What really happened?

#26
#26
volgrad500 said:
What happened is, we hired a guy who was in the vicinity of good coaches, and falsely gave him credit for their winning.

"In his first 13 games at Tennessee, Pruitt already has suffered as many losses (eight) as he absorbed over five seasons as a defensive coordinator at Florida State, Georgia and Alabama."
Click to expand...
I think what you just mentioned in bold is kind of an underrated and overlooked factoid. A lot of people, I think correctly, noted that the coaching staff seemed to treat this game as a scrimmage even when we were trailing in the fourth quarter. I wonder if a lot of that is caused by the fact that these guys, Pruitt in particular, just aren't used to losing. Even going back to his high school days, Pruitt has never worked at a struggling program. He could be failing to get guys to buy in because the losing culture among the upperclassmen has to be one of a defeated group of guys.
 
  • Like
Reactions: volgrad500
#27
#27
FlyFishnVol said:
I don't think this is fair. Fumbles and interceptions are not coached, this team does not gel. The lack of inspired playing is on the shoulders of juniors and seniors. I would rather play the new players vs. Older....jmo
Click to expand...

Can’t blame the guy making 4 million a year. It’s not his fault it’s all the kids fault. He needs 8 years of recruiting to compete with the likes of Georgia State.

Stop being a coach fan and start being a University of Tennessee fan.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VOL_Lyfe
#28
#28
FlyFishnVol said:
It feels like both Fans and Players are uninspired to give their all to Tennessee. I am not sure it's generational or we just don't have enough players that refuse to give up on the field. I know what Pruitt said, but I watched the game, but watching the OL and DL..........I did not see that High Motor or violent impact from either side of UT's lines........is that how they were coached? It just felt like the effort level from beginning to end was bland or effortless...........yes I am a Vol Fan, but right now I am a very disappointed Vol Fan that just had the curtains pulled back even farther on UT Football.............just kind of numb to what the solution is, maybe some people are right, it will take Pruitt 5 years to fix the issues at Rocky Top...........Go Vols!
Click to expand...


Pruitt isnt going to get 5 years. Nobody in the SEC gets 5 years without creating a team that punches above their weight class.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kbear01 and Titan05
#29
#29
Flipdaddy said:
I hate to be Debbie Downer but this is not good folks and it was no fluke. This team is terrible. I know Pruitt can coach football but my God, how did he let this happen. Why hasn't UT had an Oline since 2009??? What is the deal? We might as well face it, we are the new Vandy with a huge stadium. Everybody got Sabanized in 2008 and Tennessee football hasn't been the same since. I seriously thought Tennessee could get 8 wins this year, boy was I wrong!!! I'll bet we win two and I honestly don't know who the second team will be.
Click to expand...



This team got it's @ss handed to them at the end of last year vs Missouri and Vandy. They had an entire offseason and new recruiting class to fix it.

ZERO players were drafted to the NFL which means we didn't lose any talent worth losing and you got a chance to coach everyone up.

Things got worse, not better.

End of analysis. No further digging needed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfaninfl2, Alto1, imw8n4u and 2 others
#30
#30
MWAVolfan said:
This team got it's @ss handed to them at the end of last year vs Missouri and Vandy. They had an entire offseason and new recruiting class to fix it.

ZERO players were drafted to the NFL which means we didn't lose any talent worth losing and you got a chance to coach everyone up.

Things got worse, not better.

End of analysis. No further digging needed.
Click to expand...

It's hard to dispute any of this, unfortunately.
 
#31
#31
PEPPERJAX said:
The biggest problem I saw was the team was not prepared, did not have a sense of urgency, and showed little to no effort. All of that is on the coaches. The coaches failed miserably to get the players motivated for this game. Ga ST coaches inspired their players once they knew it was going to be a ball game. UT is no longer the VOLS of old that can just show up and sleep walk through a game winning on talent and physicality. In fact, our team is about as physical and intimidating as a pack of moths. I am almost certain that there was not one GA ST player on scholarship that had a committable offer to play at UT. Also, fairly sure that no UT player on scholarship ever even considered signing with GA ST out of HS. So hypothetically, if you gave Shawn Elliott our roster and Pruitt took GA ST’S roster what would be the outcome if both coaches had an entire off season to prepare? Shawn Elliot would easily destroy Pruitt. Shawn Elliott is definitely getting a P5 job after this year and JP may not have one after next year if this team continues to tank.
Click to expand...

