Posted by BigUn on September 2, 2007 at 2:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hopefully when Chavis reviews the film Jarod Parish will suck as much on it as he did watching it live.

Also it would be nice if our DL would actually penetrate into the backfield and make a play.

Right now, this is going to be a long year because we will face offenses with great QB's, WR's and RB's like UF, UGA, Bama and even UK.

Posted by volsrock54 on September 2, 2007 at 7:33 a.m.

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by BIGEJ on September 2, 2007 at 7:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Was there a defense in white and orange or just kids wearing jerseys; again, no heart on this team.....it has been "winter" here on tobacco road since 2001...this team and coaches look like....well, when UNC-Carolina and other ACC fans can compare Tennessee football to ACC football...well it just makes one sick to one's stomach...again NON HEART.....

Posted by RocketVol on September 2, 2007 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The only season's since 1990 that Tennessee has been competititve they have been loaded with NFL talent and big playmakers. That is the only consistency. If coaching was great - then each team would be competitive each year, with consistency, discipline, and good turnover margins. But if you consider the competitive teams during the last 17 years, names like Manning, Wilson, Lewis, Henry, Walker, Riley, Clifton, Bryson, and Witten were on the field (mid 90's, 98, and 2001). Those competitive teams yielded a ton of NFL players. So all you need to do is look at the team now and see if NFL talent is on the field.

Posted by Plasticman on September 2, 2007 at 8:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

We have not had a stout , hard nose defense since Al Wilson graduated. No studs up the middle and DB's (except Fresh. Berry) can't tackle. I love the Berry kid, he can lay a hit!
BIGEJ, Basketball is only a couple of months away. Pearl and the Vols will allow you to hold your head high on tobacco road this year...

Posted by georgiavol91 on September 2, 2007 at 8:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Will someone please tell me why John Chavis is still employed by UT?

No sacks, little QB pressure, ZERO tackling. That has nothing to do with schemes and everything to do with COACHING and has been a problem for years.

Posted by CrankE on September 2, 2007 at 8:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I had to go to bed at the half, but I really did think that UT would get it together. Against UGA last year, they had the same kind of first half. The home team got the crowd stirred up, made some great plays, ran out to a nice lead, then went to the lockers. In the second half though, UT's defense shut UGA down and the offense kept on scoring.

Last night, our defense never had an answer for Cal and apparently threw a no hitter. (Well, what else would YOU call it with all the missed tackles?) 200+ yards given up on the ground, no interceptions, no fumbles, no sacks-not a single play that might have altered the momentum of the game. And this, on opening day. Too many things went wrong yesterday to try and fix this week, but the foremost of these is what BigEJ said; HEART. The second is tackling.

My only hope is that Cal really is all that and a biscuit and that in December, we'll look back and say that they were the best opponent Tennessee played.

Posted by BIGEJ on September 2, 2007 at 8:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Plasticman, thanks for the encouragement but I do not and did not want to just have a good Pearl of a team; there was a day when UT fans could hold their head high for football...UT football...as of 09-02-07, NO HEART, NO "MARBLES"

Posted by Plasticman on September 2, 2007 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I must disagree with your "No Heart" comment. I saw plenty of heart as they were still fighting at the end of the game. Let's face it, we were beat by a better team that we spotted 7 points in the 1st Qtr. If not for that, it may have been a completely different game. Let's not act like the season is a total waste. If I remember correctly, we hammered Cal the first game last year and they went on to have a Top 10 season (better than us).We must put this game behind us and take care of business next week vs. Southern Miss.

Posted by mtnvol on September 2, 2007 at 9:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Speaking of "no heart", look in the mirror. Fans wanting coaches fired, calling players out after one game. Give Me a Break! What about you and your heart? Are you going to give your heart away after one loss to a top tier team? Sell all of your UT stuff and pick another team to be "loyal" to? We call people like that "sports whores" in the mountains. Why don't you put on the maise and blue and pull for Michigan? hahahaha Go Apps!!! Three in a row is on the way!!!

Posted by TNvolunteer on September 2, 2007 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

i wouldnt say the team has no heart because the offense has plenty...great game by ainge and his receivers...the line played better than most people would have thought and the backs did great jobs too...the defense on the other hand makes you woder what are they over there practicing??? way too much arm tackling, and tackling with your head down...cant tackle what you cant see.... if cal's players got there hands on us, it was almost a certain tackle...take notes fulmer and company...our pass coverage couldnt cover a a man in a wheel chair...lets play 7 yards of the los and give em some cushion to yurn a 2 yard pass into a 8 or 9 yard gain...no pressure what so ever on their qb...he all kinds of time to pick us apart...dont be afraid to send the house a time or two...cal wasnt and they did it often...i dont think we got out played because we were only down by 7 in the with plenty of time left....we just plain and simply got out coached yet again...time for a change on the hill..maybe this will be the year it happens.....

Posted by rootin4volz on September 2, 2007 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, boys...At least we didn't lose to a Division 1-AA team!

That was a talented offense with lots of weapons. But I agree, there's no excuse for the porous defense we displayed last night. For goodness sake, wrap up your man and bring him to the turf!!!

