Vol audio: Post-UCLA
- Phillip Fulmer’s post-game comments
- Defensive coordinator John Chavis talks about his defense’s effort against UCLA
- Dave Hooker interviews UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel about QB Kevin Craft’s turnaround
- QB Jonathan Crompton talks to the media
- Arian Foster talks about UT’s first half struggles on offense
- Dave Hooker interviews RB Montario Hardesty about his performance
- Dave Hooker interviews WR Josh Briscoe about UT’s offensive struggles
- S Eric Berry talks to the media about UCLA’s offensive turnaround in the second half
- C Josh McNeil discusses UT’s pass protection issues
Links
Articles
Tennessee Stat Book
C- Quarterbacks
Jonathan Crompton looked flustered at times and missed opportunities with errant passes.
Still, he showed his usual penchant for deep passes, hitting Josh Briscoe for a 41-yard gain and Austin Rogers in stride on a fly route, which was dropped.
C- Running Backs
Arian Foster’s fumbling issues cropped up again, and just when the Vols seemed poised to put the game away.
Montario Hardesty may be a better option if Foster can’t hang onto the ball. Hardesty and Foster averaged 5.5 and 7.4 yards per rush, respectively. But the fumble can’t be overlooked.
C Receivers
Austin Rogers and Josh Briscoe dropped passes. The Vols will have to make more plays deep downfield or teams will continually play them on underneath routes, as UCLA did.
Gerald Jones looks poised for a breakout year. He had four receptions for 40 yards, ran the G-Gun well and was a factor on special teams.
C- Offensive Line
Pass protection was a problem for much of the night. That’s simply inexcusable for a mostly inexperienced quarterback.
Run blocking has improved. That could soon prove to be the crutch the Vols need to lean on.
B+ Defensive Line
Dan Williams and Demonte Bolden shut down UCLA on its own goal line with two consecutive tackles for a loss. Bolden’s move should have resulted in a safety.
The Vols had five tackles for a loss from their defensive line. Still, no sacks from the front four as UCLA kept quarterback Kevin Craft rolling away from pressure.
B Linebackers
Nevin McKenzie’s interception in the second quarter should have been the game-winner had UT kept UCLA's offense on the ropes. Ellix Wilson had 12 tackles, two for a loss and a sack. Adam Myers-White also had a tackle for a loss.
Rico McCoy has to make more plays, just four tackles and a pass break up.
A+/F Secondary
The Vols get two grades in their defensive backfield: an A+ for the first half and an F for the two drives in the fourth quarter when they made Kevin Craft look like Troy Aikman.
If UT’s secondary is truly great, it will have to make plays when the games on the line.
D Special Teams
Gerald Jones returned a kickoff for 43 yards and a punt for 33. Still, the blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown was the exact type of play UCLA needed to stay in the game.
Kicker Daniel Lincoln missed three field goals, including one in overtime, although he made a 27-yard field to send the game in OT.
D Coaching
The Vols didn’t make the necessary adjustments to stop UCLA when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter and seemed reluctant to blitz.
Allowing a player to come free on inexperienced punter Chad Cunningham was inexcusable.
C Overall
Most thought UT was a much better team than UCLA. It didn’t show on Monday.
Think Florida and Georgia were watching … and salivating?
The Vols looked as outdated as a mid-1980’s Los Angeles hair band.
Tennessee 69, South Carolina 57 men's…
Tennessee 60, Connecticut 57 men's…
Tennessee 73, Georgia 62 men's…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 195
WorkinLikeHeck writes:
Clawson...the next head coach at UT. LOL!!!!!
What happened to the Goon Squad!!!! ROTFLMAO!!!!
Field Goal Phil strikes again!!!!!!
Only 1 play away from being undefeated!!! LOL!!!!
a new low...UCLA's 3rd string QB and entire 2nd string offense. LOL!!!!!
WOW!!! averaged 6.48 yards per carry and threw the ball 41 times? CUtcliffe called and wants his gameplan back!!!!!!
WorkinLikeHeck writes:
Cue the charts!!!!
naplesflvol writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Wilhelm16 writes:
UT rport card for UCLA=F
Wilhelm16 writes:
my report card for spelling=D-
cdonsbach writes:
"Think Florida and Georgia were watching … and salivating?"
I think Auburn, South Carolina, Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky are salivating as well.
"The Vols looked as outdated as a mid-1980’s Los Angeles hair band."
Nice analogy, Dave!
naplesflvol writes:
you give coaching a D??
You must have stopped reviewing them before the pre-game coin toss.
What a complete retard staff we have...
pass this along to the AD please - DO YOUR JOB
wyomingvol writes:
Only 2 things wrong with the football team....
Crompton's mouth working better than his arm...
And Dumb Arse Play calling per Crompton Playing with his head up his 'sun don't shine'.
This is a game that we would of won by 3 touchdowns if we handed the ball off every time. Not what I want, but we were blowing them off the ball.
Just like years past, lean on your D too often and the well runs dry.....
O' Coaching and Special Teams get a full F, as in failure.
LOTS of room for improvement....
I was at the game, even though the D played well, every time we took the field shoulders were slouched and everyone walked on and off.
This is the first time I have ever been to a game and felt ashamed of my team.
Way to not represent boys.
That stunk, and I am being kind.
Phil, I was loyal, as for now, your head is on the block.
Oh, and Crompton Fans,, can we get Ainge back or start G.Jones at QB?
His tail was more worthless in the pocket or until a play broke down than Ainge and he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Yes, a call out.
Great effort, until the final fold, by the Defense.....
POS Circus Show.. I won't be seeing any more this season unless things get better quick.
WyoVol.
wyomingvol writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
snafu14u#241639 writes:
Crompton is not a SEC caliber OB, and will never be. Fundamentals are poor. Hurried passes and inability to go to "Plan B". Don't know that UT took this game seriously enough, when you get beat by 3RD string OB, and UCLA loses three key players in 1st qtr. Outcoached is an understatement. Fulmer and staff were "hopeing" to win. This is going to be a very long season with no recourse at the end, due to Fulmer's contract.Better get use to it. I feel sorry for most of the players who came here to be "coached".I think that Fulmer actually "believe's" what he says. And that's bad. bonzaivol
Reasonavol writes:
Very painful loss.
brdteton I agree about Crompton
junder13 writes:
Hooker, your report card gets a "D"!
QB - F
The guy was miserable and there's no other way I know to put it.
RB - B
Would have an "A" except for Foster's fumble. It's like he looks for the worst time he could possibly fumble to change the game. Hardesty looked like a beast (as he always does when healthy)! Why didn't we run the ball more?!?
WR - B
It's hard to show anything positive when a QB can't get you the ball. You people are dumb if you're blaming Austin Rogers for the "dropped" pass--that pass was too long (although I don't think he's good enough to be in the game).
OL - D
Run-blocking was decent but pass protection was horrible. This is the most overrated unit by far!
DL - A
Did extremely well considering low expectations! Lack of sacks were not DL's fault b/c the coverage wasn't tight enough from secondary to make the 3rd string QB hold the ball long enough (coaches' fault, not players). Dan Williams looked dominate and Bolden's tackle was a safety that wasn't called.
LB - B
Pass coverage may not have been what it needs to be but the speed of the unit was obvious. Ellix Wilson was awesome! Where's 2nd Team All-SEC McCoy?
Secondary - B played (F coached)
The first half was phenominal. I don't blame the 2nd half on them b/c it was not their fault they were told to play 8 and 10 yrs off the receivers with very little or no blitzing being called.
Sp Teams - A (returns) punting & kicking (F)
Why call 3 50+ field goals if the kicker hasn't shown the ability to hit them in practice (so I've read)?!?!? WTF was that punt team alignment that led to the block?!?!? That was not Cunningham's fault at all!!!
The returns throughout the game were very good.
Coaching - F
I'm sick of our coaches and their "play not to lose" mentality. They coach the team down to their opponent. UCLA is a below average team with great coaches and as Bruce Pearl has proven in basketball, coaching is the most important factor.
Fellow Vol fans, prepare for a long fall. I shall not be wasting my time with this team as long as Fulmer is at the helm ever again. I will, at most, only watch games on TV and will not waste time reading about them on a website. They are a disgrace and it is no longer fun (well it hasn't been for awhile actually) watching Tennessee football.
ericshoskins#523684 writes:
Dave Hooker is a total moron. How you have a job is beyond me.
You gave Crompton a higher grade than the Running Backs? Are you kidding, or are you really this stupid? Having listened to you on the radio, I think I know the answer. Foster fumbled. Crompton threw a pick. Difference is, Foster did much more to help this team be in a position to win, and Hardesty scored two TD's. But, yeah, Crompton should have graded higher. Idiot.
