Spread?  Clawson wasn't running a spread offense at UT. 

And even if he were, was Fulmer recruiting players not capable of picking up an offense in a full off season? 

Don't buy it, Bandit.  It's football.  It's not rocket surgery. 

You are correct sir.  It's not rocket surgery.  It took me five minutes to fine dozens of articles stating that Clawson is a spread guy.   


Bottom line....Clawson is definitely a spread coach, and hiring him was UT moving to a spread offense.  Auburn did the same stupid shizzle and both (very accomplished) coaches paid with their jobs.

I would love to hear why you think the Vols were NOT going to a spread offense. I can assure you there is an article out there somewhere quoting Fulmer talking about moving to the spread. 

So again, my point is that it was a dumb idea.  I think we can both agree on that.

[e’s a better fit in Clawson’s spread offense]

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/08/11/fresh-take-wake-forest-names-true-freshman-as-starting-qb/

Wolford was given the nod in the quarterback competition, because he’s a better fit in Clawson’s spread offense than sophomore Tyler Cameron and junior Kevin Sousa.


http://www.si.com/college-football/2013/10/23/dave-clawson-bowling-green

Bowling Green reached a bowl in Clawson's first season, as he inherited 22 seniors from former coach Gregg Brandon, Urban Meyer's old offensive coordinator at the school. Clawson kept the principles of Brandon's spread offense and led the Falcons to a 7-6 record.

http://oldgoldandblack.com/?p=40960

Clawson wants to run a spread offense and the best fit for that offense is Wolford.  In the Aug. 10 scrimmage, Wolford also had a 12-yard touchdown run. He has natural running ability and has great quickness for the position.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/61200-dave-clawson-tony-franklin-at-crossroads-in-tennessee-auburn-matchup

Clawson was outside the Tennessee Family, where the same "vanilla" scheme had been run for the better part of the last three decades. Clawson promised to get the ball to the playmakers. And the words that've spread through the SEC like honey on our lips—the spread offense—began to be whispered in Knoxville.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1338083-is-tennessee-better-off-four-years-later-after-firing-phil-fulmer

After Offensive Coordinator David Cutcliffe left to take the Duke head coaching job in 2007, Fulmer finally caved to pressure and went out and hired a spread offense coordinator, Dave Clawson from Richmond.

Spread?  Clawson wasn't running a spread offense at UT. 

And even if he were, was Fulmer recruiting players not capable of picking up an offense in a full off season? 

Don't buy it, Bandit.  It's football.  It's not rocket surgery. 

Dude Clawson ran the spread.  I read like 500 articles on his time at Richmond.  Okay five.   

Got sent home from work 4 hours early on excused leave.  I ain't complainin'.   

No matter what the real story was, it comes down to the head coach being in charge. Therefore, I blame Fulmer. If Clawson or Sanders were screwing up it the HC 's job to identify and fix it. Fulmer didn't do that. He was rightly fired.

I don't have any issues with anyone saying Fulmer is ultimately responsible. I have often said the same myself.  My issue is with the idea that Sanders was "held back" by Fulmer.  Sanders may well have wanted to try some innovations in our stale offense, but no amount of innovation is going to help when you get called for delay of game 2-3 times a game, often jump offsides, snap the ball at the last possible second 7-8 times a game and then look unready to play, fail to execute, etc.

Again, the product that Sanders put on the field was simply shabby and sloppy IMHO.  That is ultimately the responsibility of the HC, but that does not happen because the HC is "holding back" the OC from calling certain plays.  In that case the OC could have been Bill Walsh resurrected from the dead, calling plays as a zombie and it still would not matter because the execution would suck.  

If you don't believe that Fulmer didn't allow Clawson to implement his offense, then how do you explain that during EVERY other year that Clawson was either an OC or a head coach serving as his own OC that his offenses were very productive? The only year a "Clawson" offense struggled was his year at UT.

Just a coincidence?  I don't think so. 

So you are saying you can take an offense constructed to be pro style, in the SEC, plug in a new guy and just suddenly start running the spread?  And remember, Crompton is your QB.  Even though he played better in 2009, he wasn't exactly a rocket scientist.  Not the guy you want while making radical changes to your offense (particularly since Clawson was his third OC). 

I think what is far more credible is simply that it was a terrible idea to try and implement the spread with a bunch of players not recruited for it.  Fulmer in his time was a good coach, and so was Tuberville down at Auburn, who should have won an NC in 2004.

They both had the same stupid idea to go to the spread in 2008 and both paid for it with their jobs.  What a banner year for bammer that was. 

Does that mean Tuberville was "holding back" his guy also? 

[1998 33]

Clawson's track record speaks for itself.

As for Sanders, didn't he call plays in a national championship game that we won? And didn't he do pretty good from 1999-2004? Sanders wasn't the world's greatest OC, but he wasn't nearly as terrible as he's made out to be. He was the '05 scapegoat.

This has been endlessly hashed over.  Sanders called the plays for a team Cutcliffe constructed.  Play calling was never Sanders issue anyway, other than getting stale.  It was the execution and discipline of the offense.

And no, things were not that great from 99-2004.  The offense steadily declined.

Average Points Scored

1998   33
1999   31
2000   32
2001   31
2002   23
2003   28
2004   29
2005   19
2006   28

The bolded years are Cut years.  Notice the decline in 1999 even though Cut had to break in a new QB in 1998.  Notice the instant improvement in 2006.

