Media day interviews
Tennessee Stat Book
Georgia Bulldogs
It had been a long time coming, was way overdue in fact. Still, better the first Saturday in October than never.
Early in the second half Saturday night, when Tennessee hit two deep pass plays, the second for a touchdown, coach Phillip Fulmer felt the energy jolting the sideline.
"At that moment,'' he recalled Tuesday, "I said, 'Now we're ready. Now we've arrived. Now we can start clicking.' ''
Only they didn't.
Unless you count that clicking noise when you try to start your car and either the battery or the starter motor are stone-cold dead.
Tennessee's offense isn't stone-cold dead. It is, however, puttering along in the slow lane, much to the frustration of fans, coaches and players alike.
A change at quarterback earned favorable reviews against Northern Illinois and yet an unconvincing 13-9 win raised more offensive questions than it answered.
Just as the $700 billion bail-out is proving no quick fix for the economic mess, Nick Stephens wasn't the magic dust to immediately transform Tennessee's offense from a pumpkin into a golden carriage with six white horses.
The Vols head to Georgia on Saturday with an offense ranked 97th nationally in yardage, 106th in scoring, 100th in third-down conversions and 104th in red-zone success.
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?
Some see an offense that lacks speed and sabotages itself with poor execution.
The coaches are more optimistic, as they should be. They see an offense that's one block or one nifty move away from making good things happen.
"It's been physical breakdowns at different times by different positions,'' Fulmer said, "and something, thank goodness, that is fixable.''
This would be a good week to get it fixed. However, it's not that easy or would be done already.
Fulmer and Dave Clawson, the offensive coordinator Fulmer hired last winter, are in agreement that the problem is not the new scheme that Clawson brought from Richmond.
That said, they don't dispute that there are growing pains. Clawson said the team's learning curve at his several professional stops has been varied.
"My first year at Villanova we went from averaging 16 points a game to 32,'' he said. "At other places, it's taken a second season.''
Certainly, Jonathan Crompton's struggles in the first four games at quarterback were an obstacle. Stephens managed his first start well and gives the offense hope on which to build.
That's fine, but Clawson's system, indeed any system, is based on playmakers and putting them in position to make plays. To win one-on-one battles, in short.
"We need to get more big plays,'' Clawson said. "We need to get the ball in space. We need to make people miss.
"The drives I like are the one-play, 52-yard drives where the guys are high-fiving each other. We need more of those drives.''
Doesn't everybody.
He was alluding to the Stephens-to-Denarius Moore pass that produced the only touchdown Saturday, the one that fooled Fulmer into thinking Tennessee had started clicking.
Those types of big plays have been scarce for the Vols in 2008. That could be due to lack of execution.
Or, perhaps UT doesn't have as many difference-maker guys as it's had in the past. Or, perhaps they're there and will emerge in time if given more of a shot.
Asked if Tennessee has enough weapons, Clawson and Fulmer say yes.
"At times,'' Clawson said carefully, "we have isolations that we're not winning. ... I thought last week we were closer.
"I thought there were a couple of chances where we were an arm-tackle away from breaking a big one.''
That's the difference between clicking and almost clicking. It's a big, big difference.
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strangem@knoxnews.com.
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Signing day celebration at Neyland…
Notre Dame beats Tennessee 72-44…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 36
ncvol17 writes:
I hope it starts to click b4 the KY game cause that's about it till next year
bluetick writes:
Then call for more big down the field plays. Stop being so conservative. It is possible and likely though that the receivers aren't able to get off of the defenders like some of the past have been able to. Not putting in Creer more is shooting ourselves in the foot! And WHY can't we get any red zone touchdowns ? It's ridiculous the plays they call down there and the mistakes they make in that area. Just get it together so I can see at least ONE good game this year of the Orange and White.
lomas98 writes:
"At other places, it's taken a second season.''
