Weekend in review

#1

jakez4ut

Patience... It's what's for dinner
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Jul 7, 2005
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#1
Happy New Year Volnation!

i'd like to tell you it's been great, but for me anyway, having bronchitis, traveling, and general holiday business with family, friends etc....well, have left me needing a vacation from my vacation. but still some good times in there, esp considering it was the 1st Christmas with the little one. good stuff.

as to the football, well let's see.......we won. thank God. FL lost, even better. GA and USC rolled as expected. i was surprised at a few things:
1. AF/CAl, one of the more entertaining games i've seen, that kid Carney, i really felt bad for him when he got hurt.
2. FSU/KY, another entertaining game that wouldn't have been if FSU had been at full strength. Good W for the Cats and the SEC, but fortuitous is the word best described for KY.
3. Bama/Col...27-0 and it was a game at the end. JPW needs a lot of work.
4. MSU/UCF.....i'd like to say that was a defensive slobber knocker and at times it was, but neither of those offenses are very good, though i would have told you UCF's offense was much better than MSU's. great def effort by MSU. they faced DMac, Steve Slaton and Kevin Smith and held all three to season lows in rushing i believe. Great win for Sly and the dawgs.
5. GA/HW.....yawn. HW, nice season, congrats on the conf. champ, and glad you could make the trip, but last night was a complete mismatch at every position. GA don't get too excited.
6. USC/Ill....i'll give Ill credit for making it a bit of a game in the 3rd qtr, and who knows, if they score in the 3rd to make it 21-17, you never know, but you can't turn the ball over like that. talk about game changing plays.
7. FL/Mich....the story for FL the past two years is defense. last year it won them a national title, this year it got beat by what many would consider as stale an offense as there is. granted, Mich WR's made some amazing catches, and Henne was awesome. but here's what i really noticed: Mich turned the ball over 4 times and still won. that game could/should have been 50 something to whatever FL scored. FL's d needs work if they are going to be what they think they're going to be over the next couple of years.
8. Aub/Clemson....interesting game, Auburn's debut with the spread was about what i figured, looked good some, looked bad some, def played pretty well, and they won a close one. Gutsy call in OT to go for it. I'd bet a million dollars we'd of kicked the FG.
9. TN/Wisc--it was really more of the same....we start off strong, have some weird play calling, bad 1st down offense, a couple of big plays, and get a decent lead at half time. and then do squat. there were a few things in this game that i was very happy about: no sacks. Montario Hardesty ran hard, curious why he didn't get more PT in the 2nd half????!!!!. Def Line was as good at getting pressure as they have been in two years. was very surprised at that. we actually had a WR and TE catch balls in stride and get YAC!!!! and one of them actually had separation from the DB!!!! Erik Ainge played well.

there were also a few things i didn't like: what was the deal with the trick play in the 1st half? we didn't need it, i have no idea what they were thinking at that point in the game. why not use the time outs at the end of the 1st half with a minute left and watching Wisconsin get all the momentum back and they get the ball back at the half? why leave Gerald Jones in on all 3 plays in goal to go situation?

i'm happy we won, and i think for hte most part we should be very happy with the attitude, preparation and execution they displayed given all the distractions with the academic casualties, coaching changes etc...i know i didn't expect them to win. so i am happy and proud of them.

but it was frustrating. just like the rest of the season was at times. anyway......good win, go vols, now go get us some good coaches and get those recruits.

oh, one last thing, watched the TN/Xavier and TN/Gonzaga games, both were huge wins imo. i think this team is starting to come around a little bit now.

Geaux Tigers.
 
#4
#4
Good to have you back, Jake.

I like the attitude, OWH. Possibilities.
 
#5
#5
I spent the entire afternoon with one postgame thought.... all new offensive coaches in 2008.

Possibilities.
i would agree with that, as i was during the SEC title game, i couldn't believe how many times after a play, i'd look at my brother and say "freshman".

i think the future is a little brighter than some of us may think it is, but a lot of that depends on who's making the calls next fall. so we'll see.....
 
