Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess
Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry (14) is pushed by Vanderbilt's Chris Nickson as he runs into the end zone for a touchdown after intercepting the ball at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville on Saturday.
NASHVILLE - Tennessee finally found a quarterback it could win with Saturday afternoon at Vanderbilt Stadium.
First hint: It's not Jonathan Crompton, UT's recycled starter who was relieved after two series and one interception.
Second hint: It's not B.J. Coleman, whose only touchdown pass of the afternoon went to Vanderbilt's Reshard Langford.
Third hint: It's not Nick Stephens, whose two-interception performance against Wyoming likely condemned him to the sideline for the remainder of the Phillip Fulmer era.
Fourth hint: It's not wide receiver Gerald Jones or strong safety Eric Berry, each of whom joined UT's cast-of-thousands quarterback rotation.
Final hint: The quarterback who contributed the most to UT's 20-10 upset victory doesn't play for UT.
So extend a Big Orange thank-you to Vanderbilt senior quarterback Chris Nickson, whose first-half performance made UT's season-long quarterback-by-committee approach look almost functional.
Nickson's first-half contributions to the Fulmer Farewell Tour included one completion in five attempts for a minus-4 yards; another completion to Berry, who ran 45 yards for a touchdown; a lost fumble, which turned the field position in UT's favor; and 22 yards lost on three sacks.
After six possessions netted 4 yards, Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson decided a change was in order. Just in the nick of time, huh?
By then, the Vols were up 17-0 and well on their way to ending a three-game losing streak while reminding their supporters that even at their worst, they're better than Vanderbilt at its best.
UT's second SEC victory of the season wasn't all about what Nickson did wrong, It also was about what UT's seventh-ranked defense did right.
It proved again that it could dominate a bad offense.
How bad was Vanderbilt's offense? Worse than usual.
The Commodores began the day ranked 116th out of 119 teams in total offense and - with Nickson leading the way - seemed determined to prove they hadn't bottomed out.
I interrupt this column to remind you that Vanderbilt is bowl eligible.
If you asked "Which bowl?" you haven't been paying attention. It's going to the bowl which has the last pick of SEC teams.
Talk about your perfect bowl storm: bad economy, bad offense and bad fans.
Never mind that the 6-5 Commodores have their winningest team in 26 years. Their fans still aren't interested enough to fill up a 39,773-seat stadium. The fans who were willing to stick around saw a mild second-half comeback that was eventually thwarted by UT's defense and a Vanderbilt offense that couldn't spell "playmaker."
In an off year for SEC quarterbacks, Vanderbilt and UT are about as far off as you can get. Understandably, their coaches don't ask them to win games; they simply implore them not to hand games to their opponents, which makes Johnson's decision to keep entrusting the ball to Nickson even more bewildering.
Not that Mackenzi Adams, Nickson's replacement, provided any Jay Cutler moments. However, he did pass for 192 yards - or 171 more than anyone else who took a snap at Vanderbilt Stadium.
In fact, in a matchup of two of college football's worst offenses, Adams played well enough not to lose. Unfortunately for him and the Commodores, the game was already lost before he played.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 61
Volalumnus writes:
Before the TV station switched games, that was some really bad football by both teams. I can't blame the station for switchin games. It was just Ugly..... I bet they were wondering if there was a way to switch to something else before the other game started.
bigorangesob writes:
After reading other of Adams articles I think all those people were right he is a p#*ck
thurs2000#245193 writes:
John Adams is about the worst writer I have ever read. Send him packing'
zqvol writes:
If Adams doesn't resign soon he needs to be fired. It is a shame that anyone pays to read his dribble.
ggriggs939#223122 writes:
Quit buying the sentinel. The whole crew is paid to denigrate the VOLS.
reedjeffben writes:
Funny. All of you think John Adams is SOOOO bad, but you keep on coming back for more. Methinks thou dost protest too much...
jobrando#216494 writes:
Well I think Chavis is a good coach and does his homework and saw what was going on in the Kentucky game and Nickson's success with that defense. The defense had a plan and it was to shut him down and they did. The Chavis boys get all the credit in my book for winning this game. Vandy had no answer to this.