Posted by waterskier3 on September 2, 2007 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

chavis is terrible and has been for years.. what people forget is that we've been going down hill for a while hopefully hamilton can see a trend and start cleaning house... i love phil for devoting his life to UT but UT is bigger than one person and he should do the right thing like randy sanders did and quit if we lose to fla and GA. Man its going to be a long year.......

Posted by VolFan4Life on September 2, 2007 at 9:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Tennessee's defense has declined in prowess over the past several years. Following several consecutive seasons among the top 20 defenses in the country, Tennessee's defense has finished in the top 20 only once in the past four years, including a rousing 50th place ranking in total defense last year.

The Vols have not finished inside the top 20 pass defenses since 2002, and have finished inside the top 25 rush defenses only once in the past five years (72nd last year).

Compare that to LSU and Florida, both of which have been ranked among the top 10 nationally in total defense in the past two years.

If that old saying "Defense wins championships" is true, then Tennessee fans will be saving a lot of money by not having to purchase those December Georgia Dome tickets any time soon.

Posted by Southland on September 2, 2007 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Chavis is still employed at UT because his defenses has carried our butts for 10 years. Now he is stooping to the level the rest of the team has been at. Fire special teams coaches. Fire the kicking team coaches. Help them load their furniture and then help Fulmer hire someone that is actually good at their job

Posted by johnlg00 on September 2, 2007 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The tackling looked pretty bad at times, but the Cal ball handlers were about as shifty a bunch as I have ever seen! They all seemed to have a little wiggle about them just as a defender was about to make the hit, and then they had the strength to run through the arm tackles. It was REALLY hard to get a solid hit on them. Of course, that is where the wrapping up is most important. I will be surprised if we see any better bunch of skill players the rest of the year, but we do need to tackle better. I don't think there is as much full-on tackling in practice these days because of concerns about numbers, and this often shows up in first games. However, if we are still tackling like this when we play Florida, it will be a long season.

Posted by scvols on September 2, 2007 at 10:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Were were the sacks????? 0 sacks So much for improving the sack total.

Posted by VolnFlorida on September 2, 2007 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Has anyone heard about the condition of Mitchell?
I cannot find anything here in Florida about his injury.
I am certain if anyone in the country could have
stopped Cal last night. This is the best offense
Tennessee will face all year. I'm not certain if LSU could had done a whole lot better. Take away the fumble and punt return, and we're in good shape. The defense didn't play well, but I hear no one complaining about special teams. How many years in a row are we going to allow huge returns on kick-offs and punts? Our special teams need as much work as the d-line. If we can beat the Florida lizards, we still have a chance at a great season. We lose at Florida, then welcome back to the Peach Bowl. I'm just glad this game was he first of the season. GO APP STATE!!!!!!!!

Posted by jdcvols on September 2, 2007 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

ej, know the feeling. I'm in NC as well and sick and tired of everybody asking what happened to your football program. We have DECLINED people!! and not getting any better. I predicted 7-5 and maybe 8-4 and everybody went after me. What say you now!

Posted by DSaVol on September 2, 2007 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"...we'll be better next ball game, I guarantee you that." Uhh - NEWS FLASH! - you can't get much worse!! Someone needs to explain to this coaching staff that when your ultimate goal is to be a REAL national title contender - assuming that IS still a goal around here, albeit not possible until Clint Stoerner's son gets to college - and team such as Cal is your first test (with FL up 3rd), there is NO room for gradual improvement. You MUST be ready from the opening gun and this team wasn't. You've had EIGHT MONTHS to prepare and this is the best performance you can produce??? And don't talk about the offense being great either. Yeah they put up 31 points but should have had 60 cause Cal's defense sucked too! But we wouldn't run a damned play that MIGHT get more than 10 yards and tried to cover up for the lack of an offensive line with about 42 passes of 3 to 5 yards - even on the goal line! This entire staff is living off of 1998. Folks wanna talk about how good they recruit but here's another flash- either they ain't recruiting as well as advertised or they can't coach worth a damn! Either way, the end result is the same and has been for at least 5 years. They need to only look over the mountain to see what REAL coaching and heart can do!

Posted by TNvolunteer on September 2, 2007 at 10:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Mr. DSAVOL..you hit the nail on the head....we have great recruiting...but with poor coaching, what is it going to matter...we have some of the best kids in the nation here and cant even win a league title...and it all comes down to coaching...i think its time for a new HEAD BALL COACH....our offense has no creativity, defense plays like ole philly boys offense: conservative.
what is the use of complaining about our special teams, it dont do any good....the more we complain about it, the worse it gets. the only way this team gets back to national dominance is by shaking up things and it starts at the top. GOOD BYE PHIL FULMER!

Posted by BornaVolDieaVol on September 2, 2007 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I really miss Al Wilson, Albert Haynseworth, John Henderson, Julian Battle, Deon Grant, and even 2005 season senior Jason Hall. We just dont have playmakers on defense anymore. Please somebody at least touch the quarterback or cover a receiver without a pass interference call. We don't have those power guys anymore who can cause fumbles in the end zone on sacks (like Hall did a couple years ago) or pick off a pass and run it back for a td (like Deon grant did on the first play of the 1999 Auburn game in Knoxville).

