Dave Hooker audio
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Nick Stephens vs. Tyson Lee isn't a quarterback duel anyone would have bet on seeing.
When the 2008 college football season kicked off, Tennessee's Stephens and Mississippi State's Lee were ticketed for mop-up duty if any at all when the two SEC schools met on Oct. 18.
Both, however, will be starting Saturday in Neyland Stadium (7 p.m, pay-per-view) as the Vols (2-4, 0-3 SEC) and Bulldogs (2-4, 1-2) both try to get their seasons back on track.
"They're not having the kind of season they anticipated and neither are we,'' Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom said this week.
He was speaking of the Vols and Bulldogs in general. But the sentiment also applies to a pair of quarterbacks who began the season on the bench.
Stephens, a sophomore, has started UT's past two games after Jonathan Crompton struggled in his four starts.
Lee has also started the past two games after Wesley Carroll failed to generate much success.
The Bulldogs were confident enough in Carroll - who started nine games as a freshman in 2007 - to bring him to SEC Media Days last July, a rare distinction for a sophomore.
Lee is a 5-foot-11 junior-college transfer who came to State as a walk-on last spring.
Not that he didn't have credentials: He was first-team NJCAA All-America in 2007 at Itawamba Community College.
Lee earned a scholarship after spring practice and has injected some life into a unit that didn't score in a 3-2 loss to Auburn on Sept. 13.
The Bulldogs were encouraged to score 24 points in a loss to LSU. Lee's second start was a 17-14 upset of Vanderbilt.
"One thing,'' said Croom, "Tyson is very accurate with his passes.''
Lee is completing 63.4 percent of his throws and hasn't been intercepted in his five games. Carroll was picked off six times.
"He's obviously a very bright young man,'' said UT head coach Phillip Fulmer. "He does a nice job of finding a way to make plays, either by throwing the football or creating some time for himself by moving around in the pocket.
"The two or three scramble plays he had against Vanderbilt were crucial to keep drives alive and run the clock.''
Where Lee has played extensively in five of State's six games, Stephens had attempted just two passes before being promoted to starter. Lee has 93 attempts, Stephens 49.
The strong-armed Texan has met with modest success since replacing Crompton. While Stephens is completing only 49 percent of his pass attempts, the coaching staff feels he gives UT a better chance to get the offense out of the doldrums.
He has three TD passes, no interceptions and has been much more accurate than Crompton.
Stephens has also hit five long balls this year, two each in the past two games.
"One thing he doesn't lack is confidence,'' said offensive coordinator Dave Clawson.
"After he hit Denarius (Moore, for a 60-yard bomb at Georgia), he wants to go out there and throw 50 more 50-yard balls.''
Fulmer sees a parallel between Stephens and Lee as providing a spark for two disappointing offenses.
Mississippi State ranks ninth in the SEC in total offense at 300.7 yards per game; Tennessee is 10th at 299.5.
"We were just looking for more consistency,'' Fulmer said. "Nick, much like Lee, has got some moxie about him.
"He throws the ball on time and is doing some nice things that way. Still, in our case, he has a good ways to go to be all we want him to be.''
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Tennessee 69, South Carolina 57 men's…
Vanderbilt 65, Tennessee 47, Jan. 24…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 64
tnpterodactyl writes:
Just win the game.
VolinCalif writes:
Shucks
VolinCalif writes:
I think the Vols will win a few from here on out. We've been down beore.
TommyJack writes:
Suspense mounts. 108,000 expected. Or maybe not.
wkjq#213863 writes:
NOT!
tnpterodactyl writes:
I'll venture the latter..and out the number of shows..how many will have gotten free of $5 tickets...and of those..how many will be sporting the spiffy new "Who Dat" paper bag ensemble? The questions are a myriad of virtual plethera of Vol conundrum!
tnpterodactyl writes:
Maybe somebody else should bring the latter.
DennisVols writes:
Develope a run attack and Nicks numbers will rise. As long as UT fails to run then teams can defend just against the pass.
Hopson2008 writes:
Worst
gohawks1 writes:
New QB, same O-line. Running game is still elusive.
SewaneeTiger writes:
Don't understand why our line has underperformed so badly the last two games. Hope they see the light and open some holes.
Pray that Foster hangs onto the ball should they continue to give him the feed.
pammyvol1000 writes:
We have great running backs but don't have anywhere to go. Our O-line stinks.
