Good morning, let's take a deep breath.

[VFL-82-JP]

While waiting to hear what we've come to know will be excellent summaries of our first match from OMG and DG, a few steering points:

1. Dana Holgorsen is not classless. He's a good coach who called a good game, and did it fairly and with his players' best interests in mind.

2. Losing against a good WVU team does not presage another 4-8 season. WVU is no Bama, but they're better than many of the teams on our schedule. 7-5 is still realistically possible, though 9-3 seems very unlikely.

3. We aren't talentless. There's actually a significant amount of talent on our team. What we lack is discipline and self-confidence. That explains how we played so well in the 2nd quarter, after our coaches made some adjustments to counter the WVU rush, but then fell apart in the 3rd and 4th. Importantly: these shortfalls are coachable. Don't despair yet.

4. Remember, Pruitt's learning on the job, too. One thing that struck me as very insightful during last night's game is the sideline reporter's description of how each team spent that storm-lengthened halftime. Pruitt and Co, new in their positions, spent every minute coaching, adjusting, teaching. Holgorsen spent it making sure his guys had something to eat, dry clothes, and were relaxed. It's like a first-time parent worrying over every fever and cough, compared to an experienced mom or dad who knows what needs to be worried about and what doesn't. Jeremy will get there; he's doing fine.

Ladies and gents, the sun is going to come up in about an hour, and a new day of wonder is going to pop into being around us. Things are okay. The Vols still have a lot to play for this year. Let's show them some support and respect.

Go Vols!

 

[Boca Vol]

I get the feeling there was a lot of this last night.

 

[rgvol]

I believe this team will get better every week... No doubt.

 

[Volsfaninva917]

UT has 2 games to get some work in before Florida comes rolling into town.

 

[photovol]

I get the feeling there was a lot of this last night.

Or this

 

[photovol]

Or this

View attachment 166361

Or this

 

[chargervol]

The only things surprising to me last night - 1. CB/safety size or speed.
2. How accurate Will Grier was after "shaking off the rust" .
3. A couple of the calls for our offense. Namely the momentum killing run calls right before half.

Things that didn't surprise me -
1.Coaches in new roles would need real actual games in which to learn from in their new roles.
2. Ditto for players in new schemes.
3. Our players weren't going to go from out of shape and weak, to full potential in 1 off season workout regime.

*4. Win or lose, play better/worse than expected, fans would completely overreact to the results.
We have a long season of learning and a chance for the staff and players to improve.
They either will or won't and we will have a good idea of our hire.

 

[Roustabout]

I get the feeling there was a lot of this last night.

Replace that with a bottle of jack

 

[VEKZY]

Thanks for the post. I have a feeling this place will be unbearable for the next week with people acting like the sky is falling.

The reality is: if we beat up on some FCS nobody like most teams did, everyone would act like Pruitt was the best coach ever. He played against a good (maybe great) team, got outplayed, and took responsibility.

If a couple plays went differently (no offsides, score on the 4th down near the end zone), the score would be 36-21 and look much better from our eyes.

Everything that went wrong is fixable, and we should see improvement throughout the year.

Team is still bowling imo

 

[Roustabout]

I don’t think a lot of UT fans want to admit how bad a butt whipping that was last night. It was wretched. The stats don’t lie. UT was beaten in every facet of the game. There were several times WV barely missed and it could have been much worse. The first drive comes to mind where Grier threw a laser strike to the endzone in triple coverage and not one UT defender knew where the ball was. The WV receiver dropped it. The other was Buchanan knocking a sure fire TD lose accidentally by rolling over the receiver after the catch.

If we went back several years and we were playing, say, a mediocre directional school, and you gave them our stat line and us WVUs, you wouldn’t be surprised. It’s not unusual for those teams to keep the score close in the 1st half. However, if you compared recruiting rankings over the last 4-5 years you would never be able to predict the difference in results last night.

UT had no business being on the field last night and that was evident from the first snap.

 

[sonrise7]

Wish Kelly had been in game and with Kelly out WVA seemed to pick on a couple freshman.

Also don't like a team running up the score and leaving the first team in the whole game. Had chance to replace Grier for "one play" but called time out instead.

Glad we didn't play Appalachia.

We will be going bowling, so hang in there....."It don't rain on the same dogs back all his life"

 

[livefaith]

Wish Kelly had been in game and with Kelly out WVA seemed to pick on a couple freshman.

Also don't like a team running up the score and leaving the first team in the whole game. Had chance to replace Grier for "one play" but called time out instead.

Glad we didn't play Appalachia.

We will be going bowling, so hang in there....."It don't rain on the same dogs back all his life"

Stop with the running up the score crap. We're the Uni of Tennessee. That's 100% on us!

This ain't Grammer school.

