Biggest issue facing Tennessee football.

#1
Fine Vol

Fine Vol

Go Vols
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Sep 15, 2006
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#1
We all have our ideas on what our Tenn. Vols need the most in 2008. I will list my top 5 and would like to see yours.

1. A (innovative offensive coordinator) who is willing to take some chances and turn us into an offensive jugernaught. STOP being so damn predictive on offense. Longer passing plays to strech the field out.

2.(Recievers) that have speed and HANDS. We have dropped way to many key passes that were right in the recievers chest. Price, Meachem type recievers that can win big games by leaving the D wondering why they got burnt for a TD.

3. (Attitude) Tenn. needs some kind of swagger and when the other team walks off the field they feel like Tenn. was to hard on them IE Wussconsin. People need to fear playing Tenn piriod.

4. (QB)We have some great options waiting in the wings but we all know without great QB play you cant win the SEC.

5.(CPF)Like him or not he has to change with the game and be willing to gamble more. A big key is CPF cant micro manage our new OC because if he does we gain nothing but lose a great QB coach. CPF has to let his pick earn his salary by doing his job and taking us to a National Championship.
 
#3
#3
Any such list must start with the front seven. After watching Elix in the bowl it has been criminal not having him in the middle with McCoy and Mayo on either side.
 
#4
#4
you're saying Elix could have outplayed RK. But he was our Dane and calling the D plays and all.
 
#6
#6
Fine Vol said:
We all have our ideas on what our Tenn. Vols need the most in 2008. I will list my top 5 and would like to see yours.

1. A (innovative offensive coordinator) who is willing to take some chances and turn us into an offensive jugernaught. STOP being so damn predictive on offense. Longer passing plays to strech the field out.

2.(Recievers) that have speed and HANDS. We have dropped way to many key passes that were right in the recievers chest. Price, Meachum type recievers that can win big games by leaving the D wondering why they got burnt for a TD.

3. (Attitude) Tenn. needs some kind of swagger and when the other team walks off the field they feel like Tenn. was to hard on them IE Wussconsin. People need to fear playing Tenn piriod.

4. (QB)We have some great options waiting in the wings but we all know without great QB play you cant win the SEC.

5.(CPF)Like him or not he has to change with the game and be willing to gamble more. A big key is CPF cant micro manage our new OC because if he does we gain nothing but lose a great QB coach. CPF has to let his pick earn his salary by doing his job and taking us to a National Championship.
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I would say that at least one Wisconsin Quarterback had rather not play the Vols again. In fact, I doubt if he is out of the whirlpool even now. He has probably found sore places that he didn't know he had before Tuesday Afternoon.:pepper: Seems like I also remember one "sports talking head" saying that Tennessee's beating of the Gamecocks was "brutal".
 
#8
#8
I think the offense needs a playmaker. Someone electric...a homerun threat. There isn't a guy like Price, Lewis, Washington, Stallworth, Stephens, or Meachem on the current offense.

Coker seemed, at times, like he might be a big-play threat....but, he never committed himself to football.

Gerald Jones seem to have the potential, but we'll have to wait and see what develops with him.
 
#9
#9
Well the new OC needs to have 2 things and thats plays that move the ball down feild and a power running game that makes a defense get scared..
 
#10
#10
Jaytrain5 said:
I think the offense needs a playmaker. Someone electric...a homerun threat. There isn't a guy like Price, Lewis, Washington, Stallworth, Stephens, or Meachem on the current offense.

Coker seemed, at times, like he might be a big-play threat....but, he never committed himself to football.

Gerald Jones seem to have the potential, but we'll have to wait and see what develops with him.
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The offense will be fine unless Crompton's shoulder gets sore. We need defensive linemen yesterday.
 
#12
#12
I think (or maybe I hope) that the defense has turned the corner.

Their intensity and physicality against LSU and Wisconsin was improved over their performances against Vandy and Kentucky.

If they can carry that toughness into 2008 and hit like that all season, it could be a special year on Rocky Top.
 
#13
#13
Jaytrain5 said:
I think (or maybe I hope) that the defense has turned the corner.

Their intensity and physicality against LSU and Wisconsin was improved over their performances against Vandy and Kentucky.

