Quarterback choice during 2nd half of UT vs ND gam

#1
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spaceman

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#1
We all witnessed a very embarrassing defeat to Notre Dame this past weekend, but I think something even worse took place after the first half of the game. For some reason the UT Vols coaching staff, namely Randy Sanders, decided to go with Rick Clausen as QB for the entire second half of the game. My anger arises from that fact that there is an even more DESERVING backup QB than Clausen and he wasn't chosen. James Robert Cooter, better known as Jim Bob Cooter, is a walk-on player who is born and raised in Tennessee, played high school football in Tennessee, and knows what it means to be a UT Vol fan. Rick Clausen, on the other hand, is a native of California, went to go play with one of our rivals, LSU, and now comes here to UT because of his big brother Casey, which in my honest opinion wasn't all that great anyway. So please tell me what's wrong with this picture. According to a quote from utsports.com, "Coaching staff confident he can make right decisions in game situations" and in addition, Randy Sanders says "Jim Bob is one of the smartest people I've ever been around in my life. He's not going to make mistakes...". If Randy Sanders is so confident that Jim Bob wouldn't make any mistakes and the coaching staff is confident in his decision making, why wasn't he given a chance to prove it. He couldn't have been ANY worse than Rick Clausen was on Saturday in which he threw an interception that lost us the game might I remind you. So on behalf of all the Jim Bob fans out there, I ask Randy Sanders and the UT Vols coaching staff to consider playing James Robert Cooter at least half the time along side of Rick Clausen in the remaining games of the season.
 
#2
#2
Why Causen? No brainer, ther best of the remaing 3 QBs at this point in time. No anti-Vol conspiracy...and yes, I'd love to see the Cooterman take some snaps and be successful. On the interception, seems like Ainge, Schaeffer and even the Idol PM hisself have thrown a few. Just poor judgement by a QB that was 3rd string, behind 2 freshmen, that had little if any PT. We gotta get over that INT, man that's life.
 
#4
#4
I was there at the game and from what I seen Clausen did as good as anyone could expect. Notre Dames defense was all over Ainge in the first half. Clausen played well seeing that he had not played all year, expect for the one blunder, but that could have happened to Ainge also. I am proud of what this young team has accomplished this year, I never expected to see us with only 1 loss in the SEC.
 
#5
#5
Originally posted by spaceman@Nov 7, 2004 10:10 AM
We all witnessed a very embarrassing defeat to Notre Dame this past weekend, but I think something even worse took place after the first half of the game.  For some reason the UT Vols coaching staff, namely Randy Sanders, decided to go with Rick Clausen as QB for the entire second half of the game.  My anger arises from that fact that there is an even more DESERVING backup QB than Clausen and he wasn't chosen.  James Robert Cooter, better known as Jim Bob Cooter, is a walk-on player who is born and raised in Tennessee, played high school football in Tennessee, and knows what it means to be a UT Vol fan.  Rick Clausen, on the other hand, is a native of California, went to go play with one of our rivals, LSU, and now comes here to UT because of his big brother Casey, which in my honest opinion wasn't all that great anyway.  So please tell me what's wrong with this picture.  According to a quote from utsports.com, "Coaching staff confident he can make right decisions in game situations" and in addition, Randy Sanders says "Jim Bob is one of the smartest people I've ever been around in my life. He's not going to make mistakes...".  If Randy Sanders is so confident that Jim Bob wouldn't make any mistakes and the coaching staff is confident in his decision making, why wasn't he given a chance to prove it.  He couldn't have been ANY worse than Rick Clausen was on Saturday in which he threw an interception that lost us the game might I remind you.  So on behalf of all the Jim Bob fans out there, I ask Randy Sanders and the UT Vols coaching staff to consider playing James Robert Cooter at least half the time along side of Rick Clausen in the remaining games of the season.
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Umm, Casey is second in total yardage and touchdowns only to Peyton. And 8th all time passing in the SEC. And thats not an opinion. To somehow suggest that Rick isn't worthy is absurd. He's OBVIOUSLY shown something to the coaches in practice, so unless you practice with them - I can't see how your qualified to to make the assumption that Rick isn't the # 3 guy right now.

On a side note, Cooterman wasn't even acknowledged as a potential QB whereas they did mention Leak, Clausen and Bo Hardegree. Oversight?

Cite thine sources
 
#7
#7
I'd love to see Jim Bob in the game, but only if he is the best guy for the job. I think he's not even the next guy in line. I think they have the Hardegree kid next on the depth chart before Jim Bob.

I think Clausen will be alright and we could even beat Auburn with him.
 
#9
#9
Clausen knows the system, his job has been relaying plays to the QBs. We have two weeks to get him ready. I predict that about 34,563 snaps will be sent his way over these next two weeks. He will be ready and we will see more of the good we saw this Saturday. This is a rebuilding year, we just didn't think we would have to rebuild after every game!



:crap: <---- stil is cracking me up.
 
#10
#10
To all you Vol "morons" posting to this thread and bashing me about what I said. You OBVIOUSLY didn&#39;t read what I said. I was merely stating that they didn&#39;t even give Jim Bob a chance to see what he could do. And I really don&#39;t give a crap about Clausen or his big brother&#39;s stats. My opinion of him and his family is one of a very widespread opinion among the UT campus about them. Noone really likes them or cares for them to be on our team. So YOU go get a clue and actually READ next time.
 
