Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Moving The Chains...Barely
Get used to it now, Volunteer fans. This is a 7-5 team this year. At best UT could wind up third in the SEC, out of contention for a BCS at-large bid and most likely playing before New Year’s Day, if at all in the post season.
Fans hoping for redemption from last season, in which our beloved Orange and White warriors roar back to place us back on the top shelf of the conference, will most likely be sorely disappointed. This is the Fulmer era; the changes, when they happen, will mimic his preferred style of play on the field. Low scoring, grind it out, no frills or flair, three yards and a cloud of dust, hardnosed, incremental gains. Dramatic turnarounds simply aren’t his style.
This year will be no different. There will be improvements, but he won’t air it out. For those fans impatient for glory—i.e. every last one of us, bless our arrogant, obnoxious hearts—this change will feel like we’re moving at a glacial pace. Get used to it—that’s Fulmer, and that’s your team.
The problem with the kind of change he’s managing is this—in that style of play, small differences are crucial. Inches can literally make or break a possession, a quarter, a game. A season. There’s little room for error, because if you give up a big play or fail to convert on a critical series, it’s not likely that you’ll have a wealth of time left to make it up. You’re down to counting on big plays and big mistakes (from the other team), which haven’t historically been the type of game Tennessee plays to create.
And because there’s so little tolerance for mistakes, you have to have DISCIPLINE in a big way. You have to be known for it. You have to have metronome precision and consistency.
This team does not have it.
Oh, I grant you that discipline has taken a turn for the better, due in no small part to the addition of David Cutcliffe as offensive coordinator. He’s a drill sergeant type coach, and the players have definitely responded. However, we’re still faced with the undeniable reality of four arrests for UT players since May. Has the trend completely reversed?
Lack of discipline off the field translates to—that’s right, you guessed it: the same thing on the field. You’d be hard pressed to find a UT coach (especially in the face of last season’s debacle) or, I would argue, a coach nationwide that would dispute that statement. Lack of discipline on the field translates to costly penalties, hurried throws, interceptions, fumbles, etc. The SEC is an unforgiving conference to a mistake prone team.
So, here’s a list of the SEC foes that Tennessee will likely come unraveled against. (The fifth loss will most likely come in the first game from an out of conference opponent, Cal. Forget that it’s the first game. Forget that it will be hot, and Cal has to travel. Tedford will have his squad ready, and their discipline and running back duo will leave our proud warriors grasping for jersey.) So anyway, here you go:
1. Florida—Urban Meyer’s squad got by on guts and raw talent last year. Oh, that’s right, and UT’s mistakes. This year, however, the Gators are a year older and more experienced. Chris Leak is much more comfortable in Meyers’ scheme than last year, and is a likely Heismann candidate. Potential QB controversy notwithstanding—which Meyer should handle easily and not let it become an issue—this squad will be unified under the coach’s direction, and they have the talent to take it to the house. Cornelius Ingram will make life exciting for UT’s backfield, and solid rusher Billy Latsko is there to take up when DeShawn Wynn needs a breather. Defensive end Jarvis Moss will pressure Ainge early, and often. The only offensive question for the Gators is the offensive line, which had to replace four starters. There is a concern for depth at linebacker, but in the third game of the year that’s not likely to be much of an issue.
2. Georgia—UT has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this game. After all, the Bulldogs lost a lot of talent to the NFL last year. The quarterback position is still up for grabs, with several true freshmen and other untested gunslingers vying for the position. No matter how that shakes out, Richt is likely to be a tad more conservative offensively until the youngsters get a clue. Luckily for Richt, he has a solid stable of running backs to lean on. Thomas Brown will startle some people with his power and cuts, while Jason Johnson will make his mark as well. They’ve had to replace 3 starters, and depth may be limited up front. They’ve also had to replace 75% of their starting secondary with relative newcomers. On the plus side for Georgia, they’ve addressed a huge need by moving Mikey Henderson over to a receiver role, where they believe he will explode past most SEC foes. They have very imposing talent at defensive end with Charles Johnson, and Quentin Moses does not need any introduction to Tennessee players. They also look to have an embarrassment of riches on special teams, with proven veteran Thomas Flowers and newcomer Asher Allen expected to turn some heads. This last one is a particular concern for the Vols, whose persistent struggles on punt coverage are well known throughout the league. Expect this game to come down to 2 or 3 big plays, which Georgia will take full advantage of to get the victory. Oh, and it doesn’t help any that this game will be played between the infamous hedges at Sanford Stadium.
3. South Carolina—Steve Spurrier has his team in much better shape this year, and it’s their second year running his system. Sidney Rice has NFL size talent already, but the other receiver spots are less solid. There is the potential for this squad to be the best unit on the team this year, but it could go either way. They’ll either be stellar or vulnerable, if they have to build their strategy around a lone star in Rice. The signal caller is not going to be a nationally recognized name at the beginning of the year, but if Spurrier has a particular forte it’s in getting maximum production out of pedestrian quarterbacks. Cory Boyd, running back, will carry a lot of offensive production on his shoulders, and he looks to be more than capable. A new look for the ‘Cocks this year will be the expanded use of a tight end. They have a good one in Jared Cook, with lots of size and blocking ability along with nice soft hands. They have big questions on the offensive line—which was decidedly lackluster last year—and they’re replacing 3 starters. Their defense also has a lot to rebuild with the exception, in a big way, of the linebacking corps. OLB Marvin Sapp is a proven commodity, while big hitter Jasper Brinkley will cause Arian Foster et al big headaches up the middle. Expect Spurrier to rush these two to get to Ainge early. It doesn’t help any that this will be played in Columbia, where the fans are every bit as rabid and vociferous as any in Neyland Stadium. Ainge will get rattled and make at least one, maybe two costly interceptions here.
4. LSU—The Bayou Bengals are second maybe only to Florida in their ability to replace talent on an annual basis, just by opening the door. Despite a loss of three big contributors on both lines, they have several solid candidates to step in. Junior Glenn Dorsey already looks to fit the bill nicely on the defensive side, while LB Darry Beckwith is a bruiser. UT may match up evenly with the Tigers up front, but there are just too many offensive weapons. The Tigers are three deep in the backfield, with Jacob Hester a solid addition to an already stellar combo in Broussard and Vincent. Ditto for the QB rotation: JaMarcus Russell has locked up the starting job…for now. One falter early, and he’ll lose the job to Matt Flynn or Ryan Perilloux. Both are ready, and capable, to lead this team in dramatic fashion, despite playing second or third fiddle so far. Slot receiver Trindon Holliday will cause UT’s solid linebacking corps problems, leaving it up to the secondary to catch up to the elusive, diminutive comet. At 5’5”, 165 lbs., he’s easy to miss. He’ll also be the primary returner for the Tigers, so he’ll be another special teams nightmare for a Tennessee team not known for spectacular coverage. The best thing that could be said about this game for UT is that it will be in Knoxville, but the Tiger faithful travel well and they remember last year’s overtime loss to the Vols.
Fans hoping for redemption from last season, in which our beloved Orange and White warriors roar back to place us back on the top shelf of the conference, will most likely be sorely disappointed. This is the Fulmer era; the changes, when they happen, will mimic his preferred style of play on the field. Low scoring, grind it out, no frills or flair, three yards and a cloud of dust, hardnosed, incremental gains. Dramatic turnarounds simply aren’t his style.
This year will be no different. There will be improvements, but he won’t air it out. For those fans impatient for glory—i.e. every last one of us, bless our arrogant, obnoxious hearts—this change will feel like we’re moving at a glacial pace. Get used to it—that’s Fulmer, and that’s your team.
The problem with the kind of change he’s managing is this—in that style of play, small differences are crucial. Inches can literally make or break a possession, a quarter, a game. A season. There’s little room for error, because if you give up a big play or fail to convert on a critical series, it’s not likely that you’ll have a wealth of time left to make it up. You’re down to counting on big plays and big mistakes (from the other team), which haven’t historically been the type of game Tennessee plays to create.
And because there’s so little tolerance for mistakes, you have to have DISCIPLINE in a big way. You have to be known for it. You have to have metronome precision and consistency.
This team does not have it.
Oh, I grant you that discipline has taken a turn for the better, due in no small part to the addition of David Cutcliffe as offensive coordinator. He’s a drill sergeant type coach, and the players have definitely responded. However, we’re still faced with the undeniable reality of four arrests for UT players since May. Has the trend completely reversed?
Lack of discipline off the field translates to—that’s right, you guessed it: the same thing on the field. You’d be hard pressed to find a UT coach (especially in the face of last season’s debacle) or, I would argue, a coach nationwide that would dispute that statement. Lack of discipline on the field translates to costly penalties, hurried throws, interceptions, fumbles, etc. The SEC is an unforgiving conference to a mistake prone team.
So, here’s a list of the SEC foes that Tennessee will likely come unraveled against. (The fifth loss will most likely come in the first game from an out of conference opponent, Cal. Forget that it’s the first game. Forget that it will be hot, and Cal has to travel. Tedford will have his squad ready, and their discipline and running back duo will leave our proud warriors grasping for jersey.) So anyway, here you go:
1. Florida—Urban Meyer’s squad got by on guts and raw talent last year. Oh, that’s right, and UT’s mistakes. This year, however, the Gators are a year older and more experienced. Chris Leak is much more comfortable in Meyers’ scheme than last year, and is a likely Heismann candidate. Potential QB controversy notwithstanding—which Meyer should handle easily and not let it become an issue—this squad will be unified under the coach’s direction, and they have the talent to take it to the house. Cornelius Ingram will make life exciting for UT’s backfield, and solid rusher Billy Latsko is there to take up when DeShawn Wynn needs a breather. Defensive end Jarvis Moss will pressure Ainge early, and often. The only offensive question for the Gators is the offensive line, which had to replace four starters. There is a concern for depth at linebacker, but in the third game of the year that’s not likely to be much of an issue.
2. Georgia—UT has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this game. After all, the Bulldogs lost a lot of talent to the NFL last year. The quarterback position is still up for grabs, with several true freshmen and other untested gunslingers vying for the position. No matter how that shakes out, Richt is likely to be a tad more conservative offensively until the youngsters get a clue. Luckily for Richt, he has a solid stable of running backs to lean on. Thomas Brown will startle some people with his power and cuts, while Jason Johnson will make his mark as well. They’ve had to replace 3 starters, and depth may be limited up front. They’ve also had to replace 75% of their starting secondary with relative newcomers. On the plus side for Georgia, they’ve addressed a huge need by moving Mikey Henderson over to a receiver role, where they believe he will explode past most SEC foes. They have very imposing talent at defensive end with Charles Johnson, and Quentin Moses does not need any introduction to Tennessee players. They also look to have an embarrassment of riches on special teams, with proven veteran Thomas Flowers and newcomer Asher Allen expected to turn some heads. This last one is a particular concern for the Vols, whose persistent struggles on punt coverage are well known throughout the league. Expect this game to come down to 2 or 3 big plays, which Georgia will take full advantage of to get the victory. Oh, and it doesn’t help any that this game will be played between the infamous hedges at Sanford Stadium.
3. South Carolina—Steve Spurrier has his team in much better shape this year, and it’s their second year running his system. Sidney Rice has NFL size talent already, but the other receiver spots are less solid. There is the potential for this squad to be the best unit on the team this year, but it could go either way. They’ll either be stellar or vulnerable, if they have to build their strategy around a lone star in Rice. The signal caller is not going to be a nationally recognized name at the beginning of the year, but if Spurrier has a particular forte it’s in getting maximum production out of pedestrian quarterbacks. Cory Boyd, running back, will carry a lot of offensive production on his shoulders, and he looks to be more than capable. A new look for the ‘Cocks this year will be the expanded use of a tight end. They have a good one in Jared Cook, with lots of size and blocking ability along with nice soft hands. They have big questions on the offensive line—which was decidedly lackluster last year—and they’re replacing 3 starters. Their defense also has a lot to rebuild with the exception, in a big way, of the linebacking corps. OLB Marvin Sapp is a proven commodity, while big hitter Jasper Brinkley will cause Arian Foster et al big headaches up the middle. Expect Spurrier to rush these two to get to Ainge early. It doesn’t help any that this will be played in Columbia, where the fans are every bit as rabid and vociferous as any in Neyland Stadium. Ainge will get rattled and make at least one, maybe two costly interceptions here.
4. LSU—The Bayou Bengals are second maybe only to Florida in their ability to replace talent on an annual basis, just by opening the door. Despite a loss of three big contributors on both lines, they have several solid candidates to step in. Junior Glenn Dorsey already looks to fit the bill nicely on the defensive side, while LB Darry Beckwith is a bruiser. UT may match up evenly with the Tigers up front, but there are just too many offensive weapons. The Tigers are three deep in the backfield, with Jacob Hester a solid addition to an already stellar combo in Broussard and Vincent. Ditto for the QB rotation: JaMarcus Russell has locked up the starting job…for now. One falter early, and he’ll lose the job to Matt Flynn or Ryan Perilloux. Both are ready, and capable, to lead this team in dramatic fashion, despite playing second or third fiddle so far. Slot receiver Trindon Holliday will cause UT’s solid linebacking corps problems, leaving it up to the secondary to catch up to the elusive, diminutive comet. At 5’5”, 165 lbs., he’s easy to miss. He’ll also be the primary returner for the Tigers, so he’ll be another special teams nightmare for a Tennessee team not known for spectacular coverage. The best thing that could be said about this game for UT is that it will be in Knoxville, but the Tiger faithful travel well and they remember last year’s overtime loss to the Vols.
