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The kid can throw the rock
Yeah it's MTSU but this will give him confidence when we return to the SEC next week.

I know this isn't popular but I think Simms could do similar against MTSU.

Sorry I am just going to have to see the kid beat somebody Simms couldn't IMO before I fully believe in pulling the shirt.

Worley is going to be great though.

I agree.  I thought starting him against SC was a mistake, we had a better chance of winning that game with Simms, imo.

Count me in on that thought.  I'm glad Worley's playing now, but it's a good bet we beat SC with Simms.  I'm glad he's thrown some good balls, but I'll reserve judgement.

Said the same thing myself.  Then again Da'rick had the drop, too.  

No freaking way - Simms throws 4 picks against the SC defense

I cordially disagree.   :kiss2:

Not a given at all IMO.

Simms couldn't have done any worse. I think we could have scored more than 3 points if Simms had started

But this is all about the next three games - THAT is why Woorley is playing and Simms is on the bench.  Simms is NOT an SEC QB and the ONLY SEC game he could have won is KY while Worley has the potential to be a very good SEC QB.  Dooley really had NO choice.

Worley looks good.  Very smoothe for only the second game.  I'm glad we have him.  Also, Toney looks like our best back.  He seems to be the only one willing to hit the line at full speed.  He also seems to vision.

In the spirit of contributing to a lively discussion I will enter the fray.

I agree with Pirate.

I will concede that Simms knows more of the offensive playbook and knows it better. That means you can do more with Simms.

But when it comes to throwing the ball, Worley is much better. He gets rid of it quickly and throws a good ball. Yes, he probably cost us the USC game. Maybe Simms doesn't. But how many interceptions of Simms did we have to see? How many times did we have to see Simms holding on the ball too long, getting hit from behind and fumbling?

Was it worth burning the redshirt? Only the results of the last 4 games will tell.

If you can't run the ball, you have to pass. Worley is better at that.

If we don't beat Vandy or Arkansas, it won't matter.

I think Simms had to play against the two best teams in America and I think that hurt him.

There is no black and white here... Sorry, your absolutes are not absolutes at all.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.  Simms sucked last year and was benched and actually looked to regress when given an opportunity with Bray's injury this year.  I still believe that Simms' inability to play SEC level QB play left Dooley no choice but to go with Worley

I think worley is playing better but I don't know if it will translate to wins. If so, good decision. If not, I disagree. Jury is out so far.

I just think anything we see against MTSU is fool's gold until we show it against Arky and Vandy (ugh).

Agree again.  If we wind up beating only KY, burning the red shirt was a big mistake, and imo our chances of beating Ark are slim or none. So it comes down to Vandy I guess

I wouldn't put much stock in anything the Vols do against MTSU. They should have their way in all phases of the game tonight!

Yes, which is why I'm not too excited about getting shut out in the 2nd half by them.

Does anyone feel Worley will beat out Bray for starting job before Bray graduates

No.

No
The downside with the injury and subsequent burning of the redshirt is the plan would have been in place for Worley to be able to play three years if Bray left after 3.  Not so much now.  But there is no contest, Bray can be the best QB for Tennessee not named Manning.

I'm not happy either but from about mid 3rd quarter out we were working on specific things every series.  Even the set of throws to Arnett were part of a plan (he had not been involved in the offense but appeared for a series of throws and then goes to the sidelines.  We really were working on various issues of the running game, including changing out OLs.  I'd like to see Stone get another shot at center.  We really are a better blocking team with him at center IMO.  He apparently also does a much better ob at line calls.

Wading in really late, but I think Worley starting against USC was a mistake also.

And I completely agree that doing this against MTSU means nothing.  Here is an interesting thought...I am still not even sure BRAY has been completely tested.  The best pass D (by FAR) he has faced in the last year is uga, and he was pretty ineffective IMO.  It would have been really interesting to see him run the gauntlet of LSU-bammer-USCe, which as of last week were LITERALLY the three best pass D's in the country!

