Here's what Bru had to say...

[rocketcityvol]

Comment from Vols WR illustrates a big issue that Tennessee's offense has in 2023 (msn.com)

[rosefeathers]

Comment from Vols WR illustrates a big issue that Tennessee's offense has in 2023 (msn.com)

What he said about not having the confidence after the first drive is very telling.
The first drive is scripted. After that decisions have to be made on the fly. Joe can't do it and Hype knows it. If Hype knows it, the players know it.

Can Hype adjust his offense to what he has? Because Joe can't run this offense as it currently exists.


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[Tnphil]

Sounds a lot like the difference in our last 2 baseball teams

[Tnphil]

What he said about not having the confidence after the first drive is very telling.
The first drive is scripted. After that decisions have to be made on the fly. Joe can't do it and Hype knows it. If Hype knows it, the players know it.

Can Hype adjust his offense to what he has? Because Joe can't run this offense as it currently exists.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Could be....And exactly like the players and Gitmo.

[InspectorVol]

Could be....And exactly like the players and Gitmo.

Which means it will get worse as long as Joe is pulling the trigger. Don't dislike him as a person but we would be better with Moore.


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[Bill Morgan]

Which means it will get worse as long as Joe is pulling the trigger. Don't dislike him as a person but we would be better with Moore.


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Lol there is no way you actually believe this.


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[InspectorVol]

Lol there is no way you actually believe this.


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You don't know me. I'm pissed at the game plan, effort and the bullshit about trust coming out of the players mouths. If they don't trust Joe then play Moore if you ain't gonna play nico.

Everyone of the coaches shit the fucking bed last night and that is inexcusable. I'm fucking sick of this same old shit year after fucking year. Uf will be lucky to go 6-6 and we made them look great, again.

Maybe Hype will correct it and the year will improve, but I have my doubts.

I could live with a loss as long as we played hard and competed. We did not. We were beat before we took the field and that is 100% on the coaches.

I'm fucking pissed and ain't gonna get over it anytime soon.


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[rocketcityvol]

What he said about not having the confidence after the first drive is very telling.
The first drive is scripted. After that decisions have to be made on the fly. Joe can't do it and Hype knows it. If Hype knows it, the players know it.

Can Hype adjust his offense to what he has? Because Joe can't run this offense as it currently exists.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Then take away options. If we call pass, you pass. If we call run, you run.

[Bill Morgan]

You don't know me. I'm pissed at the game plan, effort and the bullshit about trust coming out of the players mouths. If they don't trust Joe then play Moore if you ain't gonna play nico.

Everyone of the coaches shit the fucking bed last night and that is inexcusable. I'm fucking sick of this same old shit year after fucking year. Uf will be lucky to go 6-6 and we made them look great, again.

Maybe Hype will correct it and the year will improve, but I have my doubts.

I could live with a loss as long as we played hard and competed. We did not. We were beat before we took the field and that is 100% on the coaches.

I'm fucking pissed and ain't gonna get over it anytime soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Let the hate flow. I don't have to know you to know that replacing our starting QB with a 3rd stringer at best is knee jerk anger and lashing out. I'm pissed, too, and the play calling and execution was shitty on both sides.

We have had better teams lose to gators and it happened again this year. I'm all for getting Nico some snaps in meaningful game time, but Garçon is not the answer. Remember several years back when smarter than coached fans cried out to start Peterman in the swamp because Worley sucked? Lyle read everything and obliged… didn't work out too well.


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[InspectorVol]

Let the hate flow. I don't have to know you to know that replacing our starting QB with a 3rd stringer at best is knee jerk anger and lashing out. I'm pissed, too, and the play calling and execution was shitty on both sides.

We have had better teams lose to gators and it happened again this year. I'm all for getting Nico some snaps in meaningful game time, but Garçon is not the answer. Remember several years back when smarter than coached fans cried out to start Peterman in the swamp because Worley sucked? Lyle read everything and obliged… didn't work out too well.


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Oh I remember. Butch set him up to fail because that is how much a bitch butch is. Same way he promised Hurd to run some power running plays and did not do it until the game after he quit. First series of the next game we lined up in the “I” and ran the ball. That was a big FU to Hurd.
Idk who can do what, but I know for damn sure we ain't beating a half decent team with Joe. Not if that is all the game planning our brain trust can come up with. I am waaay more pissed at the staff than players.


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[FLAVOLS]

Tennessee dropped its SEC opener against Florida 29-16 Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. For the Vols it was an ugly, ugly first half of football that put Tennessee behind the eight ball and too much to overcome. Up next is UTSA before returning to SEC play. We review another disappointment in Gainesville with 10 things I think I learned.

