After the Florida game, our d-line will be the talk of college football

[CroKev]

We are a defensive line powered team.

We'll go as far as they take us.

Right now I'm loving what I'm seeing from everyone in that group. Especially the inside guys. I was down on Danny O'Brien and Kendal Vickers before the season. Then when I saw Kahlil couldn't beat either of them out, I became down on him. My was I wrong. All 3 look phenomenal to start the season. Kahlil is night and day from where he was last year. Danny O'Brien and Kendal Vickers have taken incredible steps forward. Both look like future NFL starters. AND I HAVEN'T EVEN MENTIONED SHY. That kid is one of the most talented defensive lineman I've ever seen. He'll be a top 10 pick in 2018. Then we've got Alexis Johnson coming along. Once he gets in shape, we'll have the best 5 man defensive tackle rotation in college football. And yes I'm including Alabama in that.

Now the defensive ends have had a slower start than expected but I think that's mostly because of the fact we've faced 2 mobile QBs to start the season that like to get the ball out quickly. I love the talent and depth we have here as well. Barnett, Lewis, and Vereen are solid. But the guy that will make this group special is Jonathan Kongbo. Like Shy Tuttle, this kid has top 10 pick talent. Once he leans how to play, we'll go from an elite defense line to one of the best in recent memory.

I predict our d-line dominates the Florida game. They will be the reason we win in resounding fashion. Florida's o-line is still weak regardless of how they looked against a Kentucky team that has already quit on the season. Del Rio is not a mobile QB. They only have one weapon on offense (Antonio Callaway) that may not be 100% when we play them. All this along with playing in Neyland is a recipe for disaster for their team. I think our defensive line will be living in the backfield that game. They'll get 6-7 sacks on Del Rio. They'll shut down the run. They'll cause several turnovers that will create short fields for the offense.

We'll roll em Gators up 34-13 in resounding fashion.

Okay, OP, who are you and what have you done with D4H????????






Just messin' with you D4H! Good post. ;-)

 

[chuck0303]

The match ups have been in our favor the last couple years and for sure last year. Until we get this freakin' monkey off of our back, I ain't make any claims to anything until the final whistle blows and the Vols have more points than them.

All goes back to execution, taking care of the ball, and at least now we have much more depth than we had before--those are the difference-makers this year.

 

[chuck0303]

I think execution is lacking to be honest. For example, Kamara had two passes completed in the VT game and the plays looked promising but Wolf whiffed on a block and so did Josh Smith. Blocking has to improve everywhere, not just o line.

Agree. Don't think enough emphasis is put on down-field blocking; turns a 3-yard gain into a 20+ yard gainer. It's very important for those WRs to make their blocks.

 

[chuck0303]

Totally agree...

SEC defenses are built on running sideline to sideline...have been for many years.

I've seen zero in this offense that can combat this. Good SEC backers will feast on this running game. And we all know the passing game is limited and predictable..

Sideline offenses won't beat good defenses....it's been proven the past several years...

I would also say where's the quick-hit 5 yard over the middle slant but I'm guessing they don't have confidence in Dobbs throwing it or the receivers catching it. Also, if the DEs are racing in at Dobbs why isn't a tight end open?

 

[chuck0303]

it was nearly 20 years ago, and no one expected TN to win a natty that year. just lost Peyton Manning and insert Tee Martin. no one saw that coming.

True, If I remember correctly the Syracuse win was by 1 point, last second field goal. Plus sometimes you have to just be lucky--Clint Sterner was our hero. Credit to the D-line for the push that caused the fumble but if he hadn't fumbled no NC for UT that season. So you never can tell. I'll just say that to me we just don't seem as sharp as some of the other teams at this point. I guess my question is why can some of these other teams seem much more prepared than ours?

 

[UT-Rex]

That's why.

You lost 2 of your 3 best players.

You sound like some fans around here who think we'll be better next year even though we'll lose Dobbs, Hurd, Kamara, Sutton, Barnett, and JRM.

You don't lose 2 of your best players and GET BETTER.

