Vol Report
Tennessee Stat Book
And now let's go straight to the postgame press conference.
"Obviously, I'm embarrassed by that performance out there. I'll take full responsibility for our team playing like that.''
Phillip Fulmer, right?
Nope. Charlie Weis.
His embarrassment was a 38-0 shellacking by Michigan. Notre Dame hasn't scored an offensive touchdown in 14 quarters.
"We're not going to panic. We knew the situation we were in when we started the season. It's not going to be overnight to get it all going in the right direction.''
Fulmer, surely.
Try Tommy Tuberville.
Auburn has dropped back-to-back home games to South Florida and Mississippi State. Nobody saw that coming.
"All of us feel bad, we're going to feel bad for a while. But we've been here before and how we handle this is going to be a helluva lot more important than what happened (Saturday).''
Got to be Fulmer.
Wrong. Kirk Ferentz.
Iowa, a 17-point favorite, lost 15-13 to arch-rival Iowa State, a team coming off dreary losses to Northern Iowa and Kent State. The well-paid Ferentz is 3-6 against the Cyclones.
So what's the point?
That while Fulmer is (A) embarrassed by Florida hammering Tennessee 59-20 on Saturday, (B) knows getting the Vols in the right direction isn't going to happen overnight and (C) is going to feel bad for a while, there are other highly regarded coaches and fans at high-profile programs out there who are also singing the blues.
Fulmer said Saturday night that nobody feels sorry for Tennessee and Tennessee won't feel sorry for itself.
By late Sunday afternoon, he expressed faith that the wheels will get back on the track.
"I do believe in this football team and this staff,'' he said. "We'll get it fixed.''
Big Orange fans are less confident. Judging from my e-mail, the knee-jerk reaction to the incompetent showing at Florida is to fire the whole staff and, for good measure, boycott Saturday's game against Arkansas State.
In some cases, the concern isn't strictly knee-jerk. The possibility of a 1-2 start was addressed all summer on talk radio and elsewhere. Now that that possibility has become a grim reality, the pain is raw and fresh.
The relevant question is what happens from here? The honest answer is that neither Fulmer's harshest critics nor his staunchest allies know for sure.
Here's a scenario. Call it the worst-is-over scenario.
In Cal and Florida, Tennessee has already faced the two electrifying offenses on the schedule.
No more DeSean Jackson, Justin Forsett, Tim Tebow or Percy Harvin. No more gurus like Jeff Tedford and Urban Meyer.
In this scenario, Tennessee's defense digs in and is capable of managing any remaining offensive threats. All the while, young playmakers develop on offense. The Vols finish 10-2 or 9-3.
Here's an alternate scenario. Call it the beginning-of-the-end scenario.
What you've seen is what you'll get. Tennessee can't run the ball consistently. Alabama and Arkansas will overpower UT's run defense. Steve Spurrier and/or Mark Richt will find holes to pick apart. And Kentucky has the weapons to win a shootout.
In this scenario, Fulmer's days would likely be numbered.
Speaking of numbers, everybody has their own collection to quantify UT's gradual downhill slide. There's no denying that the latest numbers - 59-20 - are compelling.
That said, the only thing to do is play it out.
I remember the wailing after the 62-37 loss at Florida in 1995. Fulmer rallied that team to finish 11-1.
A 47-30 loss at Alabama set off alarms in 1989. Johnny Majors rallied that team to finish 11-1.
Only two seasons removed from 5-6, Fulmer's back is to the wall. It remains to be seen if he can rally his program in the reality that is 2007.
"That's the world we live in'' is a phrase he commonly uses. That world has evolved since UT's championship era in the late '90s.
"I believe in what we're doing,'' Fulmer said Sunday. "I believe we've got to get a lot better at what we're doing.
"We've been in this position before as coaches. We're a veteran staff and we've got to believe in each other. And I do. I believe in our football team, and the leadership of this football team.''
They're probably saying the same thing at Notre Dame, or Auburn or Iowa.
Normally, that would be good company for Tennessee to be keeping. Not this week.
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.
© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
Want to use this article? Click here for options!
UT vs UT Martin, Sept. 4, 2010
Charlie Daniel draws Tennesse…
Allison Dooley and her kids i…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 109
dbs writes:
Sickening Fulmer stats since the national title. What more needs to be said other than CLEAN HOUSE!
