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For a player like Gerald Jones, nothing is more beautiful than a patch of wide-open turf and a little room to work.
Having space without a cornerback, safety or linebacker bearing down means room to operate, and that's pretty much football nirvana for a wide receiver.
"That's where I work best," says Jones. "It's a good deal to catch the ball and not be crowded with everybody around you. You've just got to make a play. Be a playmaker, and that's what this team is looking for."
The defining tenet of Dave Clawson's new offense is getting the ball to dynamic athletes and giving them room to work.
To that end, Tennessee's receivers and quarterbacks are focused on creating a little more space for wide receivers with the hope of making big things happen.
"It is kind of unique to the offense because with this deal, you want to be able to get a bunch of catch and carries and things like that," receivers coach Latrell Scott said. "You want these guys to maximize what they're doing after the catch.
"We place a huge emphasis on it. We want these guys to be able to turn hitches into 80-yard gains because we feel like we've got playmakers and guys with the ability to do that. But it is something that we coach a bunch."
In David Cutcliffe's offense a year ago, yards after the catch were a bonus. This year, they're a priority.
During summer workouts, receivers and quarterbacks worked at delivering the ball to a receiver in stride and putting the ball in a place where the receiver can catch and turn away from a defender.
That requires quarterback Jonathan Crompton to know more about the individual receiver he's throwing to.
"You don't throw to a spot, you've got to know who you're throwing to and know where to lead them," Crompton said.
Says senior receiver Josh Briscoe: "We worked real hard in the spring and summer and this fall on putting the ball away from the defense. We're throwing a lot of shoulder throws, where we can turn and there's not a defender there."
That requires trust on the part of wide receivers that a pass won't lead them head on into a head-hunting safety or linebacker.
"It's a lot fun to have confidence in your quarterback that he's not going to throw you into a blowup or a defender that's going to blindside you or something," said Austin Rogers, who took his fair share of hits over the middle last season. "It's good."
And it's only getting better.
"Now that the spring is under us and a little more repetition in camp, everything's happing like that," Jones said, snapping his fingers. "It's clockwork."
It just can't afford a slipped cog.
With all the focus on yards after the catch, there's an added risk of fumbles. To that end, UT's receivers are focused on holding onto the ball as well as yards after the catch.
"We've not only been working hard on that, but we've been stressing ball security because that's where it starts," Briscoe said. "You can't be making moves and have the ball flying around and then put the ball on the ground.
"It's very important in this offense. We're going to get the ball out quick to our receivers and our backs and have a chance for us to get yards after the catch and try to get in the end zone."
And getting in the end zone, hopefully with a few catch-and-runs along the way, is what the offense is ultimately all about.
"This offense puts us in great position to make plays, hands down," Jones said. "A lot of people don't expect wideouts or anybody in the wide receiver corps to be that playmaker-type person. We're always stereotyped as an OK group. So we're pushing to do the best we can and prove everybody wrong. We want to be better by the end of the year."
Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.
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Comments » 103
ctownvol writes:
"And it's only getting better" I love the sound of that!!
1manningfan writes:
i can sleep better tonight after reading this article, now put your money where your mouth is and lets GET IT ON!!! GO VOLS
Freshly_Cut_Grass writes:
Let's go ahead and ship the playbook out to Westwood while we're at it. To heck with telling them how, let's just put it all in front of their face..
junder13 writes:
I LOVE THE SOUND OF THIS!!!! IT'S ABOUT TIME, BABY:
"We want these guys to be able to turn hitches into 80-yard gains because we feel like we've got playmakers and guys with the ability to do that."
In David Cutcliffe's offense a year ago, yards after the catch were a bonus. This year, they're a priority.
During summer workouts, receivers and quarterbacks worked at delivering the ball to a receiver in stride and putting the ball in a place where the receiver can catch and turn away from a defender.
cobbwebb writes:
was it just me or did rogers take a shot at ainge in this article?
mdvol writes:
Sounds like we are going to hear the name "Gerald" a lot this fall. One stud on offense and one on defense. Makes things easier on Kesling. Note to Crompton....please don't lead Austin Rogers over the middle unless you want an INT. Hit him in the numbers and take the short gain. However, feel free to air it out to Taylor, Jones and Moore.
cobbwebb writes:
woohooo ! hello new age offense , goodbye 1915 philosophies.
99gator writes:
i have made comments about not being the biggest fan of the tennessee receiving corps.
however, i no longer blame them. i am now anxious to see what they will do and how good they can be.
apparently, the concept of yards after catch and trying to get the ball to playmakers in space was something the previous offensive coaching staff had never heard of.
i know you all think highly of cutcliffe after having randy sanders.....but, cutcliffe is one of the most overrated coaches in america.
some of the quotes from the players are hard for me to believe.
gohawks1 writes:
LESS THAN 3 WEEKS!
Man, I can't wait to see the Spiderman offense! And when I see the first Berry/Morley crunch, I'm coming outa my seat!
Go Vols!
miamiVOL writes:
good to hear, G.Jones is a fantastic quick ATH, I believe Clawson will feature him alot, especially now considering A.Foster has a "bone bruise"
xvolx writes:
I dont think I have ever heard of leading a receiver and not throwing to a spot. Sounds like we are going to run 5 yard hooks all day. This is the same off. that couldnt score with a pass in the scrimage. Delivering to a receiver in stride also requires throwing to a spot. something is rotten in denmark.
Need_2_Know writes:
The proof is in the pudding, as "they" say, but you've gotta love the ingredients we have.
I say let's make some Bruin pudding!
GO, BIG ORANGE . . . I'll hang up and listen to your comments.
cobbwebb writes:
catscratch- its a sad day in the ol commonwealth when kentucky fans have to resort to this phooey ( it is pretty good though), it is nice to see though , it means that pearl and the vols are relevant and on the minds of the big blue! GO VOLS !!!!!!!
copan07#220906 writes:
Currently on the MSN home page there is a story about the "Best College Football Programs of the Decade" (1998-2008). WE are number #10. The ONLY other SEC school is Georgia. NO Florida, no LSU, no Auburn and no Alabama. I know there could be some strong arguments for the criteria: National Championships vs. total wins, or most BCS bowl games played in, but it is still impressive for the program and Fulmer.
xvolx writes:
99gator. how many xgator qbs have won a superbowl. cutcliffe has two in three years. overrated. I think not.
jandjhome#228397 writes:
Good comments xvolx,I agree.
Jamey1210 writes:
99 only speaks what (WE) speak as GVX posters not you as an individual. He for the most part I think agrees with the VOL fan that are true. Not the whinney Biatches.. You all know who I am talking about (slimone for instance) don't hate on 99 hate on your so called TN fans that only bash our program that we love.
cobbwebb writes:
I think cut is a very good qb coach, just got a little conservative as a play caller.and rockin randy sanders was the fall guy in a bad situation.kentucky is a good fit for sanders to cut his teeth and will probably be the next o- coordinator
cobbwebb writes:
who the he(( wrote that article ? how can you not have florida or lsu in that category?
copan07#220906 writes:
The MSN article most be putting alot of emphasis on total wins. Florida had a few down years after Spurrier and LSU was down prior to Saban.
jclowers writes:
I like the idea of getting the players open for huge plays after the catch. Two concerns are well documented in this story: fumbles and getting led head on into a blindsided hit. Another worry I have about this whole idea is how many times we will see our players more focused on what to do after the catch instead of just making the catch. How many drops will we see from this group?
Jamey1210 writes:
I am a huge Tennessee fan but that MSn article, well that is BS. IF you all look at the top ten USC being number 8 well you all will see. Don't take too much from it. We will be great this year but we have not been the top 2 of SEC teams in the last ten year. Again I am a huge tennessee fan. Hopefully I don't piss alot of you all off.
copan07#220906 writes:
Gator4life:
The article says Tenn. has more wins than Florida and we both have ONE National Championship during that period. You did find a good argument with Boise St. though.
Jamey1210 writes:
I appreciate your honesty Gator. I feel that USC #1, LSU #2, Ohio St. #3, Oklahoma #4, Texas #4, Auburn #5, The last 5 are up for grabs between Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska( i know but it is the last 10 years, and Georgia. So yes that is 5 SEC teams. So I guess I am saying what everyone else already knows. Go SEC we ARE #1
Jamey1210 writes:
Well I guess I have two number 4's but I think you all can figure out my opinion. Have fun posting about how big of an idiot I am. I love reading your posts.
coltzcoltzcoltz writes:
"Anybody here think what Boise has done is more impressive than LSU?" - gator4life
Of course man! Boise State is obviously the best team of this new-century. I mean look at that insanely tough schedule they have every year! I have no idea how they manage to go undefeated or -1 or 2 every year! It's crazy.
LargeOrange writes:
It's the Smurf Turf dude. I wish we would put astroturf back in and have the whole thing painted BIG ORANGE.
LargeOrange writes:
Posted by BAMABLOWS on August 12, 2008 at 10:03 p.m. (Suggest removal) I think cut is a very good qb coach, just got a little conservative as a play caller.and rockin randy sanders was the fall guy in a bad situation.kentucky is a good fit for sanders to cut his teeth and will probably be the next o- coordinator
-----
Bama I hope you are right about Sanders, that would mean that we will extend the longest winning streak in the NCAA for many years to come.