shipperman#280095 writes:
He is a bad writer because he tells the truth? No one makes you read him. And if Vandy had any offense they would have drilled us. Thank goodness we won, and i hope we win next week. If we have to depend on our passing game however, we are doomed
jobrando#216494 writes:
A game worth watching now is the Cincy / Pitt game. Coach Kelly is very high energy as is his team. To land this guy would be a very big splash. Just not sure how long it would take hime to get it going at Tennessee. Not sure he would know what he was getting into as VOL fans are so demanding. One losing season and he probaly would be thrown out along with the AD.
volintexas writes:
Hopefully the KNS will send Adams the way of Fulmer. Bring back Russ Bebb, Tom Siler, Marvin West or any of the formerly decent Knoxville sports writers from the grave/retirement home, wherever they may be. Perhaps John Ward would consent to a column.
ncvol17 writes:
C'mon another game where the O scores 1 TD? This is the most pitiful O since the 70's.. Wasn't Steve Alatorre better than this? Pat Ryan? Jeff Ostrowski? Sterling Henton?other forgettable QB's look good compared to this group of losers.
Let's get 2 HS kids and let them fight it out.
db11_cn writes:
You guys who need to have your news delivered by cheerleaders, just stay tuned to Channel 8. As for those who can see what it is, neither of these two teams could beat Tusculum OR Carson-Newman (and no offense intended toward TC or C-N) Butch Davis suffered his second straight loss today and Mike Leach is taking a severe beatdown in Norman. Vols should consider a year or two of flag football.
BigVolinCarolina writes:
Along with the Kentucky game next week being "Philip Fulmer Appreciation Day", isn't it also "The John Adams Farewell Tour" and his last year as a sportswriter?
anecastro74#247283 writes:
You people ARE pathetic, John Adams is the only voice of reason in a sea of Big Orange Sheep... I am a '97 graduate of Tennessee and am the BIGGEST booster of the program that you will find---but I'm also a realist... Clearly, you people as Jack Nicholson said, "you can't handle the truth..." Come on guys, John is only trying to keep it real regarding the Vols, and if y'all can't deal with it---then you need to take a look in the mirror.... Maybe the News-Senseless can hire a staff full of Mike Griffin's to blow sunshine where the sun DON'T shine!!!!
dvols writes:
in other news, florida back up quarterback was arrested for stealing laptops a direct result of gator leadership and alabama players are missing all the cocaine that jimmy johns was providing. but they are winning.
''''my application for kns'''
ect1983 writes:
Ditto----but life would be over for all of them if they couldn't post the obligatory "Fire JA" posts. Some of JA's columns suck, some are great, and most are in between....but if you hate him and every column, go read the Tennessean. It is comical----I dont like Dr Phil, Oprah, Dan Rather, Couric,Pelosi, ad nauseum......so if their faces appear I change the channel. But these people want a cheerleader....a la Kevin Bacon in Animal House..."All is well".
scottmichaelmoore#540590 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
scottmichaelmoore#540590 writes:
I bet you a faux ostrich skin jacket that this comment get pulled. Punk.
scottmichaelmoore#540590 writes:
We need a qb...NOW...R.W. Janeway...he's the answer.
rockytopatl writes:
Amen. As I have said before, people who post here criticizing John Adams don't deserve decent journalism. Nor do they even understand what journalism is. A good newspaper and a good columnist isn't a hometown lapdog that exists to lay praise on the home team. Its job is to criticize what's wrong and complement the powers that be when they get it right.
John Adams does that and he does it well. Knoxville is lucky to have him. At this point, he's a much better sports columnist than Tennessee is a football team.
surfmaster writes:
Again I will say it, Chip Kelly should be our new coach.
An offensive genius, and he doesn't think he is a pirate. A disciplinarian. A great recruiter. This is the guy!
The man puts points on the board. Does it consistently, and more importantly, does it with the passing and running game. No other system in college football is as balanced and explosive as Chip Kelly's system.
Check out the link to his bio below. He is worth at least an interview. He is a great coach and outstanding recruiter. It would work.
http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.db...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HybKUO...