The offensive line play is a red flag

Let's first start with how Tennessee got here. The following is a list of guys who Tennessee signed from 2019-2021.

2021:

William Parker — transferred
Jeremiah Crawford — starter

2020:

Cooper Mays — starter, currently injured
Javontez Spraggins — starter
James Robinson — transferred
RJ Perry — transferred

2019:

Darnell Wright — NFL
Wanya Morris — transferred
Jackson Lampley — reserve
Chris Akporgoghene — transferred

So you start there. There's simply not enough veteran guys on this roster. There some young to apparently aren't ready and Tennessee hasn't gotten help in the portal. John Campbell has been a really nice edition but they need more help.

We noted back in the preseason that there were some close to the program who indicated concern with the offensive line. It wasn't a made up storyline. Saturday night those concerns showed up big time.

Tennessee had four false start penalties (three by the offensive line) and two holding penalties as well.

When there weren't penalty issues, Tennessee's offensive front just couldn't hold up very well. On Milton's interception, that was a four-man rush against a six-man protection. There were times on rewatch where Florida got pressure with a three-man front. To compound that, Tennessee's run game, which had been so good the first two games, couldn't make hay running against a lighter box, which is why Florida lived in cover two in the secondary after the first drive where they blitzed twice and were burned.

Tennessee obviously needs to get Cooper Mays back on the field, although we don't know when that might happen. They should also play Gerald Mincey if you aren't suspending him because right tackle Jeremiah Crawford sturuggled. They also have to communicate better. They obviously had too many mental mistakes Saturday night.

Short-Yardage Woes

As of a year ago, Tennessee was a much-improved short-yardage team. They haven't been that this season. On the second possession of the season in Nashville, the Vols had fourth-and-1 and went backward. They had the same scenario a week ago and the play got blown up. In the third quarter in Gainesville they had the same situation and the play got blown up. Tennessee's three short-yardage conversions were a quarterback draw, a jet sweep and a sneak for a touchdown, where two 300 pounders shoved Milton forward. I don't understand why they don't run that more often.

The pre-snap movement seemed to create confusion and problems

I don't confess to knowing all the ends and outs of Tennessee schemes, so I don't want to guess on who's to blame or anything like that. But it certainly does look like on rewatch that Florida's shifts and jet sweep movement caused problems for the defense. The motion seems to get Tennessee out of some of their run fits and gap assignments. Those mistakes also resulted in some missed tackles.

Bottom line is that the movement got Tennessee's defense all out of sorts and it slowed down the speed that seemed to shine in Week 1.

It was all about the middle

Florida's plan of attack in the passing game was to work the middle of the field with the underneath stuff. Graham Mertz didn't have a pass attempt in which the ball traveled 20-plus yards in the air. He only had four attempts of 10-plus yards. Mertz was 12 of 15 for 100 yards and a touchdown in throws over the middle of less than 10 yards. A year ago at South Carolina, Spencer Rattler was 19-for-19 on throws less than 10 yards. He was 9-for-9 on throws between the hashes of less than 10 yards with three touchdowns. Defensive coordinator Tim Banks has to get things cleaned up in the middle of the field with his coverage. It's one of the reasons that the defense struggled to get off the field on third down.

Some Head Scratchers

You can pick everything and every play apart and that's what you do in a loss for sure, but there were a couple of head-scratching play calls that seemed odd. On Tennessee's second possession of the game, leading 7-6, the Vols took a deep shot on second-and-9. I've got no problem with that call, but after the incompletion they came back with a sideways one-yard completion to Jaylen Wright on third-and-9. They didn't have numbers and the play never had a chance. Just odd. Then at the end of the first half, with a chance to steal points, Tennessee ran it four straight times including a second-and-5 after letting the clock run down 39 seconds before calling a timeout, only to come back and run an off-tackle run play. They certainly weren't very aggressive trying to score to end the first half.

Again, every game you can question play-calling but those two in the first half seemed puzzling.

Tackling Struggles

The tackling for Tennessee's defense seems to be going in the wrong direction. The Vols were good in their season opener against Virginia. Their tackling against Austin Peay was not as good and they didn't tackle well at all Saturday night in open space.

Maybe it was Florida's formations and shifts that affected tackling. On Trevor Etienne's long run it was a lack of effort from Kamal Hadden, but for whatever reason the defense's tackling has regressed the last two weeks. It's part of the reason why the defense couldn't get off the field Saturday night on third down.

