Posted by caskew on October 7, 2007 at 1:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Try Brent VINSON, not VINCENT!!

Posted by Feared_Mustang_Package on October 7, 2007 at 2:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The only, and I mean only, negative I can pull from this game is the fair catch call by Hefney when there wasn't a man within a 10-15 yard radius of him.

Otherwise, great game. Hope we can build on it because this Mississippi State game has "sandwich" game written all over it.

Well another negative was when the upper-deck Bulldog fans showed how their momma and daddies rasied them by yelling "Bulldogs" when Vinson was hurt on the ground, eh putting 86 on them in two years makes me forget about nonsense like that. Go Vols.

Posted by alfrizzle097 on October 7, 2007 at 2:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I have no problem with the Georgia fans cheering their team. I don't believe for a second that it was directed at Vinson. The cheers of F Georgia were much more tastless in my opinion.
Great showing. Should silence Fulmer critics until the next loss. Then again... one win does not a coach make. Let's see how the season plays out....

Posted by 66cheVolet on October 7, 2007 at 2:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Posted by CRVol on Oct.2 2007 at 2:26 p.m.
I'll lay whatever price you want to name that we will not beat UGA by 21 points as you tend to believe.
Posted by jwraymond1 on October 2, 2007 at 3:01 p.m. aj-your prediction of us winning by 21pts is a joke. Who is going to score 5 TD's for us?
The good:Coach Fulmer The Bad:CRVol The ugly:his cronies- You know who you are.

Posted by andy112382 on October 7, 2007 at 3:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I think you meant Xavier Mitchell, not Xavier McDaniel.

Posted by DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu on October 7, 2007 at 3:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

LOL -- ol' MIke was either sauced up or rather tired when he wrote this apparently. Yes, it's Brent VINSON, Mike, and the Xavier on this team is Xavier MITCHELL.

QUESTIONS: How many sacks did we get? Did Kenny O'Neal play a down?

Posted by RocketVol on October 7, 2007 at 7:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

That was an outstanding effort on the part of the team and coaches - hat's off. That was the competitiveness Tennessee is capable of delivering week-after-week. The play lived up to the talent level we know is there.

However, what has me and many others concerned is not Tennessee or Fulmer's ability to do this - but to do it consistently. Can Fulmer and his staff develop a WINNING HABIT with themselves and the players? The critics and I will get quiet only if a competitive team, like the one you saw yesterday, shows up every week for the remainder of the season and beyond. That performance was not the same team from Cal and UF - and inconsistency is a big problem. It's not wins and losses - it's consistency that's the issue. Yesterday was a great start! Geaux Tigers and Go Vols. (Or is that Thanx Tigers...)

Posted by LazhilUT on October 7, 2007 at 7:34 a.m.

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by brokebackvol on October 7, 2007 at 7:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

All you Fulmer-haters just need to just shut up and let the rest of us enjoy a VERY satisfying win. Today, it's GREAT to be a Tennessee Volunteer!

Posted by nbt on October 7, 2007 at 8:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Where has this team been all year? Go Vols!

Posted by rayp on October 7, 2007 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Here is what I wrote on Oct. 4th in response to the article about the performance of Phillip Fulmer and all of talk about Phillip's replacement.

"Phillip is a class act and has run a very solid program with 05 being the exception rather than the rule. Everyone wants to see UT win championships and be a winner and with Phillip we have person who has the experience,leadership and integrity to get us there.

A win over Georgia and a smack down by LSU over Florida and all of a sudden we are in the driver's sear in East, admittedly with a lot of work left to be done. For all of Phillip's critics, take a breath and let's see how our young team performs the rest of the season. I'll expect to have you all having a big plate of crow at Thanksgiving as we head to beat Kentucky in November and on to the SEC Championship Game. Even more crow for New Year's if we are 12-2 and Sugar Bowl champs!"

We are in the driver's seat in the east as predicted and this is going to be a great year for the Vols!

Posted by killer65forevervol on October 7, 2007 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

O Yeah, oustanding peformance by players and coaches. This is what UT Football is all about. Yesterdays game brought back memories of games past. I hope yesterday was not a fluke and we can maintain this attack. Finally, we ran the ball. Instead of 80% pass, it was 80% run but overall it was a balanced attack and defense, swarming the ball and tackling much improved. Now this is Tennessee football you can be proud of. As strongly as I feel things still need to change in the coaching staff however its bad to say words in the news media and Vol fans had to press the disgust with the teams direction and performance to get that type of playing from the Vols yesterday. Now you can say, we have players who can do the job. It was shown extremely well against Ga. Continued performance like yesterday will reflect a change of direction and mindset of the coaching staff. I pray they stay on the path of change or we all know what the outcome will be. GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by rootin4volz on October 7, 2007 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey Negative Nancies...Look at the top ten for the last two weeks...5 top-ten teams going down last week and four this week. We lost to Cal and Florida, two excellent teams, one of which almost handed #1 LSU an upset, and the other sitting, probably after yesterday, at #2. There is NO DOUBT about the fact that PARITY has entered this college football season, and I see no reason why we can't go out and take care of our own business if we take things week-to-week and play OUR game, as we did yesterday, instead of playing to the other team's strengths as we did against Cal and Florida. Fulmer has us back in control of our own destiny.

Posted by dlfulgham on October 7, 2007 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It's way past time to do away with "report cards" on our football team from a newspaper reporter. Is this a professor with a PhD in football? Is this a former coach with years of experience? Who appointed this reporter the "know it all of football"? Mike, if you want to grade somebody or something, how about grading your newspaper on a weekly basis? Maybe better still, how about us grading you and your newspaper on a weekly basis? Here's a grade for you--Quantity of sports news reporting vs. sports opinion: F

Posted by wwashler on October 7, 2007 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This is the Tennessee Vols we expect! Great game!!!

Posted by tennisvol on October 7, 2007 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Great job by the coaching staff and players. Let's hope this continues with the tough schedule ahead.

Posted by cgbtn on October 7, 2007 at 8:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Griff, You should have mentioned Nevin McKenzie. That guy is a football player. His special teams play was awesome.

Posted by bloodrunsorange on October 7, 2007 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

We are playing the SPEED! The more the SPEED plays the happier we’ll be. “CONGRADULATIONS” to all VOLS, even the ones I know are confused. I never thought I’d despise anyone as much as Bama, but Florida’s classless acts are getting them real close!

