Told you Florida would kill 'em.
Right here. Last week.
"Florida will kill 'em," I wrote.
Florida 30, Tennessee 6. Am I good at this, or what?
Although, to be fair, I didn't see Florida having the game wrapped up in the first quarter. I didn't see Tennessee turning the ball over twice inside the 5-yard-line. I certainly didn't see Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton walking into the press conference afterward and announcing, "We should have won the ballgame, in my opinion."
Should have won what ballgame, Jonathan? UCLA?
Y'all should have won that one. This one, you should have, well, you should have shown up. That would have been nice. A crowd of 106,138 did.
Or maybe you heard them, booing. Your teammate Robert Ayers called them "people that probably never played the game."
So now Volunteer players are ripping Volunteer fans. It sure is getting rocky on Rocky Top.
For the record, head coach Phillip Fulmer sided with the fans on this one.
"A couple things, I'd probably boo, too," he said.
Just a couple? Wherever to begin? With the hideous play on special teams? With the bone-headed penalties? With the three crushing turnovers?
Wait, I know! With the breathtakingly awful sequence at the end of the first half!
Florida already led 17-zip at that point, but the Vols found themselves with a first-and-goal at the Florida 5-yard-line with 1:13 left.
They'd pound the ball into the end zone and be right back in the game, clearly. If Tennessee football stands for anything, it's the ability to get those tough yards.
Montario Hardesty slammed it down to the 1. Then Hardesty carried again for no gain.
Still, there were 29 seconds left on the clock. Plenty of time left to score.
Except, Tennessee dithered.
"I don't really know what happened," said Crompton.
"We wasted too much time," Fulmer said.
Tick, tick, tick. The clock ran down to 16 seconds. Then -- and only then -- did Tennessee take a timeout.
On third down, Crompton threw incomplete. On fourth down, Crompton rolled out and threw an interception to the middle of the field.
So with the game in the balance, with the ball on the 1-yard-line, the mighty Vols coaching staff thoroughly botched the clock and then put the ball in the hands of its overmatched quarterback.
Small wonder Fulmer took the blame for this one.
"That loss is on me," he said. "I'm a big boy, broad shoulders."
They had better well be. The man has now lost four straight to Florida. The last two have been by 39 and 24 points. In between, he lost by 24 to Alabama.
But, hey, with the fancy new contract Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton gave Fulmer during the offseason, he's just seven wins away from an automatic roll-over!
That decision looks nuttier every day, doesn't it? If the idea was to end the Fulmer-must-go discussion, it's not going to work.
Tennessee has now lost to a team with less talent (UCLA) and to a team with more talent (Florida). And Fulmer keeps saying, "That's not us."
What does that mean, anyway? At what point does a team become what the team actually does on the field?
The Vols are 20-25 against ranked teams since 1998. They've lost at least four games each of the last three years. They've slipped in recruiting, lost their offensive identity and they no longer even compete with Florida.
Tennessee fans didn't even bother to boo an instant replay call that reversed a touchdown in the third quarter. By the fourth quarter, most of them had, you know, remembered they had hi-definition TV back home.
The Gators celebrated. Fulmer tried to explain.
"We were uptight or something, because that's not us," he said.
Sorry, coach, but it is.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 120
VolCane7979 writes:
Welp, Robert, I don't think you guys were playing the game either!!!! Zing!!!!
gobigorange1 writes:
Hey Hamilton, what would you have said to me in 1998 if I had told you that, 10 years later, Tennessee football would be almost irrelevant in the eastern division, Fulmer, Chavis and the coaching staff couldn't even coach the kids to compete in the SEC, the players were so undiciplined that they'd average 50-80 yards worth of penalties a game and, after a loss and a sub-par performance, they'd rip the fans in post-game interviews? What would you have said?
murrayvol writes:
Next week - Auburn. They're really angry down on the plains and in no mood to lose to anyone, let alone Tennessee.
The words of GerryOP keep ringing in my ear. "If we make it through September." Gerry, we ain't gonna make it.
If we should lose to Arrrrrrburn (which is likely), to close out a 1-3 Sept. slate, what's the over/under for the UNI crowd?
DennisVols writes:
Well it is sad to say but that is UT football. You cannot defend it, there are no more excuses that could be considered acceptable.
I don't see the 7 more wins for a roll over though. Right now I can't imagine beating Vandy or KY even.
