Dave Hooker's podcast
Florida Gators
It's hard to imagine that one player - much less one play - would have made significant difference in the 59-20 execution Florida performed on Tennessee last year.
That goes even if the player were Joe Montana, Red Grange or Dick Butkus. Or, even if Tim Tebow switched jerseys.
Still, if you're a Tennessee fan, you've got to admire the way Gerald Jones takes things to heart.
Jones, UT's versatile sophomore, was a true freshman last September, brand new on campus. The four-star recruit was nursing a hamstring injury and didn't travel to The Swamp.
"I felt like I let my team down because I was hurt,'' Jones said this week. "I felt like if I just could have played I could have made that one play that changed the game.
"I was heartbroken and devastated.''
If he could have made a dozen plays, well, then maybe he's onto something.
At any rate, if you're a Tennessee fan, you're glad you do have Jones on your side Saturday when the No. 4 Gators (2-0) visit UT (1-1) at Neyland Stadium. A 3:30 p.m. kickoff (TV: WVLT) launches the SEC season for both teams.
Florida is seemingly loaded with big-play artists on offense and in the kicking game. Tennessee is a team still forging an offensive identity.
But Jones clearly adds a dash of much-needed big-play potential to the Vols.
nHe has seven catches this year at his primary position, receiver.
n As a freshman he averaged 7.2 yards on eight rushing attempts in the G-Gun package. The G-Gun made a cameo appearance at UCLA, but stayed in the holster last week against UAB. Don't be surprised to see it Saturday.
n Jones also pepped up the return game while filling in for Dennis Rogan by averaging 19.5 yards on two punts and 38.0 on two kickoffs.
"Anytime you have a player who can do more than one thing, you're harder to defend,'' offensive coordinator Dave Clawson said.
"Gerald can line up at outside receiver, in the slot, at running back or quarterback. Part of that is because of his skill set and part because he's very bright.''
Jones' football acumen has become well known around the football complex. Head coach Phillip Fulmer recounts a story about Jones sticking his head in a recent offensive staff meeting.
"There was a new play on the board,'' Fulmer said, "and he said, 'What's this?'
"Coach (Latrell) Scott said, 'Draw it up.' He drew it up exactly as a coach would, and not just for his position but all the receiver positions.
"He's amazing.''
Unfortunately, even the smartest guys do dumb things.
Last January Jones and teammate Ahmad Paige were charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession during a traffic stop. Worse, they had a recruit in the car.
Jones was devastated. He wrote a letter to his teammates, coaches and UT fans apologizing and accepting responsibility.
"You make mistakes as a young person,'' he said this week, "but you've got to turn it around into something positive. Just don't make it repetitive.''
Judging from what the coaches say and from the results on the field, Jones has turned the worst chapter of his young career into something positive.
"I went from below sea level to the top of the world now,'' he said, breaking into a smile.
Well, actually the top of the world would involve upsetting Florida.
Jones doesn't protest the general notion that Florida has more explosive athletes than UT does. A lot of teams and players relish the underdog, no-respect role.
"We'll take it to our advantage,'' he said. "It ain't about the athletes. It's about who's best on that day.''
But hold on, Gators. Jones doesn't buy what he's been hearing that Florida doesn't regard the Vols as a marquee rival any more.
"I pretty much bet you they are in the film room studying and having very hard intense practices for us,'' he said.
"This is still 'the' game, and it's always going to be.''
And this year he'll be in it, trying to make the play that makes a difference.
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
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Comments » 157
volsoutwest writes:
Go Mark and Go Vols.
volsoutwest writes:
Sorry, Gerald
Voldawg24 writes:
get em Gerald!!! GO VOLS!!!!
chrisw2967 writes:
we all know G. Jones is a playmaker , just get him the ball
DennisVols writes:
Don't be surprised if you see a package involving Berry on offense. I saw him in HS as a QB and he can do great things from that position, good arm and the way he can take off and run makes Tebow look like he is standing still.
dvols writes:
they see me rollin, they hatin...
utkedu writes:
I hope we don't need to use the G-Gun or WildBerry formations. We are best served if we can run the ball out of our standard formations, but if this is what it takes to win, run the single wing for all I care.
rootin4volz writes:
Hear me...we have the talent to beat the Gators on this Tennessee team! Believe! And give your all for Tennessee on Saturday from the stands! The 12th man might just break Jones, or Berry, or Creer, or Rogan free for a huge game-changing play! GO VOLS BEAT THE GatorS!!!!!!!