 

[Remy]

I don’t think a lot of UT fans want to admit how bad a butt whipping that was last night. It was wretched. The stats don’t lie. UT was beaten in every facet of the game. There were several times WV barely missed and it could have been much worse. The first drive comes to mind where Grier threw a laser strike to the endzone in triple coverage and not one UT defender knew where the ball was. The WV receiver dropped it. The other was Buchanan knocking a sure fire TD lose accidentally by rolling over the receiver after the catch.

If we went back several years and we were playing, say, a mediocre directional school, and you gave them our stat line and us WVUs, you wouldn’t be surprised. It’s not unusual for those teams to keep the score close in the 1st half. However, if you compared recruiting rankings over the last 4-5 years you would never be able to predict the difference in results last night.

UT had no business being on the field last night and that was evident from the first snap.

I was not expecting a return to offenses rolling up 600 yards of total offense against us this year, my expectations was that was going to be over, guess not. Again, I'm not exactly sure if WVU is that good we're that bad. I think our offense is way ahead of our defense. Our special teams did not hurt us. JG played well overall, nobody including Grier is going to hit 100% of their passes, but JG played his position well enough to win some games. The receivers actually played better than they have in recent years I thought. Jordan is a bright spot at RB, his ypc picked up that second half amd actually the OL played better after their horrid 1st quarter. We're nowhere close to competing with USCe, UGA, AU, and Bama now. We may get to where we can beat UK, Mizzou, and Vandy but we'll not do it with the defense we put on the field last night.

 

[chargervol]

Stop with the running up the score crap. We're the Uni of Tennessee. That's 100% on us!

This ain't Grammer school.

I'm not usually a fan of running up the score but last night didn't bother me that much.
They were padding Grier's stats for a potential Heisman run.
Intent does matter imo. If they're just trying to be an azz, not a fan. Trying to help their player, I'm ok with that.

 

[Vol Kilmer]

You think the defense sucks now wait until next year. There is no DL.

 

[McDad]

You think the defense sucks now wait until next year. There is no DL.

There's no DL this year either.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

I'd almost want to face them in a bowl game just to see how much we improve over the course of a season.

Our learning curve will be much faster than other teams. And we're gonna have to find a way to steal a couple of victories from Mizzou, SCAR and Florida and not screw up against KY, and Vandy.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

You think the defense sucks now wait until next year. There is no DL.

Disagree, we aren't getting production we need now.

We have some big boys that are true Fr and 2019 class has some monsters already at 300+ (hopefully early enrollees). One talented grad transfer and it will be significantly better.

 

[Strateegery]

Gotta agree with the level-headed in here...positivity is the only way to pull it out of the ditch. We (all who call themselves a Vol) have to take a deep breath and the team gets back to start correcting mistakes.

Remember how Georgia looked in 2016 in Smart’s first year...they were up and down and went 7-5 in regular season play. We got this. Pruitt has the right attitude and approach, all he needs is support and a little time. If you see no other positives, at least take solace in the fact that Pruitt is not an excuse factory and knows how it’s supposed to be done. He’s a winner and he will start winning.

 

[gunner]

While waiting to hear what we've come to know will be excellent summaries of our first match from OMG and DG, a few steering points:

1. Dana Holgorsen is not classless. He's a good coach who called a good game, and did it fairly and with his players' best interests in mind.

2. Losing against a good WVU team does not presage another 4-8 season. WVU is no Bama, but they're better than many of the teams on our schedule. 7-5 is still realistically possible, though 9-3 seems very unlikely.

3. We aren't talentless. There's actually a significant amount of talent on our team. What we lack is discipline and self-confidence. That explains how we played so well in the 2nd quarter, after our coaches made some adjustments to counter the WVU rush, but then fell apart in the 3rd and 4th. Importantly: these shortfalls are coachable. Don't despair yet.

4. Remember, Pruitt's learning on the job, too. One thing that struck me as very insightful during last night's game is the sideline reporter's description of how each team spent that storm-lengthened halftime. Pruitt and Co, new in their positions, spent every minute coaching, adjusting, teaching. Holgorsen spent it making sure his guys had something to eat, dry clothes, and were relaxed. It's like a first-time parent worrying over every fever and cough, compared to an experienced mom or dad who knows what needs to be worried about and what doesn't. Jeremy will get there; he's doing fine.

Ladies and gents, the sun is going to come up in about an hour, and a new day of wonder is going to pop into being around us. Things are okay. The Vols still have a lot to play for this year. Let's show them some support and respect.

Go Vols!

Agreed JP. There were some growing pains yesterday with these coaches and players but at times I saw flashes of brilliance, pass and run blocking, solid tackles, coverage by the DB's, pass rushers, tackles behind the line of scrimmage etc. But, unfortunately they were far too inconsistent for too much of the game. Hopefully, they can become more confident and consistent by the time SEC play starts.

