Why I am optimistic and excited

#51
#51
McDad said:
It might. I think Hooker is a more gifted runner. Doesn't have the cannon of Milton but what benefit is a cannon which doesn't hit its target.

I think Hooker is in the driver's seat to take the 1 from Milton permanently right now.
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Maybe I am misremembering but I think the color guy on TV said the same thing... what good is a cannon for an arm if you can't be accurate with it?
 
#52
#52
RobertPellitt said:
So you took the time to comment and disagree on posts that you don't actual read? And I'm the buffoon?

Seriously you must be completely miserable to object to things that you don't read. I guess you are a big "Fake News" type of fella, aren't ya.
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Ok Porkchop....sorry I hurt your little feelings. Tell your wife to give you a Gold Sticker for your short novel.....maybe print it and hang it on the fridge. You can have the last word so you don't have to keep on name calling. Nighty-Night now.
 
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#53
#53
LargeOrange1 said:
Ok Porkchop....sorry I hurt your little feelings. Tell your wife to give you a Gold Sticker for your short novel.....maybe print it and hang it on the fridge. You can have the last word so you don't have to keep on name calling. Nighty-Night now.
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You are one strange and weird dude. I mean you are upset and name calling for being made fun of for openly admitting not reading what you responded to. How silly and juvenile is that? But hey, if it makes you feel better that I'm the bad guy then go with that. Get some warm milk and tuck yourself in and try to be better tomorrow. Love you Buddy!
 
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#54
#54
BigOrangeMojo said:
If Nieds and Shelton Felton were still coaching Henry here, he would have looked as lost as he did last year. Funny how much better someone looks with competent coaching.
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He was our most talented on D. He will show it now.
Our D is better IMO this year even without him.
that tells me , we upgraded the coaching level.
Now if they can upgrade the talent and depth overall, and find or develop a good QB, things will turnaround
 
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#55
#55
Like I posted before, we all see the same thing but see it differently. I see a much better prepared team, a team playing much better to start the game as well as the 2nd half, and a team playing with hustle. I saw none of this last year. Without a dominating defense the QB is the most important position by far and I haven't seen anything to wow me yet. However I think we will see improvement there as the season progresses. They will get more reps in 3 weeks of the regular season than they've had so far.
 
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#56
#56
Hey I’m still giddy as a good little 8 year old boy on Christmas Eve…….simply because Pruitt is gone.

I saw a loss which sucks…..but at least I saw some points, and a good, exciting, close game.

I’ll take that for now.

Don’t get me wrong……by the end of the season I need to see some growth and some wins.

For now…….it’s still better than Pruitt.
 
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#57
#57
Somebody help me understand something. Why is that virtually every other college football team seems to be able to find good consistent QB play and we can’t? I am not talking about this year. We haven’t had it since 2012. I just don’t understand it.
 
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#59
#59
BigOrangeTrain said:
Somebody help me understand something. Why is that virtually every other college football team seems to be able to find good consistent QB play and we can’t? I am not talking about this year. We haven’t had it since 2012. I just don’t understand it.
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I could be wrong, but I seriously think it’s simply been just the last two coaches.

I just think they screwed things up so bad…..or wanted to run everything or something.

People will hate me for this one (and I know he didn’t do anything while he was here) but Weinke was one of the most highly regarded QB coaches out there…….and couldn’t get anything done here.

Heck Tennessee had some QB “talent” since then……..way more than many schools……just simply hasn’t developed it……heck it seems like most of that talent regressed.

but for me……I just think it was the two past head coaches.

I could be wrong…..but that’s what I think.
 
#60
#60
JoAllan said:
I could be wrong, but I seriously think it’s simply been just the last two coaches.

I just think they screwed things up so bad…..or wanted to run everything or something.

People will hate me for this one (and I know he didn’t do anything while he was here) but Weinke was one of the most highly regarded QB coaches out there…….and couldn’t get anything done here.

Heck Tennessee had some QB “talent” since then……..way more than many schools……just simply hasn’t developed it……heck it seems like most of that talent regressed.

but for me……I just think it was the two past head coaches.

I could be wrong…..but that’s what I think.
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I agree with the horrible coaching staffs; however, I really never drank the kool aid on Weinke. He was a high school coach for 5 years, then was the Rams QB coach. He taught Keenum, Foles and Goff. A year of analyst rehab with Saban, then on to UT as our RB coach for the first year. I'm much happier with who we have now. I'd personally like to see HB get his shot in this offense. I just know he has been behind the 8 ball in development, by no fault of his own, since he arrived (early, to no avail) on campus. Heupel has proven at his past stops that he can develop the QB position. As time goes that position has the potential of becoming exponentially better.
 