Mr. Strange, the disgust you hear isn't just this one game. Yesterday's Florida debacle is just the catalyst.
Read 'em and weep. Hamilton - do the right thing and fire Fulmer now.
==========
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 )
2-4 (.333) vs. Richt
1-3 (.250) vs. Tuberville
1-2 (.333) vs. Saban
0-3 (.000) vs. Meyer
9-17 (.346) 1999 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB (thank God for Zook!)
7-16 (.304 ) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB
5-15 (.250) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB excluding games vs. Zook
5-13 (.278) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, AUB
3-12 (.200) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, AUB excluding games vs. Zook
5-10 (.333) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA
3-9 (.250) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA excluding games vs. Zook
2-5 (.286) 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
17-21 (.447) 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)
footballrules writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
volfan39#234125 writes:
If you think this team will rally and win 10 games just because some other Tenn. team did , then you need to quit smoking that wacky weed. They will come closer to losing 6 more right now and I'd go to Vegas on that !! It's over Rover . Let the new dog come in!!! This team can have no confidence in Foolish Phil!!See ya' next season. I'd be looking for a job if I was an assitant to Fat Boy!! Where was that snickering coming from==cant tell if it was Sanders in Ky. or Meyers in Gainsville. There's no joy in Mudville tonight!!
DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:
"I do believe in this football team and this staff,'' he said. "We'll get it fixed.'' Mike, that's what he said in 2005. It ain't fixed. If we had made a game in Gainesville and lost, you wouldn't hear this outcry. But we were humiliated. Those tough young kids working their butts off got humiliated. The coaching staff got humiliated.
What you're hearing out there isn't a "knee-jerk reaction" to the Florida game; it's a "we're mad as hell as we're not going to take it anymore" from people like me who have been following the Vols since Bill Battle was coach.
This latest humiliation was simply the last straw. Many of us who defended Coach Fulmer in 2005 felt quite simply that the man who brought home the only national championship in our lifetimes deserved a chance to turn things around. He's had that chance and he's out of chips. I don't care if we win out, it's crystal clear to a lot of us out here that the game has passed this coaching staff by.
For anyone who wants to see our performance since 2000 in all its black-and-white horror, go to http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/r.... Look at our team stats for the 2000-2006 seasons. See where we've ranked in each category each year. We have RARELY been in the top 20 nationwide in ANY category since the 1999 season. This is a fact, in spite of recruiting great talent.
firefulmer writes:
Mike Strange, you are an idiot. How many times are you going to defend that pathetic excuse for a coach??(I now refuse to say his name!!) Getting the Vols back in the right direction?How many years have we been waiting to get back on track? Our moron of a coach has runned the football program into the ground! Have you looked at his record for the last five years? TN will not improve at all! As a matter of fact, they will get worse as the seaon progresses. If TN were playing Notre Dame on Saturday, the Irish would put 30 plus points on the board. Auburn would beat us!! This Saturday, please "boo" the coaches/players as they perform the Vol Walk. "Boo" them the entire game! MY TICKETS ARE IN THE TRASH!!
abrown#232236 writes:
Hey Mike -- its not that we are 1-2. You are right in that many of us foresaw that possibility, and there is no shame in losing a well-played contest. It is moreso HOW we lost. How many years are we going to see poor execution and fundamentals before we admit that it is imbedded in the program's culture and needs to be purged? This is not a rant on my part, but an analysis. I'll continue to watch this team -- but the pattern has become quite predictable. Tennessee will be an underachieving, fundamentally shaky football team until Phil really has his back to the wall. Then he'll tap into what's left of the li'l-bit-mean Winchester, Tennessee country boy, and his team will give us a taste of what it SHOULD look like. When Tennessee shows up in full, they are soooo talented. Two prime examples: the bowl game against Michigan a few years back. That game showed what that cast of characters should have looked like every week (you kidding me: WR's Stallworth, Washington and Whitten - how do you NOT go to a BCS game?). Also, last year's CAL game. That shows what our team would look like if properly inspired and focused. I don't expect a team to play every week at its high watermark, but if our team was consistently playing at 85-87%, we'd be really good. We are plagued by inconsistency, poor execution and lack of a killer instinct from very talented young men. And no matter who the personnel are, the symptoms are the same. I'm sorry but the only possible cause is a lack of leadership. Our team often plays big games like we are scared of losing, or perhaps more accurately, as though the leader is scared of losing his throne, legend and paycheck.
andy112382#209793 writes:
Good article.