TommyJack writes:
Pammy: Agree about the line. Not so sure we have great backs...maybe a stable of good backs. Maybe a couple of great ones hidden on the pine...That IS the CPF way.
DennisVols writes:
Again let the defensive line convert to offensive line. Did you notice the holes they opened up for Moreno to run through.
TDTN writes:
Want to run the ball? Stay creative with the passing game and throw down the field. No offensive line can create holes when the box is stacked up. Throw it down field early to back them off. Second, Creer and Hardesty need the bulk of the carries. Let Hardesty get in a rythym with Creer giveing him a rest when needed. Foster has simply lost a step and is lucky to get out of the backfield anymore. Poole needs a few reps as well. Foster is good for 3rd and long. Good pass blocker and good receiver. Also be more creative with Gerald Jones. What have we got to lose? Open the offense wide open and play to win for crying out loud!! Get some of those young receivers with some speed off the bench, see what they can do. On the few deep balls we completed they were excellent throws. Our receivers are too slow for any serious separation. Play to win-wide open offense. Offense needs to stay on the field. D is good but will wear out if we continue the 3 and out stuff all the time. Have confidence in Stephens and he will perform.
rockydog writes:
Why is Fulmer still dogging Stephens? He is actually hitting receivers, moving the offense some, and its not his fault the o-line isn't blocking. Every compliment Fulmer gives Stephens seems half-hearted. Something along the lines of "he's got moxie, but has a l-o-n-g way to go". Perhaps he's just upset his golden boy flopped so bad, and he had to make a change. Here's hoping the o-line doesn't get Stephens killed this Saturday. Go VOLS!
rockydog writes:
Excellent post and spot on. Think Clawson is thinking the same thing but isn't allowed?
TDTN writes:
I would love to know if Clawson is limited by Fulmer. I know he is limited with the talent he inherited. He is coaching what we had, not what he recruited. Our record is not a true reflection of Clawson's potential. I hope he is allowed free reign to let em play. Our poor play by Crompton is the main reason we are where we are. We have a decent team with a few more tweaks. This is also Clawsons first year in the SEC and I am sure there is a learning curve. He is smart and will do well given the time and full authority to do his job. Remember he was a head coach too.
gohawks1 writes:
I agree about Clawson. There is usually a period of adjustment that comes with a change in offensive schemes, and TDTN's points at 7:23 p.m. further explain the lack of production so far. I still believe Clawson is a great choice - give him time to develop the offense.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
True, that is noticeable in his "blame them all" approach.
If Phixable doesn't be careful, Stephens may be a current Vol longer than Phil.
Stephens goes agin his "charts". Along with Hardesty and Warren and...
TDTN writes:
I am not sure what all the flipflopping is about with the O line. What ever it is I dont see it's effective. Line them up and do your job against whoever is in front of you. Keep it simple.
On D-If anybody should stack the line it is us! With the talent in the D backfield we should dare them to pass. Remember the championship Bama team where they put 10 guys on the D line and came flying at you? Their safeties and corners were good enough to handle that. So are ours. Lay the ears back and go after them. We used to punish QB's all the time. Now the only good hits seem to be against our own QB in practice. Attack full force on both sides of the ball.
TDTN writes:
Stephens lines up in the shotgun, Foster lone back. Gerald Jones split wide right. ERIC BERRY split wide left. Send both of the straight down the field, if one breaks open....TD. Otherwise Branden Warren has the entire center field to work with one on one. Mix Berry in a few times, even if only a decoy. Enough times and they wont him expect him to be the primary receiver.
And, when Gerald Jones lined up at QB, Stephens was a wideout to the left. NO ONE COVERED him. Try it again. I bet the boy can catch a ball. He can run out of bounds and not take a direct hit. GET CREATIVE. Thats how Spurrier won so much at FLA. He let them play. No, he demanded they play!
MISS ST is exactly what we need now to open it up. They want to line up and fight. Spread em out and throw down field all day. They cant cover it. They will be sucking wind by 4th qtr, then we cram it down their throats.
TDTN writes:
Its much easier to coach this team sitting at my computer.
DennisVols writes:
Why is it we can see these things and the powers that be either can't or won't do it?
The excuse of "we didn't have enough plays to get Brandon in the mix" is pure BS.
The team was failing from the first possession. Just what in the heck were they waiting for?
TDTN writes:
I'm spouting off like I know what I am doing! I really am a die hard fan and loyal to Vols. I hope Fulmer can get it done. We certainly need change, whatever that means. Change in attitude, change in performance, Change in RESULTS!