Don't get it twisted I still have loads of respect for the Florida defense which is still top 3 in the SEC. But you're not BETTER.

Sounds like you're speaking about a prof basketball team -- but you're speaking about "2" (or 3) players on a college fb roster.

Likewise, when a team returns 17 starters, including a OL having 70+ starts (I think that's our stat) + a Senior qb having about 27 consecutive starts (+/-) + a solid WR-corp, one can rightly expect to see equal or better offensive results Games 1-2 -- except, we haven't (and even the Coaches have explained it ias something is amiss). Everyone expected Tenn to come out 'ablazing Games 1-2 (we won, but with struggle, questionable passing, extremely poor blocking not just on the line but by receivers and te's, etc).

No reason for you to expect FL will not play heads-up, powerful fb against us 9/24.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

That's why.

You lost 2 of your 3 best players.

You sound like some fans around here who think we'll be better next year even though we'll lose Dobbs, Hurd, Kamara, Sutton, Barnett, and JRM.

You don't lose 2 of your best players and GET BETTER.

Don't get it twisted I still have loads of respect for the Florida defense which is still top 3 in the SEC. But you're not BETTER.

So you have picked team 120 to win the NC and you have also said we will be back to back NC. So if thats the case we will have to be at the very least as good as the previous year if not better. Thats simple logic. Team 120 is not some magical team loaded with talent college football has never seen before.

 

[KBVol]

He already has, or were you asleep or just high during the Kiffen/Dooley years?

"Brighter days"? Yes. Brighter than the very dark days? Yes.

The brightest of days....days that we were used to not that long ago when we were feared as one of the 3-4 best programs in the country and winning at the highest levels? No.

 

[Vols2DaWall]

I think it's gonna be an ugly, slugfest kind of game. We cannot turn the ball over. Field position is going to be so crucial, because I don't trust Florida to be able to consistently move the ball 70-80 yards on our defense.

I worry because their defense will give our offense problems. Dobbs has made very questionable decisions lately and UF's defense can and will take advantage.

I still say we win because we are at home and I think we'll make Del Rio have a bad game during his first true road test. 24-16 UT

 

[RollerVol]

opcorn:

 

[Orange_Vol1321]

What? I mean....what? Let me get this straight, you think that the athletes on App state and VTs defense are comparable to Floridas???

If you honestly believe that, then that may be the most misinformed and ignorant thing I have ever seen on here. And thats saying A LOT.

Train I like your input on this board but as with the others a little reading comprehension will do wonders. My whole point was they are quicker out of the gate and basically running around our OL.

 

[ALGator]

opcorn:

opcorn:

 

[The Orange Pants]

I thought we were powered by our Heisman QB. I need to watch more film, I reckon.

 

[TGVol]

So you are changing your name to 'Defense 4 Heisman'?

 

[nomads-11]

Most of our offense is east to west and the gators have the athletes on defense to not let Hurd turn the corner. Kamara could but we don't use him to run the ball much apparently. Those ridiculous screen passes will go for little to no gain, and their corners can defend the deep ball on the perimeter much better than Appy and Tech. Their LBs will play up and they are athletic, will contain Dobbs on keepers. Until we start utilizing the middle of the field wewont get anything done versus athletic defenses like UFs.

Agree. Wanted to watch some Olympic Games when they were on ..... flipped over and got a heavy dose of Rugby, which is what they had on at the time. Reminded me of the offense ... where the ball moves east or west a lot, before ever heading north/south. Just can't fully swallow this style of O.

 

[LA Vol]

Well, our OL is the talk of CFB now so it will be good to shift focus. Analysts on every channel have excoriated our OL for the past two weeks.

 

[VOL-uh-tile]

While D4H does shoot from the hip the florida lines will matchup way better with ours. Our OL is built to protect against other big SEC lines. Lines with 240 pound speedsters not so much.

Actually that is a point I had forgotten. I believed Apps DL performed so well against us bc of their size. A 250lb guy vs our 300lb (hopefully injured) center is a matchup nightmare. And our OL did start getting their act together against VT, against a great DT guy we were pursuing in the same cycle as Shy and KM.