You gotta start making some off-schedule plays

I mentioned in Friday's 10 things I think I think that you had to make some backyard plays. Tennessee's not making those plays, especially at the quarterback position. Let me be clear here, Joe Milton is not why Tennessee lost at Florida. He did some good things. He played much better to me than he played in Week 2. But Milton has to make some more plays when plays break down. Someone posted on the The General's Quarters Sunday morning that the great quarterbacks make defenses pay when the play breaks down. And the poster is exactly right. Now Milton is no Patrick Mahomes, but Tennessee needs him to create something positive when the play breaks down. Maybe that's scrambling and using his legs. Maybe it's buying some time to throw the ball downfield or avoiding pressure in the pocket by using his legs. I know Milton is not Hendon Hooker and not one is expecting him to be, but this offense needs him to make a few freelance plays.

Have a little discipline

Back to back weeks with 10 penalties is simply unacceptable. Frankly playing Mincey on special teams after he was cited for simple possession the night before leaving for Florida does nothing to help your discipline either. I don't think that's a real good look. If you are going to play him on field goals and extra points then play him on offense. If you are not, then leave him at home and suspend him. Heupel has praised his team's leadership and their approach to things for the last nine months. But all eyes will be on the leadership of this team both on the field and off the field moving forward. On this field if they are going to grow and reach their potential as a team then they are going to have to stop shooting themselves in the foot.

I'm riding with Bru

Tennessee senior receiver Bru McCoy had five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. I think he's Tennessee most consistent receiver. He has enough speed to get vertical. He can make contested catches. He has a big enough body to muscle up a corner and he plays hard. Three weeks into the season, there have been some guys who had made some plays like Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton. Those guys still should be a big part of what you are doing, but I'm forcing the ball more to Bru moving forward.

Closing thought(s)

Alright let me dive into the officiating here. It's not good. That's not an excuse, but it was another rough night for the officiating crew. They missed multiple holds on Florida offensively and defensively. The crack back block is a play that the rules committee has to look at. The optics of that play is always going to look like a penalty. Make that a reviewable play like targeting because those plays often times looks like a penalty when it's really not. … Does Heupel and this offense miss Alex Golesh that much? I don't know how much they miss Golesh's play calling because it's Heupel's system and he's so involved in play callng, but I think he misses Golesh's eyes in the sky. Golesh and Joey Halzle had a great rapport and great chemistry together in the box. I think they are missing that set of eyes upstairs.

[awinatl]

Tennessee dropped its SEC opener against Florida 29-16 Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. For the Vols it was an ugly, ugly first half of football that put Tennessee behind the eight ball and too much to overcome. Up next is UTSA before returning to SEC play. We review another disappointment in Gainesville with 10 things I think I learned.

The offensive line play is a red flag

Let's first start with how Tennessee got here. The following is a list of guys who Tennessee signed from 2019-2021.

2021:

William Parker — transferred
Jeremiah Crawford — starter

2020:

Cooper Mays — starter, currently injured
Javontez Spraggins — starter
James Robinson — transferred
RJ Perry — transferred

2019:

Darnell Wright — NFL
Wanya Morris — transferred
Jackson Lampley — reserve
Chris Akporgoghene — transferred

So you start there. There's simply not enough veteran guys on this roster. There some young to apparently aren't ready and Tennessee hasn't gotten help in the portal. John Campbell has been a really nice edition but they need more help.

We noted back in the preseason that there were some close to the program who indicated concern with the offensive line. It wasn't a made up storyline. Saturday night those concerns showed up big time.

Tennessee had four false start penalties (three by the offensive line) and two holding penalties as well.

When there weren't penalty issues, Tennessee's offensive front just couldn't hold up very well. On Milton's interception, that was a four-man rush against a six-man protection. There were times on rewatch where Florida got pressure with a three-man front. To compound that, Tennessee's run game, which had been so good the first two games, couldn't make hay running against a lighter box, which is why Florida lived in cover two in the secondary after the first drive where they blitzed twice and were burned.

Tennessee obviously needs to get Cooper Mays back on the field, although we don't know when that might happen. They should also play Gerald Mincey if you aren't suspending him because right tackle Jeremiah Crawford sturuggled. They also have to communicate better. They obviously had too many mental mistakes Saturday night.

Short-Yardage Woes

As of a year ago, Tennessee was a much-improved short-yardage team. They haven't been that this season. On the second possession of the season in Nashville, the Vols had fourth-and-1 and went backward. They had the same scenario a week ago and the play got blown up. In the third quarter in Gainesville they had the same situation and the play got blown up. Tennessee's three short-yardage conversions were a quarterback draw, a jet sweep and a sneak for a touchdown, where two 300 pounders shoved Milton forward. I don't understand why they don't run that more often.

