Wes Rucker Nails It.

#51
#51
#1fulmerite said:
Sometimes the team is better than the sum of its parts.

To answer you question, except for rushing yards and maybe including them, the bulk of those stats occurred after the game was in hand. The hurry up offense, at the end, had CJH used it the entire game, may have changed the outcome.

Did you not watch the game or entire game?
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Twice. Without the dumb pick 6, we would have been ahead in the 3rd quarter. More passing yards, rushing yards, first downs, and converted 4/5 4th downs.

The sack differential is bad, but you must remember that holding is not a penalty on Alabama's offensive line.
 
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#53
#53
Just some pseudo-psychology going on here, but, Heupel's dogged retention of his staff may stem from how he was ousted at Oklahoma. He may have made some promises to himself.
 
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#54
#54
kiddiedoc said:
Is that why we beat them in just about every stat on Saturday?
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The talent gap this year was not there. We are said to have 4 NFL first round players with this years Vols. I don’t see anybody saying that about Bama.
 
#56
#56
kcvols1 said:
Great read.

www.wbir.com

Rucker: It couldn’t happen again. Until it did.

Tennessee lost to Alabama at Tuscaloosa, 37-20, after a 99-yard interception from Alabama's defensive back, echoing another TN vs. AL game six years ago.
www.wbir.com www.wbir.com
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It is extremely hard to win on the road in the SEC (hell, it's hard to win at home in the SEC :) so one or two plays can swing everything - that's what bothers me about Heup. We always seem to screw the pooch on those one or two plays - we never execute fully to knock any of the big boys off on the road. The elite coaches do.
 
#58
#58
SubVet676 said:
If Scotch is the preferred libation of the sophisticates, then I failed the entrance exam. Over the years, I have had good friends treat me to a variety of what they said were really good Scotch Whiskeys...and they know their booze...but I just couldn't make it work for me. Including some local stuff in Scotland back when I was riding boats. I drank it...'cause the last thing you want to do is fight a Scotchman who's drunker than you...but it just didn't work for me.

For me, it's bourbon. I'm not a bourbon snob, but bourbon...in order to be bourbon...has to be made in Kentucky. And I draw the line at $50/bottle. My default is Elijah Craig, and I do like Buffalo Trace as well. If I can find the single barrel on sale, I grab it.

But hats off to those who drink it.
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One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer.
 
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#59
#59
LookoutforVols said:
It is extremely hard to win on the road in the SEC (hell, it's hard to win at home in the SEC :) so one or two plays can swing everything - that's what bothers me about Heup. We always seem to screw the pooch on those one or two plays - we never execute fully to knock any of the big boys off on the road. The elite coaches do.
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IDK. I’m much more of the mind that players execute.

See generally Gene Chizik
 
#60
#60
Winning on the road is all about mentality. If you can’t get your players to have the right road mentality then you are limited as a coach.
I mean, when you break it down to its simplest form, the only difference between playing on the road vs home is the stadium if quiet when you do something good, and loud when you screw up. That’s it. The away field is still 100 yds, the rules of the game are the same, and you still have the same players, coaches, and plays that you do at home. Yet you see it every day in sports, teams get tight on the road
 
#61
#61
Not a big fan of the traditional HC concept but we have no choice. It does still amaze me that these coaches come with their own loyalties. Loyalties to other coaches, to player relationships and management, and personal expectations. But at conferences and programs like this - much of that needs to be re-evaluated and pretty much checked at the door. Not all your coaching "friends" are made for this level, what's good enough elsewhere doesn't cut the fine line needed here. How you manage and develop players matters, and those not making the grade have to be told they may try to excel elsewhere. CJH does speak about the "details", the fine line it takes to consistently win at this level. I get it, I hear it from him, but I have a hard time seeing it sometimes.

Such details include catching the ball for a 1st down on 3rd and whatever. Managing the clock consistently, tackling (watch Georgia, year in and year out - people stay where they're hit), time outs and so on. These are fine elements in the coach's and staffs' wheelhouse. Managing the fine details isn't just a player thing - it most definitely is a coaching thing too.

I believe there are ways to approach many of these elements - the big problem I haven't see is any innovative or novel approaches to improving on them.
 
#62
#62
SpookyAction said:
If our team doesn't cut the penalties in half we'll win 7 games.
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I’d encourage everyone to rewatch the effort on the tackle by #4 when Bama scored their last trip in the 3rd. I can’t decide if that’s what he’s been taught, or if that’s just what’s acceptable but either way it’s so wrong.
 
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#63
#63
tennrich1 said:
Maybe an outlier but the LSU game in 2022 at LSU was pretty strong on the road. Idk…we’ll see going forward. And the win last year at Oklahoma was positive as well. JMO…but I think we have other more important issues than road weariness 🤷‍♂️. Idk
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We caught OU with tons of injuries and they pretty much gave us the game with their TO's. LSU, between their TO's and BK constantly going for it on 4th and not getting helped us pull away early. LSU was our last impressive road win, I don't consider a banged up OU and impressive win. We still struggled offensively the entire game. Arnold's TO's was the majority of our offense..Road play is a huge issue. It's one thing to lose at Ala,GA and Fla, but to not even be competitive and getting boat raced is the bigger issue. We're going to lose a road game every year we have no business losing. At KY would shock me at all. Basically a trap game between Alabama and OU. How do the players get up for this game? It will definitely be on Heupel if the players look flat and play like **** Saturday Night. This game makes me nervous.
 
#64
#64
CPVOL said:
I’d encourage everyone to rewatch the effort on the tackle by #4 when Bama scored their last trip in the 3rd. I can’t decide if that’s what he’s been taught, or if that’s just what’s acceptable but either way it’s so wrong.
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Agreed! That whole drive was the exact opposite of what you want to see Defensively. Just like Bernard should have lost 10+ yards, instead he had a good gain. By far the worst tackling I've seen since the Pruitt days. Was it just being lazy or is this what is taught? Either way, it's concerning.
 
#66
#66
kiddiedoc said:
Twice. Without the dumb pick 6, we would have been ahead in the 3rd quarter. More passing yards, rushing yards, first downs, and converted 4/5 4th downs.

The sack differential is bad, but you must remember that holding is not a penalty on Alabama's offensive line.
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A lot of those passing yards came late when the game was over, I don't put much stock in that, especially since we were inside the 10 twice in the 4th and couyscore. That was 3 possessions in the red zone with zero points. Ala outscored us Defensively in those 3 drives.
 
#67
#67
The fanbase puts too much of the program's historic failures of the 2010s on Heupel's shoulders. His rosters are, afterall, inferior in talent to both Georgia and Bama, and even Florida until the last year or two. Not many teams are going into Tuscaloosa or Athens since Heupel has been coach and are winning.

As far as beating Florida in Gainesville, it is a bit different situation. Year 1 Heupel had to play them with the depleted roster left over from the Pruitt era in his first SEC game in week 4. Then in Year 3, it was a bad loss but with Milton at QB, so it can be explained. We now are in Year 5 and should win.
 
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#68
#68
#1fulmerite said:
Bama was just better. Better players and better staff. Even in ‘22 they were better but, they just didn’t know then how to defend the offensive scheme like they and others do now.
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I agree with this take . . . And I would add it was a home game for UT.
 
#69
#69
jasonvol18 said:
We caught OU with tons of injuries and they pretty much gave us the game with their TO's. LSU, between their TO's and BK constantly going for it on 4th and not getting helped us pull away early. LSU was our last impressive road win, I don't consider a banged up OU and impressive win. We still struggled offensively the entire game. Arnold's TO's was the majority of our offense..Road play is a huge issue. It's one thing to lose at Ala,GA and Fla, but to not even be competitive and getting boat raced is the bigger issue. We're going to lose a road game every year we have no business losing. At KY would shock me at all. Basically a trap game between Alabama and OU. How do the players get up for this game? It will definitely be on Heupel if the players look flat and play like **** Saturday Night. This game makes me nervous.
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Ok. One small difference of opinion….there are zero trap games in the SEC. Texas ran out of Kentucky with an OT win. Zero road games in the SEC are easy. Whenever we get one…I’m thankful. JMO
 
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