BYU fan here, what to expect from us in our game

#26
#26
Can't answer without dozens of "ifs".

If UT's DL plays well...

If the OL improves....

If QB improves...

If receivers do their jobs better...

If LB's are as good as we think they might be...

If the two Soph CB's are the shutdown corners we think they can be...

If the S position is as solid as we think it can be....

UT is an enigma. There appears to be talent and more than you've seen on a Utah team at any point in my memory. But we don't know how far they've been developed in the past year. We don't know how well the team will gel. We don't know if some critical weaknesses will improve enough if at all.

I've been a UT fan for decades and on this board for well over ten years discussing various teams. I usually think I have an idea about the best and worst outcomes... This year I don't.
 
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#30
#30
UNFORTUNATELY. You Play UTAH In Game 1, And I don't see YALL having much left for Tennessee; given the Fierceness of that Rivalry. PLUS, that guy ROMNEY seals the losing deal for you-----------------.
 
#31
#31
If you want my honest opinion, I think we win by 14+. Like another poster said, this is a pretty crucial game in terms of progress within our program. We can not afford to lose this game. It will be the first notable game of the season at home and Neyland Stadium will be packed to the brim. I don’t expect a lot of BYU fans either - although y’all are certainly welcome lol.

We should have an advantage at the skill positions. Our RB Ty Chandler has game breaking speed so I would expect us to use him in the passing game if our line is struggling in the run game.

Our secondary should be the strength of our defense, so we may just load up and force your WRs to make plays if they aren’t a strength for you guys. D line is a huge unknown for us. We’re replacing all our starters from last year, but they weren’t anything special anyways.

Very interesting match up, but I think the home field advantage early in the season will be big for us.
 
#32
#32
VFL-82-JP said:
Nice rundown, Doug, thanks for it.

Just one question: Why did you sign up as Doug the Vol? Why not Doug the Cougar? :)

Look forward to the game with your squad. I think your score ranges are pretty valid. I don't think either team is going to win running away on the other, though the differential could be as high as 7-10 points (either way).

We're a program in flux, so there's not a lot we're sure of, good or bad. Our OLine has been atrocious in recent years; we keep hoping "this year" will be the one where the fellas gel as a unit and become something we'll all be proud of. We'll see if 2019 is it.

IF (if) the OL is decent to good, we think we have the skill players to make a solid offense, and the OC to direct it well.

On the defense, we're worried up front as well. Not a lot of depth, which means we'll become more porous later in each game.

Really look forward to the match. I don't recall ever seeing our two teams play before.

Most of all, if you're traveling to the game, hope you have a safe trip and a wonderful time.

Go Vols!
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Doug the Cougar would have generated too many unwanted emails.
 
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#34
#34
Welcome to the board--I've watched a lot of BYU games over the last 3-4 seasons (I gamble on football a bit --btw Utah State was a good winner for me against BYU last year!) and I really do not see where your team would have an advantage on either side of the ball. I like your new QB but you don't have the weapons to stretch the field against better defenses and BYU's Rb's are average at best and so are the WR's (TE is pretty good though). BYU has maturity and discipline on their side but the talent is not on par. It will be interesting to see how BYU plays against Utah in the season opener. Utah is well coached and we'll get a good idea of BYU's improvements this offseason. BYU (IMO) has the toughest 1st four games of anyone in the country and they have a strong possibility of going 0-4 to start the season. They'll be looking to sneak a win somewhere in those 1st four games but I don't think it'll happen on the road. I'd be more apt to think they have would have a better shot at beating Utah or Washington at home (I'm hoping it's Utah to help promote the game). I'm glad to see come cautious Vol fans being bearish on the game, but I really think this is a game that TN does not struggle on either side of the ball.
 
#35
#35
Hi to BYU fan. Welcome and hope your experience is a good one. All above posters pretty much summed it up- we're hopefully on the rise now. If you've ever been to the swamp in Gainesville, a trip here will be much more enjoyable. Our fans will treat you with respect. I rate the game in our favor because of the home field advantage. But the OL & DL's are both works in progress. I think our season rests on how they come together and I hope they gel quickly. Good luck after Knoxville.
 
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#36
#36
DougtheVol said:
BYU fan here, just wondering what we can expect in our matchup against you guys.

In recent years we have played a bunch of teams with similar size and athleticism to Tennessee and each game has given us very different results. In 2015 we played a talented Michigan team who blew us out 31-0, we looked like an FCS team. We also played Missouri later that year and we lost 20-16 in a game we definitely should have won, but just couldn’t sustain drives. 2016 we played a slew of good teams… Utah and WV were maybe the best, and lost to both of them in nail biters. We also played a middling Mississippi State team and beat them in overtime 28-21. 2017 had LSU murder us, 27-0, and once again our offense looked like an FCS team, but our defense held its own. Later we played Wisconsin and they murdered us 47-6 at home. Mississippi St also beat us 35-10.