Posted by volsrock54 on September 2, 2007 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

DSAvol, you said a mouth full. This program is nothing but a bunch of good ole boys sitting around saying " remember that national championship in 1998"? Our teams have sucked a@@ the last 5 years and I don't see the future being any brighter.. Time for a new era on the hill. I like Phil but partner you just aren't getting the job done. Go Vols!

Posted by wkjq on September 2, 2007 at 11:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

volnflorida, read THIS article!

Posted by arkyvol on September 2, 2007 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

so he takes responsibility. so what? he takes responsibility about like donald rumsfeld did--and nothing ever happens but the s.o.s., until he was dismissed. chavis ought to take a cue from the samurai. whenever one consistently failed as he has, they had an age old ritual. seppaku, i think they called it.

Posted by tnmantravel on September 2, 2007 at 12:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

ALL problems could be solved with 4, 6'6" and 295 lbs recruits that are defensive tackles....

Posted by volfanjustin on September 2, 2007 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The offense was not the problem at all, they actually looked pretty good. Our D sucks and has for a while. We cant get pressure with front 4 so we need linebackers to bring pressure and that leaves our secondary exposed. We will go 7-5. We need a whole new coaching staff, I mean start all over. I am tired of Fulmer and Chavis

Posted by invisiblekid on September 2, 2007 at 12:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

165,231,259,109,128,183, and 231. That's the rushing defense totals for our past 7 games. Some on here don't put any stock in stats but I think it illustrates one of the fundamental ideas of football, if you don't stop the run you probably aren't going to win many games. We are 3-4 in those last 7 games and it will be a very long year if these players and staff can't put together a better effort than they did tonight. Only thing that really matters right now though is it hopefully looked worse than it is for Mitchell.

Posted by BIGEJ on September 2, 2007 at 12:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Cannot segregate a team and say offense “has it going on” and only the defense has no heart; this "segregation" to individuals, or "sides" of the ball says the “body” is not complete and heart of the ENTIRE team is not there; UT has suffered the “I” or superstar syndrome since for some time; the team of the “Al Wilson era” had heart; we fault lack talent, lack of coaching, but these elements were there in the 90s and are here now. "HEART OR SOUL" is not; as a coach I know talent is needed but heart gets you that extra and belief in self and TEAM to truly prosper. All the proposed changes will not help if the attitude of heart from all sides does not change. Being an UT alumni and a VOL fan I stood and stand faithful whether 5-6 or 13-0; 5-6 sucks but I know UT is MY school and MY team regardless unlike those I hear on tobacco road, “running” to basketball season in July…

Posted by tennisvol on September 2, 2007 at 1:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think the defense stayed in Knoxville. Cal could have scored two or three more times. Moved the ball at will against UT. Florida will have no fear of having to move the ball on this defense. What has happened to Chavis?

Posted by virginiaandlaloma on September 2, 2007 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Is the entire state of Tennessee completely delusional?

You played a football team that is going to make more than a few defenses look dazed and confused this year; we can score points on anyone. And at the end of the year, after California has put up more points per game than a Pat Summitt basketball team, you will look back on this game and realize that your boys did pretty good last night.

You were simply beaten by a better team.

Speaking of Pat Summitt and girls sports, can we please stop hearing all the nonsense about the Pac-10 not playing physical football?

Ya'll are heavy weight fighters of the highest caliber, and we stood toe to toe with you, answered your gutsy third-quarter resolve, and then won going away.

We have always respected your program, and have always respected the SEC, despite your mouthy coaches, players, and fans. Tennessee is a worthy opponent, always.

Maybe you should consider putting a muzzle on it, and letting your team play ball.

Need more evidence on that point?

Bears linebacker Zack Follett said he was particularly motivated after hearing that Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty thought Cal was soft last year and would be again this year.

"We came out wanting to hit him and we kept hitting him," said Follett, who also rocked quarterback Erik Ainge, causing the fumble that Cal linebacker Worrell Williams picked up and ran 44 yards for the game's first score.

"They said we folded (last year). And they folded today. In the third quarter, their offensive line was taking a knee. So I don't want to hear that any more."

Shut up and play football, Tennessee.

Posted by VolFan4Life on September 2, 2007 at 1:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If Tennessee's poor defensive performance doesn't improve, the Vols face the prospects of losing 3-4 more games in which the offense will score 30 or more points. While Tennessee needs to tackle better, they also didn't appear to match up well in terms of physical strength or speed -- a deadly combination when facing Florida, Georgia, etc.

By October 7th, Tennessee can be 4-1 and in the driver's seat for the SEC East or 2-3 and on their way to the Music City Bowl. It's up to the players and coaches which one its going to be.

As for me, I'll be in Gainesville looking for a Big Orange win!

Posted by andy112382 on September 2, 2007 at 1:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"We didn't play Tennessee defense tonight," he said. "We're going to go back and work on those things, and we'll be better next ball game, I guarantee you that."

I say you can believe Chavis will deliver on his gurantees, this will be one hard week of practice for that defense. We will come back better. GO VOLS!!!

Posted by orangeblood on September 2, 2007 at 2:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

listen EVERYONE! Stop blaming phil fulmer for every dang thing that goes wrong! We were prepared for the game. We could not have asked for more from our offense. I am convinced that our running attack this year (especially with the return of coker next week) will be tops in the sec. Did you even take time to look at Cal's offensive line or were you too busy worrying about our D-line? That is probably the best O-line we face this year. Don't be so hard on UT. They are gonna be fine. Look at the positives. Eric Berry is 100% cracked up to the hype he was given. He IS the real deal. Go BIG ORANGE!!!!!