Hamilton, get this guy on your interview list.
rusty_shackleford writes:
You and I have gone back and forth, but I'll tip my hat to anyone who makes an Animal House reference.
Bigger_Al writes:
Adams is a pathetic little weasel. Please go to Gainesville, Tuscaloosa, or anywhere else.
samjrr writes:
Glad your watching Adams.
samjrr writes:
Adams= cold hard facts! Go Vols!!!
newtonrail writes:
When you call me Pathetic, you are violating KNS Comments code in defamatory remarks, and since your profile doesn't list your name as Haslam, you aren't the BIGGEST booster. Adams needs to go Bro, badly. You love him so much, note in this article he refers over and over to Johnson taking Nickerson out because he was ineffective. WRONG. He was knocked of game and couldn't come back in per good ole Dave Baker. Adams doesn't let a little thing like the facts get in the way of his stories.
pms151 writes:
Refusing to buy GamePlan coverage for obvious reasons I was forced to listen on the internet. Once again I was reminded that we have the worst broadcast team in the country. Bob still does not know how to pronounce Vol and take it to the checkerboard is childish. The idiot inbred Tim has no clue how to speak English, much less how to analyze a football game. And where the H did he buy his law degree, Walmart? We should just sweep house including Mike Hamilton and start all over again.
dowdpat#654244 writes:
Clueless! It was the 11th game and the offense was terrible again. Fulmer is an offensive minded coach who hired Clawson. You're not being honest with yourself if you think this is a well coached offense. I'll take my chances on Brian Kelly, twice the coach at half the price.
kabul_vol writes:
Dang, it sounds as if Adams is disgusted that Vandy didnt take UT to the woodshed.
OldNumber7 writes:
No, if you look at our history, we are among the most tolerant of fans. Our last 2 coaches wouldn't have survived as long as they did at most other programs.
This season is not the issue; it's the icing on a cake that didn't improve but got slowly worse over 10 years. A decade is plenty reasonable for an average persons expectations.
Jeremy7679 writes:
Even after a win John Adams feels it necessary to be a douche.
John Adams sucks.
JayTee writes:
Sad but true the offense was simply pitiful. The play calling looked like something kids would do in the back yard. "It's my turn let me be QB".
That was the worst offense I have ever witnessed at Tennessee bar none and I have seen them for over forty years.
philfan writes:
That would be OK with me. There is always a sarcastic and sneering edge to Adams' articles. This was a great victory over a team that is going to a bowl this year. A little constructive criticism of our offensive situation would be nice. I don't think Adams knows enough about college football to do that though.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
"In an off year for SEC QBs, Tenn and Vandy are about as far off as you can get".
Amen.
DingoVol writes:
I think we got a preview of Mike Leach's possible results in an SEC schedule last night. I hope we are removing the Minnesota coach from our "pool" as well. He got blanked yesterday. It now comes down to 2 people: Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin. I give the recruiting advantage to Kiffin by a huge margin. He and his father will be able to assemble a who's who of coaches to be the coordinators even if the elder Kiffin stays in Tampa. Lane could sell kids on getting to the NFL. He has proven that and his age will make him appealing to many of these 18 year old's. His name seems to be down on the list now and I can't understand why. He is still my number one choice, but if not him, it needs to be Kelly.
dma38256#264746 writes:
Thanks! Couldn't have said it better....
jbc writes:
What are the statistics for each of the UT qb's?
interception ratio, etc.
adamsck#591720 writes:
Please retire John. You're just terrible. You're not funny, you let your staff report the "news", and you get scooped by Chris Lowe. This article is just a waste of time and energy, not to mention the typing and the bandwidth.
You are Ol' Yeller and its time for you to move on. I think The Tennessean needs you. Please go there. Soon.
www.firejohnadams.com
littleorange writes:
It appears that we have Bama, Ga.,LSU, and Fla. fans who are defending John Adams.
TommyJack writes:
Help me out here, Nafster. Have never heard any racist comments from Packer.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Every comment about JA , pro or con, cements his position with the KNS.
