Struggles

#1

LWSVOL

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#1
You will struggle in games with very good teams especially on the road when you are playing with these facts.

Replacing starters at QB, RB, 4 of 5 OL, 2 WRs, 3 DLs, 2 CBs and 1 Safety you will experience growing pains and inconsistent execution. Even when some are portal players they have to gain experience. That's a lot of replacing.

Factor that in with this data. Its ok to blame officiating from game to game or play to play. But the head football coach owns this data. It shows lack of discipline and contributes to losing to good football teams. Hard to compete.

Heupel coached team penalties per game and national rank

UCF:
2018- 7.2 (101)
2019- 8.7 (125)
2020- 9.2 (123)

Tennessee:
2021- 7.2 (102)
2022- 7.7 (121)
2023- 7.5 (127)
2024- 8.3 (128)
2025- 8.0 (119)

Difficult to win big games with these facts.
 
#3
#3
Officiating comes in bad spots, whether it's a crucial penalty (or non-penalty) or a bad spot or booth review. Sometimes they change the game.
But to your point, it feels that Heupel has allowed/overlooked his teams sloppiness in practice because he thinks he can outscheme teams to victory. Maybe you can get away with it in G5 or with top 3 talent.
 
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#4
#4
Please don’t try to justify. Last nights performance was abysmal. We do not improve at all! Offense is good enough to win, defense is pathetic and has been for7 games now. Give Deboer credit - his team has improved every week. Have we ?
 
#5
#5
You will struggle in games with very good teams especially on the road when you are playing with these facts.

Replacing starters at QB, RB, 4 of 5 OL, 2 WRs, 3 DLs, 2 CBs and 1 Safety you will experience growing pains and inconsistent execution. Even when some are portal players they have to gain experience. That's a lot of replacing.

Factor that in with this data. Its ok to blame officiating from game to game or play to play. But the head football coach owns this data. It shows lack of discipline and contributes to losing to good football teams. Hard to compete.

Heupel coached team penalties per game and national rank

UCF:
2018- 7.2 (101)
2019- 8.7 (125)
2020- 9.2 (123)

Tennessee:
2021- 7.2 (102)
2022- 7.7 (121)
2023- 7.5 (127)
2024- 8.3 (128)
2025- 8.0 (119)

Difficult to win big games with these facts.
Agree but the problem remains from separating the undisciplined mistakes that cause penalties to those that are "given to us"...absolutely it's on CJH on the false starts, defensive pass interferences etc.

But i also believe that SEC refs for whatever reason (I believe it's because they hate moving so fast and the extra point fake injury thing) will simply not give us a fair whistle even at home...are we losing because of these refs? NOT AT ALL, the coaches and players need to take responsibility for their mistakes.

When you look at last night for example, two "unusual" calls on Staley which stunted two drives and caused the safety issue...a "false start" where a defensive player invades the neutral zone called on us the other way earlier in the game, is a frustrating thing as well. We simply (especially with holding and pass interference calls) DO NOT get the benefit of the doubt as other teams (esp UGA and Bama do)...

There is no way Bama has went 3 straight home games vs Tennessee without a holding penalty...

SO how much is refs not liking/respecting CJH versus ACTUAL undisciplined play? It's worth a look
 
#6
#6
OP, this is year five. If he doesn’t have the studs and depth along with the culture of discipline (penalties), he may not get there. Theoretically, we are in the same boat as everyone else. What I mean is, CJH has had time to build up the program to be on equal footing as everyone else because everyone else has the same opportunities as we do with the same resources available that we do.
 
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#7
#7
Agreed. The penalties are just an outcome of poor discipline. How does he fix this? Track record for 8 years says he won’t. Boggles the
No reason for an undisciplined team!
That’s a reflection of the coaches tolerance and ability to communicate how it’s done correctly and consistently.
No excuse for it, period.
 