cobbwebb writes:
a wise man (dr. lou holtz) once said "the team with the most points doesnt always win the game". if you dont believe him
just ask Tennessee def. coordinator joe chavez,or former qb cody clawsen! and to think notre dame just erected a statue of this knucklehead! i know this is off topic, but am i the only one who really doesnt like lou holtz?
xvolx writes:
bamablows. no, your not the only one. cant stand the little pipsqueak.
xvolx writes:
tenn. off. line stinks. fla. def. will live in tenn. backfield.
utkedu writes:
BamaBlows - Agree 100%. I actually had to sit in a corporate function through one hour of him doing a motivational speech. It was painful, not only because he was boring, but also his lisp got more pronounced as his speech went on. It was like sitting through one of those aweful ESPN pep talks without being able to change the channel.
RJ_Vol writes:
For an entire year, we have had to listen about the 59. In two more days, that chapter is OVER. In two more days, we have a chance to make Neyland a place to be reckoned with. Get to the campus early. Go to the Vol walk. Get in the stadium early. Be loud during warm-ups, be loud during the game, be loud after the game. Make the rivets in the stadium buzz. Let's wake up the echoes. Auburn '85. Georgia '07. Florida '98. It's time to go "old school" with the noise. ROCKY TOP, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE HOME SWEET HOME TO MEEEEE!!! GOOD OL' ROCKY TOP, ROCKY TOP TENNESSEE, ROCKY TOP TENNESSEE!!!
Good night.
vols1314 writes:
I hope we sing that a lot Saturday RJ_VOL! Man i'm young and never has been this excited anout a game like this one. Just have a feeling.............
hcjournals#206623 writes:
If you see the crowd needs to get fired up and you are in a section that's not getting into it enough, stand up turn around, wave your arms and say, very loudly, "get up....get up." You'll be amazed at how many people stand up. Do it with a smile on your face and make sure it is for a big play where we are trying to stop Florida. It will help a lot.....
mbible1utk#324980 writes:
I like the way Gerald Jones is handling this much better than how Casey Clausen handled missing the Georgia game that one year (the one where he said that if he had been in there instead of James Banks we would have won).
If we will start off the game by putting them on the ropes, I fully believe we have a shot to be there at the end, but we need to set a precedent of expecting the unexpected... because Tennessee "doing their thing" won't cut it against Florida.
I think maybe go bland on the first play of the game to dull them, but that second play, pull something out of the bag of tricks and let's tense them up to the point where they have so many things to watch for, that we can run our offense like we need to run it.
VOLKING writes:
We HAVE to get started fast and get out on top. Florida always has tried to get a big play early on us and 90% of the time it works. We get demoralized and out of our game plan (i.e. stop running the ball) and have to play catch-up. They want to take the crowd out of it. We CANNOT let that happen. No matter what. Strike hard, strike fast and don't let up...offense, defense and crowd. I'll be there....and I guarantee you that Sunday, I won't have a voice left. GO VOLS!!!
newtonrail writes:
We have players that are close to Florida's in talent, if not better in some cases, except QB and LB. We would be in better shape at QB if Tenn would give #2 Backup playing time regardless of score. Would Crompton be Tebow? No, but he has a good skill set that hasn't been game tested enough. Remember how much Tebow played as a Freshman, and not just as Single Wing RB? Our WRs, except for speed, are close to Florida's. They just have to run precise routes, and Crompton has to hit them. Will They Give Their All For Tennessee Saturday? I hope so. I'll be cheering my head off. Wish I could get my wife to do the same. She thinks it's like an Opera or something.
GatorHater326 writes:
Defense... play like this tomorrow and no one will doubt.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku_kcL...
GatorHater326 writes:
Offense .. this is a look of the good ole days we talk about here on this site... play like this and we'll all be happy... you especially http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3vsfU...
MrBamSeydu writes:
It's like when you find a snake in your backyard and your dad tells you "That snake is more afraid of you than you are of it...." and then it bites the piss out of you and you have to be rushed to the ER.
I'm glad our team REALLY thinks UF is scared of us at all. In my mind, they're the snake and we're going to be sitting in the ER Saturday night.
MidTennVol writes:
An apology to Coaches Slade, Chavis and Fulmer (sorry for the long post):
After the UCLA game, I was one of the loudest critics on these boards of the so-called "prevent" defense, which I felt was responsible for our 4th-quarter collapse defensively against UCLA.
I posted several times on here blaming the coaches' decision to back off the LOS in the 4th quarter and go into what I called the "prevent" or "soft zone" or "bend but don't break" defense.
But it began to bother me. Did I really know what I was saying? Did I really see what I thought I saw? Do I really know what a "prevent" defense is? Or a cover-2 defense?