Posted by dsavage on September 2, 2007 at 2:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

embarrassing...

Posted by VOLFANSTKGA on September 2, 2007 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Let's start from the beginning because this is personal and having read many comments by those such as CRVOL, eVOLution (whatever) and your many cohorts - let me say my peace....I've seriously watched the VOLS for 16 years and I was dedicated... but what does that really say....I've known no other coach but Fulmer, I've known no other assistants but Chavis & Cutcliffe, and I've personally met Randy Sanders. I stuck around for the good stuff and I stomached most of the bad. Now I don't have the pleasure of living in Tennessee, so I don't have fellow fans to whine and moan with. I've lived 12 of those 16 years in KY in constant state of agony waiting for the day when Kentucky remembers what the hell they did in 198?, now I live in southwest Georgia and 99% of my aquaintances graduated from UGA with a major in hating Tennessee. Now I know Chavis will come around, Culcliffe will bring it as always, and Fulmer will take the credit as always.....but I'm done, it's over, I'm moving on and aside from 1995-1998 - I want those other 12 or 13 seasons back again. Sorry but... SEE YA!!!

Posted by Plasticman on September 2, 2007 at 2:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Let's face it, our recruiting hasn't been the best until last years crop. It will take a year or 2 for those kids (other than Berry) to make a huge impact. It's obvious we need more studs in the trenches as well as some playmakers. I think we have some that are true freshmen that are not yet ready to play. THis was 1 game Vol fans. THe team needs your support now more than ever. If you don't want to give it to them, why not find another team to pull for? I hear Michigan needs some fans.....

Posted by bricker865 on September 2, 2007 at 2:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I was really proud of Ainge and our receivers I think silenced the critics last night. They did at least a decent job for being fairly new to the mix. I agree that California is a great team. That is one of the most well constructed offenses I've seen in a long while, but I also see a defense (ours) that is very mediocre at best. Rankings (mentioned earlier) don't lie and we haven't been among the best in forever.

Posted by arkyvol on September 2, 2007 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

i'm amazed at the number of posters who want to give fulmer and chavis a pass. i guess mediocrity has become acceptable in knoxville. we might as well have bill battle back.

Posted by VolnFlorida on September 2, 2007 at 2:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey everyone, you tell me. Who is the SEC would have beaten Cal last night? If you think LSU or Florida would have won, you're wrong. LSU and Florida beat two high school teams, and quite honestly, they had moments their fans are complaining about. I would have traded a loss with Cal last year to had beaten LSU and Florida and Arkansas. Maybe this year we can turn the table and win out. Thanks Michigan. It couldn't have happen to a better squad.

Posted by VolnFlorida on September 2, 2007 at 2:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

HOW MANY PEOPLE WANT TO HIRE THE APP. STATE COACH?

Posted by Volzo on September 2, 2007 at 3:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Once again, Tennessee would rather punt than to play football. Anyone that knows football understands that it involves momentum and that there are crucial points in every game. Last night in the 2nd quarter, Tennessee had the ball across the 50 yard line with the team trailing by 7. Obviously, the game had already turned into a track meet. Tennessee made a terrible mistake in choosing to punt. First of all, the punt gave the ball to Cal at the 30 yard line. Coaches have to recognize the key points in the game. This was certainly a KEY point in the game! Whether Tennessee thought they could play the conservative defensive battle against Cal or not going into the game, they should have figured out by the 2nd quarter it was going to come down to offensive production. Ultimately, Cal took the ball and put 7 more on the board. That was a 14 point swing. I believe that was clearly the turning point in last night's game. Yes, Tennessee's front four is way to weak. But, the coaching staff has to adjust to the game and how it is being played. Last night, the Tennessee coaching staff did not. What did Tennessee have to lose? If Tennessee had gone for it on fourth down, they might have gotten it and scored. However, if not, Cal would have gotten the ball around their own 40 yard line. Instead, Tennessee punts the ball and gains about 10 yards. Great call Tennessee! There's your ball game. Against great competition on the road, you have to have better decision making than what Tennessee possesses at this time. Sorry, this stings I know, but it is all so very true.

Posted by mtnvol on September 2, 2007 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

volnFlorida; what a great knee-jerk reaction! Moore @ ASU is 69 years old, get offers every year but declared years ago that he was staying in Boone until retirement. He likes it here and knows how to recruit those kids that get overlooked by the big schools. Kind of like Ken Sparks at CN. Who else ya got? With posters like the ones listed above; fair weather fans that look to lynch at the drop of a hat, would YOU come to KnoxVegas to coach?

Posted by andy112382 on September 2, 2007 at 3:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Volzo, you have to think about it this way as well - if Fulmer goes for it rather than punting and does not get it, then you are on here saying how stupid Fulmer was for going for it and giving them really good field position, because remember you would not know what would have happened if we had punted, nor could anyone possibly know until after the fact. We did try to swing momentum by going for it on 4th and goal so you can't say they were not taking that approach at any point. I think our guys know a little bit about playing football, second guessing after the fact is always soooo easy to do, but it means absolutely nothing. Go back and fix the tackling and short yardage conversions in practice and come back and win the rest of'em! GO VOLS!!! We'll be fine people, geesh!