Posted by ETownVol on October 7, 2007 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The coaching staff had the Vols ready to play against the 'Dogs and the players executed well. For the first time this year, this team was clicking on all cylinders and put together a complete game. Tackling was MUCH improved and our special teams finally showed up for a game. Kudos. Now all we need is to do this consistently. If I had to grade the Vols, it would be a B+. Why not an A? I think they let up in the second half. Instead of "staying the course," as Phil puts it, and continuing to take it to the 'Dogs like in the first half, we played a little more conservatively in the second half to work time off the clock. Although this didn't really hurt us overall, we should have been able to hang at least 42 points (if not more) on UGA. IMO you never let up no matter what the score. Get a good 40 point lead, pull the starters in the fourth and give the younger players an opportunity to get some experience. Overall a great game, though, and more like good ol' Tennessee football. Great job! GO VOLS!

Posted by yeavols on October 7, 2007 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It's about time we played like somebody. Very happy for the VOLS and the fans. Vols control their own destiny now if never before. Watch out for Miss State-They would love to spoil everything and it would.

Posted by jawjavol on October 7, 2007 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I loved to see my Vols execute the way they did yesterday. Having said that, I saw a UGA team that I expected to see all summer. Those guys are young and I will never know how they got to be ranked #12, even with the signature win in Sabinaloosa. Wonder if Richt will find it in his heart to actually place the Vols on his ballot this week????
We outplayed the Dawgs in every aspect and next year we will be improved at every position except QB. 2 questions for Fulmer.... Why do you wait to put Crompton in til the meaningless waning moments of the game? Why do you not let Crompton run the offense when he does get in there? Jonathan is our heir apparent and if, heaven forbid, something were to happen to Ainge he is only one play from being your starter today.
It is great to be a TENNESSEE VOL in Atlanta. I hate that I will miss church this morning and miss the opportunity to needle the guy that wears his UGA gear but only after wins.

Posted by Basketball_Jones on October 7, 2007 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

All of you know I have been one of the anti-Fulmer people on here and I must say I am eating crow today. He coached with a great game all around as did the entire staff. Maybe his job should be threatened more often. The only negative I saw was it seemed we sat on the lead in the second half, but hey a win is a win.
One last thing, its only 1 game if this team can play with that intensity the rest of the year they'll be in Atlanta, lets all just wait and see,

Posted by jawjavol on October 7, 2007 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

*Stat that matters.

The Athens Bulldogs now possess a 6 game losing streak against SEC East opponents. Beginning with the Vols hanging half a hundred on them last year they have now lost consecutively to every team in the division, plus our Vols Twice.

Glory Glory to Old Georgia and their Helen Hunt lookalike coach! Note to Richt put the Vols in your coaches poll this week!

Posted by Volfan4everr on October 7, 2007 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Great win! It looked like the Georgia secondary was overmatched! I don't know how anyone can say we are in the "driver's seat" of the SEC East. Looks like South Carolina is sharing that seat with us! The Vols are in control of themselves. We have some stiff competition ahead of us. We have to maintain this level of intensity against Miss State, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana-Lafayette, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Then we can focus on LSU and a possible rematch with California in New Orleans. Wouldn't that be fun? But, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

One other note, the Sun-sentinel (Fort Lauderdale) has an editorial about Urban Meyer's influence over Tony Joiner's run in with the Gainesvlle Police. Something is "fishy" with the way this went through the legal system in 5 days when it usually takes 3 weeks for this type of charge.

Posted by k0605 on October 7, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

OK, why don't they play like this in every game? Certainly Georgia is better than Ark State and So. Miss. and the Vols didn't look this good against those teams. Are Cal and Florida so much better than Georgia that the Vols couldn't have played closer to this level against them too? I realize these are young men and they may not be as focused for every game, but that can't be the explanation for the tremendous difference in this game and the preceeding four this year.

Posted by CT_VOL on October 7, 2007 at 9:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It looks like USC and the VOLS switched uniforms for the day!

Let's hope it lasts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frank

Posted by olozbal on October 7, 2007 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Good job Tennessee.

I still think we need a change of direction because it should not have required Fulmer being threatened with losing his job to get this team to play. He should have done that from day one, we're too talented to be shorted this way.

But I digress, great job to the team and coaches. They beat GA in every sense of the word.

Posted by jhenson on October 7, 2007 at 9:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Count me in with heels_fan. I've been critical of Fulmer as well. I've never gotten personal or resorted to name calling, but in an ultra-competitive, ever-changing business, I don't feel that Fulmer's body of work against ranked teams, and the the "big boys" over the last 7 years justify his still leading this team. I still feel that way.

However, I'm frying up some eggs and CROW strips to eat with my wheat toast this morning before heading to church here in Atlanta with my Tennessee flags flying high and proud. Even in recent wins, I'd be hard pressed to say Fulmer and company outcoached the guys on the other sideline. Not so yesterday. Great preparation, great intensity, greaty execution. Kind of leaves one scratching their head as at where it is EVERY week.

I'll enjoy it today though. Outstanding performance.

Posted by jweaver3 on October 7, 2007 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Great post 66
I have not seen any crow eaters IE CRVOL!!!
CR will pay any price, he couldn't even afford the $40 it took when this was a pay site!!!
Great win for the VOL Nation!!!
This was truly old school BIG ORANGE action.
I kept hearing he's to the 5,4,3,2,1 GIVE HIM SIX!!! TOUCHDOWN BIG ORANGE in my head all day!!!
We miss you John Ward!!!
GO VOLS, one Dawg down one to go next Sat.
GO VOLS!!!!
TXVOLSFAN

Posted by cwisenhower on October 7, 2007 at 10:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I always thought we would win, but not by 21. That was interesting to say the least.

I'll be with our Vols in Starkville this coming Saturday. Let's hope for another big win blowing us into Tuscaloosa.

Posted by aj_vol on October 7, 2007 at 10:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Calling out CRVol, jwraymond1, and all of the other anti-Fulmer crowd that have been predicting a HUGE loss to the DAWGS for the past 2 weeks.

What's the negative spin this week?

Say what you will about CPF, but he NEVER and I repeat NEVER lost a game when the Vols were ranked in the top 5 and favored by 40 points (see USC genius Pete Carroll vs Stanford last night).

Posted by CRVol on Oct.2 2007 at 2:26 p.m.
I'll lay whatever price you want to name that we will not beat UGA by 21 points as you tend to believe.

Posted by jwraymond1 on October 2, 2007 at 3:01 p.m. aj-your prediction of us winning by 21pts is a joke. Who is going to score 5 TD's for us?

If you didn't watch the game:

Arian Foster
LaMarcus Coker
Montario Hardesty

Thanks 66cheVolet for digging up those posts. I missed on the score (I had said it would be Vols 38 Dawgs 17), but I got the margin of vistory right.

Great SEC win, now it's time to get ready for Miss St. - GO VOLS!

