Bit of a salty bunch over here today, we are...

[afvolunteer]

We rushed for -1 yards in part because the QB had -40 yards rushing and was no threat to throw beyond 6 yards for the most part.

I'm comparing the stats of the worst offense in the NFL and the 2nd best. Our QB numbers reflected the worst, theirs the best. I believe there was a comparison of JGs numbers vs the GA QB numbers insinuating that they weren't that far apart. The example used is meant to show there was a massive gulf in between the two.

So add back in those -40 and we‘ve got 39 rushing yards total for the ball game. How would anyone expect to win a game like that. You can tell yourself that‘s all on our QB if you’d like. You claim JG was no threat to throw beyond 6 yards. Why was that? IMO only, it’s because we were dominated up front. We saw in the second half what happened when we tried to throw deep against GA’s front 7. JG got his arse handed to him if he tried. And he threw and does throw a pretty good deep ball. Look, I’m not trying to be some JG apologist, I think he made some mistakes. I’d like to think we have a much higher ceiling on our bench somewhere, but clearly we’re not quite there yet and all things considered I think JG has played relatively well thus far in the season.

So take away the negative rushing yards from the game yesterday, if we’d like. Team A 47 yards, Team B 243 yards. Passing yards, Team A 213, Team B 238. I feel like much of our fanbase angst is misdirected.

 

[ConantheVolbarian]

Are you for real or just a troll? All the complaints about the running game and line are valid. However, at this level, you need a qb who can make plays. JG cannot do that in big games. Look at Dobbs, he made awful UT teams look good because he was a baller and made plays despite bad lines and poor coaching. JG cannot even manage a game adequately. He turned the ball over four times in the second half. Yes, the line sucked, but hold on to the dam ball! At that point, why not try someone else? It couldn't hurt to build depth at the very least. Last year when the Florida game was out of hand they finally brought in Maurer and he didn't set the world on fire, but he led the team down the field and the drive ended in a field goal.

 

[Rememberthe1990s]

Lost me at we threw the ball well. A bad pass for a touch down should not count. He threw a rain maker that was 15 yards short. Their db didn't know how to defend such a terrible pass. After that play. It was OK in 1st and terrible second half.

 

[BeardedVol]

In 2018, our OL played less than the sum of their parts, in 2019, they played less than sum of their parts, and in 2020, a line with 4 5* was decimated. That hasnt been fixed yet.

The team still struggles after halftime just like 18 and 19. They struggled against an inferior team in Week 1 this year and was whipped yesterday.

There's some good definitely and the RZ play is much better this year but there are some glaring weaknesses still.

I was told that I'd only have to recruit good offensive linemen, not make them better.

 

[stumps]

- Keep these two teams the same, but put Bennett on our team and JG on their, and IMO final score is probably closer to something like 44-10.

- Elephant in the room. JG threw a terrible pick.

UGA looks like a top 5ish team to me.

I've been a Vol fan since 1991. here is my response to your points - shortened above.

1. no.
2. the elephant in the room isn't JG's terrible pick. The elephant in the room is JG has peaked at his mental capacity for football, and it's nowhere close to championship football. he stares down receivers by locking onto his first WR. immediately while missing wide open receivers in other spots on the field. He mis-throws more than he hits, mostly overthrows but he can miss you on all sides. He also crumbles under pressure - those fumbles and misreads and panic in the 2nd half are on him. If JG was a freshman, all of your points would be valid - he needs coaching up. JG is a SENIOR. He doesn't belong in the conference. Throw stats at me all day long, there's only one stat that matters in the SEC. W's.
3. So UGA looks like a top 5 team. So what? By your logic, should Ole Miss be a top 10 team? They were awfully close to upsetting the best team in the country, by a coach who didn't recruit any of those players.

In the SEC, when rivals meet rankings go out the window. The conference's history of matchups is littered with such examples.

I think our fans who are upset with Pruitt have a very good case to make. I'm done having any sort of expectations for this team, and I'm done spending my time and cash on game day experiences. We found out yesterday that.... ONCE AGAIN... we were way over rated. call it what you want -brick by brick, play like heck, etc. - there is no progress in this program. Just a revolving door of mediocrity.

 

[JoAllan]

Back in the day.....everyone would be “salty.”

We live in a world of Vol failure acceptance.

 

[BeardedVol]

Back in the day.....everyone would be “salty.”

We live in a world of Vol failure acceptance.

Where ever year is "our year" until the season starts, and then "next year, next year we will finally be competitive".

 

[Cormock Mac]

No, I would say the “biggest obstacle to overcome on the way to achieving Big Orange Football Relevance” remains those 11 guys on the other side of the line of scrimmage that keep pushing UT around in every big game. It ain’t the lynch mob missing blocks, overthrowing receivers, making false starts, fumbling, and getting stupid targeting penalties. The only people who can fix this are wearing Orange and hanging out in the UT Football complex.

You are 100% right. The lynch mob does nothing but flap their jaws.

 

[UTK]

OP you make a good post. Tons of people on here are just going by hatred of a kid that plays his guts out. It's a sad sight to see. It makes me embarrassed to be a UT fan atm.