Is that him trying to justify his job security??
bigorangetrain writes:
This is total GARBAGE what is coming out of Fulmer and Clawson's mouth! This offense has no identity and is not creative at all! Its very obvious Fulmer doesn't trust another coordinator other than Cut and he can't get it done without Cut either!
ncvol17 writes:
Do the coaches realize it is a year between seasons? It's not like fans of baseball or hockey who have a couple of months between seasons. Tell our senior fans to just wait a couple of seasons to see improvement. Get your tickets now for 2010, it's going to be 1 heck of a season.
leedsvol2007 writes:
"Touchdowns follow blocking like night follows day" is a quote attributed to Wallace Wade who built Alabama's program in the 20's and 30's and went on to be a Hall of Fame coach having been their and at Duke.
Our offensive line and receivers have got some work to do. It looks like we have a good stable of backs but unless they can find a hole and square up to the line of scrimmage the running game just won't develop consistency.
If we can run it Stephens will be able to throw and be effective.
Those guys need to grab their lunch pails and go to work with an attitude. If that happens this offense will come around.
We all remember the Lewis's, Stewarts, Webb, Cobb, Stephens, Watson et al but the guys in front of them like Myslinski, Clifton, Fisher, Davis, Wilkerson, Miller, Mays,Irwin,Marvin, Kell and many others down through the years were the ones that allowed them to show their talents.
Its time for the guys that are their now to step up and show they belong with the TVA's and others
Schemes are no substitute for blocking. If you can block you can run virtually any offense effectively.
GoVols!
byobbio writes:
How many times are we going to beat this dead horse. The offense sucks. The defense has been placed in a precarious situation more than once, and thus, our team is 2-3 with no quality wins. There you have it.
Now onto more important things. Mr. Adams, why don't you lay off of Fulmer and the Vols for one f-ing day and talk about something that has ruined college football for the average fan. This clock running after an out of bounds play has got to change. Look into it John. It is terrible what they are doing. The game is over before we even get a hot dog. Less football. More reviews. Those liberals should be happy that they've ruined a great game. Have a nice day.
rockitwithrespect writes:
"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?". how long have you been waiting to use that one, mr strange
OrangeRush writes:
Is it basketball season yet?
rblakeh writes:
Agreed. The new clock rules are terrible. At the least they need to stop the clock if the ball goes out of bounds for the last 2 minutes of each quarter... not just the 2nd and 4th.
pammyvol1000 writes:
It's pretty simple..
O-line blocks and we run the ball.
Receivers get open and catch the ball and we score.
We punt good and make those field goals..
Defense gets to Stafford and shake him up and he will throw interceptions.
They do have some really good receivers that can catch just about catch anything thrown at them so the D will need to cover.
pammyvol1000 writes:
..that can catch just about anything thrown their way..
Time to hit the hay..:)
imw8n4u writes:
Hallelujah - It's a damn shame what they have done to my beloved game, and for what reason. Who, besides the people getting paid to be there, has ever complained that a college football game was too long?
jcherrie#219531 writes:
I have clicked the remote control a lot. Usually to another game.
burpee_von_rotweiler_IV writes:
Phor crying out loud! Just watch the philm, Phil, so you can phix it. Phooey!
murrayvol writes:
In theory it's simple. In practice it seems to be very difficult.
WalkingClassic writes:
Does anyone else miss Lamarcus Coker and his ridiculous breakaway speed?
utwick writes:
This team is beyond Coach Phil, it needs Dr. Phil. Too many issues and breakdowns.
gnm53108 writes:
Good post.
Agree.
Beat Georgia
Go VOLS!
eutefan writes:
I think I've found the root cause of our problem:
"The drives I like are the one-play, 52-yard drives where the guys are high-fiving each other. We need more of those drives.'' - Dave Clawson
Yeah, the fans like to see those too, and they might play well in Richmond. But this is SEC, where bombing the opponent into submission doesn't work.
Alabama doesn't rely on the bomb.
Florida doesn't rely on the bomb.
LSU doesn't rely on the bomb.
Back to the drawing board, Mr. C, and get that O line blocking so we can establish some momentum.
"I thought there were a couple of chances where we were an arm-tackle away from breaking a big one.''
Oops. That won't work either. You can't depend on Georgia and Alabama, or any of the rest for that matter, arm tackling.