The pre-snap movement seemed to create confusion and problems

I don't confess to knowing all the ends and outs of Tennessee schemes, so I don't want to guess on who's to blame or anything like that. But it certainly does look like on rewatch that Florida's shifts and jet sweep movement caused problems for the defense. The motion seems to get Tennessee out of some of their run fits and gap assignments. Those mistakes also resulted in some missed tackles.

Bottom line is that the movement got Tennessee's defense all out of sorts and it slowed down the speed that seemed to shine in Week 1.

It was all about the middle

Florida's plan of attack in the passing game was to work the middle of the field with the underneath stuff. Graham Mertz didn't have a pass attempt in which the ball traveled 20-plus yards in the air. He only had four attempts of 10-plus yards. Mertz was 12 of 15 for 100 yards and a touchdown in throws over the middle of less than 10 yards. A year ago at South Carolina, Spencer Rattler was 19-for-19 on throws less than 10 yards. He was 9-for-9 on throws between the hashes of less than 10 yards with three touchdowns. Defensive coordinator Tim Banks has to get things cleaned up in the middle of the field with his coverage. It's one of the reasons that the defense struggled to get off the field on third down.

Some Head Scratchers

You can pick everything and every play apart and that's what you do in a loss for sure, but there were a couple of head-scratching play calls that seemed odd. On Tennessee's second possession of the game, leading 7-6, the Vols took a deep shot on second-and-9. I've got no problem with that call, but after the incompletion they came back with a sideways one-yard completion to Jaylen Wright on third-and-9. They didn't have numbers and the play never had a chance. Just odd. Then at the end of the first half, with a chance to steal points, Tennessee ran it four straight times including a second-and-5 after letting the clock run down 39 seconds before calling a timeout, only to come back and run an off-tackle run play. They certainly weren't very aggressive trying to score to end the first half.

Again, every game you can question play-calling but those two in the first half seemed puzzling.

Tackling Struggles

The tackling for Tennessee's defense seems to be going in the wrong direction. The Vols were good in their season opener against Virginia. Their tackling against Austin Peay was not as good and they didn't tackle well at all Saturday night in open space.

Maybe it was Florida's formations and shifts that affected tackling. On Trevor Etienne's long run it was a lack of effort from Kamal Hadden, but for whatever reason the defense's tackling has regressed the last two weeks. It's part of the reason why the defense couldn't get off the field Saturday night on third down.

You gotta start making some off-schedule plays

I mentioned in Friday's 10 things I think I think that you had to make some backyard plays. Tennessee's not making those plays, especially at the quarterback position. Let me be clear here, Joe Milton is not why Tennessee lost at Florida. He did some good things. He played much better to me than he played in Week 2. But Milton has to make some more plays when plays break down. Someone posted on the The General's Quarters Sunday morning that the great quarterbacks make defenses pay when the play breaks down. And the poster is exactly right. Now Milton is no Patrick Mahomes, but Tennessee needs him to create something positive when the play breaks down. Maybe that's scrambling and using his legs. Maybe it's buying some time to throw the ball downfield or avoiding pressure in the pocket by using his legs. I know Milton is not Hendon Hooker and not one is expecting him to be, but this offense needs him to make a few freelance plays.

Have a little discipline

Back to back weeks with 10 penalties is simply unacceptable. Frankly playing Mincey on special teams after he was cited for simple possession the night before leaving for Florida does nothing to help your discipline either. I don't think that's a real good look. If you are going to play him on field goals and extra points then play him on offense. If you are not, then leave him at home and suspend him. Heupel has praised his team's leadership and their approach to things for the last nine months. But all eyes will be on the leadership of this team both on the field and off the field moving forward. On this field if they are going to grow and reach their potential as a team then they are going to have to stop shooting themselves in the foot.

I'm riding with Bru

Tennessee senior receiver Bru McCoy had five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. I think he's Tennessee most consistent receiver. He has enough speed to get vertical. He can make contested catches. He has a big enough body to muscle up a corner and he plays hard. Three weeks into the season, there have been some guys who had made some plays like Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton. Those guys still should be a big part of what you are doing, but I'm forcing the ball more to Bru moving forward.