Like it or not, we'll have to ride out the season and see what scenario plays out. Boycotting the game won't do anything, emailing Hamilton will not do anything, buying a voodoo doll and labeling it Fulmer and pretending to fire it won't do anything. We have to ride out the season, at least, and see what happens.
If anyone reading this bothered to read any of the 500+ posts on the main article recapping the game, you probally saw I am now thinking something does indeed need to change, and if we were to make a coaching change, I think Chris Petersen (Boise St. Head Coach) would be a great move based on his past and current success and showing he can win big games (Oklahoma, bowl game, I am sure you saw it unless you live in a cave with Osama)
Who knows what will happen the rest of the season, not win any or win the rest, no one knows. But it surely hasn't looked promising against Cal and Florida and I don't think it is lack of talent.
Should be an intersting ride to behold.
Bleed orange for life! GO VOLS!!!
BigUn writes:
Here's why we won't win every game remaining on our schedule.
Knowshon Moreno at UGA, Terry Grant at Bama, Darren McFadden at Arky, Andre Woodson at KY, maybe even Chris Nickson at Vandy.
utnutt writes:
FLORIDA COULD HAVE BEATEN US WITH THIER SECOND STRING PLAYERS. WHEN THEY PUT THE 2ND STRIGERS IN DID YOU SEE HOW WELL THEY MOVED THE BALL. EVERYONE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT HOW CONSERVATIVE WE ARE BUT THAT IS JUST THE OFFENSE. WHAT ABOUT POOR TACKLING POOR COVERAGE. WHAT ABOUT SPECIAL TEAMS. THE WHOLE TEAM HAS PROBLEMS AND THAT FALLS ON THE HEAD COACH. START LOOKING FOR A NEW COACH NOW. HOWEVER IM NOT SOLD ON THE GUY FROM BOISE STATE.
bruteforce7#630403 writes:
I still say Jeff Fisher or "the old ball coach" from SC is the answer folks. Both get the most out of blue chip talent. Both are not afraid to try new players and jerk the ones that are not making plays for the team. Never will happen but boy o boy what a difference you would see. GO VOLS!!! All is not lost.
bruteforce7#630403 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
vol52 writes:
If I were Hamilton I would employ the secret search committee like he did with Buzz. I do not believe that we will win out or even come close to doing it.
RocketVol writes:
DBS - awesome. Keep track of those stats - great work. I will not spend another dime on Tennessee men's athletics until the entire staff is out. Time's up, quality is bad, and if this performance were akin to something in the line of work I'm in - every one of these guys would be fired.
rockytoptilidie#236348 writes:
Knee jerk?
15-12 in the last 27. Not in Knoxville. Bye, Phillip.
rootin4volz writes:
Good article Mike...Unfortunately, the narrow-minded clowns with too much time on their hands can't see the perspective that you lay out here. Typical. I've been a faithful fan of Tennessee football since Bill Battle's days in the early 70's, and I have never in my life seen such a bunch of whiney, spoiled fans anywhere in my life like these over-emotional yahoos. Show a little sportsmanship, men. You KNEW this could happen, and that it probably WOULD happen, given our young, inexperienced talent. Here's to ACTUALLY SEEING WHAT HAPPENS and THEN passing judgement, as opposed to SPECULATING with all kinds of NEGATIVITY. Freaks.
TriCityVol writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
NOLAvol writes:
Geography & demographics (read: recruiting) have been and will remain the weak link in Tennessee football--and recruiting is "square one" ...nothing else good is going to happen if we fail at recruiting. It IS a fact that no one has done a better job with recruiting than Fulmer, and if we replace him, it's got to be someone who is already recruiting successfully nationwide. That's a small pool to fish in.
But the big picture Strange's piece hints at is that we may all be in the midst of one of those "sea-changes" in the history of college football. Something that has proven successful for the past 15 years is suddenly getting whipped--not by a few rogue geniuses, but by big AND small teams alike.
