Trying very hard to find reasons for the defensive Charlie Foxtrot

[BanditVol]

1. The oft mentioned option, nuff said
2. The offense sputtered, to put it kindly, early in the game.  Not good against a team that runs the aforementioned option. Got gassed early.
3. We do still lack depth at key positions.

that's it.  That's all I've got.  the good news is, 1 will not return this season, and 2 and 3 are improvable (3 if some youngsters (a) step up, or (b) are allowed to step up, take your pick).

Not much, but I will say this.  We just allowed a record number of running yards.  I don't expect that record to be broken.  

But I do think, going forward,they won't be on the field as much either.  3 might be wishful thinking, but we have some talent buried on the bench.  If I'm Stoops  Shoops [corrected this typo, but man do I WISH we had Bob Stoops!] , I am doing everything I can to get it ready.

Note that I did not list coaching.  Doesn't mean I don't think it's a factor.  So let me add the following to my subject line: (other than defensive coaching, which is so obvious it doesn't bear mentioning, and also fills me with despair for this season)  

Florida will be the true test.  It can't get here fast enough.  Our team and coaches had best use that time wisely.  

[10EC]

1. The oft mentioned option, nuff said
2. The offense sputtered, to put it kindly, early in the game.  Not good against a team that runs the aforementioned option. Got gassed early.
3. We do still lack depth at key positions.

that's it.  That's all I've got.  the good news is, 1 will not return this season, and 2 and 3 are improvable (3 if some youngsters (a) step up, or (b) are allowed to step up, take your pick).

Not much, but I will say this.  We just allowed a record number of running yards.  I don't expect that record to be broken.   :

I think 75% of it was the 1 YD off the LOS we gave them. I still have not heard the exact reasons we did that, but good God you give anyone that kind of advantage it means zero penetration which is what blows up option offenses.  Pulling Gaurds and Tackles had zero issue getting to their assignments.

I'm not the Def Coord so maybe they know more than me, but that seemed insane.
But I do think, going forward,they won't be on the field as much either.  3 might be wishful thinking, but we have some talent buried on the bench.  If I'm Stoops  Shoops [corrected this typo, but man do I WISH we had Bob Stoops!] , I am doing everything I can to get it ready.

Note that I did not list coaching.  Doesn't mean I don't think it's a factor.  So let me add the following to my subject line: (other than defensive coaching, which is so obvious it doesn't bear mentioning, and also fills me with despair for this season)  

Florida will be the true test.  It can't get here fast enough.  Our team and coaches had best use that time wisely.  

[LouisVOL]

Here's what I like to think, not that it's true, but for future hopes, I like to think it. 
1.  That %#**&# cut blocking offense.
2.  MLB is the most important position on the field against that #%$^^# cut blocking offense.  We have issues at MLB.
3.  DL is the most important position group against that #@%##$$ cut blocking offense.  I thought we were dog tired from lack of quality depth at that position group.
4.  I would never, ever again schedule any team that runs that @#$%$# cut blocking offense, period.  Never again. @#$&&&*!

1. The oft mentioned option, nuff said
2. The offense sputtered, to put it kindly, early in the game.  Not good against a team that runs the aforementioned option. Got gassed early.
3. We do still lack depth at key positions.

that's it.  That's all I've got.  the good news is, 1 will not return this season, and 2 and 3 are improvable (3 if some youngsters (a) step up, or (b) are allowed to step up, take your pick).

Not much, but I will say this.  We just allowed a record number of running yards.  I don't expect that record to be broken.  

But I do think, going forward,they won't be on the field as much either.  3 might be wishful thinking, but we have some talent buried on the bench.  If I'm Stoops  Shoops [corrected this typo, but man do I WISH we had Bob Stoops!] , I am doing everything I can to get it ready.

Note that I did not list coaching.  Doesn't mean I don't think it's a factor.  So let me add the following to my subject line: (other than defensive coaching, which is so obvious it doesn't bear mentioning, and also fills me with despair for this season)  

Florida will be the true test.  It can't get here fast enough.  Our team and coaches had best use that time wisely.  

[Tnphil]

Got a feeling Bituli will be at Mike this week.

[FLVOL]

Here's what I like to think, not that it's true, but for future hopes, I like to think it. 
1.  That %#**&# cut blocking offense.
2.  MLB is the most important position on the field against that #%$^^# cut blocking offense.  We have issues at MLB.
3.  DL is the most important position group against that #@%##$$ cut blocking offense.  I thought we were dog tired from lack of quality depth at that position group.
4.  I would never, ever again schedule any team that runs that @#$%$# cut blocking offense, period.  Never again. @#$&&&*!