Closing thought(s)

Alright let me dive into the officiating here. It's not good. That's not an excuse, but it was another rough night for the officiating crew. They missed multiple holds on Florida offensively and defensively. The crack back block is a play that the rules committee has to look at. The optics of that play is always going to look like a penalty. Make that a reviewable play like targeting because those plays often times looks like a penalty when it's really not. … Does Heupel and this offense miss Alex Golesh that much? I don't know how much they miss Golesh's play calling because it's Heupel's system and he's so involved in play callng, but I think he misses Golesh's eyes in the sky. Golesh and Joey Halzle had a great rapport and great chemistry together in the box. I think they are missing that set of eyes upstairs.

Who writes this FLA ?? Really good stuff !!!! Man those 4 false starts felt like 10 …..I guess on the bright side we can’t be this bad in every aspect of the game again …..like every unit has nowhere to go up from this one

[Tnphil]

Good read Fla..

And year 3 and the portal we shouldn't be in this shape on the OL.....The writer was spot on in his breakdown.

[rocketcityvol]

Tennessee dropped its SEC opener against Florida 29-16 Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. For the Vols it was an ugly, ugly first half of football that put Tennessee behind the eight ball and too much to overcome. Up next is UTSA before returning to SEC play. We review another disappointment in Gainesville with 10 things I think I learned.

The offensive line play is a red flag

Let's first start with how Tennessee got here. The following is a list of guys who Tennessee signed from 2019-2021.

2021:

William Parker — transferred
Jeremiah Crawford — starter

2020:

Cooper Mays — starter, currently injured
Javontez Spraggins — starter
James Robinson — transferred
RJ Perry — transferred

2019:

Darnell Wright — NFL
Wanya Morris — transferred
Jackson Lampley — reserve
Chris Akporgoghene — transferred

So you start there. There's simply not enough veteran guys on this roster. There some young to apparently aren't ready and Tennessee hasn't gotten help in the portal. John Campbell has been a really nice edition but they need more help.

We noted back in the preseason that there were some close to the program who indicated concern with the offensive line. It wasn't a made up storyline. Saturday night those concerns showed up big time.

Tennessee had four false start penalties (three by the offensive line) and two holding penalties as well.

When there weren't penalty issues, Tennessee's offensive front just couldn't hold up very well. On Milton's interception, that was a four-man rush against a six-man protection. There were times on rewatch where Florida got pressure with a three-man front. To compound that, Tennessee's run game, which had been so good the first two games, couldn't make hay running against a lighter box, which is why Florida lived in cover two in the secondary after the first drive where they blitzed twice and were burned.

Tennessee obviously needs to get Cooper Mays back on the field, although we don't know when that might happen. They should also play Gerald Mincey if you aren't suspending him because right tackle Jeremiah Crawford sturuggled. They also have to communicate better. They obviously had too many mental mistakes Saturday night.

Short-Yardage Woes

As of a year ago, Tennessee was a much-improved short-yardage team. They haven't been that this season. On the second possession of the season in Nashville, the Vols had fourth-and-1 and went backward. They had the same scenario a week ago and the play got blown up. In the third quarter in Gainesville they had the same situation and the play got blown up. Tennessee's three short-yardage conversions were a quarterback draw, a jet sweep and a sneak for a touchdown, where two 300 pounders shoved Milton forward. I don't understand why they don't run that more often.

The pre-snap movement seemed to create confusion and problems

I don't confess to knowing all the ends and outs of Tennessee schemes, so I don't want to guess on who's to blame or anything like that. But it certainly does look like on rewatch that Florida's shifts and jet sweep movement caused problems for the defense. The motion seems to get Tennessee out of some of their run fits and gap assignments. Those mistakes also resulted in some missed tackles.

Bottom line is that the movement got Tennessee's defense all out of sorts and it slowed down the speed that seemed to shine in Week 1.

It was all about the middle

Florida's plan of attack in the passing game was to work the middle of the field with the underneath stuff. Graham Mertz didn't have a pass attempt in which the ball traveled 20-plus yards in the air. He only had four attempts of 10-plus yards. Mertz was 12 of 15 for 100 yards and a touchdown in throws over the middle of less than 10 yards. A year ago at South Carolina, Spencer Rattler was 19-for-19 on throws less than 10 yards. He was 9-for-9 on throws between the hashes of less than 10 yards with three touchdowns. Defensive coordinator Tim Banks has to get things cleaned up in the middle of the field with his coverage. It's one of the reasons that the defense struggled to get off the field on third down.

Some Head Scratchers

You can pick everything and every play apart and that's what you do in a loss for sure, but there were a couple of head-scratching play calls that seemed odd. On Tennessee's second possession of the game, leading 7-6, the Vols took a deep shot on second-and-9. I've got no problem with that call, but after the incompletion they came back with a sideways one-yard completion to Jaylen Wright on third-and-9. They didn't have numbers and the play never had a chance. Just odd. Then at the end of the first half, with a chance to steal points, Tennessee ran it four straight times including a second-and-5 after letting the clock run down 39 seconds before calling a timeout, only to come back and run an off-tackle run play. They certainly weren't very aggressive trying to score to end the first half.

