Very upset with coaching

[Volznut]

1 - I'm amazed that once we were 17-0 up that the offense went into a shell. We had them on the ropes and then went away from what we do best. We took away our best weapons and started throwing balls to people like Alex Ellis and a 90% Marquez North. Instead, we should have targeted people like Pig, Jennings, and Kamara more. We should have run our base zone read more - seemed to just go away from that
2 - I had heard Kamara was a good receiver out of the backfield. Why not try it?
3 - Why drop back pass with Josh Dobbs? That isn't his game.
4 - 4th and goal and you kick a FG?  Who did NOT know that would bite us? Cincinnati mindset - wow, we can get ahead of them, let's play it conservative. I thought Fulmer was back.
5 - How many sacks did that QB escape from? That kid was a gamer. He flat out willed them to win
6 - We need a playmaker when a play is needed - like the Sheppard kid. No one stepped up. The only guy we seem to have like that is Hurd.
7 - Defense played well but who didn't know they would eventually get tired?
8 - Our walk ons killed us. Jumper. Ellis.
9 - We continue to not try any deep balls. Hell try one! Oklahoma did and got a PI call!
10 - Declining Holding penalties - wth?

Azzani and Debord lost this game for us. No killer instinct. I'm sure we will blow out western Carolina - but Butch needs to win games like ones tonight - and this game was on the coaches.

Not happy. That was a game for us to take - and we folded like the losers we have been for the past 8 years.

[PirateVOL]

1 - I'm amazed that once we were 17-0 up that the offense went into a shell. We had them on the ropes and then went away from what we do best. We took away our best weapons and started throwing balls to people like Alex Ellis and a 90% Marquez North. Instead, we should have targeted people like Pig, Jennings, and Kamara more. We should have run our base zone read more - seemed to just go away from that
2 - I had heard Kamara was a good receiver out of the backfield. Why not try it?
3 - Why drop back pass with Josh Dobbs? That isn't his game.
4 - 4th and goal and you kick a FG?  Who did NOT know that would bite us? Cincinnati mindset - wow, we can get ahead of them, let's play it conservative. I thought Fulmer was back.
5 - How many sacks did that QB escape from? That kid was a gamer. He flat out willed them to win
6 - We need a playmaker when a play is needed - like the Sheppard kid. No one stepped up. The only guy we seem to have like that is Hurd.
7 - Defense played well but who didn't know they would eventually get tired?
8 - Our walk ons killed us. Jumper. Ellis.
9 - We continue to not try any deep balls. Hell try one! Oklahoma did and got a PI call!
10 - Declining Holding penalties - wth?

Azzani and Debord lost this game for us. No killer instinct. I'm sure we will blow out western Carolina - but Butch needs to win games like ones tonight - and this game was on the coaches.

Not happy. That was a game for us to take - and we folded like the losers we have been for the past 8 years.

Re 2: we threw three times to Kamara; two screen pass attempts and a throw to the flat for a first down in OT
Re 9: we went deep three times with no completions, including the drop by Ellis (actually a nice route combo). North was open deep on a fly one other time but Dobbs was running for his life.

[TheRealOrange]

Re 2: we threw three times to Kamara; two screen pass attempts and a throw to the flat for a first down in OT
Re 9: we went deep three times with no completions, including the drop by Ellis (actually a nice route combo). North was open deep on a fly one other time but Dobbs was running for his life.

The drop by Ellis was huge.

[Volznut]

The drop by Ellis was huge.

Ellis should not be out there at that time. We have a much better TE.

[TheRealOrange]

Ellis should not be out there at that time. We have a much better TE.

Before the play, I predicted a TD pass to Wolf, but Pirate pointed out that Ellis was in the game.  That was a crucial dropped pass.

[VinnieVOL]

I couldn't understand declining multiple holding penalties, either.  Several things coaching wise to be upset about for this game.   

[Volznut]

Having Jumper in there on their 4th qtr drives also killed us. Doug Matthews said today that he is not am SEC caliber LB. Get Kirkland in there. He may be a freshman but he can make plays.

