Clay Travis On Bray

#1
rexvol

rexvol

The Minister of Defense
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Apr 29, 2006
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#1
Starting 11: Les Miles Sits Down at the BCS Blackjack Table -- NCAAFB FanHouse


Tennessee freshman Tyler Bray throws for five touchdowns and 300 yards in the first half vs. Memphis.

The Vols went on to win 50-14, scoring 50 unanswered in the process. If you're a Memphis football fan -- I think there are three -- it might be time to disband the program. You just got half a hundred hung on you by the worst Vols football team, potentially, in history.

I've been tough on Herr Dooley, but he was smart in making this decision to go with Bray over Matt Simms. If for no other reason than it fundamentally alters the narrative of the season. Even if it's unfair to allow one quarterback, Bray, to put up huge numbers against awful defenses while leaving the original starter, Simms, to take a beating against some of the nation's best teams, perception makes it worth it.

Fans can be distracted like children on Christmas morning. Dangle a new quarterback in front of them and everything that happened before vanishes. The fan conversation shifts from: "God, we suck," to "we're going to be so good next year." That's doubtful unless Bray can also play defensive tackle, but there's no doubting the narrative has changed in Knoxville.

As the Vols come down the home stretch, if Bray can win three more games against weak defenses, he gets the team bowl eligible. Then Dooley can sell the future to recruits. Even if Bray doesn't win all four, fans are still going to believe he's the second coming of Peyton Manning. The same praise was heaped upon Erik Ainge and Casey Clausen.

We'll see whether Bray's is more justified, but we won't know for at least another year. In the meantime, credit to Herr Dooley for altering the narrative.
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#5
#5
Pretty decent point. However the offense sputtered when Simms came in against Memphis.
 
#8
#8
We didn't score 50 unanswered. But glad he got the "half a hundred" is 50 correct.
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#10
#10
He's right. Bray is better than Simms but this doesn't automatically fix all of the problems. It's nice to have something positive to talk about for once. That's all he's saying.
 
#11
#11
"The same praise was heaped upon Erik Ainge and Casey Clausen. "


if Bray can have careers like Clausen and Ainge(minus sophomore year) I think we would all be happy!
 
#12
#12
n_gerard07 said:
our DT situtation should only be better next year.
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If we pull Couch, keep Carson and Saulsberry and Hughes, Jackson and Walls have another year in the program to get healthy and bigger.

That will give us Jackson, Hughes, Walls and Couch (assuming) on active rotation. Carson and Saulsberry, if they don't RS, will be able to rotate in in a Reserve capacity.
 
#14
#14
And its damn hilarious how people on here turncoat. Clay was the greatest ever before he turned on Dooley now hes an idiot, good for nothing.

He tells it like it is. Sorry but I actually enjoy someone not sugar coating a turd when they write their article.

Until Dooley and the staff prove him otherwise, hes right.

Take off the orange glasses and you might see the facts.
 
#16
#16
Clay Travis really is a douche bag. I would like to throat punch him.

to clarify. a journalist should not be calling out a fan base. after all, it is typically that fan base that reads this drivel.
 
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#17
#17
DC Vol said:
Technically, we scored 47 unanswered. Memphis answered our FG with a TD.

/pedant
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No, our first drive ended with a turnover on downs, they drove and scored, and didn't score again til the last series.
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#18
#18
If this board is any indication, Travis hit the nail on the head. The reaction to Bray's coming out party has completely transformed the narrative. Hell, some on here have nicknamed him "Brayton" already.

As is my want, and in always looking at the fine margins, I can't help but cast a thought towards human-shield, Matt Simms. I'm not sure a player in UT history will have done more for the team and receive fewer accolades than Matt will. He, frankly, deserved the LSU win (whole team did). He got better with every game. In fact, I would still maintain he shouldn't have been pulled from USCe game.

However, the rest of the season (and the winnable games) belong to Bray. Take it and run, young man!
 
#19
#19
head1 said:
Actually they did score 50 unanswered.

Memphis scored first, and last, therefore 50 unanswered.
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I see that now, thanks. The way I read it was that he was saying Memphis State High had us down 14-0, then we scored 50 unanswered.
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#20
#20
head1 said:
And its damn hilarious how people on here turncoat. Clay was the greatest ever before he turned on Dooley now hes an idiot, good for nothing.

He tells it like it is. Sorry but I actually enjoy someone not sugar coating a turd when they write their article.

Until Dooley and the staff prove him otherwise, hes right.

Take off the orange glasses and you might see the facts.
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Travis, for a guy who claims to understand the program and it's fans, missed the bus here. We had a decent year in 2006 and a frustrating year in 2007 that somehow had us stumbling and losing in the SECCG. We were terrible in 2008, and got excited about the future in 2009 only to be stood up on our 2nd date.

Dooley comes into a mess. He turns in a terrible year to that point. He injects a lot of new talent (5/11 starters on Offense were Freshmen with many others seeing significant time) and only has a Freshman break 2 School Records (regardless of opponent) in the process.

The UT players, the guys in the locker-room and not sitting behind a computer, are enthusiastic about Bray and his potential. That tells me what I need to know to buy just a little stock in the program. Forgive me, Clay Travis.

Disclaimer: I'm not proselytizing we'll finish at 7-6.
 
#21
#21
Bray has a better touch on the ball than Simms. Worked out well against a slow defense and hopefully will work well in the next three games. From what we've seen all season, it can't get much worse.
 
#22
#22
Heard Clay on three hour lunch today pining about how he'd changed his tune on Les Miles and would never speak negatively about him again. He'll come around on Dooley, and for goodness sake with Walls back next year along w Hughes, Jackson playing well inside and most likely Couch.... we cant be worse at DT.
 
#23
#23
What a crybaby this guy is. Can't seem to let go of the fact that DD doesn't coddle the press.
 
#24
#24
Would it now have been correct to say that we scored 50 straight points. Unanswered means that they did not score any points after we scored 50.
 
#25
#25
mitzustu said:
Heard Clay on three hour lunch today pining about how he'd changed his tune on Les Miles and would never speak negatively about him again. He'll come around on Dooley, and for goodness sake with Walls back next year along w Hughes, Jackson playing well inside and most likely Couch.... we cant be worse at DT.
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Guy apparently has difficulty rubbing two cogent thoughts together. He is reduced to taking cheap shots.

The guys you mentioned make the situation a good bit better than this year. Then you have Ayres, Sykes, Clark, and Jeffery who could be turned into players with a full S&C season with Wylie.

Jackson could play as a hybrid or else gain weight to play inside full time or play outside at his current weight.
 
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