How is lack of effort someone else's fault. That's the one of the only things that a player has 100% control of. Blame the coaches all you want if it makes you feel better, but that is a cop out. Self pride has been replaced by excuses. Simple as that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfaninfl2 and Big Al Orange
#32
#32
MOOOOONEY said:
Can’t blame the guy making 4 million a year. It’s not his fault it’s all the kids fault. He needs 8 years of recruiting to compete with the likes of Georgia State.

Stop being a coach fan and start being a University of Tennessee fan.
Click to expand...

Ouch! my point is, maybe playing CJP recruits vs. CBJ recruits, I feel for the guys, the just don't seem to be able to get out of that funk that Butch put them in, its like a boxer, you don't train for 15 rounds, you train for 15, 15 rounds. You don't just run a marathon, you train everyday to run a marathon, It takes herculean effort to change a current mind set. 10 years and 10,000 hours = master of ONE THING. This kids prior to Pruitt have to work harder than the kids CJP recruited, is it fair? NO, but if you want to stay in front and compete........YES.

Maybe the CBJ recruits are holding the new ones behind........I Love UT, but I hate seeing these kids get called all kind of things and someone needs to step up and say Enough!
 
#34
#34
Give Him 6 said:
I’m not sure what happened Saturday. All we have heard throughout fall camp was how much better the team looked from reporters, coaches, and even Fulmer. Then they go out and play the way they played. Now fans want coaches fired, players aren’t happy, coaches can’t coach, and nobody cares. I’m just not buying everything that our fans think about our players and coaches. I think maybe Georgia St is much improved and much better than expected and we had players get shell shocked about what was happening. Some of them may have let playing live in front of 80,000 against a new team affect them. I’m praying that we will chalk this up to a good ole learning experience when it’s all said and done and we see a much better version of everyone in our next game. Guys I know a lot of you put in a lot of time and money into being a fan of our Vols but remember this, football shouldn’t be #1 in our lives and cause us to act the way we do. We need to remember that as fans. Put God #1. Encourage these players and coaches they way we should and let it go. It’s gonna be alright. God bless each and everyone one you. Go Vols!
Click to expand...
Sure is a head scratcher...My first thought was we were looking way down the road and this was going to be a walk-over win. Not the first time something like that has happened. Every position we were better except the one receiving the ball on offense. Quite a Head Scratcher this is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Give Him 6
#35
#35
Give Him 6 said:
I’m not sure what happened Saturday. All we have heard throughout fall camp was how much better the team looked from reporters, coaches, and even Fulmer. Then they go out and play the way they played. Now fans want coaches fired, players aren’t happy, coaches can’t coach, and nobody cares. I’m just not buying everything that our fans think about our players and coaches. I think maybe Georgia St is much improved and much better than expected and we had players get shell shocked about what was happening. Some of them may have let playing live in front of 80,000 against a new team affect them. I’m praying that we will chalk this up to a good ole learning experience when it’s all said and done and we see a much better version of everyone in our next game. Guys I know a lot of you put in a lot of time and money into being a fan of our Vols but remember this, football shouldn’t be #1 in our lives and cause us to act the way we do. We need to remember that as fans. Put God #1. Encourage these players and coaches they way we should and let it go. It’s gonna be alright. God bless each and everyone one you. Go Vols!
Click to expand...

I appreciate everything you are saying. I’m a youth minister of 18 years. I for one, are one of the kinds of people who struggle with keeping my heart checked with things. Your post is a good reminder to us.

But I do want to counter at least a bit. Often times we look at people who get bent out of shape “over a game” and automatically assume their priorities are out of line. To an extent you’re right, but there’s more to it then I believe you are unpacking.

Things like Tennessee Football for die hard fans isn’t just about having a reason to crack a beer, trashing talking other fans of schools etc. For most there are memories with fathers, brothers and families. There’s reasons for families to get together (I know I know get together for something other than sport...well history shows us sport and art have always been reasons for communities and families to gather and build relationships...Aztecs, Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, etc...), and there is community built and relationships made and deepened around shared memories. Some of this isn’t just a game.

