I'm sure it's just conditioning, right?

by volinkentucky on Sep 2, 2008 1:53 AM EDT Comment 1 comment

After watching the post game Rick Neuheisel love fest on the world-wide leader, trying to find the ability to just go to bed and not see the prevent defense in my dreams, I noticed that Coach N had said that he felt that UCLA had better conditioning and that "Tennessee got tired."

How can you get tired playing 10-15 yards off every wide receiver and tight end in the 2nd half, while the opposing QB is passing 5 yards deep every time? (One thing I am certain of, Chavis is out of shape.) Is it that Chavis has gotten too predictable in the last few years? Is it defensive talent or lack thereof? I'm sure it's just conditioning right? Why would you handcuff one of the best secondaries in the nation by playing soft and not bringing heat from the safeties or corners?? Did anyone hear Eric Berry's name in the second half. One of the most dynamic players in the country made to play a soft cover 2 most of the game?

I understand this is just one loss, but did anyone else notice how the offense lacked the same creativity during the middle of the game that it had in the 1st quarter? We saw some different things early and then all of a sudden, cute and soft. Dink and dunk in the passing game out of new formations. The running game was pretty solid when they actually got to RUN THE BALL! Throwing 40+ times a game with a first time starter with mostly solid tailbacks? UGHHHHH!!!!! Briscoe had the best catch of the night. Well, at least we don't play Florida soon. Oh, wait........

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VolinKentucky...Yep, you're right. A safety blitz should have been utilized a time or two

I’m quite sure the Def. Coord. is going to get an ear full back in Knoxville. Here’s my take on things:

I only saw (while blogging w/you folk) the second half. It hasn’t been 24 hours yet, but darn near close, so I feel I can provide a somewhat objective opinion to what I witnessed last night.

Ball possession was almost completely dead even at the end of regualtion but it felt like Tennessee’s Defense was on the field the entire second half.

It is very difficult for a Def. Coord. to make adjustments during a half, but Chavis failed by staying w/the 4-3 and rushing 5 on almost every UCLA possession. Craft and the offensive line would led the D through, dump to a TE or someone else w/in 5 to 15 yards over the middle. How can you play zone D and have the LB’s line up so far off the line of scrimmage? Every first step the LB’s took was backward. Not laterally nor forard. Always backward. Granted, it looked as if the UT Defense owned this game at halftime (defensively) so there was no adjustment to be made AT halftime. I do not blame the players for being exhuausted. They played as hard as they could. I blame the coaching staff for this one.

Crompton takes WAY too long to make a decision. This will come with time, so I’m a bit reticant to put too much blame on this kid. But someone in the coaching staff must have noticed how long it takes this kid to make a decision. Is Tennesse using timing routes or not? It looks to me as if they’re not or else the ball would be out of the kids hand sooner. Is UCLA’s secondary that good that they can cover us so well? I wish I were home in time to see the INSTANT classic that ESPN is showing of the game, that way I could pay attention to see what D-fense UCLA was running.

(last one) Hardesty is much more impressive than Foster. Is Foster averse to hitting or getting hit. He seems to be waiting on K-Trans for a ride to the end zone. Foster…HIT THE DANG HOLE! Drive your body into the area you want to go to, stop looking for a way around players. The game is just too fast to wait for something to develop in front of you. Hardesty appears to have more natural speed and more of a forward momentum type of style. My vote is for Hardesty. Indirectly, why, o why does Phil feel like he needs to pass when he’s got plenty of time on the clock and he’s down by less than a touchdown?