Posted by aj_vol on October 7, 2007 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

RocketVol maybe you have a point about what team showed up vs. Cal & Florida.

Have you considered our competition level having something to do with those performances? I mean the fact that Cal is #2 in the nation right now?

Or that Florida played #1 LSU a full 60 minutes in Baton Rouge last night?

Consider what the rankings would have been had the Gators won last night.

I say it would have been Cal #1, Florida #4

The Vols were preseason #15 and I would say that is probably about right - this is a good team that has potential to become great over the next 2 or 3 seasons.

Hopefully yesterday is something that the coaches & players can build on for the rest of the 2007 season and beyond.

Go Big Orange! Beat Miss. State!

Posted by arkyvol on October 7, 2007 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

great game vols! now i just pray this isn't one of those one week wonders that johnny majors used to serve up so often, where the team plays like gang busters one week and stinks out the joint the next. i hope what i saw was a sleeping giant coming awake.

Posted by kevinlimbo on October 7, 2007 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Complete game, haven't been able to say that in awhile.

Who else saw the X-man posting up down low during the game? He's a little older now, but I guess he still had a year of eligibility left.

Posted by tenvolone on October 7, 2007 at 11:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This is team is following the same pattern of Tenneessee teams of the late eighties and ninties; A couple of losses, usually to UA or UF, then suddenly they find their identity and win out. That's fine except for the fact that we won't win many national championships that way... But I'll take what I can get at this point!

Posted by brdteton on October 7, 2007 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Georgia Fans are obnoxious and yes they were cheering when VINSON went down, along with 'that will be on the highlight reel'

Classy folks.

"FUGA" cheers are more than welcome in my book.

Posted by vol_in_lsu_land on October 7, 2007 at 11:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hello. Interesting article.
I have been a long time supporter of coach Fulmer. Living in Baton Rouge, I have had to endure a lot of snide criticism (in jest) from my friends and coworkers in recent years. It all started when we lost that big SEC title game to LSU when our national title hopes were squashed. Since then I have seen our beloved program go stagnant. Is it simply a tougher recruiting enviroment? Recruiting is such an unscientific aspect of the game to judge. Sure, we've had top ranked classes but that is so hard to define. The SEC is nowadays so chock-a-block full of quality coaching where in the 90's Spurrier was Fulmer's only REAL competition. Let's face it, this isn't your daddy's SEC.

I have to hand it to Phil. He outcoached Richt yesterday. More importantly, his players seemed to have a fire in their belly to win. Maybe they are rallying around coach to ward off his critics? We've seen that before with other coaches on the hotseat. Time will tell if this is going to be a one-game-wonder or if the team will really run the table. I'm still not confident we can beat South Carolina and heck, Arkansas, Bama, and Kentucky all have the ability to hand us an upset. Look at what happned to USC yesterday!

If Fulmer takes us to Atlanta, I'm back on board. If we lose another big game, that's three in one season. Bottom line, our program deserves better than a team that only wins the games its supposed to. We want surprises. We want "special". Yesterday was what we want, but we want it more often. Coach, here's hoping that yesterday is a new beginning.

Posted by DSaVol on October 7, 2007 at 11:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Obviously this was the best performance by the Vols since the second half thrashing of GA last year. Congrats to the team AND COACHES on a solid and important win! But don't think for a second, my views on the obvious need for changes in the staff have been altered. There is absolutely NO reason why supporters of this program should EVER have to ask themselves "Who are these guys?" when the Vols play well yet that is exactly what I and I'm sure much of the rest of the Vol Nation were doing yesterday. This type of effort, execution, preparation, play-calling, and attitude should be the norm not the exception. When it is, the W's and L's tend to take care of themselves. So while this one was sweet time will tell if anything has really changed.

Posted by HomesickVol on October 7, 2007 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Absolutely wonderful! This makes my next year in Atlanta so much easier. Great game!

Posted by FLVolFan on October 7, 2007 at 11:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Excellent Game! Our VOLS are back! And with Florida losing to LSU, anything can happen now! Congrats on getting it all together! Like I said before - Win or Lose, we love the VOLS! But WINNING is much better for sure! Keep it going now that you found it again!

Posted by AKVOL on October 7, 2007 at 11:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

What a great college football day. The VOLS dominated, both Florida and SoCal go down in defeat! Great job UT! You made my week.

Wonder if it was enough to get us back in the Top 25.

Posted by eefor10c on October 7, 2007 at 12:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

heels fan, A 21 point victory over the #12 team in the country isn't enough? Well, Fulmer is a class guy who didn't want to run up the score. I'm really surprised that some of the anti-Fulmerites haven't questioned why we took only two downs to get a first down with five minutes left in the game. Obviously that was bad coaching because we could have run more clock if we had used all three downs.

Posted by Ironcity on October 7, 2007 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Great win and was glad to be there for the first time this year(please keep boycotting it makes tickets easier to come by). Its clear that Cutcliff has UGA figured out because what ever we called was open. I have been impressed with Ainge. To play the way he has even though he likely can't throw the ball down field accurately is remarkable. Its says a lot of how good he is at QB. Its realy amazing to me to see where Ainge is today when I can remember just two years ago I thought he was finished. Thanks Coach Cut for that. I was totally shocked by our defense and how well they played. The tackling was night and day better then it has been all year. Our dee backs are young but they are sure talented. I did not see this coming but I am sure glad it came. Still don't think we can beat Arkansas if McFadden's healthy however I now believe the rest of the games are winnable if UT keeps improving. Great job coaches you'll likely need to continue this if you want your jobs in 2008

Posted by Oenoboy on October 7, 2007 at 12:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

aj_vol, good points. We played two of the best teams in the country on the road, both of which were very fired up for our visit along with their fans. It's tough to win in that environment. Just ask Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, and Wisconsin.

Am I satisfied we dropped both those games? No freak`n way! Am I embarrassed or angry about it? Not even close. This is college football we’re talking about and momentum can neutralize any coach or team. Also, like basketball, the talent base of both players and coaches is getting spread out thus there is much more parody then in the past.

Those of you that credit the newspapers with this win need to really think about that argument. Talking about grasping for straws where there aren’t any. If you think a few negative articles motivates this team and their coaches more than the desire to simply win for their fans and teammates, then you do not understand the nature of competitive athletes and coaches. Using that argument, there should be a great deal more undefeated teams this year.

Posted by perryp1 on October 7, 2007 at 12:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

UT doesn't need to let up. They need to beat Mississippi State as bad as they can. They can roll into Tuscaloosa on a high note. If they can play the rest of the year like they played against Georgia, they will win the rest of their games.

Go Vols!!!!!

