SB Nation - Luke Stocker

KENTUCKY vs. TENNESSEE: It Doesn't Get Any Bigger Than This

Ken Howlett — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:24:15 -0000

Kentucky running back Derrick Locke will hopefully show his backside to the Volunteer defenders.

We all know about the streak. We all are embarrassed by the streak. We're all tired of the streak. Afterall, losing 24 straight to any school, in any sport, is repulsive to most sports fan's sense of fair play. It's simply no fun playing the nail, opposite Tennessee's (6-5, 3-4) ball-peen hammer.

But this game tonight (7:00 PM) isn't about the streak. It isn't about 24 years of blowouts, near-misses, and overtime heartache. Rather, this game is about second place in the SEC East. Nothing else matters. All the pontificating about streaks are merely window dressing compared to the importance of the game at hand ... the importance of Kentucky (7-4, 3-4) overcoming major injuries to star players, the preseason loss of All-SEC defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, of having to play 11 straight games, and of losses that should have been wins ... for this program to still rise to a high level of accomplishment in spite of the adversity speaks volumes about the character of the young men wearing the blue and white, and about the elevated level of talent Rich Brooks and staff have brought to Lexington. And in a year where most predictors of such events had the Wildcats finishing considerably south of second place, for UK to play in the Outback or Chick-Fila Bowl would certainly be an attention-getter both nationally, and within the borders of the Commonwealth.

Four straight bowl games, and a 31-20 record over the last four years, topped off by a second place finish in arguably the most gruesome division in college football, would certainly qualify as a continuance of the Brooks building process. And for this group of 'Cats to continue to build on the unique accomplishments they are responsible for this season -- Winning three straight SEC road games since 1909-'12, beating Auburn for the first time since 1961, and beating Georgia between the hedges for the first time since 1977 -- adds to the legacy of Rich Brooks, but more importantly, enriches the perception of the Kentucky football program throughout the high schools of the south and beyond. Putting the Wildcats that much closer to the goal at-hand -- Becoming a football program that consistently competes at the highest level.

In order for Kentucky to take the next step, they must first conquer the demons in orange. Here is thine enemy:

Unit Comparison (SEC Rank in Parenthesis)

- Scoring Offense -- UT 30.6 points per game (5): UK's coring defense -- 22.2 points per game (7).
- Scoring Defense -- UT allows 20.7 points per game (t5): UK's scoring offense -- 26.5 points per game (7).
- Total Offense -- UT averages 390.8 yards per game (6): UK total defense -- 355.4 yards per game (8).
- Total Defense -- UT allows 313.2 yards per game (5): UK total offense -- 342.9 yards per game (10).
- Rush Offense -- UT rushes for 164.7 yards per game (7): UK rush defense -- 179.3 yards per game (11).
- Rush Defense -- UT allows 141.3 yards per game (6): UK rush offense -- 196.2 yards per game (5).
- Pass Offense -- UT throws for 226.1 yards per game (3): UK pass defense -- 176.1 yards per game (6).
- Pass Defense -- UT allows 171.9 yards per game (5): UK pass offense -- 146.7 yards per game (11).
- Sacks By -- UT has executed 19 sacks (9): UK sacks against -- 14 (5).
- Sacks Against -- UT has allowed only 11 sacks (1): UK sacks By -- 15 (12).
- Third Down Conversion -- UT is at 39.3% (6): UK third down conversion defense -- 39.0% (12).
- Third Down Conversion Defense -- UT allows a 34.4% conversion rate (5): UK third down conversion -- 39.8% (4).
- Turnover Margin -- UT is a + 4 (5): UK is a +3 (6).
- Red Zone Offense -- UT converts 41-46 (89.1%) of their RZ attempts (5): UK red zone defense -- 28-37 (75.7%) (5).
- Red Zone Defense -- UT has allowed 30-35 (85.7%) RZ scores: UK's red zone offense -- 33-40 (82.5%) (8).