Again, every game you can question play-calling but those two in the first half seemed puzzling.

Tackling Struggles

The tackling for Tennessee's defense seems to be going in the wrong direction. The Vols were good in their season opener against Virginia. Their tackling against Austin Peay was not as good and they didn't tackle well at all Saturday night in open space.

Maybe it was Florida's formations and shifts that affected tackling. On Trevor Etienne's long run it was a lack of effort from Kamal Hadden, but for whatever reason the defense's tackling has regressed the last two weeks. It's part of the reason why the defense couldn't get off the field Saturday night on third down.

You gotta start making some off-schedule plays

I mentioned in Friday's 10 things I think I think that you had to make some backyard plays. Tennessee's not making those plays, especially at the quarterback position. Let me be clear here, Joe Milton is not why Tennessee lost at Florida. He did some good things. He played much better to me than he played in Week 2. But Milton has to make some more plays when plays break down. Someone posted on the The General's Quarters Sunday morning that the great quarterbacks make defenses pay when the play breaks down. And the poster is exactly right. Now Milton is no Patrick Mahomes, but Tennessee needs him to create something positive when the play breaks down. Maybe that's scrambling and using his legs. Maybe it's buying some time to throw the ball downfield or avoiding pressure in the pocket by using his legs. I know Milton is not Hendon Hooker and not one is expecting him to be, but this offense needs him to make a few freelance plays.

Have a little discipline

Back to back weeks with 10 penalties is simply unacceptable. Frankly playing Mincey on special teams after he was cited for simple possession the night before leaving for Florida does nothing to help your discipline either. I don't think that's a real good look. If you are going to play him on field goals and extra points then play him on offense. If you are not, then leave him at home and suspend him. Heupel has praised his team's leadership and their approach to things for the last nine months. But all eyes will be on the leadership of this team both on the field and off the field moving forward. On this field if they are going to grow and reach their potential as a team then they are going to have to stop shooting themselves in the foot.

I'm riding with Bru

Tennessee senior receiver Bru McCoy had five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. I think he's Tennessee most consistent receiver. He has enough speed to get vertical. He can make contested catches. He has a big enough body to muscle up a corner and he plays hard. Three weeks into the season, there have been some guys who had made some plays like Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton. Those guys still should be a big part of what you are doing, but I'm forcing the ball more to Bru moving forward.

Closing thought(s)

Alright let me dive into the officiating here. It's not good. That's not an excuse, but it was another rough night for the officiating crew. They missed multiple holds on Florida offensively and defensively. The crack back block is a play that the rules committee has to look at. The optics of that play is always going to look like a penalty. Make that a reviewable play like targeting because those plays often times looks like a penalty when it's really not. … Does Heupel and this offense miss Alex Golesh that much? I don't know how much they miss Golesh's play calling because it's Heupel's system and he's so involved in play callng, but I think he misses Golesh's eyes in the sky. Golesh and Joey Halzle had a great rapport and great chemistry together in the box. I think they are missing that set of eyes upstairs.

Very good analysis. Thanks for sharing.

[Bill Morgan]

Tennessee dropped its SEC opener against Florida 29-16 Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. For the Vols it was an ugly, ugly first half of football that put Tennessee behind the eight ball and too much to overcome. Up next is UTSA before returning to SEC play. We review another disappointment in Gainesville with 10 things I think I learned.

The offensive line play is a red flag

Let's first start with how Tennessee got here. The following is a list of guys who Tennessee signed from 2019-2021.

2021:

William Parker — transferred
Jeremiah Crawford — starter

2020:

Cooper Mays — starter, currently injured
Javontez Spraggins — starter
James Robinson — transferred
RJ Perry — transferred

2019:

Darnell Wright — NFL
Wanya Morris — transferred
Jackson Lampley — reserve
Chris Akporgoghene — transferred

So you start there. There's simply not enough veteran guys on this roster. There some young to apparently aren't ready and Tennessee hasn't gotten help in the portal. John Campbell has been a really nice edition but they need more help.

We noted back in the preseason that there were some close to the program who indicated concern with the offensive line. It wasn't a made up storyline. Saturday night those concerns showed up big time.

Tennessee had four false start penalties (three by the offensive line) and two holding penalties as well.