Finally in 2018 we showed well and beat a top 10 Wisconsin team on the road and matched up with them physically. We also had a giant lead against Utah before squandering it away in depressing fashion, but that Utah team Is probably similar in talent to you guys this year. However, Washington almost shut us out in a 35-7 win. Overall, I have no idea what to expect. Utah is a great team, and we play them close every year, but they are our rival. Wisconsin showed two different sides of BYU football. So did Mississippi State. I am not sure the quality of Tennessee and would love to hear from you guys. I could see this game anywhere from a close win or loss for us to a game like the LSU game where we lose by 3+ possessions.

Our team has been trying to build depth ever since Kalani got here in 2016. We have been overall pretty successful with this. We have a great RB stable thanks to 2 grad transfers, one from South Carolina (Ty’son Williams) and one from Rice. We have probably a top 5 TE crew in the country, featuring Matt Bushman. Our offensive line is the best it’s been in a decade. We love our young QB Zach Wilson, and expect great things from him. He has been good in most of his outings and should have a breakout year. Our WR crew is thin and honestly not great. We have 2 WRs worth noting, Hifo and Romney. Our TEs will be a big part of our passing game. Grimes is also in his second season as OC, and he has a lot of coaching experience in the SEC, most recently with LSU. This could be the factor that changes the game, he knows SEC football and should have us ready.

Our defense has been the strongest part of our team since 2015. We have a deep D-Line that have been better at stuffing the run than pass rushing, but still can be threats to your QB. Watch out for Khyris Tonga, he is a monster. Our LBs are thin, but have experience. Zayne Anderson missed a lot of the season last year, but will be a senior this year and will be the leader of the defense. This is also our best DB crew we have had in a long time, probably since 2009. That is not saying much though, we are usually very weak in the secondary, but this year is not the case. Our defense last year was very effective in most every game. We held every opponent we played to a modest score – except our rivals Utah and Utah St who scored 35 and 45. Granted, USU had a top offense in the country last year.

This game is going to come down mainly to our offense’s ability to keep us in the game. Our defense will likely hold you to 17-31 points, I’d be shocked if you scored anywhere outside of that range, be it more or less. Our Offense’s range however is probably going to be anywhere from 3-31 points. I think Tennessee should be about a 7 point favorite, and that’s about what I expect to see come to fruition. Maybe a 24-17 type win for the Vols. I am interested to hear from you guys about this matchup though. I don’t know a lot about your team other than your QB.
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This is the way an opponent's fan should make himself known.. Nice breakdown, fair and not trying to start some sh*t!
As some have said we have no idea what we have but I expect a close game. I wish u and ur team the best of luck every game EXCEPT this one!!
 
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#37
#37
It would not surprise me to see BYU get the win. Their OL and DL are their strengths and our very weaknesses/unknowns at this point. Games are won and lost in the trenches and if BYU gets consistent pressure on Guarantano then they’ll hang in for the whole game.

It will be a good test for both teams but one we need to win in order to not kill this rebuild.
 
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#40
#40
I think the crowd noise when BYU has the ball will be extremely difficult for your team to deal with. As referenced earlier, the game against OU in Neyland was insanely loud. Since we are not dealing with an FCS team, I also don't expect the noise to let up if we jump out to a 2-3 TD lead either. We can only hope our offensive line is improved and gives Guarantano, our QB, time to find our big WRs on the outside. Looking forward to a fun game and a 31-14 UT win.
 
#41
#41
StarRaider said:
So the OP "DougtheVol" is a BYU fan?
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I entered my email to create an account and it said I already had one to my surprise, so when I logged in with it I learned my board name, dougthevol. It was created in 2014, and I have no memory of it. I probably created the account shortly after the game was scheduled originally.
 
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#42
#42
LOL ok welcome to Doug! IIRC we played Utah State in the 2014 season opener, maybe you joined then?
 
#43
#43
DougtheVol said:
BYU fan here, just wondering what we can expect in our matchup against you guys.

In recent years we have played a bunch of teams with similar size and athleticism to Tennessee and each game has given us very different results. In 2015 we played a talented Michigan team who blew us out 31-0, we looked like an FCS team. We also played Missouri later that year and we lost 20-16 in a game we definitely should have won, but just couldn’t sustain drives. 2016 we played a slew of good teams… Utah and WV were maybe the best, and lost to both of them in nail biters. We also played a middling Mississippi State team and beat them in overtime 28-21. 2017 had LSU murder us, 27-0, and once again our offense looked like an FCS team, but our defense held its own. Later we played Wisconsin and they murdered us 47-6 at home. Mississippi St also beat us 35-10.

