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.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
National Signing Day 2010
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Comments » 49
VolunteerMan writes:
well said John
invisiblekid writes:
Posted on November 23 at 8:27 a.m.
It's a real shame that the Vols couldn't get in on Snead when he made the decision to transfer. Third best QB in the league and he is doing it in his first appreciable playing time.
Goes without saying, but a competent QB could have made a world of difference this year.
On One for the Fulmer
Try getting your own material there buddy.
TommyJack writes:
I think Stephens and Coleman could play some...with the proper coaching and a real system.
utmichael20#546617 writes:
Just a thought, but what about Andy Kelly...?
xvolx writes:
you can't lay this all on the qb. the line doesnt block. the rec. can't get open or drop passes and the running backs are too slow and can't hold on to the ball. the off. cord. doesnt have a clue.
hotrodvol writes:
I don't think he can play anymore. ;)
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Look, it IS the QB and NOT the system. We have QB's who can't execute handoffs, can't hit an open receiver on a 10-yard pass...
the reason all this is on Phil is the LACK of qb recruiting that happened after Erik and (what's his face) where signed. The 3 QB's on UT's roster are barely D1 material.
Yeah, we had other issues, but Erik would've won most of these games.
tenuscvol writes:
Start Coleman...
There...problem solved.
(Do not play Crompton under any circumstance!)...
GoVols!
Go Auburn!
newtonrail writes:
There comes Naffy again with his hatred of all things White, and especially the Clausens and Mannings. Oh yeah the Rodgers, but he caught the only pass thrown to him..
dc4 writes:
Good breakdown of the Clawson struggles and Coleman potential on www.legitsports.com. Also a stockwatch for candidates for the UT coaching job.
Jeremy7679 writes:
John Adams sucks.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
We thought that Jimmy Clausen was going to take Notre Dame back to the National Championship game, and the general Weiss, who stole all of our recruits, was going to be big, and Jimmy Clausen was calling all of the recruits telling them to go to Notre Dame with him, and not to UT! We were rough on his brothers, though, including me. We had such good teams, when those other quarterbacks came in nothing was good enough, we even hated Ainge and ran Schaffer off to. Sometimes I think that the Vol fan gets what he wants. By asking for everything he wants to be fulfilled. And chaos is what we end up with. That's why I hated to see Fulmer turned loose this way. More chaos. Do you think Adams' likes this? You know he's stuck here in Knoxville,and he takes it out on us maybe? When did Adams come out about a quarterback situation? Just now? Lots of great comments, except the mark complementing Adams for putting on his underwear.
kiddtigger#228291 writes:
Please stay away from roll-outs, screens and out patterns. They have been the most disasterous passes this year. (Come tho think of it, they've been about the only passes this year.)
vol52 writes:
I can't believe that all the QB's are that terrible. It must be that they are coached down and not up. Stephens and Coleman have the most potential. Stephens should have played in place of Jones and Berry. It was not fair to Coleman to put him in 3rd and long after the two "wild packages"
99gator writes:
the inexperience is not an excuse for how bad they have been.
i have seen true freshman play better. i have seen true freshman at tennessee play better.
erik ainge and brent schaeffer shared snaps for a period of time (before ainge took over) in 2004. i don't know what the statistics were for that season, but, i know one thing. they were competent.
usually, "bad qb's" at a school like tennessee look pretty good against n. illinois, wyoming, vandy, etc. these guys can't even look pretty good against very inferior competition.
just sad.
next year will be better for y'all.
vol52 writes:
Lets not forget the terrible line of the offense.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
99,
you will notice these guys fit the 'heath shuler' style. heath was a good qb for us, in a WEAK conference. He was a good runner and decent passer.
Now, these guys we have can NOT hit the open receiver, or make the reads fast enough. they lack confidence, for obvious reasons.
99gator writes:
from tony barnhardt of the ajc......
