hurry up offense (which all that got hurried up was the 3 and outs), So the plan was to win. If so, why would you kick a field goal on 4th and 2 when you are 14 – 0 down and punt the ball when were on their 40 when you are 25 points down. But then later on try an onside kick. Confused.
Who is the back-up quarterback?
Let’s not go through the Guarantano question again, we all now know he is starting this season whatever his performance is, but what is going on with the No2 quarterback? First JD Shrout gets one play and then gets yanked, Bailey gets 4 passes against Kentucky and gave a glimpse of the talent he has (and if he’s not ready to play then to quote Harry S Truman……) So, whose number gets call yesterday…… Maurer. Who the hell is the No2? If I was in the conspiracy camp, I would suggest that the chopping and changing was to stop a quarterback controversy. Confused.
Offensive Game Plan
Going into yesterday’s match Alabama’s defense had conceded 309 yards passing and 149 yards rushing per game, so Tennessee called a game plan of 38 rushes and 25 passes and that’s whilst being at least 14 points down most of the game. Finally, Guarantano throws the ball down field (the O Line were brilliant in pass protection all day and Guarantano had more time to spend than an inmate at Folsom) Palmer and Hyatt score in drives of less than two-minutes. Hyatt has two catches for 86 yards (could have been over 100 pending if his foot was not out of bounds) and he was NOT targeted again, that’s not confusing that’s madness. It is easy to blame Chaney, but he knows how to draw up a passing game plan, just as Tyler Bray. Could it be that Pruitt insists that its ground and pound old school in an era that even Saben realised you don’t beat the Clemson’s and Ohio States unless you score 40 points (last year 41 wasn’t enough to beat LSU). It seems we use a horse and buggy when everybody else have adopted the motor car.
Pruitt is a Defensive Back Whisperer
The DBs have been a shambles all season not just the last 2 ½ games. I have no idea how George gets on the field. The opponents don’t need to go near Thompson they just pick on George all game and when he does get a chance for an INT he has hands of concrete. Alonte Taylor, even if he not fit, is far better and at least he showed fight yesterday. Flowers is also a big liability, missing tackles and INTs and often defends too deep. I didn’t realise how much Warrior papered over the cracks last season.
The Defensive Line
Like every sane person I was totally confused why Jimmy Brumbaugh was singled out for blame but I recall at halftime of the Kentucky game Pruitt said that “apart from the interceptions and fumbles the offense was playing well” That reminded me of another famous American quote “apart from the assassination, what was the play like Mrs Lincoln?” Clearly, he was lining up the sacking for some while. But there again Brumbaugh had 4 games and was a Pruitt recruit so back to President Truman. Having done this, everybody was going to watch closely for a big improvement in the D Line. Well they quit on him, do you remember the 4th and 1 and the goal stop against Georgia? this week Najee Harris walked in untouched, and I do mean walked in 3 times for touchdowns from within the 5-yard line. I have no idea what the strategy is going forward to win back the D Line.
In 2 ½ games Pruitt was wiped out all the good work he has done and has placed himself firmly on the Hot Seat, luckily, he has two weeks to steady the ship (if that is possible?) before Arkansas. I’m no longer sure he can do it because I’m Confused.
GO VOLS
