Moot point but do you think a win at UCLA

#1
UGADawg4Life

UGADawg4Life

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#1
would have made the psyche of the team different and thus added a couple more W's and saved Fulmer's job?
 
#2
#2
If he would have won in Atlanta in 2001 or last December, none of this would be happening. UCLA would have oly gotten us to 4-5 this year.
 
#3
#3
UGADawg4Life said:
would have made the psyche of the team different and thus added a couple more W's and saved Fulmer's job?
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I think the groud work for this has been laid for years...but it has definitely taken the extremes we've seen this year to actually make it happen...

I think we could have lost to the "big 3" and he still would have been okay...

It's losses to UCLA, USCe and Auburn(who seemed good at the time but is now obviously not much better off than us) that have really put the nail in the coffin
 
#4
#4
Maybe. But then this would have all come to head another year. There is an inevitability to this.
 
#7
#7
UGADawg4Life said:
would have made the psyche of the team different and thus added a couple more W's and saved Fulmer's job?
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Probably. That loss was unlike any loss in the 19 years I've followed Tennessee. It was like a really bad dream that I still can't believe actually happened. If you cross that loss off along with the losses to Auburn and SC, I don't think the administration makes a change because of the huge buyout and all he has done for the program.
 
#8
#8
I think it would have helped a little.
UCLA set a bad tone for the year and brought out the wolves early. But as someone else mentioned it was really LSU in 01 and the 02 season follow up.
 
#9
#9
I think in the months prior to the UCLA game had CPF fired the TE coach as well as deleted the position. Let the offensive line coach teach blocking for TE's and let the WR's coach take over route running for TE's. Then hired a good special teams coach by permanent title and worked with them at least a month before the UCLA game, not only would CPF still have a job we'd probably be 6-2.
 
#10
#10
IMO there was a collective suspension of disbelief among most of the Tennessee faithful coming into the year. It was as though we all decided to try to be optimistic for once about things -- our lucky run to Atlanta, our bowl win, positive reports about our new offense, etc. A lot of us were irrationally optimistic coming into the year. The contract extension was an overexuberant symptom of this mindset -- sort of like when a husband and wife are having problems and they book a weekend getaway to try to patch things up.

UCLA killed all that dead right out of the gate. Momentum is what kills a coach more than individual losses, but UCLA got the boulder thundering downhill immediately. It made wishful thinking impossible for most fans to sustain.
 
#11
#11
No. The disaster of an offense we have would have probably put the nail in the coffin, as well as a 6-6 record. Also, if we lose to our three rivals the same way, your question becomes a moot point.
 
#12
#12
I supported Fulmer through everything until the UCLA debacle. It did not help with the administration, but it definitely turned a lot of fans away from Fulmer who were once strong supporters.

The lack of discipline that was evident in that game, and continued throughout this year (i.e. same exact mistakes still being made) made my stomach turn. I had always been told that Cutcliffe was the disciplinarian, but it wasn't until this year that I believed it.
 
#13
#13
dan4vols said:
I think in the months prior to the UCLA game had CPF fired the TE coach as well as deleted the position. Let the offensive line coach teach blocking for TE's and let the WR's coach take over route running for TE's. Then hired a good special teams coach by permanent title and worked with them at least a month before the UCLA game, not only would CPF still have a job we'd probably be 6-2.
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The guy had just been hired. Your post would have more credit if you just said that he should have not been hired.

Please explain how losing to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina all boils down to special teams. UCLA I can see because of the blocked kick. You might have a point in the Florida game because of, yet another, James punt return, but no way in h e l l UT beats Florida this year minus that return.
 
#14
#14
Florida and Alabama we'dve lost anyway. But I believe that the lift a solid special teams coach giving the O and D hope would make the difference in games.
 
#15
#15
Vercingetorix said:
IMO there was a collective suspension of disbelief among most of the Tennessee faithful coming into the year. It was as though we all decided to try to be optimistic for once about things -- our lucky run to Atlanta, our bowl win, positive reports about our new offense, etc. A lot of us were irrationally optimistic coming into the year. The contract extension was an overexuberant symptom of this mindset -- sort of like when a husband and wife are having problems and they book a weekend getaway to try to patch things up.