Posted by koamalina on October 7, 2007 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

UT is 3-0 in Neyland, and 0-2 on the road. Looks like time to break out the orange pants for MSU! Shaking things up sure looked good against UGA.

Posted by CrankE on October 7, 2007 at 1:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

With the exception of L. Taylor's pass, did any pass really stretch the field yesterday?

I'm not a Fulmer hater, I'm a mediocrity hater. One more thing that doesn't cut it; Inconsistency. We dumped on them in September, we're smiling today, but we're asking ourselves the same question now as we did then-Is this the REAL Tennessee?

Had the coaching staff been doing their job in the offseason, there'd be no wondering about this team right now. Even if the record was the same, they surely wouldn't have looked as bad getting there.

Will the real Tennessee please stand up (and remain standing)?
Go Vols!!!

Posted by BOASoldier on October 7, 2007 at 1:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

jwraymond,CR....,NCColts,and all of you others that doubted this team and call yourselves fans.... WHAT NOW BIOTCHES!!!! GO VOLS!!!!!!

Posted by DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu on October 7, 2007 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

CrankE, legitimate points. I'm becoming convinced that the source of our problems are in the way we practice (and don't practice) in the offseason -- spring practice, summer workouts, fall camp, two-a-days, etc.

This is the second time in three years the team has started the season in search of themselves and absolutely not ready to play.

Fulmer and Co. had them ready to play last season because, it would seem, the heat was on and it was intense. Fulmer and Co. had them ready to play last night after stinking up the field the first four games and creating a virtual street riot in the Big Orange Nation.

Anybody sense a pattern here?

Posted by FWBVol on October 7, 2007 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

CrankE, I agree with you up to a point about the offseason stuff. The problem is the NCAA doesn't allow football coaches to coach players during the offseason until the start of preseason practice. I wish the NCAA would allow 5-10 hours a week for coaches to supervise summer drills, no pads or helmets.

Several things that stand out about the big win.

The first has to do with the help of offseason coaching. The defense is young, especially in the secondary. John Chavis went simple yesterday and turned the guys to lose to run to the football and it paid off.

The second point is pounding the rock opens things up. I played the line in high school, and, from my perspective, most linemen would rather fire off and run block than drop back and pass block. Yes, our offensive line does a great job of pass protection, but I think it is easier run block first and then pass block.

Finally, by running the ball well, we controlled the clock and kept the pressure on Georgia. The defense wss better rested and able to run to the ball four quarters. In some ways yesterday the best defense was an in-your-face offense.

Posted by orange71 on October 7, 2007 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

report card has long been a news-sentinel presentation. another objective news-sentinel presentation during school days (enjoyed while dining on veal parmigiana at the front window of sam&andys overlooking Cumberland on Sunday afternoons) was the play-by-play graphic that represnted time on the left and gridiron on the right, mixed with drawings and other stats. report card has a history of backing conclusions with facts; of course, the grade itself is always subjective, such as what derves "a+" versus "a" but commentary was usually based on stats. yesterday's performance by the vols was subjectively one of the best in memory and report card so reflects. georgia provided an opponent ranked 12th by ap and cbs, 11th by sports illustrated and usatoday. its lofty ranking based on a record of 4-1, with victories over ok state, western carolina, alabama, and olemiss. in latest polling: ok state, 3-2, was unranked by ap & usatoday, 57 by cbs, 46 by si, having beaten sam houston state and floridaatl, yet lost to troy; wcar, 0-5 & not a major division school, has losses including e ky, ga southern & elon; alabama, 3-2, ranked 35 by ap, 41 by cbs, 17 by si & 30 by usatoday, had beaten wcar (seeabove) and was recepient of zebra-gifts in vandy & arkansas games; olemiss, 1-4, was ranked 83 by cbs & 70 by si.

Posted by slovog on October 7, 2007 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I saw an earlier post that cast some doubt as to how many good coaches Fulmer faced in the early part of his career. Fulmer coached against as many or more top 25 teams and good coaches as any coach in Tennessee history. He's averaged 5 games per year against top 25 teams (as many or more than any other long-tenured Vols coach; and as many in the 90's as in the 00's), and in spite of two bad years ('02 0-5; '05 1-4) he's still 39-30-1 (56%) versus top 25 foes.

He has had his teams in the SEC champonship game 4 times, and has won 2 of them. Each of those years his Volunteer teams faced SEC opponents 9 times, including the championship. Look at the other two legendary Tennessee coaches, Majors and Neyland, and you'll see that they have faced, at most, 7 SEC foes and were required to play no championship game and faced no divisional format. In the '97 season he faced 3 top 15 teams, and in the perfect '98 season, he vanquished 4 top 10 and 1 top 25 teams.

Consider his bowl record against top 10 teams ... he's 2-2. Not up to Tennessee standards, some would say. But we need to consider that some guy named Neyland coached bowl games versus top 10 teams 7 times and won only 2. That's no knock on Neyland, but it's something you never hear from the Fulmer haters.

Fulmer has coached the Vols 14 full years, accounting for 13% of all of the seasons UT has fielded football teams. But his teams have won 50% of TN's national championships, 23% of our top 20 finishes, 26% of our top 10 years, and 23% of TN's top 5 finishes.

Two seasons ago, we were all ready to jump off of a building. Hamilton didn't react harshly and Fulmer had a while to bring things back on course. Last year was much better than '05. This year has a chance to be better still. Obviously, last night the Vols showed promise.

If changes need to be made, Hamilton will do the right thing. He's fully aware that his job performance is tied to Fulmer's progress.

The Vols are 3-2 overall, having lost to #2-ranked Cal and #13-ranked Florida. They have a chance to impress the poll voters with big games versus 2 more currently-ranked teams, and possibly another in the SEC title game. It will all work out as the season progresses.

Has Fulmer lost this season to a lower-ranked/unranked opponent? No, but he could look to his peers Carroll, Carr, Meyer, Rodriguez, Richt, Brown, Stoops, (and others) and discuss with them how it felt.

Is Fulmer perfect? No. Has UT had a perfect coach? No. Will we get a perfect coach if Fulmer isn't here next year? No.

I'm going to let the season play out before I condemn our coach. I wish him all the success in the world.

Posted by olozbal on October 7, 2007 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Two questions:
1. Is Crompton really any good? (As you can tell I'm looking forward to next year)

2. Ainge = Going Pro?

Posted by footballrules on October 7, 2007 at 3:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

We still gotta find a coach or do we?..is this gonna last? Or was it b/c they had a bye week to prepare for it? We will see who shows up next week? Is it me, or does fulmer look tired and older in his sideline photos?

