It's hard to tell how Chavis would have done here without top shelf defensive talent to work with. I don't think he was ever a great recruiter but could be wrong. Those 90s UT defenses and later defenses at LSU were stacked from top to bottom. I think he benefited a lot from the talent others went out and recruited. It allowed him to be conservative and predictable.
I think that is why there is such excitement with Shoop. Here's a guy that has a proven track record of making it work everywhere he's been despite the talent. He's a wildcard risk taker that throws all sorts of different stuff at offenses. Doing that with the talent available to him now is a recipe for something spectacular. I have a feeling we will see many amazing defensive calls that make opposing offenses look ridiculous, but along the line it will be marred by a few random big plays given up. Just the nature of being a risk taking, in your face, blitzing defense. On balance though, this has the makings for an epic defensive year.
We Vols fans (including myself) are the biggest critics when it comes to our coaching staff. Chief was a great DC, but yes, he did play conservative at times. Sometimes it worked out some times it didn't! I still to this day cringe at the thoughts of a David Green led UGA team, that easily went down the field to beat us in our house on the last play of the game, right after we just went ahead.
Conservative or Aggressive are both a gamble and it is the DC's JOB to make the right gamble. I just hope Shoop's luck is on our side! All the pieces are set in place! The game plan just needs to put it all together. GBO
*****ing about 3rd and Chavis exposes you for the lack of knowledge you have in football. You think they pay him millions of dollars, and by that I mean multiple high profile sec teams, bc of bad play calling? The call was fine. Every DC plays prevent defense. We got burned on several. You remember them so well bc when playing prevent you are playing from a position of strength. If you have bad judgement on 3rd down play calling you won't last long as a DC at a major program let alone 3 of them.
I'll ask all on the thread. Name me one coach or team who doesn't have or use a prevent. Bama does, tOSU does, as well as Clemson and FSU. Every team in the NFL do as well and yes the Patriots absolutely use the prevent as well. Uneducated (about the game) fans cry and scream and think prevent doesn't work. But the #'s say it works and therefore all coaches us it.
Idiot fans only remember the relatively few times it doesn't work.
I dont care what level of football you play or coach at, with a minute or so on the clock leading by a score or less, you simply cannot leave a decent QB the ability to roll out at his leisure and complete outs at 7 yards undefended. You get beat most of the time when do, you expect the other team to beat themselves, and good teams will not do that, they will beat you given the opportunity.
Mrs. Chavis,
Chief could beat the Vanderbilts and UT Martins of the world with that D but when GA, FL, Maryland, Penn State, Nebraska, and LSU came to play he panicked. They could drive down the field at will. It's not the prevent that was bad. Just the implementation.