Tennessee lost to Auburn Saturday night 26-22 in a game where the score wasn’t indicative of the missed opportunities that could have given the Vols an actual win instead of another moral victory.
The Vols overcame a 23-6 fourth quarter deficit to pull within a touchdown of the Tigers with 4:19 left in the game.
Just as Tennessee pulled within 10 points of Florida two weeks ago and were one yard away from defeating UCLA on September 12 after late fourth quarter surges, the Volunteers waited too long against Auburn to turn defeat into victory.
While statistically the numbers weren’t sterling, quarterback Jonathan Crompton had what I believed was his best game of the season. Crompton completed less than 50% of his passes, connecting on 20-of-43 for 259 yards and two touchdowns.
But Crompton’s numbers and the outcome of the game may have been very different had receivers Denarius Moore and Qunitin Hancock caught balls that hit them either in the hands or between the numbers.
Tennessee’s inability to convert key third down situations as a result of the dropped passes forced the Vols’ defense to spend entirely too much time on the field.
Auburn held the ball for nearly 10 minutes longer than Tennessee and the Vols’ defense wasn’t able to stop the Tigers from scoring 10 fourth quarter points to seal the game.
For Tennessee (2-3, 0-2), the time has come to start turning moral victories into actual victories. After falling to Auburn, the Vols’ have reached the point of no return in their 2009 season.
The Vols will have to win four of their remaining seven games to become bowl eligible. Considering Tennessee must face Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Ole Miss among the seven remaining opponents, it doesn’t appear their chances of achieving that goal are very good.
Tennessee has shown improvement in key areas, mainly in the offensive line and the overall play of Crompton. Last season’s team would have lost to Auburn by four touchdowns and the fact Tennessee hung tough against the Tigers for 60 minutes is a testament to Lane Kiffin and the entire coaching staff.
Tennessee is clearly better prepared physically and mentally for each game; the Vols have shown more passion, more grit and more determination than at any time throughout the 2008 campaign.
The hard lessons learned from the Vols’ five games so far in 2009 will pay benefits, not only throughout the remainder of this season but in the seasons to come.
Tennessee fans expected improvement in 2009 and they’re getting it even though the results don’t show in the Vols’ record. But Vols’ fans also expected enough improvement to garner a bowl invitation, and that remains a possibility.
But in order for Tennessee to do that, several players have to step up.
Hancock and Moore – I’m calling you out. Catch the damn football. Dropping passes that hit you in the hands or between the numbers is unacceptable. It’s not a question of coaching, it’s a question of concentration.
Coach Kiffin, if Hancock and Moore can’t catch the ball, sit their asses on the bench.
Daniel Lincoln, Tennessee fans are sick of watching you miss makeable field goals.
I’m not calling you out over the blocked extra point, but had Tennessee converted that and had you made the 39-yard field goal early in the first quarter, the game would have been tied at the end of regulation.
Vols’ fans have watched you botch makeable field goals for three seasons, and many of those misses have cost Tennessee victories.
Your situation is no different than Hancock’s and Moore’s – it’s a lack of concentration.
This isn’t the Phil Fulmer era where “working like heck” is going to get it done any more. Your teammates deserve better and you’d be well served to start giving them something back.
Moral victories don’t amount to anything other than losses. The Vols’ three losses this season can generally be attributed to mental errors and breakdowns in mechanics, neither of which is acceptable.
The coaching staff has done a good job of correcting some of those errors, but it’s time for every player on the Volunteers’ roster to commit themselves to addressing the remaining issues that have prevented Tennessee from winning games.
