Vols Lose Game to Georgia, Tyler Bray to Big Orange Pox
by Joel Hollingsworth on Oct 9, 2011 8:49 AM EDT
in Tennessee Volunteer Football
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PrintDrive chart and a few brief comments after the jump.
That is one of the thinnest drive charts I have seen in a long time. Yes, that's three total offensive drives in the first half. Neither team could find the end zone, and the score was tied at the half, but one could say that Tennessee had the edge, having attempted three field goals but missing one while Georgia punted once.
But oh, the second half. On its first possession after the break, a bad snap sailed over Tyler Bray's head on 3rd down, and Matt Darr followed it up with a 31-yard punt, giving the Bulldogs the ball on the bad 38 yard line. A questionable pass interference call put them at the two with a full set of downs, and they turned it into the game's first TD.
On Tennessee's next drive, an apparent touchdown on 3rd and 16 was called back and turned into a 4th and 3, and Dooley sent out the punting unit. This punt was actually good, pinning the Bulldogs deep, but their first play went 71 yards when Malcolm Mitchell get behind our secondary, which Bulldogs had been doing all night without actually catching the ball. I could not tell you where our safeties were the whole game. Anyway, they caught this one, and Georgia turned that play into a touchdown as well, and suddenly the score was 20-6, and the game was pretty much over.
But the bad news wasn't. The Vols could make nothing of a hilarious 4th and 56 for Georgia, and Bray later whacked his throwing hand against a Georgia defender's helmet and either broke or dislocated his thumb. Our kicker had an extra point blocked and then kicked the onside attempt out of bounds. And LSU and Alabama are up next. And then South Carolina.
Herman Lathers out early. Janzen Jackson, gone. Justin Hunter. Gone. Tauren Poole. Something hammy something. Tyler Bray, bad thumb on throwing hand. Pox.
Brace.
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Our hands down best player at four position groups
and our starter at another (Lane is breathing down Tauren’s neck). We really, really need to win one of the next four SEC contests so that we have something to look forward to over the summer, but it’s getting hard to see. Very few teams can lose their three best players (I think that accurately describes Bray, Hunter, and Jackson) and still be good, and we’re far from one of them.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Oct 9, 2011 8:53 AM EDT reply actions
This is turning into the season from Hell.
Things just keep getting worse and worse while we all thought this would be the year we start to turn the corner.
In times like this (and what I expect to come this month)
I try to think along these lines (to paraphrase Thomas Paine):
“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the support of his school; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Disappointment, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
False Hope
Time to realize that this team is not any good. They have the worst running backs in the SEC, hands down. Let’s face it, their O Line is not any good either. They are fair at pass blocking and terrible at run blocking. Bray is good, and the WR’s and TE are good (except for Zack Rogers who drops balls just like his brother). I’m not sure why don’t they just set up in the shotgun and pass every play. The can’t run so stop trying. Please put Poole on the bench where he belongs.
The Defense is horrible. They are not exceptional at any defensive position. They give up too many big plays because they don’t know how to play and they are too slow. Its starting to look like Justin Wilcox is in over his head for SEC games.
Special teams has been bad for years. How is that so? Dooley may be in over his head too. Injuries aside, this team is not making progress.
False Fans
Dooley in over his head, bad D bad Oline. Seriously? This is a team full of talent that happen to be very young and inexperienced. There all Freshmen and Sophomores and they are getting the scars and experience that will make them winners. U can’t win big games in CFB, especially in the SEC with no experience. How about instead of criticizing them like there veterans, we act patient and give them the time they need to learn and grow. The way you talk you must have missed the last 4 years of Tenn. football I guess.
It's hard.
We all want to see some improvement. No one expects the Vols to start competing with LSU and Alabama for a conference title and a BCS berth yet, but it would be nice just to see us knock a conference opponent off once in a while. UGA came in unranked, and though they are much improved from the team that got flogged in the Georgia Dome earlier, these are the sorts of games we’d like to start seeing wins posted. I agree this team is young and needs time, but at the same time it’s disheartening to lose games like this.
Oh dear.
Perhaps you will forgive me for feeling your opinion is worthless, as you seem to have just joined us today to post this shortsighted pessimestic drivel.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti
Three head coaches in four years. That’s how. So we won’t be seeing you at Neyland on Saturday?
I will be there.
by GhostDance on Oct 9, 2011 1:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Where are the Troll pictures when we need them?
We're watching when you are not. Protecting against another 9-11.
Let's see:
1. Worst running backs in the SEC? Marlin Lane’s work out of the backfield says “bull.” Worst blocking I might give you, but there’s always Kentucky.
