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Dave Clawson and John Chavis believe UT's 3-5 start is a "challenge" that coaches are supposed to overcome. (Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008) Watch »
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UT defensive coordinator John Chavis responds to questions about coach Phillip Fulmer's future at UT. (Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008) Watch »
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UT football coach Phillip Fulmer responds to media speculation about the future of his job at UT. (Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008) Watch »
Tennessee wide receiver Lucas Taylor tries to avoid a tackle by Alabama's Kareem Jackson during last Saturday's game.
Tennessee secondary coach Larry Slade expects one of his cornerbacks to get picked on a little bit this week.
But when Tennessee (3-5, 1-4 SEC) heads to Columbia for a 7 p.m. kickoff Saturday night (TV: ESPN2) against South Carolina (5-3, 2-3), don't expect Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier to pick on sophomore Dennis Rogan.
"He's just getting better," Slade said Tuesday of Rogan, a Class 3A Mr. Football finalist while at Fulton High School. "Look out there and say, 'This guy ought to be your best corner or this guy ought to be your best corner.' Well, the guy that's emerging as our best corner is Dennis Rogan."
Rogan, who has started all eight games this season, is quietly hitting his stride.
Last Saturday against Alabama, Rogan had five tackles and a pair of pass breakups. He's been active as a tackler all year, recording nine stops at Georgia and at least four tackles in all but three games this season.
"He's where he needs to be, there's no question about that," defensive coordinator John Chavis said. "You wish you had two or three Dennis Rogans. You wish you had two or three Eric Berry's. Because if you did, you'd be really set.
"I couldn't be any happier with the way Dennis Rogan is playing right now."
Slade says that Rogan's understanding of UT's scheme has improved, as has his technique. He's better in man-to-man coverage as well.
"He's very coachable," Slade said. "He's always trying to improve. He does a good job watching tape. He's still improving. Just like all of us, we have a lot of work to do. But it's great to see him improve the way he has."
And, in a way, that means that DeAngelo Willingham, UT's other starting cornerback, could be the guy who gets picked on.
"I told him this Sunday, Steve Spurrier's one of those guys, one of his biggest concepts is get his best receiver on what he looks at as the weakest defender," Slade said. "(Willingham) has sort of opened that up a little bit, and I think he'll get some of that."
QB Shuffle: Tennessee expects to see both Stephen Garcia and Chris Smelley at quarterback for the Gamecocks.
The two passers are a lot alike, although Garcia is more capable of making plays with his feet.
Still, neither requires a different approach from UT's defense.
"Somebody asked earlier do I worry about which quarterback starts or anything like that. No, that's not anything I can do anything about," UT coach Phillip Fulmer said. "Now if (former Gamecocks quarterback) Syvelle Newton all of a sudden shows up, I'd be real concerned because the kind of guy that gives you a lot of problems because of his ability to throw and to run."
Crompton Hanging In: Offensive coordinator Dave Clawson said quarterback Jonathan Crompton has handled himself well since losing the starting job to sophomore Nick Stephens before the Northern Illinois game on Oct. 4.
"Jonathan's a great kid," Clawson said. "I'm sure there's a lot of personal disappointment in the way this has played out. He has had a great attitude in meetings, he has had a great attitude in practice.
"I've had no sense of Jonathan having any give-up. He's a real good character kid. In meetings, he's being supportive of Nick and on the practice field he's being supportive of Nick. He has handled it with a lot of class and a lot of resiliency."
More Offense For Berry? Berry's plate is already pretty full. In addition to playing safety, he's on all four special teams.
But despite all his obligations, Fulmer said Berry remains a part of UT's offensive plans this week.
"We'll have a few plays for him from an offensive standpoint," Fulmer said. "We do expect (receiver) Gerald Jones back, and that will help from that standpoint."
Against Alabama, Berry caught one pass for 3 yards and returned two kickoffs for an average of 16 yards.
Smilin' Dave: Despite UT's offensive struggles (the Vols rank 107th in scoring and 112th in total offense), Clawson remains upbeat. When asked why he continues to smile at his weekly press conference, Clawson said:
"I have a great job. I still enjoy what I do, coaching football and what this is is a great challenge."
Injury Update: Offensive guard Anthony Parker (ankle) likely will play against South Carolina as will Jones (ankle), Fulmer said. Both practiced Tuesday.