And, to give the DB's a grade of F, but the coaches anything but shows even more idiocy on your part. The DB's play the way they do because of scheme, moron. Chavis is the reason they don't play press coverage... not the DB's. I swear, how you have a job still is inexcusable.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
An overall "F" for the coaching staff, for sure! To begin with, I think we took UCLA too lightly. We surely lacked any killer instinct when we had them bewildered in the first half. Biggest mistake for the offense was not continuing to run the ball when their defense was starting to suck air. Besides, if you KNOW you have an inexperienced QB and he is clearly NOT sharp early, why do you have him throw the ball FORTY-ONE bleepin' times when we are getting over SIX YARDS A CARRY!?!?!? We didn't get a lot of sacks, but we WERE applying pressure in the first half and Craft was throwing wounded ducks--WHY didn't we continue pressuring him and WHY was our secondary laying back!?!?!? All that said, this was one non-conference game. UCLA may turn out to be better than anyone thinks. We have nearly three weeks to get ready for Florida, and they will have every reason to take US lightly. There WERE things to build on. The season ISN'T over. We just have to learn not to give up on the things that work for us, such as, specifically, the running game and pressure on the QB. Giving up on those things cost us the game and that is squarely on the coaches.
volcop writes:
Foster - F for Fumbling Foster
F - for not using Hardisty more
F - for Special Teams AGAIN
F - for Quarterback , Fumles,Stumbles,miscount,passing
F - for Coaching
volcop writes:
We turn 3rd stingers into All Stars
wyomingvol writes:
As a B on Wide Receiver....
Include Tight Ends..
They Dropped around at least 6, on the rare times Crompton got it in their hands.....
Warren looked terrible, this whole team needs to step it up.
I hope they realize how horribly they played.
That was a disgrace top to bottom...
PS, I aint no 'Yungin'.....
Not someone infamiliar with the program...
etc...
This one, I wanted to puke....
All critique' from me and others is warranted.'
You like rooting/losing to UCLA, become a Stanford or Oregon fan...
FYI, we lost in a 3/4 sold out stadium occupied by 1/4 Tennessee fans...
Need help with the math,,, drop a line....
Peeeeaaaassss Poor......
wyomingvol writes:
Oh, and on the DEFENSE....
Tap that well too many times,,,,, and it goes dry........
They played well, offense couldn't do anything with (4 pics).....
Sucka's...
That stunk.....
dwolfcreek#397971 writes:
vols need to learn to keep their mouth shut and play hard nose football . to hell with we want respect . get out there and earn it ..............
OldNumber7 writes:
junder13 did a better job than Hooker with the grades. Don't worry folks, Fulmerites will be telling you how stupid you are when we beat Kentucky in 4 overtimes. I said it last year and I will say it again. There are too many patterns and bad habits of Fulmer to consistently field a good team. First problem is lack of discipline. Second, which I have ranted about before and was severe last night - his teams don't play for 10 yards to move the sticks (this worries me because Clawson is highly responsible). This team just lost to a beat-up bunch of 3rd stringers. The SEC is going to humiliate the Vols.
cphil writes:
Looks like we MIGHT end up with a 5-7 season now after this debacle. SHOULD be able to win against UAB, N. Ill.,Miss. St., Wyoming and Vandy. Every other team on the schedule will likely drill the Vols, and yes, that includes Kentucky. (Didn't Randall Cobb look good in Kentucky's opener! But Fulmer wasn't interested in him.)
It's a crying shame to have the talent we have and an incompetent coaching staff to guide them.
JUST SAY NO...... NO MORE FULMER!!!
Gigavol writes:
Last year UCLA's defense was ranked #15 in the country. UT's defense was ranked #70. Both defenses are better.
Crompton might have got a higher rating than the running backs because Arian Foster freaking tackled Crompton twice. I am sure we will find out the true reasons why very soon.
MidTennVol writes:
That grading is generous.
BUT AT LEAST WE STILL HAVE OUR BELOVED PREVENT DEFENSE! WHICH DOESN'T!
volsfannsc writes:
Grade both quaterbacks on the same grade scale.....there's your outcome for the exam (game). I would hope Crompton has available tutoring (coaching). We really need a first tier SEC quarterback.
