Just to add to the misery...

[vol9799]

The fact that Taylor screwed up is one thing. He's a sophomore that's had to learn DB on the fly while starting. What really burned me was Warrior's matador impersonation at the 45 when he should have tackled him and forced a hail mary pass. Unfortunately there are a handful of guys in starting positions that simply aren't capable of playing at a winning level here. Several of the best examples were highly touted coming out of HS. Some others were just marginal recruits needed to fill out Butch's 30-35 slots per year.
Behind these guys there are young, unknown commodities who may or may not be good enough to offset the youthful mistakes they're bound to make. I don't dislike the guys who can't get us there, but I'm also not willing to sacrifice any time in turning the program around just to be "considerate" of their feelings. At 0-2 the program has nothing to lose. With UTC coming to town, throw caution to the wind and turn the young guys loose. If some of the veterans bolt, so be it.
But this isn't just about the players. We've got a collection of coaches with a darn fine pedigree and they're making some very basic mistakes, especially on defense. There's no excuse that players who have been in the system 2+ years don't know how to line up for a play without watching the sidelines for 20 seconds between each play. I'm afraid this is a by-product of not having any HC experience on the staff. Not a single guy has run a program and handled all the organization and attention to detail. Not only are we suffering from our players learning on the fly. We're suffering from hiring a coach who's having to learn on the fly.
So what do we do? I'm getting tired of having to apologize to my kids for teaching them to pour their hearts into something that causes so much disappointment, frustration and pain.

 

[sjt18]

So the staff has to coach around the 4th year QB because they can't trust his decision making and you want to lay the game on one breakdown by a couple of guys who played well for most of the night?

There will always be "mistakes". But the D held BYU to 16 points in regulation. Might have been less if JG hadn't handed them a gift by throwing a perfect pass to one of their LB's.


Coaches will work to correct the mistakes you're talking about. A sophomore CB is still a young player. They'll likely replace guys who don't improve.

The question is whether than have the nerve and wisdom to give up on a 4th year QB who still can't deal with the speed of the game.

 

[MemphisVol77]

So the staff has to coach around the 4th year QB because they can't trust his decision making and you want to lay the game on one breakdown by a couple of guys who played well for most of the night?

There will always be "mistakes". But the D held BYU to 16 points in regulation. Might have been less if JG hadn't handed them a gift by throwing a perfect pass to one of their LB's.


Coaches will work to correct the mistakes you're talking about. A sophomore CB is still a young player. They'll likely replace guys who don't improve.

The question is whether than have the nerve and wisdom to give up on a 4th year QB who still can't deal with the speed of the game.

I've never been able to calibrate my tinfoil hat enough to hang out on the recruiting forum. You always seem rationale with your perspectives, particilarly as it relates to QB.

Is being afraid of a current top recruit decommiting if he sees an underclassman with several years of eligibility left supplant and then have success while handidly outperforming the incumbent a rationale hypothesis?

I in know way think that's the case Pruitt & Chaney as they've both seen countless prospects come and go but Bailey is becoming a package recruiting deal.

I would think not but it isn't unheard of for a coach to attach themselves to a HS QB and launch their careers with the subsequent success of that prospect. Ala Malzoun entering the ranks at Arkansas as OC with that Mustain kid.

You got any thoughts on that tinfoil theory or any knowledge that flat out refutes the scenario?

 

[LethalGas]

Warrior has never been a good safety. He is a liability

 

[sjt18]

I've never been able to calibrate my tinfoil hat enough to hang out on the recruiting forum. You always seem rationale with your perspectives, particilarly as it relates to QB.

Is being afraid of a current top recruit decommiting if he sees an underclassman with several years of eligibility left supplant and then have success while handidly outperforming the incumbent a rationale hypothesis?

Maybe but hopefully not. If they tried that then there would be just as much risk that both of the current guys would transfer leaving you with one guy. If JG is benched then he is almost sure to transfer since he's already graduated.

I in know way think that's the case Pruitt & Chaney as they've both seen countless prospects come and go but Bailey is becoming a package recruiting deal.

If JG were replaced they'd just have to tell Bailey the truth. He wasn't getting it done so they replaced him. They should use it to prove that the best player will play and even a starter can be replaced if someone else is better.

