Okay so on the Dooley always going for it, etc

[BanditVol]

I think some of it is unecessary for sure, and in particular has one bad consequence IMO.  First, what am I talking about?  I'm talking about three specific things in the Arkansas game (though I could cite other things from other games and probably from this one also).  Two of them occured on the same drive.  Our first drive, we cut right through them, which I kind of expect because they aren't really that good on defense.  We get all the way down to the 22.  Dooley comes right out with a Marlin Lane pass?   It loses 4 yards.

 Huh?      Are you effing kidding me?  For the love of God, we don't need to do that!  We just ran all over them by running our standard offense.  Why get cute now?   This puts us in a hole and robs us of momentum.  It's now 2 and 14.  Eventually it's 4th and 13, but we can salvage the drive with a field goal.  3-0 looks pretty good.  They haven't touched the ball yet, but we can give our D some momentum and get on the board first.  The team needs to get something from this drive to give them a lift, right?  So we try a fake FG?  On 4th and 13.  Really?  Really Dooley?  Did we need to do that? 

Later on, we go for it on 4th and short at our own 40 down 2-3 TEs, it fails, and they promptly throw a TD pass, effectively ending the game.  yes, we were in a deep hole before that, but maybe we can just punt their and take our chances on D?

The text editor is now messing me up, so on to the next post....

[BigOrange Maniac]

I like going for it occasionally to try and catch the other team off guard. But a fake FG on 4th & 13 is boneheaded. It's like something Hal Mumme would try. I wouldn't even do that on NCAA Football on the Xbox.

[BanditVol]

So my point is this.....when you do things like the above, and I mean mostly that first drive, I threw the 4th and short in because it seemed related, but now I think the point is well illustrated just by that first drive, so let's focus on that.

When you try two trick plays after moving almost effortlessly 60 yards on your first drive.  You send a messsage.  The message is not, BTW, "we are determined to win this game by any means necessary".  The message I got was I THINK MY TEAM SUCKS AND I HAVE TO DO CRAZY shizzle TO TRY AND WIN.

I mean...REALLY?  The other team has not even scored yet, and you try a tailback throw AND a fake punt against a D that just demonstrated they could not stop us?  This sends a message to your team all right...and to me, it sounds like  I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN YOU AT ALL, BECAUSE YOU SUCK.

That's what I heard, loud and clear.  I think the team heard it also.   

A better strategy...take the three points.  Kick off the ball. Maybe the momentum of scoring first will inspire your D, they get a stop and then you plow through that weak D again. Or maybe not, but I would have liked to have been more conventional on that first drive.

LOL!  Rant over.  All just MO, of course.

[VinnieVOL]

Agree with all of the above. Maybe that's why they quit.  If the coach isn't going to express confidence in them, in their view... What's the point?

Dooley seems less and less a player's coach, as they say.

[genemcever]

I agree with the larger point, but would point out that the FG attempt would have been into a 25 mph wind.  Ark later tried a FG into that wind and it blew way off course.  I don't blame Dooley for making the calculation that a successful FG was unlikely, therefore the best play is to go for it.

I do think our team has the mentality of losers right now.  You see on the field and in the player interviews (not just the Poole interview).

We even had a player disagree with the premise that we have a mental edge because we beat Vandy virtually every time:

From govols.com:

Isn't that the way it often is with Vanderbilt? In the end, something doesn't go their way?
And because of that, come crunchtime, won't Tennessee always have a mental edge?
"Not this year,'' Jackson said, breaking into a grin.

[BanditVol]

I agree with the larger point, but would point out that the FG attempt would have been into a 25 mph wind.  Ark later tried a FG into that wind and it blew way off course.  I don't blame Dooley for making the calculation that a successful FG was unlikely, therefore the best play is to go for it.
Isn't that the way it often is with Vanderbilt? In the end, something doesn't go their way?
And because of that, come crunchtime, won't Tennessee always have a mental edge?
"Not this year,'' Jackson said, breaking into a grin.

I thought about the wind.  It was only a 37 yarder, or at most 41.  Don't think it was really a factor.  I was in the stadium.  Most of the flags for most of the game were blowing TOWARDS that goal.  Maybe Dooley should have looked up.  But...I did look at the flags right after the fake, and they were a bit inconsistent, so it was swirling a bit.  I still say kick the FG, but I will grant it was windy.

So is that Malik Jackson saying that?  That suxes.  He is one of the more emotional leaders IMO.   I hope it was his idea of a sarcastic answer gone bad, but whatever he meant, it almost certainly can't be good.  Sigh.  I hope they bother to show up for the game Saturday.

[3beans]

I don't have a problem with him choosing to go for it.  Our kickers have been pitiful all year and Palardy was hurt last week.  Was he even back to 100%?  I do believe that Palardy also hammered that 12 yard punt in the second half.  Second, going for it on fourth is always, always, always going to make you look like a hero or a goat.  Did you have a problem with the onside kick against Cincy with the score tied at 7?  I think probably not.  Why?  Because it worked.  The fake didn't cost us the game.  I would point a more accusing finger at the int. to end the half as the play that really hurt.  We score there and we're only down 7 (that was a gift on a punt return).  Instead we go into the half pretty much deflated and the rest is history.

[BanditVol]

I don't have a problem with him choosing to go for it.  Our kickers have been pitiful all year and Palardy was hurt last week.  Was he even back to 100%?  I do believe that Palardy also hammered that 12 yard punt in the second half.  Second, going for it on fourth is always, always, always going to make you look like a hero or a goat.  Did you have a problem with the onside kick against Cincy with the score tied at 7?  I think probably not.  Why?  Because it worked.  The fake didn't cost us the game.  I would point a more accusing finger at the int. to end the half as the play that really hurt.  We score there and we're only down 7 (that was a gift on a punt return).  Instead we go into the half pretty much deflated and the rest is history.

I understand the part about something working or not.  I don't have a problem with going for it either.  Not at all. But you have to exercise some judgement though.  It should not be an indiscriminate, always go for it, no matter what the situation or opponent.  That's all I'm saying.  And I still say on 4th and 13 (WHICH WE WOULD NOT BE IN WITHOUT THE STUPID FAKE PASS...IMO  ), kick the FG.

I didn't know Palardy was hurt...I guess that does change things a bit, but his KO's looked fine so line it up and kick it.  And if he is hurt, why isn't Darr punting every time? 


BUt that is an aside.  Getting back to my main topic...back up a couple weeks.  We lost 14-3 to USCe.  I don't care how far down we are, how many players are hurt, we are still TENNESSEE.  We don't need to try some of the stuff we tried against them, with them not having Lattimore or Garcia.  Should have played that one a bit more conventionally also, IMO.

But it's water under the bridge now.  I just hope we show up Saturday, and can look back on the Arkansas game as a low point.

[3beans]

Don't worry.  We WILL kick Candys ass.  I believe.

Go Vols!