I believe FL's OL allowed 3 sacks vs UMass, but only 3 pressures and one early sack/fumble vs KY. I'm hoping that speaks to KY's ineptitude Phil Steele projected their DL & LB as worst in SEC). I'm amazed at our DTs, since they were thought to be the weak spot in our front 7 in preseason, but so far they are clearly the best.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

So you have picked team 120 to win the NC and you have also said we will be back to back NC. So if thats the case we will have to be at the very least as good as the previous year if not better. Thats simple logic. Team 120 is not some magical team loaded with talent college football has never seen before.

No I haven't. I said we could win it.

But next year its Florida State's title to lose.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

I thought we were powered by our Heisman QB. I need to watch more film, I reckon.

Tom Brady couldn't play behind this o-line.

Dobbs has been a magician these first 2 games.

Hopefully Chance Hall can get healthy to take over for Drew Richmond (who is not a SEC caliber player) and Butch Jones wises up and plays Jack Jones ahead of Coleman Thomas.

This PUTRID offensive line is holding back Dobbs and Hurd from having monster seasons.

 

[Nationdom]

Tom Brady couldn't play behind this o-line.

Dobbs has been a magician these first 2 games.

Hopefully Chance Hall can get healthy to take over for Drew Richmond (who is not a SEC caliber player) and Butch Jones wises up and plays Jack Jones ahead of Coleman Thomas.

This PUTRID offensive line is holding back Dobbs and Hurd from having monster seasons.

Dobbs is average when the O line protects. Great runner. Even the two deep throws to Malone were mediocre pass that probably don't get complete against Florida, Bama and others with more talent.

 

[VolFootballIsLife]

Glad to see you backtracked on your "I'm afraid Kahlil is a bust" comment.
I do think you went too far the other way saying Danny O looks like a future NFL starter. He has draft potential but a long way from looking like a starter in the making.

I do love what he brings to UT but you can't make that leap just yet IMO

 

[VOL-uh-tile]

However...a factor that is becoming more and more glaring is how their run game matches up to our run defense. We allowed 180 yrds to App, and didn't particularly start tightening down till the 4th. Against VT we allowed about a hundred in the 1st qtr and 80 through 3 more. A third of the yards did come on one play where a DB was out of position and the end couldn't get him. But if our run defense isn't stingy from the get go against FL and allows them to get points early, my confidence drops from it being an even game to about 70% in their favor.

In this article written on the enemies' side (Florida vs. Kentucky: The Best and Worst of the Gators’ 45-7 win - Alligator Army) it describes the Gators finding their identity in being a run first with the opportunistic pass thrown in type offense. If we don't have DK, or not Colton Jumper, at the MLB pos., that will make for a bad offense for us to match up against since they could most likely abuse CJ with passes to the slot or TE in the mid field.

Our front 7 has to dominate their OL from the first snap to have any chance in this game. I'm hoping Derek Barnett and our other ends have been saving the gas for this game, because they haven't necessarily been dominating as much as I would expect them to thus far.

Sorry for the long posts, I have to get these ideas out of my head or I'll go crazy.

 

[VOL-uh-tile]

Dobbs is average when the O line protects. Great runner. Even the two deep throws to Malone were mediocre pass that probably don't get complete against Florida, Bama and others with more talent.

Pretty true. The WRs were making the real plays against VT.

 

[AV_12]

Lol pretty much guessed who started this one

 

[The Orange Pants]

Tom Brady couldn't play behind this o-line.

Dobbs has been a magician these first 2 games.

Hopefully Chance Hall can get healthy to take over for Drew Richmond (who is not a SEC caliber player) and Butch Jones wises up and plays Jack Jones ahead of Coleman Thomas.

This PUTRID offensive line is holding back Dobbs and Hurd from having monster seasons.

It works both ways. Dobbs can't attack vertically. That allows the defense to play in a phone both. The o line may not do him any favors, but he certainly doesn't set them up for success.