I would think not but it isn't unheard of for a coach to attach themselves to a HS QB and launch their careers with the subsequent success of that prospect. Ala Malzoun entering the ranks at Arkansas as OC with that Mustain kid.

You got any thoughts on that tinfoil theory or any knowledge that flat out refutes the scenario?

It happens I'm sure. CFB is to a large degree about recruiting. Les Miles more than proved you can be a pretty bad coach but a great recruiter and win lots of games.

But it is always a risk-reward calculation. IMHO, the O isn't going to get better behind JG. They tried to trust him in game 1 and that failed. They tried to pull back a little but still depend on his decision making in game 2... that failed maybe even worse. So what is more likely to lose UT the recruits it needs to start competing... more losses or the prospects that your QB recruit might not like seeing a Fr or RS Fr become the starter?

 

[MemphisVol77]

Maybe but hopefully not. If they tried that then there would be just as much risk that both of the current guys would transfer leaving you with one guy. If JG is benched then he is almost sure to transfer since he's already graduated.

If JG were replaced they'd just have to tell Bailey the truth. He wasn't getting it done so they replaced him. They should use it to prove that the best player will play and even a starter can be replaced if someone else is better.


It happens I'm sure. CFB is to a large degree about recruiting. Les Miles more than proved you can be a pretty bad coach but a great recruiter and win lots of games.

But it is always a risk-reward calculation. IMHO, the O isn't going to get better behind JG. They tried to trust him in game 1 and that failed. They tried to pull back a little but still depend on his decision making in game 2... that failed maybe even worse. So what is more likely to lose UT the recruits it needs to start competing... more losses or the prospects that your QB recruit might not like seeing a Fr or RS Fr become the starter?

Agreed. Thank you.

I feel better reading it in a concise mannerism I couldn't write without run on sentences from hell.

And finally, Pruitt's almost guaranteed a third year but he's gotta realize he probably needs more win equity now to insure a 4th year if year 3 tops at 7/8 wins.

I don't blame Pruitt for waiting this long to pull the JG plug, provided he does do so of course. The 2.5 seconds he did get last year aside, the clean pocket with little pressure sample was next to none.

I'm starting to think he throws a better deep ball under pressure, which isn't sustainable to winning lol, than a clean pocket. Pressure = react, when he actually saw his man downfield he threw it very well. Clean pocket gives him too much time to think and telegraph his intentions.

 

[sjt18]

Agreed. Thank you.

I feel better reading it in a concise mannerism I couldn't write without run on sentences from hell.

And finally, Pruitt's almost guaranteed a third year but he's gotta realize he probably needs more win equity now to insure a 4th year if year 3 tops at 7/8 wins.

I don't blame Pruitt for waiting this long to pull the JG plug, provided he does do so of course. The 2.5 seconds he did get last year aside, the clean pocket with little pressure sample was next to none.

I'm starting to think he throws a better deep ball under pressure, which isn't sustainable to winning lol, than a clean pocket. Pressure = react, when he actually saw his man downfield he threw it very well. Clean pocket gives him too much time to think and telegraph his intentions.

Even with the deep ball he always throws late. The pass to Jennings that got broken up at the goal line is a really good example. The overthrow of Palmer is an anomaly. He's so predictably late that he almost never overthrows a deep ball.

He just can't seem to anticipate all those bodies in motion and make an instinctive decision on when and where to deliver the ball. If he throws that pass to Jennings a half a count sooner and out in front... its a TD with 3 or 4 yards of separation. Being late allowed their defender to catch up.

 

[zjcvols]

Warrior has never been a good safety. He is a liability

Yet there aren’t thousands of posts calling for him to be benched. QB always gets too much credit and too much blame.

 

[sjt18]

What about the fourth year safety that absolutely has been terrible in Warrior? Why aren’t there thousands of posts calling for his benching?

He doesn't pull the trigger on every offensive play. I personally can't see every play he makes since the camera only shows the ball. But if he's playing safety as bad as JG is playing QB... then, yeah, bench them both. But I only saw Warrior make one glaring mistake tonight on the angle he took on that big pass play. Maybe you saw more?

Without that one 64 yard bust and the yardage gained in OT the D allowed BYU 225 yards. That's good enough to win. Even with that bust... 16 points in regulation should have been MORE than enough to win.

