Can't argue with anything you said. Dangit.Hey Vol fans, here are some of my thoughts... hope you appreciate my perspective and honesty. I hope none of this is perceived as gloating or grandstanding (heaven knows neither team is in a position to do so!).
Here are my thoughts....
1. Both programs are down right now, but I know this was an especially brutal way for Tenn fans to lose. As thrilled as I was to win, I can empathize with the pain you're all feeling. Just a gut-wrenching way to lose a ball game.
2. There's a lot of doom and gloom on this board, understandably so. But from an outsider's perspective, let me just say that Tennessee football will be back. Sports are cyclical and even the very best of programs have their down years. USC, Texas, Notre Dame, Michigan... and on and on. You have too much tradition and too strong of a fanbase and program to stay down forever. Stay loyal... it will be well the sweeter when you get it turned around.
3. I'm kicking myself for not attending this game. I consider your stadium and atmosphere as a top 5-10 in all of cfb, so I don't know why I didn't go. Stupid!
4. I realize you have a tough schedule (as always), so a bowl is unlikely at this point, but I genuinely hope you can improve throughout the year and at least make some noise in the SEC and cause some chaos.
I am predicting 7 wins for BYU. 2 upcoming tough games against USC and Washington, and then a bunch of games against underrated teams like Utah State, Boise State, etc.
5. Just my opinion, but I thought Tenn caught a lot of breaks in this game.
The sideline catch that went to replay and was overturned... how in the world did any official deem that "indisputably evidence" of a catch? Agree or disagree? I just hate the inconsistency of replay.
The 4th down tipped pass that was caught for a TD... that was a game-changer.
Lastly, late in the game, I though BYU got a terrible spot on a run that was marked a yard short of the first down... we then threw an incomplete ball on 3rd and 1 (why?!!) and ended up punting and squandering momentum.
Yeah, I realize I'm a homer, and you all can probably point out a lot of calls that went against Tenn, but I thought all 3 of these were HUGE breaks for Tenn.
6. The kicking from both teams in this game was really impressive. Your kicker is nails. Ours is a freshman and could be a great one.
7. For the first half, I thought your oline was dominant. In my opinion, our DL is the weakest part of our team... until teams try to attack the interior. We are loaded with 330 lb Poly run stuffers, but we severely lack lateral movement and pass rush. When Tenn failed on both 4th down attempts, I thought you were really playing to our strength by trying to attack the A gap. Off tackle gets you first down on both tries, IMO.
By the 4th quarter it seemed like we were starting to own the trenches on both sides of the ball, which honestly isn't a surprise to me. BYU is a big, physical team built a lot like Wisc and Stanford. We certainly don't have the skill athletes like Tenn, but we have some big, physical hogs.
8. From a BYU fan's perspective, this game was a "must win" kind of game. With USC and Washington coming up, we realized that a loss to Tenn would likely mean a painful 0-4 start for a program that is desperately trying to build.
Although we realize Tenn is struggling, we still recognize that any time you beat Tenn in their place it's a great win.
9. Man, I can feel the frustration of your head coach on that blown coverage. What in the world was that corner thinking? At the same time, I've seen enough alignment issues and mental mistakes by multiple players to conclude this is not a player problem but a coaching problem. The great coaches simply don't have these issues.
Will your HC survive the season?
10. Reports are trickling in on the incredible Southern hospitality your fanbase and community provided to our team and fans.
Thank you for doing cfb the right way, as opposed to Pac12 teams.
I genuinely hope many of you will come to Provo in 2023 and allow us to welcome you in return. We certainly don't tailgate like SEC fans do, but I promise a great game environment and the prettiest backdrop in cfb.
Here's to hoping both programs are back in the national spotlight when we meet up again.
Go cougs.
Go Vols.
God bless and have a great year the rest of the way.