What cost us the game

#51
#51
I say play him against UF, then go in a different direction for the rest of the year. You can't throw Nick to the wolves next week. Give him a week to build confidence against Ohio, and ride it out...praying for miraculous progress or Bray (et al) to have a breakout freshman campaign in 2010.

Just what the doctor ordered!
 
#55
#55
The Crompton problem is obvious, so I'll spend a little time with the less-obvious problems. Good defenses don't start the game against weak opponents by giving up points, nor do they allow them to score on every possession of the third quarter. They didn't start playing up to their ability until the 4th, and only after the leaders fired them up. Which makes me wonder why they didn't hit the field fired up at the start of the game and after half-time.

The same can be said for the o-line. How is it that they couldn't block all game until the 4th, when they had their two longest drives despite the fact that everyone knew they were going to run the ball?

When are the receivers going to start getting real separation? Cromptons throws were either great throws or terible throws. The lack of separation by the recievers leave very little margin for error.

All it takes is a look back to last season to realize that changing qbs won't help a bit unless the rest of the offense does a complete turn around.

In other words, the coaches need to start coaching (especially on offense) or this will be another long season.
 
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#56
#56
Your dumb dude. What makes you think that Crompton would be able to throw that pass yesterday? He had barely any pocket presence and tossed the ball all over the field. The guy does not perform unless he is in a comfort zone that requires 5-7 seconds of pass protection. Also, his biggest problem is, he doesn't understand how to play QB. Most QB's understand how to view the field and find a receiver, looking off primary routes and understanding coverage. Before Crompton breaks the huddle I honestly think he knows who he is going to throw it to and he just laser eyes the receiver. If I was a free safety it would be hay day with Crompton playing that way. You can't stare down receivers and if you do you better put the ball on the money. The money isn't a worm on the ground either.
He can't seem to read defenses for sh1t...on the 2nd to last play, the Bruins stacked the left side of the line, and then the left side corner was sneaking in for a corner blitz. Once he got back in the shotgun he did not look around, and thus didn't see all the crap that was coming. The WR was pointing and yelling at Crompton about the blit corner. Crompton never looked around at all.

UCLA was doing that kind of thing all game long, and must've enjoyed taking advantage of his ineptness immensely. I'm sorry JC and family...I was hopeful that he could make the same kind of turn around that Ainge did...but that's apparently not happening. Kiffin and even Crompton himself needs to quit kidding themselves. He's just not an SEC caliber QB. Very few are...so it's nothing personal. It just means he's just doesn't have "IT", and is going to have to earn a living in a regular profession like 99% of us. No shame in that...and certainly nothing to hang your head about.

Most professions you just have to work hard and pay your dues. In football, only a select few can compete at that level...he's not one of them.
coach Kiffin was a QB at Fresno and he didn't have "IT" either. He's now making a comfortable living as a Head coach. Nothing wrong with realizing you may not be as talented as you thought or hoped. Some actually make to the NFL before realizing that.
 
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#61
#61
crompton was set up to fail. nobody has an ounce of respect for our offense & they sit on those dink & dunk 5 yd outs & hitch routes. the deep post route was open & even tho he made a bad throw it was open. if we dont at least try & stretch the defense we dont have a chance this year. i didnt see many of the plays we ran vs wku except that dam weak side iso. why cant we play action without doing a bootleg? wheres the toss sweep? play calling was not good at all.
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Cromp was missing open receivers. And completing passes to the wrong team. The problem is that Crompton only looks good against horrid, barely in college teams like WKU. We play 10 or so teams like that, Crompton looks good. When we play someone who's faster, more talented, and gives him less time to read his receivers, he gets trounced. You can't blame all this on play calling. We can't keep throwing if he keeps making stupid decisions.
 
#63
#63
Dropped passes, missed blocks, missed tackles, wrong routes, #92---ain't one player or call or play

No way can I blame our defense on this loss. They played their guts out. The fact that they were on the field for most of the 2nd half didn't help them out either. The O-line and our quarterback cost us this game...period!
 
#64
#64
What cost us the game? Well it starts up front, our O-line is awfull they looked slow and lazy. I mean come on 2 yards wins the game and they couldn't muster up enough intestinal fortitude to push 6 feet to win a game against a tired defense!! Then of course we have a D2 QB at best.

One comment I read from one of the UCLA defenders that picked off a pass kinda sums it up, he said Cottam ran a lazy route and he jumped it. Lazy!! That is the offense and it will take more than 1 spring and fall camp to break that culture. We have to cycle trough the older Fulmer leftovers to see any big improvments. Face it it will be a long year or two. CLK has to get in his players and kill the lazy culture!
 