Regardless, I'm not really debating the relative worth of Sanders as an OC.  Heck, he was better than some of the Dooley years or 2008 at least.  

What I am mostly attacking is the ridiculous idea that "Fulmer held Sanders back".  Sounds like Randy crying in his beer or making excuses to me.  And there is not...excuse me...ONE fizzleING SHRED OF PROOF that this was so, other than fans talking on a message board.

No doubt some of those same folks were shocked that Gruden is not our HC.  

Yeah. Then Fulmer could've kept DeBord under his  thumb and DeBord would've eventually been the scapegoat.

Or such is the completely undocumented rumor.

Cut sure wasn't under Fulmer's thumb.  Sanders also (IMO) suxed as the OC of UK, and Clawson simply didn't have time to do a complete reboot of the team with Crompton as his QB.

I think what is much more likely is just that (a) Sanders suxed, and (b) Fulmer was an idjut to try and change horses in mid-stream with Clawson.  IMO, he should have found a proven pro-style OC.

I simply laugh at anyone who thinks Sanders suxed because Fulmer "had him under his thumb".  I guess that means that Fulmer was constantly holding Randy's arms behind his back so that the signal from the sideline was almost always late.  No doubt he also instructed the OL to constantly jump offsides and the QB to always snap the ball really late.  Finally, he no doubt secretly also told the entire offense to look sloppy and disorganized for the duration of the game.

Yes, clearly Fulmer was the mastermind deliberately undermining Randy Sanders so that he could eventually get fired and lose his job! 

The things I saw in our offense from 1999-2005 were not primarily issues with play-calling, although that was very stale.  What I saw was an offense that struggled to get the snap off in time, was constantly jumping offsides, and generally looked sloppy and undisciplined.

All those are directly on the OC.   Maybe Fulmer did interfere with Sander's play-calling...but the team was not prepared to execute regardless of what plays were called.  I think what happened instead is Sanders tried to excuse his lousy performance by blaming  Fulmer but I know what I saw.   

I was contemplating using it for part of some travel I have coming up this summer.  The reviews are simply awful. I am going to pass.  Just curious...has anyone tried it?

I figure Peyton has 1-2 years left even if Denver has the greatest OL of all time.

One thing that could help him is going ahead and leaving the game after its in hand.  He never has wanted to do that, but might as well start now.

Oh, it's out there and out there in a big way, Bandit.  Look at some of the other UT fan forum sites.  That attitude is there. 

Oh okay.  Well every fan base has it's share of idjuts...

Maybe an unfortunate choice of word.  "Bummer" in this case simply means he is screwed by getting indicted.  It was intended to be light-hearted, but definitely not intended to imply lack of responsibility for his actions.  I could have said "the crows have come home to roost", "the other shoe has dropped", etc.    My intent was to convey that he now has to face the consequences of his actions.

At the same time, as others have pointed out, he has yet to be found guilty.  As flawed as it is, we have to let the justice system work this out.

And HTK, no offense, but I don't think anyone is questioning the NFL's decision.  Yes, it was complete no-brainer, but thanks for pointing that out anyway.   

I didn't get a chance to watch this one. Wow, looks like we did stink it up.

Oh well, maybe we can win the SECCT. 

Okay I found this.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local-news/webutrape12_51912218

They were indicted two days ago, which definitely explains the "un-invite".

Unfortunately it does look like he ruined his NFL career.  Best hope might be to be found innocent and try again next year or in the supplemental draft.  Or go to jail, I guess.   

I think with a win today, the Vols can go 5-2 down the stretch of the remaining 7 games.  I doubt we beat UK or LSU on the road (though a win to day at least improves the odds).

That would leave us 19-11 overall and 11-7 in the SEC.  That seems a classic bubble record.  Of course, if we beat UK I think we are in, but that is likely asking too much.

Any thoughts?  Or has the NCAA tourney already left the building?  (barring an undefeated run, which seems unlikely).

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/12324505/nfl-withdraws-combine-invitation-former-tennessee-linebacker-aj-johnson

Should be a cautionary tale for all college athletes. Heck, for anyone really.

Anyone know the status of his case?

Well that should settle it.  Peyton can coach our next QB, the one after Dobbs.   

That was an amazing win.   

My expectations are 8-4 and 9-4 if we win the bowl without thinking about it too much.  I need to go over the schedule in more detail.

My minimum expectations are "better than last year".  With Dobbs and the frosh from last year being more experienced and all the new talent coming in, we definitely should improve on last year's record

Wow.  And I thought it just sounded fantastic.  She's got a killer voice.

Oh she looks and sounds great, no doubt.  I just don't care for the song and definitely not the original band that sung it.

Let me put it this way....those guys didn't need to be singing "I want it that way", if you know what I mean.  That was an image I didn't need.   

Great! That combines what are honestly two of my least favorite forms of music. Broadway musicals and the Backstreet Boys.   

Are they competing to see which is gayer?  If so, I vote for the Backstreet Boys. 

 

We will beat the damned silver britches off Georgia this year..Had them against the ropes the last 2 yrs and let them slip out of our hands and with less talent..

I like the way you think 

But Go Vols

Lol

Marriotta will be less of a risk to get arrested than Crab Legs Winston. It will just be a matter of time until Winston does something very, very stupid again. Although he may be the most talented QB out there, he has zero character IMO.

Yeah he's projected first.  Tampa Bay has done other stupid shizzle tho so......