Reserve safety Daryl Vereen remains questionable.
Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.
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Comments » 47
VOLINSC writes:
Go Vols. Turn it around. I need a win this week to live down here. For some reason, I see UT winning this game.
blitzshoot writes:
South Carolina is a great place to live and raise kids, or it use to be. Great place to watch a game. Keep up the great work Rogan. Got a feeling this is a 13-10 game.
CoverOrange writes:
Whatever happened to Brent Vinson? Still in the doghouse?
69vol08 writes:
Sounds like Rogan has been workin' like heck! LOL Seriously, the defense has been a mostly bright spot in a dismal season. Regardless of how the coaching situation pans out, let's win out and get the program going again!
Go Vols!
The_Mayor writes:
I support Nick Stephens completely as our starter. That said, I'm awful proud of Jon Crompton and the stuff he's made of, and I'll bet a cup of coffee we'll see his potential come to fruition before all is said and done. I don't wish any hardship on either one of them, and I'm sure Stephens is a good kid with a lot of talent. But you gotta love a fighter like Crompton and the quality level of that young man.
CoverOrange writes:
Personally, I would like to see Coleman get a shot.
bubbanator21 writes:
Rumor has it that Coleman doesn't understand the offense. Which is putting it mildly.
rep88 writes:
as a south carolina resident for the time being i really hope the big orange win this one. It is great to see a hometown kid doing so good and instead of vinson being in the dog house fulmer might want to let all his pups out because hes about to be put in the pound. see yee coach
BigO4Vols writes:
that is correct. word i got is he has a bad attitude. he's clearly better than willingham though but because of being in the doghouse he's not getting the pt.
The_Mayor writes:
Agreed, and I also agreed that it is very puzzling. They say he has total command of the offense in practice. Cannot for the life of me understand what happened when it was showtime. It would sure make for a great feel-good story if he came out an lit it up next August though. I'm a firm believer in the power to will your way through your hardships. He seems to have that type of tenacity.
avolfan4u writes:
Is anyone surprised we hired a 1AA coach and we have a 1AA offense. Bad news is this is the SEC and an offense ranked 110th or higher just won't cut it. Maybe Clawson should quit smiling and start typing up a resume. Suggestion: leave out your TN "accomplishments," Smiling Dave.
ZR writes:
Dear Jon, NFL teams pay people to catch footballs and hold them for the kicker to kick the phooey out of them.
cjraney writes:
In case you haven't noticed, Dave Clawson hasn't missed a single block or thrown a bad pass all year. An offensive gameplan has ZERO chance to work if players don't execute. I actually feel bad for the guy. He gave up a HC gig for this, and if Fulmer's gone I'm sure Clawson is too.
newtonrail writes:
Vinson, No. 13, played a lot in the Alabama game. He was in on Nickle packages and Dime also of course.
kabul_vol writes:
I have nothing personally against Dave Clawson. But the results speak for themselves. UT is not a program where we hire someone an expect to take a step backward while they seemingly learn the ropes. While we do not have the speed and overall talent of some programs i.e. UF, it is the coaching staff's responsibility to prepare them for success.
I've heard people say that the coaches aren't missing blocks or completing passes and that is just passing the buck. The buck stops at the head coach and the coaching staff in general. That is leadership.
If the boys aren't executing then it is the coaching staff that needs to teach, motivate and lead them to a different result.
To me, that is basic leadership. But, that's just my opinion.
GreerVol22 writes:
Imagine if Rogan played up on some recievers instead of 8-10 yards off. yes, he make tackles and yes, very little gets by him. But what is not being said is the fact that our corners are continously being burned on 3rd down with this mustang phooey. That's why our D-line is banged up and the O has no time to try to get better.
rusty_shackleford writes:
This isn't Clawson's offense. He ran a wide-open, Texas Tech type O in Richmond and simply doesn't have the personnel to run it at UT.
THEKIDWI writes:
Clawson is smiling cuz he knows he got a big fat paycheck this year and he'll be back in the championship-sub-division-read-headed-step-child-level next year running his own show...
I know it's only one of our problems, but i still cannot get over the fact that we return the whole OL and we're flip flopping strong/weak like a high school team...