The Tennessee Offense

Jonathan Crompton -- 6'4", 228 lb senior quarterback: This season the formerly embattled UT signal-caller has stepped-up his game considerably. He has completed 196 of 335 passes (58.5%) for 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Comparing Crompton's numbers last season -- 86-167 (51.5%) for 889 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions -- to those of this year reveals a much-improved quarterback who has been trusted with the reins of the Tennessee offense.

Crompton has thrown only one interception in the last four games (122 passes). His two best games this season -- Versus Georgia, he threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns on 20-27 passing; Against Memphis, Crompton was 21-27 through the air for 331 yards and five touchdowns. Last season versus UK, Crompton was an 6-8 for 101 yards and one touchdown.

Montario Hardesty -- 6'0", 199 lb junior running back: Hardesty's production is another reason for UT's success this season. He's rushed for 1,127 yards (102.5 yards per game) on 225 carries (5.0 yards per carry), and nine touchdowns. He's also caught 19 passes for 212 yards (11.2 yards per reception), and one touchdown.

Last week in UT's 31-16 win over Vanderbilt, Hardesty rushed for a season-high 171 yards on 22 carries (7.8 ypc), and one touchdown. Hardesty has scored at least one touchdown in eight games this year, and he's ran for over 100 yards four times: WKU, Ohio U., South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.

Bryce Brown -- 6'0", 215 lb freshman running back: Brown has carried the ball 98 times for 452 yards (4.6 ypc), and three touchdowns. He's also caught 10 passes for 137 yards (13.7 ypr), and one touchdown.

Coming out of high school last year, Brown was rated the No. 1 running back, as well as the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.

David Oku -- 5'10", 186 lb freshman running back: Oku has rushed for 94 yards on 23 carries (4.0 ypc) and two touchdowns. Oku has caught two passes for 13 yards (6.5 ypr). He's also returned 30 kick-offs for 780- yards (26.0 yards per return).

The Oklahoma native recorded 154 all-purpose yards in UT's game versus Ole Miss. Coming out of high school last year, Oku was rated the No. 1 all-purpose back in the nation by Rivals, and the No. 30 running back by SuperPrep.

Gerald Jones -- 6'0", 190 lb junior wide receiver: In 10 games, Jones, UT's top receiver, has caught 36 passes for 497 yards (13.8 ypr) and four touchdowns. Last season versus UK, Jones caught a touchdown pass in the Tennessee victory.

Jones went for over 100 receiving yards versus Georgia -- Five catches for 105 yards, and two touchdowns. He also had strong outings against Auburn (seven catches for 75 yards), and Alabama (seven catches for 72 yards), but he's caught only one touchdown pass in the last three games (versus Memphis).

Denarius Moore -- 6'1", 190 lb junior wide receiver: Moore has made 35 catches for 455 yards (13.0 ypr), and six touchdowns.

Moore has scored four of his six touchdowns in the last three games.

Quintin Hancock -- 6'3", 207 lb senior wide receiver: In only eight games, Hancock has made 27 catches for 298 yards (11.0 ypr), and two touchdowns.

Marsalis Teague -- 5'10", 180 lb freshman wide receiver: Teague has 13 receptions for 147 yards (11.3 ypr), and two touchdowns.

Teague was rated the No. 4 prospect in the state of Tennessee out of high school by Rivals, as well as the No. 28 athlete in the nation, also by Rivals.

Luke Stocker -- 6'6", 240 lb junior tight end: Stocker has been an integral part of the UT offense, catching 22 passes for 292 yards (13.3 ypr), and four touchdowns.

The Tennessee Defense

Eric Berry -- 5'11", 203 lb junior corner back: Berry has made 75 tackles (49 solo), 5.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and six pass breakups.

The First Team All-SEC selection is UT's defensive force in the secondary, although UT defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has been bringing Berry up support the run defense. Don't be surprised if Berry is asked to contain Randall Cobb in tonight's tilt.