There are some smart people on this site, and I'd like to see some analysis of what's evolving around us--especially with offenses. It's easy to understand how a spread offense puts "athletes" (meaning, in recruiting, getting a lot more out of those "tweeners" who won't be heavily recruited because they're too small to play running back in the SEC, but don't have good enough hands or not tall enough to play big-time wide receiver) into favorable one-on-one situations with reduced defensive help--thus negating both speed & size as defensive assets.
It's also easy to understand how asking only a few skill players to make reads on the defense allows an average offensive line to produce outstanding results, since they only have to make whichever block the defenders are "giving" them. I think this is also why they can get freshmen on the field so quickly, allowing them to use their athletic abilities and instincts without the encumbrance of having to think a lot on the move. These new spread offenses seem to offer a short learning curve at a lot of (but not all) positions.
Well, my main point is, don't fire deVoe--I mean, Fulmer--until you know what & who you need to replace him with. It may be several years before the next defensive genius figures out how to stop these new offenses--remember back in the 60s when the Triple-option came in to dominate college football?
bruteforce7#630403 writes:
I hope that LSU can take away the option play from Florida and make Tebow become more of a pocket passer. Sorry I'm still not convinced the guy can just pick apart a defence. I mean a real defence. Maybe then Myer will start to rethink how well the option works in the SEC. I predict Tebow get nicked up mid season. I hate to see anybody get hurt but it's gonna happen when they play a hard hitting D. Lets see how superman he is when he attempts to run on LSU. GO VOLS
tennisvol writes:
It seems like we have heard this story before. Work harder and everything will be ok. Special teams have been a problem for years and what has Fulmer done? What about all these penalties at times? You call a time out then you get a delay of game penalty. What about the offensive line problems? He has coached offensive line and played but still can't help the line make any holes against an almost all freshmen line at Fla. It's time for some new blood with enthusiasm on the coaching staff.
cgbtn#206676 writes:
Misery may love company, but what is happening elsewhere does not excuse Fulmer's incompetence. The most telling thing is how Weiss took responsility for what is happening, while Fulmer is blaming everything on the worthless, uncoachable kids. Fulmer planned for and coached for everything Florida did; he was simply let down. We need to keep Fulmer, dismiss the entire team, and recruit some kids who deserve a brilliant coach like Fulmer.
Spuchy writes:
Know when to say when. Take a graceful exit Fulmer. Retire, go to a nice office over in the athletic department and take some title like "advisor to the athletic director" or something. JUST GO AWAY...
wkjq#213863 writes:
The 1-2 I can live with considering the competition on the road. The part that I can't live with is 59-20! We should NEVER be manhandled that way. If we lost a close, competetive game, I'd be defending CPF but under these circumstances there's NO DEFENSE!
VolFan4Life writes:
This article is clearly Strange's effort to prop up Fulmer in the face of increasing criticism.
Here's why that doesn't work...
> Weis's last two seasons: 19-6 (.760)
> Tuberville's last two seasons: 20-5 (.800)
> Fulmer's last two seasons: 14-10 (.583)
(I'm not going to even dignify Strange's throwing Iowa into the mix with a comparison. If Strange thinks that Iowa football is all that, he should go work for the Des Moines Register.)
Over the past two seasons, Fulmer has had twice as many losses as Tuberville, and his winning percentage is well below that of Weis.
In terms of total record (SEC and non-SEC games combined), how has Tennessee fared over the past two years against other SEC East teams? Ahead of only Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
With a recruiting class ranked #3 nationally last year, how is it that so few of these top players are seeing significant playing time?
Strange: "No more gurus like Tedford and Meyer." Great bulletin board material for no-names like Spurrier and Saban.
Let's face it -- almost every aspect of this team has shown glaring weaknesses. Based upon what I've seen so far, Tennessee is looking at a 5-6 season at best.
I hope they prove me wrong, but they've given me no reason to be optimistic so far.
VolFan4Life writes:
Sorry about the misstatement above -- I said 5-6 when I meant 5-7.
onecrazyvol writes:
cgbtn fell and bumped is poor wittle head....
mdvol writes:
If anyone says they can "accept" 1-2 then you have lowered your expectations of the UT program. You will be satisfied with the occasional Citrus Bowl.
