Talking points: The T-2 is FULL OF LIES!

by Joel on Apr 14, 2009 7:21 AM EDT in Rocky Top Talking Points Comment 20 comments

Two more practices and a scrimmage, and some spots are still up in the air. Both corners and free safety are unsettled in the secondary. Two of three LB spots are still up for grabs, and along the offensive line, folks are still moving around to different positions. Left tackle Chris Scott and guards Vladimir Richard and Jacques McClendon all appear to be part of whatever that line ends up looking like, but Josh McNeil is still in a fight for the starting center position with Cody Sullins. Right tackle is wide open, and could be filled by Cody Pope, Jarrod Shaw, William Brimfield, Aaron Douglas, or Dallas Thomas.
WRs. Gerald Jones is probably entrenched at one of the starting positions. After that, most of the talk is about Quintin Hancock, Austin Rogers, and Denarius Moore. Brandon Warren has his number back and is getting some attention, and the coaches say that he is "making progress" on the mental aspect of the position, but you have to wonder why, if that's the case, that's the thing they choose to say when asked about Warren.
One of the best things about the T-2? It's full of lies. Eric Berry:

It's hard to tell because of our disguises. A lot of teams probably won't be able to determine where the blitz is coming from ... or if we're blitzing at all. It's how we display our defense.
The QB play in 2008 was bad, but it wasn't the worst ever, according to Inside Tennessee's Randy Moore. That distinction goes to 1971, when Phil Pierce, Dennis Chadwick, Chip Howard, and Jim Maxwell went 71-179 (39.7%) for 951 yards with 16 INTs and three -- 3! -- touchdowns. Somehow, the team finished 10-2, though, so . . . wow. Moore gave second place to 1980 and dishonorable mention to 2005.
There is growing evidence that this team might actually have a killer instinct -- or at least it's being taught to have one. Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney says that the game plan will -- gasp! -- change on a weekly basis depending on the opponent's weakest link. Somebody remind us of this when we lose a game doing something different from what worked the prior week. Other new things: No hanging out in the weight room. Players have to wear matching gear and no jewelry, iPods, or hats. Don't expect an illusion this Saturday for the Orange and White Game like we were treated to last season. It may in fact be ugly for the offense, but remember that the offense didn't look all that bad in the O&W Game a year ago.
This quote from Gerald Jones might explain the height of futility last year:

This time last year, we were still making mistakes all around. The receivers didn't know where to go. The quarterback didn't know where to throw the ball, and the linemen didn't know who to block.

This sentiment came out in the media only as an "It's complicated" quote from one of the players.

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Comments

I don't know Randy Moore. I don't know his business.

But I’ve no doubt that Jonathan Crompton is the worst starting QB in UT history. I think the fact that he didn’t play every snap of every game helped last year’s ranking.

by wvvol on Apr 14, 2009 10:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You're going to be a lot of fun when Crompton starts in the fall...

;-)

by Hooper on Apr 14, 2009 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

BJ seems to be making a push though, no?

now with less meyton panning.

by Pride of the Southland on Apr 14, 2009 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps.

When (i.e. if) Kiffin has them switch places in 1st team / 2nd team work, we’ll get a much better idea how it’s going between them.

Really though, it’s so much more fun to tell wvvol that Crompton is starting rather than he might be starting. (Hey, it’s a tedious morning at work today.)

by Hooper on Apr 14, 2009 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think there should be a post again after Spring practice is over debating the two.

I think Coleman has a lot of upside but I get the feeling that Kiffin is keeping him on the 2nd team till next year.

now with less meyton panning.

by Pride of the Southland on Apr 14, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Everyone talks about how great it is that we have open competition for the positions on the team, but now that Crompton has earned the first spot (albeit temporarily… the competition is ongoing), all of these theories about the coaches not knowing what they are doing, having Crompton has the starter until a QB commits, or whatever, just doesn’t make sense. People talk about how Coleman needs to be “given” a chance to play with the 1s during scrimmages. They are all about open competition… up until their guy doesn’t win. Suddenly, he should be “given” something.

Coleman isn’t scrimmaging with the 1s because he (up to this point) has not performed well enough in drills and 7 on 7s to earn the right to play with the 1s. Crompton can’t be the worst QB in UT history because he’s not even the worst QB on this team right now. I realize that simple logic fails anytime Crompton’s name is mentioned, but that’s just the way it is. I was just as fed up with Crompton as everyone else was after the Auburn game, and I hoped that he would never see the field again. However, Kiffin has come in and given everyone a clean slate. This policy applies to everyone. Not just to the 2nd and 3rd stringers that you believe are more talented - it extends to the starters from last year who either a) underperformed or b) should never see the field. If you want true competition, you can’t pick and choose who is given a chance to compete.

/rant done. And it’s not necessarily directed at anyone.. except maybe wvvol who never misses a chance to say something about Crompton :).

by rblakeh on Apr 14, 2009 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you!

I was the biggest Crompton critic ever last year and I am scared to death that he will suck again. But I have faith that CLK knows what he is doing and if Crompton is number one it is because he is number one.

I feel like the people chomping at the bit for Coleman to play are the same people that cried and moaned for Childress to play basketball.

by BigBeefe on Apr 14, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Do you think Kiffin would come out and say

“Last year was no fluke, this guy sucks?”

by wvvol on Apr 14, 2009 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

But why is he still first string?

by rblakeh on Apr 14, 2009 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The fact that he might suck less than the other guys doesn't mean he doesn't suck.

by wvvol on Apr 15, 2009 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

Well said.

"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."

by Getoffmyvols on Apr 14, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope I'm wrong.

But I said he is the worst starting QB in school history. And statistics don’t tell the whole story, he doesn’t inspire people the way a good starting QB does.

by wvvol on Apr 14, 2009 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You think he's going to be bad? I've been holding it.

by Graysnail on Apr 14, 2009 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re: Brandon Warren and Gerald Jones

Wilson said the other day (concerning Warren’s recent progress) that they plan on him playing (maybe starting, can’t remember) by this fall. “We didn’t move him to WR for no reason.” — more or less what Wilson said.

I saw an interesting quote from Jones the other day. Something along the lines of how the coaching staff is still more intense than most of the players. He said that most of the players still “have a little bit of last year in us” in terms of intensity. I really like Jones - he speaks his mind.

by rblakeh on Apr 14, 2009 11:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs