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Adams: UT forced to play Cal's game
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BERKELEY, Calif. - Maybe Tennessee went west a day too soon. The Vols arrived on Thursday, giving themselves a couple of days to acclimate to California and Pacific Daylight Time.
They acclimated just fine. In fact, by Saturday evening, this proud, card-carrying member of the SEC found itself playing Pac-10 football.
You've probably watched enough television to know how that goes. You go heavy on the offense and light on the defense.
And when in doubt, you pass. When not in doubt, you also pass.
The Vols could have passed for Washington State, Arizona State, or any other run-of-the-mill Pac-10 program at Cal Memorial Stadium. One problem: Cal isn't a run-of-the-mill Pac-10 program.
It's the real deal. And it proved that again and again in a 45-31 victory.
While the Vols looked like a Pac-10 patsy, the Golden Bears looked nothing like the dazed bunch that stumbled around Neyland Stadium for three quarters last year in a 35-18 loss that was much worse than the final score.
UT's performance was only half as embarrassing. At least, its offense showed up. But this was the wrong time and place to try and win an offensive shootout.
Never mind how efficient UT's offense was for much of the game. Or that quarterback Erik Ainge completed a career-high 32 of 47 passes.
Cal matched UT's efficiency and added spectacular playmakers. The result: only a fumble by quarterback Nate Longshore at the UT 1-yard-line prevented Cal from hanging half a hundred on the Vols.
Cal didn't just have the offense. It had the motivation.
All week long, Cal players talked about how humiliated they were by the way they played last season at Neyland Stadium. They weren't all talk.
They weren't all pass, either. Justin Forsett, a 5-foot-8, 204-pound running back, rushed for 156 yards, including 122 in the second half. By the fourth quarter, he was almost as hard to tackle as Cal All-American wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who also doubles quite adequately as a punt returner.
Jackson returned four punts for touchdowns last season while leading the nation in punt-return average. The Vols punted to him anyway. Once.
For that, the Vols get a loud, heartfelt thank-you from the Cal Sports Information Office, which has invested in a Heisman Trophy campaign for Jackson. He brought their campaign to life with a 77-yard touchdown return on which the entire UT coverage unit appeared to be running in slow-motion. Compared to Jackson, it was.
After that misadventure, the Vols shrewdly elected to punt the ball out of bounds or out of the reach of Jackson the rest of the game. Just in time, huh?
Not only did the Vols get showed up, they showed some of the same shortcomings that were so evident last season. Their running game was unreliable, and their pass rush was considerably worse than their rushing attack.
Despite all their failings, they still mounted a comeback, cutting a 17-point lead to seven early in the fourth quarter. They even forced the Golden Bears to punt on three consecutive possessions.
But what you might have mistaken for a crucial change in momentum was merely a lull in the Cal offense. Pressured to answer UT's challenge, the Golden Bears responded with their most impressive drive of the night - a five-play, 70-yard surge, capped by Forsett's 20-yard touchdown run.
It was pure, Pac-10 football. And it was no place for an impostor.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 .
© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by snafu14u on September 2, 2007 at 2:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Nail on the head.Good column. bonzaivol
Posted by jawbreaker on September 2, 2007 at 7:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Gotta say you have it right, John! I can't add anything, and can't disagree with anything. Good analysis.
Posted by avidvol on September 2, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The reason UT struggled was largely the result of the losses at db, wr, and d line. This coupled with the interference no-calls, absence of Coker, special team breakdowns, and preposterous poor tackling was indeed the perfect storm. Anyone wonder why Ainge didn't go deep to pull the Cal safties back? Sore finger or lack of a deep threat receiver?--from TV I can rarely see the def coverage.
Posted by DSaVol on September 2, 2007 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Unfortunatly your dead right Mr. Adams. dbramm...what the hell interference no-calls are you talking about? If it's the plays to Vinson and O'neal you're kidding right? Neither of those two guys wanted to go across the middle and it was obvious. There was no interference called cause they didn't go after the ball and sell it! Both of them pulled up. Ainge didn't go deep because you usually have to have receivers in the pattern to throw to. We were in a double TE set most of the night, the receivers showed no ability to separate when they did run a deep (in Cutcliffe's world more than 8 yards) pattern, and the OL couldn't protect a poodle for more than 3 seconds!
By the way, I've seen NO comments - as in ZERO, NONE - from Fulmer about this game. Has his previously stated excitement for this team waned or is he proving to be the chicken-$#!t front runner he really is?
Posted by rffloyd on September 2, 2007 at 10:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Fullmer...did you see that wide open offense of Appalachian State? What will it take?
Posted by wkjq on September 2, 2007 at 11:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
dbramm, you are exactly right, i can't recall who the receivers were, but there were 2 clear no calls that hurt.dsavol, the plays you refer to aren't the ones. i agree o'neal was very afraid, he has no business in orange. another no call that killed was the 2 blocks in the back on the punt return. it doesn't take but a couple of key calls to change a close game.
Posted by wkjq on September 2, 2007 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
rffloyd, apparantly you didn't watch the game, we attempted 47 passes. you have to run sometimes.
Posted by BornaVolDieaVol on September 2, 2007 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WHEN IS THE FIRST BASKETBALL GAME??? Im only kidding. But I was thinking that as I went to bed last night, knowing our football team will again fail to return to national prominence this season. We can still battle for the SEC East title, but I don't think our forty 5 yard passes are going to be enough to outscore Florida in two weeks. Thatll be another shootout with a lack of defense on both sides... maybe this time we'll just keep from making those stupid plays that kill games and MAYBE cause one with our defense in order to win!
Posted by BornaVolDieaVol on September 2, 2007 at 11:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
and speaking of running... Arian Foster had 6.8 yards a carry. WHY ONLY 13 CARRIES FOR THE MAN??
Posted by BornaVolDieaVol on September 2, 2007 at 11:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
...When your defense can't stop Cal, why NOT run the ball more with Foster, eat up some more time, and limit the possessions and plays Cal can run on offense?????
Posted by tnmantravel on September 2, 2007 at 12:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
vols simply got beat by a better team.....cal is good...very good
Posted by newtonrail on September 2, 2007 at 12:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well some things don't change, even on FREE SITE. DSAVOL is back bashing the football program every week and Fulmer in particular. I have never been one of Fulmer's greatest fans, but come DSavol, give it a rest. Of course fans, look for the Basketball articles, and old DS kissing @#$ from his position of knowledge as custodian at TB.
Posted by newtonrail on September 2, 2007 at 12:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well some things don't change, even on FREE SITE. DSAVOL is back bashing the football program every week and Fulmer in particular. I have never been one of Fulmer's greatest fans, but come DSavol, give it a rest. Of course fans, look for the Basketball articles, and old DS kissing @#$ from his position of knowledge as custodian at TB.
Posted by DSaVol on September 2, 2007 at 1:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ahhh newton my old friend - you are SO RIGHT! NOTHING has changed as evidenced by a) last night's woeful performance by this clueless group you call a "coaching" staff, and, b) you continuing to attack the messenger instead of the message. Now after your nap, your challenge for the day is to identify just one single thing I've posted that isn't accurate. Oh and be sure to drink ALL of your kool aid!
Posted by whistlinwingman on September 2, 2007 at 1:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Our offense put up 31 points (all but the one big kick return by Foster where on sustained drives). I am sorry but if you put up 31 pts on the road you should win the game! Granted the offense had the one turnover leading to a quick 7 for Cal. They didn't cost UT the game! And as for pac10 vs sec comparisons. Cal is the 2nd best team in the pac 10 (and where alot better than I thought they would be) and TN is simply in the middle of the pack in the SEC. UT has a lot of youth on the team and hopefully they will get better each week.
Posted by AllVol on September 2, 2007 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We waited nine months for this. DSaVol is exactly right. There is a difference between Fulmer bashing (somethng I have been staunchly against) and calling it like it is. Phil is out of touch and out of date--just like Johnny Majors was--both great men and great Vols. No question. Phil's time has come and gone--and I'll say once again: I like the man. Whatever intangible it is he lacks--he sure as hell lacks it--that is more than evident. And Cutcliffe is not the answer either. We need a Bruce Pearl, and there has got to be one out there. It is more than painfully obvious that Phil is not going to rebound or re-group or anything of the sort. He is finished as head coach. Let's try like hell to make something out of this season, but I am officially in favor of a change--and I am NOT bashing Phil Fulmer.
