NCAA Football, Tennessee Volunteers Football NEWS
Volunteers Don’t Have Time To Gel
Published by MoonDog on September 2, 2008
After Monday night’s loss to UCLA, some are suggesting the Tennessee Volunteers need time to develop a rhythm and gel into cohesive units. There isn’t time to do that in college football. The time to prepare has passed and it’s obvious the Vols didn’t utilize the time properly.
Tennessee Vols Head Coach Phil Fulmer
For the second straight year Tennessee appeared to play without a sense of urgency, doing so against a Bruins team that was playing without their top two quarterbacks, their number one tailback and starting tight end.
With the exception of last season’s aberration, the likelihood of gaining a berth in the BCS national championship game with more than one loss is slim. One loss can potentially eject you from contention and the Vols accomplished that in their season opener.
Place kicker Daniel Lincoln missed the potential game-tying field goal in overtime from 34 yards that led to the Vols losing the game.
In reality, Lincoln’s miss wasn’t the reason Tennessee lost to the Bruins. It was a combination of poor play and ineffectual coaching that ultimately cost the Vols.
The poor decisions of head coach Phil Fulmer, defensive coordinator John Chavis and offensive coordinator Dave Clawson were very troubling. Fulmer allowed Lincoln to attempt two field goals which were beyond his effective range, knowing historically that Lincoln hasn’t made field goals beyond 48 yards with any consistency. In fact, he’s missed beyond 48 yards with almost total consistency.
Tennessee Vols Defensive Coordinator John Chavis
Chavis’ decision to play soft late in the game allowed the Bruins to score twice. The Tennessee defense had dominated the first three quarters and were in complete control until Chavis employed the soft zone coverage that has led to late game losses time and again.
Clawson is probably finding out – rather rudely – that running an offense at Richmond University is nothing compared to playing against top-level competition found in the BCS conferences. Monday’s offensive performance was one of the most pathetic during Fulmer’s tenure and again it reverts to poor coaching decisions.
Tennessee was running the ball effectively but continued to pursue the passing attack when Jonathan Crompton wasn’t close on more than half his attempts. To add insult to injury, Clawson’s play calling lacked originality, never moving Crompton out of the pocket, making him an easy target for the Bruins defense.
Tennessee Vols Offensive Coordinator Dave Clawson
Arian Foster’s continued propensity to fumble at crucial times reared its ugly head again. Fulmer knows Foster has fumbled away numerous touchdowns and its obvious the coaching staff hasn’t instructed him on how to properly secure the ball, especially in goal line situations. If Fulmer knows Foster is prone to fumble, why is he in the game in scoring situations?
What matters most now is how the Volunteers respond. The coaching staff is going to need an overhaul in how they prepare and game management must improve dramatically. Tennessee has four games on their schedule that are looking very ominous at this point, with Florida, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama all looking considerably stronger than the Vols at present.
There isn’t time to “work like heck” and placate the Vols’ fan base which has grown weary of poor performances like the one we witnessed Monday night. The time has come to either get it done or not.
Similar Posts:
- Big Orange Embarrassment
- Vols Get Ho-Hum Win Against UAB
- Changing QB’s Doesn’t Help Vols Offense
- UCLA Doesn’t Have Enough To Stop Vols
- Clawson + Crompton = Clueless
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