I thought I saw our DBs playing far back off the LOS in the 4th quarter, essentially giving UCLA the short pass. I thought I saw them playing a "soft zone" and not playing man-to-man.
I watched that game again yesterday - every single snap. And I want to apologize to the coaches and the team because I was wrong.
Our DBs consistently played 5-8 yards off the line when down and distance called for it. They played up tight, right on the LOS, in short-yardage situations. This goes for the entire game.
Only once did I see our DBs line up behind the first-down marker: with less than a minute left, they lined up 6 yards off the LOS when UCLA had it 2nd and 1.
UCLA drove the ball twice in the 4th quarter by picking on our LBs in the middle -- primarily with the slant, again and again. They threw short screens to the middle, a curl down the middle, hitting again and again underneath.
Having watched our defense again, I didn't see any real change in our defensive alignment in the 4th quarter; UCLA just found a seam down the middle and continued to exploit it.
I don't know as much about football as I'd like to think and should have kept my mouth shut. Was I watching a "prevent" defense, a "soft zone?" A cover-2 alignment? Something else?
It seemed to me that when a receiver went wide, we always had DB on him. And Norm Chow chose to do something different late in the game, which worked well.
I apologize to the coaches and team for shooting my mouth off when I didn't really know what I was talking about.
MidTennVol writes:
BTW, we really didn't look as bad as I originally thought. Yes, Crompton made some mistakes (as did the entire offense), and we certainly didn't look game-ready, but there were an awful of of plays made too.
And all you folks complaining about Crompton never throwing deep, he did that four times (30+ yards) in the UCLA game. Only one was caught.
MidTennVol writes:
AND Vols by at least 3 tomorrow. Take it to Vegas.
westtennvol15 writes:
jones and creer need to take over this game they will be the best athletes on the field...thank the good lord they are on our side
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Sometimes it pays to feel lucky about something. And where do you get that lucky feeling from, it's something you just want to have going for you. Maybe this Jones kid, can bring us some luck, just for the fun of it. And scare the living daylights out of that Tebow guy! Make 'em sweat a bit, and then blow 'em out of the water. We can do it.
threehundredbowler writes:
Denmark,there are a lot of us that shoot our mouth off when we don't know what we are talking about.That is why we are not coaches altho some think they know more about coaching than the coaches.To be sure there are coaches better than others.There are also people working in each of our field of work that could perform circles around us.Let us take care of our job and let the coaches take care of theirs.Many times we keep our employees around ,for under performing,a lot longer than we likely should because they show promise and we are hopeing for a breakout performance.Same way with coaches.However,we sometimes wait too long to make a change.Same with coaches.Maybe Tennessee needs to start thinking about some changes if they haven't already.Any way,let us do our job and let the coaches and the administration do theirs.Go VOLS.
Volalumnus writes:
I don't care if it is the players or the coaches.
Take care of it on the field and quit worrying about the papers. TN doesn't deserve respect. If got to take it on the field.
16 out of the last 22 is ridiculous.
Volalumnus writes:
Time for the players to be mad and be mad for 62.5 minutes, because the coaching isn't going to get it done.
NoMoreWooAfterGoodOleRockyTop writes:
Don't feel bad GJ, our genious coaching staff wouldn't have let you on the field last year even if you had been 100%. See, at UT, the most talented players usually see little, if any, PT at all. And if Harvin and/or Moreno had chosen to come to UT, they also would've been sitting ride beside of you. Who could blame the staff for wanting to have A Rog and J Briscoe in the game anyway? Those guys know the system, blocking assignments, etc. That is why UT has a combined rushing total of 26 yards vs UF in the past two years (-11 in ’06 and 37 last year). Stay the course and continue to work like heck. 7 more wins and all will be OK. New contracts and extensions for all!
Volalumnus writes:
Doesn't matter if someone cares more about applesauce than anyone else, doesn't mean they should be selling applesauce. If the applesauce they sell isn't good it isn't good and if the teams on the field are not in the same league as the top teams they face then they shouldn't be coaching the Vols.
16 out of the last 22
dirtdobber1 writes:
Lets save Brandon Warren til his Junior year against Alabama...then we can start throwing balls his way...for now let just concentrate on one thing and one thing only.....