"Tennessee fans might want to rethink Mike Leach: Don’t get me wrong. I like to watch Leach’s Texas Tech teams play. And the Red Raiders have had a wonderful season. But Saturday night at Oklahoma it was time to play big boy football on the road and the Sooners destroyed Texas Tech 65-21. Understand that in the SEC you have to play three or four of these types of games every season. These are physical football games where finesse tends to get overwhelmed by brute strength. Alabama will be that kind of team as long as Nick Saban is there. Leach is a good coach but not a fit for Tennessee or the SEC."
drwfocus#660070 writes:
My God Adams - you are the epitome of "Master of the Obvious"
JMP_Vols writes:
Leach will not be our next coach. Barnhardt nailed it. In the SEC, even the best teams will have to win ugly from time to time. Tech will never win an ugly game. They're just not built to do it.
Simple really, either opposing defenses can stop what they do or they can't. If you can't, Tech blows you out--if you can, well, see OU/Tech box score.
TommyJack writes:
I think Barnhardt has been reading Ol' TJ.
tnbigg writes:
Hmmm...preseason we were supposed to have had "one of the best ofensive lines in the nation". Could it be...I mean realy...could it be...that quarterback play...running back play...wide receiver play may...and I do say "may"...have just been affected by theo worst line performance in Tennessee football history???? I mean...how in the heil did this veteran line end up playing the Dupree family? Blame whomever you want...but it STATRS and ENDS with the Dupree family spastics...
SemperVol writes:
Anyone remember Chuck Knoblauch of the New York Yankees....All-star second basement a handful of years back who developed this quirk of not being able to make a throw to first base...one-hopped everything? Or that catcher off of the movie Major League who couldn't throw it back to the pitcher until he started reciting 'Playboy' magazines?
Maybe we oughta get these guys a copy of Hustler or take 'em down to the The Katch.....i don't know.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Hard to decide which game was mentored best,
Tn vs Wyoming
or
Notre Dame vs Syracuse
Hmmmm...
WVVOLFAN writes:
i agree TJ, the lack of coaching of the qb's this season has to be the worst coaching job of the season. we just want our qb's to hand off now without fumbling. how's that for show your guys you have confidence in them.
tnbigg writes:
Excellent selections...but herein lies the kwandry...what about UCLA...
NOW
Adams...he has written many a controversial...yet true column...yet there is obviously one bridge too far even for him...the rise and fall of the current story...the untold story...
Also...just a question for the "honorable" camp...I have posted scores of columns that depicted scenarios that if the column were about a coach at a place like...lets say...Alabama...everone would decrie the villain as dastardly...but here in Tennessee we have those who embrace vile bahavior and declare it "honorable". In addition tio those quatifiable stories of not at all honorable actions...I suggest this...if the person is so "honorable"...how come he's never said a word about his former boss who hired him and mentored him and was forced out in a time of physical ailment...I mean...wouldn't it be "honorable" to mention a few words about one of...if not "the" greatest Tennessee football Legend that ever lived? You know...the one who's entire family honored Tennessee football in way that had never been done beofre...is not being done now...and likely NEVER will again. How "honorable" indeed...
Now...let's hear some "true fans" talk smack about that...you know...the "classy" Fulmer supporters...you know...the ones who imagine that "Fulmer" is Tennessee football...you know...the ones who now claim Fulmer got "stabbed in the back"...you know..."the silent majority"...yeah right...
WVVOLFAN writes:
by the way, anyone notice how well Brandon Warren plays on special teams. He's not even making it into the offense at all now.
How someone can take a talent as that and waste it is beyond me.
invisiblekid writes:
Crompton has been on campus 4 years and Stephens 2 years, experience is just an excuse that has been thrown around for the past 17 years or so.
invisiblekid writes:
Thanks for the post.
Nothing to rethink on my part though, I haven't been a proponent of Leach since his name started surfacing a couple of months ago.
Solid play at the line of scrimmage and tough defense never goes out of style.
Also not enamored with a coach who, as OC at KY, managed 26 ppg against a Chavis defense with a #1 draft pick at QB.
volburger writes:
not eligable after 91 season.
givehim6 writes:
I think BJ will turn out to be a good QB, Stevens over time will be good also. Name me a QB {not counting T-bone} that has started off as a FR. and stayed good. I can even remember there were some bad plays from Manning as a FR.
