Adams: QB: It's root of all UT evils in dismal year

Buoyed by a couple of first downs, one Tennessee fan couldn't restrain his optimism early Saturday afternoon.

"I like B.J. Coleman," he text-messaged in the first quarter of the Tennessee-Vanderbilt game. "He's tough."

Coleman had demonstrated his toughness on a series of quarterback draws in the early stages of UT's 20-10 victory over Vanderbilt. He managed to break a few tackles and fall forward for yardage - not exactly SportsCenter material, but noteworthy progress for an offense as pedestrian as this one.

In a more typical UT season, Coleman's quarterback draws might have led to something greater. Instead, they provided nothing more than a brief, bright interlude to the long-running series of quarterback mishaps that have distinguished UT's 4-7 season.

In the second half, Vanderbilt safety Reshard Langford timed a Coleman pass with such precision, you would have thought the two had been playing pitch-and-catch all season. Worse yet for UT, he didn't just intercept the pass; he returned it for a touchdown.

Coleman said he will learn from the mistake. Maybe he will.

And maybe the next UT team and head coach will benefit from a quarterback's education. It's too late for the current team and coach, Phillip Fulmer.

UT's inadequate play at the game's most important position has been apparent from the first loss to the fourth victory. The lack of improvement has been as obvious as the overall poor play.

Jonathan Crompton was worse in his last start than his first. His successor, Nick Stephens, was, too. So it's hardly surprising that Coleman had a better first half than second. He was merely following a theme that was established two months earlier.

Neither Fulmer nor first-year offensive coordinator Dave Clawson has been capable of resolving UT's quarterback issues. Their problem will become the next coach's problem.

If the next coach can make a quick quarterback fix, he's on his way to making a sudden turnaround in a program that already has tied a school record for most losses in a season. If not, his first team might pick up right where Fulmer's last team left off.

The SEC is a quarterback-poor league this season. Don't assume significant improvement next season.

For example, suppose Florida's Tim Tebow and Georgia's Matthew Stafford - clearly the best of this season's quarterback lot - both choose to turn pro, rather than return for their senior season.

In that case, Ole Miss - with Jevan Snead - might be the only team in the SEC assured of knowing who its starting quarterback will be. And there will be as much uncertainty at UT as anywhere in the conference.

Perhaps one of the three returning quarterbacks will click with the next coach's system better than he did with Clawson's. Otherwise, an incoming freshman might have a chance to start right away. Or maybe the next coach will feel compelled to sign a junior college quarterback as well.

There's no obvious answer, just an obvious problem.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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