Rico McCoy -- 6'1", 220 lb senior linebacker: McCoy leads the Vols with 99 tackles (59 solo). He's also posted 2.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles.

In 2006 versus UK, McCoy forced the first fumble of his career.

Dan Williams -- 6'3", 327 lb senior defensive tackle: Williams has recorded 56 tackles (28 solo), and he's tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with 8.5. He's also has 2.0 sacks, and a team-leading nine quarterback hurries.

In UT's four overtime victory over UK in 2007, Williams had a game-changing field goal block. Well, it wasn't so much as a block, as the ball being kicked directly into his face mask. There is no doubt that Williams is a defensive force that must be dealt with by the UK offensive line. They must keep him away from Morgan Newton, and run away from him in the ground game.

Chris Walker -- 6'3", 232 lb junior defensive end: Walker has made 34 tackles (16 solo), and he's tied for the team lead with 8.5 tackles for loss. He leads UT with 6.0 sacks, and he's also recorded two interceptions and one pass breakup.

Dennis Rogan -- 5'10", 178 lb defensive back: Rogan is third on the team with 56 tackles (35 solo). He's executed 4.0 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and five pass breakups. He's also recovered two fumbles. Rogan will also return punts. This season he's returned six punts for 46 yards (7.7 yards per return), and two kick-offs for 52 yards (26.0 ypr).

In 2007 versus UK, Rogan returned three punts for 24 yards (8.0 ypr), and two kick-offs for 48 yards (24 ypr). He had three tackles, including his first tackle for loss.

Chad Cunningham -- Cunningham serves as UT's punter and kick-off artist -- He's punted 44 times for a 41.5 average. He's kicked-off 64 times, and has only four touch-backs.

Daniel Lincoln, Cunningham, and Devin Mathis have all kicked field goals for the Vols this season -- Lincoln is 10-16 (62.5%), Cunningham is 1-2 (50.0%), and Mathis is 1-1 (100%). Lincoln missed last weeks Vanderbilt game.

The three have combined to miss only one field goal under 40 yards.

Tennessee Wins (Teams in bold represent common opponents)

63-7 over WKU, 34-23 over Ohio U., 45-19 over Georgia, 31-13 over South Carolina, 56-28 over Memphis, and 31-16 over Vanderbilt.

Tennessee Losses

19-15 to UCLA, 23-13 to Florida, 26-22 to Auburn, 12-10 to Alabama, 42-17 to Ole Miss.

CliffsNotes Analysis

Tonight's battle represents two teams vying to succeed in the same areas -- Even though UK's two biggest play-makers are banged up (Cobb's shoulder, and both of Locke's knees), after Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster gashed the Vols for 282 yards on 25 carries (11.6 ypc) and four touchdowns, the 'Cats will look to gain the bulk of their yardage on the ground.

Although UT quarterback Jonathan Crompton has proved to be much improved over last year, because of UK's weak run defense, look for a steady diet of UT running backs looking for holes. Hardesty, Brown, and Oku will get a healthy dose of carries in an attempt to control the clock, and bury UK with a ground game suited to do just that.

Look for Randall Cobb to have a big day. Although Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin wasn't in place during Cobb's recruitment, I expect Cobb will be highly motivated to display to his hometown team what they are missing.

It's really pretty simple -- UK must run the ball to the tune of at least 4.5-5.0 yards per carry, and Morgan Newton must continue to come through in the clutch with on-target throws if UK hopes to come out victorious. Recently Newton has been excellent at not turning the ball over ... that trend must continue.

Likewise, UK's defense must find it within themselves to stop the run. UT's three primary ball-carriers are legitimate, dangerous weapons. The Vols rushing for 200 + yards will surely spell doom for the 'Cats.

Field position will also play a big role in tonight's outcome. With UK in possession of two of the best return men in the SEC (Cobb and Locke), this category seems to be a plus for the 'Cats.

Last week versus Georgia, UK saw first-hand the advantage gained by creating turnovers (they were +4). The 'Cats must continue to hit hard, hit often, and hit with a purpose. If the UK defense comes to play, I like the 'Cats chances of partying like it's 1984 -- UK's last victory over the Vols.