 

[orangerush]

While waiting to hear what we've come to know will be excellent summaries of our first match from OMG and DG, a few steering points:

1. Dana Holgorsen is not classless. He's a good coach who called a good game, and did it fairly and with his players' best interests in mind.

2. Losing against a good WVU team does not presage another 4-8 season. WVU is no Bama, but they're better than many of the teams on our schedule. 7-5 is still realistically possible, though 9-3 seems very unlikely.

3. We aren't talentless. There's actually a significant amount of talent on our team. What we lack is discipline and self-confidence. That explains how we played so well in the 2nd quarter, after our coaches made some adjustments to counter the WVU rush, but then fell apart in the 3rd and 4th. Importantly: these shortfalls are coachable. Don't despair yet.

4. Remember, Pruitt's learning on the job, too. One thing that struck me as very insightful during last night's game is the sideline reporter's description of how each team spent that storm-lengthened halftime. Pruitt and Co, new in their positions, spent every minute coaching, adjusting, teaching. Holgorsen spent it making sure his guys had something to eat, dry clothes, and were relaxed. It's like a first-time parent worrying over every fever and cough, compared to an experienced mom or dad who knows what needs to be worried about and what doesn't. Jeremy will get there; he's doing fine.

Ladies and gents, the sun is going to come up in about an hour, and a new day of wonder is going to pop into being around us. Things are okay. The Vols still have a lot to play for this year. Let's show them some support and respect.

Go Vols!

1. Holgorsen is a solid coach.

2. Agree, West Virginia is a good team, but, far from a dominant team. Based on yesterday for us to go 7-5 is a stretch.

3. We currently do not have a significant amount of talent. If we did, we would not have been winless in the SEC last year.

4. Unfortunately for Pruitt his learning curve needs to be very short.

 

[MWAVolfan]

While waiting to hear what we've come to know will be excellent summaries of our first match from OMG and DG, a few steering points:

1. Dana Holgorsen is not classless. He's a good coach who called a good game, and did it fairly and with his players' best interests in mind.

2. Losing against a good WVU team does not presage another 4-8 season. WVU is no Bama, but they're better than many of the teams on our schedule. 7-5 is still realistically possible, though 9-3 seems very unlikely.

3. We aren't talentless. There's actually a significant amount of talent on our team. What we lack is discipline and self-confidence. That explains how we played so well in the 2nd quarter, after our coaches made some adjustments to counter the WVU rush, but then fell apart in the 3rd and 4th. Importantly: these shortfalls are coachable. Don't despair yet.

4. Remember, Pruitt's learning on the job, too. One thing that struck me as very insightful during last night's game is the sideline reporter's description of how each team spent that storm-lengthened halftime. Pruitt and Co, new in their positions, spent every minute coaching, adjusting, teaching. Holgorsen spent it making sure his guys had something to eat, dry clothes, and were relaxed. It's like a first-time parent worrying over every fever and cough, compared to an experienced mom or dad who knows what needs to be worried about and what doesn't. Jeremy will get there; he's doing fine.

Ladies and gents, the sun is going to come up in about an hour, and a new day of wonder is going to pop into being around us. Things are okay. The Vols still have a lot to play for this year. Let's show them some support and respect.

Go Vols!

This is when it pays to be me I saw this coming a mile away and had a fresh bottle of bourbon to commemorate the loss...lol

By the way, prepare yourselves now that UT wont win a road game this year (including Vandy).

Until all of Butch Jones players are off this team, it wont succeed, I dont care who the HC is.

 

[MWAVolfan]

1. Holgorsen is a solid coach.

2. Agree, West Virginia is a good team, but, far from a dominant team. Based on yesterday for us to go 7-5 is a stretch.

3. We currently do not have a significant amount of talent. If we did, we would not have been winless in the SEC last year.

4. Unfortunately for Pruitt his learning curve needs to be very short.

So much for five star heart.

 

[MWAVolfan]

I get the feeling there was a lot of this last night.

Did West Virginia steal our battle ostrich?

 

[Roustabout]

I was not expecting a return to offenses rolling up 600 yards of total offense against us this year, my expectations was that was going to be over, guess not. Again, I'm not exactly sure if WVU is that good we're that bad. I think our offense is way ahead of our defense. Our special teams did not hurt us. JG played well overall, nobody including Grier is going to hit 100% of their passes, but JG played his position well enough to win some games. The receivers actually played better than they have in recent years I thought. Jordan is a bright spot at RB, his ypc picked up that second half amd actually the OL played better after their horrid 1st quarter. We're nowhere close to competing with USCe, UGA, AU, and Bama now. We may get to where we can beat UK, Mizzou, and Vandy but we'll not do it with the defense we put on the field last night.

I thought the offense stunk. WVU gave up gobs of rushing yards last year. Our Oline looked downright inept to start the game. Trey had two penalties. They basically had one good quarter and had to rely on a 4th down pass after getting absolutely bitch slapped at the one yard line. Jordan was the one positive.