Posted by cgbtn on October 7, 2007 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

olozbal, Crompton is probably very good, but if there is a real competition for the QB job next Spring, don't be surprised if BJ Coleman wins the job. Sounds like he comes from the Manning/Ainge school of study and preparation. Of course Ainge is going pro. His QB rating is off the charts, and even former pro QBs, like last night's CBS commentator, are amazed by the throws he can make. Barring serious injury, he is a 100% sure first round choice in the next draft. Unfortunately, that may mean he'll go to one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Posted by utmdm on October 7, 2007 at 4:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey Slo, interesting perspective. Thanks.

Posted by aj_vol on October 7, 2007 at 4:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey slovog, that was one of the most well thought-out and concise posts I have read

Nice job

Go Vols!

Posted by vol4good on October 7, 2007 at 4:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Many good Points Fellas--I just want to say that--I have NO problem with TN losing. As long as the effort and Desire are great. The only time I critisize, is when it is clear that the team effort is poor and preperation is lacking. Coaches provide Preperation and motivation. I didnt see those two things in the Fl or Cal game. I did see great Preperation and motivation yesterday. Thats the kind of desire TN and it's fans are craving! Keep fighting fellas--

Posted by aj_vol on October 7, 2007 at 5:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

CRVol = Bama Fan trying to get rid of Fulmer

Posted by ZacharyUTK on October 7, 2007 at 5:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey hey hey! We win a game, and it takes CRVol longer than usual to come up with a negative post...

Havin' trouble coming up with some negative comments about yesterday's game, CR?? Maybe you should try unplugging your computer for a little while and getting some fresh air. Or better yet, you could go cheer for some team like Ole Miss or Mississippi State. That way, when your blabbering about how dismal things are or how much you wish things were like they 'used to be', you won't be the only one.

Posted by billwall on October 7, 2007 at 5:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Can anyone tell me how someone out of the states of MS and TN can view the game this Saturday? I think it is going to be a ppv game.

Posted by MiserableFloridaVol on October 7, 2007 at 7:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You would think that the Vols won a national championship. We are 3 - 2 on the season. Where is the humility? It's got to be one game at a time. I loved the win, but we have to play with a chip on our shoulder! Forget it and think about Mississippi State!

Posted by olozbal on October 7, 2007 at 7:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Good to see with us blowing out Georgia that they're ranked above us in the polls. Makes sense......

I watched Kentucky and S.C. They're both extremely beatable. I don't get the whole QB hype on the Kentucky QB. He's decent, but I'd take Ainge in the pros over him.

Posted by movol77 on October 7, 2007 at 7:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

CRVol's reputation may be in jeopardy. He is sounding more laughable than shrill today.

Posted by awsue0860 on October 7, 2007 at 8:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WHY does it take so much pressure, fan challenges, Fire Fulmer Blogs, etc to get CHANGE at UT ? WHEN was the LAST TIME you saw anything that resembled a Trick Play from T ? WHEN ? That's all the fans are asking for ! CREATIVITY, CHANGE, INNOVATION ! You can go 1-10, as LONG AS you try and put the players in position to win. You'll probably do much better than 1-10 AND everyone stays off your ass. Way to go Vols !

Posted by threehundredbowler on October 7, 2007 at 8:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

what was wrong crvol?Why did you drive to Knoxville?Was your 747 broke down or was your pilot broke down?With your success and money you sureley could have done better than drive,after all you are the one who brags about how smart and successful you are.The truth is your Yugo want go.

Posted by 55Vol on October 7, 2007 at 8:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

CRVol....did you enjoy the game or did you think about Fulmer the whole game??? is your eye twitching at the thought of Fulmer???

No I didn't go to Knoxville, I had to work yesterday. I will say you were at least man enough to go.

jwraymond1...well....uh....VOLS won!!! ( I know, you are defending your position by saying "it's about time" )Our swiss cheese defensive line played ...well....what Ga player could cut the cheese??? It is just one game, and they need to stay focused, but...they won BIG!!! And Fulmer was the HC.

Great job team, great job defense, great job offense, great job special teams, great job COACHES.... great job Vol fans. Go Vols....beat State!!

Posted by jandjhome on October 7, 2007 at 8:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You hit on something awsue0860, this is my formula for beating Florida. Start the fire Fulmer Blogs in August, also have John Pennington write an an article in early August that will piss Fulmer off and that will cinch a victory over the Gators.

Posted by govols57 on October 7, 2007 at 8:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Great game! I'm glad we could finally put it all together. I just wonder why it took 4 games and two embarrassing beatdowns to get it together. Everyone knows we have always had the talent.
Does Fulmer's job always have to on the line in order for UT to play like we all know they can?

Posted by littletheyknow on October 7, 2007 at 8:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Go VOLS. TN has a chance to shock the football world. No one, I mean No one respects TN or think they have what it takes. All I see ahead on our schedule are sub par teams that TN will knock out. The test belive it or not is Miss.St, if we go down there and win big (35-10 or so) then ITS ON. SC, ARK, KY,and Vandy won't be easy but they are not as good of football teams as we are. The defense has come together and the offense has come alive, so watch out for late 80's early 90's(Cuttcliff)VOLS footbal.

Posted by slovog on October 7, 2007 at 9 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There were not two beatdowns. Florida was a beatdown. The Cal game was lost due to errors. It was certainly less violent than the a$$whipping Fulmer put on them the year before.

Posted by slovog on October 7, 2007 at 9:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

BillWall-you might take a look at the ESPN Gameplan. Some of the games are on there for out-of-state viewers.

Posted by footballrules on October 7, 2007 at 9:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It took Fulmer two weeks to beat the dawgs!!! Now its only gonna take one week to get beat again!!

Posted by movol77 on October 7, 2007 at 9:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"It took Fulmer two weeks to beat the dawgs!!! Now its only gonna take one week to get beat again!!"

footballrules, we will keep you POSTED on this.

Is it only gonna take one week to get your foot back in your mouth?

Posted by VOLFANSTKGA on October 7, 2007 at 9:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I was wrong and you were right and for all the years I didn't see the VOLS play this well - I am proud of them. Great game - ya'll deserve it!!!!

Posted by vol4jesus on October 7, 2007 at 10:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Wow!!!! CR_____ your awe of yourself is so humble. Must be a dj for the spinning is awesome. I think you an jr and other detractors are merely taking a one day sabbatical to let us enjoy the win b4 ewe start up the engines of anti-Fulmer etc again. Thanks for the semi-sensitivity. Go VOLS!!! Beat the other dogs of the sec this Saturday in Starkville!!

