It pains me to say this...

[BigOrange Maniac]

I'm a Derek Dooley fan, so I don't like saying this, but it's true: I felt like Tennessee was out-coached at crucial situations throughout the game tonight. This is the second time in two SEC games that I've felt UT has been out-coached. Please don't misunderstand; I'm not saying that Dooley isn't the guy, or that he should be fired, or that he's on some sort of hot seat, or anything like that. There will be plenty of other UT fans calling the talk shows Monday to say those things, I'm sure.

What I am saying is that we just haven't shown the type of improvement I thought we would show. In some areas, we actually appear to be regressing. And tonight a lame duck coaching staff that will be gone at the end of this year had a better game plan than we had.

The Florida game has turned out to be fool's gold. We left that game thinking we could still move the ball through the air even without a running game. Maybe not enough to beat great teams, but enough to get us by in a lot of games. What we've found out the last couple of weeks is that Florida's defense isn't nearly as good as maybe it was thought to be. And Georgia absolutely put on a clinic today for how to shut down Tennessee's passing game. Even if by some miracle Bray can go (I'm sorry, but I just have very little confidence in Matt Simms' ability), LSU and Alabama are going to be nightmares if that running game doesn't suddenly emerge. If Tennessee needed 57 minutes to find the end zone against UGA, we may not even score the next two weeks. If I'm not mistaken, Tennessee's last shutout was the 31-0 loss to Florida in '94, and that was also Tennessee's worst home loss, at least in the modern era. I can see both of those marks being broken against LSU next week.

At this point, my thinking is that if the offensive line doesn't see some serious improvement by the end of the season, Harry Hiestand has to be fired. I really believed in this guy, but there's absolutely no excuse for the line play. Part of it is the runners' fault, but this line just can't handle basic run-blocking assignments. I know these guys are young, but there's still no excuse for them to be as bad as they are. Hiestand has had two years, and I actually think our running game is worse this year than last year...and it was bad last year.

I guess when you put tonight's game in perspective and consider that if you take away a couple of deep balls where our DB got beat, Tennessee may very well win the football game against a pretty decent Georgia team. But when you're sitting there in a 20-6 game and the offense is doing absolutely nothing to generate production, the game might as well be 50-0.

6-6 is the best we can hope for at this point.

[BanditVol]

I wouldn't count out uga's d so much.  They have unfortunately been playing well lately.

Having said that, our offense tonight concerned me.  But really if we had a run game at all, most of the problem goes away.  The way it was tonight if we don't throw a strike on first down, we are at a big disadvantage.

We may need to throw a bit more to the TBs out of the backfield...that may be the only way to get them productive. 

[Jean Voljean]

and Coach Dooley needs to recruit well.  The SEC is simply too strong a league given what we have. 

[WoodstockVol]

I give Derek Dooley until 2012. If Tennessee isn't winning 8 games by next season,I'm going to side with the people who will want Tennessee to look for a new Head Coach. Tennessee will be lucky to go 6-6 with what I saw last night and want changes quickly if it doesn't change soon. There's no reason Tennessee shouldn't be up there with Georgia,Florida and South Carolina. It just seems like to Me in all the big games Tennessee has been in lately CDD has been outcoached in all of them. I'm just extremely p*ssed off,excuse Me if I seem rude

[BigOrange Maniac]

I give Derek Dooley until 2012. If Tennessee isn't winning 8 games by next season,I'm going to side with the people who will want Tennessee to look for a new Head Coach. Tennessee will be lucky to go 6-6 with what I saw last night and want changes quickly if it doesn't change soon. There's no reason Tennessee shouldn't be up there with Georgia,Florida and South Carolina. It just seems like to Me in all the big games Tennessee has been in lately CDD has been outcoached in all of them. I'm just extremely p*ssed off,excuse Me if I seem rude

As far as I'm concerned, Dooley gets five years to turn this program around. It was a pretty bad situation he inherited here. I don't think a new head coach should even be whispered about until 2013 at the earliest. But staff changes can be made, and if our o-line continues to play this poorly the remaining 7 games this season, I am ready for Hiestand to be replaced. In 25 years of watching Tennessee football, I've never seen a running game anywhere close to this bad. In fact, I can't remember the last time an SEC team had a running game this bad...and that includes Vandy and Kentucky.