It is a sad day for UT football and unless Fulmer retires I don't see the university coughing up the 35+ million this contract would cost to fire him.
What a tangled web we weave.
Snakebrown13 writes:
Sad but true. All that Crompton has shown us so far is that he is out of touch and unable to lead/manage this team. I like the guy and all, but at this stage he isn't the answer. Do us a favor Coach - put in Stephens. Or Coleman.
What do you have to lose?
TommyJack writes:
Still, there were 29 seconds left on the clock. Plenty of time left to score.
Except, Tennessee dithered.
"I don't really know what happened," said Crompton.
"We wasted too much time," Fulmer said.
Tick, tick, tick. The clock ran down to 16 seconds. Then -- and only then -- did Tennessee take a timeout.
This was the most revealing aspect showcasing the lack of coaching. A jr. high coach would not have wasted the clock like this. How can you not put this on Fulmer or Clawson?
There was another example near the end of the 3rd quarter (I think) where we wasted about 10 seconds and didn't get a play off before the end of the quarter. These kinds of mistakes are unforgivable.
Very revealing....Something is terribly worng here.
TommyJack writes:
Has the CPF tv show aired yet? Someone please advise what he said. thanks
wyomingvol writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
wyomingvol writes:
How long is the 'Pearl Pass' valid for Hamilton?
Unfortunate for the boos, but when you drive/pay/torture ones' self to watch that POS that the football team tries to call a game, over and over..... YOU ARE GOING TO GET BOOED"
No Robert Ayers, they probably never played the game,,,, and they still were smart enough to recognize an UNDER ACHIEVING BUNCH OF BABY HEAD CASES and POOR COACHING.
Go drink the electric kool-aid with Crompton.
VolCane7979 writes:
Oh, come on. Don't put the blame on Hamilton for the crappy play. Ticket prices, ok, but not the unprepared, uninspired play of the team. That's on the coaches. Now... should he have extended Fulmer after one sweat-it-out skin-of-our-teeth SEC championship appearance? No.
TommyJack writes:
OK, fair enough. But Hamilton DOES hold the keys to the future.
eaglessk#458162 writes:
AL WILSON sure worked,hugh? And just think, we go to AUBURN next week.HAHA.ANOTHER BIG "L".This is going to be a LOOOOOOOOONG year!!!! Any1 want any tickets to the UNI game?FREE
pammyvol1000 writes:
Geoff, you hit this one right on the head!
" It is ..what it is"!
pammyvol1000 writes:
7 more wins.. We can only dream about that one.
jmbigorange#280428 writes:
If you look back in the 90s all Fulmer had to compete with in the SEC was Spurrier. Granted Spurrier owned Fulmer. Now we have Meyer, Saban, Richt, Tuberville, Miles etc. Now we are finding out that Fulmer and Chavis are average coaches at best. I just can't figure out why Hamilton can't see it. We have talent. Maybe not as much as UF at the some positions but with a solid coach this is very fixable. Look at UF from Zook to Meyer.We hire a good coach we can win.
DenverVol writes:
Great article Calkins. Gettin' a little sick of Knox News writers taking it easy on Fulmer. Glad to see someone stepping up and telling it like it is.
I bought a ticket a couple of months ago to fly in to see the MSU game. Really wishing I hadn't spent that money now! Man it's tough being a UT fan lately.
Retiredvol writes:
YES Fulmer the loss is yours and UCLA too. Crompton what the hell are you smoking? The worst 5 star quarterback we have had at Tennesse in over 20 years. My pick at the beginning of the season was 6-6. Now I don't think they are good enough to play in a bowl game. My other prediction losses to Florida, Auburn, Georgia and Alabama by a minimum of 20 points. Thanks Tennessee I made a grand in Las Vegas taking Florida and 7 1/2. If you can't win I will make money off the depleted talent and stupid mistakes made by the enept coaching and players on this 2008 football team. Absoulutely embarassing!! Get rid of these losers once and for all.
cltvol writes:
New strategy. The Costanza method. Do the opposite for Auburn week. Do not practice,,go to clubs. Do not study,,start fights on campus instead. Get 10-12 players arrested, off-season record too clean. Game plan for UAB --which is dyslexic spelling of AUB. Do not fly to Plains,,charter a wagon train. Ice Cream, cookies, pizza, and beer for pre-game meal. Band plays Gin & Juice, not Rocky Top. Ride half-time walkiing horse backwards like Dudley Doright. Hold press conferences with all freshmnen speakers saying we beat FL 30-6. The TV and 106,000 witnesses were wrong. The opposite method will work. It got George traveling secretary job with the NY YANKEES, JERRY!!!
volnmdtn writes:
Quote of the day from ESPN's Chris Low:
"Tennessee...a program that becomes less and less relevant on the national stage with each embarrassing defeat"
Does this not say it all!!
