{"id":5676,"date":"2011-09-09T07:00:26","date_gmt":"2011-09-09T12:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.volnation.com\/blog\/?p=5676"},"modified":"2011-09-09T07:00:26","modified_gmt":"2011-09-09T12:00:26","slug":"ten-thoughts-cincinnati-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/2011-09-09\/ten-thoughts-cincinnati-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten Thoughts: Cincinnati Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

1.\tThe Run Game<\/strong>– Everyone is freaking about the run game. Two things: The first is that the run game was very bland. Not a lot of pulling or zone, just man to man and mostly between the tackles. Yes, you want a better push for the line. Cincinnati also won\u2019t stack eight in the box (unless they want to lose). The second is that the run game is not that important anymore. You have so much diversity with the passing game now that, unlike the 80\u2019s or even the 90\u2019s, a great running game isn\u2019t monumental. You need good balance, yes, but if passing forty times is what is best for the team\u2026then pass forty times.<\/p>\n

2.\tBall Security<\/strong>– The fumbling is something I\u2019m not concerned about. Wet ball, very little outdoor work in the rain. It\u2019s not an issue in my mind. What I am worried about is the interceptions. More than likely, Chaney will dial up Bray to throw thirty times and more likely closer to forty. Bray looks like he has improved in being smarter and more patient, but he also made a couple bad throws. Higher pass attempts equal more opportunities for bad throws, and with a young \u201cgunslinger\u201d like Bray, that\u2019s risky.<\/p>\n

3.\tNo answer for the slot<\/strong>– One pass was completed to the slot receiver against Montana. That needs to improve. Three guys got chances, and none of them stood out. If you are going to throw as much as the Vols probably will, a good third receiver is of the utmost importance. I expect Coach Chaney to try and bring the Cincinnati defense closer by hitting the slot guy underneath.<\/p>\n

4.\tBut still focus on getting the ball to Rogers and Hunter<\/strong>– There\u2019s no reason for Hunter and Rogers not to have 15 touches. Even running quick slants\/bubble screens, etc., do whatever you can and get the ball in their possession. The focus on the offense should be those two players, and should be to get them the football. Both players showed an ability to make a short catch and make a big play out it Saturday. They can do it again.<\/p>\n

5.\tBLITZ!!!<\/strong>– Cincinnati\u2019s offense is predicated on timing and rhythm. Justin Wilcox needs to dial up a lot of blitzes and multiple looks to combat that. Cincinnati QB Zach Collaros will pick you apart if you give him time and he can make plays with his legs. Giving him time is the worst thing that can happen. Expect a lot Maggitt on blitz, A.J Johnson spying, and expect a lot of 4-2-5 defense.<\/p>\n

6.\tJustin Coleman is the defensive player to watch<\/strong>– Cincinnati wideouts D.J. Woods and Kenbrell Thompkins are both dangerous players. Teague will most likely play on Woods, so Coleman is the key. He got beat deep against Montana for a touchdown, but other than that played mostly well. Shutting down one side of the field, or at least containing it, will go a long way to being more aggressive with the blitz if Coach Wilcox can trust Coleman.<\/p>\n

7.\tTackling<\/strong>– It was a very solid performance tackling against Montana. They wrapped up well, and Montana broke very few tackles. Cincinnati\u2019s offense will feature a lot of one-on-one matchups in space. Two things need to happen this week. The first is you have to go for the legs. Slow down the ball carrier and make sure you wrap up. The second is pursuing the ball carrier. You cannot be slow to the ball in this game. The defensive staff has to make sure the players understand how important it is to gang tackle.<\/p>\n

8.\tMarlin Lane is the offensive player to watch<\/strong>– With an aggressive defense, screens are the kryptonite to a blitz. However, you need a back that can: a) catch the ball in traffic and b) make the first and second defender miss. That player is Marlin Lane. Chaney loved the screens at Purdue, and I expect him to show that in this game. Lane is going to be the key. While Poole is a solid pass catcher, Lane is much more explosive and has showed good hands since being on campus. As mentioned in point #3, bringing in the Cincinnati defense inside ten yards will do wonders for the offense. Look for Lane to get involved early in the passing game.<\/p>\n

9.\tThe checkdown is your friend<\/strong>– Bray has to get the gunslinger mentality out for this game. This isn\u2019t a team to take a lot of chances on. They are going to blitz and he has to get the ball out quickly. This is where taking a five or seven yard play consistently will be most beneficial. You want to make big plays, but you don\u2019t want to have to take so many chances to do it. Be smart, and don\u2019t force the football.<\/p>\n

10.\tFinal Thoughts<\/strong>– A lot of attention is being focused on the offenses and it should. It won\u2019t be Michigan-Illinois of last year, but there will be a lot of points. Bray cannot make mistakes, which includes holding the ball and getting sacked. The defense needs to be aggressive. Get to Collaros, prevent the big play on defense, and take what the defense gives you offensively, and Tennessee should pull out a win.<\/p>\n

Tennessee 42
\nCincinnati 31<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1. The Run Game– Everyone is freaking about the run game. Two things: The first is that the run game was very bland. Not a lot of pulling or zone, just man to man and mostly between the tackles. Yes, you want a better push for the line. Cincinnati also won\u2019t stack eight in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3UALm-1ty","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5676\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}