If they can carry that toughness into 2008 and hit like that all season, it could be a special year on Rocky Top.
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I do think some of the toughness returned very late, but the Dline play has to be addressed for our D to be even decent.
 
#14
#14
Lexvol said:
The offense will be fine unless Crompton's shoulder gets sore. We need defensive linemen yesterday.
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No question about it. It's clearly our thinnest and least impressive unit on the team.

D-Bo showed some flashes, and Dan Williams seems like he has potential to be a beast. Depth is a major concern though. Hopefully some guys will step up and surprise us.
 
#15
#15
Jaytrain5 said:
I think (or maybe I hope) that the defense has turned the corner.

Their intensity and physicality against LSU and Wisconsin was improved over their performances against Vandy and Kentucky.

If they can carry that toughness into 2008 and hit like that all season, it could be a special year on Rocky Top.
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The corner is still a ways down the street. We do not get enough pressure on the QB with our front four, and still have extreme difficulty stopping a two dimensional offense. I think that Hill averaged over 8 yards a carry in the bowl game. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why they stopped running between the tackles.
 
#17
#17
Lexvol said:
The corner is still a ways down the street. We do not get enough pressure on the QB with our front four, and still have extreme difficulty stopping a two dimensional offense. I think that Hill averaged over 8 yards a carry in the bowl game. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why they stopped running between the tackles.
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Well, they're limited in their ability to shut teams down, and I think that starts up front.

But, I was referring more to "turning the corner" in terms of attitude and toughness.

Unfortunately, the overall personnel on that side of the ball isn't all that great right now.
 
#18
#18
Lexvol said:
The corner is still a ways down the street. We do not get enough pressure on the QB with our front four, and still have extreme difficulty stopping a two dimensional offense. I think that Hill averaged over 8 yards a carry in the bowl game. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why they stopped running between the tackles.
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Hill padded his average with a few long runs. Overall, Wisconsin got 4.7 yards per carry, double what Tennessee did on the ground at 2.3. I thought the defense played well considering how much time they spent on the field in the second half when the offense stalled out. But, I do agree that the D line needs to improve, as do the linebackers with the growing popularity of the spread offense and mobile quarterbacks.

Also, when Tennessee was dominant in the 1990's, they had a stable of stud running backs. UT has good ball carriers, but nothing on the order of the power running game the Vols used to have.
 
#19
#19
Jaytrain5 said:
Well, they're limited in their ability to shut teams down, and I think that starts up front.

But, I was referring more to "turning the corner" in terms of attitude and toughness.

Unfortunately, the overall personnel on that side of the ball isn't all that great right now.
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I agree with you on the general attitude of the D being where we need it. That's 99% of the battle IMO.

Look at Rudy. No talent and all heart. Made two huge plays at the end of a meaningless game (in a movie) based purely on heart. Still makes me wanna cry every time I see it. Ru-dy, Ru-dy, Ru-dy.......
 
#20
#20
i think you have to start with the defense on the "biggest issue". yeah, the offense sputtered at times and we all have our issues with play calling, big play threats etc....and while valid, our defense for the majority of the season was the issue. and it will continue to be the issue until we get much better up front.
 
#21
#21
NOLAVolfan said:
Hill padded his average with a few long runs. Overall, Wisconsin got 4.7 yards per carry, double what Tennessee did on the ground at 2.3. I thought the defense played well considering how much time they spent on the field in the second half when the offense stalled out. But, I do agree that the D line needs to improve, as do the linebackers with the growing popularity of the spread offense and mobile quarterbacks.

Also, when Tennessee was dominant in the 1990's, they had a stable of stud running backs. UT has good ball carriers, but nothing on the order of the power running game the Vols used to have.
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I do not intend to take anything away from what the defense did against two very one dimensional teams toward the end of the season. They kept us in two ballgames for sure.

This is not a dominating defense without some help up front. First of all our secondary still makes way too many run stopping tackles. If we have to blitz Ga and Florida all game next year to get to the QB, or if we have to keep sneaking our safeties up in run support it is going to put way too much pressure on our secondary.
 
#22
#22
We need to tackle the way Georgia tackled Hawaii. Wraped them up on first contact very impressive.
 
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