Fearless Prediction

Kentucky - 27 Tennessee - 24

For Tru's take on the game, and a listen to a podcast interview we did with the guys from Rocky Top Talk, please scroll down.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, beat the Vols!

Post-game awards: Tennessee Volunteers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

Joel — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:15:38 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Browse more photos »

Best are-we-sure-they're-not-conjoined-twins. Cody and Cory Sullins, who were both named the scholar athlete of the week and were pictured together for the sponsored award. They play next to each other on the line, right? Is anyone certain that this is not the case?

Best word for the seniors. Kiffin telling the seniors, specifically Rico McCoy, on Friday night not to say that they hadn't won any championships for the Volunteers because of their contribution to the foundation upon which championships will be built in the near future.

Best start, offense. Lane's guys, who went 60 yards in 7 plays to put 7 on the board on its first series.

Best start, defense. Monte's guys, who forced Vandy into a three and out on its first series.

Best bounty hunter. James Wilhoit, G.A., who, upon being told by Kiffin to go find a place kicker with eligibility, found Devin Mathis, who'd played in a junior varsity game here awhile ago but had only recently returned to Tennessee after studying in Mexico.

Best debut. Mathis, who not only kicked the ball over the scrimmage line, but through the uprights for three points on Tennessee's second possession.

Best TFL. Chris Walker, who graduated from Unblockable to Untouchable, blew through the line unscathed, and swallowed Vandy's running back as soon as he had gotten the handoff, driving the Commodores back to their own two yard line.

Best sarcasm, I. Kiffin, who said of the first pass interference penalty on the Vols, "I thought the refs did a great job all night long, and I'm sure that was a penalty on me, on us right there."

Best drive. Jonathan Crompton, Luke Stocker, and the Volunteer offense, who closed the first half with a 4-play, 61-yard touchdown drive in 30 seconds.

Best catch. Luke Stocker, who closed the Best Drive with an outstanding nab in the end zone, leaping backwards, snatching the ball out of the stratosphere, and securing the thing even as he landed flat on his back in the checkerboards.

Worst timing. David Oku, who turned a catchable pass from Crompton into a tip drill in the third quarter, giving Vandy an interception and denying Crompton's bid for the record of pass attempts without interceptions two shy of Casey Clausen's 143.

Worst news. Linebacker Greg King is out for the season with some sort of cracked bone injury, which I think makes McCoy and Shane Reveiz our only remaining linebackers on the roster. I supposed I should clarify that that's exaggeration, because it's close enough to being the truth that it could be mistaken for fact.

Most insufficient sarcasm. Kiffin, on the second pass interference call to deny the Vols an interception in the end zone, who breathed an audible sigh into his lavaliere, said, "I thought that was a great call by the ref throwing the pass interference there. I'm sure that we were at fault . . ." but then said to Bob Kesling, "You can say whatever you want. He can't fine you. Don't worry. Go ahead. Say what I wanna."

Best tag team hit. Stephaun Raines and Reveiz, on 2nd and goal down by 11 early in the 4th. Raines sent Warren Norman, who'd just hauled in a screen pass, head over heels and into the torpedoing Reveiz.

Best sack. Wes Brown, on the very next play, who threw off the blocker, closed in on the QB, and, just when you'd thought the QB had escaped, dived and shoestring-sacked him.

Best hands. Bryce Brown, who seized control of the ball on Vandy's onside kick by grabbing it at its highest point and covering it up immediately.

Orange-est blood. Wes Brown, who said the night before the game, "I would rather go to Tennessee and lose every game than go to another school and win every game."

Best revenge. Kiffin, who ended his portion of the Lane Kiffin Show by telling Bob Kesling, "Thanks, Bill," which was retribution for Kesling accidentally calling Lane "Lance" last week.

Best play, offense. See Best Catch above.

Best play, defense. Wes B's Knees.