The bottom line is if you can't beat Florida it's nearly impossible to win the SEC East. If you can't win the East you can't play for the SEC Championship. If you can't win the SEC you can't play for the Nat'l Championship.
Does anyone see us beating Florida?
Not a hard decision.
VolWhiskeyMan writes:
Here's the difference between the Vols and the Gators. Ron Zook lost 3 to 4 games a year over a three year span and he was canned. Fulmer loses 3 to 4 games and sometimes 5 or 6 games over a span of 10 years along with consistent egg laying, piss-pour performances in bowl games and is this clown is kept on. Not only is he kept on but the whole season is now motivated around HIS righting of the ship! He is not some hero who can just come out and give a speech, slap a few butts, and make nice for a 39 loss to your biggest rival. Florida, who, by the way, has mentally superior, stronger, faster athletes and smarter, better prepared, and more innovative coaches. This has been coming for some time. Let's go after BOISE STATE or CAL head coaches, either that or, and don't laugh, the OL' BALL COACH down in Columbia has 2 years left on his contract. Hell, afterall, everyone knows the only way to chomp a gator is to get a bigger gator on the payroll.
volunteerTY23 writes:
you know what's funny is that there s alot of peopel saying are we kentucky fans now...but there the same people that was trying to run randy sanders out of town, i'm no jumping on the "fire fulmer" bandwagon, i'm sticking w/ my team and my coach, wait til the end of the yr. to critisize...........go vols!
madashell writes:
Tennessee football has become a joke. I won't watch Fulmer anymore.
madashell writes:
And this is why:
"TN could still have a 7 or 8 win season and for TN that is not bad." (posted above).
Mediocrity is ok here, I guess....
onecrazyvol writes:
Gatornation.......TN did as well as could be expected against a team as hot as UF with Phil Fulmer. Now that is a correct statement. Thanks for the comment about class. I do appreciate that.
dpreeb#553448 writes:
bruteforce7 your envy reeks of disenchantment. For you to actually question Tebow's ability and extend the notion that he is going to get hurt demonstrates just how stupid you are. Acknowledging that UT's defense sucks is a stellar thought and evidence that there is hope for you; nevertheless, if you were to watch the Gators' last 3 games, Tebow has picked their defences apart, besides Troy had actually a better defense then the Vol's and a much better game plan. This game was won a year ago in the recruiting arena. There has been a lot of talk about Fhatt Fulmer's ability to recruit a top 10 class, but he can not develop his players. As a Florida Alum and fan I can tell you we love Fulmer and bring back Cutcliff was a prayer answered, but I have to also express our concern... The Vols fall so far that playing them actually hurts your schedule. It sort of sounds like to have become a LSU bandwagon fan, unfortually for them, your way of thinking only deteriorates their fan base. However, October 7 you will then become a Dawg fan only then to have your hopes shattered again. LSU, at night, is a very scary thought, and given the fact that their coaches actually work and game plan, and develop it's players, will prove to be an admiral adversary. If the Gators were to lose that game, it would only intensify the Championship Game. See when you have a young, innovative coach who coaches to win and builds a TEAM, that trust and depend on one another you can talk Chanpionship(s), otherwise you have to listen to a coach that says..."dang-gum-it, we got our butts beat... we underestimated Harvin's speed" ( how could you underestimate Florida's speed??)Did you not watch last season and the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP game, and learn from Ohio State for underestimating our speed. I actually feel sorry for the Tenn fan base for being stuck with FhattyPhil and bruteforce7. The Gators can't wait to break-in your new QB next year, by the way the Gators have the youngest team in the SEC, so expect more of the same for some time. O'ya if your wishes do come true and Tebow get nicked up, did you see his back up?? 6'6" 250lbs that is actually faster and love to knock your head off, if you don't believe me just ask your free safety, he is still looking for his teeth, in the end zone no less.
Go Gators Go Vols
h_charles writes:
Gatornation -- I;'m sure you are very happy that Fulmer is at UT! Life is a lot easier for the Gators that way!
Funny, Gator fans weren't so rational when Ron Zook was at the helm. "FireRonZook.com" became a viable website THE DAY HE WAS HIRED!