Posted by chrisw2967 on September 2, 2007 at 3:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Posted by alcofc on September 2, 2007 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Chavis is still employed at UT because his defenses has carried our butts for 10 years. Now he is stooping to the level the rest of the team has been at. Fire special teams coaches. Fire the kicking team coaches. Help them load their furniture and then help Fulmer hire someone that is actually good at their job

You forgot one thing Fulmer needs to pack his furniture and leave also . I get sick of hearing how good Fulmers winning percentage is , the last I checked percentages doesnt win football games. As far as Chavis goes he has carried Fulmers butt for the last 6 years but that wasnt Tennessee defense last night. they dont know how to tackle or wrap up or get pressure on the qb . On offense why is the only play we can run is up the middle or off tackle , are they not good enough to run toss sweeps or anything ? I still dont understand why he cant put freshmen in there and just let them play , they do it everyday at other div 1 schools and its plain as day that our playbooks re not that complicated. Like I said before you coach scared you will lose. the game called football has passed Fulmer bye , he needs to go rebuild another program with his style of thinking.with 2 minutes left he punts , that tells me he gave up

Posted by andy112382 on September 2, 2007 at 4:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

chrisw2967 - "....sick of hearing how good Fulmers winning percentage is , the last I checked percentages doesnt win football games."

I think that was the most stupid comment I have ever read on here....HOW DO YU THINK YOU GET A GOOD WINNING PERCENTAGE?!?!? Percentages don't win football games, right, but you get the good percentages BY WINNING FOOTBALL GAMES! Honestly, please proofread and get over your hangover from last night before you post, please.

Posted by whistlinwingman on September 2, 2007 at 4:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Whats Fulmers winning percenatage against top 25 teams???????

Posted by andy112382 on September 2, 2007 at 4:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

hahaha, I still can't stop laughing at that comment, chrisw2967. It was like me saying 'I don't think their a good student, I don't care if he has a 4.0 GPA, last time I check a great GPA doesn't pass classes!' .......you fair weather guys crack me up, but at least ya'll provide a good laugh win or lose! GO VOLS!!!

Posted by andy112382 on September 2, 2007 at 4:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

whistlinwingman,

Fulmer has won 41 of 72 games against ranked opponents, good for a 56.9 winning percentage.

He is 87-27 against SEC opponents for a percentage of 76.3 %.

And for extras, he has won 77 of 93 home games, 82.7% winning percentage.

At least at one point last year, I think it still holds true, no one has won more SEC conference games in the past 10 years than Fulmer and no one has played in more SEC title games in the past 10 years than Tennessee.

Hope that answered your questions there! GO VOLS!!!

Posted by andy112382 on September 2, 2007 at 4:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh, and just for kicks, no one in the nation has had more NFL draft picks than Tennessee since 1996.

Posted by jamcdaniel79 on September 2, 2007 at 4:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It is not fairweathered to call out coaches and players. We should expect more from our program. No one coaching or playing at Tennessee should kid themselves about the expectations that come with that honor. If you want to take it easy and be on TV, play at Louisville. Brohm did.

It is ok to lose but it is not ok to show the same weaknesses year after year. Are we ever goingt to anything on special teams? Someone needs to go coach a VA tech for a few years and then come back.

Posted by jamcdaniel79 on September 2, 2007 at 5:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

That winning percentage comment was pretty poor, I have to agree.

It does get old seeing that stat every game. When we mattered (and trust me, we don't now), we focused on winning the game we were playing and not talking about how well we played 10 years ago.

We may slip to third tier this year (I like to call that the ND tier).

Posted by virginiaandlaloma on September 2, 2007 at 5:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Your D will be just fine, Tennessee.

Tackle to tackle, California has one of the finest offensive lines in the country; include our TE, and we might be THE best. We have a tough, brusier of a FB (who played with a torn MCL) and RB's who can hit the seam and be gone for 18 or 20 yards before you can blink.

That combination will make more than a few teams question their defense this year.

Go Tennesse in '07.

Beat Florida.

Posted by SmokeDog72 on September 2, 2007 at 5:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Em-bear-assing

That had to be the worst tackling, least physical, least prepared, undisciplined UT defensive performance I have ever seen. Our defense cost that game. Any time the offense can put up 31 points on the road, a win should happen. The defense was horrible. Cal may be talented, but, our defense made them look like a Super Bowl champion. Chavis has generally had a D that was a little more fundamentally prepared. I have never thought that he was that great of a in-game coach (slow to adjust and see tendencies), but normally the players make a few plays and tackling and angular pursuit is sufficient. But not last night. That was simply inexcusable. This defense is liable to give up 400 yards a game. I thought the linebackers would at least be solid. Boy, was I wrong. The D looked equally bad from up front to the secondary. I am scared to see what happens when conference play starts. Hide the women and children. It could be gory.

Posted by Sheepscape on September 2, 2007 at 5:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Andy smell some of what you are shoveling

Posted by Volzo on September 2, 2007 at 5:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

andy112382, the point I was trying to make is that you must play differently on the road than you do at home. Likewise, I believe coaches have to adjust as the game goes along. Yes, you game plan as much as you can beforehand, but if the other team is scoring each time they touch the ball you had better change your approach to something more suitable to beating the team your facing today. Yes, I guess it can be sooo easy to second guess on Sunday afternoon, but if you keep doing what your doing, your going to keep getting what your getting! Lately, that's not all that much.

Posted by Dirtdobber on September 2, 2007 at 5:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Is it Chavis or Fulmer? The answer to defense is getting pressure on the qb. If we cant get there with 4, we need to rush 5, if not 5 then 6, if not 6 then 7! You get the point. Last year agaist LSU, when we blitzed Russell he looked horrible, got him to make bad decisions. When we played mustang pack(rush 4,prevent,etc) Russell looked like a #1 NFL pick! This goes for all qb's. Since rushing 4 is not working, why not send the whole dam team! At least we can get a shot on their qb and keep him out of sync and his head in the turf! UT fans all remember the 97 Orange Bowl- Nebraska had one of the best rushing offenses in the history of college football. We put 8 and 9 in the box in the first half- held them to about 80 yards of total offense. The second half we came out and went to mustang, 4 man front- this led to Nebraska running up about 680 yards of offense in the second half! Defense was the typical play it safe, bend dont break, mustang package crap! Dont think its the fault of the players but scheme.

Posted by andy112382 on September 2, 2007 at 5:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Sheepscape, take a lesson from Cal fans on this site and get some class.

Volzo, I get what you are saying, I think we did make adjustments on defense there to stop them on three series, it seems we eliminated that short pass that they burned us on a few times during the game, unfortunately they adjusted to our adjustments. I am thinking it safe to say that from top to bottom they are the most complete team we will see all year. I just think that the things that were done wrong are things that can be fixed and fixed in time for our next game and fine tuned even more for Florida, they did not stop fighting and we still have conference play yet to start and our biggest RB threat hasn't played, plenty to be happy about, yes you have to focus on the bad to correct it, but we could focus on the good as well like our return game, the running by Foster, lack of turnovers ourside of the opening drive, lack of penalties other than the freshman TE movement and pass interference and little things like not having to burn timeouts because of being unorganized, that kind of thing can kill you as well but we didn't do that, usually it seems to be a problem in openers yet it wasn't, so we were indeed prepared fundamentally, it just seems we ran into a team that is on their way to a magical year. When we beat Syracuse in 1998 it wasn't they were bad and needed to be dismantled as a team, it was they ran into a team destined for a championship, heck FSU lost a game that year and went on to play for the title just as Florida did last year, so this is far, far, far away from over. Fix the problems, beat the gators and dawgs, and GO VOLS!!!

Posted by Volzo on September 2, 2007 at 5:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"We didn't play Tennessee defense tonight," he said. "We're going to go back and work on those things, and we'll be better next ball game, I guarantee you that."

I say you can believe Chavis will deliver on his gurantees, this will be one hard week of practice for that defense. We will come back better. GO VOLS!!!

Andy,

Breaking News: What is Chavis going to do over the next couple of weeks in practice that will cure what I saw last night? You need to break them down and build them back up. The tackling by the team is fundamentally flawed. What has Chavis and friends been working on all spring and all summer? Usually, most coaches establish the proper technique for tackling during the early stages of spring practice. But, maybe the push now is to introduce that after the first game. This time I guess Tennessee is ahead of the curve. "All right guys! Now, let me show you what you've all been waiting for: HOW TO TACKLE YOUR OPPONENT. We will take up this topic first thing Monday morning."

Gee, thanks coach, that would have been a little helpful last night against Cal, but I guess it was best for us to tweak that Mustang package before Florida. By the way coach, did you say arm tackling would or wouldn't work on Tim Tebow? Just wondering, I normally just use my shoulders anyway.

Posted by DaveVol on September 2, 2007 at 6:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Too many big plays in the kicking game put our D in a bad spot. The D only delivered for 3 series, not good. Our front four got whipped last night. Our backers couldn't make the plays. I am so disappointed in Mapu and Bolden. I was expecting more from them. I can't for the life of me understand why we can't cover kicks and punts! This has gone on for too long. Some schools, VATech, make a living at this. I do believe the D will improve, but I see the same special teams we have had the last several years . It's been so bad for so long I can't remember the last time we could cover kicks and punts.

Posted by jcvet on September 2, 2007 at 6:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

A bunch of candy a--es is what I saw out there. An embarrassment to the very game of football. Don't they hit at practice at all or do they hug and kiss each other?

Posted by andy112382 on September 2, 2007 at 7:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

We will see Volzo, I would assume, though, that you hope I am right about being able to fix things, right?

Posted by Sportsdoc on September 2, 2007 at 7:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Chavis says they're going to "go to work" to learn how to tackle? What have they been doing the last nine months? You don't learn how to tackle in week 2 of the season.

It's the same old, same old. Until the UT faithful get tired of 8-4 or 5-6 seasons, nothing will change.

Looks like UT will be 1-2 at best after week three. Does anyone seriously think they have a chance in the Swamp?