When there weren't penalty issues, Tennessee's offensive front just couldn't hold up very well. On Milton's interception, that was a four-man rush against a six-man protection. There were times on rewatch where Florida got pressure with a three-man front. To compound that, Tennessee's run game, which had been so good the first two games, couldn't make hay running against a lighter box, which is why Florida lived in cover two in the secondary after the first drive where they blitzed twice and were burned.

Tennessee obviously needs to get Cooper Mays back on the field, although we don't know when that might happen. They should also play Gerald Mincey if you aren't suspending him because right tackle Jeremiah Crawford sturuggled. They also have to communicate better. They obviously had too many mental mistakes Saturday night.

Short-Yardage Woes

As of a year ago, Tennessee was a much-improved short-yardage team. They haven't been that this season. On the second possession of the season in Nashville, the Vols had fourth-and-1 and went backward. They had the same scenario a week ago and the play got blown up. In the third quarter in Gainesville they had the same situation and the play got blown up. Tennessee's three short-yardage conversions were a quarterback draw, a jet sweep and a sneak for a touchdown, where two 300 pounders shoved Milton forward. I don't understand why they don't run that more often.

The pre-snap movement seemed to create confusion and problems

I don't confess to knowing all the ends and outs of Tennessee schemes, so I don't want to guess on who's to blame or anything like that. But it certainly does look like on rewatch that Florida's shifts and jet sweep movement caused problems for the defense. The motion seems to get Tennessee out of some of their run fits and gap assignments. Those mistakes also resulted in some missed tackles.

Bottom line is that the movement got Tennessee's defense all out of sorts and it slowed down the speed that seemed to shine in Week 1.

It was all about the middle

Florida's plan of attack in the passing game was to work the middle of the field with the underneath stuff. Graham Mertz didn't have a pass attempt in which the ball traveled 20-plus yards in the air. He only had four attempts of 10-plus yards. Mertz was 12 of 15 for 100 yards and a touchdown in throws over the middle of less than 10 yards. A year ago at South Carolina, Spencer Rattler was 19-for-19 on throws less than 10 yards. He was 9-for-9 on throws between the hashes of less than 10 yards with three touchdowns. Defensive coordinator Tim Banks has to get things cleaned up in the middle of the field with his coverage. It's one of the reasons that the defense struggled to get off the field on third down.

Some Head Scratchers

You can pick everything and every play apart and that's what you do in a loss for sure, but there were a couple of head-scratching play calls that seemed odd. On Tennessee's second possession of the game, leading 7-6, the Vols took a deep shot on second-and-9. I've got no problem with that call, but after the incompletion they came back with a sideways one-yard completion to Jaylen Wright on third-and-9. They didn't have numbers and the play never had a chance. Just odd. Then at the end of the first half, with a chance to steal points, Tennessee ran it four straight times including a second-and-5 after letting the clock run down 39 seconds before calling a timeout, only to come back and run an off-tackle run play. They certainly weren't very aggressive trying to score to end the first half.

Again, every game you can question play-calling but those two in the first half seemed puzzling.

Tackling Struggles

The tackling for Tennessee's defense seems to be going in the wrong direction. The Vols were good in their season opener against Virginia. Their tackling against Austin Peay was not as good and they didn't tackle well at all Saturday night in open space.

Maybe it was Florida's formations and shifts that affected tackling. On Trevor Etienne's long run it was a lack of effort from Kamal Hadden, but for whatever reason the defense's tackling has regressed the last two weeks. It's part of the reason why the defense couldn't get off the field Saturday night on third down.

You gotta start making some off-schedule plays

I mentioned in Friday's 10 things I think I think that you had to make some backyard plays. Tennessee's not making those plays, especially at the quarterback position. Let me be clear here, Joe Milton is not why Tennessee lost at Florida. He did some good things. He played much better to me than he played in Week 2. But Milton has to make some more plays when plays break down. Someone posted on the The General's Quarters Sunday morning that the great quarterbacks make defenses pay when the play breaks down. And the poster is exactly right. Now Milton is no Patrick Mahomes, but Tennessee needs him to create something positive when the play breaks down. Maybe that's scrambling and using his legs. Maybe it's buying some time to throw the ball downfield or avoiding pressure in the pocket by using his legs. I know Milton is not Hendon Hooker and not one is expecting him to be, but this offense needs him to make a few freelance plays.