The issue isn't this one game. One game does not a season make, and there is no shame in losing at UF.
The issue is that UT in general is no longer an elite program. This isn't a one year abberation. It has been since 2001 that this team had a legitimate national contender.
Given the facilities, fan commitment and money spent at UT, that just isn't acceptable. It wasn't at UF either, by the way.
As to those who think "the game has passed Fulmer by", that isn't quite correct. As the adage goes, its the player, not the play. Certainly, UF has a dynamic offense that is fresh and new. However, without Tebow or Harvin, that offense would look very mediocre.
UT simply doesn't have the speed to compete with the big boys right now, period. Cutcliff's offensive scheme is fine -- we just don't have the personnel to run it.
UT is suffering right now all over again for 2005. That following recruiting class was Fulmer's worst, and it is showing now, when those players should be the impact guys. The cubbord is just bare.
The big question is can we get it back with Fulmer at the helm? Sadly, I think not. IT isn't that the game has changed -- it's that the competion is just better. In the 1990s Fulmer had to fend solely with Spurrier. Now, he must deal with Richt, Saban, Spurrier, Meyer, and Miles.
UT simply can't dominate recruiting like it used to, and unless we can get someone in who can, things won't change.
dpreeb#553448 writes:
h_charles your exactly right about the Zook thing, the Gator boosters and our AD knew zook wasn't the guy the first day he was hired, but we needed somebody for a couple of years while Meyer was doing his thing at Utah. Meyar was offered Florida's job while he was at BGreen, but he had to prove his system and himself first (at Utah). It takes FORSIGHT and planning to build a program, not "lets go get the other guy's man, like BoiseState's guy) For UT to be successful they need to open up their minds and develope a plan that digs deep into the coaching talent out there. IF you can develop a coach you can develop a Team, but chasing the hottest guys out there you are already playing catch up. This is basic strategic management, business class 102, at a real school. Don't just fire the coach, fire the AD. He is the root of the weed, not merely a leaf. Sorry, but Go GatorNation.com
jobrando#216494 writes:
There will be no changes if u go to the game. Stay home and listen to it on radio. I would not pay PPV to see it either.
scvols writes:
Oh, is it still football season? When does BB start?
dpreeb#553448 writes:
bruteforce7 here is the answer to your DA question... by the way this is from your own beat writer.
"He completed passes overhand and underhand. He threw fastballs and touch passes. He completed a 49-yard pass from his own end zone, and gouged a yard or two out of the UT defense almost every time a first down was hanging in the balance.
He didn't just beat the Vols. He toyed with them.
The statistics didn't reflect how easy Tebow often made it look in Florida's rousing 59-20 victory. Tebow completed 14 of 19 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 61 yards on 18 carries. Based on his first two starts this season, that's just an average Saturday."
PriceLess
99gator writes:
you all have to have some perspective. winning in gainesville who's done that since meyer has been at florida.... no one. it's not like tenn committed a mortal sin. some of this stuff is just irrational.... like....
1. spurrier to tenn. what? are you serious? you all know better than that.
2. wait til tebow goes against a real team, like lsu. well, yeah. i expect a sophomore to struggle against arguably the best team in the country on the road. you don't expect players to run over great teams. why you expected tenn to run over florida i have no idea because....
3. you have overrated your own team. ainge is clearly playing hurt and can't throw deep. and the o-line is not good. you could say the pass protection is good, but it should be for 3 step drops.
4. give the opponent some credit. except for lsu, honestly, who will keep florida's offense under 35, unless there are several turnovers. 14 point in the game did not come from the florida offense. who will keep cal under 30, besides usc. your defense may not be all that horrible. time will tell.
anyway, i have felt your pain before. as i wrote before the game, it was very probable tenn would be 1-2 at this point in the year, before the season. hell, vegas knew it. florida and cal were both favored.
rkastens writes:
It's not that we're 1-2 at this point in the season. I did think that was a possibility. But to get hammered in both of those games is inexcusable. Those games were not even close. In the second half of neither game did I feel like, "We're going to win."