Finally in 2018 we showed well and beat a top 10 Wisconsin team on the road and matched up with them physically. We also had a giant lead against Utah before squandering it away in depressing fashion, but that Utah team Is probably similar in talent to you guys this year. However, Washington almost shut us out in a 35-7 win. Overall, I have no idea what to expect. Utah is a great team, and we play them close every year, but they are our rival. Wisconsin showed two different sides of BYU football. So did Mississippi State. I am not sure the quality of Tennessee and would love to hear from you guys. I could see this game anywhere from a close win or loss for us to a game like the LSU game where we lose by 3+ possessions.

Our team has been trying to build depth ever since Kalani got here in 2016. We have been overall pretty successful with this. We have a great RB stable thanks to 2 grad transfers, one from South Carolina (Ty’son Williams) and one from Rice. We have probably a top 5 TE crew in the country, featuring Matt Bushman. Our offensive line is the best it’s been in a decade. We love our young QB Zach Wilson, and expect great things from him. He has been good in most of his outings and should have a breakout year. Our WR crew is thin and honestly not great. We have 2 WRs worth noting, Hifo and Romney. Our TEs will be a big part of our passing game. Grimes is also in his second season as OC, and he has a lot of coaching experience in the SEC, most recently with LSU. This could be the factor that changes the game, he knows SEC football and should have us ready.

Our defense has been the strongest part of our team since 2015. We have a deep D-Line that have been better at stuffing the run than pass rushing, but still can be threats to your QB. Watch out for Khyris Tonga, he is a monster. Our LBs are thin, but have experience. Zayne Anderson missed a lot of the season last year, but will be a senior this year and will be the leader of the defense. This is also our best DB crew we have had in a long time, probably since 2009. That is not saying much though, we are usually very weak in the secondary, but this year is not the case. Our defense last year was very effective in most every game. We held every opponent we played to a modest score – except our rivals Utah and Utah St who scored 35 and 45. Granted, USU had a top offense in the country last year.

This game is going to come down mainly to our offense’s ability to keep us in the game. Our defense will likely hold you to 17-31 points, I’d be shocked if you scored anywhere outside of that range, be it more or less. Our Offense’s range however is probably going to be anywhere from 3-31 points. I think Tennessee should be about a 7 point favorite, and that’s about what I expect to see come to fruition. Maybe a 24-17 type win for the Vols. I am interested to hear from you guys about this matchup though. I don’t know a lot about your team other than your QB.
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Our offensive line is better than it’s been in a while. Our rb Ty Chandler has potential to take anything to the house, we also have some bruiser and speedy spells. Qb play will be more consistent with better line, our receivers are prob strength of our team. They can go up and get balls and qb can drop them in there.
Our d line is prob weakest it’s been in a while, but we make up for that with some stud linebackers and a potentially great young secondary.
Overall, we should have more speed, physicality, and athleticism, which most are expecting this to be a 2 td+ win for the volunteers.
 
#44
#44
Will you be at the game? I’m interested to see how the LDS crowd tailgates. Do y’all party lol?
 
#45
#45
Greetings Cougar fan. Two things first. 1. Ignore the jackasses, as we have our share of them. Just stick with the REAL Vols fans who know what Southern hospitality is. 2. I won't be saying much as I think several of our knowledgeable fans gave you a fine set of very accurate responses.

In a nutshell, I too have no real idea what to expect of our team. BUT, based on what little I do know or think I know, this game and indeed our entire season will be both exciting and nerve-racking. I just have this weird feeling and belief about this team because of the proven staff we've assembled. I refer to the BYU game and our season to come as a series of games comprising of strange sights and implausible wonders. My gal Shirley agrees. She says every Power 5 game for us will be a Kingda Ka experience bolted on the zero-gravity external hull environment of the ISS.
 
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#48
#48
Many of us appear to be snobbish because we continue to see our beloved Vols as they used to be or what they are ‘supposed’ to be. Back in our day we would view BYU as a nice warm up game that we would win relatively easily. The sad truth is that our program is at rock bottom and is going through the worst decade of our 120+ year history. As such, most of us have no idea what kind of team is going to show up when BYU comes to town. It sounds like our BYU friend isn’t quite sure what to expect from their team either. At this stage I don’t think either side will be shocked with a win or loss.
 
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#49
#49
DougtheVol said:
This game is an interesting one for BYU, you are our only road game in the first month. Our 3 home games? Utah, USC, Washington. No one really knows what to expect in our first month of football. 2-2 is what we all pray for, but 0-4 isn't out of the picture either.
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How come your name is Doug the Vol if you are a BYU fan and refer to them as ‘us’ and the Vols as ‘you’? Do you also have a connection to TN or was this just a sign in choice to not look like a troll?
 
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