Volomatic writes:
The msn article is only based on overall winning percentage in the past decade not what the teams have accomplished just WINNING PERCENTAGE. LSwho has had a couple of nc's and florida the one but win wise not as good as who is on the list KEY words WINNING PERCENTAGE
cjraney writes:
99-
Many Vol fans agree with you on coach Cut, myself included.
I would compare him to a Ford Mustang, a good dependable sports car that will beat many others across the line. Very consistent and you know what you're getting [about 30ppg]. But there's definitely a built-in ceiling on achievement.
cjraney writes:
99 cont'd:
Those who use the Mannings to illustrate Cut's guru-hood are misguided, IMO. There's just some things you can't mess up no matter how hard you try.
I do think Cut will have a degree of success at Dook however. Disciplined preparation, playing the %'s, and minimizing risk will accomplish more in the ACC, and at that school specifically I believe.
ZR writes:
It all goes down from here. Tennessee is clinging to 1998. 1999 was a good year with the normal Fulmer choke. 2001 was a great year that could have cemented Tennessee as a possible dynasty. It was close. They had a grip on it. Fumble!
Tennessee fans used to get mad when people made fun of going to Orlando for a bowl. Now it would be the best year ever.
Be sure and look at this next year and the year after to see where the Vols are.
Volomatic writes:
19 days 21 hours 20 min 32 sec till game time
newtonrail writes:
I heard someone who should know on a non Knoxville Sports talk show today saying there wasn't that much difference in Clawson and Cutcliffe's offenses. Personality differences, but those expecting some radical offense are in for a rude awakening. Comments about leading receivers,etc. were made two years ago also. It's like a new OC or HC comes in, and the players think he reinvented the wheel. It's a pity Pope Urban won't tell the Gator faithful anything, so we have 4 or 5 of the inbred Crocs swimming in our pool.
xvolx writes:
we should never us success as a guideline. we might misinterpret the facts.
VOLinDAWGland writes:
newtonrail,
I think the differences between Cut and Clawson, as many have stated here before, will be subtle but important. This article gives a clue. Cut's offense always had the wide receivers either heading towards the side-line or curling back to the QB or finding a hole in the secondary and stopping. Meachem gave us some big plays because he was just so darned big, strong and fast, but he got those on his own. What I've always liked about West Coast style offenses is the underneath crossing routes where the receiver gets the ball early on his cut at full speed heading downhill. Most of Gerry Rice's gaudy numbers were YAC. He'd typically get the ball within ten yards of the LOS. He had to make one move against the corner than play the angles and spaces to get past the slower LBs and safeties. Rice rarely did curl routes our sideline routes that would take him out of bounds or eliminate any chance for YAC. This style also introduces a bit more risk and we all know that Cut was totally risk averse. He was a student of playing the percentages however he calculated those percentages. I like Cut, think Cut was the right medicine to cure the Sander's hangover, but agree with the poster above that Cut's offense had a built-in ceiling that by it's nature will limit the ultimate success in SEC competition. Hope he has great success at Duke and makes them forget about the ole ball coach.
richvol writes:
80 yard hitches would be great...I still see Joey Kent taking that slant 80 yards against Alabama when Peyton led him across the middle on the opening play.
Good wide receivers that run good routes will blow by any linebackers if they are led properly. Look at Harvin.
Cutcliffe is a good coach in many areas but Tennessee has been so conservative and predictable for so long it's ridiculous. We have always had the athletes and utilizing them is long overdue.
auttat writes:
I wonder if CatScratch read all the posts on his Pearl post?
firegillespie Says:
August 13th, 2008 at 2:46 am
Very funny poster but truthfully if we could only have hired him away from tennessee.
NOLAvol writes:
It will be interesting over the next 4-8 years to see how this new offensive emphasis (is that more accurate than calling it a new scheme?) translates to the NFL, and how well players that excelled in it in college make the transition to traditional NFL offenses.
Would these new offenses even work in a league where there's so little fall off between your best and worst defensive player--i.e., where favorable matchups tend to come less from Xs and Os coaching schemes and more from Xs and Ys (physical freaks like 6'6" wide receivers who run 4.35 40s)?
Seems to me Coach Cut's recruiting advantage has always been how well prepared his QBs were for the next level--as opposed to, for instance, those coming out of Spurrier's system. Learning how to read defenses from the line of scrimmage will always be valuable... but it remains to be seen if the NFL will also come to value reading defenses after the play has commenced. Interesting times to be a football fan--especially in the NFL's triple-A farm league: the SEC!
tnvol737 writes:
gator4life: I do think the spread is somewhat of a fad, but all offenses are to an extent. Fulmer will never run the spread. There is a difference between running the spread and getting people the ball in space. I'm just not sure a lot of people understand that concept.