Have a little discipline

Back to back weeks with 10 penalties is simply unacceptable. Frankly playing Mincey on special teams after he was cited for simple possession the night before leaving for Florida does nothing to help your discipline either. I don't think that's a real good look. If you are going to play him on field goals and extra points then play him on offense. If you are not, then leave him at home and suspend him. Heupel has praised his team's leadership and their approach to things for the last nine months. But all eyes will be on the leadership of this team both on the field and off the field moving forward. On this field if they are going to grow and reach their potential as a team then they are going to have to stop shooting themselves in the foot.

I'm riding with Bru

Tennessee senior receiver Bru McCoy had five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. I think he's Tennessee most consistent receiver. He has enough speed to get vertical. He can make contested catches. He has a big enough body to muscle up a corner and he plays hard. Three weeks into the season, there have been some guys who had made some plays like Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton. Those guys still should be a big part of what you are doing, but I'm forcing the ball more to Bru moving forward.

Closing thought(s)

Alright let me dive into the officiating here. It's not good. That's not an excuse, but it was another rough night for the officiating crew. They missed multiple holds on Florida offensively and defensively. The crack back block is a play that the rules committee has to look at. The optics of that play is always going to look like a penalty. Make that a reviewable play like targeting because those plays often times looks like a penalty when it's really not. … Does Heupel and this offense miss Alex Golesh that much? I don't know how much they miss Golesh's play calling because it's Heupel's system and he's so involved in play callng, but I think he misses Golesh's eyes in the sky. Golesh and Joey Halzle had a great rapport and great chemistry together in the box. I think they are missing that set of eyes upstairs.

Fax. Our O line was infinitely better when we had the Sullins twins. Hopefully Maze can return soon and we can shuffle up and deal our best players on the field at the same time, regardless of what position they think they should play.

Dylan Sampson not getting a touch was baffling. Was he suspended, too? Jabari runs hard, but he doesn't have the quicks that Sampson and Wright have.

I have been vocal for a long time about the TE down the middle of the field. Is Brandon Warren still on the team?

The play calling was trash, the execution was trash, the refs were trash, gators are trash, and the game was trash.

GBO

GFYWD


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[tnjimbob]

OK, so Bru says our team has a confidence problem. How do you coach confidence?

Back in the day, you would run steps or wind sprints until you figured it out and got your confidence back, at least to the point where you didn't make the same mistakes again. Hell, Woody Hayes would have hit a player to convey a message, but that's obviously not the answer.

As noted in another post about Ole Miss, kids today will sue over anything if they feel slighted or inconvenienced, but how do you get players to buy into the program, accept responsibility for both good and bad, and take correction and criticism as it is intended - to improve the team on the field and off.

I wouldn't want to be a coach these days, and I hope Hype figures it out pretty damn quick or we're in for a long season.

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[awinatl]

OK, so Bru says our team has a confidence problem. How do you coach confidence?

Back in the day, you would run steps or wind sprints until you figured it out and got your confidence back, at least to the point where you didn't make the same mistakes again. Hell, Woody Hayes would have hit a player to convey a message, but that's obviously not the answer.

As noted in another post about Ole Miss, kids today will sue over anything if they feel slighted or inconvenienced, but how do you get players to buy into the program, accept responsibility for both good and bad, and take correction and criticism as it is intended - to improve the team on the field and off.

I wouldn't want to be a coach these days, and I hope Hype figures it out pretty damn quick or we're in for a long season.

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Well the dynamics of our confidence are all out of whack ….our 5th year/6th year Sr quarterback should be the one giving out the encouragement to his teammates not the one having to constantly receive it ……I guess we don’t have a plan B so it’s gonna be a bumpy ride the rest of the way

[Tnphil]

Well the dynamics of our confidence are all out of whack ….our 5th year/6th year Sr quarterback should be the one giving out the encouragement to his teammates not the one having to constantly receive it ……I guess we don’t have a plan B so it’s gonna be a bumpy ride the rest of the way

Unless things change and we shit some players that can play it could get real bumpy.

[Hoojang]

Don't make any sense. Marching down and scoring on your opening drive is about the best way to gain confidence over your opponent there is, not lose it... If anything the offense should have gained motivation and the defense should have gained confidence from knowing the O had their back and could out score the lizards...

I dunno, this team has become the hardest to figure out. Seems the coaching is the best we've had since 98 and has shown they can out coach the opposition, especially when they are the dog but then again they can lay an egg when they are favored. Where's that killer instinct when we're the favs?

The one apparent cause of this loss is our QB doesn't have "it' and we don't have a bonified leader on the D. Once CJH figures how to negate those shortcomings we may see them finish with some highly anticipated victories, if not CJH will suffer from last years success...

I do hate those lizards, turds, butt sniffers, chickens and pretty much everyone we line up against....
Come on VOLS, shit and get off the pot..