Welcome to big-time football.
eutefan writes:
I forgot to add:
Maybe this bombs away attitude is why we couldn't get a first down at Auburn.
fedupvol writes:
"The Vols head to Georgia on Saturday with an offense ranked 97th nationally in yardage, 106th in scoring, 100th in third-down conversions and 104th in red-zone success"
WHAT A DISGRACE! I agree with most of the other commenters...this is pitiful and the "coach speak" has gotten RIDICULOUS! What was that comment a couple of weeks ago..."Us coaches didn't just suddenly get stupid" to paraphrase....No...I guess it took a little time....like all of spring/fall practice...but no more than that....they sound just like politicians these days....can't believe much if anything they tell you!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
104th in red zone success. We could be worse.
How many sacks do we have this year?
Hope our kicking game steps it up a notch. It will be crucial in this setting.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Clawson, I've cut you some slack, but you just screwed up royally:
"the drives I like are the one-play, 52-yard..."
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What you need is this:
-6 yards on first down
-5 yards on second down
-no motion, alignment, or other 5-yard penalties
-the ability to make 3rd and 2
-the ability to make 3rd and 8
Man, you just don't get it. Winning in the SEC is about controlling the clock, keepint the other team off offense, and scoring on your drives. Yeah, this is true most places, but moreson in the SEC. LOOK AT ALL THE STRONG DEFENSES.
That you and Fulmer believe the 'getting playmakers in space' is the answer speaks volumes. The OTHER TEAM HAS ATHLETES TO MATCH YOU!!!!! What you NEED TO DO is be able to gain 10-15 yards when you need it, to hit the open receiver, and to be able to move the chains. It's that simple.
A perfect example is the Colts super bowl wining season. Peyton drove teams crazy because, on every 3rd down, he was able to convert with the appropriate compeleiton. Rarely where these bombs. The Colts did not win with big plays, they won with Addai running the ball and Peyton making first downs.
vol4gzus writes:
you all know better than to put your spin on Coach Clawson's comment on one play 52 yrd bombs. Who wouldn't want a td on one play? He likes the drives you all mentioned too. He was commenting we all like the easy productive play as well...duh...
Spidermen on the blog spinning coaches comments to their negative slant to fit their agenda's.
GO VOLS!!! Beat the Georgia Dawgs!!!
Singaporehillbilly writes:
Brilliant post.. Please treat us Vol fans to some more insight.
richvol writes:
The problem to me is obvious...aside from Crompton's terrible play and the costly fumbles.
The offensive line is not getting the job done and has not for several years now. They are fat and slow and cannot or will not sustain blocks. They can't lead a sweep or get out on a linebacker in time to spring a back free.
None of these linemen need to weigh more than 300lbs but we have gone way overboard with the philosophy that bigger is better. Only if you're agile and can run does this make sense.
This was supposed to be the strength of the team (again) yet with all their experience they can't block a mid-level MAC defensive line?
This is the reason we cannot sustain 80 yard drives or gain 1 yard on 3rd down in crucial situations. This is why we feel we need to throw on 3rd and 2. An offensive line that can dictate the game is THE key to winning. It keeps the defense off the field, wears out the other team and demoralizes them. Kind of like the Nebraska teams of the past and Alabama now.
Tennessee signs big men and moves them to offensive line because they are not athletic enough to play defense? I call BS on that one...if they are not athletic enough to play defense then they are not athletic enough to play offense especially. Look at the results.
jasonn1970 writes:
I also think the new clock rules are terrible. It's not like I was hearing in church on Sunday mornings "Man, that game lasted forever. I turned it off and went to mow the lawn". Or around the water cooler on Monday morning "Yeah, I watched the first half, but it was just lasting so long I decided to watch a DVD instead". When something clearly isn't broken there is no reason to fix it. The NCAA needs to change the rules back and leave the game the he11 alone.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
jason, I thought the NIU game was boring as hell. I fell asleep. I don't like, either, that the game basically 'ends' at 2 minutes if you hvae the ball and the other team is out of timeouts.
Maybe the opposite needs to happen: use the new clock set rules, but use a 25-second clock. The pace right now is so drag-out slow that it isn't very interesting.
