Vols fans welcome the return to a pro-style offense

#1
Type Orange+

Type Orange+

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#1
Be honest. Even when you had faith in Butch Jones back in 2013 and 2014, something seemed awfully wrong with Tennessee football running the spread offense. It went against everything Vols fans prided themselves on thanks to a culture that had been built decades before.
Perhaps Jones’s spread was made even worse with the way he attempted to force players into it. And the most annoying part was he insisted it was a pro-style, just more based in the shotgun. But we could all see that wasn’t the case.

It’s well-documented now that Jones had a finesse offense focused on trickery and misdirection than just being better. The best example is last year’s game against the Florida Gators. No pro-style offense has players get in shotgun when they are on the one-foot line and about to score a touchdown. That goes against everything UT stands for.
With Tyson Helton now taking over as offensive coordinator, the Vols can go back to a pro-style. Now, to be fair, this is an offense more based on schemes than, say, what David Cutcliffe did. Helton looks for mismatches and will spread the ball around. But it is indeed a pro-style. And he has been clear that he wants a power running game.
Combine that with Jeremy Pruitt leading the program, and it’s no secret that Tennessee football wants to go back to just being a pure, balanced attack on offense that can get physical with anybody. This is the nature of the Vols, and it has been for over 40 years

When Johnny Majors installed his vertical passing attack in Knoxville back in 1977, turning UT into Wide Receiver U, the Vols became a pro-style team. They churned out NFL talent on a regular basis, only the way a pro-style team would, and they used that talent to be able to recruit nationally. Even when they had mediocre talent, the filled up the NFL.
The laying of those seeds allowed Phillip Fulmer to take it to new heights during the 1990s, and that culminated ultimately with the 1998 national championship. The pro-style offense is just a part of the Vols culture. Jones’s spread took that away.

Tennessee football took such pride in running the pro-style that many fans didn’t sulk in losing to teams like the Nebraska Cornhuskers or Kansas State Wildcats. They would explain it away by saying those teams don’t run legitimate offenses by using the triple-option. The pride went that deep on Rocky Top.

But to be fair, trickery offenses are part of the culture of those teams, and they know their identity. Systems that spread out the field and use track stars as receivers are a staple for the Florida Gators. A suffocating defense with a power running game and game managers at quarterback on offense is the staple of the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide. On Rocky Top, it’s still a great defense. But that complements a balanced offense.

[. . .]

Butch Jones’s spread offense came apart when he didn’t have Joshua Dobbs to run it. That’s why he went 4-8 in his FIFTH season. If you properly install the pro-style, the program never comes undone. And that’s why Tyson Helton is taking Tennessee football back to where it needs to be.
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Tennessee football: Vols fans welcome the return to a pro-style offense
 
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#5
#5
I can't wait!

Power run and pro style football has been kind to us in the past.

It wasn't running the spread that was so bad for me, it was running it in an odd style of it. The kind of spread that don't make use of your best players and their attributes is odd to me? Worley as a Running QB threat was the dictator to how our offense ran, really? You run the crap outa our players to get set up and then slow down and let the defense sub, what? It's not awful when a coach knows what he is doing. Butch was miserable to watch unless Dobbs could bail the play out with his legs.
 
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#6
#6
I'll be curious to see how the younger fans take to it after having very little remembrance of it as children.
 
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#12
#12
Pruitt Will Do It said:
I'm glad to see Tennessee going back to pounding the football once again
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I was never a Raiders fan, (no knock against them, they just weren't my team) but I have always been a proponent of the John Madden school of football philosophy. You pound the rock, and pound the rock, and pound the rock, then throw the long ball over the top. That's the kind of football that I enjoyed playing and the kind of football I enjoy watching as a fan.
 
#13
#13
Type Orange+ said:
I was never a Raiders fan, (no knock against them, they just weren't my team) but I have always been a proponent of the John Madden school of football philosophy. You pound the rock, and pound the rock, and pound the rock, then throw the long ball over the top. That's the kind of football that I enjoyed playing and the kind of football I enjoy watching as a fan.
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Yeah i want a return to Johnny Majors style Tennessee football:cool:
 
#16
#16
Type Orange+ said:
I was never a Raiders fan, (no knock against them, they just weren't my team) but I have always been a proponent of the John Madden school of football philosophy. You pound the rock, and pound the rock, and pound the rock, then throw the long ball over the top. That's the kind of football that I enjoyed playing and the kind of football I enjoy watching as a fan.
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Funny you say that. I AM a Raiders fan and I've always thought Oakland and Tennessee played similar styles of football when they were both winning. Both played with nasty lines of scrimmage. Both pounded the rock. And both had very speedy receivers you could connect with over the top. Also both had great linebacker play.
 
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#17
#17
Brave Volunteer said:
Funny you say that. I AM a Raiders fan and I've always thought Oakland and Tennessee played similar styles of football when they were both winning. Both played with nasty lines of scrimmage. Both pounded the rock. And both had very speedy receivers you could connect with over the top. Also both had great linebacker play.
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It was practically identical. When I say I wasn't a fan it just means they weren't my team, but I loved their brand of football.
 
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#18
#18
bmaultbay said:
LOL. First play will be a bomb to JJ. WVU will expect a run and JG connects with JJ for a BIG gain. Put them back on their heels early.
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Nah, let's save that for Bama and run the same play as in '95 when Peyton hit Kent across the middle for 80 on play 1, announcing his presence with authori-tye. Love to see that rerun.
 
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#19
#19
I guess I'm in the minority, I prefer the spread. The spread is unstoppable when executed properly with the right personnel. We didn't have the right offensive coordinator last year and it showed, just like in 08 and 05. I was concerned when Botch promoted Scott. I thought running Botch's read option style offense was not the right scheme for the QB's we had. I thought an Art Briles style air raid (I'm not saying we should have hired Art Briles) was the best type scheme for the players we had. With that types of offense we could run or pass depending on a great many factors. Remember that was an offense in 15 that was leading the nation in offense until they lost 2 QB to injuries then put up over 300 yds rushing in their bowl game with a 3rd string QB leading the team. Last year FAU running the Briles style offense (Kendal Briles was the OC and called plays not Kiffin) was top 15 in the country even ahead of a Clay Helton led USC offense. Bad scheme, poorly coached players running the offense, along with the toxic atmosphere that Botch created last year lead to the historical collapse down the stretch that lead to the team quitting.
 
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#20
#20
If WVU wins the toss, will they defer or will they want to show UT this high powered offense immediately?
 
#24
#24
If Tennessee gets the ball to start the game, I guarantee we'll kick to WV to start the second half.




That's bold s*** right there.
 
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