OneManGang
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Tennessee vs The Maxims vs LSU
History is replete with stories of small groups defeating much larger forces. Upon further review, the careful historian notes that in virtually all those cases the larger force had some glaring error or weakness that could be exploited and that in any event the success of the weaker force was generally a very near-run thing.
The Vols limped into Saturday's game with LSU as everybody's underdog. They had heart and desire but little else. Their fundamental problem was that LSU has few, if any weaknesses as a football team. Head Tiger Les Miles has done an outstanding job of assembling talented players and a very good coaching staff to produce one of the two or three best college football teams in the land. Yes, the Tigers are cocky and more than a bit “mouthy” but they back it up with their performance on the field.
It was analogous to the Petersburg Campaign in the American Civil War which lasted from June of 1864 until the end of the war. After the Wilderness Campaign during which Lee's Army of Northern Virginia fought off Union attack after Union attack only to be forced out of position as Grant “sidled” his forces to Lee's right, the two armies finally squared off outside the small village of Petersburg about twenty-five miles or so south and east of Richmond. Lee's Confederates fought Grant to a standstill and the Union needed breathing space to bring up replacements and fresh supplies. A grim siege began. Active operations ceased when the weather turned bad in the Fall of 1864 and a sort of “halftime” ensued where Johnny Reb and Billy Yank spent more energy battling the elements than each other.
Come the Spring of 1865, though, as the weather improved the handwriting was on the wall. Grant's host now outnumbered Lee's tatterdemalion corps by nearly five to one. Eventually, the Union moved around Lee's right once again. This time it was too much. The Army of Northern Virginia went into full retreat only stopping now and again to offer rear-guard actions which are known only to close students of the war. The Union Army was too strong. It's ranks filled with veterans who knew their trade and staffed by seasoned officers who knew how to get the most out of their men. Lee, on the other hand, was missing too many veterans left on other fields and his officer corps was down to second and third team players. For example, “Stonewall” Jackson's old Corps, now down to roughly the strength of a single division, was led by the capable John B. Gordon but then Gordon had been an attorney before the war and had enlisted as a Private.
Finally, the Grey Fox was brought to bay and surrendered to Grant in Wilmer McClean's parlor in an out-of-the-way hamlet called Appomatox Courthouse.
The Tennessee Volunteers stood toe-to-toe with the mighty LSU Tigers for the first half Saturday. However, Head Vol Derek Dooley's larder is simply too barren for them to have done much more. LSU's victory was complete and total. The Vols never surrendered, God bless 'em, but by the beginning of the fourth quarter at Neyland Stadium Saturday surrender would have been a redundancy.
I like to think of these 2011 Volunteers the same way I think of the teams of the late 1970s. They suffered many defeats, scored few victories, but they never surrendered and greybeards like myself still regard them with respect and affection. Their trials and travails made that magic night in Tempe, now some thirteen seasons ago, that much sweeter.
So, how did the team do against the Maxims?
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
Tennessee needed to play error-free football to have had a chance. They didn't. Matt Simms never seemed to be quite on the same page with his receivers and threw a pair of catastrophic interceptions. Those two errors alone, when combined with LSU's talent ond offensive firepower, sealed the deal for the Tigers.
2. Play for and make the breaks. When one comes your way … SCORE!
Tennessee had one successful scoring drive. That's it, that's all. Simms' two interceptions discussed earlier snuffed out promising drives that could have kept the Vols in the game longer, but it seems unlikely they would have affected the overall outcome.
3. If at first the game – or the breaks – go against you, don’t let up … PUT ON MORE STEAM!
LSU followed this Maxim to the letter. They were patient. They knew they had the weapons and when the time came, they employed them with devastating effect.
4. Protect our kickers, our quarterback, our lead and our ballgame.
Tennessee's heretofore much-maligned offensive line turned in a very good performance Saturday. That being said, the ballgame was never really in doubt and there was no lead to protect.
5. Ball! Oskie! Cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle … THIS IS THE WINNING EDGE.
It was pleasing to see what Tennessee's offensive line could do when they were actually freed up to do some run-blocking. It causes me to wonder if perhaps we might have done a bit more? Simms really needed to settle in and make some “safe” throws and get used to being the “man” again before he started heaving the ball down the field.
6. Press the kicking game, here is where the breaks are made.
Michael Palardy still seems determined to prove that field goal and extra point attempts need only be about seven feet in the air over the line of scrimmage. He is still wrong. On the bright side, Devrin Young is emerging as a dandy return man.
7. Carry the fight to LSU and keep it there for sixty minutes.
More like thirty on Saturday, but, as outlined above, that was about all the Vol fans could realistically hope for. Better days are ahead.
So there.
Yet another defeat by a superior team goes into the books. Tennessee fought well within the limits of their talent and skill. It wasn't enough.
As was noted last week, “God is on the side of the big battalions.” Wishing it otherwise won't change that.
