Shoop discusses 'most ready' freshman DL, other newcomers

[VolGee4]

"A lot of 3rd stringers" is a bit of a stretch...

Vandy Defense​

App State Defense

LaTroy Lewis played DT some at the end of the year. I remember it because I knew then that we were decimated. Mixon did not record a stat against Vandy, so I have no idea how much he played. That means, we were playing Phillips (260), Lewis (256), Kongbo (270), and maybe Mixon (260) in the rotation at DT.

I believe Shoop admitted this week that he was trying to run his normal defense. and he failed to make enough adjustments based on personnel.

 

[BeardedVol]

I think it mostly had to do with the interior defensive line and linebackers being decimated with injuries. Jonathan Kongbo is just not a DL. Tuttle and McKenzie were both hurt and O'Brien got kicked off the team. Reeves-Maybin basically didn't play at all and Kirkland Jr. missed a bunch of time. A former walk-on was the most consistent presence in the LB corps.

Yes, those position groups should have been deeper, and that's a knock on Butch, but if they were healthy, or suffered even half of the injuries they did, I think they would have been a lot better. Like someone else in the thread said the extent of the injuries we had would have decimated any time with the exception of perhaps Alabama.

We struggled on defense even before the injuries started piling up. They just exacerbated the problems that were showing up as early as App State.

 

[05_never_again]

We struggled on defense even before the injuries started piling up. They just exacerbated the problems that were showing up as early as App State.

Yeah, pass defense though. Our DBs never turned around all year. But it got especially bad once our interior d-line went down. That was how Mizzou, Kentucky, and Vandy were able to run all over us.

 

[KBVol]

So you're saying it's not ok to complain about giving up 600 yds to Vandy unless you can provide your own defensive game plan?
I'll have to disagree with that. That was an embarrassment for TN football

608 to Vandy.....
740 to Missouri....
635 to Kentucky....


But no, you can't complain you big negavol meanie you.

And yes, you big meanie so and so, we don't care that Shoop makes over $1mm per year to run the defense and you don't make a dime....if you cannot tell just exactly how you would do something different or better than Bob Shoop did last year, when all he had were walkons and Highschool sophomores playing for him all year long, you cannot complain, you big meanie face you.

 

[BeardedVol]

Yeah, pass defense though. Our DBs never turned around all year. But it got especially bad once our interior d-line went down. That was how Mizzou, Kentucky, and Vandy were able to run all over us.

Even healthy we weren't stopping the run though. App State had 184 rushing yards on us, and Virginia Tech had 186. The injuries don't account for the poor dline play early in the season, they just made it worse.

 

[KBVol]

Yeah, pass defense though. Our DBs never turned around all year. But it got especially bad once our interior d-line went down. That was how Mizzou, Kentucky, and Vandy were able to run all over us.

Injuries to DL hurt late for sure. But those weren't only games we were hurt badly in the running game....before the injuries:

TAM had 353 yards rushing, including 217 to freshman Trayveon Williams

Bama had 409 yards....not 209 or 309....409

SCar True freshman Rico Dowdle had 127 yards

 

[FLVOL_79]

“When he introduced himself to the team the other day, he said, ‘My name is Matt Butler. I can play anywhere on the D-line,’” Shoop said. “And the guys kind of busted his chops, but that’s his mindset. That’s how he is. He’s really a great kid.”

Looking at this recent pic, he appears to have the upper body of a DE and the legs of a strong safety. He'll get there but it may not be this year; fantastic prospect who may've been the most underrated DL around.

He must work out.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Yes, u are right. But, even u have to admit DKjr and Cam were not the same guys, health-wise, as they were for the App. St. game.

Gaulden, Foreman and Abernathy were far from healthy too.

 

[KBVol]

Gaulden, Foreman and Abernathy were far from healthy too.

Gaulden played in all 13 games, Abernathy 12. Only Foreman, who played in 9 games iirc struggled a good bit with injuries last year.

 

[08Vol]

Someone should have let the Vandy DLine know that they weren't big enough clog the middle of the line, and maybe we'd have scored more than 3 points in the second half.hmy:

I get what you are saying, and against some of our other opponents in 2016, it's very much true, it's just not against the Vandy offense. It was a bad case of the opposing coach making half time adjustments, and outcoaching the crap out of ours; and given the talent disparity between the two, just shouldn't have occurred.

True we only scored 3 in the 2nd half but don't forget Dobbs fumbled one drive past midfield, Medley missed a kick in his range, and our last drive ended on downs inside the 20 instead of a FG. That's 9 to 13 points the offense left on the field that had nothing to do with play calling or coaching

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

Straightforward but wrong. Remember last year when he said, "no one will run on us".
So far he has not been able to back up his words.

So is he just supposed to not speak in interviews? lol he's one of best coaches on the staff when it comes to conducting his interviews in a professional manner and not being frank with the media

 

[JacketVol]

Yes, u are right. But, even u have to admit DKjr and Cam were not the same guys, health-wise, as they were for the App. St. game.

look at the DT's. That was the big issue.

 

[JacketVol]

DT is a rotational position, there are starters but the 4 listed play a lot of snaps. Week one Vickers was our smallest DT at 295 and only DT under 300 lbs. By Vandy he was our heaviest DT, smallest being 259 lbs. That is a huge difference. Those guys weren't large enough to clog the middle of the line so LBs had to play up to try and stop the run. This means safeties were responsible for the middle of the field and also helping on running plays. This puts corners on an island. This is hard for a lot of fans to understand who have never coached or played the game.

It's also hard for idiots who have never played or coached to understand this fairly simple concept you have posted. Will not be able to convince them either because they love being miserable.

 

[Power T-Rev]

DT is a rotational position, there are starters but the 4 listed play a lot of snaps. Week one Vickers was our smallest DT at 295 and only DT under 300 lbs. By Vandy he was our heaviest DT, smallest being 259 lbs. That is a huge difference. Those guys weren't large enough to clog the middle of the line so LBs had to play up to try and stop the run. This means safeties were responsible for the middle of the field and also helping on running plays. This puts corners on an island. This is hard for a lot of fans to understand who have never coached or played the game.

It's refreshing to read a coherent and factual post for once. You hit the nail on the head

 

[orangebloodgmc]

DT is a rotational position, there are starters but the 4 listed play a lot of snaps. Week one Vickers was our smallest DT at 295 and only DT under 300 lbs. By Vandy he was our heaviest DT, smallest being 259 lbs. That is a huge difference. Those guys weren't large enough to clog the middle of the line so LBs had to play up to try and stop the run. This means safeties were responsible for the middle of the field and also helping on running plays. This puts corners on an island. This is hard for a lot of fans to understand who have never coached or played the game.

Good post, sir. :hi:

Butch recently said that McK and Vickers are good to go now. Those two, along with A.Johnson, the latest version of Picou, Bain, and Butler if needed, puts us in much better shape at DT. And we will be glad to see Tuttle in there, whenever he is ready.