London Vol
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GAME 13 - ILLINOIS
I can’t believe that this is the last game of the 2025 season (did I hear a boo?) and thus my last report of the season (did I hear a hurray?) but until college sports realises that 12 or 13 games is not maximising the revenue stream, it is what the season is. Bowl games are often low-key affairs with players absent for a number of reasons so it is a really good chance for fringe and inexperienced players to impress before the 2026 season. As my Grandad used to say “when one door closes another door opens” he was a lovely man but a lousy cabinet maker.
Pre-match hopes Some good performances both from the type of players already mentioned and from the team overall. This will help water down the bad taste of Vanderbilt 2025. I also want Mike Mathews to show he is ready for a big leap forward next season, no more stone hands but more happy stands.
Pre-match concerns, tackling, tackling and tackling, there were a number of faults in the Defence in 2025 but the number of missed tackles were simply unacceptable. So, in the shadow of Jim Knowles, hopefully this will focus the players to “wrap up” the opponents because if they don’t it will be another loss. The cold is my second concern, (no bare chests please) as it will be Chicago not Tennessee weather. Lastly another similar defeat will actually re-enforce the bad taste of the Vanderbilt loss. Notwithstanding this I will go 38-27.
Well with that Defence I am surprised we lost by only 2. All season we have been soft but the last two weeks against Vanderbilt and Illinois they both marched up and down the field ALL game and last night Illinois had zero 3 and outs, I’ll just say that again, ZERO 3 and outs.
As you know Josh Heupel is passionately loyal to his coaches and I think Tim Banks is the first to be fired, but if he had not bought in Jim Knowles then from now to September the talk would have been so negative. I don’t know if Knowles Is the answer, but I do know Tim Banks wasn’t.
QUARTERBACKS E
The name of Joey Aguilar will always bring a smile to my face when I hear it and despite arriving very late in the day, he helped salvage this season, would we have got 8 wins with Jake Merklinger behind centre? But his season slowly unravelled and last night it was probably his worst performance. He was hesitant, clearly not reading the field and was not even very accurate. Still thank you Joey, I hope all works out for you going forward.
RUNNING BACKS B +
No blame should be laid at DeSean Bishop and Star Thomas`s doors as they delivered even though the ‘hat numbers’ were in their favour most of the night. I don’t know where Thomas has been the last few games, but he again showed he is capable at this level and it’s a shame he is a “one and done”. As for Bishop, he is like a bottle of 1945 Domaine De La Romanee Conti (Burgundy) it just gets better every year and to think he started as walk on.
WIDE RECEIVERS C
If the quarterback isn’t seeing the field, then the WRs and not going to have a big night but apart for a big drop from Braylon Staley they did what they could. It was good to see Mike Matthews have “sticky hands” at last. These two will need to be torch carriers next season and we seem to be in good hands (I know that was a bit cheesy).
TIGHT ENDS E
Welcome again to the Ethan Davis rollercoaster, after recent performances I had high hopes but he disappeared again and combined with the fact that the strength of this department is the blocking, and as listed in the next section, it wasn’t very good either.
OFFENSIVE LINE E
When the opponents drop 6 or sometimes 7 into coverage how can you concede 4 sacks even for allowing for the hesitation by Aguilar? I know most, if not all of the O`Line is back next year but I’m not convinced it really is a strength that I thought it was earlier this season.
DEFENSIVE LINE F
We have been shorthanded all the year at DT and often this has shown up in the second half as they became gassed and last night was no exception. I believe this is the most important area to be addressed in the Portal. I don’t want to come down too hard on Dominic Bailey as others should bare the brunt for the loss, but that offside penalty at the end was the final exclamation mark of the dysfunctionality.