I have not, and will not, however boo the team on the field. I will scream at officials and the opponents but will not boo the boys on the field. To say one is booing the coaches is a cop out. The team hears it and they dont know the difference. Gripe all you want to vent, complain directly to the coaches but I just cant bring myself to boo the guys.
DennisVols writes:
Tentative : 1) uncertain: said or done in a slow, hesitant, and careful way that reveals a lack of confidence (2) rough or provisional: likely to have changes before becoming final and complete
Confident: (1) self-assured: certain of having the ability, judgment, and resources needed to succeed. (2) Convinced: sure about the nature or facts of something.
So far this season we have witnessed the 1st term. It has shown in the play of the O-line, ball handling by the QB (Crompton) and Foster, dropped passes, playing off receivers during crucial 3rd downs by the defense. This team has look more like an expansion team rather than a tradition filled one. As frustrating as it is I will still support this team. I do believe it is time for a change and not just one. The attitudes must change within the whole team. Mentally things must change from re-acting to action. They have to gain a belief they can and will win, we saw that in the 90’s and it was what made UT competitive.
MH and the trustees will make their decision on who should or will be the head coach. I believe Fulmer has already been given the goals he must reach in order to return for another year. Not just in # of wins but also in improvements of all phases of the game. It will not be enough to just win because someone misses a field goal. Those games such as MSU and Wyoming need to be statement games, games against Vandy, USC, KY and Bama have to be played w/o the same ol mental and fundamental mistakes and also need to be won. There has to be a significant improvement in all phases for Fulmer to regain the confidence from not only the AD but also the trustees. Given that I still think it is time for a new coach but my money won’t buy any leverage so I guess it is moot what I want.
tenuscvol writes:
Being a little facieses but why not just rotate the backs and sweep right and left over and over with a fresh back each time......not practical but still I recall so many 7+ gains when we sweep.
NOTE TO COACHING STAFF: Make damn well sure that we do not telegraph our intent as it appears others are picking up on something.
Anyway GoVols! and Beat BAMA!!!! (take care of MSU first.)
Volomatic writes:
What you say would make sense but this year it has been the other way around. Everyone is playing 7-8 up front and covering man. Until a qb shows he can throw we will not have a run game
TDTN writes:
When you play 'not-to-lose', you fail to play-to-win.
I drive about 400 miles roundtrip for every home game. Add in tickets, food, gas, hotel etc it gets expensive. I will go to support the team, but it sure is more fun when we play to win. Based on some of the players comments there does not seem to be a very high morale right not. It just aint clicking and I hope that changes soon, whatever it takes, as long as its an improvement.
tenuscvol writes:
..that's why you sweep...
tnpterodactyl writes:
There's no place like home...there's no place like home...
Thus the now famous adventure, the Wizard of Vols draws to and end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11BQQv...
Philly - scarecrow
Hammy - Lion
Thornton - Tin Man
Dorothy - Tennessee Football
Toto - Coach Mark Mangino
(Come on now...it was in filmed in Kansas and all characters are parody's of their real life selves!)
CoverOrange writes:
"After he hit Denarius (Moore, for a 60-yard bomb at Georgia), he wants to go out there and throw 50 more 50-yard balls.''
So why didn't you let him? Especially since Georgia had 8 or 9 in the box on each play? Reading defenses does not seem to be Clawson's forte.
CoverOrange writes:
"The Bulldogs were encouraged to score 24 points in a loss to LSU."
Encouraged by whom, Mr. Strange? Poorly written sentence.
VOLinDAWGland writes:
The TDTN posts above are either made by a different TDTN or the former TDTN on prozac.
TDTN writes:
When I selected the id TDTN I did not know there was a'TouchdownTN' already on this site. I just recently registered here.
TDTN writes:
I believe we are paying the price for a couple of weak recruiting classes. I think for whatever reason Cutcliff was not a Crompton fan, and now we see why. Notice Crompton rarely ever set foot on the field last year? Even when we were getting killed or on the positive side of a beatdown.