Player of the game, offense. Montario Hardesty, who rushed 32 times for 171 yards and a touchdown.

Player of the game, defense. Tie between McCoy, who had 15 tackles, and Brown, who only had three tackles, but whose stat sheet includes a nine-yard sack, a nine-yard TFL (same play?), a QB hurry, and the 25-yard pick six.

Add yours below.

Tennessee Football: Becoming a Complete Team

Will — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:45 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

This year, there's more than just this guy to celebrate.

Browse more photos »

Note from Will, 11:00 AM: Bumped back down to deal with the obvious breaking news of the day.

Let's start with the negative: our special teams play has not been good.

David Oku and Nu'Keese Richardson have done a fairly good job returning kicks: the Vols are 31st nationally in kickoff return average at 23.7 yards per return. But the good news ends there in the all-important third phase of the game. Take a look at Tennessee's position in the national special teams rankings (thanks once again to the fine folks at cfbstats.com):

Kick Returns: 31st
Punt Returns: 60th
Opponent Kick Returns: 103rd (one of only nine teams to allow two for TDs this year)
Opponent Punt Returns: 75th
Punting Average: 63rd (40.5 yards per punt)
FG Accuracy: 97th (10 of 16, 62.5%)

The Vols allowed Brandon James to hurt them in the kicking game again, watched Ohio run a kickoff back for a touchdown, lost to Auburn by four points in a game where Daniel Lincoln missed a field goal and an extra point, surrendered nine points to Georgia on special teams thanks to a kickoff return TD and a blocked punt safety, missed three field goals at #1 Alabama in a two point loss, and continued an unbelievable streak the following week when South Carolina made it three blocked field goals in a row for Vol opponents. Yikes.

Our special teams play has not been good. But nine games into the season, Tennessee has become a good team everywhere else.

The good news also starts with the obvious:

Jonathan Crompton

In Crompton's two starts for the injured Erik Ainge during the 2006 season, he went 11 of 24 against LSU and 16 of 34 at Arkansas, with two touchdowns (thanks, Robert Meachem) and an interception in each game. Last year in seven starts, Crompton completed just 51.5 percent of his passes for only 889 yards, 5 INTs with 4 TDs.

If you set aside the game against the worst team in FBS in the season opener, the numbers in the next four games...well, you remember right? Five interceptions and no touchdowns against UCLA and Florida combined, a pedestrian performance against Ohio, and a first half against Auburn that featured dropped balls aplenty and no hope to be found.

Throwing out Western Kentucky, take a look at the split between the next four games and the last four games:

UCLA, FLA, Ohio, AUB: 61 of 122, 50.0%, 667 yards, 4 TD, 6 INT
UGA, Bama, USC, Memphis: 74 of 114, 64.9%, 1,048 yards, 12 TD, 2 INT

Plenty has been said about Crompton's transformation, and the kid deserves even more. At some point during the first half of the Auburn game, while trying to come to terms with the fact that Kiffin simply wasn't going to pull him, I was imagining Crompton running thru the T on senior day against Vanderbilt as the quarterback of a 3-7 team, being the first Vol in history to get booed in his final run. And now I feel like I owe it to him to be there next week against Vanderbilt, to join in what will be a hero's welcome if the Vols take care of business this week.

Tennessee has made a habit of putting the same quarterback on the field for several consecutive seasons: Casey Clausen started every week he was healthy during his four years, Erik Ainge started for most of his four years, and we've seen Crompton under center for part of 2006, most of 2008 and all of this year. As such, the fanbase builds a long term relationship with these guys that has the ups and downs of a marriage; even Peyton Manning spent a few nights on the couch after long weekends in Florida.

We've tried to divorce Crompton, and more than once. I was going to joke that we've tried to kill him, but at one point the kid received actual death threats. But in these last four weeks, Crompton has changed his ways...and so have we. And now we're like the older couple that's been through the worst of times together only to have a greater appreciation for the best of times. Crompton knows he wasn't playing well, and maybe we feel like we were a little too hard on him at some points, though we both had our reasons.