There’s a reason tennessee football has a stadium the size it does in a town the size of Knoxville. There’s a reason Indiana HS basketball is SO big (born and raised there), it’s a part of the culture and fabric of the local people.

If you bake some cheap cake and drop it bummer. If you make a cake with your child for your husbands birthday and you drop it, you may shed tears and it ruins your night. You have a wedding cake delivered and it’s dropped at the reception and can’t be used, there’s a part of your heart that’s hurt for your life. My point is things have MEANING. And placing meaning on things doesn’t automatically mean “we’re out of whack.”

God made us with human characteristics. I believe some of this is our fallen nature, but some of it is pure and GOOD.
 
#36
#36
Hawkeye4588 said:
Jayson Swain has a really nice tweet on what happened.

The video attachment shows the defense walking, jogging or completely stopped before the whistle was blown. No one gave a crap.
Click to expand...


And unfortunately you can only teach that so much. That’s embarrassing. But I doubt they are.
 
#37
#37
BadgerVol! said:
I appreciate everything you are saying. I’m a youth minister of 18 years. I for one, are one of the kinds of people who struggle with keeping my heart checked with things. Your post is a good reminder to us.

But I do want to counter at least a bit. Often times we look at people who get bent out of shape “over a game” and automatically assume their priorities are out of line. To an extent you’re right, but there’s more to it then I believe you are unpacking.

Things like Tennessee Football for die hard fans isn’t just about having a reason to crack a beer, trashing talking other fans of schools etc. For most there are memories with fathers, brothers and families. There’s reasons for families to get together (I know I know get together for something other than sport...well history shows us sport and art have always been reasons for communities and families to gather and build relationships...Aztecs, Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, etc...), and there is community built and relationships made and deepened around shared memories. Some of this isn’t just a game.

There’s a reason tennessee football has a stadium the size it does in a town the size of Knoxville. There’s a reason Indiana HS basketball is SO big (born and raised there), it’s a part of the culture and fabric of the local people.

If you bake some cheap cake and drop it bummer. If you make a cake with your child for your husbands birthday and you drop it, you may shed tears and it ruins your night. You have a wedding cake delivered and it’s dropped at the reception and can’t be used, there’s a part of your heart that’s hurt for your life. My point is things have MEANING. And placing meaning on things doesn’t automatically mean “we’re out of whack.”

God made us with human characteristics. I believe some of this is our fallen nature, but some of it is pure and GOOD.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your words and comments. I do understand what you are saying. Tennessee football means a lot to me as well and I have a lot of good memories watching them play and supporting them but I think some people take it out of context a little bit just because they lost or didn’t get the result we all wanted. I’m just trying to keep it in perspective. Thanks again for your insight. Thank you for serving and sharing the gospel with those kids. You are in my prayers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BadgerVol!
#38
#38
volgrad500 said:
What happened is, we hired a guy who was in the vicinity of good coaches, and falsely gave him credit for their winning.

"In his first 13 games at Tennessee, Pruitt already has suffered as many losses (eight) as he absorbed over five seasons as a defensive coordinator at Florida State, Georgia and Alabama."
Click to expand...
This is spot on.
 
#39
#39
Give Him 6 said:
I’m not sure what happened Saturday. All we have heard throughout fall camp was how much better the team looked from reporters, coaches, and even Fulmer. Then they go out and play the way they played. Now fans want coaches fired, players aren’t happy, coaches can’t coach, and nobody cares. I’m just not buying everything that our fans think about our players and coaches. I think maybe Georgia St is much improved and much better than expected and we had players get shell shocked about what was happening. Some of them may have let playing live in front of 80,000 against a new team affect them. I’m praying that we will chalk this up to a good ole learning experience when it’s all said and done and we see a much better version of everyone in our next game. Guys I know a lot of you put in a lot of time and money into being a fan of our Vols but remember this, football shouldn’t be #1 in our lives and cause us to act the way we do. We need to remember that as fans. Put God #1. Encourage these players and coaches they way we should and let it go. It’s gonna be alright. God bless each and everyone one you. Go Vols!
Click to expand...

I have to agree, but Pruitt said it, some practice good, play bad and vise versa. JG could be just a very good practice QB. I don't want to give up on him, but I think some very tough decisions are needed and those players that don't want to practice right...............see ya! let those freshman play and get that experience.
 
#41
#41
Give Him 6 said:
I’m not sure what happened Saturday. All we have heard throughout fall camp was how much better the team looked from reporters, coaches, and even Fulmer. Then they go out and play the way they played. Now fans want coaches fired, players aren’t happy, coaches can’t coach, and nobody cares. I’m just not buying everything that our fans think about our players and coaches. I think maybe Georgia St is much improved and much better than expected and we had players get shell shocked about what was happening. Some of them may have let playing live in front of 80,000 against a new team affect them. I’m praying that we will chalk this up to a good ole learning experience when it’s all said and done and we see a much better version of everyone in our next game. Guys I know a lot of you put in a lot of time and money into being a fan of our Vols but remember this, football shouldn’t be #1 in our lives and cause us to act the way we do. We need to remember that as fans. Put God #1. Encourage these players and coaches they way we should and let it go. It’s gonna be alright. God bless each and everyone one you. Go Vols!
Click to expand...
I'll be watching GSU vs Furman, on Saturday. I swear to God, if Furman beats GSU, my head will explode. GSU had better beat them 52-0!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfaninfl2 and spyfish007
#42
#42
I think what we saw Saturday was a young head coach learning a hard lesson. He and his staff treated this game like a scrimmage and an opportunity to try out a lot of guys. It goes without saying that they (the coaches) took the game for granted. Combined with probably the worst game management in the history of Neyland stadium (and that's saying something given the recent cast of head coaches) and the fact that players are adjusting to a new OC and new DC, you have a recipe for disaster.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fullmetalvol and KeyVol14
#43
#43
82Grad said:
I think what we saw Saturday was a young head coach learning a hard lesson. He and his staff treated this game like a scrimmage and an opportunity to try out a lot of guys. It goes without saying that they (the coaches) took the game for granted. Combined with probably the worst game management in the history of Neyland stadium (and that's saying something given the recent cast of head coaches) and the fact that players are adjusting to a new OC and new DC, you have a recipe for disaster.
Click to expand...
Don't come in here with common sense
 
  • Like
Reactions: RDU VOL#14
#46
#46
I don't think the Titanic sunk for one reason . If I had to pick a reason , I would pick the obvious one . It hit an iceberg . But there was a lot more to it than that. This game had a multitude of reasons .

1 ) lack of developed talent on the defensive front. Youth in the LB core. Playing in a 34 front that is meant to be precise , complex, and multiple.
2) lack of consistent QB play. JG can do some good things , but he can also star down a receiver for 4 seconds and place himself and his RBs in terrible protections, This reared its head at the wrong time
3 ) the O line is better ...but inconsistent run blockers .
4 ) The coaches taking this game as a 'scrimmage' flipping OL men all around . This opponent should have been taken seriously and the position and depth chart should have largely been decided before the game.
5 ) these mid-majors are biting teams in the rear more and more often . Happened several times this week. This came has to be coached just like a must win. Not the time to decide your roster and establish your playbook.
6 ) GAState controlled possession and kept our thin D front on the field , wearing them down. This should have been our game plan. Pound the rock . Keep our D off the field , let them breath. Don't ask JG to be a gunslinger . Put him in situations to be successful. You have three quality backs. Wear them out not your D . Punt , play field position.
7 ) The front 3 Dlinemen are in effective. The Coaches failed to bring the blitzes ( the only reason you run a 34 in essence ) , twists, stunts and stems . Especially considering that the staff had no footage on this offense. When you have no front push and no tape , you have to bring aggressive , disruptive things to bear.


I give the staff a pass on some of the youth and lack of depth. You cant tape the x button and make this D linemen better. However , they underestimated this team and treated this as an easy win scrimmage . They have to use their backs and punter and put JG in positions to be successful . They have to possess the ball and keep the D off the field.
 
#48
#48
I think it was like Creeds trainer said in Rocky. “He doesn’t know its a damn show. He thinks a damn fight!” We played like it was a practice, and they took it to us.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lifeVol
#50
#50
David Cutcliffe made a telling comment during his weekly press conference following Duke’s beat down by Bama. He told his players on Sunday that they played hard but Alabama played harder. Bama had vastly greater talent, but they also played harder than their opponent. Too bad UT doesn’t seem to understand the importance of both talent AND effort.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top