UM-Vols part 1: Darth Vader & the 3 Stooges

[MemphisVol]

When the coaches finish raking the Vols over the coals about Marshall film, they're going to have to work had to figure out what tone to set- or background music to play- once they load up the Memphis film.

This week UM coach Tommy West fired his DC saying that they had to get tougher on D.

The following story, however, pretty much captures the other side of the Tigers, and the kind of free-wheeling, "whose the little guy?" attitude West's offenses always bring:

Memphis Commercial Appeal - Memphis' Source for News and Information: Tigers


Then again, there's UM's kicking game... While the below is about the starting kicking quiting in a snit, check out the stats:

Memphis Commercial Appeal - Memphis' Source for News and Information: Tigers


That said, Memphis is considered much better than Marshall....

 

[rwemyss]

Sounds like Memphis is blowing up from the inside.

I don't see how you can consider them better than Marshall... their game with Ole Miss is the only one in the W column for the guys from Oxford. That's pretty bad.

 

[MemphisVol]

When I said they were considered much better at the end, I should have repeated the difference between talent and (that 3 Stooges thing).
Memphis has markedly better players- that's why they were ranked ahead of Air Force, Cinnci, and Vandy in the preseason, and Marshall was ranked below Ball State, Army, and Duke.

The difference has been that there's been a drop in Memphis' mental game this year. They gave away the game at Ole Miss with a mental breakdown in the final 2 minutes. Then, though Eastern Carolina is one of the top 3 in CUSA this year, the Tigers slaughtered them- on the road- in the 1st half, only to spaz completely out and lose in the 2nd.

In year's past, we used to call that "the Tiger Effect" it was so normal. The problem is, A. traditionally Memphis has had crappy sports fans; and, B. that's changed relatively recently, especially when it comes to Tiger football. HC Tommy West got UM's expectations artificially raised, and the least little hint of "the Tiger Effect"s return is viciously pounced on.

Unfortunately, West obviously hasn't responded well to the brief mental letdown at Ole Miss, and the result has been the "waiting for the other shoe to drop" attitude has gotten worse. I really think scapegoating DC Joe Lee Dunn was a bad mistake, but Memphian's are such weirdos that West, despite taking us to our first bowls in 3 decades, was genuinely getting "let's fire the bum" level crap this early in the season.

For the Vols, the problem is that the PK situation is the only genuine problem for the Tigers. UM has always lived to play Ole Miss, and apparently they've decided to to treat UT the same. Something about the Rebels and Vols brings out the best in them. Worse, this is coming right after West, who can be a truly scary guy, just made a ritual blood sacrafice out of arguably the best DC in CUSA. No team is more primed to play up to their talent (and even slightly above, like Marshall did) than UM right now, and if they do, their base-talent is better than the Herds.

That's why I think it's such a weird prospect trying to predict this game. The Vols don't have any clear impetus to get their heads together like the Tigers do- in fact, the general tone from campus and the media, even after relative weaklings Air Force and Marshall, has been to make a gesture at our problems and then laud the opponent by way of making excuses.

Right now, there's just no clear signs how either team will show up. It could be a giant spaz fest with both teams trying to prove they can give it away best the way both have played, it could be a tale of two halves with the teams alternating their show-up and chokeage, it could be like last night's game where the weakling shows up and outplays us between the 20s but just doesn't have the relative skills to finish, or any and every other variation imaginable.

That's the problem with teams like Memphis and the Vols, who have the talent but are a mental mess: you can't predict crazy.

...Darth Vader meets the 3 Stooges

 

[rwemyss]

It seems to me that the Vols have it together mentally... especially considering the shape they were in after last year.

In the end, JLD was one of the coaches that seemed to me to be keeping Memphis IN games. Hankins threw 5 picks against ECU! How can you blame that on the defense, or the DC?!?!?! I hope West continues to allow Hankins to wing the ball around. Our secondary will be on those balls like white on rice. While losing JLD may give the Memphis D a rally point, it doesn't change the fact that they've lost the schemer that makes the defense tick...

 

[MemphisVol]

I agree- that's why I called it scapegoating, and him arguably the best DC in CUSA. I didn't want to make a certain comparison with a certain other team, coach and scapegoated coordinator, but that might have made things clearer. Basically, West is usually a whole lot better at the psychological side of things than that other certain HC, even if West is of the sometimes questionable, "play up to your ability or I'll rip out your heart and show it to you" ye-olde, Summit-esque school.

Because of that, the firing of JLD could serve... not so much as a rally point, as a serious, "he really will rip our hearts out" slap upside the head. I'm assuming driving the PK to quit was part of the same- I'm assuming the kid whined about being benched.

It's a big question, though- not only do the kids know JLD was scapegoated and the breakdown was comprehensive. As well, there's the fact that the mental breakdown reaching that scale is a sign that something has slipped in West's psych approach. Just as the on-and-off breakdowns which continue on that other certain team are proof that that HC still hasn't figured out the psych contribution that's missing from his overall coaching team...

It's going to be mystery meat come Saturday, and theres no telling what species- much less rare or raw- each team is going to bring to the table.