TheAgentOrange writes:
it is going to be along season. crompton isn't the answer, i sat let coleman take the offense and learn all he can and then 3 great years. never been a fulmer fan, would have fired him years ago. clawson has been successful and will be at UT. as usual outcoached, last time we went up against a third string QB we barely won the national championship game......
mmynatt writes:
The report card is spot on..... the coaching and preparation both sucked.....
vol98champ writes:
NEVER HAVE SO MANY DONE SO LITTLE WITH SO MUCH1
OldNumber7 writes:
Norm Chow beats Chavis and Fulmer with one hand tied behind his back.
jandjhome#228397 writes:
7 and 5 folks if we are lucky. Hardesty needs to be our man but Fulmer will never let it happen..We had the game won if Foster had not fumbled. O line is horrible.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Tngeoff - sorry, ol' man.
Koolade sales phone is quiet this AM.
Thanks goodness we shipped all the Grey Goose early. Have a few lemming sweaters at 70% off.
35th in recruiting cannot be disguised.
Study these charts.
WVVOLFAN writes:
*they said we would have multi formation offense! I saw alot of the old doulble tight end from cutcliffe last night. chow was running basically the same formations.
*they said we would be moving players around to get good match ups! did anyone see any of that last night? here's a thought. move warren to fullback for those little flares on occasion. probably better results.
*they said because of the Dbacks we would see alot more man defense on the corners to free up blitzes and stunts. looked like the ole mustang package reared it's head again last night.
*i think what we saw last night was 'johnnie ball' again. get a lead, play prevent defense and offense and hang on.
i'm not a phil basher, but we waited all year for last night?
by the way, i've never understood how UT can lose a game and still get a passing grade in the paper.
NickS4117 writes:
That was not a safety. They reviewed it to make sure. When his knee hit, the ball was over the goal line.
Why do coaches pooch kick and give the other team the ball on the 40 yd line? That is so stupid, like going for two in the first half. Kick it deep and tackle the guy inside the 30, like you have the whole game, Neuheisel. Gosh.
Doesn't it annoy you when the announcers keep saying, 'Tenn is the better team'? And Mark May, 'Ayrian Foster will get 150 yds'? I would tak Tenn in this game, 9 out of 10, but I guess this was the 10. Later
vol4gzus writes:
My two cents is enormous room for improvement for sure and glad we have two weeks to stew in our own mess. Don't know how much UAB is going to be a healer. Spanked by Tulsa, but anything goes now. We might call the VOLS the wonder kids right now. I wonder what we get in the next game. Well I'm going to try and put this one(ouch!) behind me. Still can't figure that last drive after we go up 21-17 how they moved too easily. Yes, too much space on the slot receiver too many times was a good bit of it. They went to quick routes to keep our line from making Kraft get into those same situations he messed up in first half. WE didn't adjust and boom tight end standing alone in end zone. Ok I hope I've exercized that from my system and can move on(OUCH!).
GO VOLS think alot on that flight home and the week and a half as you prepare for the dragons of mighty UAB.
golfballs03 writes:
I didn't mind Clawson's play calling. If our players had executed reasonably well we would have won. Chavis, why are we giving those receivers so much cushion in the 2nd half??? For as good as our secondary is, they need to man up! Ultimately this falls of Fulmer. He gets paid way too much money to let this happen. I think this team has serious potential, he better get it together before SEC play.
eb502us#225637 writes:
Another worthless report card from a KNS writer who obviously didn't watch the game. Crompton deserved a D, and coaching deserved an F, especially Clawson for his play calling and for Chavis not recognizing that UCLA didn't have time to complete a pass beyond 10 yards, yet there we were, playing our DB's way off the ball. I'm not sure anyone is surprised by the outcome as Fulmer and his staff have become the laughing stock of the SEC, given the amount of talent we have.
scott_m99 writes:
Foster should be on defense...he forced his own fumble once, and tackled the QB twice
Vols1998 writes:
The defense had no help from the offense. The O-Line looked very bad...Specials Teams...were just BAD.....what the heck happened????
Very disappointed in my Vols!
Get it fixed!!
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
QB a C???? give me a damn brak. that was about the worst effort by a qb in ages:
-a robot, no creativity
-can't hit a 10-yard out or slant to save his life
-intimidated/scared
-terrible footwork, plus happy feet
-throws from his shoulder.
Look, I don't give a damn about the deep ball, if you can't make first downs, you are not going to win the game. Both Ainge and Clausen were able to make those throws.
===================================
Offensive line gets a D as well. Terrible protection, false starts, missed blocks.
jobrando#216494 writes:
Coaching a D.... This was below a F. Did not make any adjustments for an inept offense as UCLA coaching staff did. Fulmer must be stripped of his headphones if this program is to progress.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
THE AVERAGE UCLA PLAYER APPEARS TO BE MUCH SMARTER THAN THE AVERAGE UT PLAYER.
pretty funny, really. here is ucla, a smallish, slower, beat-up team, and damned if they don't roll up the big, tough, 'team speed' vols.
this can only be explained by ucla having smarter players.
just wait until vandy gets ahold of us.
vscebail#247785 writes:
I'm just so glad that we were able to participate in the coronation of Newhiesle as the new king of California. Fulmer has no solid game plan and absolutely no killer instinct. We played more than 3 quarters of the game and only scored 7 offensive points! Unbelievable. And what was with passing every single down? We must have gone 3 and out like 8 or 9 times last night. Just run the G-gun all game long and we win. What a great primetime stage to show how tough Tennessee is this year!
jdcvols#230433 writes:
Dave, you normally write good articles but come on...QB a "C". That was an "F" and coaching, what coaching. Fulmer deserves all the blame and flack for this one. If he wanted to get people off his back then why didn't he prepare this team better?? He and Vicky just want the money...thats all they want...more money. What a joke!!
jmbigorange#280428 writes:
H1gator... You hit the nail on the head. Bad Coaching. UCLA made half time adjustments to take advantage of our weak DBS and UT made no half time adjustments.
xvolx writes:
this off. too complicated for crompton. he didnt make one read. came out from center looking in one direction. missed several bad reads when rec. were wide open. when he ran in ot jones was wide open in flat. off. line was sorry. kept throwing passes toward best db ucla had. chavis, once again refused to blitz in 4th qtr. lincoln has read to many press clippings about himself. foster is worst running back (in the world). thanks keith olberman. mccoy plays off tight end five yards in endzone. fla. 100 tenn. -0
gdseller#206503 writes:
TENNESSEE: The Clemson of the SEC!
99gator writes:
there's no way around the truth on this one. after thinking long and hard, this can't be spun in a positive way.
to be as positive as i can.....
i thought the o-line blocked well in the running game and the defensive line played well (although, i am not sure how good the ucla o-line is).
also, when ucla scored to take the lead....tenn came back to score and take the lead back or tie (although one drive was aided by a facemask penalty). showed some heart.
however.....
1. crompton couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. that might be understandable (he could just have had a bad game)....except, several of the throws were ten yard or less hooks or outs. and a lot of the throws were not close to the intended receiver. ten feet over someone's head, wide, or as another poster put it.....looked like a basketball player throwing bounce passes. at the end of the day....ucla's third stringer had a better completion percentage and threw for more yards.
2. ucla was one dimensional....and even that dimension was limited. yet, they were allowed to do the only thing they were close to capable of in the 4th quarter....throw short. could not run the ball, could not throw the ball down the field.....all tenn had to do was cover dinks and dunks and they could not do it. ucla had no one that could make a play with their athletic ability.
3. i wouldn't mind the offensive play calling to a point. but, there comes a point....where you win the game, go home, and work on things in practice. crompton was struggling and that was obvious. tenn ran the ball well and that was obvious. pound the rock and win the game.
bottom line is.....tenn was the better team. tenn won the turnover battle. tenn outrushed ucla 177-29. and ucla won the butt kicking contest, blindfolded with one arm tied behind its back on one leg.
just inexcusable.
GreerVol22 writes:
like a monkey dry humpin' a watermelon...
chl1958 writes:
Our coaches can neither motivate,instruct,or correct poor play. The adjustments usually made at halftime were wrong for us;right for them.The play calling was horrendous with repetitive passing plays resulting in sacks. What happened to screen plays,end arounds,and quarterback options with our multiple talented quarterback?
Lastly,did we even practice;we looked like a pick up squad brought out of the stands?
Vol13 writes:
This is going to be a long year.
histine writes:
guys!!!! chill! im not throwing this game on any one person....or coach! if you will remember in the game, dropped passes, bad passes, blocked punt(that shoulda never happened). i mean the plays were there. with a new qb, and a new coordinater it will take time. i think had we had the staff we had last yr, maybe we had won....i dunno. but its only b/c our offense, thats what they have always known. this offense will be better for the long term. the first game of a new offense is always going to be shaky. maybe this was the wake-up call our guys needed. maybe this will change their attitudes and come out nxt practice with a fire, ready to take out all theri frustration on uab, and the rest of the schedule. some of you are a freakin disgrace to the VOL FAN BASE.
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