Posted by kdmdal on September 2, 2007 at 4:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
CRVol i guess this low life dude from the Sporting News has no idea what he's talking about???? Basically every comment i made was correct and everything you said was wrong!! NO SPEED, CAN'T PLAY PHYSICAL, JACKSON ISN'T SEC WORTHY. Nice pregame comments!! And the funny thing, you won't even admit you were 100% wrong!! Fact is you got beat by a better team this year, and i'm sure you don't want to admit that either since I don't know what I'm talking about! HAHA
Posted by utwick on September 2, 2007 at 4:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It looks like a major dose of reality for the Vols. I was fearful that our offense was a weak link although I knew in my heart that our kicking game was a major question mark. The offense did okay but was unable to make up for the lack of defense. The tackling was pitiful and our players overran plays thus taking themselves out of position time and time again. The special teams were anything but that on coverage, and I held my breath each time we kicked off or punted. I don't know if our coaches are to blame for the poor kick offs. Maybe they are to blame for recruiting the players we have. I think that anytime a major program like Tennessee has the punter slotted as the placekicker as well, there is a major weakness there. Hopefully, we will learn from this and the team will try to keep their heads up. The schedule is not an easy one. I think Cal deserves credit for outplaying us and for representing their conference. I hope that they do well against USC and the rest. Did anyone else notice the excellent blocking that Jackson got on the punt return for the TD? Great example of players performing their assignments. Also, I pray for Xavier Mitchell and his recovery. Next to his injury, the final score was small potatoes.
Posted by Sheepscape on September 2, 2007 at 5:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bout time you guys saw this. We so-called 'malconcents's have been right about the coaches for a long time
Posted by grob1304 on September 2, 2007 at 8:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess after watching the last scrimmage and seeing our defense, Fulmer decided to donate $1 million to keep his job. Here is the math, donate $1 million and get $2 million in return, plus the tax benifits. He has got his own hedge fund working. Now he needs to pay attention to our football program.
Posted by rffloyd on September 2, 2007 at 9:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
wkjq 47 passes under 20 yards...you call that a wide open offense ...your part of the problem if you think that is a well rounded offense
Posted by Wafflehouseblows on September 3, 2007 at 2:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm a Cal fan who was at the game yesterday, and as expected, the Vol nation was out in force. I will not take this opportunity to bash UT or the SEC, only to state that it was a very entertaining game, that the atmosphere was great with the large fan contingents, and it's too bad that this cross-country rivalry is over. I only hope Cal & UT schedule another home & home, if not for the matchup of two solid programs then for the chance to experience each other's conference and for the two fan bases to engage in this friendly rivalry. Thanks to the UT fans who made the trip out, it was a great way for Cal to start the season - good luck the rest of the way.
Posted by jawbreaker on September 3, 2007 at 7:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
kdmdal just needs to go away. There is absolutely no proof that he writes for TSN, so he has no credibility. One thing is for sure, he is a juvenile, because only someone who is immature would come back on this site to stick out his tongue and go nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah. Hey, kdmdal, I saw your pre-game posts, you were right, so leave it alone. As I said in a previous post, no respectable sports journalist would go to a newspaper's website in order to banter and bicker with the local team's partisan fans. Ivan Maisel, if I am wrong and you are out there posting (Wafflehouseblows, perhaps), then please correct me.
Posted by 1BearBacker on September 3, 2007 at 1:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cal got a couple of lucky breaks, says one UT fan. Not true. UT got three lucky breaks when Cal's QB twice fumbled snaps at the goal line, and took a knee at the en, when UT was so tired it was defenseless against Forsett's runs. If not, the score would easily have been 66 - 31, and a mismatch.
As for the self-important, over-rated SEC. If the Pac-10 is soft and weak, and Cal is soft and weak, as some Vol fans say, then UT, the SEC's sole Pac=10 opponent this season, got whipped by a soft and weak Cal Pac 10-team. This says a lot. Actions speak louder than words.
And, as 1BearBacker, I hope you beat the krap out of every SEC team you play, and get a rematch against Cal in a BCS bowl in January.
Posted by 5forVols on September 3, 2007 at 4:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Tn Offense 31, Cal offense 31
14 point difference. A spear in the back on a ball that was thrown not fumbled and a punt return that should have been kicked OOB.
We would have scored on that first possesion and if we would have Cal folds.
What I have not heard so far is the holding that was taking place by Bears offensive line. Grabbing and falling on rushers was their stategy that would have been caught by SEC officials, They love holding calls. Notice how few holding calls there were for so many big plays. This was a dead even game that would have turned our way with non biased officials. Yes our defense is lacking but these great bears gave up 31 also. Liked all the play calling except behind the line passes on 3 and short.
Hits on receivers after 5 yards, blocks in the back on the punt return. Cal was not going to lose this game if the PAC-10 had anything to say about it.