Point being, now...now Crompton is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in America. When he rolls out, you feel confident. When he releases the ball, you're not braced for the worst, you're expecting the best. Tennessee is becoming a complete team, first and foremost, because our quarterback is becoming a complete player. And all joking aside, after Tim Tebow wins his customary first team All-SEC honors at quarterback...if Crompton outperforms Jevan Snead in a Vol victory on Saturday, who's to say he won't take second?

Montario Hardesty

The more you think about it, the more you realize what a great story this team is becoming. They're not going to win any championships, and they had their lapses early...but the way we're playing now in conjunction with the things some of these guys have gone through to help the team along the way, this is going to end up being a very memorable group.

Hardesty is a guy that just keeps coming to work, with 901 yards in 9 games. And while Crompton's transformation might be the most unexpected surprise in Tennessee Football history (no exaggeration), Hardesty's emergence has been just as important in creating a balanced offensive attack. The Vols are averaging 232 yards in the air and 168 on the ground this season, solid numbers on both counts seeing how they add up to 400 per game. And Hardesty - who sat behind Arian Foster for three years, listened to LaMarcus Coker and Lennon Creer get all the hype during that same span, then heard all about Bryce Brown all summer - has become the best Vol running back in eight years, still has a shot to crack the top ten in the all-time yardage list here, and has ensured that the Vols can also run the ball if and when they want to.

Wide Receivers & Luke Stocker

This may not be the most talented group of Vol WRs in school history, but once everybody got healthy, they've done their job admirably. After the debacle of the first half of the Auburn game, there have been almost no drops. There's an incredible balance amongst this group: Gerald Jones leads with way with 28 catches, Denarius Moore has 26, and Quintin Hancock has 20 in only six games.

This group may be the best example of how well this coaching staff handles player development. Before this year, Denarius Moore was a guy who only caught deep balls, and Quintin Hancock didn't catch a single pass last season. Now Moore is showing playmaking ability all over the field, and Hancock, when healthy, might have the surest hands of the group. The Vols haven't needed superstars at the wide receiver position to excel in the passing game in the last four weeks.

And then there's Luke Stocker, who at 6'6" was always going to draw NFL eyes if he produced. Stocker leads the team in yards per reception (among regular contributors), and has shown the ability to make in-traffic, downfield catches from the tight end spot. Crompton needs to quit throwing it to him so he has fewer reasons to think about leaving early.

Simply put: the Vols are getting good play from every one of their offensive skill positions.

Offensive Line

If I told you on August 1 that Josh McNeil would see no significant action this season and that his career would essentially be over, that both Cody and Cory Sullins would be starters, and that one of our starting tackles would be a guy that had never played the position before, how many wins would you have given this team?

Again, this staff has coached guys up and turned career backups into solid players. The Vols have executed the zone blocking scheme about as well as you could hope for a team in its first year with the system. For the most part, Crompton has had the time he's needed. And while the line hasn't been perfect and was faced with tough assignments early when everyone was stacking the line, this group has played well, and played well over their heads at some points. The way this group has performed makes you more hopeful that next year's group of nobodies will mature quickly as well.

Defense

The numbers are a bit skewed after Memphis had a field day with our backups, but the Vols still rank 16th nationally in total defense at 295.1 yards allowed per game. And at every position, Tennessee has gotten solid-or-better play. Chris Walker has stepped in at end and, despite not being fully healthy, given the Vols 3.5 sacks and 5.0 TFLs, forced a fumble and somehow picked up two interceptions, one for a touchdown, from the defensive end position. No one has missed Robert Ayers because of him.

Inside, Dan Williams could be a first round NFL Draft pick and has anchored a group that hasn't allowed a 100 yard rusher that didn't play in Gus Malzahn's crazy scheme or go against the backups last week. At linebacker, Rico McCoy is 7th in the SEC in tackles and has led the way for a group that's seen more injuries than any unit on the team, yet still performed well every week. LaMarcus Thompson and everyone that's played in the middle have been better than we thought they would be.

