The Vols can forget about a possible top-25 finish or a New Year's Day bowl.
Ole Miss played a game worthy of its preseason billing. Tennessee played a game worthy of last season.
You know what that means. The Vols can forget about a possible top-25 finish or a New Year's Day bowl.
The Vols looked like a tired, overmatched team in a 42-17 loss to the Rebels on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway. Worse yet, they looked more like the wayward bunch that stumbled through a 5-7 season in 2008 than the team that has made so much progress over the last month.
UT rarely resembled the team that had won three of its last four games, improved its record to 5-4 and almost upset third-ranked Alabama. And Ole Miss looked more like the team with a consensus top-10 preseason ranking than the one that has already lost three SEC games.
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The difference between the two was magnified every time a player tried to tackle Dexter McCluster of Ole Miss.
Have you ever seen one player embarrass a UT defense in such spectacular fashion? Not even in Florida's finest hour against UT did Danny Wuerffel or Tim Tebow or Percy Harvin or Jacquez Green make so many Vols look so foolish.
McCluster rushed for 282 yards while demonstrating speed, defender-defying moves and way more power than you would expect from someone listed at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds.
No one has ever rushed for that many yards for Ole Miss. And no one has ever rushed for that many yards against UT.
Not bad for a guy designated as a wide receiver in the press guide.
The game didn't just showcase McCluster. It showed you the value of a day off.
Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt didn't play McCluster the previous weekend against Northern Arizona. He said he wanted to rest him for the stretch run.
Nice call, Coach.
This wasn't all about McCluster's fresh legs. It also had something to do with a worn-down, injury-depleted UT team that has played so hard and consistently for the last month.
Dave Hooker's post-game audio
Tennessee Stat Book
It's not as though the Vols gave up. They just gave out.
You knew depth could be an issue for UT this season. That was never more evident than Saturday when the Vols opened the game with their third different starter at middle linebacker.
The game underscored the value of recruiting and the work yet to be done for first-year head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff. Fortunately for the Vols, they now have Ed Orgeron recruiting on their behalf, rather than against them.
The former Ole Miss head coach deserves most of the credit for assembling the imposing defensive front that repeatedly thwarted UT's rushing attack.
Ole Miss played without its best pass rusher, Greg Hardy, who is out for the season with an injury. Another defensive end, Kentrell Lockett, wasn't at top speed after running a high fever as recently as Friday night.
But the Rebels have Alabama-like depth on their front four. That depth was second only to McCluster in significance Saturday.
You build up that kind of quality depth through recruiting. You find playmakers like McCluster through recruiting.
You also bolster your special teams through recruiting.
UT's Chad Cunningham opened the game by kicking the ball out of bounds. Placekicker Daniel Lincoln cut Ole Miss' defense off at the knees with a fourth-quarter, field-goal attempt that Alabama's Terrence Cody could have blocked from a sitting position.
It was that kind of afternoon for the Vols. And it only got worse when McCluster got the ball.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 23
jmr68ut writes:
Lets face it- we sucked!!!
JohnnyVol writes:
I had no doubt that a lack of depth hurts mosst in November. However, this week and its distractions had to take a toll on the players. Just another reason that those three players damaged this team immensely.
APPLEJAX555 writes:
Distracted was the word. Detracted.
bearbull95#206250 writes:
History has a way of repeating itself. I remember a couple of backs named Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker who had some big individual games against us. They hit us where they should have. We've done it to them, too, though. Ole Miss was supposed to be pretty good this year and now we see why. Hopefully, they'll be able to regroup this week and band together even more.
KFDLaw writes:
It was a team loss. Every weakness on our team was on display today and every strength Ole Miss had came out in that game. Our team was obviously not prepared to play that game mentally. The Vols were confused all day on defense. The offense clicked a few times, but for most of the game it also sputtered along like the defense. You have to wonder if the arrest of the three players this week caused most of that mental lapse. The day started off badly with a kick out of bounds and ended badly with another Ole Miss score. We had another blocked field goal that was batted down by a lineman. The Vols played their worst game of the season. Hopefully, the Vols can regroup and our team can beat Vandy and Kentucky to finish 7 & 5.
DennisVols writes:
The incidents from ths week play a role in how this team played today along with the lack of depth.
Taking out 2 defensive players from a team alrady thin, the distractions of the stupid acts by rhe 3 and you had a recipe for a bad loss.
The team had to pull together now. Kiffin's biggest challenge of the season will be to do this.