#6
#6
there were also a few things i didn't like: what was the deal with the trick play in the 1st half? we didn't need it, i have no idea what they were thinking at that point in the game. why not use the time outs at the end of the 1st half with a minute left and watching Wisconsin get all the momentum back and they get the ball back at the half? why leave Gerald Jones in on all 3 plays in goal to go situation?

.

I was confused with alot of this as well. Being at that game did not help as I had to watch replay to see what even happened, I mean what were they trying to do there? It just looked like he just stalled and then what?

I did not get the 3 plays at the goal line as well. To me it just looked like the team was setting up on the 3rd down to make the angle of the field goal easier. I thought Ainge had done well that drive and to keep him out I believe costed us 7.
 
#9
#9
explain to me how on 3rd and 8 you choose to leave your senior QB on the sideline?
 
#12
#12
explain to me how on 3rd and 8 you choose to leave your senior QB on the sideline?

I'm holding out hope that Ainge was hurt and took himself out of the game....otherwise, the decision to keep Jones at qb was just plain stupid.
 
#13
#13
I'm holding out hope that Ainge was hurt and took himself out of the game....otherwise, the decision to keep Jones at qb was just plain stupid.

that hope went out the window for me when they showed Ainge after the third down play take his helmet off and walk dejectedly to the bench. It was from behind, but it looked like he was shaking his head.
 
#14
#14
I'm holding out hope that Ainge was hurt and took himself out of the game....otherwise, the decision to keep Jones at qb was just plain stupid.

He obviously was not as he was putting on his helmet to go back in on the 2nd down, but instead he was pulled back. I noticed that and was like ok, fine 2 plays, but 3, thats a bit much. I mean what does that say about our Coaching staff to not allow our Senior QB to finish a drive or a definate game winning TD. That's really going to drive QB's here. :no:
 
#15
#15
I'm holding out hope that Ainge was hurt and took himself out of the game....otherwise, the decision to keep Jones at qb was just plain stupid.

calling that decision stupid is being kind..I was sitting there is disbelief. I called my dad and said, "Can Cut go to Duke now? right in the middle of the game?"

if he makes those kinds of calls in Durham, he'll be back on Phil's staff in about 2 years.
 
#16
#16
Good post , Glad Cottom got his TD and probably the last game we get to see Jerod Mayo play in IMO. Very suprised at the pressure we got after losing all the players on D but that bodes well for next season.
 
#17
#17
You left out Ar-Kansas & Mizzou... I would too. That was hideous.
then me and you are on the same page.
Good post , Glad Cottom got his TD and probably the last game we get to see Jerod Mayo play in IMO. Very suprised at the pressure we got after losing all the players on D but that bodes well for next season.
im curious to see how that plays out. they made mention of that on the TV, and they were quick to say that he's likely to come back...but you really never know. i hope he stays. i dont' think it's absolutely vital that he stays, but it'd be nice to have a good strong SR def. leader on this team next season.
 
#18
#18
explain to me how on 3rd and 8 you choose to leave your senior QB on the sideline?
that falls in to the "weird play calling" category i referred to. and we had the FG blocked. what a waste of a possession.
 
#19
#19
i dont' think it's absolutely vital that he stays, but it'd be nice to have a good strong SR def. leader on this team next season.

I think it's a must.... when you look back at the really good teams UT has put together, there was always a strong Senior leader... we really need him... not to mention the talent we lose on defense if he goes. I hope he stays for more than just his tackling ability.
 
#20
#20
I think it's a must.... when you look back at the really good teams UT has put together, there was always a strong Senior leader... we really need him... not to mention the talent we lose on defense if he goes. I hope he stays for more than just his tackling ability.
talent wise, i think we'll be ok, it's the leadership specifically that i think we'd miss if he's not there. i'm pretty sure we're on the same page.
 
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