Eric Berry may not win the Heisman, but his move up towards the line of scrimmage has made him the SEC's leader in tackles for a defensive back. Berry still has two picks and two fumble recoveries, and his performance this season shouldn't hurt him on Draft Day, where NFL teams have now seen his ability to do it all.

But perhaps the best news in the defensive backfield is that everybody else has played well. Art Evans and Dennis Rogan, best known as a non-contributing wide receiver and a kick returner coming into this season, haven't allowed any breakdowns in the passing game. The Vols haven't been burned by the deep ball all season, the lone TD given up on a long pass coming as the result of a great catch by South Carolina's Moe Brown...and this too is a credit to freshman Janzen Jackson at free safety, who is often left alone back there but has held the line, and delivered his share of huge hits. This defense has produced four stars and an entire unit that rarely bends and never breaks.

Still Improving

The best news is, this team is still improving, and its players have seen enough frustration in the last year and a half to not think they've suddenly arrived at their fullest potential in only four weeks.

This staff has done a tremendous job developing players on both sides of the ball, and while our depth didn't look great against Memphis, when guys have had to step up and become first-teamers, they've done a good job.

And this team is an excellent study in how much things change. When spring practice began, if I told you the 2009 Vols would be without BJ Coleman, Lennon Creer, Brandon Warren, Austin Rogers, Josh McNeil, Demetrice Morley, the starting middle linebacker (because you wouldn't have been sold on Nick Reveiz yet), the backup middle linebacker, plus Vlad Richard and Quintin Hancock for several games...you get the idea.

From day one of spring ball and for the last nine months, these coaches have made these players better. And these players have performed at a higher level than we expected at almost every position. The Vols have become a dangerous offense, capable of hurting you with the run and the pass. And the Vols have always been a great defense, making sure points are a luxury for the offense.

Tennessee is playing well at every position group on offense and defense. The Vols have become one of the nation's hottest teams in the last four weeks, and having stood toe-to-toe with the best team in the country twice, are a team that is capable of beating anyone it faces on any given Saturday. And we got back to the last part of that sentence a lot faster than I thought we would.

When does Michael Palardy get here?

Talking Points: Tennessee basketball tips off tonight

Joel — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:23:04 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

Alabama's finest, wondering if what Lane Kiffin said to Nick Saban is statutory violation of some sort.

Browse more photos »

Lane Kiffin apparently didn't limit his "we'll win next year" to the Alabama post-game quotes to the media, he said it to Nick Saban during the post-game handshake. Reportedly.
Bruceball opens the season tonight at 7:30 with an exhibition game at Thompson-Boling Arena against North Alabama. Yes, we'll have an open thread, as I think the game will be broadcast online. As we've noted here earlier this week, the Vols begin the season ranked 11th and 10th and are getting some good national publicity. Sporting News has a feature on them today noting Pearl's own belief that this is the most experienced team he's had at Tennessee. That experience translates into the players having figured out what they can and can't do. Point guard Bobby Maze for one, after a season of on-the-job training, now understands what Pearl expects from the point guard position ($) and will play a vital role in the return to Pearl's pressure defense. The team's also added a couple of new guys, including Kenny Hall, who Pearl's expecting to be a defensive havoc-wreaker around the basket ($). This should be an interesting and fun season for the basketball team and its fans.

GVX's Mike Griffith elicits some experienced and national perspective on Jonathan Crompton from Todd Blackledge, who knows a thing or two about expectations and disappointment.

Wes Rucker and Seth Emerson take a page out of the blogger's guidebook and exchange Q&As on Saturday's Tennessee-South Carolina game.

Chris Walker, Luke Stocker, Greg King, and Vladimir Richard are apparently all game-time decisions this week. Does that scare anyone else?

Another "official" visitor's list for this weekend, this one from GVX, includes Ken Adams, