AP Top 25 College Football
Photo by Michael Patrick, copyright © 2012 // Buy this photo
Michael Patrick/News Sentinel Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley yells to players during Tennessee's 37-20 loss to Florida on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee spent seven days in the Top 25 and one Saturday in the national spotlight.
The sun came up on Sunday, just as coach Derek Dooley promised it would after the Vols' dispiriting 37-20 loss to the Florida Gators on Saturday. But the ESPN College GameDay studio had packed up and left Circle Park and the Vols' first Top 25 ranking in four years had vanished.
The road back could be difficult.
Tennessee (2-1) plays host to Akron (1-2) Saturday at Neyland Stadium (TV: CSS, 7:30 p.m.) in a game that the Vols will be expected to win by several touchdowns.
But after that, Tennessee will begin a stretch of four games in five weeks that could define its season. The Vols play at No. 5 Georgia on Sept. 29, at No. 23 Mississippi State on Oct. 13 and at No. 7 South Carolina on Oct. 27. They host No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 20.
Tennessee is likely to be the underdog in at least three and probably all four of those games. The unforgiving SEC schedule leaves little time for moping about what could have been on Saturday.
"We're going to have to learn from it," Dooley said. "We've got to make sure we don't make those kinds of mistakes again, because we're going to be in a lot of fourth quarter games."
If there's good news, it's that Tennessee played well enough to win for nearly three quarters. But the utter collapse on both sides of the ball in the final 20 minutes was so confounding that no one in Saturday's post-game interview session could really put their finger on just how things went so badly.
On defense, the Vols were victimized by big plays. A 80-yard run by Trey Burton tied the game. A 45-yard run by Mike Gillislee set up the go-ahead touchdown. And a 75-yard touchdown pass by Jeff Driskel to Frankie Hammond made it 34-20 and essentially put the game away.
"It's so deflating," said nose guard Daniel McCullers. "You do so good and then you lose contain or lose a block and then they run right past you. We've got to work on that."
The Vols' offense bears as much or perhaps more of the blame. Through 37 minutes, Tennessee had 20 points and 303 yards. After that, the Vols were scoreless, managing 37 yards in 22 plays.
"We have to clean it up. There were too many three-and-outs on offense," said tight end Mychal Rivera. "It's obviously very tough, but we've got to move onto the next game because we can still have a great season this season."
Despite the team's listlessness in the final 20 minutes, Dooley brushed aside any suggestion that players had thrown in the towel.
"I don't want to get into that giving-up deal," he said.
Florida scored a touchdown that would have made the score 43-20 late in the game on a run by Driskel, but it was overturned after review.
"We didn't look good on that play, but (all the defensive players) thought he stepped out of bounds," Dooley said.
Officials decided that Driskel had in fact stepped out of bounds before reaching the end zone.
"I was going nuts," Dooley said. "They should have still kept going on that play."
Otherwise, the culprit was not effort, but execution. And the two statistics that Dooley cites after every game — turnovers and big plays — were both in the Gators' favor.
"(The big plays) are something we have to work on," McCullers said. "I know we'll get better because we have a great team."
Evan Woodbery covers Tennessee football. Follow him at www.Twitter.com/TennesseeBeat.
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Comments » 155
V0LUNT33R writes:
I wouldn't want to talk about "the giving up thing" either, if I were him. Over the past 2 seasons and 3 games, I have seen his teams quit one too many times.
pcshowtime writes:
They quit plain a simple and bray is a three year starter who quit. That tell you volumes that there is know player development with dooley. He has to go they quit just like the did last year at lexington KY.
hooverd283#563729 writes:
I hate to say but if body language can be used as a indicator if someone has quit. Bray sure displayed it in the fourth quarter in my opinion. He has to lead by example and there was certainly no leading going on. Season is still young and wins to be had if they want them. GO VOLS !
wallingdad writes:
It looked like they quit. it appears that when they are faced with serious adversity they quit. i sure hope they get better and soon.
volfanlostnbama writes:
Last night one of the reporters tweeted, "See how Bray looks to sideline to get play call every time? Can't read defenses."
I am really beginning to believe this is the case. I think its possible that they are trying to coach around problems instead of dealing with them head on. Coddling players that need to get their act straightened out. Is this the reason for the no huddle, coaches are reading it for him and then calling the offensive plays? What makes me think this could be true is how lost & frustrated Bray was by FL 2nd half adjustments.
crmcm44#321757 writes:
It didn't just look like they quit, they did quit.
volcop writes:
all 4 losses, plus loss to mizzu = 6-6 again
only wins nc state, ga state, akron,troy, vanderbilt, ky
LONEWOLF-VOL writes:
they looked like they quit to me too,but they
also played a good game untill then..as for me
i will stay,im not a quiter.
GO VOLS!!!
CrankE writes:
Dooley: "We're going to be in a lot of fourth quarter games."
Well, yes, they all have 4 quarters....
But what exactly makes you think that UT will be "in" a lot of those?
Let me put this another way coach, you just got shellacked by probably the third or fourth best team in the SEC East. Last year, that same team basically did the same thing, and finished just one game ahead of yours with the only difference being the head to head result. Based on the toughness and attitude of your team Saturday, how do you see this team achieving a different result this year?
SummittsCourt writes:
This is where we will see if this team is different or not. How they respond from this loss and play during the month of October will determing if they are still a 6-6 team or an 8-4 or 9-3 team.
Let's go Vols!
Vol_atile writes:
Maybe!
Tuckman writes:
Bray should be benched. Terrible attitude, no leadership and an all around big "Braby". He couldn't lead a bunch of fat kids that haven't eaten in three days to a free all you can eat buffet.
Volborn writes:
I think we are seeing why Bray had no big time offers out of high school. He is in his third year and can't read a defense. He can't check them out of a bad play. The only time he hits a back out of the backfield is on a called screen. He can't make it through progressions and dump it to the back...he either throws it up for grabs, out of bounds or at someone's feet. Or he grounds it..sigh/// If Hunter and Bray play like that the rest of the year, they won't be going anywhere next year. They may leave to be undrafted free agents, but that is it.
arkyvol writes:
you can take this to the bank. four straight sec losses loom ahead. as likely as not, there could be one or two blow-outs of historic proportions. painful as it might be, it might lead to the orange clad delusionals having to accept two undeniable truths: 1. dooley is no sec quality coach, and 2. the vols are no longer a factor in the sec.
thanks again hammy, wherever you are (how many millions does orange pants have in his contract?)
redskinvol1 writes:
This brand makes more than enough to pay Dooleys buyout 10 times over.Fire his butt,then pay a coach that has a respected winning track.
pcorange writes:
Kentucky is the only sure SEC win this year for this team. Oh, wait a minute. That's not even a sure thing anymore, is it? We can't keep buying into the "give it more time" thing. This is the third season of "give it more time" and we have seen little or no improvement. If we have a winning season this year, it is because we have scheduled so many creampuffs. We are completely irrelevant in the SEC, and it is going to take a change in coaching staff to change that. Mike Gundy has my vote.
pcorange writes:
I love your enthusiasm. I can't tell you how proud I was to see Neyland packed with 90% orange against Florida. I've never seen a team less deserving of that crowd in my life than the team that Tennessee put on the field last night. I am ashamed of the way they quit. Dooley may not want to talk about it, but they quit. This team nor this coach deserve a packed house. Respect is earned, not demanded.
SilatGamecock writes:
Beating Florida is not hard, surely UT did not have any trouble with them. Maybe Bray was channeling his inner Payton Manning. You know Payton always quite in the Gator game.
claiborneh writes:
"We're going to have to learn from it," Dooley said. "
Learning time is over.
4 games: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama
Already lost one. Assuming a loss to Bama, and TN wins all other games, Dooley must win Georgia and South Carolina to keep his job. South Carolina and Georgia would then be the only quality wins on his resume.
He would then be considered an adequate coach to make an argument for another year. He has already shown he is probably not a great coach by not winning at least one upset, and not a single win against a ranked opponent. His players quit against FL and did not play for him, and his staff was generally out schemed. His previous staff departed him for various reasons likely attributed to not enough loyalty to a man on a hot seat, his recruiting has been mediocre by SEC standards, and he has not been PR smart nor dynamic. He's probably an average to good coach. But not a great coach needed to take this program from the doldrums to championship prepared.
DwayneElizondoMountainDewHerbertCamacho writes:
I thought that the 2010 LSU game was the game where "we will see if this team is different or not" after that loss?
Oh wait...that's not right, it was the loss in the Music City Bowl where "we will see if this team is different or not" in the subsequent season.
But wait...that can't be right either. I know it was the 2011 loss to Florida where we were going to see "[h]ow they respond from this loss and play during the month of October."
Of course, after Arkansas put up 49 points on us, I guess we should have expected to see "if this team is different or not."
Naaah, it was definitely the loss at UK last season where we got to see how they dealt with adversity and "if this team is different or not."
This team has been given more opportunities to respond positively to adversity than any other team currently playing FBS football and each time they have done worse, not better.
Here's how they respond to adversity: they fold.
They fold because they don't trust this staff. They fold because they don't know who is going to be coaching them next season be it the head coach or his entire support staff. They fold because they aren't coached up and because when it comes down to it, all these "diamond-in-the-rough" three star players everyone raves about, get burnt by more athletic teams.
Dooley can't recruit to be competitive in the SEC, he can't retain a staff, he can't coach up mediocre players, and he can't win in the SEC. Call me a troll, but if wanting this team to have the greatest chance of success is being a troll, then I am the biggest troll on these message boards.
Pay a good coach with a proven record a hell of a lot of money to come in here and get this program back on track. From a competitive and business perspective, it makes sense to get rid of Dooley and hire someone else.
Also...for the love of all that is pure...STOP HIRING NICK SABAN'S TABLE SCRAPS (Mullen - mediocre, Muschamp - mediocre, Dooley - Pathetic, Fisher - paper tiger)! Saban is Saban and he's the ONLY Saban. Stop trying to clone him with his mutated, extra-chromosomed off-spring
bigfatvolfan79 writes:
Damn y'all are a bunch of whinny female doges. This team has talent and will not lose 4 straight. Quit crying and support these players and coaches. Remember dooley took this job when no other coach would because of how sorry the talent was and because of the fickle fans who wanna fire someone after any adversity.
Classof72 writes:
"We've got to make sure we don't make those kinds of mistakes again, because we're going to be in a lot of fourth quarter games." -CDD
I didn't see anything to make me think the Vols will be in the fourth quarter of a game with a quality opponent. A sense of urgency, forcefully expressed, would be approprite coming from the head coach right now.
Do something soon, the outhouse is on fire!
knoxchatter writes:
Very dissappointing!! The real Bray came out second half...as soon as things went south...he started throwing in every direction BUT to his receivers. When the cameras zoomed in on him, he had a look of 'I'm done for the evening, just get me out of here!!' way before the game was over. He shut down and quit. This is not leadership from an SEC quarterback. On the flipside, Driskel gave 100% all night, even when things weren't going well for the gators at first. I realize this wasn't a battle between quaterbacks...but..we need one who stays committed all the time..not just when he is building equity in his statistics!
volunteerintexas writes:
"Coach Gruden, Dave Hart at Tennessee is on line one... would you like me to put him through?"
shipperman#280095 writes:
You could very well be right. If you are, we will have a new coach next year. UT better get some deep pockets if they do fire Dooley
volaholic45 writes:
Don't know whether the team will learn from it, but I did.
DeltaCharlie3 writes:
Gruden doesn't want a project job. He's at a point in his life where he wants a sure thing, if anything at all. He's the new John Madden, and UT doesn't have the allure to pull him away from that.
You ended up with Dooley because nobody wanted the job. I'm afraid the landscape has officially changed and UT is permanently mired in mediocrity. You probably should have kept Fulmer. No, he couldn't beat Florida either, but he fielded a competitive team and loved UT.
kjav writes:
"We're going to have to learn from it," Dooley said,,, Coach I believe we have learned something from it, it's time for a better coaching staff.
jobrando#216494 writes:
I think Dooley learned it's time to fire Chaney. I think his hands were tied in this hire and Hart will take a bullet for keeping him as OC. Kiffen did not want him . Lot of chatter he want be calling plays for UT at the least.
richvol writes:
The Florida QB is much,much better than Bray. Bray is not smart enough to QB in this league. McCarron is a great example of a smart QB.
tennman01 writes:
watching the Vols as a kid with Johnny Majors till now. you Vols disgust me. how the hell you go two whole quarters and not score. your a sorry pathetic excuse for SEC players. pay the money back from your scholarships and get the hell out. take the coach as you go. get people on the team that are hungry for a win and willing to work for it.
let me reiterate my thoughts. your sorry pathetic excuses for an SEC coaching staff and players pull your head out your bums or move on. im sick of your sorry excuses and pathetic crying
arkyvol writes:
i hope your formula is right, i really do. if it is, dooley is toast.
OldVols68 writes:
I agree with the part about Bray...he has once again proven his immaturity...just as he did this summer in the beer bottle episode...
CCLC writes:
I think it is safe to assume that by your comments you are retiring your colors, putting away those irrelevant John Majors pics and deactivating your GoVolsxtra account and moving on? Congratulations. Perhaps you can be first to lead the rest of the quitter fans exodus through the tunnel on your way out. You won't be missed though. There are still thousands of bona fide Volunteers out there. "Proceed sir!"
tennman01 writes:
i believe with Bray's lack of leadership and drive along with poor coaching. Vanderbilt & Kentucky are losses too. i hope im wrong but the Vols this year look like a 4 & 8 team with no conference wins
usnavyvolfan_on_duty writes:
Jon Gruden, Bobby Petrino, blah, blah, blah....Jon Gruden is NEVER coming here, and stop clammoring for Bobby Petrino! You don't WANT Petrino, he's a lightning rod for controversy! Been there, done that (BTW, thanks STanford!!) Let's finish this season out before we put Dooley on the chopping block!
Bray, time to s**t or get off the pot! MAN UP! YOu're better than you showed Saturday! Stop slumping you dang shoulders! O-Line needs to quit being a swinging-gate; this team is talented enough to win 9 games! Time to live up to your potential. And, finally, the freakin' secondary! stop giving up big plays! You've been doing that all 3 games! Stop blowing coverages and missing assignments! You guys can do better than this!
OK, I'm done getting fired up. My pouting spell is over. Ready to believe again.
usnavyvolfan_on_duty writes:
Quitting's for wimps... I had my cry session, I'm ready to move on. Let's make an example of Akron and go down to GA with our heads held high. We're better than we showed Saturday.
Tennfan4075 writes:
Dooley loses more than he wins, a life time of losing, his few wins come from other losers, the man is a poor sideline coach, he cannot recruit, many of these points you made in your post. How in the world do you come up with an evaluation of him being an average to good coach? Average means winning as many as you lose, good means winning more than you lose. Dooley may be and average to good husband, father, friend, or attorney but he is a bad head coach, who has no business at the controls of a multi-million dollar operation such as a major college football team.
Stanman08 writes:
The sad thing is, the Vols do not belong in this league. They need to join the Southern Conference where they can beat up on the Appy States,Furmans, Elons of the world so everyone can think they are so great.
OLEVOLFAN writes:
The problem with "baby no leadership bray" is he wants to be playing for kiffy!!
tennman01 writes:
never said was throwing away my colors. im a hunter, so always wear orange. excuses dont feed a family or pay bills. i'm past my limit of accepting reasonable reasons and excuses for the Vols not winning Conference games. hire better recruiters and getting a qualified coach costs money. but lossing games consectively costs more
GreerVol22 writes:
Dooley has to get some things fixed and in a hurry...
1-Did Bray quit? yes
2-Does Chaney know any plays except the bomb or run off left tackle? No
3-Does Sunseri has enough athletes yet on defense? No
4-Do we play like we practice? Yes...the bomb and the left tackle run...and no special team practic...ever.
5-How many times did Florida break containment on the outside for big plays? Answer is NONE...there was no containment.
Some solutions...start Worley tomorrow... give the corners some cement shoes...at least maybe they will stay in position...and let Dan McCuellers start at tailback.
Then ask yourself...would be be any worse off?
OLEVOLFAN writes:
Oh and do you notice how when its 4th down he gets mad when dooley doesn't go for it!! That really shows how much respect bray has for his coach. None! He thinks they should go for it on every 4th down! He is not the QB we need!
chad954ut writes:
Put the blame on the group that deserves it..... the offensive line. They still play like freshmen.
DeltaCharlie3 writes:
What you were told, but wouldn't listen:
-Bray is a head case.
-Florida ain't NC State.
-UT would NOT "hang 40+" on this UF defense.
-UF would pressure Bray forcing at least 2 picks.
-UF would pound the rock!
-Driskel will be better than you realize.
-Florida's playmakers should not be underestimated; see Trey Burton, Jordan Reed, Frankie Hammond, Mike Gillislee.
-Neyland Stadium is irrelevant to Florida. 100k, 120k, doesn't matter, never has.
-Florida would make it 8-straight.
And here's something else y'all need to listen to. Next year will be 9-straight and it won't be close either.
jobrando#216494 writes:
I agree that Worley should be starting QB and baby benched. I'm hoping that Dooley will call plays from this day forward. He's got a small window of survival.
jobrando#216494 writes:
Coach gets blame. Dang, just put in Worley and use more wildcat. If Dooley is fired you can take it to the bank baby Bray career is over in football at Tennessee
armyvol22 writes:
I hope Bray moves on after this year.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Every one VFL loved the first three quarters till we lost composure. When Bray threw the intercept he was being pressured and the defender hindered the pass. There D was too tight to be off even a little. Those little things of Bray being pressured by one or two defenders plus our defensive schemes disappearing all added up huge.
Bray needs to learn to keep his cool out of the pocket it seems. Our O & D lines just need to keep playing till the fourth ends. We NEED to keep those D ends or lbs in a zone of some sort(I'll leave that for you coaches) but for some reason all of a sudden the big play was the only play they had left. 300+ rushing and mostly in the 4th?? Yeah I'd say some quit. I'd also say some didn't know their assignments.
It seemed from the tv that we quit. But I think for what it's worth that it was a lot more than that. For one thing we found out that Fl QB was a real one. Makes you almost think Musselchomp was holding him back.hehe
Despite all this I think those who really watched the game know that we should have finished and that it could have gone the other way with a few lapses not happening.
signalcorps writes:
Im saying it again this team would be better off in the long run if Bray never came,,once again stop bringing in these Thugs, Knoxville never has gotton alone with these type of players......
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