TommyJack writes:
I agree with you 6. He just needs coaching...a concept lost lately. You take a good HS kid and coach him up. What a concept, huh?
asand211#361548 writes:
The thing about Clausen is that he was one of the most highly touted athletes in highschool. There is no doubt that coaching can make or break a quarterback. In our case, and that of the Irish, it has broken them.
asand211#361548 writes:
With that being said, Clausen's brother Casey was a decent QB at UT. Imagine what he could have been with Cutcliffe as his teacher.
asand211#361548 writes:
I agree and I've said since the announcement of Fulmer's departure and the begninning of rumbling from UT fans about Leach that his brand of football would not fit at UT. I knew that his defense was weak and a strong and fast team would run all over him. There were several on this blog that said I was an idiot and had no idea what I was talking about but Oklahoma more than proved my point.
CoverOrange writes:
What difference does it make to have Brandon Warren in a game if you don't have a QB that can find him much less throw it to him. Stocker was kept in for run blocking which is all we could do.
The Erik Ainge/Randy Sanders debacle in 05 was a discipline issue that Sanders either ignored or wasn't allowed to nip in the bud. Ainge was head case in 05 and the first thing Cut taught him was to sit down, shut up, and listen. So said Erik.
KENVOL writes:
BINGO, You hit it on the head. If you watched the Phil Fulmer show you saw Fulmer constantly talking bad about the passes of Coleman and Crompton and saying we would not throw the ball again. How many down field passes did we throw? Fulmer will not turn the QB's loose. He is the problem.
CoverOrange writes:
Second hand pick. Had used up all his fingers on the first hand. Got close to pulling off his Adidas.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Good post.
Anyone remember Ryan Leaf's pro career?
buxavol writes:
Cutcliffe leaving, combined with the Clawson hire, doomed our offense. We lost all discipline once Cutcliffe left-discipline we'd regained upon his return for his 2nd tour of duty. Randy Sanders failed to demand perfection, as has Clawson, obviously. Fulmer is responsible for all 3 of these hires. Two of the three got him canned.
tnbigg writes:
Fleeting Leaf...big mouth...no mojo...hasta luego...
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Not much of an eye for subtlety, eh, dvolfan? He was talking about a strange PROBLEM Knoblauch had developed, not unlike the way our QB's inexplicably skip passes to our receivers. He wasn't saying it was great, he was saying it was weird for a previously decent infielder. Geez!
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
up here in tri cities, Sullivan South had a qb sign with Wisconsin last season, kid reminded me of Shuler...his name Curt Phillips
invisiblekid writes:
I watched Phillips single-handedly destroy Greeneville last year in the playoffs. Going to keep a close eye on his progress to see if the Vols may have missed out on another good one.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Actually QB is not our problem. A lack of QB is our problem.
Well, its more a sympton.
philfan writes:
I thought Coleman was pretty good, considering this was his very first college game. He was 4 of 8 with only one interception. Keep in mind, this was his first game ever and that he was playing against a team that will probably go to a bowl.
beartn#223846 writes:
<<I would agree to this article until I watched Notre Dame play.Their Quarterback ( Clausen) HAS to be the WORST in Div 1A .>>
This is absurd. Clausen has had much more success than any of our guys. On Crompton's pick vs Vandy, his head and eyes never moved. From the snap of the ball, he turned his head slightly to the right, telegraphing an easy pick. I haven't seen Clausen play much, but he has thrown several TD passes. Our guys haven't. Clausen certainly hasn't lived up to his hype, but he is also playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the country.
jack_2222#231746 writes:
All 3 QB's suck. Proof is that none improved with more snaps. Whether they are well coached or not, if you get alot of snaps and never improve, it's not solely coaching. Anybody can go practice and improve without coaching.
tyler1 writes:
you have the same trend with all the QBS and i know the talent is not that bad so i have to say it is more coaching than the play of the Qbs
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