Posted by buxavol on October 7, 2007 at 10:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

We beat a down Georgia team. Nothing special about that.
UF beats us by 39, then loses 2 in a row. Florida is 5.5 touchdowns better than us!! Wake up people!!!
Stoops, Stoops, Stoops...

Posted by dbs on October 7, 2007 at 11:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Great game yesterday. It's a shame it took jobs being on the line for the coaches to get everyone riled up.

A look at Fulmer facts. First, an article from the 21 Sept Chattanooga Free-Press, then some updated facts of my own.

Bottom line - Fulmer coached teams are not competitive against good teams. We don't need to worry about settling for mediocrity since it slowly arrived a few years ago.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolut...

Years without SEC title: 8
Years without BCS bowl: 7
Years without top 10 ranking: 5
Years without AP Top 25 ranking: 2000, 2002, 2005, (2006-25th)
Years with 3 or more losses: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (5 straight years and 7 out of 8 )
Years with multiple losses to unranked teams: 2003, 2005
Years with loss in last 2 games of season: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (EIGHT straight years and counting)

4-8 (.333) vs. Spurrier: (2-3 since 1998 )
3-4 (.429) vs. Richt
1-3 (.250) vs. Tuberville
1-2 (.333) vs. Saban
0-3 (.000) vs. Meyer

10-17 (.370) 1999 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB (thank God for Zook!)
8-16 (.333 ) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB
6-15 (.286) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB excluding games vs. Zook
6-13 (.316) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, AUB
4-12 (.250) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, AUB excluding games vs. Zook
6-10 (.375) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA
4-9 (.308) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA excluding games vs. Zook
3-5 (.375) 2000 - present vs. GA

8-16 (.333) vs. Top 10 teams 1999 - present
1-6 (.142) vs. Top 10 teams at home 2000 - present
6-14 (.300) vs. Top 10 teams 2000 - present
18-21 (.462) vs. Ranked Teams 1999 - present
2-5 (.285) Bowl games since 1998 (all double digit losses)
2-7 (.222) Postseason record since 1998 including SECCG (all double digit losses)

Go Vols!

Posted by chuck0303 on October 7, 2007 at 11:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

billwall I live in Texas, a native Tennessean and die-hard UT fan (the real UT in Knoxville) and I usually always get the Vols games if not on national TV by subscribing to ESPN Gameplan on Direct TV. That's one reason I have direct TV so I can get the Vol games. Rarely can I not get the UT game unless they're really playing a po-dunk school. I do like the UT Longhorns but they will never replace the real UT Orange. My wife went to the other UT, but I forgive her.

Posted by footballrules on October 7, 2007 at 11:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

movoll77.....You must be a donor along with fulmer!!...as you can see dbs numbers speak for itself numbers never lie!!! duhhhhhhhhhhh But I guess movoll77 loves mediocrity !!!

Posted by thevol on October 8, 2007 at 1:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Dbs's numbers are twisted. If you want true stats, you have to include Fulmer's WHOLE career. He didn't start coaching in 1999 like the haters would like you to believe. He did win the National Championship. Tell the whole truth or your numbers are just B.S.

Nice to see a little humility CR. How was the game live? Hope you got to enjoy it.

Posted by dbs on October 8, 2007 at 1:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

thevol - the numbers aren't twisted. I did indeed forget the disclaimer that they are since the national title. Mea culpa.

Nevertheless, the past 8 years have shown a definite slide. And that accelerated the past 2 years. Winning a national title in 1998, while absolutely fantastic, is not a permanent pass on performance for the rest of one's career.

Thevol - I'm not a Fulmer hater. You've unnecessarily personalized it. I'm just looking at performance and the value we alumni and donors get for a $2 million salary. Right now the ROI is rather poor.

Hopefully yesterday was the start of a turnaround. If not, time to go.

Go Vols!!

Posted by sjt18 on October 8, 2007 at 1:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Great game. Hopefully a confidence builder. I had hoped it might be as simple as having the light turned on... but we'll see if it was an anomaly or if they've got their mojo now.

Two thirds of the scenario needed to make me feel better about the coaches has now been completed. UF blew out UT. UT blew out UGA. Now if UGA can just go get UF... or USCe would be OK too as long as UT beats them as well.

BTW, for the blend of negative and not so negative folks that have been dissing UT's talent... It showed up Saturday. They ate UGA up on both lines. The score should have been at worst 35-7 if not for that ridiculous call against Johnson.

The TD pass over Vinson was just a great play. No. 13 was in the guy's shirt.

Bolden was huge. That guy was absolutely flying around everywhere. He looked more like Dorsey than Dorsey did on Saturday.

BTW, dbs... you guys need to drop Richt off that cherrypicked list. CPF has now beaten him 3 of the last 4... In the last two, he's badly outcoached Richt.

Posted by sjt18 on October 8, 2007 at 1:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

dbs, The slide has NOT accelerated the past two years. 2006 was a marginal improvement over 2005. 2007 thus far has been regression but Sat was a step in the right direction... not because of the win but because of the level of play that yielded the win.

In reality, it is just one win and I still think CPF needs ten altogether including a very strong finish. If they play like Sat then that is well within reason. I'm rooting for Fulmer. I'd love to see him turn it around and go on a winning run as great as the downturn was dismal.

Actually, if the D and ST's play like that for the remainder of the season then 10 wins are likely.

All in all... a great weekend except for the ND win. Could have done without that... but any time UF and USCw lose on a weekend when UT pulls off a big win... it is GOOD!

Posted by dbs on October 8, 2007 at 1:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)

sjt18,

The list isn't cherrypicked. It's simply since the national title in '98.

Yes, we beat the crap out of GA 3 of the last 4 years. Badly the last two. I love it! Even though I thought GA was overrated, I still love it!

I sincerely hope we regain the prominence we're all used to seeing in years past. I'd love to start thinking of a bowl game as a likely win again, without that feeling of impending doom that has set in since 1998. IMHO, Fulmer teams just don't prepare for the big games well.

Posted by dbs on October 8, 2007 at 1:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

sjt18,

I've got to agree with you. The only downer was the ND win! All-in-all, this was a great college football weekend for Vols fans!

Posted by RocketVol on October 8, 2007 at 5:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

aj_vol, I am responding to your 10:26 post yesterday. You seem to think that it's okay we were blown out by UF - it's not. And beyond the score board it's how uncompetive they were in those games (special teams and D at Cal - offense looked good). I expect Tennessee to be competitive every game on all sides of the ball - especially after you've had all spring and August to prepare. Not win necessarily, but show up. Tennessee should have brought this team to Cal and Florida and they weren't prepared. Why? Why has this happened so often in the last decade? That's a fair question folks have been asking.