LINEBACKERS E -
Edwin Spillman had a few good moments again and he did his best to cover for the absence of Arion Carter, but overall, it was another poor performance from the Line Backers. Choosing wrong lanes, failure to set the edge, numerous missed tackles, sometimes being pushed backwards and slow pass protection isn’t going to get it done. Comically the only time the opponents RB was slowed was by a Zebra (although he chose to not to stand out as he also failed to wrap up the ball carrier as well)
DEFENSIVE BACKS E -
Another embarrassment performance from the DBs hopefully it’s the last time Andre Turrentine suits up in orange (nothing personal). William Wright showed why in 6 years at Knoxville he had not started once and he gave the opponent so much soft coverage that a 3rd and 3 became an automatic 1st down. Ty Redmond is the only reason this wasn’t a F -. Redmond has been an oasis in a big a desert and he delivered multiple big moments again last night. We at least have one corner locked down in 2026
BIG MOMENTS – MISTAKE AFTER MISTAKE
I remember saying to myself when we were 6 points down and only 4:58 on the clock, we now have a real chance of winning, but to do so we must consume all the time on the clock by methodically marching down the field and not give the ball back as we couldn’t stop and Asthmatic Ant last night. So strangely the Kick Off TD Return was not what we needed but all it did was to highlight just how inept the Defense was. I could fill a whole report on the mistakes made (not for the first time this season) such as another big Field Goal miss (remember we lost by only 2) and Aguilar`s sack fumble and 6 point return, But there was also a sequence, when the game was still in the balance, where in four consecutive snaps the sequence was dropped pass on the Illinois 5 yard line, a missed 39-yard Field Goal, a dropped INT on the Illinois 25 yard line and an undisciplined Unnecessary Roughness penalty keeping the drive alive. We have seen all of these errors, too many times this season and it just demonstrated that the 2025 team had multiple flaws and in hindsight it is a surprise that it managed to have 8 wins.
Well, the season is in the book, now I can get to church on time on Sunday mornings instead of spending a couple of hours of one finger typing. I will have to feed my Tennessee addiction with missed layups, strange foul calling from the zebras then the sound of metal bats (can somebody please explain why not wooden bats) and no Tony Vittello standing outside the dugout, hands folded staring at the Home Base Umpire. It is a shame that the last report on the 2025 season is so downbeat, but it is important to say what I saw and the last few weeks have been tough to watch at times. Thank you very much for all the kind words over the last few months as well as the great welcome that I continue receive for Volnation and God willing, we can all meet up in 8 months’ time with our optimism rekindled and having convinced ourselves that the National Championship is coming home.
GO VOLS
I can’t believe that this is the last game of the 2025 season (did I hear a boo?) and thus my last report of the season (did I hear a hurray?) but until college sports realises that 12 or 13 games is not maximising the revenue stream, it is what the season is. Bowl games are often low-key affairs with players absent for a number of reasons so it is a really good chance for fringe and inexperienced players to impress before the 2026 season. As my Grandad used to say “when one door closes another door opens” he was a lovely man but a lousy cabinet maker.
Pre-match hopes Some good performances both from the type of players already mentioned and from the team overall. This will help water down the bad taste of Vanderbilt 2025. I also want Mike Mathews to show he is ready for a big leap forward next season, no more stone hands but more happy stands.
Pre-match concerns, tackling, tackling and tackling, there were a number of faults in the Defence in 2025 but the number of missed tackles were simply unacceptable. So, in the shadow of Jim Knowles, hopefully this will focus the players to “wrap up” the opponents because if they don’t it will be another loss. The cold is my second concern, (no bare chests please) as it will be Chicago not Tennessee weather. Lastly another similar defeat will actually re-enforce the bad taste of the Vanderbilt loss. Notwithstanding this I will go 38-27.
Well with that Defence I am surprised we lost by only 2. All season we have been soft but the last two weeks against Vanderbilt and Illinois they both marched up and down the field ALL game and last night Illinois had zero 3 and outs, I’ll just say that again, ZERO 3 and outs.
As you know Josh Heupel is passionately loyal to his coaches and I think Tim Banks is the first to be fired, but if he had not bought in Jim Knowles then from now to September the talk would have been so negative. I don’t know if Knowles Is the answer, but I do know Tim Banks wasn’t.
QUARTERBACKS E
The name of Joey Aguilar will always bring a smile to my face when I hear it and despite arriving very late in the day, he helped salvage this season, would we have got 8 wins with Jake Merklinger behind centre? But his season slowly unravelled and last night it was probably his worst performance. He was hesitant, clearly not reading the field and was not even very accurate. Still thank you Joey, I hope all works out for you going forward.