#12
#12
Originally posted by spaceman@Nov 8, 2004 7:57 AM
I was merely stating that they didn&#39;t even give Jim Bob a chance to see what he could do.
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So...you wanted to see a 5th string walk-on QB with no game experience get an audition in a close game against Notre Dame?&#33;?&#33;? :blink:

Here&#39;s a novel idea - Do you think that maybe, just maybe - the coaches base their depth chart on what they&#39;ve seen in practice?? :withstupid:

Sincerely,
One of the Vol Morons :withstupid:
 
#13
#13
What&#39;s not to like about the Clausen&#39;s. They are competitors. They work hard. Rick didn&#39;t sit on the back row of the bench like other QB&#39;s that didn&#39;t get the nod in front of Freshmen. He stayed in the game. He works with the Freshmen on the sidelines. He&#39;s a model backup with a model attitude and work ethic. I&#39;m looking forward to seeing if the youngest of the trio still comes here as he said he would. He&#39;s supposed to be the best of the 3 brothers. Vol fans as a whole gripe way too much for what they have to cheer about. Some of us apparently weren&#39;t around in the Bluebonnet Bowl days. With the competition rising steadily in the conference, any season with 3 or less losses, especially if playing in the SEC title game would be more than respectable. You can&#39;t be NC&#39;s or SEC champs every single year. With all the little quirks that have gone on this year with on/off performance, we&#39;ve stayed in contention. A close loss to ND is not embarrassing. They beat Mich. They, like us, are apparently better than their record or expectations. Getting routed by Auburn twice in one season would be embarrassing, and probably likely to happen. Who has really took it to them this year. We just need to quit griping. We complained about having to play a one loss Maryland team in the Peach Bowl when our record was beneath them. Got plastered. Complained about having to play lowly Clemson in the Peach Bowl. Got plastered. If we come out of the SEC at 9-3 and the Peach Bowl is our best bet, and they actually invite us back after our lackluster performance there twice, and our even more depressing fan support there twice, maybe we shouldn&#39;t complain about our opponents any more. On any given day, one will win and one will lose. That&#39;s why they are played.
 
#14
#14
Hardegree is better than Cooter. Most unknowledgable fans don&#39;t like the Clausen&#39;s and alot are frat boys.
 
#15
#15
The main reason that Clausen was in there is because he knows the system maybe better than any other qb on the team, and he has taken more snaps in practice of the guys that remain.

Basically, we had no choice.
 
#16
#16
Clausen was 10-for-18 for 120 yards and 1 interception .... with no game preparation with the 1st team unit. Give the kid a break. I didn&#39;t even expect the offense to score the 3 points they did score. However, I did have hope when the Clausen made it look easy and passed for 8, 22, and 10 yards to move the Vols down to the ND 37 yard line with a little over 4 minutes remaining in the game. Then 2 sacks knocked the Vols back to the 50.... which pretty much ended the game. Had the running back been able to pick up the blitz.... us fans might be talking differently today. but.... if "ifs and buts were candy and nut, we&#39;d all have a Merry Christmas."
 
#17
#17
Tought to put the blame solely on the rb on that one...from what I could tell, the plays were called for the back to go out in the flat on the opposite side of the line, there.

Bottom line is that no one bothered to look and see where the blitz was coming from, whether it be the rb, line, or qb. And it was painfully obvious what they were going to do, also.
 
#18
#18
Those sacks were created by a perfect storm: poor o-line play, poor blitz pick up and an inexperienced QB not changing the protection.
 
#19
#19
Earth: "Earth to spaceman"

Earth: "Earth to spaceman"

Spaceman: "Go ahead Earth"

Earth: "Your a moron..."


sitinthecorner.jpg
 
#20
#20
Originally posted by GAVol@Nov 8, 2004 1:32 PM
Those sacks were created by a perfect storm: poor o-line play, poor blitz pick up and an inexperienced QB not changing the protection.
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Definitely. On one of those, there were free guys coming from each side of the line. How&#39;s the RB supposed to be two places at once?
 
#21
#21
Of course, it&#39;s easy to see a delayed blitz after the ball is snapped. LOL

Things is, after the first few times they did it, you&#39;d think someone would see and try to make an adjustment, whether it be the play called, or just telling the qb to check off to a max protect...something, anything, but what actually happened.
 
#22
#22
Originally posted by orangetd88@Nov 8, 2004 12:30 PM
The main reason that Clausen was in there is because he knows the system maybe better than any other qb on the team, and he has taken more snaps in practice of the guys that remain.

Basically, we had no choice.
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One surprising thing to me (albeit in retrospect) is that C.J. was not moved back to offense last week, knowing that Brent was out for the season. Unless Rick really impressed the coaching staff, it&#39;s tough to imagine us not prepping a new backup. On that note, it should seem obvious that Clausen was the only one ready to play, as one of you pointed out -- did you really want to see someone with NO game experience come in while we are down, at home, to Notre Dame? Imaging the posts that would be plastered all over this board if that had happened and we had lost. There&#39;d be "Fire Phil" and "Sanders Sucks" signs all over town this week.

&#39;Course, after Fulmer&#39;s lame report in the Tennesseean this morning, that may still be the case.

Oh, and FOR GOD&#39;S SAKE, if anyone else wants to bash Casey, please visit www.tidefans.com or www.gatorsports.com, or better yet, JUST SHUT UP&#33;
 
#23
#23
Oh, and OTD88, thanks for keeping your sig up, that&#39;s about the first thing Orange that&#39;s brightened my spirits all day&#33;

:D
 
#24
#24
Originally posted by kiddiedoc@Nov 8, 2004 2:52 PM
Oh, and OTD88, thanks for keeping your sig up, that&#39;s about the first thing Orange that&#39;s brightened my spirits all day&#33;

:D
Click to expand...

AMEN&#33; :D :lol:
 
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