Our Return Game (merged)

#26
#26
TennTradition said:
That may be true, but I don't know how to reconcile that with Eddie Gran's comments about making sure that our best players play special teams....
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Well maybe Creer sees special teams time, but there is no way that Oku (and I love Oku) sees more time at TB than Creer. Ok....... maybe it is SLIGHTLY possible, but very, very unlikely.
 
#27
#27
TennTradition said:
That may be true, but I don't know how to reconcile that with Eddie Gran's comments about making sure that our best players play special teams....
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Some of our best players could possibly be freshmen. We'll have a good mix of youth with the veterans.
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#28
#28
OHvol40 said:
I'm sorry, but Creer is the #1 RB next year and Oku will see the return/st action. Oku is an all purpose back (aka special teams beast, halfback, slot reciever) and Creer is a D1 tailback who has been in school for several years. It is gonna be Creer at RB and Oku at ST.
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I know it's a big if, but if Hardesty can stay healthy, he will be our #1 running back next year. I'm starting to think that the reason he gets hurt so much is because of his physical style of running. He just looks like a better back than Creer to me. Hardesty/Creer/Poole/Oku will all touch the ball next year. We have to remember that Oku is just a freshman. I get very excited when I watch his highlight tapes from high school but if i remember correctly, Creer scored a td on every highlight reel I saw of him in highschool. I remember thinking that he might have a chance to come in and start as a freshman. Then, I remembered that Phil was our coach and unless he was twice as good as Arian, he wasn't going to start. Once again, I think Hardesty will be our #1 back and could possibily see 1,000 yds if he stays healthy all year.
 
#30
#30
I wouldn't mind seeing Nuke or Oku given a shot to return kicks. I re-watched some of Oku's highlight films the other day, and I was amazed at how much vision this kid has. If he can stay healthy, he is going to be a playmaker for his entire time here.
 
#31
#31
I like the fact that Tennessee will be using first and second teamers on ST. This will make a huge difference regardless of who returns the kicks and punts.
 
#32
#32
Nothing is quite as scary to me as that instant when a punt is in the air and I know a freshman is about to try to field it.
 
#34
#34
GAVol said:
Nothing is quite as scary to me as that instant when a punt is in the air and I know a freshman is about to try to field it.
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When I see a playmaker back there I don't care what class he is I'm just glad when he gets the ball in his hands.
 
#37
#37
GAVol said:
The bolded portion above is the operative phrase.
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Yeah I know. My point is I'm as confident in a playmaking freshman as I would be with a solid senior. I just like having a gamebreaker back there. Feels good that we have options.
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#38
#38
seems like comparing guys fresh out of high school to those that've been playing a couple of years is like comparing apples to oranges. That's not to say I don't wanna see freshmen contributing as much as the next guy... I think thats been missing for far too long but I guess we'll all have a better idea of how these guys compare to one another after spring practice.
 
#39
#39
Orangeblood18 said:
seems like comparing guys fresh out of high school to those that've been playing a couple of years is like comparing apples to oranges. That's not to say I don't wanna see freshmen contributing as much as the next guy... I think thats been missing for far too long but I guess we'll all have a better idea of how these guys compare to one another after spring practice.
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You can look at certain guys and tell if they will be good in open field or what not.

I'm looking at these guys and thinking that 2 out of 6 will be as good as the press they have garnered.

Our best returner D.Rogan's best season returning was as a freshman. I don't have a problem with allowing a talented freshman (who may not make it on the field any other way) in his first year to play special teams. At least getting on the field and having a chance to make a play will do wonders for a young players confidence.

I think if Ahmad Paige is as fast as they say we should have allowed him to return some kicks or something last year.

But just settling for a solid return game stopped that. We need return men that can take it to the house everytime they touch it not just solid return guys. That era of solid return guys is over. We need to look at every return as a moment to change momentum in a game.
 
#42
#42
Lockdown1 said:
You better watch out when talking about a Rogers. You'll be punished for saying anything but that they're All-Americans.
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No, it's just ignorant to praise one freshman and completely diss another one when neither have touched the field.
 