MUSTANG PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dirtdobber1 writes:
Volfan5521-
example 1. Brandon Warren- all-american tight end- against UAB we were throwing to the other tight end who dropped 4 right in his hands.
example 2. Jamal Lewis- we saved him until after Florida game a few years ago.
example 3.- Jason Whitten- he didnt catch a pass until the Alabama game his junior year.
example 4. Peyton Manning- the best qb of all time spent 4 years handing the ball off to rb's straight up the middle.
mbible1utk#324980 writes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku_kcL...
someone posted this video earlier in the thread, but seriously, this is what we need from the defense... we need to play like a bunch of punks. I loved watching those hits against Florida, but in general, I loved watching Al Wilson just drill those QB's on an unchallenged blitz. If we'll play like that and let Tebow spend more time on his butt than on his feet, we might be able to survive a shoddy offensive effort. But between the bench and the turf,we need Tebow on his butt grabbing his sore ribs.
dirtdobber1 writes:
Volfan5521- Wow! You said a mouthful!
BYU - 59
UCLA- 0
orangebloodgmc writes:
Yeah, we're the underdogs, but we can play a little offense and a little defense. I believe special teams and defensive touchdowns will decide this game. Geaux Vawls!
dirtdobber1 writes:
Volfan5521- you are correct...we didnt play BYU.
UCLA- 27
UT- 24
VOLinDAWGland writes:
Classy as usual TDTN.
KENVOL writes:
Wouldn't the G-Gun be great to see on the first play of the game and he throws for an 80 yard TD.
Go4Two writes:
Dirt
Were you one of the CPF haters calling for the Old Ball coach to come to Tennessee. 22-18 overall since taking over the Gamecocks and 11-15 in the SEC. Lost 7 of the last 8 games can you say Super Genius. Now that's turning a program around
dirtdobber1 writes:
Volfan5521- isnt it time for your milk break? Are you in jail? or do you just have phooey for brains? If you think this team is improving from the last few years, then that is phooey coming out of your ears. You take your knowledge of football and your obama sticker and stick it up your a_ _!
Ironcity writes:
DenMark your half right. The DB's did play up however the coaches do deserve blame and in particular Chavis. Our blitzes are so poorly disguised that teams can easily pick them up. When we blitz our DB's back off thus giving the slant. In recent years teams completed about 50 of these a year. Its time we design our blitzes differently and we design how we defend behind the blitz differently. There is a predictability to our Dee that good teams have learned to exploit. Doubt will see any changes this week but maybe Chavis will make some changes that surprise UF.
dirtdobber1 writes:
mikevol- are you an s.o.b? The vols looked great last year againt Cal, Bamer(volfan5521) and the Gators! The football program is on a upswing!
This years team is very organized!
Cant wait for Basketball season to get here!
vol4gzus writes:
xvolx= x on anything positive about the VOLS. Can't be a VOL fan and continually live in negative land. I'm serious I don't recall anything positive from your postings.
Driving to Rocky Top this afternoon and will support Vols. Go Gerald and team give your all for Tennessee and we hope it will be enough.
dirtdobber1 writes:
MIKEVOL- no Im not a CPF hater...But I refuse to join any cults like the branch dividians or Jim Jones organizations. I refuse to drink the Kool-Aid!
waterskier3#226480 writes:
go vols!! the day before the biggest game of the year for us... and not a lot of reason to think we can pull this one out... the only and only reason we will look better because it is fla and everyone should take it to the next level.... not sure if that will be enough but that is the only hope. we know if the players don't make it happen the coaches can't.. lol...............
10ACVOL writes:
All this is, is a feel good article. All this would be true of Gerald, if he was used like he was a "BIG PLAYMAKER" for the vols...he would be better than Mr. Percy.
There lies the problem, #4 is being handcuffed by unimaginative coaching. Sure, the G-gun is exciting, but not when everybody in the world (including Mike Hamilton's fantasy Hi-Def audience) know exactly what is going to happen. He will not throw the ball, he will take the snap and run towards the line...every time.
I've heard Urban talk about how they gameplan by allotting how many touches each of their playmakers will get. He's said that Harvin will get at least 20 touches on Saturday...how many will Gerald Jones get? 20? Not a chance on God's green earth.
mm29680#645909 writes:
Lou Holtz has had an NCAA investigation after every school he coached. How many times has that little idiot beaten Tennessee? He always picks the other team...well 9 out of 10 times. I have friends who have played for him and they tell me he is cold and cruel to his players, especially the ones who get injured. Fire him, ESPN. He's an embarassment to your show.
volguy41nlouisiana writes:
Vol Fans...Please do not feed the monkeys. Scat will start to fly soon. Again, step away from the cages and do not feed the monkeys...LOL....in related news...GUCK THE FATORS..... Go out there and dominate boys. Give Tennessee your all...
chrslyp writes:
how many people thought colorado would beat a good west virginia team at home?
ut can win this game.
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