RUNNING BACKS B +
No blame should be laid at DeSean Bishop and Star Thomas`s doors as they delivered even though the ‘hat numbers’ were in their favour most of the night. I don’t know where Thomas has been the last few games, but he again showed he is capable at this level and it’s a shame he is a “one and done”. As for Bishop, he is like a bottle of 1945 Domaine De La Romanee Conti (Burgundy) it just gets better every year and to think he started as walk on.
WIDE RECEIVERS C
If the quarterback isn’t seeing the field, then the WRs and not going to have a big night but apart for a big drop from Braylon Staley they did what they could. It was good to see Mike Matthews have “sticky hands” at last. These two will need to be torch carriers next season and we seem to be in good hands (I know that was a bit cheesy).
TIGHT ENDS E
Welcome again to the Ethan Davis rollercoaster, after recent performances I had high hopes but he disappeared again and combined with the fact that the strength of this department is the blocking, and as listed in the next section, it wasn’t very good either.
OFFENSIVE LINE E
When the opponents drop 6 or sometimes 7 into coverage how can you concede 4 sacks even for allowing for the hesitation by Aguilar? I know most, if not all of the O`Line is back next year but I’m not convinced it really is a strength that I thought it was earlier this season.
DEFENSIVE LINE F
We have been shorthanded all the year at DT and often this has shown up in the second half as they became gassed and last night was no exception. I believe this is the most important area to be addressed in the Portal. I don’t want to come down too hard on Dominic Bailey as others should bare the brunt for the loss, but that offside penalty at the end was the final exclamation mark of the dysfunctionality.
LINEBACKERS E -
Edwin Spillman had a few good moments again and he did his best to cover for the absence of Arion Carter, but overall, it was another poor performance from the Line Backers. Choosing wrong lanes, failure to set the edge, numerous missed tackles, sometimes being pushed backwards and slow pass protection isn’t going to get it done. Comically the only time the opponents RB was slowed was by a Zebra (although he chose to not to stand out as he also failed to wrap up the ball carrier as well)
DEFENSIVE BACKS E -
Another embarrassment performance from the DBs hopefully it’s the last time Andre Turrentine suits up in orange (nothing personal). William Wright showed why in 6 years at Knoxville he had not started once and he gave the opponent so much soft coverage that a 3rd and 3 became an automatic 1st down. Ty Redmond is the only reason this wasn’t a F -. Redmond has been an oasis in a big a desert and he delivered multiple big moments again last night. We at least have one corner locked down in 2026
BIG MOMENTS – MISTAKE AFTER MISTAKE
I remember saying to myself when we were 6 points down and only 4:58 on the clock, we now have a real chance of winning, but to do so we must consume all the time on the clock by methodically marching down the field and not give the ball back as we couldn’t stop and Asthmatic Ant last night. So strangely the Kick Off TD Return was not what we needed but all it did was to highlight just how inept the Defense was. I could fill a whole report on the mistakes made (not for the first time this season) such as another big Field Goal miss (remember we lost by only 2) and Aguilar`s sack fumble and 6 point return, But there was also a sequence, when the game was still in the balance, where in four consecutive snaps the sequence was dropped pass on the Illinois 5 yard line, a missed 39-yard Field Goal, a dropped INT on the Illinois 25 yard line and an undisciplined Unnecessary Roughness penalty keeping the drive alive. We have seen all of these errors, too many times this season and it just demonstrated that the 2025 team had multiple flaws and in hindsight it is a surprise that it managed to have 8 wins.
Well, the season is in the book, now I can get to church on time on Sunday mornings instead of spending a couple of hours of one finger typing. I will have to feed my Tennessee addiction with missed layups, strange foul calling from the zebras then the sound of metal bats (can somebody please explain why not wooden bats) and no Tony Vittello standing outside the dugout, hands folded staring at the Home Base Umpire. It is a shame that the last report on the 2025 season is so downbeat, but it is important to say what I saw and the last few weeks have been tough to watch at times. Thank you very much for all the kind words over the last few months as well as the great welcome that I continue receive for Volnation and God willing, we can all meet up in 8 months’ time with our optimism rekindled and having convinced ourselves that the National Championship is coming home.
GO VOLS
