To Everyone Worried About Our Slow Starts

#1

VolinDalton

You'll Be Smitten
Joined
Aug 26, 2012
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#1
Have you ever played your younger siblings in any sort of game? You know that you are so much better than them. You don't want to just crush them from the beginning, because it just wouldn't be fun for anyone. What do you do as a big brother or sister? You give them hope. Let them score some points. Heck, let them score a lot of points. You know all you have to do is play to your ability to win.

That's Team 120. They are the big brother and they know it. Sure, they could dominate from the start, but what's the fun in that?

This picture says it all. Dobbs knows he's the big brother.

Af8a0jFl.jpg
 
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#10
#10
The slow starts can mostly attributed to a lack of aggressive play calling. Once the ops are down a few scores the Vols open up the playbook and Dobbs takes over. Then the defense picks up the pace.

I just want to see UT throw the ball deep on their first offensive play of the game.
 
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#11
#11
The slow starts can mostly attributed to a lack of aggressive play calling. Once the ops are down a few scores the Vols open up the playbook and Dobbs takes over. Then the defense picks up the pace.

I just want to see UT throw the ball deep on their first offensive play of the game.

Slow starts have more to do with player execution and drops more so than play calling.
 
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#12
#12
Don't be a coward, you're better than that.

You know this is just hopeful fan stuff. OP is implying that we intentionally play bad in the first half to spare teams a complete beatdown. Thats just insane. If it were actually true, I would say Butch needs to be fired this second. But its not true.

What is true is that for some unknown reason, we cannot put together a game with 4 quarters of consistent play. First 2 quarters? Average to below average. Last 2 quarters? Dominating.
 
#13
#13
You know this is just hopeful fan stuff. OP is implying that we intentionally play bad in the first half to spare teams a complete beatdown. Thats just insane. If it were actually true, I would say Butch needs to be fired this second. But its not true.

What is true is that for some unknown reason, we cannot put together a game with 4 quarters of consistent play. First 2 quarters? Average to below average. Last 2 quarters? Dominating.

The team knows they are good, that is a good thing because they know they can beat any team in the country, but it can also make them lose focus at times.
 
#14
#14
UT's perspective in games 1 & 3 was "We got this." Lesson learned......I hope. In the Battle at Bristol, VT came out extremely well prepared and uber-motivated while our Vols started tight, didn't execute all that well and found themselves back on their heels for most of the 1st half. Shoop's adjustments and a dab of urgency got them on track and their talent arrived to make the 2nd half a rout. I think our boys were just plain tight versus the gayduhs inside checker boarded Neyland, but they got over it. It appears Shoop figured out better ways for Colton and Cortez to be notably effective in that game and DeBord needed only to accentuate the need for executing the offense like they'd practiced. I think our guys came onto the field a bit cocky in Athens; that and UGA started off with a much higher intensity level. TAMU is another animal altogether. They're a tad spooked over this "can't play well after going 5-0" stigma. It's happened too many times RE: their fan base. They know how scary Dobbs is when he takes off; how dangerous our speed guys can be (especially on STs) and how hard-to-stop and clock consuming the Vols' offense is when the O-line's clicking. How our O-line plays is our key to winning this one. The Vols' offensive approach is going to be a bit more difficult to prepare for with Kamara and Kelly splitting back field reps...and maybe Fils-Aime's going to make his own version of comin' out to play. 'Never can tell. Kelly's a different back than Hurd. He requires different angles due to his speed and, although not as much as Hurd's, he packs a big-time wallop when he makes contact running north and south. Let's expect some inside slants, wheel routes and even some razzle-dazzle...and maybe Wolfe and Croom can make some noise. On defense, I'm more concerned about our corners than our LBs, to tell the truth. TAMU's passing game's possibly the best in the SEC. I see UT coming out loose for the first time this season and if some breaks go their way, the "Will floorduh play LSU" worries will be dissolved. HOPEI'MRIGHT.
 
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#15
#15
The team knows they are good, that is a good thing because they know they can beat any team in the country, but it can also make them lose focus at times.

Unless they have or get one of those <------, it doesn't matter what they "know."
 
#16
#16
I hope Croom has a good day. It could make a huge difference for us if atm blitzed have Croom fake the block and turn his numbers to Dobbs 6 to 8 yards right in the middle
 
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#17
#17
Okay, that's a theory, OP. And a good one. I think the wrong one, but it's a good one.

Here's another. Every Saturday morning, the fellas have been getting together in the lobby of their hotel to read through VolNation.com threads. They find the forums hilarious. They laugh so much that their eyes tear up and their sides hurt.

Then coach tells them to get on the bus for the stadium. A few hours later, all suited up and running through the T, they're still chuckling.

So it takes them a lot of the first half to get serious again.

Okay, maybe another theory that probably isn't right. So we share that, Dalton. :)

Go Vols!
 
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#18
#18
NOW is the time to Dominate for the entire 60 minutes like we all know we can.

60 minutes of Dominating Tennessee footVol will scare the crap out of every Team in the country.

Get ready cause here we come!

Earning our respect and climbing the rankings WIN by WIN...VFL...GBO!!!
 
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#19
#19
Okay, that's a theory, OP. And a good one. I think the wrong one, but it's a good one.

Here's another. Every Saturday morning, the fellas have been getting together in the lobby of their hotel to read through VolNation.com threads. They find the forums hilarious. They laugh so much that their eyes tear up and their sides hurt.

Then coach tells them to get on the bus for the stadium. A few hours later, all suited up and running through the T, they're still chuckling.

So it takes them a lot of the first half to get serious again.

Okay, maybe another theory that probably isn't right. So we share that, Dalton. :)

Go Vols!

I like the way you think.

Sometimes it's hard to mix my blind homerism/satire/sarcasm/optimism in the same post without people taking it 100% serious.

I think you get it.
 
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#24
#24
That was probably one of the dumbest rationalizations I've ever heard for our slow starts...

I seriously hope you're not serious.
 
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