[PirateVOL]

Having Jumper in there on their 4th qtr drives also killed us. Doug Matthews said today that he is not am SEC caliber LB. Get Kirkland in there. He may be a freshman but he can make plays.

agreed

[crockettman]

Having Jumper in there on their 4th qtr drives also killed us. Doug Matthews said today that he is not am SEC caliber LB. Get Kirkland in there. He may be a freshman but he can make plays.

He screwed the pooch twice on that last drive when we had them stopped on 3rd dwn with hold penalties..Gave them two critical first downs..Agreed..put the freshman in there and get him off the field..

[murfvol]

I have no defensive complaints. I'll take 17 in regulation, even if it could have been less.

I also won't delve into any of football' s fine points. I'm not qualified.

However, 3 issues from a macro perspective were clear.
1) Why Kamara on 3rd and 1?
2) Why snap the ball quickly in the 4th quarter when you need to run clock? Several times >20 seconds were left.
3) Why willingly go to overtime? The wind was in our faces, but you gotta do something other than take a knee. See Dooley, Derek v. Mizzou.

Admittedly I've been Jones' biggest critic regarding personnel decisions and general strategy , so factor in that. He's done a good job building the roster.

[BanditVol]

I have no defensive complaints. I'll take 17 in regulation, even if it could have been less.

I also won't delve into any of football' s fine points. I'm not qualified.

However, 3 issues from a macro perspective were clear.
1) Why Kamara on 3rd and 1?
2) Why snap the ball quickly in the 4th quarter when you need to run clock? Several times >20 seconds were left.
3) Why willingly go to overtime? The wind was in our faces, but you gotta do something other than take a knee. See Dooley, Derek v. Mizzou.

Admittedly I've been Jones' biggest critic regarding personnel decisions and general strategy , so factor in that. He's done a good job building the roster.

On 3, I agree with you, although two different people I have discussed it with said it was risky in our end of the field.  I don't care...they had the momentum going to OT, and that's how it played out.
Momentum going into OT is huge...see our USC game last year.

I understand that OU had three timeouts left, but we ran on first down and OU did not call TO.  So run again on second down, get the clock to 20 seconds and try a deep pass.  If its an Int it's as good as a punt. If it's a incomplete, punt the ball with 10 seconds left.  Heck, our guy was averaging around 50 yards per punt. 

Or at least try to run the ball to a first down and then try passes.  The bottom line is I don't care we were starting around our 20, they had all the mo and we should have been trying to win it.

[PirateVOL]

On 3, I agree with you, although two different people I have discussed it with said it was risky in our end of the field.  I don't care...they had the momentum going to OT, and that's how it played out.
Momentum going into OT is huge...see our USC game last year.

I understand that OU had three timeouts left, but we ran on first down and OU did not call TO.  So run again on second down, get the clock to 20 seconds and try a deep pass.  If its an Int it's as good as a punt. If it's a incomplete, punt the ball with 10 seconds left.  Heck, our guy was averaging around 50 yards per punt. 

Or at least try to run the ball to a first down and then try passes.  The bottom line is I don't care we were starting around our 20, they had all the mo and we should have been trying to win it.

re 3:  seemEric Ainge against ND
Given the time and distance, proper call IMO

[BanditVol]

re 3:  seemEric Ainge against ND
Given the time and distance, proper call IMO

You seem to be in the majority, but for me, the momentum trumps that. 

[Creek Walker]

The one thing I can't let go of is that Butch Jones asked the fans to go all in for this game. The fans went all in, and created one hell of an atmosphere. It's hard to call it the best-ever at Neyland because there have been so many great games and great moments there, but it was definitely one of the best, and probably the best since Florida '98.

The fans went all in. Butch Jones didn't. He coached scared. He coached scared from the beginning, but the crowd and outstanding defense kept Oklahoma frazzled. That's the most infuriating second half of Tennessee football I believe I have EVER watched, and I've watched a lot of infuriating Tennessee football these past eight years.