MAXOMG
History is replete with stories of small groups defeating much larger forces. Upon further review, the careful historian notes that in virtually all those cases the larger force had some glaring error or weakness that could be exploited and that in any event the success of the weaker force was generally a very near-run thing.
The Vols limped into Saturday's game with LSU as everybody's underdog. They had heart and desire but little else. Their fundamental problem was that LSU has few, if any weaknesses as a football team. Head Tiger Les Miles has done an outstanding job of assembling talented players and a very good coaching staff to produce one of the two or three best college football teams in the land. Yes, the Tigers are cocky and more than a bit “mouthy” but they back it up with their performance on the field.
It was analogous to the Petersburg Campaign in the American Civil War which lasted from June of 1864 until the end of the war. After the Wilderness Campaign during which Lee's Army of Northern Virginia fought off Union attack after Union attack only to be forced out of position as Grant “sidled” his forces to Lee's right, the two armies finally squared off outside the small village of Petersburg about twenty-five miles or so south and east of Richmond. Lee's Confederates fought Grant to a standstill and the Union needed breathing space to bring up replacements and fresh supplies. A grim siege began. Active operations ceased when the weather turned bad in the Fall of 1864 and a sort of “halftime” ensued where Johnny Reb and Billy Yank spent more energy battling the elements than each other.
Come the Spring of 1865, though, as the weather improved the handwriting was on the wall. Grant's host now outnumbered Lee's tatterdemalion corps by nearly five to one. Eventually, the Union moved around Lee's right once again. This time it was too much. The Army of Northern Virginia went into full retreat only stopping now and again to offer rear-guard actions which are known only to close students of the war. The Union Army was too strong. It's ranks filled with veterans who knew their trade and staffed by seasoned officers who knew how to get the most out of their men. Lee, on the other hand, was missing too many veterans left on other fields and his officer corps was down to second and third team players. For example, “Stonewall” Jackson's old Corps, now down to roughly the strength of a single division, was led by the capable John B. Gordon but then Gordon had been an attorney before the war and had enlisted as a Private.
Finally, the Grey Fox was brought to bay and surrendered to Grant in Wilmer McClean's parlor in an out-of-the-way hamlet called Appomatox Courthouse.
The Tennessee Volunteers stood toe-to-toe with the mighty LSU Tigers for the first half Saturday. However, Head Vol Derek Dooley's larder is simply too barren for them to have done much more. LSU's victory was complete and total. The Vols never surrendered, God bless 'em, but by the beginning of the fourth quarter at Neyland Stadium Saturday surrender would have been a redundancy.
I like to think of these 2011 Volunteers the same way I think of the teams of the late 1970s. They suffered many defeats, scored few victories, but they never surrendered and greybeards like myself still regard them with respect and affection. Their trials and travails made that magic night in Tempe, now some thirteen seasons ago, that much sweeter.
So, how did the team do against the Maxims?
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
Tennessee needed to play error-free football to have had a chance. They didn't. Matt Simms never seemed to be quite on the same page with his receivers and threw a pair of catastrophic interceptions. Those two errors alone, when combined with LSU's talent ond offensive firepower, sealed the deal for the Tigers.
2. Play for and make the breaks. When one comes your way … SCORE!
Tennessee had one successful scoring drive. That's it, that's all. Simms' two interceptions discussed earlier snuffed out promising drives that could have kept the Vols in the game longer, but it seems unlikely they would have affected the overall outcome.
3. If at first the game – or the breaks – go against you, don’t let up … PUT ON MORE STEAM!
LSU followed this Maxim to the letter. They were patient. They knew they had the weapons and when the time came, they employed them with devastating effect.
4. Protect our kickers, our quarterback, our lead and our ballgame.
Tennessee's heretofore much-maligned offensive line turned in a very good performance Saturday. That being said, the ballgame was never really in doubt and there was no lead to protect.
5. Ball! Oskie! Cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle … THIS IS THE WINNING EDGE.
It was pleasing to see what Tennessee's offensive line could do when they were actually freed up to do some run-blocking. It causes me to wonder if perhaps we might have done a bit more? Simms really needed to settle in and make some “safe” throws and get used to being the “man” again before he started heaving the ball down the field.
6. Press the kicking game, here is where the breaks are made.
Michael Palardy still seems determined to prove that field goal and extra point attempts need only be about seven feet in the air over the line of scrimmage. He is still wrong. On the bright side, Devrin Young is emerging as a dandy return man.
7. Carry the fight to LSU and keep it there for sixty minutes.
More like thirty on Saturday, but, as outlined above, that was about all the Vol fans could realistically hope for. Better days are ahead.
So there.
Yet another defeat by a superior team goes into the books. Tennessee fought well within the limits of their talent and skill. It wasn't enough.
As was noted last week, “God is on the side of the big battalions.” Wishing it otherwise won't change that.
MAXOMG
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