DG's Takeaways from the Arkansas Debacle

[GoVols64]

I will give my opinion on where (big picture) Pruitt is making his big mistake.

When Spurrier had players who were not "getting it", he did not change his system or who he was because the player had an issue. So, he didn't "dumb down" his offense. He didn't run the ball on 3rd and 7 and punt. You throw the ball on 3rd and 7 and he wasn't going to do different because someone was struggling.

Pruitt and the staff have decided to dumb down the offense and it's not helping anyone. Qb's aren't getting any better. The offense isn't any better. You aren't winning. etc.

So, everything you are doing to "give you the best chance to win" is hindering the growth and development of the players who need it and you still aren't winning.

You run your offense. And if it doesn't work, at least you ran your offense and the players may be better next year for it.

Hiding in a shell and being a team that you don't want to be in the first place is stupid. If this is the offense he wants, fine. But, it isn't.

Spurrier's offense was all about throwing to a point on the field and he was one of the best at understanding what his opponents would do. He also had amazing athletes that could get to the spot before defenders. As much as I hated it those offenses, for their time, were a thing of beauty.....

 

[m1al]

Where is our genius offensive coordinator?

If you believe some of the rumors, he's not in total control of the offense and Pruitt has his hands all over it. Is this the case? I don't know.

What I do know is Chaney is very well respected in coaching circles and has had a lot of success at several stops. Do you not find it hard to believe (I know I do) he has all the sudden lost his ability to coordinate a potent offense?

 

[99gator]

Spurrier's offense was all about throwing to a point on the field and he was one of the best at understanding what his opponents would do. He also had amazing athletes that could get to the spot before defenders. As much as I hated it those offenses, for their time, were a thing of beauty.....

I forgot to mention in my first post that this is what the alternating QBs every play was about.

He would pull them and tell them the coverage defenses were in and where to go with the ball. Then, send them back in and have them do it. He was famous for calling the same play twice in a row because the QB went the wrong way with the ball and he’d yell at them about where it should have gone.

Not everyone is Spurrier.

But, his basic philosophy of....you’re not going to get any better at “X” unless you do “X” is one i agree with.

And if you are afraid to throw the ball in year 3 with your QB and your Offensive Coordinator, etc., that’s not on the player, that’s on the coaches.

How do you not recruit over a guy who you are literally scared to call a passing play with?

 

[BruisedOrange]

I agree with most of your post, but I do not think we have 2 great receivers this year. Cover Palmer and the rest is not SEC caliber proven. Hyatt and the height of Wideman might prove out, but still young. I think this position, including the lack of a tight end who can run a route and catch, has (will) hamstrung any of our 2020 qbs. I just can't compare Jennings & Callaway to any pair this year... not even close.

Arkansas's ball-hawking defense uses a lot of 8-deep coverages, including zone blitzes--dropping different guys off the D-line into coverage. They rack up interceptions by deception--not speed or technique.

If I'm not mistaken, the way an offense combats that is for receivers to recognize coverages and adjust routes. That might mean for each coverage scheme, each receiver has a "hot route" he must switch to. And of course, he and the QB would have to read the same thing at the same time. Easier to make those reads from the QB position than from in the slot or split wide.

If, during the extra week of practice, our receivers (or enough of them) proved unable to consistently recognize and re-route correctly against those coverages when facing the scout team, then that would explain our bizarre run/pass ratio, and overall hesitance to throw the ball---especially when the younger QBs were in.

I think the gameplan was that if we could avoid turnovers, our offense could score enough and our defense could keep Arkansas out of the end zone. And it would have worked---if not for that 3rd quarter defensive collapse.

 

[BruisedOrange]

[not sure why the double-post]

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

Meanwhile, our 6'4 220 lb running back sits there on the bench completely unused. Then tweets his frustration after the game.

Who?

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

If you believe some of the rumors, he's not in total control of the offense and Pruitt has his hands all over it. Is this the case? I don't know.

What I do know is Chaney is very well respected in coaching circles and has had a lot of success at several stops. Do you not find it hard to believe (I know I do) he has all the sudden lost his ability to coordinate a potent offense?

I believe the offenses today have passed him by. Why did he leave Georgia? Wasn’t that offense becoming predictable and stagnant the last year he was there and Georgia was looking elsewhere?