 

[Tennesseefan2019]

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

So the staff has to coach around the 4th year QB because they can't trust his decision making and you want to lay the game on one breakdown by a couple of guys who played well for most of the night?

There will always be "mistakes". But the D held BYU to 16 points in regulation. Might have been less if JG hadn't handed them a gift by throwing a perfect pass to one of their LB's.


Coaches will work to correct the mistakes you're talking about. A sophomore CB is still a young player. They'll likely replace guys who don't improve.

The question is whether than have the nerve and wisdom to give up on a 4th year QB who still can't deal with the speed of the game.

I'm afraid this is where I am. I love JG for his heart and his arm and I think he is a great kid. In another division he'd probably be a star. But, I don't think he has what it takes to see and process plays and give the ball to the right receiver. Bless his heart.

 

[EZE]

Warrior has never been a good safety. He is a liability

We should have been in the most safe prevent ever at that point. So, yes, the execution was awful no doubt, but the coaches should have never allowed for that possibility.

 

[PineyBluff Vol]

Most times the Truth is better than the Lie

 

[Memphisvol87]

We should have been in the most safe prevent ever at that point. So, yes, the execution was awful no doubt, but the coaches should have never allowed for that possibility.

The coaches called the right defense. That’s why he didn’t score a TD. Warrior just whiffed the game winning tackle. AT clearly was confused on his job that play as well. If you can’t make tackles then it doesn’t matter how much prevent you play. Team is thinking too much and not playing ball.

 

[EZE]

The coaches called the right defense. That’s why he didn’t score a TD. Warrior just whiffed the game winning tackle. AT clearly was confused on his job that play as well. If you can’t make tackles then it doesn’t matter how much prevent you play. Team is thinking too much and not playing ball.

Safety play has killed this program for years. What is this, around the 5th long pass late in the 4th quarter to give up a lead in recent years?

Yes, AT played it poorly, but there should have been three safeties back there.

 

[Volhoops]

So the staff has to coach around the 4th year QB because they can't trust his decision making and you want to lay the game on one breakdown by a couple of guys who played well for most of the night?

There will always be "mistakes". But the D held BYU to 16 points in regulation. Might have been less if JG hadn't handed them a gift by throwing a perfect pass to one of their LB's.


Coaches will work to correct the mistakes you're talking about. A sophomore CB is still a young player. They'll likely replace guys who don't improve.

The question is whether than have the nerve and wisdom to give up on a 4th year QB who still can't deal with the speed of the game.

If they continue on with JG then they are telling us they are not trying to win this year. It seems they are afraid to let someone else play because if the next guy has success there might be a QB controversy with a new recruit next year. Peterman, the back-up, was made fun of here for his performance but when he went to Pittsburgh he actually became a good college QB. That's why I don't believe the talk that nobody else is as good as JG on this team. I also contend that a timeout before BYU play that set up the field goal would have been the correct thing to do. With a good defense and experienced players you would never do that but UT has neither and they have coaches that have not been in this underdog role. You can't coach this team like they are Bama because they are not.

 

[Roustabout]

So the staff has to coach around the 4th year QB because they can't trust his decision making and you want to lay the game on one breakdown by a couple of guys who played well for most of the night?

There will always be "mistakes". But the D held BYU to 16 points in regulation. Might have been less if JG hadn't handed them a gift by throwing a perfect pass to one of their LB's.


Coaches will work to correct the mistakes you're talking about. A sophomore CB is still a young player. They'll likely replace guys who don't improve.

The question is whether than have the nerve and wisdom to give up on a 4th year QB who still can't deal with the speed of the game.

Absolutely. If JG was any kind of QB they would have been up by much more and it wouldn’t have mattered. JGs indecision killed multiple drives or led to field goals.

 

[FLVOL_79]

Even with the deep ball he always throws late. The pass to Jennings that got broken up at the goal line is a really good example. The overthrow of Palmer is an anomaly. He's so predictably late that he almost never overthrows a deep ball.

He just can't seem to anticipate all those bodies in motion and make an instinctive decision on when and where to deliver the ball. If he throws that pass to Jennings a half a count sooner and out in front... its a TD with 3 or 4 yards of separation. Being late allowed their defender to catch up.

Thats because his "Great arm talent" is bogus. His touch on the ball is almost nonexistent. Laser cannon it in every time, all the time.