How much longer are the men in change of the football program at U.T. going to allow this to go on?
gslaton#227127 writes:
This looks and sounds like last year. Let's let'em play it out to year-end and see what happens. How many "fans" thought they would be in Atlanta last year? I still say it comes down to recruiting the best players.(duh)Florida,FSU, and Miami, with only decent coaching should be top 10 or 20 teams every year! Competition for players has worked against UT (their fault or not). Look how hard UT works to attract great defensive linemen. UT used to be known for defense. A coach once said about Bear Bryant's skill that "he can take his'n and beat your'n and take your'n and beat his'n". These days I don't think so.
VolCane7979 writes:
For a few more years at least. His buyout is huge. It'll take empty seats and fan outrage to the Xth degree to make a change any sooner..... and even that might not be enough to make a change after this year.
VolCane7979 writes:
I'm with you on all counts, man.
SFOrange writes:
90,000 (quoted)--65,500 (actual). Sad times in a great venue.
vol52 writes:
I believe Crompton does not have a clue just like Hamilton. Bench on and fire the other. If Hamilton does nothing we can e-mail the University President. I'em sure Hamilton would like that!
gritthater writes:
With my mind on my money and my money on my mind
DennisVols writes:
On top of that TSN is sayign UT is a fraud and that if they played in the Pac-10 they would finish behind the Wash. teams.
How is it that everyone else knows what the university won't accept.
krheavol writes:
would phil step down or is he going to make them buy him out? Pretty much what is more important to him the love of the program or the money!!
jobrando#216494 writes:
Coach Fulmer on the TV show said "shot ourselves in the foot", and "got to work like heck to eliminate those sort of things". He seemed calm and composed and like a man ready to move forward to Auburn nexk week. Sorry, no hint as to leaving.
tenndave writes:
First let me say, that I too have begun to doubt our future as a team. Now that being said, if you told evryone on Friday that Tn would hold Fla to 250yds total offense, wouldn't you have been excited too. If we can't hold a team under 28 points while only giving up 250 we are in deep do do. Even Wyoming should be expected to gain 250 yds.
Big time problems ahead. Can Eric Berry switch to quarterback, and put a stable of d backs running the ball. Whatever you do, CHANGE SOMETHING!! I thought we were supposed to be developing a wide open offense. Looks like same old, same old to me.
RomanRoomRegular writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
mankind writes:
It looks like Fulmer got Johnny Majors playbook out of the UT Vault and went by it verbatim... UT needs to cut their loss and get rid of Fulmer and quit hiring from the Vol alumni and go outside of big orange country to get a coach..Couldnt hurt
TommyJack writes:
Too true, Geoff.
Note to Calkins: I wouldn't gloat too much about your prediction. Not a very long limb you crawled out on.
TommyJack writes:
Rich: He did not! Really? What else? (don't get show)
99gator writes:
I certainly didn't see Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton walking into the press conference afterward and announcing, "We should have won the ballgame, in my opinion."
no point dancing around the truth anymore. crompton is one of the biggest idiots walking the face of the earth.
keep this kid away from all members of the media.
what an absolute moron.
TommyJack writes:
yeah, they seriously should put a gag order on him. He hurts himself and the team with his pie-hole.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
errr, TJ, I think he said "we're going to work like heck while staying the course as I study the charts while not forgetting (hehe)that 8 is enuf".
Then he went on to discuss the Aubie Tiggers as his next conquest.
Also, mentioned something about Mikey The H, being the smartest AD around.
99gator writes:
i figured tennessee would struggle early with the new system. i also figured that tennessee would miss ainge and realize that crompton is a first year starting qb.
however, handling the qb-center exchange, not bumping into the running backs, offensive lineman being set and then standing up......these things i did not think would be a problem.
TommyJack writes:
Swell
utfan15govols writes:
Actually when stephens did play in the uab game, i did notice he played with confidence, that is something crompton doesn't have. Confidence beats talent(?) everytime!
99gator writes:
more bad news.....
vandy is ranked. #25
wyomingvol writes:
It is bad when we are getting sympathy from the enemy..