#65
#65
Play calling or Jcomp:unsure:

Crompton was a factor, pass blocking was a factor, WR's dropping passes was a factor...I keep thinking about the INT where the pass was just over GJ's hand. He was SO wide open and would have been a TD. I feel certain he had no ability to leap(ankle), otherwise he would have. If Marsalis would have been in...TD. Oh well...woulda, coulda, shoulda...

GO VOLS!
 
#66
#66
A "Lazy" route doesn't necessarily mean cottam was doing anything wrong. That can be by design.

After watching the replay (which I struggled to do) I noticed another issue that I think contributed significantly. During the second and third quarters, or team was mentally defeated. They all sat on the sidelines and sulked. It wasn't until the fourth that you saw people trying to rally each other. Berry got a group huddled together and was trying to fire them up, Crompdaddy was yelling at some folks. After a defensive stand I even saw Vinson slapping pads and trying to fire up the offense. Other than the final losing drive, I think we came out a lot better. Following cromptons opening second half turnover we went 6-9 with at least one of those being a dropped ball. I think if we could have kept that fire the entire game (which I know is easier said than done) I think we could have pulled it out. I like to see guys pushing each other as a team and am not sure why it wasn't until the fourth quarter that they started doing that....JMO
 
#67
#67
^^ All very true, but the fact it was the fourth quarter untill anyone took the time to gather the team is bad. We all just have to face the facts the majority of the players have spent 2 to 4 years in a system where they practiced and played half hearted. It will take a couple of years to oust those bad habits.
 
#68
#68
That's my point exactly...I think if the team had decided not to mope around, but try to gather the team and fire them up at the onset of the problems, the outcome could have been different.
 
#69
#69
He's proven that it's not coaching, at this point. I say play him against UF, then go in a different direction for the rest of the year. You can't throw Nick to the wolves next week. Give him a week to build confidence against Ohio, and ride it out...praying for miraculous progress or Bray (et al) to have a breakout freshman campaign in 2010.

I agree with this, for all of those people pleading for Stephens to be given a start, I don't want it to be against UF, that would shatter his confidence, and then we have 2 broken QB's... not good for the rest of the season.

Kiffin has to be thinking this, JC is messing with his livelihood.
 
#71
#71
I think the play calling in the 4th qtr was pretty bad in a couple of spots. I think much of this was pure astonishment on the part of our coaching staff at how badly Crompton has regressed (I think CLK and company actually thought they had brought Crompton along).

Crompton is about as fragile a team leader as I have ever seen. He cannot scan the entire field and go through progressions. In cases like this a solid O-line is your best friend. While they are decent in run blocking they are less than average in pass protection. Crompton is pretty bad in his own right but the O-line play has only compounded this problem.

Our wide receiver play leaves a lot to be desired as well. They can get open but with no real consistency. Our coaches have their work cut out for them this year.
 
#73
#73
i definitely agree that it was OL play, then crompton's play and play calling was fine. WITH the exception of our last two possessions. when their strong point has been DL all night, and they have a possible first rounder at DT, why run it straight up the gut from the 2 yard line? anybody think it would have been humanly possible for a ucla LB or DB to stop hardesty/brown at the goal line if they ran a little stretch handoff? let them get outside, to the corner. i GUARANTEE they would have scored. then we win. and then on the very last possession. 3rd down and we try to throw it to GJ and he runs the wrong route. i'm thinkin maybe we should try somethin different on fourth. hancock maybe? throw it to someone who has been actin like they know what they're doin out there. but no, we throw it to GJ again, and again he runs the wrong route. game over, we lose. other than those two instances, play calling was fine.

The key to the 4th down play call was the Price and Jerzy S. (two starting tackles) were on the sideline, and there was supposedly a huge drop-off the backup tackles Carter and Ward (Ward was injured most of Fall camp). Tenn. had to see this and ran to the vacated spot, but both Ward and Carter penetrated and allowed the linebackers space to stop Hardesty at the 1-yard line. Seeing this potential mismatch, the play call is hard to argue with.
 
#74
#74
on 3rd down we ran to the left like we did 20 times before & they had that side stacked like hell. 4th & a long 2 i dont think u run what they know your going to. a toss sweep to the right would have a least given the rb a chance to hit the corner or find a hole instead of having 1 option of running into a wall.
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#75
#75
I don't see how we can blame play calling. You have to do the best with what you have to work with. You just can't put the game in JC's hands. You have to run the ball most of the time and when you do ask JC to pass you have to make it as simple as possible. Horrible situation to be in and all the opposition will know that when they play us. Even with a good QB I don't know how well we would be because our line sucks too.

As for running up the middle last game. If TN can't power 1.5 yards against UCLA for the win something bad is wrong. LK went for smash mouth because we should have won that battle. Remember the last drive against Arkansas in 98 when the O lined up and drove the ball down their throat for the W. They smelled blood and did something they hadn't done all night long. It was power football. We just don't have that now because of the line and we don't have a QB to offset it either. Bad combo.
 
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