Who's Afraid of W. Virginia?

#51
#51
Volatility said:
It’s possible they’re getting poor coaching, but Pruitt has been a DC at Florida,Georgia and Alabama. He probably knows more about how to run an elite program vs. the previous coaching administration.
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The University of Butch folks won't like this but it's true.
 
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#52
#52
Our new tell-it-like-it-is head coach just handed out a "D" grade for the spring practice final exam. In doing so, he also mentioned that multiple team members "flat-out quit". He can't work with this group again until the fall, at which time he will have about the same number of practices to get this team--the worst returning team in the history of UT football-- ready for a WVU team that can put 30 up on nearly every team it plays, and put 50 up on many teams it plays. So, yeah, I'm a little bit scared of West Virginia.

If we were to win the WVU game, everyone should really appreciate the enormity of that win. Pruitt will have to radically improve the team that played in the Orange and White Game for us to win.
 
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#53
#53
JohnnyJava said:
Our new tell-it-like-it-is head coach just handed out a "D" grade for the spring practice final exam. In doing so, he also mentioned that multiple team members "flat-out quit". He can't work with this group again until the fall, at which time he will have about the same number of practices to get this team--the worst returning team in the history of UT football-- ready for a WVU team that can put 30 up on nearly every team it plays, and put 50 up on many teams it plays. So, yeah, I'm a little bit scared of West Virginia.

If we were to win the WVU game, everyone should really appreciate the enormity of that win. Pruitt will have to radically improve the team that played in the Orange and White Game for us to win.
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Context is important, when discussing the "D" grade.

Jeremy wasn't saying the kids got a "D" when they should've gotten an "A". He was saying they got a "D" in comparison to where we need to be when the season starts.

Imagine your math teacher giving you the course final exam just one month into the semester, to gauge how far along you've come. The teacher isn't shocked when you get a D, and she doesn't expect you to know everything yet; she hasn't taught you everything yet. She's just saying you still have a long way to go.

That's what Pruitt was saying. We still have a long way to go.

As Pruitt said,

"If you looked at it from a grade (standpoint) ... we'd be about a D, which is not their fault. There's lots of things that we're coaching, OK? Lots of things we're coaching. Not only are we installing an offense or a defense, we're teaching 'em how to practice, we're teaching 'em how to compete, how to lift. I mean, I could fill up the wall with things we're teaching 'em here. There's lots of things to learn, and I think our guys have learned enough from this spring that they'll do a good job this summer....”
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He did call out some players for not giving their all, for puffing up their chests and acting better than they were. True.

But the "D" didn't mean the program is near failing. It just has a long way to go.


p.s. Spring practice is 15 sessions. Fall camp is 25, and then you get another 5-10 before the first game. So we're not halfway through...not quite a third, actually.
 
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#54
#54
LargeOrange1 said:
Good Grief...based on what some of you Chicken Little's are saying , we might as well cancel the season. I expect the Vols to win every freaking game. If you don't, turn in your Vol Card. GBO!!:salute:
(PS....the title is not a typo)
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If I turn in my Vol card will it be safely stored next to your brain logic card that you have obviously already surrendered?

:salute::salute:
 
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#55
#55
VFL-82-JP said:
Context is important, when discussing the "D" grade.

Jeremy wasn't saying the kids got a "D" when they should've gotten an "A". He was saying they got a "D" in comparison to where we need to be when the season starts....

Ok, well I think we are actually on the same page. The point is that this team must improve greatly during "voluntary" summer program and then in the 15 or so fall practice sessions. It is going to be challenging. Pruitt would not have given that "D" grade to his Alabama unit if he were still coaching there this spring. The point is that the optimists are underestimating West Virginia's program and sugar coating what may be some very serious lingering problems from the Jones era. If Pruitt can pull off the big win in Charlotte and have a good season, then he should be praised effusively, in my opinion. Because he inherited a mess.

Thanks for correcting me about there being 25 fall practices, I was not aware there were that many. Still thinks it's going to be a huge job and that patience is in order.
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#58
#58
JohnnyJava said:
Ok, well I think we are actually on the same page. The point is that this team must improve greatly during "voluntary" summer program and then in the 15 or so fall practice sessions. It is going to be challenging. Pruitt would not have given that "D" grade to his Alabama unit if he were still coaching there this spring. The point is that the optimists are underestimating West Virginia's program and sugar coating what may be some very serious lingering problems from the Jones era. If Pruitt can pull off the big win in Charlotte and have a good season, then he should be praised effusively, in my opinion. Because he inherited a mess.

Thanks for correcting me about there being 25 fall practices, I was not aware there were that many. Still thinks it's going to be a huge job and that patience is in order.
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I think you're right, Johnny, I think we agree a lot more than we disagree.

West Virginia is a peer competitor, and we'll have to be playing our best to have a good shot at the "W".

Long way to go until we're there.

Go Vols!
 
#59
#59
Okay this team gets a D for where they stand now. But there's a lot of potential upside coming.
1. 12 guys out many of which are major contributors.
2. There are a few transfers in that can potentially start.
3. Maybe the biggest potential upgrade involves the OL and DL. Can Kongbo, A. Johnson Tuttle, & Phillips finally get completely healthy and play to their potential? Can some of the DL that have been buried on the depth chart Bain, Taylor, D. Johnson step up? Can OL Smith and Hall come back full speed?

There are a lot of guys who have shown they can play at a high level that are out ( Kirkland, Jennings, Smith, Hall) and more who should be able to play at a high level who haven't - Mr. Kongbo its now or never. They all have 4 months to get bigger, stronger and healthier. If they do and buy in to what CJP is selling they will beat W.V. The Vols have more athletes than the mountaineers. Can CJP turn them into a team by September? I'm saying yes because I'm a glass half full kinda guy..
 
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#60
#60
UT Hill Man said:
This is a game we should expect to win.

I understand lowered expectations against Bama right now.

Not with fricking West Virginia.
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I understand where your head and heart are. Understand that some of us are perplexed Vandy has a winning streak against us. Until we see what UT puts on the field in the way of a football team we are not buying it. We should mop the floor with WVU but the same could be said of Vandy the last few years and that didn't happen.
 
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#61
#61
RollerVol said:
I ain't scared of WV Woolf...I spit on their entrails..so there...we win by two TD's...:naughty:

GO VOLS!
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I follow the John Cleese example every day:

Monty Python.gif

If that dairy air doesn't annihilate the state of West Virginia, nothing will.
 
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#62
#62
If we can run the ball well, win time of possession, and limit their offensive opportunities, I think we'll have a chance to pull off the upset.

If our offense can't run the ball and keep the chains moving, our defense will get tired and give up a lot of points, IMO.
 
#63
#63
West Virginia will beat us by 3 tds minimum. It’s going to be a long year 5-7 or another 4-8 year wouldn’t shock me with alot of blowouts along with a rookie coach learning on the job in the brutal SEC. Hopefully Pruitt can beat Kentucky and Vandy.
 
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#64
#64
HuntlandVolinColo said:
Remember the coaching staff that failed to develop players and lost badly to low talent teams like Vandy are no longer here.
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1.) Offensively we are transitioning from a finesse, up tempo offense to a power, impose your will offense, and we are doing it largely with players recruited for the former.

2.) Defensively we are transitioning from a 4-2-5 to a 3-4. Their is always a steep learning curve with this kind of transition and we are doing so with personnel that was recruited to play in the former.

This season is going to bring some highs, but prepare yourself for many lows. We are going to witness a lot of growing pains.
 
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#66
#66
Volatility said:
I'm worried about our players only having one month's worth of quality coaching, while WVU has had multiple years of quality coaching. If the DLine can disrupt Grier and we control TOP, an upset wouldn't be far fetched.
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Well, that scrimmage showed little. With the quick whistles and other rules, it was more like a flag football game than a full contact game.

But both the offense and defense have more things to install. More guys need to get here and others need to be cleared for contact. You're right, beating WV isn't far fetched, but a whole truckload of busting ass needs to happen first.
 
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#68
#68
CroKev said:
I keep hearing a lot of folks on here predicting a sure loss to W. Virginia, but I just don't get it. They were 7-6 with several losses to unranked teams (beaten up in their bowl game by a 7-6 Utah team). Granted, we were terrible last year. But if you look at the recruiting rankings on 247 for the last 5 years below, we have a big advantage in recruiting. Assuming that CJP & company are better coaches than Holgorsen et al., we should have a good shot at beating these guys.

YEAR....UT....WV
2018....20....35
2017....17....57
2016....14....39
2015..... 4....35
2014..... 7....39

I know the recruiting thing is fluid with injuries, transfers, etc. but, still, there's no good excuse for these guys (coaches & players) to lose this one. Flame away.
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However, I think their guys have been better taught and developed than ours over the years you address.
May take more time than this staff has to catch our guys up...
 
#69
#69
Not afraid of West Virginia Mountain *****s but I don't see us beating them.

(1) New q.b. in Cryst who has weeks to learn the system.
(2) New offensive schemes


We lose.
 
#71
#71
Scared? No.

But our defense is soft and offense inept. I’m not expecting a lot this season.
 
#74
#74
Elhanan said:
Scared? No.

But our defense is soft and offense inept. I’m not expecting a lot this season.
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We won't be soft come time to play WV.....I guarantee that! Not saying they will be super good, but the softies won't be on the field...Pruitt has made that known...

Offensively, I think we are far from inept. With a healthy OL and with savvy QB play....I think the offense could surprise some people...
 
#75
#75
CroKev said:
I keep hearing a lot of folks on here predicting a sure loss to W. Virginia, but I just don't get it. They were 7-6 with several losses to unranked teams (beaten up in their bowl game by a 7-6 Utah team). Granted, we were terrible last year. But if you look at the recruiting rankings on 247 for the last 5 years below, we have a big advantage in recruiting. Assuming that CJP & company are better coaches than Holgorsen et al., we should have a good shot at beating these guys.

YEAR....UT....WV
2018....20....35
2017....17....57
2016....14....39
2015..... 4....35
2014..... 7....39

I know the recruiting thing is fluid with injuries, transfers, etc. but, still, there's no good excuse for these guys (coaches & players) to lose this one. Flame away.
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That game was misleading. We played without our starting QB, RB and multiple linemen. IIRC, we were missing 7 starters. I'm too lazy to go look it up and frankly don't want to revisit it. Our 2nd string QB was so bad we ran the wildcat for much of the game, something we almost never did during the season.

Now, that being said, we are fully capable losing some head scratchers.
 
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