Is this the worst Vol team ever? (merged)

#1
Pooods

Pooods

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#1
This is the worst team I have seen since the early 80's in Knox. So, I am curious as to how bad it really is in Vol history. This appears to be the worst season record for us too. What do you older guys think? Do you remember a similar team? I have heard some say 1978 I think and another mentioned the early 60's.
 
#3
#3
'77 was terrible. '88 wasn't much better. This team stinks as bad as those wretched squads.
 
#4
#4
I just can't remember the 77 team. It must have been bad but I was too young to worry about it apparently.

I think this team gets beat by 21 by 05' or 88'. Those 2 years had positive moments and this one never has.
 
#6
#6
Pooods said:
This is the worst team I have seen since the early 80's in Knox. So, I am curious as to how bad it really is in Vol history. This appears to be the worst season record for us too. What do you older guys think? Do you remember a similar team? I have heard some say 1978 I think and another mentioned the early 60's.
Click to expand...

There is only one other team in UT history to lose 7 games. This team is extremely likely to set the new record.
 
#8
#8
kptvol said:
There is only one other team in UT history to lose 7 games. This team is extremely likely to set the new record.
Click to expand...

Yeah, after today's game I knew this would be the worst record for us. That's over more than 100 years too! Hard to comprehend.
 
#9
#9
1977 was Majors first year back, and he inherited a mess.

1988 was literally just a fluke year.

This is absolutely the worst UT team that I can remember.

When I was kid, Richmond Flowers was my favorite Vol, if that tells you how far I go back.
 
#10
#10
I can't remember a team this bad. We've had teams with no talent, but at least they tried hard. They lost games but it wasn't as ugly as what we've got now. I don't recall ever going into a Vandy game and not thinking we had a chance of winning till now.

The 88 team was bad but not near this bad. That team could score, just had mediocre defense and 4 or the 6 losses were to tough SEC teams. The thing is, it at least got better as the year went along. This team has gotten worse, much worse.

Skipper
 
#11
#11
You're right Skipper. This team has gotten worse since UCLA and I never thought that was possible. Now they have just given up.
 
#12
#12
Speaking of records, these guys must be getting close on 3 and outs.

The best trick play our offense could run is the quick kick on 3rd down.

Could someone with the stats confirm how many more punts Colquitt needs to match his total from last season even though he missed half of the games this year?
 
#14
#14
I go back to the early 60s. Became a big fan during the last years of the Bowden Wyatt era. This year has been the most frustrating and disappointing season I can remember. Sad days for an old Vol.
 
#16
#16
I have 53 years of Tennessee football as a student and alumni. This is by far the worst. They have no drive to win, they just look lost on the field....I had high hopes for today but now expect the team to lose out...That is awful. I have been there for Wyatt, Dickey, Battle, Majors, and Phil. (Not many coaches for over 50 years..interesting.)
 
#17
#17
We have had bad teams going back to the 60's which dates me but this is the worst of all time for quiting on us no other team iever to wear the orange quit like this team did today.All you positive people spin it any way you want to but Wyoming 13 Tenn Vols 7 should never happen and Fulmers last team has shown what they are all about and honestly have dishonored there coaches with this loss.
 
#19
#19
I did alot of research for a book on every team we've ever had about 9 years ago, though that doesn't necessarily make me the big authority... Still...

Y'all are wrong about naming "worst in history" just based on the 7 losses argument, since there were some (ancient) teams that sucked horribly, but didn't play that many games... I mean, we haven't lost by over 60 once this year yet, much less more.

Also, I think we really have to draw a line between teams w/out talent who tried and those with it who underperformed. After all, that's what's so miserable about this year and has us all pissed off. There have been plenty of weak teams, some of them mentioned above, but they put some UT pride into every game (like our D has until tonight).

So, based on what I've read about all the previous teams, I'd really have to say that it's a toss up between 1999 and 2008 for all-time worst. Which you choose is probably a coin flip. The '99 team had much, much more talent, but played like our D did tonight-- just good enough to cover themselves while not risking their NFL odds. The 2008 team has (until tonight) played way above their talent on D, but, on O, played not only below their talent, but like they accepted the idea they were losers on the plane ride back from UCLA and nothing anybody could say to them did anything but set the idea a little further in stone.

Either way, my idea of the UT team that's sucked worst isn't about W-L records, it's about what our kids did with what they had. That means that I'm torn between '99 & '08, because of our D's attitude this year.

It also means that, if you'll let me parse it down that far, I'd say that for 4 hours on 11/8/08, we fielded the worst team in Tennessee history.
 
#20
#20
My first game at Neyland was in 1959. Up to now, I believe the worst team was the 1964 one. In ten games they scored a total of 80 pts., and in six games were held to less than ten pts including three shutouts, one by Vandy. Their record was 4-5-1, one win was Chattanooga 10-6. I believe this years team is worse based on the talent level vs results ratio, unless they beat KY & Vandy.
 
#22
#22
I was a studen tin 88, so I have some perspective. Regardless of records, this team and the 05 team earn the dubious title of the worst because of one very sad reason: they both QUIT. For all of the BS earlier this week, these players didn't even bother to show up today.

The 88 team at least finished the season with five straight wins, which springboarded them to an 11-1 record the following season.

Losing has become acceptable, and a real ball buster is needed to restore pride to this program.
 
#24
#24
I am 55 and graduated from UT in 1977 just before Johnny Majors came back. This is by far the worst team at UT I can remember.

The offense is absolutely pathetic. I cannot ever remember a UT offense that put up the low numbers I have seen this year. No run or pass blocking and far too many over/under thrown passes, dropped passes, and lack of a running game. Play calling is too predictable and failure to go for 4th and short is very telling.

The defense is better than the offense and has kept us in games, but has allowed far too many successful 3rd down plays for opponents. Too much cushion on receivers and missed tackles allowing extra yards. Eric Berry is a defensive bright spot, but he can't do it alone.

Special teams are mediocre at best. Poor kick and punt coverage and our returners seem to always head directly for the first opposing tackler whwn some elusive moves would gain more yardage.

Not sure what the problem is, but I suspect bad coaching, lack of basic position skills, lack of full contact in practice, and bad player attitude. I hear players at post game press conferences say the game plan was going well when it obvously was not. I think the coaches are blowing sunshine up their butts when they should be disciplining them for poor performance. Maybe Phil Fulmer has forgotten to take a few of his "children" to the woodshed when they needed it.
 
#25
#25
I remember that 77 team well...I was a kid but remember the horror of how bad that team was..THIS team however is without a doubt the worse team I have personally ever witnessed at UT...I've just never seen a team like this that can't quite figure it out...They are lost on nearly every play and it never gets better...Thats purely coaching folks, They should know the plays and execute them to the fullest...This team has given up and 2 more losses are all but guaranteed....Breaks my heart because I really want to see coach Fulmer go out a winner.
 
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