He is paid to be read and read he is, like him or not.
leedsvol2007 writes:
Adams can write what he wants. Its his job to stir up controversy so he gets us stirred up enough to read and comment.
My real problem with him stems though from last year in January and February when we had a series of discipline problems.
His actions I thought at that time crossed the line. It seemed to me that for some reason he dislikes Fulmer or is envious of the money he is paid. And I think he has formed a lot of opinion against Fulmer.
Time will tell if he was right and a new coach will take us back to National Championship contention. If that is the case he will deserve our praise and a salary increase.
If he's not and we become the Oklahoma after Switzer, the Nebraska after Osoborne, or the Alabama after Stallings he ought to held accountable and fired.
In this case he is writing the obvious. Yeah Vandy's quarterbacks and ours are poor and it wasn't a pretty game.
On the other hand we've got a bunch of kids that rallied from a devastating emotional blow and came back with a high effort against a reasonably good team and won on the road with physical play.
Our guys have not played well this year but I really believe with the exception of Wyoming they have played with heart and have not quit.
It shows while we are down we are not out. And that is something to build on for the coming seasons.
And he could have written a little about that.
bradr114 writes:
ever think the UT defense was responsible for chris nickson's terrible QB play? bj is the future QB. the coaches still did not allow the QB's to throw down field. the one time BJ threw down field it was completed, only to be called back for an illegal precedure pentalty. as for the int, it was the same throw anige made against LSU last year in the sec championship...so, quit throwing those same outs that never work and let BJ throw it down the field (like our fight song, "down the field")
the team seemed to have moved the ball better with BJ in...no excuse for replacing him with jon late in the fourth..or replacing creer with foster...thanks again defense
TheVolMan writes:
Great article JA. Ignore the idiots. They aren't perceptive or intelligent enough to understand how dumb they are.
adamsck#591720 writes:
Adams doesn't post facts. That fact that he's ultimately right about Fulmer doesn't make him a good journalist or a writer. You don't need to be a genius to see that a change was necessary. His columns are drivel. And he relies on the others on his staff to report stuff (or Chris Lowe) and then piggybacks with his "column" which are neiter original, witty, insightful, nor even remotely well written. But its always been that way at KNS. I guess I should stop bellyaching though and simply quit patronizing this piece of garbage. Lowe will get all the scoops so its not like I get any "news" here. If it weren't for Pennington, Strange, and a few others I would have done that long ago. In the meantime somebody please come up with the $250 necessary to buy out this idiot's contract. And let's hire the guy who covers Will Muschamp or the Austin, TX paper. I hear he's really intense. If we wait, his editor will name him hte heir apparent and we won't be able to get him.
bmaples writes:
I'm with anecastro74 (now THERE'S a user name for you) -- John Adams writes it the way he sees it, and he's usually pretty accurate in the way he sees it. He called for Fulmer to leave a few years ago, and pointed to the long slow slide as the reason. He's been proven right.
In this article, he points out that the only reason UT won was that Vandy imploded. The UT offense scored one touchdown, which wouldn't have been enough without some gifts from the other side.
Guess what, folks -- you can be a fan and still be a member of the reality-based community.
Bruce in Louisville
bmaples writes:
As someone who has been a fan of the Big Orange since 1963, AND someone who defends John Adams when he deserves defending, I have only one answer:
You're wrong.
And,
You're delusional.
(Oops, sorry -- two answers.)
tenncorncob writes:
I agree if you are talking about "Brian Kelly". Like Bruce Pearl, he won two divison two National Championships and won a MAC conference championship after Central Michigan hadn't had a winning season. He's a winner everywhere he goes. Hire him NOW..........
spvol writes:
Hack
volintexas writes:
You don't seem to get it. Adams was sucking up to Fulmer for years. He cast a blind eye to the flaws that were inherent in Fulmer's program. My issue with Adams is that he is just like Fulmer. He didn't keep anything "real". His lame writing was sucked up by the BIGGEST fans for years and overlooked because people were so hungry to read about the Clint Stoerner gift wrapped national championship season, and then they were starved for more of that magic dust. Adams fed the dog for years, and now he wants to kick the dog. Adams is pathetic.
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