Winning out will put a band-aid on the internal bleeding. It's time to go in a new direction with this football program.
sampears writes:
Yea! IT is time to see it all for what it is! IT is time for Fulmer to GO!!! Go to the game this saturday? (HA) and PPV, LMAORIF! The call on the Radio even bites, I will just get the score as I watch real football this weekend! Let us all admit it we s***!
rccheek#205272 writes:
Let's flood Mike Hamilton's email with requests to fire Fulmer. Here is his address: mhamilton@tennessee.edu
About 50,000 should do it.
snowvol writes:
You wrote "No more DeSean Jackson, Justin Forsett, Tim Tebow or Percy Harvin. No more gurus like Jeff Tedford and Urban Meyer." That last sentence - that's the biggest problem with UT football right now: We don't have a coach and coaching staff equipped to go head-to-head with the new wave of young, aggressive, brilliant offensive minds...gurus. These are the same guys, like Meyer and Tedford, who also have the understanding of finding the best defensive staff they can hire. Interesting that Florida replaced practically their entire starting defense and yet they still found a way to make us look ridiculous. Their largely unproven defensive players knew exactly what we were going to do from start to finish...that's coaching. H_Charles makes some very interesting and compelling points. I would respectfully disgree, however. Players do make the offense (and defense)...no question about it. However, a closer inspection of our offensive schemes shows that we are not running anything Tennessee teams haven't been running for 15 years now. The prep to play Tennessee is not nearly what it is when you have to play a Florida. Further, there has been a tremendous drop-off in fundamentals, intensity and focus since Fulmer first got the job. He has always been on the stoic side, but there was a fire in him that simply does not seem to be there anymore. How many games -- I've lost count -- have we come out and been emotionally lost, and this goes more for the teams we've played that are sadly overmatched by us and yet find ways to stay in the game until late in the 4th quarter. dpreeb suggests firing the AD. I'm not so sure he's the problem unless...unless...he continues to allow what's been happening to this football program since losing to LSU in the SECCG continue. Since that loss, we have never been the same. I don't recall Florida firing Jeremy Foley. Mike Hamilton made the second best hire of his AD career when he got Bruce Pearl. Some will say i.e. 'well, it was Ernie Grunfeld who advised him...it wasn't Hamilton.' Leaders seek the advice of others and incorporate it in their decision-making process; Hamilton played the whole basketball hire beautifully. The biggest hire Hamilton will make is replacing Fulmer. But the biggest hurdle for him will be to break through the good-ole-boy network of huge donors and supposed "supporters" of the university, athletic department and football program in particular. These folks, by and large, are in bed with Fulmer: Either Hamilton has the stones to buck these people and do what must be done, or we'll be getting more of the same for years to come.
99gator writes:
well, i understand the feeling. i truly have never believed in fulmer as a great coach. but, i think some of this is overboard. sometimes, a game is deceiving and a score gets out of hand. tenn actually lost the game in the 1st quarter. great field position all quarter and tenn defense made florida go three and out on the 1st two possessions. tenn gave up a punt return and finished the quarter down 14-3.
snowvol writes:
The gator fan who wrote "TN could still have a 7 or 8 win season and for TN that is not bad." Does anybody see how that simple comment is the saddest state of affairs for UT football? That is the view from Gainesville -- that winning 7 or 8 games at Tennessee is "not bad". That's how we're viewed down there...and, it's a view that is growing throughout the SEC....and, sooner or later, among recruits. And the other gator fan who suggested Tennessee fans need perspective...please. It's very easy to offer that comment when you have Urban Meyer at the helm....as opposed to Ron Zook. I don't recall many, if any, fans in gator nation having anything resembling perspective during The Zook Era. The only thing they screamed about was getting his (a)ss out of Gainesville sooner rather than later.
99gator writes:
with ron zook, florida was 0-fer against mississippi schools. fulmer is losing to ranked teams. he may be losing to too many teams and too many games. i will not dispute that. tenn is losing too many home games. i definitely would not dispute that. hellfire and brimstone should bear its teeth when you do something like lose to miss state (hello auburn). i would be upset about a blowout too. truly, florida did not get blown out often with zook. they lost, but were not blown out.
i just think the job is tougher than you think. you can talk about the stadium, tradition and facilities. but those things are at auburn, florida, lsu, georgia, and bama and they have better recruiting bases. florida (literally, and i can give expamples) has gotten all-american players by accident or default. tenn has to get its players from everyone else's backyard. that's tough, when all those programs have their act together.