Inconsistency is a concern. It is a sign of coaching that is either bad or won't change. I think these coaches did a great job Saturday - but don't get too comfy. It's not about Saturday - it's about a SEASON. Let's see this level of play continue uninterrupted through the remainder of 07 and with all teams thereafter. I was sold Saturday that we have the ability to run the East table. If we don't, that's okay. You win and lose some. But if Fulmer's staff brings the "B" or "C" team to the field and looks unprepared that's on him. That is what this is all about. Not beating Georgia - but playing competitively all year.

Saturday was a great start being solid and competitive. But is it the beginning of a winning habit?

Posted by 55Vol on October 8, 2007 at 7:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

TouchdownTN.... Pennington was wrong on 2 accounts:
1.) not naming sources is standard journalistic practice. There is no doubt he interviewed real former players. His timing for taking the article to print sucks. Why not a week before?
2.) I was extremely disappointed in Pennington's rebuttal to Fulmer. He got on the FireFulmer bandwagon when it looked like the ship was sinking. Hey John P., when the going gets tough, stay out of my foxhole.....

The things that worked Saturday will shut up the Pennington's of the world. Fulmer does need to stay focused on coaching blocking/tackling...fundamentally sound football. The players need to stay out of the press clippings and play ball.

Posted by slovog on October 8, 2007 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey movol77-

That's not his foot.

Posted by slovog on October 8, 2007 at 7:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I still say that if Packer saw fit, rightly, to name the ex-players who are supportive of Fulmer, Pennington should have named the non-supportive ex-players. If, as so many of the haters would have you believe, the groundswell is to get rid of Fulmer,then they would ultimately come off as heros.

It's just a great illustration of just how nutless press guys can be. Pennington is a wuss. I bet his favorite mixed drink is vinegar and water.

Posted by jdcvols on October 8, 2007 at 8:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Ok, we played a great game. It has been a while since the defense, offense and special teams all played well. Everybody around me was asking the same question, who are those guys? and where have they been. Do not want to take anything away from this great game, but why can't we play more consistent from week to week. Let's see if the team can make something of this? I have have been very critical of Fulmer but one game does not make or break a season. I had a few Georgia fans around me and obviously were sick but humble. It was a great day for the Big Orange.

Posted by tngeoff on October 8, 2007 at 8:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

orange71,

Sam & Andys. Man that was THE place! Steamed sandwiches...open VERY late. That scene you were talking about was called a "Dyergram"...done by a writer named Dyer. I also loved that call in show, "Hold that line." The craziest thing was those streakers on the strip. That was CRAZY!

Anyway, this past Saturday shocased the talent we really do have. Great game guys. But like RocketVol says...make it a HABIT. We now know beyond any reasonable doubt that you can win. Now...just do it every week! If you play like that every week you will win out. If you revert back to pack dropping and uninthused, uninspired half hearted team play...the thunder will return...FAST. Play the game like that...like Tennessee football is supposed to be played.

Posted by marc_ash on October 8, 2007 at 8:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

First off its the Chattanooga Times Free Press, not the Chattanooga Free Press. Please get this right, its annoying when you folks post it wrong.

Secondly, I saw a post earlier where someone said that if Tennessee could perform like this again they would be "back on board". For you, I say stop being a TN fan. If you are going to make conditions on supporting for the Vols and consider not following the because they aren't doing well, then get out....plain and simple.

For those folks that said we were going to get destroyed, etc. at least give the team some credit and admit you were wrong. I know folks have said things about JRaymond and CRVol and they have a right to call those folks out just like they had the right to make the predictions. But......now its time to pay up......TN played wonderfully and looked amazing. The coaching staff did a great job and has done all the fans have asked of them.

So guys, for respect sake admit that you guys were dead wrong about your predictions and at least for a game Fulmer and company did a fantastic job.

Keep it up Vols, you deserve the credit for a fantastic game.

Oh, and like I have been saying all season...Cal was an elite team this season (#2 in the nation doesn't look like a joke loss now does it)

Posted by marc_ash on October 8, 2007 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)

SJT, I will admit that UT's talent did show up Sat. And I will also admit that I was one of the folks that did say their talent was sub par to other SEC programs AND/OR to UT teams in the past. I wont argue with what I said, but I will say that I believe the talent has gotten MUCH better over the past 5 weeks and the experience has a lot to do with them getting better. As I've always said, talent isn't just based on raw athletic ability.

On another note, I would also like to point out a discussion we had weeks ago after UT lost to Cal. I said one of the reasons we lost to Cal was they were more talented and were an elite team. Both of those things were true. Cal is ranked #2 in teh nation and continues to pump out amazing stats from their offensive players. They also were more talented at the time....because they were more expererienced and better prepared. I would LOVE to see UT play Cal and/or FL now, but that is just a dream.

Posted by marc_ash on October 8, 2007 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

TouchdownTN,
I don't think it took insults and mudslinging...and I think WAAAAAAAAY too much credit is being given to negative press. I don't think for 1 minute that the players or Coach Fulmer said "oh no, the press is reaaaaaaaaally coming down on us and the mud slinging is getting harsh...lets go out and play hard so that will stop".

Look people, this is a team that started 5 different line-up's in the secondary in 5 weeks. A team that has had inconsistent tackling and a plethora of freshmen playing skill positions. Also, we lost to the #2 and the #8 ranked team in the nation BOTH AWAY.

This team has progressed and gotten better. Nobody can ask for more than that. YOu play young talent and it takes time. Enjoy the win folks, its well deserved.

Posted by webbofconfusion on October 8, 2007 at 8:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hmmm... Let's think about the performance....Great. Except Hefney... Can we just put someone else back there for returns.

I am a firm believer that two fumbles and two tackles on punts and the season is different. UT is in the drivers seat in the east, and CRvol yes seven weeks will tell the tale... but we have to take it one week at a time.

See you in Atlanta! Go Vols!

Posted by sjt18 on October 8, 2007 at 9:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

marc,

"Secondly, I saw a post earlier where someone said that if Tennessee could perform like this again they would be "back on board". "

If that was one of my comments... I was referring to being back on board with giving CPF more time, not back on board with the team.

Second, our whole arguments seems to have been over semantics. The talent I'm talking about is what a kid brings with him. His raw athletic and football skills plus his intelligence.

At no point was I talking about how good they were on the field. I was dealing with the potential they had if coached up.

The raw talent of Cal still isn't as good as UT. Their skill players are very good especially in Tedford's system. Overall and particularly on the lines, UT has better talent though it just showed up.

Posted by ntansey7 on October 8, 2007 at 9:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Boycott CR___!!!

Posted by sjt18 on October 8, 2007 at 10:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

CPF's reaction to that column was predictable. Loyalty is a huge thing to Fulmer's style of leadership.

1) TDTN- I would never want a reporter in a foxhole with me.

2) True. But a good performance in the last game against a team that has been performing well... and who many people claimed could beat UT on their supposed superior talent alone... is a basis for slightly increased hope. MSU is good enough to let us know if the hope is justified or not and UT's problems so far have come on the road.

3) I have no idea to what extent that is true. The defense is young. I commented before this game that they finally had the players on the field that should have been there in early August. Hopefully, they'll use this new found confidence to continue to reach new heights.

To answer your question, some of them have been lost due to lack of experience and some of them have been on the sideline watching... Some of them apparently just woke up- Fisher, Bolden, Ayers, Mapu,... I saw all those guys make big plays that haven't been getting made.

4) I think it was Bolden that came flying in to finish off a tackle on a WR about 15 yards downfield... Many of the others were flying around and firing each other up. The leadership potential has always been there. Some of these guys just needed a game to give them the confidence to step out front. We'll see if they keep it up but I'm not sure CPF had anything to do with their fire after the first drive. I doubt they played the whole game with saving his job in mind... much less the negative comments of fans and media.

However, if that prompted the spark that started the fire... so be it. Now they know how to get going and how to play with confidence and emotion.

All good stuff if they can sustain it... and it comes down more to the players at this point than the coaches. Thankfully, just like the lackluster attitude could be passed on from the decline years... the intensity and confident attitude can be passed on too.

This could have been an anomaly or a turning point. We'll see.

Posted by jhenson on October 8, 2007 at 10:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

dbs...great posts as always. You point out the painful truth without making it personal...as a TRUE FAN should.

Go Vols!!!

Posted by sjt18 on October 8, 2007 at 10:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

You can post all the selective records you want but 98 to 04 shouldn't matter any more than 92-98.

The relevant time period is 2005-present.

Hopefully, there are few who want CPF gone just for the sake of seeing him gone. The objective question is: "Is he making progress toward program goals?"

The period before Ainge's injury last year looked like it. The period after through the UF game looked like regression. The UGA game could be a spike in an otherwise downward trend or turning point in the normal process of improvement- ups and downs but a general upward trend.

One way to look at it is this- The more times CPF and staff see a coach, the more likely they are to beat them. Record against Spurrier in the 90's was abysmal but they beat him at UF and at USCe (if you think 05 was an aberration). They learned to beat Saban. Now they seem to solidly have Richt's number.

So the key is this: Don't let any of the other teams change coaches ;-). At some point, Chavis will see enough other teams defense UF to figure out how to slow them down... then UT will have the ability to beat them all.

Posted by gvsvol on October 8, 2007 at 10:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

wow, just think how high the linebackers would have graded out if some "tweaking" was done similar to the changes we did for the secondary and DL. Suggestion, give Ryan Karl a great pat on the back for solid service but make a change (actually upgrade) to start either Ellix Wilson or Dorian Davis (or anyone else for that matter) in the middle and slide Mayo back to OLB...

Posted by sjt18 on October 8, 2007 at 10:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Don't exactly know what everyone's problem is with Karl. He hasn't played great but he's been playing hurt. The other two guys have no injuries that I know of and have played at least as bad.

I'd still like to see a big kid at MLB. I think it would help stop the inside run game and thus the option. But in the current scheme of things, Karl hasn't been the biggest problem. Mayo has.

Posted by marc_ash on October 8, 2007 at 11:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I do have to agree with SJT on the point that what should matter is what has occurred between 2005 and the present. There are many keys to a good coach (recruiting, making adjustments, motivating kids) but what I have seen in Fulmer that GREATLY impresses me is his ability to try to make changes.

Although a great deal of fans seem to think all Fulmer is doing is lining up and running up the middle on third down think again. Fulmer has done the following since 05:

1. Changed OC's
2. Fired and hired 3 new position coaches.
3. Established a team under one QB.
4. Increased the productivity of the offense from 3rd worse in the nation in 05 to #1 in the SEC this season.
5. Continues to make changes to the secondary while playing young talent to institute a more athletic style.
6. Putting in plays to utilize the athletic talent (i.e. halfback pass anyone).
7. Special teams play has improved with new looks and strategy on kickoff and punt returns (minus Hefney).

Fans keep screaming for changes and they are coming....they have come. All the changes that people are asking for are occuring. The D stepped up in a big way folks as did the offense. This team is coming together. Is it signs that all is well on Rocky Top, not sure yet...but CPF is making all of the changes that fans have been asking for. Give him time, he will right the ship.

Posted by dbs on October 8, 2007 at 11:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

webofconfusion,

I somewhat agree with you about Hefney. However, I'm not convinced that we're getting good blocking on punt returns yet, so I'm not sure anyone else receiving punts could do much better right now. Still some work to do there.

The one negative on Hefney - while the D was MUCH IMPROVED (actually, awesome) on Saturday my wife and I both noticed that Hefney still refuses to wrap anyone up when he tackles. He loves to dive in and whack with his shoulder pads, but keeps his arms at his sides all too often. Sometimes it works, other times the runner bounces off and keeps on going relatively unimpeded. If he'd only wrap his arms around someone's legs once in a while he'd at least slow them up a bit.

Posted by hueypilot on October 8, 2007 at 11:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Heels fan, very classy.
Touchdown, I think that Fulmer was sending an indirect message to the sources of Pennington's who chose to air their disappointments and concerns to a journalist, (from the greek meaning blood sucking bottom feeders) (and Fulmer was probably over the top in questioning Pennington's credentials, but hey, he was pissed,) and his (fulmer's) message was to those former lettermen, "if you think I'm doing something wrong, maybe you should tell me instead of Pennington. Anyway, things surely look better today and we will see week to week how this potentially entertaining and exciting season plays out.

Posted by LargeOrange on October 8, 2007 at 12:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

CR??? So you were at the game, I wonder what color shirt you had on - Red/Black or Orange with a red tee shirt underneath just in case

Posted by fatmike265 on October 8, 2007 at 12:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Great Game.You have to ask yourself why it took a off week to get ready. Where has that running game been all year? Why did it take till now?What change on the O-line to motivate those guys?Can it stay up for the rest of the season and good god swarm tacking was so good it gave me chills why all of a sudden. I think its great but is Georgia just not that great this year. We will see next three games how good we are to make it to the end.

Posted by sjt18 on October 8, 2007 at 3:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Anyone else notice that the reverse pass was the exact same play they ran against UF last year?

For those who asked, I saw O'Neal in the game though he didn't get the ball.

Moore made an good play that would have gone for 6 if Ainge hadn't thrown just a little behind him.