Posted by lilesrt on September 2, 2007 at 7:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I keep hearing of all of these high school prospects that we keep recruiting. This is very exciting. However, what I do not see is a coaching staff that is committed to getting the maximum potential out of these players. We do have great players there is no doubt about that but it seems as though Fulmer is ok with losing. We have not won a big game in the past 2 years with the exception of Cal last year. This is very dissppointing. I remember whenever the UT Vols took the field expecting to win. Where is that swagger? I do not see it anymore. It is up to the coaches, primarily Fulmer, to get this back. It all starts at the top. A football team is only as good as its coach. I do not believe Fulmer is the answer. We need someone to get that swagger back that the UT Vols are known for!!

Posted by grvol on September 2, 2007 at 7:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I see TN winning another champsionship in our lifetime...that is if they get rid of Fulmer and get a competent coach like everyone else has...AL, FL, LSU, SC, GA... its down right depressing. Seems some Vol fans are willing to accept mediocrity and embarassment on prime time national television year after year. Fans of the listed schools apparently are not.

Posted by moes1 on September 2, 2007 at 8:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It's all been well said. If our defence plays as well as last evening, it's going to be a long year for the fans. I doubt the coaching staff will have to suffer as long as us however. Play like last evening and the Vol's go 0 and five. The last time that happened we got a new coach. No raise last year, 0 and 5 this year...let's hope not. Phil, please, John is the wrong coach for the Vols. I hope we don't have to lose you to have him removed.

Posted by DennisVols on September 2, 2007 at 9:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This is the measuring stick that divides great teams from good teams. Great teams learn from what they did wrong and what they did right. Great teams don't hang their head and give excuses for playing poorly.
Too many arm tackles, too much blown containment against skill players that will make you pay as Cal did UT Saturday.
Are the coaches and players tired of hearing"UT is a middle of the road team" like their fans are?
Basic football was not practiced by UT. Kids are taught not to arm tackle in Pop Warner football. Turning runners back into coverage instead of letting them head fake you out of position is taught to middle school players (keep your eyes on the waist because it will not go where the body doesn't go)
Yes I saw heart in Ainge but that alone will get you to the Citurs bowl. Playing smart, out coaching and not making stupid mistakes gets you to Atlanta and the respect you say you deserve.

Posted by thumb on September 2, 2007 at 9:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WE GO IN AND PLAY A TOP TEAM AND YOU CRY LIKE BABYS THE OTHER TEAMS AL,FL, LSU,KY,GA, PLAYS HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS. AND WHAT DO YOU DO YOU START CRYING. LETS LET THOSE OTHER GUY GO OUT TO CAL AND PLAY THEM THE FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON, WILL THEY CALL FOR THE COACHES TO BE REPLACED???? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN WE WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP CRYING FOR THE COACHES TO BE FIRED OR REPLACED. OH NO!! ARE YOU THE SAME TENNESSEE FANS THAT PULLED FOR THEM THEN GIVE ME A BREAK PHIL AND COACHES HANG IN THERE GO VOLS

Posted by andy112382 on September 2, 2007 at 9:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think all will be answered come our next game, after all your biggest improvement is suppose to be from game one to game two, it will all come down to how Tennessee responds and how they come out looking following the loss.

Posted by VolnFlorida on September 2, 2007 at 10:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Would you had rather played a high school team this past Saturday and another one this weekend, then discover what we learned yesterday at Cal when we play Florida in two weeks? Cal served its purpose and now it is up to those who get paid the bucks to solve the problem. If they get blown out in the swamp, I guess they can't solve the problem.
I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, FULMER LOSES TO FLORIDA,ALABAMA, AND ARKANSAS, HE IS GONE AND I HOPE HE TAKES ALL OF HIS BUTT KISSING SUPPORTERS WITH HIM. YOU WANT HIM, YOU GOT HIM, LET'S SEE HOW FAR HE TAKES YOU AND LETS TALK AGAIN DECEMBER 1ST.

Posted by volfanjustin on September 2, 2007 at 10:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I am tired of everytime someone calls out this poor excuse for a head coach you are called a fair weather fan Fulmer has a terrible winning percentage against top tier coaches (Spurrier, Paterno, Rict) I can go on. He barley beats lesser teams i.e. Air Force but he cant out coach ohter good coahes. It is time for him to go. We are not a top tier program any longer, 2nd at best. If Fulmer stays get used to 8-4 7-5 seasons. We have way to much talent for that. Top 10 recruiting classes every year should bring more than 1 SEC and National Championship in 10 years

Posted by VolnFlorida on September 2, 2007 at 10:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I agree volfanjustin, but you have those jumping up and down if say anything agaist the guy. Last time I checked, he wasn't voluntering his time. If most people performed the way he and his staff did, they would lose their job. He has brought in
"safe" assistant coaches which he knew would never be a threat to take his job in the manner he took it from Majors. The only reason he got rid of Randy Sanders was because he didn't have the choice, it was made for him. The Gators hope he stays, they love beating him.

Posted by Volzo on September 2, 2007 at 11:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Andy,

Yes, I do wish things could be solved over the next couple of weeks. However, I also know that there is something called "reality." Reality tells me that you don't fix what I saw happen last night in two weeks. Practice makes permanent, not perfect! Sometimes people have a misconception about practice. If these players have been practicing to tackle as demonstrated last night, it will not be cured in two weeks. That's what is staring them right in the face. Andy, tell me you know reality!