DadwasaVol writes:
I'm not ready to fire Fulmer. Tennessee has lost road games against the #3 and #6 teams in the country. By far, toughest schedule of any team so far. Those opponents happen to have the fastest talent the Vols face all year. Tennessee was not favored in either game so did you really expect to be 2-1 or 3-0? Did Fulmer cause Foster's fumbles against Penn State and Florida? Or Cory Anderson's fumble at Alabama at the goalline? Jackson's and James' punt returns against the Vols will not be their only TDs this year, they'll burn somebody else. Fulmer feels the pressure, let's not pile on until we're 5-6 again.
Gatorchomp writes:
First let me say...I know the UF/UT rivalry has not been overly friendly. Trust me, I hate UT as much as you hate my Gators. But we are all SEC, so please let me offer this to the board....Nothing is ever as good as it seems (UF right now) and nothing is ever as bad as it seems (UT right now). I dont disagree with the fans on this board as I can tell they are fed up with Coach Fulmer. Your players played hard, but watching the game from the stadium, it seemed they weren't motivated. There was a definite lack of energy from the sideline which filtered into how the players performed on the field. The coaches must take responsibility for that.
It also seemed the Vols just kind of gave up after the fumble return for a TD in the north endzone. If they had come back and hit us in the mouth with another score or big play, the momentum would have been yours again. But the entire team (starting with your coaches) seemed to completely deflate after that.
For those of you condemning these posters as "fair weather fans"...Its simply obvious that the Vol fans have had ENOUGH! This doesnt make them fair weather. Again...let me reiterate that I hate the stereotypical drunken screaming Vol fan as much as you hate the image of the drunken screaming Gator fan....but how long are the fans expected to ride that National Championship?
I have had Florida season tickets since my father and I started going to games when I was 9 (in 1979) and the Gators were 0-10-1. I lived through the Doug Dickey era, the probabtion years of Charlie Pell AND Galen Hall, the good (and bad) years of Steve Spurrier, the NIGHTMARE that was Ron Zook, and now the good times again with Urban Meyer. I EARNED the right to cheer our Championships as well as the right to scream at our coaches if they dont perform. I dont consider myself a fair weather fan, but I was a REGULAR on www.fireronzook.com!!!
Passionate fans (like Gators and Vols) have earned that right through years of support and countless dollars for tickets, shirts, hats, flags, beer koozie things, etc etc.
So Vol fans....take heart...its never as bad as it seems. Your team played hard, and with some luck (albeit, A LOT of luck)....I will be happy to treat all of you to a Mickey Mouse bar when you are here in Orlando for the Citrus Bowl.
Go Gators, Go SEC (at least you arent Michigan or Notre Dame!)
PS - Sorry about the score, but we needed the points to jump past West Virginia (and evidently Oklahoma) in the polls. It wasnt personal .... blame the BCS.
onecrazyvol writes:
Dadwasavol........so was mine. BUT WHY PLEASE TELL ME WHY?!?!?! keep buying into the one play away. Thats all we are is one play away every game. IT NEEDS TO END!!!!! SOOON!!! And yes Fulmer caused it b/c he didn't stop it!!
bruteforce7#630403 writes:
dpreed, I never said our D was good enough to beat Tebow and Co. You need to calm down a bit. Your Gators beat the phooey out of us so go enjoy that and stop wasting your time at a UT website. I'm not jumping on any LSU bandwangon as you said. I simply said that I would like to see how Tebow does against a real D that can make him become more of a pocket passer. Yes he picked apart our weak D and Troys D. It has yet is to be seen if he can go against a real secoundary and with lineman that can rush. If he can then yeah I'll agree you have the best QB in the nation. Until then lets keep it real. LSU will rip that superman cape off Tebow and make a new jock strap for him as his old one will be in about the fifth row. GO VOLS Take care and best of luck with you superman. By the way, how do you defend a QB that lets his roommate kiss him on national tv? Wow
Gatorchomp writes:
Hey....its just that the our team has that kind of team unity, yeah..umm...they're just really close....hmmm....ok, even I thought that was kinda gay! ha ha ha
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.