The guy that speared our qBack in the back should have been counseled by our team.
Posted by ncvol17 on September 3, 2007 at 7:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, that was my last road trip to see the Vols. Thirty years of traveling to away games is over. We had a great week in SF prior to gameday. The Vol Nation was out in force on Fisherman's Wharf. The game was almost predictable at least as pertains to the defense and special teams. No way to win when you cannot convert 4th and 1's deep in enemy territory. The special teams were as usual. Too bad our D doesn't have the push we received trying to squeeze into BART, their subway system. We will watch road games from the comfort of our home and not endure the cat calls we receive leaving games such as this. The trolley car drivers gave us grief for heaven's sake. I leave road games to the young who can put up with mediocre play and the resulting heckling as we retreat from the stadiums.
Posted by SmoooothDevil on September 3, 2007 at 8:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"The Vols could have passed for Washington State, Arizona State, or any other run-of-the-mill Pac-10 program at Cal Memorial Stadium."
Ha ha ha-love it. Yall Tennessee fans are just as bad as Meeeechigan fans and Notre Lame fans. If you think you can beat ASU in Tempe, bring it on. Just ask Nebraska, USC, Iowa, and LSU how run of the mill ASU is? Or better yet play against UofA who beat Cal last year but finished near the bottom. Just because some fanatical head coaches out there feel like Southern ball is the center of the universe does not mean you can prance out here and not take a beating. You looked like Tennessee and you got out classed and out played. If anything you looked like a last place Pac-10 team like Stanford who played Cal tougher than you. Run of the mill Pac-10 teams are not bad but thanks for the back handed comment. Back to reality! Put your money where your mouth is. Lot of talk for a program that got embarassed!
Go Pac-10 and Go Devils!
Posted by spikevol on September 3, 2007 at 10:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
embarrassed??? how quickly they forget...
We were in that game and Cal was scared with 8 minutes left. Last year Cal was playing our backups for the final 20 minutes.
Posted by oaktowner on September 4, 2007 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
5forVols, you're right and you're wrong. You're right that the offenses each scored 31--the offenses ruled the game.
But that ball you say was "thrown, not fumbled" actually traveled backwards. A ball that travels backwards is a fumble regardless of the arm motion used to throw it.
NCVol17--I'm sorry you were treated inhospitably. Last year when we went to Knoxville I was impressed as hell at the Southern hospitality. No fans I've ever met measure up to Tennessee fans in that regard.
Posted by CalAlum90 on September 4, 2007 at 1:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Man, most of you Vols fans can't give credit where credit is due...cal was "holding", Ainge was hurt, Coker wasn't here, the coaching sucked, wah, wah, wah. Stop making excuses and acting like spoiled children. Cal is a dynamic team and we stomped your arses, period. Give credit where credit is due. You can dish out all the pre-game smack talk but you can't be man enough to eat crow and admit what a great team, great players, and great coaches we have. Please, I was at the game and your linemen on both sides of the ball were monsters!...outweighing us by at lease 40 pounds and up to 1.5 feet taller. But our guys handled your guys and are extremely well conditioned...so don't sit there and tell me the refs missed an entire game of holding. [rolls eyes] Just freakin' be a man about yourself and admit we were the superior team this year. damn.
Posted by CalAlum90 on September 4, 2007 at 2:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
By the way, the parking lot where we tailgate was 80% Vols fans and me, my wife, my friends, and my family all welcomed the Vols fans to our BBQ, our beer, and our shade. Several of them took us up on it and those that we met were very nice and we treated them very nicely as well. We joked and ate and drank and wished eachother good luck before departing for the game. Upon returning from our victory they patted us on the back and said "great game" you have a "great team and deserved to win" We reciprocated and wished them good luck on their season. It was a nice experience and we told them so (also telling them that they're nothing like the rude and ghetto USC fans).
Posted by MaddDogg on September 5, 2007 at 11:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am impressed at some of the people posting here taking the responsibility and putting it with their team, the Vols. I spoke with some Vols fan after the game and they were living in a different reality! Face it, there were no excuses, you guys got beat, in all phases of the game! By the fourth quarter Cal was driving the ball up and down the field running the clock out. Cal was the better team that day. When we lost last year, I handed it to the Vols, and I'm glad to see people on the other side do the same.
My apologies if Cal fans were a little rude. Cal is typically a very friendly area; though there was hostility brewing when some UT alum paid for the "SEC rules PAC 10 drools" flyby before the game. OOPS!
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