I like the current recruiting class we have going. I have noticed that the GPA's and ACT's are much higher than usual. I also see where guys we are after are being recruitd by Sanford, Michigan, Harvard, etc. We have had enough guys come thru the program that could not spell their own name, much less pass a class. Those numbskulls either never get into UT or end up in trouble all the time. The quality of the current class appears to be a step in the right direction. The question is will Phill be here next year to coach them? If he is not, how many willstick withus.? From what I have read about Oku's grades I am not sure he can get into college anywhere.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Thanks for the time and effort to give us some facts. I wonder where the people are who critisized Ainge, the Clausen brothers, etc. No one is giving Mr. JOhnathan Crompton any credit for losing the two games he did not excel in? His play, or lack of it clearly cost us the two games, other than Florida. Where are the boo birds here? We are all too busy blaming Fulmer for losing, when he clearly needs to be complimenting for sticking with a kid out of loyalty and apprecaition. You see guys , winning is not the only thing in life. Someone give us some other figures of wins and loses in other ways which can be measured. Some times they cannot be measured. See the Clemson guy crying over his Coach Terry Bowden? Says it all. You guys are heartless, so don't be upset when someone is not there for you someday. You probably believe in wholesale abortion too.
VOLFORLIFE writes:
Excellent post, TDTN. I'm afraid there are too many of us on this site who do an amazing job "coaching" and "Monday morning quarterbacking" who couldn't even carry the coaches' clipboards to the practice field.
VOLFORLIFE writes:
TDTN, I had to respond to both your excellent posts. I've been a partaker of the Kool-aid in the past, and still dearly love all things Big Orange. But I, too, see that things are not as they ought to be. I, like you, know that things have to change, but am not sure that a wipe-out of the coaching staff is the change we need. But whatever the answer turns out to be, booing the team (which includes coaches AND players, because they can't tell the difference) cannot be considered part of the solution. I'm embarrassed for the team when I hear it, knowing that so many times it's being heard on national TV.
Anyway, just wanted you to know I appreciate your sentiments.
GO VOLS!!!!!!!
JUGHEAD
TommyJack writes:
PureArnge is in denial. Needs an intervention. CPF has run his course. Time to beat feet. That is all.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I think his intended meaning was something like, "The Bulldogs were encouraged that they were able to score 24 points against LSU." As written, the sentence is grammatically and semantically correct, but, yeah, it is a bit awkward.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Take it from some of us, at least; you are a BIG improvement over that person!
Greyback_Vol writes:
I can't understand why Moore hasn't been given more chances. His speed was obvious in the O & W Game this spring, and the last two weeks he's proven he can be a deep play threat.
I'd like to see Moore START against Miss. St. Taylor hasn't exactly been lighting folks up starting opposite Jones. Moore may be inexperienced, but his big play ability may cause opposing defenses to back off a little and allow the line to open up the running game.
Singaporehillbilly writes:
Thanks. A post I can agree with 100%.
VOLinDAWGland writes:
I think the weak recruiting classes and purging of bad apples also has contributed to the less physical practices over the spring and fall due to lack of quality depth. We just could not afford any key injuries. It is no coincidence or simply luck that we came out of fall camp so healthy compared to our key rivals...they were pounding the heck out of each other, we weren't and now we are struggling to compete physically.
Hopefully these physical practices will help to piss off our players, put them in a nasty mood, to take out on opposing teams. Sometimes things can get just a little too comfortable.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Do the cans stay in the barn neatly sacked?
Do they go to the aluminum man on the ridge?
Do I listen or watch the mental giants of the SEC dook it out Sat nite?
Or should I sell the cans ($40.00 or so) and buy, hmmm, beer!
Geezers have to make life-changing decisions. Hmmm, beer.
tnpterodactyl writes:
Geez...this thread has a plethora of phoolish posters. Let's call it the Viva la Philly thread! You can phool some of the people some of the time...but you can't phool all of the people all of the time. Phools sling phooey for their phil-osphizing Philly! Phreak me out!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Thanks.
The clouds have vanished, the blue birds are flying by the gate, the knock-out roses are blooming by the path-
the die has been cast.
Kesling and beer, it is.
JayTee writes:
PUREARNJ:
Were you hired to represent Fulmer or are you a relative? I have never seen anyone praising a less deserving person like you do unless they are a paid representative or have lost all concept of reality.
It's not about Fulmer it's about the University of Tennessee Football.
Yes he may have done some good things in the past but so did Benedict Arnold before he joined up with British.
We can't continue living off one Championship in 1998. We would start looking like BAMA fans living off a dead Bear for the past 30 years.
We must look to the future and the future of Tennessee Football cannot be left in the hands of mediocrity such as Phil Fulmer.
fltapout writes:
http://gobearcats.cstv.com/sports/m-f...
Anyone know this guy?
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