#8
#8
Please don’t try to justify. Last nights performance was abysmal. We do not improve at all! Offense is good enough to win, defense is pathetic and has been for7 games now. Give Deboer credit - his team has improved every week. Have we ?
Hype putting us in the huddle was a dumb coaching move. He continues to poorly manage the clock, can’t control penalties and has no idea when we play fast and NO huddle we perform better.
 
#10
#10
Half the time we get a 2nd or 3rd and short we try to hurry and get a penalty or allow penetration as they crash the Los.
Where are the “analysts” we employ who should have this stuff in reports by this morning showing how coaching decisions put us in positions to make mistakes. No need to rush. Act like you’ve had 3rd and 2 before. Oops nm 3rd and 7.
 
#11
#11
OP, this is year five. If he doesn’t have the studs and depth along with the culture of discipline (penalties), he may not get there. Theoretically, we are in the same boat as everyone else. What I mean is, CJH has had time to build up the program to be on equal footing as everyone else because everyone else has the same opportunities as we do with the same resources available that we do.
Except that we have been and are still on probation because of Pruitt. That plays a factor in recruiting still.
 
#13
#13
Agree but the problem remains from separating the undisciplined mistakes that cause penalties to those that are "given to us"...absolutely it's on CJH on the false starts, defensive pass interferences etc.

But i also believe that SEC refs for whatever reason (I believe it's because they hate moving so fast and the extra point fake injury thing) will simply not give us a fair whistle even at home...are we losing because of these refs? NOT AT ALL, the coaches and players need to take responsibility for their mistakes.

When you look at last night for example, two "unusual" calls on Staley which stunted two drives and caused the safety issue...a "false start" where a defensive player invades the neutral zone called on us the other way earlier in the game, is a frustrating thing as well. We simply (especially with holding and pass interference calls) DO NOT get the benefit of the doubt as other teams (esp UGA and Bama do)...

There is no way Bama has went 3 straight home games vs Tennessee without a holding penalty...

SO how much is refs not liking/respecting CJH versus ACTUAL undisciplined play? It's worth a look
You are correct and Tony Basilio mentioned this earlier in the week on his talk show. Not sure what Heupel did but we are not getting favorable calls in officiating. That offensive pass interference call on Staley early in the game was absolutely ridiculous and a drive killer.
 
#17
#17
OP, this is year five. If he doesn’t have the studs and depth along with the culture of discipline (penalties), he may not get there. Theoretically, we are in the same boat as everyone else. What I mean is, CJH has had time to build up the program to be on equal footing as everyone else because everyone else has the same opportunities as we do with the same resources available that we do.
The top teams, such as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State have had a long history of getting top recruits, so Tennessee is not on equal footing with the more well known teams. Heupel is getting there, but with the probation, he has to be extremely picky about who he brings in. It isn't so cut and dried.
 
#20
#20
woeeeee is ussssssss

Please don't beat us New Mexico State.....Kentucky.....free rooms in Birmingham for that bowl game......... 😂 :eek:
Sorry I forgot. I know better than to argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, and beat you on experience. Congrats you win
 
#21
#21
You will struggle in games with very good teams especially on the road when you are playing with these facts.

Replacing starters at QB, RB, 4 of 5 OL, 2 WRs, 3 DLs, 2 CBs and 1 Safety you will experience growing pains and inconsistent execution. Even when some are portal players they have to gain experience. That's a lot of replacing.

Factor that in with this data. Its ok to blame officiating from game to game or play to play. But the head football coach owns this data. It shows lack of discipline and contributes to losing to good football teams. Hard to compete.

Heupel coached team penalties per game and national rank

UCF:
2018- 7.2 (101)
2019- 8.7 (125)
2020- 9.2 (123)

Tennessee:
2021- 7.2 (102)
2022- 7.7 (121)
2023- 7.5 (127)
2024- 8.3 (128)
2025- 8.0 (119)

Difficult to win big games with these facts.

Yep. I'm not disappointed that Tennessee lost. I'm disappointed in how Tennessee lost.
 
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