[RockinGrannyVol]

As far as I'm concerned, Dooley gets five years to turn this program around. It was a pretty bad situation he inherited here. I don't think a new head coach should even be whispered about until 2013 at the earliest. But staff changes can be made, and if our o-line continues to play this poorly the remaining 7 games this season, I am ready for Hiestand to be replaced. In 25 years of watching Tennessee football, I've never seen a running game anywhere close to this bad. In fact, I can't remember the last time an SEC team had a running game this bad...and that includes Vandy and Kentucky.

Agree with you on this

[WoodstockVol]

As far as I'm concerned, Dooley gets five years to turn this program around. It was a pretty bad situation he inherited here. I don't think a new head coach should even be whispered about until 2013 at the earliest. But staff changes can be made, and if our o-line continues to play this poorly the remaining 7 games this season, I am ready for Hiestand to be replaced. In 25 years of watching Tennessee football, I've never seen a running game anywhere close to this bad. In fact, I can't remember the last time an SEC team had a running game this bad...and that includes Vandy and Kentucky.

You have to go back to the 1960-1963 single wing period for a running game this bad

[CobbWebb]

I like Dooley and think that he needs more time. But you are right, it appears that he has been outcoached several times, badly. He had better correct some of his own mistakes along with the running game or Barbara will be directing her comments towards us.

CW

[Crockett]

The Vols are going to need a long time to reach SEC level. What Dooley inherited was a mess. Fulmer's departure showed how bad the team chemistry was. His players were dedicated to him and not the team. Lot's of popular coaches have been fired but CPF's departure was ugly. Three seasons ago, we lost to Wyoming for crying out loud. Kiffin wasn't much better in resurrecting a better team spirit. His quick departure probably left scars on an already fragile team. These are kids, lest we forget, and they are not professionals. Their confidence can be destroyed in a minute and take a long time to rebuild. So not only do we have a young team, made up of many recruits that weren't on Florida or Georgia lists, what seniors and juniors we have didn't grow up in a healthy system. This team just doesn't have great chemistry. They don't believe in themselves, they get down too easy, I see too much frustration and not enough confidence. Bray is starting to show too much anger on the field. RBs don't trust their blocks, OL doesn't trust their RBs.

However, this team is fighting. They're staying in the games. That shows progress to me. They need more time to come together and start playing without worrying about the result. Eventually, they'll get it. For that reason, I think this coaching staff is doing a good job. My worry is that we need some better recruiting and losing to USC will hurt. All the teams around us are doing better. Georgia is past. This team needs to grow and learn something from the next 2 games and my hope is that we catch USC. Otherwise, I only see 3 more wins, at most. No bowl will hurt this team greatly.

Crockett

[PirateVOL]

I like Dooley and think that he needs more time. But you are right, it appears that he has been outcoached several times, badly. He had better correct some of his own mistakes along with the running game or Barbara will be directing her comments towards us.

CW

We, if you call being out coached selling out to stop their run game, and succeeding then I guess you are right.  We gambled our corners could cover their receivers.  Turns out that was not a good gamble.  Teague had his worse game IMO since he converted to corner.  Even with that we had a chance at the end.  In my view, our worse loss this year was JJ not being able to keep his nose clean.  We miss his erasing mistakes on the back end. 

Bray was off last night.  Not bad as in bad reads but his throws were just a bit off.  I think some of that may have been WR running poor routes but not being able to see it live or having immediate access to a DVR recording it was difficult to see for sure.  His worst throw may have been the pass that overthrew Z. Rogers on the double move.  We also saw last night that putting the ball on the ground has consequences - how many plays did you see Neal in the game after he put the ball on the ground twice?  Going forward it will be interesting to see who Lane's B/U is next week. 

We are starting three true freshmen and 4 other first time starters on defense.  I have seen improvement in most, if not all of them but they are not "there" yet.  Most of the big plays on us have been the result of lacking a good center fielder.  I think we have a potential good one but he is learning on the job.