Docrok writes:
Flip flopping didnt have anything to do with it. Our O-line was terrible last year and its abysmal this year. Last year Ainge got the ball out too quickly to get sacked, hence all the short passing and zero running game! Clawson was of the misunderstanding by all that was told to him by coaches and sports authorities that our O-line is veteran and will protect a young QB......RIGHT!!!!!
kabul_vol writes:
I don't think Clawson ran a "wide open" Texas Tech style offense at Richmond. In 2006, their passing statistics were 187 for 312 for 2066 yards and 17 TDs. In 2007, they were 218 for 365 for 2391 yards and 18 TDs. Additionally, they had a RB last year that ran for nearly 2000 yards. So I don't know where people are getting that "this isn't Clawson's offense" or "Clawson isn't getting to run the offense his way", etc. That MAY be true but I just don't see any evidence of it. Thoughts?
Striker writes:
Dennis Rogan is no doubt doing a great job, however its no wonder these guys are getting better on defense, "heck" they are out there all game long. They should be getting better.
orangebloodgmc writes:
I appreciate y'all's insights on Vinson. What about Langley? Is he getting any p.t. at all on the DL? What's going on?
utvolz#637682 writes:
Let's see, we're the #112th offense in the country against the best defense in the SEC? I don't like that matchup, especially on the road...
http://web1.ncaa.org/football/exec/ra...
utvolz#637682 writes:
Here's the current numbers...
http://web1.ncaa.org/football/exec/ra...
orangebloodgmc writes:
utvolz#637682 writes:
"Let's see, we're the #112th offense in the country against the best defense in the SEC? I don't like that matchup, especially on the road..."
Playing the 08 versions of Bama and Florida will hurt your stats; we have done that, SC has not, but statistically we are both among the top 3 defenses in the SEC. SC did play Georgia closer than we did, but struggled with UAB who we crushed. One might expect our game with SC to be a defensive struggle, a tough game no matter which way it goes.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Actually to be considered the "best" out of 27 on the roster is quite an honor.
On SC, maybe ol' Stephens can unleash a few downfield to Moore. How many more yards does Phil's main man need to get the record?
jasonn1970 writes:
Well, at least they didn't let ALL the local talent go elsewhere.......
jack_2222#231746 writes:
What happened to Crompton was 3 years of the green practice jersey. Did you see how comfortable he was in the pocket in the O&W game last spring, knowing he wouldn't get hit? Like CPF said, that green jersey has ruined alot of QB's.
doctorvol#211700 writes:
I don't know where info on Coleman not understanding the offense comes from. I've heard the opposite. Historically, he is an intelligent kid who ran a fairly complex offense at McCallie quite well. I think he is also studious and tries to prepare. QB, however, is no longer our most pressing concern. The inability of our receivers to get separation(other than Jones), and our overweight, immobile offensive line are glaring problems. A defensive line coach of a team that recently beat us told me that our guys "are just too heavy". I read that as a lack of discipline in preparation. Would also like to see more of Vinson at corner.
richvol writes:
Me too...where is he? The coaches have called him the best athlete on the team. I guess they can't coach him up...what a surprise.
I sure would like to see BJ Coleman play some too.
agentorange writes:
nobody smile!! you must frown and cry b/c the kns and espn think football shouldn't be fun. no, no. its a serious game (how's that for an oxymoron).
THEKIDWI writes:
docrok...
You'll never convince me this strong side / weak side BS is any good.
How do you develop any continuity?
And while i'll give you Ainge was better at getting rid of the ball, funny how the same OL blocked so much better for the same RB's last year...
Docrok writes:
Your Kidding about the Blocking for the running backs last year right dude????? I mean on the flip/flopping we can agree to disagree but the blocking for the running backs COME ON!!! Only the GA game last year did we have a decent run game!! All the other games we were less than mediocre.
commonsense32 writes:
There are alot of young men on this team who are great atheletes, and would be stand outs at other schools. The problem lies in the fact they are not coached and developed. That may or may not be Fulmers fault( that's why you have assistants) but the fact remains he is the head coach and like when you are the president no matter what you get the credit, good bad or ugly.
If Phillip Fulmer really loves the University of Tennessee, then he will soon announce that at the end of this year he will retire with some stipulations.
1.I will give my salary for this year back, seeing as I have performed below expectations.
2. I will not seek the 6 million dollar buyout from the University, seeing as they have been exceptionally generous to me for the last 17 years.
3.I will be involved in UT atheletics strictly as a recruiting figure.
Thanks for all the great times Phil, it's been alot of fun, but it's just time to see the writing on the wall. goodbye.
All of that being said, if he wins saturday against SC. Then forget about it. He will stay!!
BubbaVol44 writes:
Foster rushed for 1193 yards last year behind the same O-line for a 4.9 yds/carry average. He's averaging 4.7 yds per carry this year but has not touched the ball as many times! He had mediocre/bad games last year against Fla, LSU, and Wisconsin.
I'd say that's far better than "less than mediocre."
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/...
BubbaVol44 writes:
Slade has always been beyond hope as a football coach! Please bench Willingham and play Vinson--at least we'd have a DB who could run with a receiver. Rogan is average for the SEC at best.
Playing Berry on the kickoff returns is asking for him to get hurt--I'd much rather see him returning punts.
Who really cares anyway?
Maybe Fulmer will announce his resignation after this game. Please clean house and start all over--it's time!
rusty_shackleford writes:
Thanks for looking at the stats. I know what I saw at the Richmond/ASU Playoff game and the Apps had to defend the field sideline to sideline. Four wideouts created wide open spaces for their RB which kept ASU guessing well into the 4th quarter. Moore got ahead, controlled the clock and won.
New topic: Willingham. Teams have feasted on his side of the field all year and I'm afraid Little Stevie Superior has seen the tape.
THEKIDWI writes:
Thank you Bubba. Beat me to it but i was going to say that that same line got Foster nearly 1200 yards last year (since he got the far majority of the carries i'm not looking at Hardesty or Creer's totals) and the way the game planning is going, he'll be fortunate to get just over half that this year.
Clawson was a bad attempt by Fulmer to insert some new blood and ideas into the program after Coach Cut left, it's just that simple. And now Fulmer's going to end up paying for it.
miamiVOL writes:
Bubba, there are far more injuries on punt returns, where the defenders are immediately in your face, compared to kickoff returns
Orange4life writes:
Rogan is good
Willingham not so good, Vincent has been touted as the best athelete on the team, why isn't he here?
hmm
volnchatt writes:
Steve Spurrier will pick on Willingham just like ever other coach has this season. The rest of the secondary is solid.
CT_VOL writes:
Than why does Foster stink so bad this year?
What does this say about him, the team, the coaches and the record?
Wake up, he is horrible.
Frank
gdotallen#639789 writes:
I don't think Foster is bad as most of you think... Again he had almost 1200 yards last year! This OL is slow and confused. They are not protecting well and LORD knows they are not opening up any lanes against the SEC Def. Lines... So sad to see us fall to the bottom of the SEC EAST...
Where was Denarius Moore against Alabama? Why is Austin Rogers still playing? Why can't we get Brandon Warren the ball? Why can't a QB get the offense moving? Why can't we run the ball? Why didn't we smash UCLA? Why did it take so long to realize that Crompton was not the guy? So many questions I think about asking PHIL...
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
from what I've seen he doesnt know how to tackle----I seen far to many run right thru his failed tackling attempts
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
Hey Frank , just what isnt you dont understand----like Bubba said his yard per carry is just about indentical as last year and nothing shabby with 4.7-------just how does that stink????????--yes its the same line but a new system and they dont open up enough of a crack for sunshine to shine thru----Jimmy Brown or Gayle Sayers couldnt run thru that---yards per carry is the only measure----if total yards is down that mean hes had less carries-----he dont stink--the OL stinks------just dont understand how you come to this conclusion with all the other haters as well
BubbaVol44 writes:
I won't waste the time--You obviously know nothing!
BubbaVol44 writes:
Prove it!
Kickoff coverage teams have a 50 yd sprint at full speed to enter a collision. Punt coverage teams must block first and usually don't get to sprint at full speed down the field to cover. The gunners are usually double-teamed and rarely have a wide open shot on the returner.
A good punt return man makes the first guy miss and usually can get to the wall sooner. That's why I think Berry would be better suited returning punts.
Kickoff return guys (the good ones) sprint into the mess and either hit the open hole full speed or get clobbered. A Kickoff returner is much more likely to get whacked than a punt returner.
I don't have any stats on the number of injuries suffered by Kickoff returners vs. Punt returners so you could be right. Do you have any stats?
I've played both and it's much more fun to play on the Kickoff coverage team!
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