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Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin emphasized the importance of speed at Tuesday’s media conference. And he wasn’t referring to his players.
He was talking about play-calling.
"I pride myself on being extremely fast at it," said Kiffin, who will call plays from the sideline in his first season as UT’s head coach. "I memorize most of the call sheet, so I only have to look at it sometimes.
"Four seconds is a big deal. If you hesitate and wait four seconds, that’s four less seconds (the quarterback) has at the line of scrimmage. So I get it to him as fast as can be to give him more time at the line of scrimmage."
Kiffin called plays as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders and as an offensive coordinator at Southern California. Although he will continue to call plays at UT, he will rely heavily on his staff, particularly offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, who was a longtime play caller at Purdue.
"It’s easier (to call plays) upstairs (in the presss box)," Kiffin said. "Your windows are shut, you have a much better view of everything and there are no distractions.
"At Southern Cal, I was up (in the press box). It gives you a calm environment (and someone) that’s looking at it in a different way than you are down there."
As a play caller at USC, Kiffin got plenty of assistance from fellow assistant coach Steve Sarkisian, who is now the head coach at Washington. He expects plenty of input from Chaney, who has NFL experience.
"He’s so smart, and he’s done it," Kiffin said of Chaney. "It’s not an easy thing to do.
"There are people who know a lot of football and are really good coaches, but they can’t game-day call at all. There’s an art to it. There’s an art and a rhythym to it, and you can’t freeze.
"The faster you are at it, the better your players will play."
Kiffin said the Vols will use wrist bands and signals from the sideline to call plays. Quarterbacks coach David Reaves will relay the plays to the quarterback from the sideline.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com
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Comments » 28
JBVols1698 writes:
I hope our offense is improved on last year... it would be hard not to be
TommyJack writes:
Maybe he has thought of this.
UTVol39 writes:
I'm sure CLK never thought of this. Maybe he should hire you as his special advisor since you obviously know so much about the game of football, calling plays, and managing the game. What would he do without you?
Some people never cease to amaze me...and not in a good way.
QDog writes:
Go Vols !!! The best coaching staff in college football.
rockytop#413695 writes:
Obviously, you are the dummy in this situation! The QB will be wearing wrist bans with the plays. No need for a fake play caller. Fulmer sent in the play with signals so it was necessary to have a dummy caller. With wristbands he can call signals like a baseball coach would. Having a sign for the real signal and the rest just a bunch of fake ones. He gets the number to the QB who checks his wrist for the play. He can switch up the "key" signal anytime and the opposition will have no idea. Wish you were smart enough to know something about football before you open your mouth!
JBVol writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
1974Vol writes:
Same premise as a third base coach in BB. You only have one of those! You have "live signs" that you give before the real play is called. The rest may be real signs but they are ignored. Same thing applies at the line of scrimmage. The QB usually indicates "live" audibles with a color or number that indicates the next play he calls is real. Ususally the coach on the sideline flashes in 2-3 plays or even "nonsense" signals. What your QB looks for is the "live" sign which indicates the next signal is the play to run. You can also have numbers that correspond to a play on the QB's wrist band. Unless you have the key (same thing that's on QB's wrist band) you can't know what play will be run. Even if
the other ream could intercept the call getting a defense called and into the game before the ball is snapped would be a challenge. The 2008 Vols suffered way more from poor execution than poor play calling. Not that the play calling was great but you saw the passing game. You thing play calling is the remedy for that?
Rockford writes:
It will be so awesome to see something new. Seemed like we ran the same five plays last year.
givehim6 writes:
I am excited abuot this year for one reason. Last year, I forget who said it,I think it was a UGA player. Anyway said UT was so predictable defences knew what play UT would run just by the way they would line up. New plays coming, better chances to score.
1974Vol writes:
That's about all the 1960's Packers ran and they were pretty good. The three most important things for an offense are Execution, Execution, and Execution. Here we come and you can't stop us!
SLOBBER_knocker_U writes:
Just give me 3 1/2 yards and a cloud of dust! and an occasional deep ball for 6 and a cloud of dust!
46 MORE DAYS!!!
newtonrail writes:
Certainly not defending Fulmer, but we have had the wristbands as long as I can remember. Ainge referred to them a lot. I remember Heath Shular using them also. I know Peyton does with the Colts, but honestly don't remember what he did here. As far as "dummy" signalers", we had three sending in signals when Trooper was here. They would switch on who was "live".
DennisVols writes:
It was easy tp predict UT's plays the past few years. They ran the same plays every game the same way. I remember once a couple years ago the announcer calling the game told what UT was about to do by the way they lined up at scrimmage. I thought to myself then if the announcers who only call a couple of game involving UT a year can figure this out how can the other team not know. Needless to say he was right and the defense played the ball well and we gained 4 yards on a 3rd and 8 short pass to the right side.
The advantage this year is this is a new system and with each game it will grow as the players develop their abilites in the new offensive schemes.
Volunatic writes:
Aw now, give him a chance. Maybe it was just the Clawful Clawfense that was causing Crompton's troubles. It sure doesn't help when there are O-linemen looking around for someone to block as their QB is getting clobbered behind them just moments after getting the snap.
invisiblekid writes:
Only an amateur poster with a limited football IQ would make these type of comments.
utvols1969 writes:
I agree. I got so frustrated watching them go up the middle on 1st down for 2 yards, around the end on 2nd down for 2 more yards, and then an incomplete pass on 3rd down. Boring!!!!
1974Vol writes:
None that worked - see 4th quarter Auburn game
croweman writes:
Have a question: Can someone tell me where I can find the Orange and White Checked Overalls? Having a problem finding them.
ShadowVol writes:
Are you dumb or what? Of course he can't snap the ball half the time. He a QB not a center.
bobbarbilly writes:
You are half-right.
snafu14u#241639 writes:
With our QB and depleted recieveing corp the only calls will be "handoff right" and "handoff left". And with the right O-line that works. But I also wonder if that understanding hurts our QB recruiting. Just a thought. bonzaivol
senracjr writes:
Scroggins is going to be a Vol.....mark it down!
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
hope you're right, sen, but on another thread someone reported the west coast media is reporting he is staying at USC.
Orangeblood13 writes:
nah
TnScooby writes:
LMAO....
transplantiam writes:
Has anyone noticed that ESPN doesn't give any kudo's to UT in most all their stories? I have been following Scroggins some on ESPN, as well as west coast papers. One of the latest on Scroggins, referencing the 7 on 7's, said JS was even looking to possibly compete with Barkley for starter at USC. The next sentence says JS was recruited by all the major schools , mentioning Fl and USC. Then ESPN finally mentioned that Tn. had also recruited him also, just one mention in a lengthy story, and then went back to praising USC, saying Fl had an outside chance and UM had commented that He "might think about going to a Pro-style offense" in the future. Nothing more about our great UT! GO VOLS!!!
ibvolman writes:
yep, snapping the ball is generally the center's job there wise one
ibvolman writes:
Not at all. Numerous signals can come in, all signifying a valid play from the call sheet. However, only one will be the live play. The QB knows which play to actually run by a key signal that immediatly precedes the live play. There can be several key signals in use. The system is really difficult for opposing teams to decipher.
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