So my point is that Dooley seems to have a tendency to put in a QB at times when it seems anyone could throw the ball.  The exception is USCe, which makes it even more of a head scratcher.   Worley had not thrown a pass at all in college.  It was just not a good decision IMO.

Anyway,  I am going to remain unimpressed with Worley.  Let's see how he does next week in Fayettville.

I still think that Worley with three games under his belt gives us a better chance to beat Vanderbilt and become bowl eligible than Simms gives us to beat Vanderbilt and become bowl eligible. That's why Dooley yanked the red shirt when he yanked it. If Bray is back for Vandy, the redshirt was wasted. But coaches don't have the luxury of hindsight.

Worley is going to be a good QB. Simms was never going to be a good QB.

I actually kind of agree that Worley might be the best chance to beat vandy.  However, I don't necesarily accept that he *had* to play vs. USCe to make that so. He could easily have come off the bench after a series or two.  Plus, I think Bray might be back for vandy anyway.  I guess we will find out.   :dude:

What he said.

How good did he have to be to give us a chance vs. USCe on our own home field with Lattimore and Garcia both out?  We should try to win every game, period.

Let's be honest here: Worley, playing in the first game of his career, gave us as good or better of a chance to beat South Carolina than Simms would've given. "Period." (Dot.)

100% TRUE.

 :powert:

We'll have to disagree on that...hard to accept that any frosh who has never thrown a pass would be better than a 5th-year senior, no matter how bad the senior is.  Worley was 10 of 26 with two picks.  Simms  had better stats against LSU and bammer, arguably the best two Ds in the country, and I am not sure he ever had a a game that bad, ever (and I am way too lazy to look that up, lol).

But again...no problem with different opinions.  I would have liked to have seen Simms vs. USCe to start and Worley off the bench, but that's just me.

I will freely acknowledge that the edge Simms might bring is probably pretty small, and maybe not enough to make a difference.  But to me, starting Worley is the equivalent of surrendering before the game starts and I don't like that.

How is starting Worley surrendering the game? I've heard that from some other UT fans and I honestly don't understand the reasoning. If Worley is the best chance to win in the long run, then at some point you have to start "the long run." If you don't play him against South Carolina because they're a good defensive team and Worley doesn't have any experience, then you're going to have those who argue that Simms should get the start against MTSU because it's finally a team he can look good against and he's paid his dues against USC, LSU and Alabama (actually, Mike Griffith already argued that point, or a variation thereof). And then you can't play Worley against Arkansas because you would be throwing him against a top 10 team on the road for his first experience. Suddenly you're facing Vanderbilt, you have a 4-6 record, and your options are playing a QB who you have no confidence can win the game for you or a QB who has little or no college experience.

Point is, there are going to be folks who find fault with Dooley no matter what he does. I thought it was the right call.

The only egde Simms has on Worley is that he can hold onto the ball longer and take a sack more frequently and better.......................Simms may know the playbook, but cannot process info like reads and find the open guys.......................he (Simms) was very lucky against those 2 teams cause we ran the ball decently even with no decent RB.  Simms is no egde, but a liability......................

 :powert:

I know you didn't mean that everyone who questions that decision finds fault with Dooley on everything, but... I will point out that everyone who questions the Worley decision doesn't find fault with Dooley on everything.  :wave:

I don't understand how starting a true frosh who has never thrown a college pass against the third best pass D in American can be done, and then the coaches still expect anyone to think they were really trying to win the game.  Does not compute.

I understand the argument about vandy and other later games, but IMHO that could just as easily be accomplished by bringing Worley in off the bench.  Whatever the case, he was a disaster against USCe.

And I certainly don't question every decision Dooley has made, but I do question this one.   

Of course not. I wasn't even referring to anyone in particular. I was just speaking very generally saying that basically Dooley is darned if he does and darned if he doesn't. Just one of the many side effects of a disappointing season. (Says someone who has been critical of Dooley's coaching himself.)

Agreed.

Nothing there I can take issue with.


G