99gator: I rarely comment about specific people on this site, but your comments are very insightful and usually add to the discussion. You're the type of opposing fan that makes the SEC look good and that I dont mind interloping on this site.
gator4life: Same goes for you for the most part (minus the little jabs along the way).
mcbrim: Dude, you occasionally say something worthy of reading, but, seriously, why do you not add to discussion rather than attacking teams and people? Just a thought (not trying to start a posting war).
Go4Two writes:
gator99
Didn't coach Cut post 2 wins over the Gators while he was coach at Old Miss...that's OLD MISS
Greyback_Vol writes:
I don't think Clawson's offense will "look"
much different from Cutcliffe's, except for different formations. Most of the changes will be things most fans can't really see.
For example, the "quick" and "strong" sides to the O-line. Not really visible to the average fan, but will make a big difference in the trenches. There will also be different routes and blocking schemes, and obviously the checks at the line will change. The offense also looks like it emphasizes lining players up at several different positions.
The comments by Brandon Warren when he compared this offense to FSU's makes me believe Clawson has incorporated a system where several possible plays are called in the huddle and one it selected at the line. Similar to the package Casey Clausen managed so well his senior year.
Vol13 writes:
Man, we've fallen far. You guys will believe anything you read you are so starved to hear something good. This is still Big Fulmer sitting atop the perch of "Tennessee Football." Believe none of what you read and half of what you see. We won't look much different than we did last year from a formation/play standpoint. And contrary to what the KNS is printing (they don't get to stay for practice by the way), Crompton is viewed as a huge liability by the staff at this point. He can't find his WR's and makes bad decisions with the football. He's great with dumpoffs in the flat and throwing from the numbers out though. But Fulmer is not going to let the ball into the middle of the field at this point. The OL can't runblock worth a hoot either at this point. You heard it here first. Choose to not believe this if you wish or call me too negative. I really don't care. I'm just telling you what I have been told because I want as many Vol fans as possible to not be blindsided this season.
You guys can rip Cut and Ainge all you want. But Cut is a long-time veteran of this league and Ainge was a 4 year starter. You don't just replace that kind of experience overnight. It's pure delusion to think that some newbie OC and a shaky QB are going to come in and revolutionize the SEC. Especially with our lack of playmakers on offense and as bad a front seven situation as I have seen up there personally in 15 years. Offense will struggle and defense will have trouble getting off the field.
miamiVOL writes:
Vol13 "It's pure delusion to think that some newbie OC and a shaky QB are going to come in and revolutionize the SEC."
-Thats what they said when C.U.M. brought the spread to UF and the SEC
"Especially with our lack of playmakers on offense "
-Thats just ignorant
jasonn1970 writes:
Free Brandon Warren!!!
Vol13 writes:
Hey Miami:
Believe what you will. It's funny when none of you can come up with anything worthwhile to offer to the conversation, you resort to namecalling the messenger because you simply don't want to hear the message.
Meyer won with defense his first year in the SEC. Just ask him. They got pretty good on offense by the end of the year, but Leak was still a passing QB not running a true Spread attack.
You really think we have a bevy of playmakers on offense? You are in the minority. Sure, we have some. But we don't have a WR on the roster that would have started on many teams from 89-recently.
tmartin writes:
why is anyone getting excited about this? its the same thing it has been for years. throw 3-5 yard passes and hope someone can turn it into a big gain. same story, different O.C. we throw a curl, out, swing pass to RB and TE flat, thats it. meachem made it look good, maybe jones can too.
Vol13 writes:
sjt:
I don't have to further comment on anything. You should be grateful that I leak you a little morsel out there to chew on. We'll know in a few weeks who was right and who was wrong. I'll leave it at that. And if we had a team to be positive about, then I would. This team MIGHT win 8 games. Might.
Most every homer I know can't muster enough objectivity to really tell you the truth. Oh well. Believe what you wish. I'm not trying to alter anyone's belief system. I'm just saying....
hcjournals#206623 writes:
Hey Vol:
It seems like you are being a little negative here. Most of us thought Cutcliffe and Ainge were great. In terms of this year.........The secondary will save us more than once. If might help the offense mature by giving us the ball on turnovers, etc. Crompton is a wild card. He supposedly has the physical tools. What he has to ramp up on is the mental part of the game. That can only come with game experience. In practice he is off limits most of the time. If they can get him knocked around a few times without injury, that will help. We may have a 99 type year. I admit I am drinking the Kool-aid, but this group works hard and is supposedly talented. I like that combination. And they feel they have something to prove.......
chrslyp writes:
you know who would help with the YACs, brandon warren.
i'm about to get on the phone and call up slive myself.
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