This. I hate cut blocking teams with a passion, there's way too much chance for injuries. I truly think that we played a bit conservative trying in efforts to avoid injury. They were lining up a full yard or more off the LOS to protect their knees (my assumption), and when GT realized this, they pulled the old Nebraska trick of steam rolling off the snap.

I'm concerned, sure, but not too worried......yet

[VOLMAN]

I'm confident that the cut blocking had a huge impact. Watching the game over Ga Tech, to their credit, always had blockers out front and when we came in the first thing they had to deal with was a cut block and you'd see out guys get their hands out to push the blocker down and when they did the Tech guys took off right past the would be tackler. I'm holding judgement until we play a conventional O.       

[BanditVol]

I truly hope you guys are right about the cut blocking.  Keep in mind though, that this is THE MOST YARDS ever surrendered on the ground by the Vols.  So not just a bad day, but a historically bad day.  That might seem to go beyond cut blocking to me.

Furthermore, as CW points out elsewhere, the team seems to have picked up where it left off last year, when Mizzou and UK piled up huge amounts of yards and we gave up 400+ to every team not named T Tech.  I know we had injuries, but still.

I am very worried about our D, but hope the fear of injury thing was as big as you all say.  It would actually make sense given what we saw last season.   

[RIPLEYVOL]

If Indiana ST. rolls some yards on us Saturday....I will start to get worried.  Georgia Tech runs a very confusing offense for a defense to defend.  I'm thanking God that the Vols won't have to see this again this year.  I want to see how the boys do against a traditional D as a earlier posted said.   There may be a big can of whip ass opened and we all may forget what happened in game one as the season progress on.

[volpride]

I feel the same way about playing against an option offense. But what concerned me more than that is when they lined up and ran the ball right up the gut for 5 or 6 yards at a time. There's nothing tricky about that. That's just getting beat up front pure and simple. But, with that said I am still waiting for our first test against a traditional offense. Not sure we will get as much of that test as we would like against Florida from what I saw of their offense, or lack of, against Michigan. As always I'm proud of this team and their "don't quit" attitude. It's always great to see a team that doesn't give up. Take it to Indiana St and let's get to 2-0!

 

[Creek Walker]

No offense to any poster here, but I'm tired of hearing about how Georgia Tech's offense is difficult to defend. Sure it's unorthodox and that alone makes it hard to prep for. And Paul Johnson runs it like a well-oiled machine. However, no other teams are giving up 535 rushing yards to GaTech. Teams with far less defensive talent than ours aren't giving up 535 rushing yards to GaTech. Bob Shoops' comments this week were, frankly, insulting. A chess match? It's only a chess match if both sides are trying to out-scheme the other. Tennessee just lined up and did its thing without adjustments. When it didn't work in the second quarter, Shoop kept doing what he was doing in the third quarter. And the fourth quarter.

Indiana State is an awful team...on par with TnTech from last season, at best. Their QBs looked terrible and threw two pick-6s against a mediocre FCS opponent last week. I agree with RipleyVol, if we give up yards today, we are REALLY in trouble. And if that happens, I hope Butch Jones starts to consider his options. If our D doesn't improve, UMass could be a legitimate upset threat. They played several SEC teams tough last season.

[BanditVol]

No offense to any poster here, but I'm tired of hearing about how Georgia Tech's offense is difficult to defend. Sure it's unorthodox and that alone makes it hard to prep for. And Paul Johnson runs it like a well-oiled machine. However, no other teams are giving up 535 rushing yards to GaTech. Teams with far less defensive talent than ours aren't giving up 535 rushing yards to GaTech. Bob Shoops' comments this week were, frankly, insulting. A chess match? It's only a chess match if both sides are trying to out-scheme the other. Tennessee just lined up and did its thing without adjustments. When it didn't work in the second quarter, Shoop kept doing what he was doing in the third quarter. And the fourth quarter.

Indiana State is an awful team...on par with TnTech from last season, at best. Their QBs looked terrible and threw two pick-6s against a mediocre FCS opponent last week. I agree with RipleyVol, if we give up yards today, we are REALLY in trouble. And if that happens, I hope Butch Jones starts to consider his options. If our D doesn't improve, UMass could be a legitimate upset threat. They played several SEC teams tough last season.

This is a rare occasion where I agree with you.  No excuse for 535 yards. I assume injury fear + stupid "don't get right on the line" scheme contributed, but it's quite troubling and goes beyond option/cut block/scheme.  And for that matter, the scheme is coaching.

What I fear is that it was a chess match...for Shoops.   

I don't expect ISU to roll up any yards on us, but I am a bit worried that we make the putrid Florida offense look good.

But like another poster says...if *ISU* does it, then I'm really worried.