[PirateVOL]

The one thing I can't let go of is that Butch Jones asked the fans to go all in for this game. The fans went all in, and created one hell of an atmosphere. It's hard to call it the best-ever at Neyland because there have been so many great games and great moments there, but it was definitely one of the best, and probably the best since Florida '98.

The fans went all in. Butch Jones didn't. He coached scared. He coached scared from the beginning, but the crowd and outstanding defense kept Oklahoma frazzled. That's the most infuriating second half of Tennessee football I believe I have EVER watched, and I've watched a lot of infuriating Tennessee football these past eight years.

this

[TheRealOrange]

The one thing I can't let go of is that Butch Jones asked the fans to go all in for this game. The fans went all in, and created one hell of an atmosphere. It's hard to call it the best-ever at Neyland because there have been so many great games and great moments there, but it was definitely one of the best, and probably the best since Florida '98.

The fans went all in. Butch Jones didn't. He coached scared. He coached scared from the beginning, but the crowd and outstanding defense kept Oklahoma frazzled. That's the most infuriating second half of Tennessee football I believe I have EVER watched, and I've watched a lot of infuriating Tennessee football these past eight years.

I agree with every word of this.

[murfvol]

Ditto. My concern is fans could probably could have dealt better with a loss that was a pitched battle, than one which was close to in the bag. If you lose the latter, a lot of goodwill is forfeited.

Also, I'm still playing the momentum card in OT. If you haven't scored in 40 minutes, and they've scored twice in 10, you don't want to extend the game. Reasonable people can disagree, but that's my take.

[VinnieVOL]

The one thing I can't let go of is that Butch Jones asked the fans to go all in for this game. The fans went all in, and created one hell of an atmosphere. It's hard to call it the best-ever at Neyland because there have been so many great games and great moments there, but it was definitely one of the best, and probably the best since Florida '98.

The fans went all in. Butch Jones didn't. He coached scared. He coached scared from the beginning, but the crowd and outstanding defense kept Oklahoma frazzled. That's the most infuriating second half of Tennessee football I believe I have EVER watched, and I've watched a lot of infuriating Tennessee football these past eight years.

This hits the nail square on the head right here.  

I've heard both arguments for the FG on 4th and goal, and I understand both stances.  But when he trotted out Medley you could really tell the crowd was let down, as if to say "you cranked us up for this?"  Of course there were what seemed like a dozen more moments later where we could've put it away, but that play right there set the tone. 

I can't stand the man, but Urban Meyer scores a TD 10 times out of 10 there.

[VinnieVOL]

http://thesoutheasterner.com/2015/09/13/just-win/

[Tnphil]

http://thesoutheasterner.com/2015/09/13/just-win/

I read that this afternoon and it is spot damn on. And, there are at least 200,000 VOL fans that could have written that same article.

[murfvol]

Thanks for the link Vinnie. I had not read it, but had thought it.

I still wonder what things would be like if Worley hadn't gone down last year. We probably aren't bowl eligible, miss on some recruits, and lack offseason hype. Butch was bailed out. Hopefully he gets it together.

[Volznut]

You have a hungry fan base. You have a program that hasn't had a win over a top 25 opponent in who knows how long.

YOU HAVE TO TAKE SOME CHANCES AND GO FOR THE WIN!

Yes you absolutely go on 4th and goal from the 2 ft line! That was just a PUSS ass move.

Yes you try to get in FG range at the end of the game, you have 39 seconds, teams have gotten that done in much less time, and I believe they had 2 time outs.

Bottom line is at this point in the program, you can't coach scared, you have to go for it. If it fails that's ok...at least you tried!

[BanditVol]

I'm kind of "meh" on the field goal attempt because we rather easily scored two tds not long after that.

Just keep playing like that and whether you went for it on fourth and 1 very early in the game doesn't matter.

I disagree with the blogger that Jones coached cared the entire game. It was only after we went up big that we pulled back. Or that's how it seemed to me anyway.