Inky Johnson, Xavier Mitchell - TN vs Air Force '06

#1
UT1794

UT1794

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#1
I was on YankfeeFan's youtube channel and noticed he just uploaded the Air Force vs TN game from 06. I decided to watch the last 20 minutes or so, having a pretty good recollection about the game.

I completely forgot that, within those last few minutes, Inky Johnson suffers the injury which ends his career and threatens his life. Watching it again, I shuddered immediately seeing the hit. When they show it again in slow motion, it dropped my jaw even further, sending a chill up my spine when I realized it was Inky. It's a weird feeling knowing what that moment brought for the young man, and then basically seeing it for the first time...again. (All love and respect to the guy).

The other thing I noticed from this game was Xavier Mitchell's game saving tackle on the 2 point conversion. It was a monster tackle, with passion and excitement during and after the play. I always liked Xavier Mitchell, and felt he was a playmaker and a great team motivator. I know that it was a bit of an up and down career for him, but I remember him as a good representative of the university, and a damn fine football player.

What do you guys think of the game…or these two players?
 
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#2
#2
1. Chavis was given a pass for many years around here for not stopping the option. Everybody wants to consider 2006 a bounce back year, but we we probably should have lost that game.

2. Air Force should have never been in that game... and neither should most of our starters. we lost Inky Johnson and Justin Harrel in that game to injuries (Harrel tried to play the next week against UF with a torn bicep). Air Force I think had 408 yds of offense against us. They didn't get 400 yards but 1-2 more times that season. I'm going off of memory, so check me.

3. Actually one of Ainge's better performances.

4. Pope was a beast. I saw him playing with the Chiefs this year. the first time I had seen him playing since 2006.
 
#5
#5
Chavis certainly wasn't given a pass around here for not stopping the option. He has always been infamous for that and third and long.
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#6
#6
Heebs said:
Chavis certainly wasn't given a pass around here for not stopping the option. He has always been infamous for that and third and long.
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He had his defenders. Maybe not so much here, but there were enough people out there that bought Chavis' line about it being hard to defend because nobody in the conference ran it or that teams just don't see it enough. I can understand having difficulties, but not 400 yards of offense... that is just embarrassing.

Then the next week, we blow a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter against the eventual national champions. I put that on the offense/Fulmer because he thought that we needed to do more in the second half to establish the run... and relayed that to Cutty.

Again, I'm going off of memory, but i think we had a few 3 and outs in the 4th quarter and ended up with like -11 yards rushing or some nonsense?
 
#8
#8
I'll never forget that game or both of them getting injured. Was a heck of a game too. Seems like we never have any clue how to stop the option.
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#14
#14
I am so pissed after watching that...we had so many chances to end this game and keep that injury from ever happening...ugh that didn't start my day off the right way.
 
#15
#15
I tried to edit the title immediately after posting, but I couldn't get it to show the correction. Looks like it finally updated.

And I certainly wouldn't recommend watching the game for a pick-me-up.

Inky was injured with about 8 minutes or so left in the game.
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#16
#16
UT1794 said:
I tried to edit the title immediately after posting, but I couldn't get it to show the correction. Looks like it finally updated.

And I certainly wouldn't recommend watching the game for a pick-me-up.

Inky was injured with about 8 minutes or so left in the game.
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Not blaming you for putting me in a sour mood...it just kind of reminded me how frustrated I was with Fulmer's teams in those days.

We were up 31-17 with the ball on the 20 and Ainge throws a pick...then Chavis goes into Chavis mode and lets AF go down the field in chunks.

and before you know it AF gets and onside kick and Inky ruins his playing career with only 2 minutes left in the game.

It was just so unessecary, they shouldn't have even been in that position!
 
#17
#17
Inky injured on one of those infamous leg whip blocks option teams use; horrible moment for a fine young man. New NCAA rule this year should address that situation. Xavier's game-saving tackle the only play the guy made in his entire career, but it was great.
 
#18
#18
feathersax said:
Inky injured on one of those infamous leg whip blocks option teams use; horrible moment for a fine young man. New NCAA rule this year should address that situation. Xavier's game-saving tackle the only play the guy made in his entire career, but it was great.
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Inky was? Maybe I need to watch the vid because I'm remembering it wrong
 
#20
#20
I was at the game in the upper level on the opposite side from the hit. Even where I was it sounded like a train wreck.
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#21
#21
I was in the corner near the endzone for that game (near the band...bleh). I remember it being very exciting, and heartbreaking at the same time. IIRC Xavier's game saving tackle was extra special because he was injured.

I was in school at the time and got a kick out of making shirts for the game (that tended to be politically incorrect..) so I wore shirt to that game that said "I'd rather be in Iraq, than play the Vols in Neyland".
 
#22
#22
Was there as well. I have always felt that was about as damaging a game as we have ever experienced, in terms of the players we lost (Inky & Justin). I also feel that it being a non-conference game made it even worse. You could expect to lose people against Florida or Alabama, but Air Force?

That game hurt us for the rest of the year.

Why do we keep dredging up these painful memories !
 
#23
#23
UT1794 said:
I was on YankfeeFan's youtube channel and noticed he just uploaded the Air Force vs TN game from 06. I decided to watch the last 20 minutes or so, having a pretty good recollection about the game.

I completely forgot that, within those last few minutes, Inky Johnson suffers the injury which ends his career and threatens his life. Watching it again, I shuddered immediately seeing the hit. When they show it again in slow motion, it dropped my jaw even further, sending a chill up my spine when I realized it was Inky. It's a weird feeling knowing what that moment brought for the young man, and then basically seeing it for the first time...again. (All love and respect to the guy).

The other thing I noticed from this game was Xavier Mitchell's game saving tackle on the 2 point conversion. It was a monster tackle, with passion and excitement during and after the play. I always liked Xavier Mitchell, and felt he was a playmaker and a great team motivator. I know that it was a bit of an up and down career for him, but I remember him as a good representative of the university, and a damn fine football player.

What do you guys think of the game…or these two players?
Click to expand...

I concurr.
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#25
#25
81Bubbavol said:
Was there as well. I have always felt that was about as damaging a game as we have ever experienced, in terms of the players we lost (Inky & Justin). I also feel that it being a non-conference game made it even worse. You could expect to lose people against Florida or Alabama, but Air Force?

That game hurt us for the rest of the year.

Why do we keep dredging up these painful memories !
Click to expand...

That's right. It was Justin Harrell who got hurt, not Xavier.
 
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