2. Defense horrible? Absolutely not. Georgia had one touchdown drive of more than 38 yards all game. That’s not a horrible defense. The secondary needs work, but the front seven is fairly good at gap control.
3. Dooley in over his head? On what grounds?
4. “Injuries aside, this team is not making progress.” The hell is that supposed to mean? We’re in the same place as we were last year without the injuries? Wouldn’t that mean we are making progress? Also, note that the Georgia game was closer than last year, the Florida game was closer than last year, the Buffalo game didn’t go to 2 OT, and we best (crushed, no less) a non-conference BCS school for the first time since 2006.
Our OL is pretty bad though, so I’ll give you that.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Oct 9, 2011 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Adding to point 2:
Georgia lived off of a lot of 4th down conversions. A team that’s willing to go for fourth is much harder to defend, and that game only furthered my belief that coaches give up way to easily. (Addendum: Dooley going punt-o-matic in the second half was not my favorite decision in the game.)
I thought the defense did plenty well enough for us to win the game. That bit with the deep passes is disconcerting, but everything else went well.
I agree that teams give up way too easily
but it’s a lot easier to give up when you don’t have a credible ground game that can either bowl ahead for two yards or at least keep the defense guessing. The last time I’ve been confident about a 4th and 1 was probably 2004.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Oct 9, 2011 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I dont have confidence in running for it on 4th
but I liked our chances by the air, especially with what Ryvera was showing.
yeah, but I always feel like a passing team has a lower success rate in short yardage cases than a running team does
which makes it tougher to go for them. the flip side is we do better in long and middle, but that’s not relevant in this case.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Oct 9, 2011 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions
True.
But when they opponent dominates in TOP and # of plays throughout the 3rd quarter, you know you have a potential fatigue issue on your hands, and there’s an increased risk of them killing the clock on you if you punt.
also true
which is why Dooley does his fake punts and onsides every now and again
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Oct 9, 2011 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Punting may feel like giving up...
… but remember that we still have the ol’ get-the-punt-blocked-and-punter-runs-for-first-down play that we used against Buffalo. Georgia just didn’t hold up their end of the bargain.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
In Georgia's position, I wouldn't have blocked either.
play to defend a fake first, and if a modest return is available is there, take it. Just get the ball back and go to work.
I was kidding
But the fact that there would be any question about it illustrates how bad our running game is.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
"A questionable pass interference call put them at the two........"
One of three that I can recount.
GBO!!!
Boils down to one number...
-20. An alternate number to look at and focus on, -0.9. Go figger. This is the SEC. Must develop a rushing game.
'Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.' -Frank Herbert
They lost their fight...
For the first time I can remember in the Dooley era, I saw a team I didn’t recognize in the 2nd half…a team that had lost its fight and its heart…we went down 20-6 and it was like no one believed we could come back and win.
I love Bray as much as anyone but the fact we can’t at least get 50-100 yards rushing a game is ridiculous. Also, I know the defense is young (and talented in some spots) but I’d like to see some improvement..pressure on the quarterback? not getting beat deep time after time? Maybe a big interception or fumble recovery? Yeah that’d be nice…
Sorry..pessimistic post over with now. I still love my Vols and will support Dooley for a long time, but I just want things to start to look better soon..if that’s not too much to ask.
Not the first time - happened against Oregon last year too.
But it was a little easier to take in the second game of Dooley’s tenure than it was last night.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
Yep...
With an average rushing game and Tyler Bray, we’re a very good team… with Tyler Bray and this rushing game we’re staring at 7-5.
One more thing...
Since we’ve already burned redshirts… if Poole and Lane(to a lesser degree) aren’t working, we need to be willing to go deeper into the depth chart. Can’t really hurt at this point.
Also...
Think it’s time to merge get a dedicated running backs coach, only rational explanation I have for us getting worse at rushing when we returned basically everyone.
It’s not the backs. The OL is incredibly soft. Poole is a step slow, I’ll give you that…but any team in America would be all over Marlin Lane if he transferred.
Our OL has to get nasty, they are entirely too pretty.
by GhostDance on Oct 9, 2011 1:25 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
So strange that Hiestand's line didn't really improve run blocking...
At Illinois his lines were generally good, and he was pretty good for the Bears too.
Just personalities? They seem to be more than able to hold their own pass blocking.
Come again?
His Bears lines were the worst in the NFL. And the Illinois fan I know had nothing positive to say about him either.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
Weird...
I could have sworn I saw a stat that they had a top 5 running game, but upon looking again they are sub #20 every year but one.
