Talking Points: Lane Kiffin in a full count with the SEC

by Joel Hollingsworth on Oct 28, 2009 7:42 AM EDT in Rocky Top Talking Points

Living down reputations, Part II. Remember the gas-pumping comment that Lane Kiffin allegedly made to recruit Alshon Jefferey when he told Kiffin he was committing to South Carolina? South Carolina does. Funny how people remember things that didn't even happen nowadays. Or maybe it did happen, as that first linked article says that Jeffery has told teammates that the story is true. In any event, Kiffin's being more careful now (well, yesterday anyway) about what he's saying to the media. He's not talking about the reprimand he received from the SEC this week except to say that he stands up for his players. That attitude may have Kiffin in a full count with the league, but it's paying off with his players. What most viewed as foolish obstinacy in sticking by Crompton now looks like a very wise decision. Consider these additional trendyish numbers on Jonathan Crompton: Against UCLA, Florida, and Ohio, he had two TDs and six INTs for a pass-efficiency rating of 88.44. In the past three games, he has seven TDs, two INTs, and a rating of 141.66 that would put him close to the top 30. And it's not just Crompton. Almost universally, the players are saying that they appreciate Kiffin "having their back" and that it gives them confidence.

QB has wheels. One other key to the Tennessee-South Carolina game to add to this morning's preview: Stephen Garcia is mobile, and if Tennessee's had a weakness on defense this year, it's been dealing with guys like that. Wes Brown says the d-line guys all need to stay in their lanes:

The two inside guys are supposed to stop the step-up and Chris [Walker] and Ben [Martin] on the edges are supposed to make him step up.

On the other side of the ball, OT Aaron Douglas feels better about going against a the Gamecocks' more traditional 4-3 than the Alabama 3-4 (duplicate link) they had to face last week.

Among many entertaining quotes from Ed Orgeron's appearance at a recent quarterback club is this intrigue:

We feel good about the guys that we're recruiting at quarterback, which is the No. 1 position that we had to go out there and find. We've got some that are committed to other schools that we still really like and that we're still going after.

Code for Jesse Scroggins, who shunned Tennessee for Southern Cal this summer? For what it's worth, Scroggins is not on the official visitor's list ($?) for this weekend.

The basketball Vols open exhibition play this Friday against North Alabama at 7:30 at Thompson-Boling. Pearl must be changing things up this season from last because he's got most of his starters back yet still says he's "got about 25 percent of our offense and 75 percent of our defense in." So expect North Alabama's defense to attack the 75% of the offense that's not in and its offense to attack the 25% of the defense that isn't in. I mean, that's what I'd do. Really, I should become a coach.

Apologies to those who wish we'd use links to the print only versions of the articles on GVX. Links are internet currency, and I figured I would think it petty if they did that to us, so golden rule and all.

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Comments

Oh man, Kiffin shouldn't have made the "pumping gas" comment...

Now South Carolina is going to try to beat us!

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Oct 28, 2009 9:27 AM EDT reply actions

Also...

Are there any other sources for Jeffery allegedly admitting that Kiffin didn’t make the comment, other than Kiffin himself? I haven’t seen anyone else saying that. It would be a lot easier to deny that the comment was made if someone other than Kiffin were claiming that Jeffery admitted that Kiffin didn’t say it.

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Oct 28, 2009 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions

I'd be thrilled to death if he DID say it.

I mean, have y’all been to Columbia? It’s like the maw of Hell.

________________________________
I will give my shirt for Tennessee today.

by Holly Anderson on Oct 28, 2009 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions

And Georgia

Would then be the…umm…butt? of Hell I suppose

Can I say butt? ;-)

I told you we would beat Georgia!! Now, as for those 9 wins in '09......
I got bored and made a blog!! SCS

by VolBrian on Oct 28, 2009 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Oh, don't get me wrong....

I think it’s hilarious. It’s just that I keep seeing people (including Joel in this post) saying that it didn’t happen but I never see any source for that info other than Kiffin’s version of the events.

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Oct 28, 2009 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions

The problem is that only Kiffin, Alshon, and that coach were on the phone.

And unfortunately, the coach is a huge SoCar homer, so the whole thing is a matter of opinion.

there was a moment shortly afterwards where Kiffin called Alshon back and Alshon was supposed to have said that the comment never happened. But whatever.

by David Hooper on Oct 28, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

I realize that...

… I just figure it would stand to reason that Jeffery would have told someone else the comment wasn’t made at some point, and we would have a source without the self-serving motivation of Kiffin that could corroborate what Kiffin is saying.

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Oct 28, 2009 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

stranger things have happened

I don’t believe Kiffin would have said that

by golfballs03 on Oct 28, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm with you.

All this ‘he said, she said’ is why I hated talking to most girls in junior high.

by David Hooper on Oct 28, 2009 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions

so you're calling Alshon a middle-school girl?

Don’t tell Moe Brown that. He might get even more motivated to beat us!

by golfballs03 on Oct 28, 2009 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

So that explains why YOU hated talking to THEM...

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Oct 28, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, don't worry; I know exactly why they hated talking to me. ;-)

We engineer-types aren’t exactly the most social-friendly creatures.

by David Hooper on Oct 28, 2009 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions

There's women in Wyoming?!?

I told you we would beat Georgia!! Now, as for those 9 wins in '09......
I got bored and made a blog!! SCS

by VolBrian on Oct 28, 2009 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions

There’s ~~women~~ woman in Wyoming?!?

fixed ;-)

by David Hooper on Oct 28, 2009 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions

lol

I told you we would beat Georgia!! Now, as for those 9 wins in '09......
I got bored and made a blog!! SCS

by VolBrian on Oct 28, 2009 8:42 PM EDT up reply actions

you know .. to go with man.

by David Hooper on Oct 28, 2009 10:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Print View on GVX

Yeah, that was useful right after their new site was launched because it was painfully slow. But since it’s up to speed now, it’s no big deal.

by golfballs03 on Oct 28, 2009 10:00 AM EDT reply actions

They may not like him, But they can't stop talking about him

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/pgStory?contentId=10279088#sport=COLLEGE%20FOOTBALL&photo=10278182

I don't like South Carolina...except Myrtle Beach , Hilton Head , Harbor Island and Charleston and maybe Fort Sumter and of course Darlinton but I think thats it and the golf....but thats all......

by bulldurham on Oct 28, 2009 10:08 AM EDT reply actions

Is anybody else having "Flash10.ocx" problems with this site?

It’s happening at my office and at home on two different types of computers. It crashes both IE7 and Firefiox and that makes me a saaaaad panda.

I told you we would beat Georgia!! Now, as for those 9 wins in '09......
I got bored and made a blog!! SCS

by VolBrian on Oct 28, 2009 10:13 AM EDT reply actions

nope. i use a mac at home and a pc at work

it has crashed when I get on the shoebox podcast or whatever that is.

by golfballs03 on Oct 28, 2009 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

OCX?

OCX is a Windows problem. Basically if you have Windows, you have a problem. Look here. This might help you figure it out. It gave me a headache. Good luck.

by Tennexile on Oct 28, 2009 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions