Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt: Final Player Report

by Brad Shepard on Nov 22, 2011 10:15 AM EST

Looked the Part: DA'RICK ROGERS, TAUREN POOLE, PRENTISS WAGGNER, AUSTIN JOHNSON, ERIC GORDON, MALIK JACKSON

Lay off me!! We haven't won a game in decades, and it's impossible for me to pick just one from the group above. Rogers made the two touchdown catches including an otherworldly one for the game-tying touchdown. Poole really saw holes open up through the Pistol and ran for 107 yards, striking a balance. Swagg got the huge, overshadowed interception at the end of regulation that kept Vanderbilt from attempting a game-winning field goal in regulation. Johnson and Jackson had terrific games defensively, wreaking havoc in different facets of the game all night. And Gordon had the game-clincher that included a terrific break on the ball and sent the Vols to a win. We've not gotten to celebrate a ton this year, and all of these guys deserve recognition, among others.

Bless His Heart: MYCHAL RIVERA

The Vols really needed another weapon in the passing game, and Rivera had provided that before Bray got injured. In this one, he had just one catch for 11 yards and really wasn't a factor. Then, when UT needed him to come up with a big touchdown catch on the drive where we got the break on the field goal and Rogers bailed us out with the game-tying touchdown, he let a bullet pass that should have been caught glance off his hands at the goal line. We have to have our tight end make that play. This is really a stretch because most of the Vols had good games, but I expected Rivera to make the crucial play, and he didn't. That's been plaguing the Vols all season, not having players make the clutch plays. We saw that, after that point, there were some orange-clad heroes, though. This is being really picky, but I couldn't find any other candidates. Alex Bullard had the awful snap but played a pretty stellar game besides. Tyler Bray had two awful throws, but just his presence in the huddle and in the passing game boosted UT. Michael Palardy, well, he isn't great, but it wasn't completely his fault that the field goal was blocked. It did frustrate me that he booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, but it didn't hurt us. So, we'll go with Rivera. But I don't have to like the choice, and I don't.

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It might not have been Palardy's fault that the FG was blocked, but it was his fault that it WASN'T blocked.

Given that the line had failed, any kick with a chance of making it through the uprights would have been blocked, and that penalty would not have been called. That was another case of two-wrongs-equals-one-right for us, where a blown block and a blown kick resulted in a new play and a touchdown.

I will say this much for Palardy: it’s possible that having that Vandy guy blow through the line so quickly startled him as he was kicking, and it’s possible that caused the bad kick. I’m far from asserting that, but I’ll give the possibility. It’s even more unreal that the official ruled that to be a non-block on the field, though.

by David Hooper on Nov 22, 2011 10:32 AM EST reply actions

I reviewed that play a bunch

and I think you’re right about Palardy getting affected by the penetration through the guard/tackle gap which was right into his vision. Any flynch or natural reaction to steer the ball under the approaching blocker would have resulted in a low knuckler which is what happened.

The hit pinned and rolled his planted ankle pretty good. He/we are fortunate that it wasn’t a serious injury. It could have, maybe should have, been a roughing call. I wouldn’t be surprised if his ankle and his head weren’t still a bit tweaked going into the kick-off.

by phil g on Nov 22, 2011 2:15 PM EST up reply actions

He did make the extra point though.

So there’s that.

by David Hooper on Nov 22, 2011 2:26 PM EST up reply actions

My head just exploded.

Holdin' it down on enemy grounds.

Anti-Snail on offense; Give me a slobberknocker, or give me death!

by Brad Shepard on Nov 22, 2011 10:47 AM EST reply actions

Clean up on aisle 3!

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 Nov 22, 2011 10:53 AM EST up reply actions

My kingdom for a reliable kicking game.

;-)

by David Hooper on Nov 22, 2011 12:29 PM EST up reply actions

kicking game over a coach that would make better decisions?

;-)

by phil g on Nov 22, 2011 2:16 PM EST up reply actions

oh wait...that jab should have been directed at Brad

Never mind

by phil g on Nov 22, 2011 2:17 PM EST up reply actions

BUUUUUUUURN

Holdin' it down on enemy grounds.

Anti-Snail on offense; Give me a slobberknocker, or give me death!

by Brad Shepard on Nov 22, 2011 7:54 PM EST up reply actions

Rod Wilks is a candidate for Bless His Heart

Looked lost in a lot of the coverage situations

by phil g on Nov 22, 2011 1:25 PM EST reply actions

He was also the one who was beat for that TD.

by David Hooper on Nov 22, 2011 2:13 PM EST up reply actions

Exhibit A

and ran right into the tackler during the fumble return…doh

by phil g on Nov 22, 2011 2:18 PM EST up reply actions

My priorities for a defender with the ball:

1. Secure the ball.

2. Don’t run backward. Ever.

3. Secure the ball.

4. Get the yardage that is there.

5. Secure the ball.

6. Avoid tacklers.

by David Hooper on Nov 22, 2011 2:27 PM EST up reply actions

You can't get 4 without doing 6

He did everything on your list except avoiding the tacklers which limited the yardage that was there.

by phil g on Nov 22, 2011 2:32 PM EST up reply actions

In 4, I just meant the immediate yardage that no defender can possibly hope to stop.

I.e. Gordon’s TD run where there was nobody in front of him. I might have been able to word it better.

by David Hooper on Nov 22, 2011 2:41 PM EST up reply actions

I do agree that Wilks could have done better.

But I will forgive defenders for that if they hold the ball and don’t run backwards – especially into the end zone.

by David Hooper on Nov 22, 2011 2:42 PM EST up reply actions

fur sure

by phil g on Nov 22, 2011 2:59 PM EST up reply actions

He also didn't secure the ball ;-)

______________________________________________
Boom. Here comes the Boom. Braydy or not. Here comes the boy from the West.

by bobothevol on Nov 23, 2011 3:34 AM EST up reply actions

It's not enough to qualify for 'looked the part' but

how about the short yardage formation with Tiny at FB? That was nasty. The Vandy LB just fell down in front of charging Tiny, didn’t want any part of that exchange. Tiny is going to be a monster in the coming years. I’d like to see him actually get the ball sometime in a short yardage play.

by phil g on Nov 22, 2011 2:22 PM EST reply actions

Looked the Part: Crazypants formations

Waaay before this game, I’ve LOVEDLOVEDLOVED the close-bunch pistol with a far-side receiver look. I’m happy as a clam we’re running it, and even happier that it featured so heavily in the only game I actually got to attend this year. It’s extremely flexible and just weird enough to give defenders fits.

Also, has anybody seen that bizarre jumbo/almost-double-wing pistol with two(!) lead blockers thing we ran before? We also ran a play-action out of it (play sorta busted). It’s seriously a formation I’ve never even seen before.

by _trey_ on Nov 22, 2011 4:37 PM EST reply actions

Tiny Richardson was one of the lead blockers too

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 Nov 22, 2011 5:05 PM EST up reply actions

I CAN'T BELIEVE WE BURNED HIS REDSHIRT TO PLAY FULLBACK

WHAT IS DOOLEY THINKING WE SHOULD HAVE REDSHIRTED TINY AND WORLEY AND KEPT THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE.

by David Hooper on Nov 22, 2011 5:11 PM EST up reply actions

when they stop turning pro in three years, we'll start redshirting them

whatchu think about that, CLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

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 Nov 22, 2011 5:21 PM EST up reply actions

what I wanna know is why DOOLEY is MESSING with FORMATIONS when

it’s not like it’s the SUPER BOWL we just need to PLAY WITH INTENSITY
IMMMA HANG UP AND LISTEN

by _trey_ on Nov 22, 2011 5:47 PM EST up reply actions

Look the part

How bout a gaterade soaked Dooley?
FEAR THE PANTS!

GO BIG ORANGE!!

by Master Jedi Starkiller on Nov 22, 2011 6:21 PM EST reply actions

Meh, not for a Vandy victory sweet as it was and always will be

by phil g on Nov 22, 2011 7:59 PM EST up reply actions

If we had not gone down

by 7 and came back like that (first time this year), I would agree. I ask you what did you think went we went down by 7? Even knowing Dooley was 10 – 0 when leading at the half, I was begining to fear the worst. I have been to all the home games this year and the Cinci game was my favorite until this one. The players believed he should get it, that’s enough for me. If the game had went any other way it would not be worthy. I don’t have the full quote but Majors said “going 6-6 and getting a bowl bid saturday’s comeback win could be the turning point for CDD’s UT career”. I also agree Tennessee is Tennessee and Vandy is Vandy. This year many thought Vandy would win, but the team responded, and it is this response I feel is enough this one time. Before saturday nobody would believe you if you told them Tennessee would go down by 7 in the 3rd quarter and pull off the win and why should anyone, the team hadn’t done it all year.

FEAR THE PANTS!

GO BIG ORANGE!!

by Master Jedi Starkiller on Nov 22, 2011 9:22 PM EST up reply actions