#61
#61
Tman44 said:
I agree with the horrible coaching staffs; however, I really never drank the kool aid on Weinke. He was a high school coach for 5 years, then was the Rams QB coach. He taught Keenum, Foles and Goff. A year of analyst rehab with Saban, then on to UT as our RB coach for the first year. I'm much happier with who we have now. I'd personally like to see HB get his shot in this offense. I just know he has been behind the 8 ball in development, by no fault of his own, since he arrived (early, to no avail) on campus. Heupel has proven at his past stops that he can develop the QB position. As time goes that position has the potential of becoming exponentially better.
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Weinke certainly flamed out here……..and maybe he was all smoke and mirrors…..or simply hype.

However for several years many sites, publications, and ratings folks had him as one of the top 3 QB coaches.

Lost of people were really high on him….I mean lots of folk. That doesn’t mean he could come here and “make miracles”…….but he “should” have been able to come here and make “serviceable.”

Again…..I could be way off……but I believe even that was mostly on the HC……and his obsession with himself. He thought 1 person was the guy……and stuck with it until it ran him out the door.
 
#64
#64
BigOrangeTrain said:
Somebody help me understand something. Why is that virtually every other college football team seems to be able to find good consistent QB play and we can’t? I am not talking about this year. We haven’t had it since 2012. I just don’t understand it.
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Because you are only paying attention to teams we play or other winning teams. Think Arkansas and Vandy have had good QB situations the last several years? When was the last solid QB at Michigan? Florida State? Miami? Even USC?
 
#65
#65
BigOrangeTrain said:
Somebody help me understand something. Why is that virtually every other college football team seems to be able to find good consistent QB play and we can’t? I am not talking about this year. We haven’t had it since 2012. I just don’t understand it.
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Josh Dobbs?
 
#66
#66
RobertPellitt said:
We had a three (3) turnovers, a TD dropped (with a penalty), a failed 4th and inches inside the five (5) yard line, a second Special Team touchdown called back on a questionable block in the back, several TDs missed by overthrows, the ball inside the five (5) yard line we couldn't get in after Milton's long run and our starting center out for the game with our top two (2) running backs not playing in the second half.

Despite that we managed to score 34 points with almost 400 yards of total offense. Against what I would consider a pretty good defensive team.

While giving up 41 points I thought the our defense played pretty well. Especially against the run giving up less than 100 yards and allowing the longest run of only thirteen (13) yards. The Pitt quarterback is a Super Senior coming back to improve his draft stock to a second rounder. I think he will be one of the better quarterbacks we play this year, probably around 4th best. The others will certainly be NFL bound and high draft picks.

What I noticed in watching the game in Neyland and then later on TV today is that we have a very well coached team. The penalties are a little concerning but I think that gets worked out. Our Special Teams was excellent for sure and Ekeler is a heck of a coach. The creativity on offense is refreshing and is the best offensively coached team since Lane Kiffin. I think Heupel is even a better offensive mind than Kiffin and without the stupid and juvenile behavior.

Certainly there is a lot to "clean up" but this team actually fights and plays hard. There are issues at quarterback but I truly think if Mays, Evans, Small, Hyatt, Milton or Hooker play the full game we win. I like Milton and think he is a real weapon once he gains some touch, and I think Hooker played a good game but it took him a little while to get warmed up. Milton has two (2) more years to improve.

The point I am trying to make is that we have good offensive coaches with a wining scheme and defensive coaches that have dramatically improved our defense over what the defensive guru was doing in previous years.

What Heupel doesn't have right now is Drew Lock, but when he gets his quarterback either from high school, transfer portal or by development watch out, I think teams are going to have to score 40+ to beat us each game.

All of this takes time and patience, but I for one like what I am seeing even if was in a loss.
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what was Locke’s w/l record?
 
#67
#67
McDad said:
If at some point you have to win 50/50 games, Is the 2nd game the point at which you have to do that?
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It's a good place to start. One loss doesn't make a season, but you start looking at the rest of the games, and this was an important one if you want to get bowl eligible. Looked an awful lot like Dools, Butch, Pruitt 2.0 play calling/coaching decisions...players did fight though.
 
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#71
#71
Like many others here, I too have been clinically diagnosed with Battered Vol Syndrome and I do not believe in moral victories; however, there are a couple of positives worth mentioning that could lead to success downstream.
1. The team - offense, defense, and special teams - are playing loose, fast, and aggressive. This is a 180 change from the last handful of years when the team played tight, slow, and scared.
2. The d-line is playing much better than they have in the last few years with essentially the same players. There is still no pass rush, I think that is a talent issue, but CRG is showing his worth and has his players playing at a higher level.
3. CJH offensive system has been working. Receivers and TE's are running wide open and calculated risks have come at the appropriate times. The problem has been in the execution *cough overthrow*.
4. Football is a game of momentum and the coaches know how to capitalize on that momentum - either with tempo or taking shots. The problem again has been with execution on offense.
5. Speaking of momentum, if the QB was able to connect on the wide open WR's, this game would have been out-of-reach for Pitt by the end of the 1st quarter. It would have been 21-0, Vols with all the momentum, and the defense can execute the way it is designed.
 