 

[afvolunteer]

So I read through all the comments again just now, and I think I came across as pretty condescending at times. I'd like to say that was an accident, but it was probably somewhat intentional and so for that I apologize for possibly being a condescending ass in some of my posts. I obviously don't know more than anyone else on here, and probably less in many cases. But big picture, there's obviously a pocket of our fanbase that agrees with me, regardless of whether or not we're in the minority. Like politics and opinions in general, we're probably not changing one another's minds with short message board comments back and forth.

I'm off to go do some grilling for the fam the rest of the day. I'll leave with this thought. Regardless of where we collectively feel that our angst needs to be directed, we're all rooted in the same thing at the core. We're all passionate as hell Vol fans and want to go undefeated every season and we're all various levels of disappointed every time we lose a game. For that (that we're such a passionate group), I am grateful.

And honestly, if we look back and think about how pissed this fanbase and coaching staff seems to be after we just lost on the road against the #3 team in the nation despite not even having full fall camp if nothing else is a reflection of how much we've improved our program. Moral victory sure. I know it's not good enough, nor do ever want it to be, but as a program I do think it's another obvious reflection that we're greatly heading the right direction.

More losses will surely come, esp this year. UK looks sneaky good to me, Arkansas is better than I thought they'd be. Auburn looks overrated to me. A&M I have no clue if they're solid or terrible. I look forward to the continued analysis and hot takes on here after each one of those games, whether they be wins or losses. And I sure as hell hope they're all wins.

 

[ftsandersvol]

Now that I’ve had time to simmer down, I probably owe at least of couple of fellow Vol fans an apology. While I will never like it, I understand losing to better teams, but I hate to get beat by better teams.

Probably need to take her advice in the future.

 

[Cormock Mac]

Do you know why they got dominated? Because of our QB. When a defense stacks the box because your QB is no threat that kind of destroys your running game. The oline can't block 8 players in the box. When a 5th year QB keeps getting stripped because he is holding the football down around his waist instead of up that is on the QB not the oline. When the defense shifts because they know you are changing the play at the line every play that is on the QB not the line. It isn't as if this is the first season we have gone through this. Last season JG got benched because he was constantly changing the plays and screwing the offense. You can find whatever you want laughable but that laughter doesn't make you right.

and your opinion doesn't make you right either

 

[MiramarVol]

13 years since our last East championship.. 13 YEARS

Not CJP's fault. But, he has us looking better and playing better than any coach in the last 13 yrs.

 

[Plano Vol]

Not CJP's fault. But, he has us looking better and playing better than any coach in the last 13 yrs.

Agreed but.......

Someone mentioned Peyton and Florida.......I remember a game where UT had not one but two future NFL offensive players of the year in the backfield only to lose to UF. This was because CPF wanted Peyton to win the game and the Heisman thus making UT one dimensional when they should have let Jamal pound the Gators. Coaches call and a bad one.

In this UGA debacle, The coaching during the game was absent and the preparation was abysmal.

How many people on this board knew prior to the game that the UGA defensive line would shift? I think we all did and CJP and company did as well. Doesn't seem like the OL was ready for it. Coaches fault.

There are better observers than myself but it seemed to me there were no attempts made to the blocking personnel to provide help to Morris. Coaches fault

UT had several problems getting the defense into the proper alignments. Seems like we should have enough practices by now to minimize the problems. Coaches fault

Stupid penalties that were flagged as well as some that were not. Lack of discipline. Coaches fault

Don't get me wrong, I'm not proposing we fire CJP but I say he and his staff did a sorry job of prepping the team for UGA. CJP needs to give up on his cutesy group chat and demand more out of his staff because they certainly have no evidence of having done for this game.

I hope CPF chews out all of the staff over their lack of effort/direction. Not that he is perfect, having laid a few eggs himself.

Maybe CJP has a mental block against any team that has Georgia in their name. Be that as it may, the team was NOT prepared for UGA. Coaches fault.

 

[1TheCoach1]

and your opinion doesn't make you right either

I hate to tell you this but the defense stacked the box. JG did get benched for constantly changing plays last season. JG was changing plays at the line yesterday. QB's who hold the ball low do get stripped. Those are facts not opinion.

 

[Cormock Mac]

I hate to tell you this but the defense stacked the box. JG did get benched for constantly changing plays last season. JG was changing plays at the line yesterday. QB's who hold the ball low do get stripped. Those are facts not opinion.

a relentless horde of onrushing defensive personnel that on you before you can even drop back tends to make one fumble. this game was lost due to our inability to run the football and protect the quarterback

 

[Cormock Mac]

a relentless horde of onrushing defensive personnel that on you before you can even drop back tends to make one fumble. this game was lost due to our inability to run the football and protect the quarterback

I',

I hate to tell you this but the defense stacked the box. JG did get benched for constantly changing plays last season. JG was changing plays at the line yesterday. QB's who hold the ball low do get stripped. Those are facts not opinion.

I hate to tell you this, but this game was lost due to our inability to run the ball and protect the quarterback compounded by numerous needless penalities.