Moaninglikeheck writes:
I do believe Clawson is trying to force the pass a bit, but I also think that's what he was hired to do.
That's because for years people have complained about Tennessee football being too predictable (run it up the middle)
Then they complain when Cut plays the dink and dunk (too predictable)
So now we have a coach who is trying to establish a passing attack and we have complainers saying the old grind it out offenses are better.
And then we have those who claim/complain that Clawson's O is the same old same old.
Which is it?
I think Clawson is very limited in his personnel. Some of that is purely lack of depth and talent compared to our opponents, and some is due to seniority trumping performance via Fulmer. I truly hate to think Clawson's hands may be tied but it absolutely MUST be true. I see no other explanation for Crompton making it through four games.
I'm disappointed to a degree in Clawson's product, but I think he needs a lot more opportunity to prove himself and coach Fulmer is laible if he is disallowing it.
Sad thing, nobody has access to the headsets so we'll never know.
jasonn1970 writes:
It's very much like the change the NFL made somewhere around 10+ years ago. There was a time when there were more great comebacks in the NFL than there are now. But to make networks happy they put in those rules and the games are over at the 1:59 mark most every week. It's even worse in the NCAA since they didn't put in a 2 minute warning.
Txvol57 writes:
An arm tackle away from breaking a big one? I'm pretty sure that Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Peerless and Stallworth had no problems getting through "arm tackles." The proof is in the pudding...other than Gerald Jones our receivers are slow, Hardesty and Creer have speed but never play and I would be happy if Arian "all thumbs" Foster never touched the ball again. Someone please move him to full back!
Volgrad777 writes:
Ive got an awesome idea guys , im betting no one has thought of this either. PUT FREAKIN LENNON CREER IN AND LEAVE HIM IN FOR A FEW SERIES. When you have Richt talking about how good Creer is , how hes not sure why hes not playing , how hard he tried to recruit this kid , then you know youve got a problem. I honestly think our problem is we dont put the talent on the field. Creer--Obviously our best and most explosive and athletic back , he can go to the house in one play , the other two cant really do that, when you need points , hes the guy , enough said. Brent Vinson--Probably according to some reports the highest rated draftable guy on the team. Size , fastest on team, and overall shotdown corner, damn he was late for a meeting , so run him and then get his a## on the field. Most draft reports have him higher rated than Berry or close together. We would rather let Marsalous Johnson in against NI , ( hes the one who got completely toasted to give up the big 3rd down after we scored) Gerald Williams--Busted his butt for 2 years to play for our program , had 130 tackles in Juco last year , an overall freak of nature , every snape but one hes been in the game good things have happened. Yet we are gonna play Herman Lathers over him at MLB , put this guy at LB or DE and turn him loose , youve got to let talent roam free and play. The list goes on and on , we get big name recruits , guys that UGA , UF, Bama, and these others schools are getting on the field. We hold them back for 3 years and them make them an ok player. Get these dang guys on the field and let them use their insticts , thats what got them here , not high school coaching , so why should it be any different now.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
This man is entirely right, correct, in that the CLOCK has got to go. For me it is ruining college football. Speed it up for what? We spend our money to go there and spend a day, not to rush thorugh it. Hell, we wait all year for these games, and now the damn television is rushing us through it? Why so we can see more rosie o'donnell, who is against competition!! These people want our money, our time, and our undying loyalty on top of it. JUST SO THEY CAN SHOW OFF!!!
BillDuffsLoveChild writes:
It's big time this weekend Phil! Go Vols!!!
http://curveballsforjesus.wordpress.c...
APPLEJAX555 writes:
offensive line needs to push opponents off the line and create momentum for our backs to run downhill... Eliminate stupid motion, personal foul penalties. Make special teams plays (hit FGs and cover punts better)...WRs need catch the ball. If we eliminated two or three of those things, we are a 3-1 team... You put the right players in at QB/RB who play with more intensity and a sense of urgency, and can make better choices and hit the holes, and youre 4-0.
Its that simple guys.... and that my friends is coaching.
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