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#72
#72
RobertPellitt said:
We had a three (3) turnovers, a TD dropped (with a penalty), a failed 4th and inches inside the five (5) yard line, a second Special Team touchdown called back on a questionable block in the back, several TDs missed by overthrows, the ball inside the five (5) yard line we couldn't get in after Milton's long run and our starting center out for the game with our top two (2) running backs not playing in the second half.

Despite that we managed to score 34 points with almost 400 yards of total offense. Against what I would consider a pretty good defensive team.

While giving up 41 points I thought the our defense played pretty well. Especially against the run giving up less than 100 yards and allowing the longest run of only thirteen (13) yards. The Pitt quarterback is a Super Senior coming back to improve his draft stock to a second rounder. I think he will be one of the better quarterbacks we play this year, probably around 4th best. The others will certainly be NFL bound and high draft picks.

What I noticed in watching the game in Neyland and then later on TV today is that we have a very well coached team. The penalties are a little concerning but I think that gets worked out. Our Special Teams was excellent for sure and Ekeler is a heck of a coach. The creativity on offense is refreshing and is the best offensively coached team since Lane Kiffin. I think Heupel is even a better offensive mind than Kiffin and without the stupid and juvenile behavior.

Certainly there is a lot to "clean up" but this team actually fights and plays hard. There are issues at quarterback but I truly think if Mays, Evans, Small, Hyatt, Milton or Hooker play the full game we win. I like Milton and think he is a real weapon once he gains some touch, and I think Hooker played a good game but it took him a little while to get warmed up. Milton has two (2) more years to improve.

The point I am trying to make is that we have good offensive coaches with a wining scheme and defensive coaches that have dramatically improved our defense over what the defensive guru was doing in previous years.

What Heupel doesn't have right now is Drew Lock, but when he gets his quarterback either from high school, transfer portal or by development watch out, I think teams are going to have to score 40+ to beat us each game.

All of this takes time and patience, but I for one like what I am seeing even if was in a loss.
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I like a lot more than I don't like. Talent wise, this is one of our worst teams. We're super thin at OL and LB. QB play has been subpar to average at best. You can tell this team is coached well. I know Butch had some success here, but I often thought we were getting less than we should've. If Milton hits on 50% of those deep balls, we are dropping major points right now. It'll take some time to get the depth back, but I feel better about the hire than I did after it was announced. Definitely our best scheme coach since Kiff. I like what I've seen on D too. We look better than last year, and that staff had two "defensive gurus" leading the way. Secondary, DL and LB all look improved.
 
#73
#73
GrayWaterCanine said:
Fans have been present for all of those seasons. Memories don't change because coaches do. I'm in the camp that Heupel is owed 5 years and the first three dont matter outside of fundamentals, culture, and roster building. This program will never get back on track without overachieving in some season. That is all that will sustain any recruiting momentum, and Heupel appears way behind in that area. I also believe he was never the coach to regain prominence. The only hope with him is that he stabilizes things to make it possible to entice the real coaching savior to take the job later.
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I think recruiting comes around once HS kids see the "fun" this offense will have this season scoring points and players being "used" in space and in inventive ways.
 
#74
#74
njvols said:
It's a good place to start. One loss doesn't make a season, but you start looking at the rest of the games, and this was an important one if you want to get bowl eligible. Looked an awful lot like Dools, Butch, Pruitt 2.0 play calling/coaching decisions...players did fight though.
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You know how people get burned in a bad relationship and they start ascribing the tendencies of the next person as indicators they are like the person who burned them? I think that is what a lot of us are doing by labeling CJH as Dooleyesque or Butchish. Yes, there are mistakes which need attention. But overall, CJH's team plays harder and he gets more out of his guys than any recent ex UT coach. There are literally opportunities all over the field for big plays with O, D, and ST. I cannot remember the last time I could see that.

CJH may end up a complete bust. But, two games in, I see more future potential that I like than I do past that I dislike.
 
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#75
#75
Run defense is very good at this time, we'll see how it holds up in the meat of the schedule. Passing is where they are not up to the challenge, but that is something that seems to be improving as the game progresses, which means the coaching staff is making adjustments, both at halftime and in-game. I really don't see Milton continuing to be QB1 much longer. Heupel may give him another shot, but I think the leash has gotten a lot shorter. If he hits the wide open receivers in the one and a half games, there are about 40+ points that Tennessee could have had. He just doesn't seem to be able to make the deep throws. I hope Heupel gives Hooker and Bailey a lot of playing time against Tech.
 
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