Average #28 after his first year...
That is pretty terrible.
Sub #20 in sacks allowed every year but his first too.
even after all those stats about getting every four-year player drafted?
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Oct 9, 2011 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree
While the O line has learned to protect Bray they haven’t learned to make holes or push back the D line. While the backs have made errors I really feel more resoponsibility goes to the line than the backs themselves
BloodSpite
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football." -John Heisman
"Nobody despises to lose more than I do. That's got me into trouble over the years, but it also made a man of mediocre ability into a pretty good coach". -Woody Hayes
by Joseph Stanley on Oct 9, 2011 4:09 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
our O-line is different than last year
when we were running decently, we were starting Schofield, Shaw, and Pope/Gooch in the middle. Once we put in Stone and Fulton, our pass blocking got better and our run-blocking got worse.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Oct 9, 2011 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Does an 8 point Blowout make sense? Sorta felt that way
Even in the first half, when we executed the long drives, it felt as though we were lucky to keep the drives going. Conversely, when GA didn’t punch it in for the TD, I felt a sigh of relief. Like we dodged a bullet.
The first two TDs of the second half (for Georgia, obviously) gave me Florida first quarter flashbacks. But, we hung in there generally until the fourth quarter when we looked whipped. The TD that wasn’t (a rare good call) took a lot of hope out of the kids.
Even when we scored the TD (kudos to Simms, btw), we didn’t seem to believe that we could come back to force OT. And, count me firmly in that camp.
I hate to say that we were blown out but it felt that way. Georgia will beat Florida, in my opinion.
I’ll stick with my 6-6 view from the beginning of the season, but 5-7 may creep into the picture if we keep losing players.
We're watching when you are not. Protecting against another 9-11.
I was fine with the first half.
I would have liked to have stopped the 4th down conversions at some point, but a tie heading into halftime was quite alright. We had the ball to start the second half and we had some pieces of the offense working very well.
To me, the big deflation came when Lane’s TD was (rightly) called back. The team was celebrating a TD and then saw it disappear. Then shortly after, Georgia finally hit one of those long passes and a tie game was a 2-score deficit. The emotional swing in those short minutes were what did the team in, imho.
There were some issues. Bray wasn’t as accurate as normal. Our secondary has major issues against deep threat receivers. The defense overpursues. But the game was certainly winnable.
The kicking game was much improved. Both Darr and Palardy seemed more relaxed this weekend. I’ll take that increment and move forward.
Running was better. We won’t be a good running team this year. It’s too late to fix that, but small improvements can be found and there were a few.
But hey, at least we have a straight-up receiving tight end. He’ll likely be Simms’s best friend next week.
the Lane TD review was a huge deflation
and so was the bad snap, which was the first three and out of the game for either team. The early going in the third quarter destroyed us.
Kicking game had it’s moments, but Palardy had a kick blocked and Darr hit a 31 yard punt that gave Georgia their first touchdown
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Oct 9, 2011 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Once again
I am more disappointed in the fans that I am the team. There was at least one occasion where were apparently be booing our own team (I believe it was regarding a decision to punt rather than go for it). I think that irked me more than anything else that I saw on or off the field.
The amount of quit that I saw from the fans in a 2-possession game with an entire quarter left was astounding. Each second that ticked off the clock made a comeback less likely, but that game wasn’t unwinnable until time expired (with a sack… eye twitch). And, to top it all off, I talked to a couple people after the game calling for Dooley’s head.
End rant
I hang out on VolNation sometimes
and a lot of times, there’s good stuff there. Today, it’s a complete cesspool, and for the same reasons you give.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Oct 9, 2011 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
The thumb is broken, just confirmed
https://twitter.com/#!/Vols_Beat/status/123122735474933760
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
Not sure why the whole link didn't hyperlink. You may need to cut and paste the link.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
I think I recall
A NFL player playing with a broken thumb for a time. I am almost positive there was a NCAA player who did as well.
Otherwise I got no clue.
BloodSpite
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football." -John Heisman
"Nobody despises to lose more than I do. That's got me into trouble over the years, but it also made a man of mediocre ability into a pretty good coach". -Woody Hayes
by Joseph Stanley on Oct 9, 2011 4:14 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
But Rucker says they are now saying 6 weeks
https://twitter.com/wesrucker247/status/123141817372909571
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
It will be ok.
This year doesnt seem to be the year that Tenn wins the east; but heck this is only dooley’s second year and you guys have a team loaded with young talent. Besides look at your schedule; you guys are litterally running the gauntlet through the SEC west. You guys are gonna be strong next year.
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