Right on with Your Anlysis 99Gator.
I have been saying since 2006, if Crompton plays half as good as he thinks he is and says he is, we will be OK..
Well, he can't and isn't. A true,,,, MMmmmm MMmmmaa,,,, MMoooooron.
I was at the UCLA game, in the endzone, watching him do his little nervous behind center, I got to pee before the snap, dance made me sick. He stinks.
wyomingvol writes:
Great TNgeoff, I took the same stuff Cromptdaddy took before the game,,, That was a saweet vid.
And Yes, even in Mop up duty (All UAB's team qualifies as mop up duty), Stephens looked way sharper than Cromptdiddy.
He stinks.
asand211#361548 writes:
Maybe I'm completely wrong here but I think that the absence of Cutcliffe(after 1998 and present) expose Fulmer for the poser that he really is. Cutcliffe is the one who defeated UGA for the entire decade of the 90's and for the last two years. He is the one who turned Ainge around after an awful 2005 season and told him to lose the earring and get a haircut. He is the one who instilled some discipline back in the team. I know many do not think Cutcliffe's game plans were great but he is ten tiers above what we have now. Fulmer should have been sent to Duke and Cutcliffe held on to.
The problem is that Fulmer will not be replaced even when we lose 5 more games....and that will happen. He will be back here next year and next year we'll be in this same discussion. Hamilton does not have the cahunas to get rid of him but make no mistake the top financial donors at UT are more than ready to buy out Fulmer's contract.
People have also said on this blog that no good coach wants to come to Tennessee and rebuild but that is exactly what Saban did at Alabama and they have another butt whipping in store for us this year.
TommyJack writes:
Well I've never seen anyone say that no good coach wants to come here. TN is STILL one of the premier jobs in the country. Plenty of guys would kill for this job.
Volalumnus writes:
Time to loose Fulmer
jobrando#216494 writes:
My sentiments also...If they would boycott then next year he would be gone
brat52 writes:
Coaching maybe to blame for some of the problem, but my contention is that a school can hire the best coach and coaching staff that money can buy, BUT the players have to bring the rest of it to the table. Truth is, our public schools, from elementary on up, have dropped the ball from discipline to academics, and we fuss and cuss the coaches?! Sad truth is, the youth of today can't focus because they don't know how. Their brains and DNA was damaged by their parents use of drugs and drinking, and refusal to discipline their kids. So we all suffer the embarrassment of mediocre players like we get now. Guess what, it will be worse. This is the generation that will be caring for us who are 45 and older. Best of luck Coach Fulmer with the brain dead and DNA altered selection you get to select future players from!
volnmdtn writes:
Most vol fans that have not had their heads in the sand have seen this coming for several years, now it is too late. We are NO LONGER an elite football program, we are not getting the elite football players. We are not getting elite football coaching. All of this is due to Coach Fulmer holding on to his cash cow of a coaching position at U.T. I do not personally hate Fulmer, back in the 90's he did many good things for our program, but the game has passed him by and he will not let go. Also, the man who has kept Fulmer in his position, Mr. Hamilton is the main cause for our present situation. If this change had been made years earlier, we would not be in the position we are in now. I just hope that if Coach Fulmer is
ousted as our coach that Mr. Hamilton goes out the front door with him.
WYLOVER writes:
i'm tired of everyone saying our talent is down and that is why we can't win. LSU and Auburn do not have lights out players at qb and other skill positions but both teams seem to have a knowledge of how to win. we can't win because our coaching staff is looking backwards all of the time. Miles lets his guys put themselves at risk of losing....which is why they win.
We need to get new speed coaches in. Our D is just not quick like it was in the past. Maybe it is taking the wrong angles instead of just lack of speed but something is wrong.
the LSU - Auburn game last night is what the SEC is about. UT should move to the ACC because we are not worthy.
asand211#361548 writes:
Brat52, are you kidding me? If those problems with today's youth are everywhere then why is it so concentrated in Knoxville and not in other places like.....say....Gainesville? That arguement holds no water. Once those young men walk on campus and enter the football program at Tennessee they are the responsiblity of the coaches. When they are clearly unprepared for a football game, which was clearly evident by boneheaded penalties and missed assignments, that is is no way related to their parents or society. The coaching has fallen behind and if the last 8 years aren't proof enough I'll give you my prediction that we'll have another losing season this year and probably next as well.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.