 

[jwilliams]

If Chaney doesn't have carte blanche, then Pruitt needs to get out of his way. If he already has, then Chaney needs to get his ish together... but I don't think that's the case. I think Pruitt is meddling and he needs to stop.

 

[m1al]

I believe the offenses today have passed him by. Why did he leave Georgia? Wasn’t that offense becoming predictable and stagnant the last year he was there and Georgia was looking elsewhere?

The term "has passed him by" I believe is more a stubborn resistance to deviate a certain thought process. I don't believe that is Chaney problem. I honestly believe he is handcuffed by Pruitt and a QB that for, whatever reason, seems unable to learn and develop.

As far as Georgia goes, it's been said that Kirby was doing the same thing. Maybe that's why he left. With Chaney gone, there offense doesn't seem to have changed much. Honestly Georgia seems to employ the same strategy as Tennessee, smothering defense and a ball controlling offense. They just have Bama level talent reserves..

 

[LordBolton]

You must not have watched Sal Sunseri's defense if you believe any of this garbage you're spewing. That was the worst defense I've seen in UT in 30+ years. Even this terrible offense could score virtually every time on that defense just by running the ball every single play. This defense is not even comparable to that.

Offense has 2 great WRs (Palmer and Hyatt) at the very least. Maybe 3-4. This is the same squad that looked competitive last season, minus a few players (Jennings, Callaway, Taylor, Bituli).

It's not a talent issue. Stop making excuses.

Dan Mullen is 4-2 or 5-1 with this roster.

Coaching has been awful.

Am I remembering correctly that the Sunseri defense was the worst in the history of cillege football? I think that was the case, at least at that time. I don't remember anyone since being as bad.

 

[LordBolton]

The term "has passed him by" I believe is more a stubborn resistance to deviate a certain thought process. I don't believe that is Chaney problem. I honestly believe he is handcuffed by Pruitt and a QB that for, whatever reason, seems unable to learn and develop.

As far as Georgia goes, it's been said that Kirby was doing the same thing. Maybe that's why he left. With Chaney gone, there offense doesn't seem to have changed much. Honestly Georgia seems to employ the same strategy as Tennessee, smothering defense and a ball controlling offense. They just have Bama level talent reserves..

I hope you're wrong about their talent level because Florida destroyed that defense the other day.

 

[m1al]

I hope you're wrong about their talent level because Florida destroyed that defense the other day.

They definitely have the talent. Everybody gets beat occasionally. You get out schemed, you have a bad day, etc....

Georgia's main problem Saturday was eerily similar to ours, piss poor QB play

 

[USAFgolferVol]

Here is a takeaway, we are horrible up the middle and that is a recipe for disaster in any team sport.

Brando Kennedy gets blown up so many times a game. Our QB situation is horrendous. That is the middle of the offense. You cant be that bad in the middle, recipe for disaster.

It's called dysfunction

 

[igotworms]

DG's thoughts from 3 years ago. You 1000% nailed it. The warning signs were there....

Had to go back and like that comment from 2017
Spot on

 

[VOLED]

The opposing D almost never has to guess at what we are about to run on O. One RB in the backfield and we are running it. No running backs in the backfield and we are throwing it. You will lose to much inferior teams with this approach. We had huge opportunities to run play play action in the first half, but we decided to play big man football and ram it down their throats. I'm pretty sure most middle school coaches could out-scheme us with this approach.

 

[ShoalCreekVol]

Who?

Beckwith

 

[JonGrudensAgent]

You think Franks was only "marginally" better than JG?

Franks was and is MUCH better than JG... and that's not saying Franks is good.

Im not wasting my time defending JG because neither he nor Franks should be starting in the SEC IMO which makes the loss Saturday even more pitiful.

 

[JonGrudensAgent]

You must not have watched Sal Sunseri's defense if you believe any of this garbage you're spewing. That was the worst defense I've seen in UT in 30+ years. Even this terrible offense could score virtually every time on that defense just by running the ball every single play. This defense is not even comparable to that.

Offense has 2 great WRs (Palmer and Hyatt) at the very least. Maybe 3-4. This is the same squad that looked competitive last season, minus a few players (Jennings, Callaway, Taylor, Bituli).