UCLA killed all that dead right out of the gate. Momentum is what kills a coach more than individual losses, but UCLA got the boulder thundering downhill immediately. It made wishful thinking impossible for most fans to sustain.
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This was exactly my point. I think the UCLA loss, while being a small nail overall, sealed Fulmer's fate. To expand on your anology, it's like the husband and wife coming back from that weekend and the wife finding frilly, blue and gold (UCLA) panties in his car. Maybe they could have made it w/o the panties!
 
#16
#16
The missed field goals at UCLA and Auburn would have won each game. I cannot remember any time that the UT kicker has had such a slump.
 
#17
#17
Maybe if Fulmer wasn't 15 and 17 in the SEC the last several years he might have his job.He chose not to have a special teams coach just as he chose Dave Clawson was he a bad pick maybe only time will tell as he moves on..But last time i heard Fulmer was the man pulling the stings on all this and if what we saw yesterday is any indication than we waited years to long to pull the plug.You would think his players would have showed up for the coach they love so much instead of embarassing him and UT
 
#18
#18
ridethelightening said:
I supported Fulmer through everything until the UCLA debacle. It did not help with the administration, but it definitely turned a lot of fans away from Fulmer who were once strong supporters.

The lack of discipline that was evident in that game, and continued throughout this year (i.e. same exact mistakes still being made) made my stomach turn. I had always been told that Cutcliffe was the disciplinarian, but it wasn't until this year that I believed it.
Click to expand...

This right here best explains my feelings on Fulmer and UT football to a (ahem) T. I had fairly large (friggin huge compared to how the season ended up turning out) expectations for this season after last. My biggest gripe all the way up until the latter part of last season was how the team just seemed to "show up" and that's all. How many games did we lose, because the defense just went lame in that last drive? Or the special teams gave up a punt block, let a kick return come back for 6, or miss a FG. Or the offense taking a drive all the way to the goal line only to see an untimely fumble or int? I had hoped he FINALLY got all of that somewhat corrected late last year, only to see ALL of those bad points come roaring back in the UCLA game.

Had he won, would things have been differant? It really depends on HOW he won. Had it played out exactly like it did, only that they got a lucky 6 at the end of OT to actually seal the win, then I don't think things would have been a whole lot better. Had they went in and totally destroyed UCLA, built momentum and actually laid the smack down of Florida? Then, yes, it would have been massively different.

With that said, one thing I do not like about how the SEC does things, is how they do the season. In the Big Ten, you play all non conference games first and usually versus "creampuffs," THEN you play the conference. I hate how one of the toughest opponents of the year is the third game of the year every year. I think it kills momentum for the season if (and lately when) you lose. I think that is one of other factors to Fulmer's downfall, especially this year, is that any momentum the team has is killed in week 3, and if you've suffered a first game loss than your looking at an uphill battle at the very beginning of the season.
 
#19
#19
I also had high hopes for this season. I think we all did. I tried to stay with Clawson, but our offense is getting progressively worse, not better. No one could have expected our quarterback play to be this awful. Is 50% completion rate too much to ask?

Even if Fulmer was restricting Clawson's play calling, we're not getting any better at the plays he would let him run. For the first few weeks, a simple handoff was an impossible feat.
 
#21
#21
jt8137 said:
I also had high hopes for this season. I think we all did. I tried to stay with Clawson, but our offense is getting progressively worse, not better. No one could have expected our quarterback play to be this awful. Is 50% completion rate too much to ask?

Even if Fulmer was restricting Clawson's play calling, we're not getting any better at the plays he would let him run. For the first few weeks, a simple handoff was an impossible feat.
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if fulmer's not restricting clawson's play calling, he should be. hell, i'd let randy sanders do it via cell phone. seriously, this offense is terrible.
 
#22
#22
I always said that the UCLA game was pivotal in the development of the unproven QB Crompton, the new system, and the new OC. A win would have given them much needed confidence to go through the rough schedule that was to come. There is such a fragile difference between a good solid season and the debacle that has occurred to our beloved Vols! :glare:
 
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