I don't think a top 25 is out of question, though it will be much tougher now. UT will need to win out and win their bowl game to sneak in.
This recruiting class is even more important than the last one in getting some depth.
Keeping it Real
Go Vols!!!
Pullingguard writes:
Let's also note that Monte Kiffin did not adjust the defense all game long to thwart the running game of Ole Miss.. The same opportunities were there all game long and the results were 282 yards for McCluster...Put your bifocals on Monte.
t_tat writes:
Pretty hard to adjust when the player you need to help out is back in Knoxville, fresh out of jail.
TommyJack writes:
Michael Palardys...hurry.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I mostly love your stuff, Dennis, but I seriously doubt there will be a 5-loss team in the Top-25. After today, I'm not sure we are that good, regardless of our final record. I said 7-5 before the season started and that is still doable; 8-5 after a bowl win, even in a low-tier bowl, is fine for a rebuilding year.
tennisvol writes:
I guess ole McCluster is wishing he could play against the UT defense every game.
trace5254 writes:
UT got lucky with some of their victories this year. The play versus Ole Miss should have been expected. Maybe if UT gets some rest and gets a few of its players out of jail they will play better next week. Roll Tide!
tovolny writes:
Special Teams...! Special Teams...! Special Teams...! Can you hear me now? Are you there? Special Teams...!!! Special Teams...!
Is there anybody there? IS THERE ANYONE THERE THAT CAN KICK A FOOTBALL off an elevated tee? IF YOU CAN KICK A FOOTBALL OVER 40 YARDS, PLEASE ANSWER...WE NEED YOU.
GIRL or BOY...it doesn't matter. HEY CHEERLEADERS!!!!YOU GIRLS LOOK LIKE YOU ARE IN SHAPE. OUR boy players are afraid to run at someone punting the ball...ooh nooo...they might hurt themselves. Come on girls...we have several girls on this team already...you can have number seven if you like. It is okay to cry if you don,t play every down...some of our defensive backs decided to take the day off even though they were on the field.They started jogging in the wrong direction at about the 20 Yard line with that streaking Dexter was coming at them. Do you know how to force a running back to go in the direction that you choose. We have one corner back who just stops in his tracks when a runner turns toward him...maybe girls you remember playing in grade school and know a little about open-field tackling techniques. Come on girls, give us a try...it will be fun. But be careful in practice and don,t hurt guys. Remember, we don,t try to block punts or tackle someone running at full speed...that is dangerous...oh my, my, my.
TheVolMan writes:
You're an idiot.
Psychovol writes:
The Vols were flat and I blame The Three Amigos and the pot toting Gun Maw. Also the kicking game continues to perform like "liquored up kickers." There has to be a female soccer player somewhere at UT that has some eligibility left.
DrJCrown_theMagicMan writes:
Adams you sound like you have some intergrity and tell it right to UT like it is whether they like it or not.I was bullied my the staff and thrown out for nothing besides standing by the rail inside Neyland by this goon last weekend at homecoming. My ride was in the stadium and I was almost left in Knoxville last weekend...Horrible night to say the least.Im going to be trying to find out who this man was and turn him into Hamilton either "that" or I will not goto another game...
See the problem is they have no name badges...so this maybe tuff but I figure he may have been bragging I threw this young punk out for nothing last Sat.
Thats usually the way those Goons or Police type act.
So basically that being said you will see lots of posts from me talking about the Goon that thru me out that looked like he used to work at a Cemetary...OL Gravedigger!
I simpley do not want this to happen to anyone else what I went thru and he needs to be the one REMOVED!
sfrye#268517 writes:
Now that's funny.
BigErn writes:
That is the funniest thing I have ever heard, I love it. Good call, next time get a driver who has a muscle car.
steamboatticket#484773 writes:
Duster does not fit our system.
deakinbi writes:
Hey Vol Man..lighten up, life is too short.
BigOrangeGhostHunter writes:
SHUT UP!!! NOBODY CARED THE FIRST TIME YOU POSTED ABOUT IT, AND NOBODY CARES NOW! QUIT ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT AT THE GAMES, AND YOU WON'T GET TOSSED FOR BEING STUPID! QUIT WASTING OUR TIME WITH YOUR WHINY POSTS, YOU MORON!
tngilmer writes:
Be patient folks. CLK has things on track. It did not take a single year to get the program to where it was in 08 and it will not be back to where it could be in only year. Wait till '11 and see what happens.
steamboatticket#484773 writes:
I cannot be patient, because I am impatient. That is the opposite of patient.
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