It's not a talent issue. Stop making excuses.

Dan Mullen is 4-2 or 5-1 with this roster.

Coaching has been awful.

Bingo.

Mullen may never get to the promised land of winning a title but he is a damned sight better than Pruitt, who has developed the annoying habit the past few weeks of trying to remind everyone he knows what a championship team looks like.

Pruitt needs to spend more time figuring out how to get defensive play calls in and less time polishing his championship rings he got riding the coattails of Saban.

 

[USAFgolferVol]

Bingo.

Mullen may never get to the promised land of winning a title but he is a damned sight better than Pruitt, who has developed the annoying habit the past few weeks of trying to remind everyone he knows what a championship team looks like.

Pruitt needs to spend more time figuring out how to get defensive play calls in and less time polishing his championship rings he got riding the coattails of Saban.

I'm sick of Pruitt getting defensive and telling us what he knows. AT FSU, he was named DC with a ton of talent on campus. Same at Alabama. He's so far in over his head as a head coach. He's embarrassing himself every time he steps up to the microphone...never mind the pre-elementary, hilljack grammar he speaks

 

[JonGrudensAgent]

I'm sick of Pruitt getting defensive and telling us what he knows. AT FSU, he was named DC with a ton of talent on campus. Same at Alabama. He's so far in over his head as a head coach. He's embarrassing himself every time he steps up to the microphone...never mind the pre-elementary, hilljack grammar he speaks

It is really getting old in a hurry.

We know you coached at Bama Cueball, you blew the Vols off after getting hired to continue coaching for Bama and winning them another title.

 

[OrangeTsar]

I think Pruitt is very knowledgeable about the x and o world of defensive football. I do not feel he is a leader of men. He will always make a great coordinator but is not cut out to be in charge. Not a ding on him. Not everyone has that skill set.

 

[Sea Ray]

Pruitt is not a risk taker by any means. He is old school defensive minded would be very happy sitting on a 13 point lead and conservative play calling , no passing too risky, just protect that monster 13 pt lead.

He has no interest in trying to put up 40 or 50 points, he is more than happy trying to squeeze by a get a win. You just can't play that conservative in the SEC, just look at the point that teams average and figure they will put up more than their average against our defense. Arkansas has scored around 30 average this year, High of 37 and low of 21. Pruitt should have known that 13 points was not going to get it done and open up the play calling.

I don't think it is Chaney, we all saw what he did with Bray at QB, the guy was an absolute gun slinger no fear, and we could put up 40 plus no sweat. We have some big arms, JT can throw the deep ball, Pruitt decided to leave him in Knoxville for this game. JG, Maurer and Bailey can all throw the deep ball and yet here we sit 3 runs and punt.

Chaney doesn't get a pass for what he did ten yrs ago. Coaches get old too. I'm torn whether this is a Chaney problem or a Pruitt problem. Since it's far more hassle to fire Pruitt, I think we have to go with a new O-coordinator/system and hope that fixes it.

 

[OrangeTsar]

Chaney doesn't get a pass for what he did ten yrs ago. Coaches get old too. I'm torn whether this is a Chaney problem or a Pruitt problem. Since it's far more hassle to fire Pruitt, I think we have to go with a new O-coordinator/system and hope that fixes it.

There is Not an O coordinator or an offensive system that could produce points with our limitations at quarterback any more than any automobile could run without a working engine

 

[Chemvol]

I appreciate the time and thought you always put into these, DG, even if the analysis isn't pretty.

Pruitt created major locker room problems when he was at Georgia a few years ago under Mark Richt. Those problems were one of the reasons Mark Richt was forced to exit. Also worth noting that Kirby Smart (wisely IMO) chose not to retain Pruitt.

I'd compare Pruitt to Lane Kiffin. Pruitt is an excellent DC with a great track record on the defensive side when he can be reigned in by a strong, mature coach. As a head coach, however, his personality flaws would become a much bigger issue. Part of Mark Richt's failure his last two seasons at UGA was his inability to reign in Pruitt.

People underestimate how much of Saban's brilliance is simply being able to manage difficult personalities.

DG's thoughts from 3 years ago. You 1000% nailed it. The warning signs were there....