#43
#43
bdarnell said:
No, it's just ignorant to praise one freshman and completely diss another one when neither have touched the field.
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Wow. I guess you don't like certain players more than others. Also guess that you don't have a dislike for one player on our team.
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#44
#44
Lockdown1 said:
Wow. I guess you don't like certain players more than others. Also guess that you don't have a dislike for one player on our team.
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That isn't germane to the argument.
You tell me the logic in saying James Green will be a good player and Zach Rogers will not when you've seen neither play a down for Tennessee.
 
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#45
#45
I'm rowing a lonely boat when it comes to this, I guess.

In my opinion, our special teams have been pretty lack-luster for the last several years (both retuning and covering kicks and punts). We saw some flashes last year in the punt return game at least.

But until the unit as a whole is at least opening up better lanes for the returners, I would not like to see our top talent in situations where there is a much greater risk of injury (basically any return situation).

Our lack of a special teams coach has been painfully obvious, and one of Fulmer's larger mistakes. Here's hoping Gran can get something going and give us a reason to put a play-maker in there. Until the team as a whole is even giving the guys much of an opportunity, I say just put in someone who can hold onto the ball.
 
#46
#46
bdarnell said:
That isn't germane to the argument.
You tell me the logic in saying James Green will be a good player and Zach Rogers will not when you've seen neither play a down for Tennessee.
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Who looks better against better competition on film?
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#47
#47
AirGibson said:
I'm rowing a lonely boat when it comes to this, I guess.

In my opinion, our special teams have been pretty lack-luster for the last several years (both retuning and covering kicks and punts). We saw some flashes last year in the punt return game at least.

But until the unit as a whole is at least opening up better lanes for the returners, I would not like to see our top talent in situations where there is a much greater risk of injury (basically any return situation).

Our lack of a special teams coach has been painfully obvious, and one of Fulmer's larger mistakes. Here's hoping Gran can get something going and give us a reason to put a play-maker in there. Until the team as a whole is even giving the guys much of an opportunity, I say just put in someone who can hold onto the ball.
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Are you serious? Do you watch the games? We have had creases but the right players don't have the ball in their hands. Faster players would break some of our returns for TDs but you may not have noticed that. Brandon James will make two and three people miss and then he's gone to the house. Our guy make guys miss but next thing we know they get tracked down with ease from behind. It's a team game but we had the wrong players returning kicks. Heck when Kenny O'neal was here they didn't even put him back there and he was a true burner.
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#48
#48
Lockdown1 said:
Who looks better against better competition on film?
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It isn't a discussion of who is better. It's the fact that you and many others claim that Zach Rogers is incapable of being successful at Tennessee when he has yet to play a down.
 
#49
#49
bdarnell said:
It isn't a discussion of who is better. It's the fact that you and many others claim that Zach Rogers is incapable of being successful at Tennessee when he has yet to play a down.
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So let's ask this. Is Rogers better than Paige, Moore, Jones? And is he better than Richardson, Teague, or Green? If the answer is no then he won't play here. Also what about the future studs at WR? Do you think he beats a guy like Ambles out if he comes here? What if we steal Keiwone Malone? Do you think he beats him out? Please answer these questions and don't dance around them with another question.
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#50
#50
Lockdown1 said:
So let's ask this. Is Rogers better than Paige, Moore, Jones? And is he better than Richardson, Teague, or Green? If the answer is no then he won't play here. Also what about the future studs at WR? Do you think he beats a guy like Ambles out if he comes here? What if we steal Keiwone Malone? Do you think he beats him out? Please answer these questions and don't dance around them with another question.
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I've just stated twice that it is impossible to judge who is better when they have yet to step on campus. After the 2007 class, people were drooling over O'Neal, Vinson, Jones, and Paige, claiming that they would make an immediate impact at reciever. Who impressed coaches the most and earned playing time? A three-star athlete named Denarius Moore. Catch my drift?
 
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