[BigOrange Maniac]

We, if you call being out coached selling out to stop their run game, and succeeding then I guess you are right.  We gambled our corners could cover their receivers.  Turns out that was not a good gamble.  Teague had his worse game IMO since he converted to corner.  Even with that we had a chance at the end.  In my view, our worse loss this year was JJ not being able to keep his nose clean.  We miss his erasing mistakes on the back end. 

Bray was off last night.  Not bad as in bad reads but his throws were just a bit off.  I think some of that may have been WR running poor routes but not being able to see it live or having immediate access to a DVR recording it was difficult to see for sure.  His worst throw may have been the pass that overthrew Z. Rogers on the double move.  We also saw last night that putting the ball on the ground has consequences - how many plays did you see Neal in the game after he put the ball on the ground twice?  Going forward it will be interesting to see who Lane's B/U is next week. 

We are starting three true freshmen and 4 other first time starters on defense.  I have seen improvement in most, if not all of them but they are not "there" yet.  Most of the big plays on us have been the result of lacking a good center fielder.  I think we have a potential good one but he is learning on the job.

I know your comment wasn't a response to me, but FTR: What I am referring to when I say we were out-coached in key situations is, for example, the first quarter: Georgia goes for it on 4th-and-1 three times. Each time, they run a different play. Each time, it was a play we were totally unprepared for.

[PirateVOL]

I know your comment wasn't a response to me, but FTR: What I am referring to when I say we were out-coached in key situations is, for example, the first quarter: Georgia goes for it on 4th-and-1 three times. Each time, they run a different play. Each time, it was a play we were totally unprepared for.

The 2nd one revealed an issue that has occured several times this year, including the long TD run by Bufalo, our DE and OLB both get hooked in, leaving no outside contain.  I don't mind one or the other crashing in but not both.

[murfvol]

I not disturbed right now. Here's why.

1) We're better than we were Fulmer's last year. No longer do we have to fear Northern Illinois and Wyoming.

2) Considering our key losses we're not awful. Janzen Jackson, Denarious Moore, Gerald Jones, etc. left big holes and the dearth of depth meant very young players had to fill those holes.

3) The young guys referenced above appear to be upgrades, but further improvement is needed.

[VinnieVOL]

If, by being outcoached, you mean the other team knows where to line up... then yes we were outcoached.

At least 35% of the time in the 1st half our DBs had no idea who they were suppose to cover.  When UGA made their 2nd FG the previous play on 3rd, there were two UT DBs pushing one another trying to line up.  Luckily Murray just missed the throw.  UGA came out in a no huddle and that is something they have done all year but we were scrambling.

Offense isn't much better.  How many times do you see WR's coming to one side... then being pointed to the other side and running as hard as they can to get lined up?

That is coaching, and it is unacceptable.

Three weeks to prepare and this is what we get.  Wasted plays trying to prove we're man enough to run the ball.  News flash, when you have one possession per quarter, you don't have the luxury of playing around offense.

No attitude.  No sense of meanness and swagger.  They don’t believe they can win.  They were not prepared to win.  They were prepared to "hold on tight and hopefully things go our way".  And like I said earlier, when they don't go our way... everyone's looking at each other saying "what do we do now?"

We are six weeks into the season for crying out loud.

[BanditVol]

I agree with most comments, but I don't agree that this team does not expect to win.  I saw plenty of confidence last night.  I just didn't see quite the same talent level (though we do have some young talent out there) but more importantly, lack of execution.

As for WRs lining up wrong, etc, is that coaching?  Yes, but this is still an extremely young team. They will get better and the future is bright. 

And not only do we look better than 2008, but I think we look better than last year also.  Much better.

Without Bray we are going to regress for a few games.  This is a key test for the team...they need to treat it as an opportunity to improve.

Hopefully we can continue to develop this season, go to AND win a bowl, and come back fully loaded for next year.

Right now, I am looking forward to the tremendous challenge of replacing our best player while playing the number one team in the country.  May we play well....

[VinnieVOL]

Right now, I am looking forward to the tremendous challenge of replacing our best player while playing the number one team in the country.  May we play well....

Ok, this was just too much.