Posted by wkb12 on September 3, 2007 at 1:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Some of you people just need to end your lives....seriously. 0ur team is gonna be ok!

Posted by mmeletiou on September 3, 2007 at 5:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

its ok to criticize a coach but come on. chavis had one of the top defenses in the country for years after the fiesta bowl championship. he can't help the fact that we have lost some of our best starters to injuries in the past couple of years. yes the tackling was horrible in the cal game. we have a very young team and we held the cal offense to 31 points (14 of their points came from defense and special teams for those of you who didn't catch that part) and cal has a very good offense. remember when we barely beat UCLA a few years ago and then the next week they went on to beat a top 5 texas team 77-0 the next week? no one seemed to want to fire chavis after we manhandled cal last year when they had one of the top rated running backs in the nation. cal is a good team and we were in the game till the end (why did we punt? maybe we should fire someone for that.)but the reality is that we have a lot of young players and they were presented with a huge challenge in the first game of the season. hopefully they learned something from a tough loss and can improve in those areas in the coming weeks. had we rushed the quarterback with more guys, we could have hung our green secondary out to dry against a very talented receiving corps. hindsight is what it is, give the guys some support and encouragement instead of tearing down any shred of confidence that they should have gained hanging in with a quality team who got some lucky breaks.

Posted by thumb on September 3, 2007 at 7:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

thank you mmeletiou i couldn't have said it better do you every wonder if the players or coaches read this stuff i was so mad at foster last year but he looked good sat nite, he showed you can learn from your mistakes

Posted by SmokeDog72 on September 3, 2007 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I am sorry, but our coaching staff is not that great. I have no problem with Fulmer, etc personally, but they are too predictable and complacent. Fulmer and company may be good recruiters, but players do not seem to develop as much as they do in other programs.

Think about it: how many times in the last 10 years has UT beaten a team that they were not favored to beat? During that same stretch, how many "should win games" have been lost?

UT football has become "the best of the second-raters". That is it. A solid 15-25 on the AP poll. No better.

Posted by volfanjustin on September 3, 2007 at 11:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This team will get killed by Florida, if we win against Florida I will write back on here and eat my words but I dont have to worry about that unless we loss to Southern Miss and Fulmer gets fired before then. Southern Miss is not going to be easy either. If we go 7-5 which I predict we will Fulmer will go. I will not attend another game until this team proves they can beat a good team, and that is not a fair weather fan, that is I am tired of wasting hundreds of dollars on Saturdays to go watch mid level football, I live in Nashville if I wanted to watch that I could go watch Vandy or Middle Tenn State at least there I can get a ticket for $10. I love UT sports always have and always will. I want Spurrier, Norm Chow or LSU defensive coordinator as head coach

Posted by tenecc on September 3, 2007 at 12:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Many problems have been stated! what are the solutions for this year with our present football staff??

Posted by invisiblekid on September 3, 2007 at 1:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

As far as solutions go tenecc, my suggestions would start with finding a pair of defensive tackles who can control the middle against the run and occasionally pressure the QB. Add in some discipline and better tackling from the LB's and many of the defenses problems would go away. A solid front seven could go a long way in hiding the green secondary. Unfortunately, it's becoming painfully obvious that we don't have any of those tackles on campus for the current season. Bolden is shaping up to be a major bust of the first order and Mapu hasn't been able to find that potential of his freshman year. On the offensive side of the ball, getting Coker back will help but again, it begins and ends up front. These coaches don't seem to have the confidence in their offensive linemen to put it on their shoulders in short yardage. "Pounding the rock" is a thing of the past and being unable to consistently control the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball is going to make for a long year against the quality teams. Not saying that we can't still have a good year but most every game will be walking the razors edge of winning or losing and relying on those one or two plays that Fulmer harps on.

Posted by jhenson on September 3, 2007 at 4:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There's an old Christian Rock song called "beyond belief" by a group called Petra. There's a line in that song that says, "we're content to pitch our tent, when the glory is evident, when seldom do we know the glory came and went." Well Andy, I hate to break it to you, my friend, the "glory came and went" with Tennessee football a few years back and Phil won't be bringing it around again. You're right, we have put more players in the NFL than any other program the last decade...so where are they on Saturday? 56% against ranked opponents! Is that the mark of an elite program? I don't think so. Phil is a solid coach. Tennessee is a solid program, but let's face reality...as long as he's at the helm, 9-3 will be the exception, while 8-4 or 7-5 will be the rule. Apparently that's acceptable to many of you.

Oh and to the poster who thought the turning point was our punting inside the 50 yard line in the 2nd quarter. ABSOLUTELY RIGHT !!!! Pefect illustration of what separates the elite coaches like Pete Carrol, Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer, etc. (all of whom, you can bet the farm would have gone for it)from the old school, conservative, "solid" coaches like Fulmer.

Go VOLS

Posted by sampears on September 4, 2007 at 2:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It seems to me, also, that in the SEC many teams show very little of their packages until they have too (SEC play). Lets face it, it could have come down to put it all out on the table and beat Cal. but make things much harder for us if we want to surprise Florida. However, it would appear if we tackle them they will be surprised now!