 

[99gator]

It’s everybody.

I’d take Jennings, Gray, Henry T, and the Tennessee special teams. That’s about it.

Everywhere else, including the dudes with the head sets, it’s not good enough.

We’re still talking about a situation where Tennnessee has a distinct talent advantage.

And, my God, the culture. They’re inventing ways to lose this past decade as if they are playing a game of “can you top this”

 

[beamerman]

So the staff has to coach around the 4th year QB because they can't trust his decision making and you want to lay the game on one breakdown by a couple of guys who played well for most of the night?

There will always be "mistakes". But the D held BYU to 16 points in regulation. Might have been less if JG hadn't handed them a gift by throwing a perfect pass to one of their LB's.


Coaches will work to correct the mistakes you're talking about. A sophomore CB is still a young player. They'll likely replace guys who don't improve.

The question is whether than have the nerve and wisdom to give up on a 4th year QB who still can't deal with the speed of the game.

This. Reminds me of the year Peyton was out with the Colts and they were trying to scheme around Tolzien who couldn’t get it done. They traded for Brissett and threw him into a game after 2 weeks of practice. Time to cut the cord on JG, try both of our young guys and move on. Team needs to feel the coaches are doing everything they can to help them win. This would also send a message that no job is safe if you don’t perform.

 

[beamerman]

It’s everybody.

I’d take Jennings, Gray, Henry T, and the Tennessee special teams. That’s about it.

Everywhere else, including the dudes with the head sets, it’s not good enough.

We’re still talking about a situation where Tennnessee has a distinct talent advantage.

And, my God, the culture. They’re inventing ways to lose this past decade as if they are playing a game of “can you top this”

Evidently we have a kicker with ice in his veins and accuracy.

 

[Orangeslice13]

So the staff has to coach around the 4th year QB because they can't trust his decision making and you want to lay the game on one breakdown by a couple of guys who played well for most of the night?

There will always be "mistakes". But the D held BYU to 16 points in regulation. Might have been less if JG hadn't handed them a gift by throwing a perfect pass to one of their LB's.


Coaches will work to correct the mistakes you're talking about. A sophomore CB is still a young player. They'll likely replace guys who don't improve.

The question is whether than have the nerve and wisdom to give up on a 4th year QB who still can't deal with the speed of the game.

My problem is we consistently make those mistakes with the game on the line. And that goes back years over several coaches.
I can name 10 games where the late screw up has cost us the win and can only think of 2 that went our way. Arky the championship year and The Ga Hail Mary. But the Hail Mary is unnecessary if we don’t give up a 50+ yard TD late with the lead.

Apparently botched football is what we do.

Includes games, coaching, and the last 4 coaching hires.

That leads me to the next point, no way in hell our university gets the next hire right.

 

[Doberman]

It’s everybody.

I’d take Jennings, Gray, Henry T, and the Tennessee special teams. That’s about it.

Everywhere else, including the dudes with the head sets, it’s not good enough.

We’re still talking about a situation where Tennnessee has a distinct talent advantage.

And, my God, the culture. They’re inventing ways to lose this past decade as if they are playing a game of “can you top this”

Hold my beer?

 

[lifeVol]

So the staff has to coach around the 4th year QB because they can't trust his decision making and you want to lay the game on one breakdown by a couple of guys who played well for most of the night?

There will always be "mistakes". But the D held BYU to 16 points in regulation. Might have been less if JG hadn't handed them a gift by throwing a perfect pass to one of their LB's.


Coaches will work to correct the mistakes you're talking about. A sophomore CB is still a young player. They'll likely replace guys who don't improve.

The question is whether than have the nerve and wisdom to give up on a 4th year QB who still can't deal with the speed of the game.

Amen ! T H I S ! ! ! !

 

[Memphisvol87]

It’s everybody.

I’d take Jennings, Gray, Henry T, and the Tennessee special teams. That’s about it.

Everywhere else, including the dudes with the head sets, it’s not good enough.

We’re still talking about a situation where Tennnessee has a distinct talent advantage.

And, my God, the culture. They’re inventing ways to lose this past decade as if they are playing a game of “can you top this”

I think you’re spot on with culture. And I’m not even sure how you shake it or how it got started. There is a distinct feeling, or curse, about everyone expecting the worst .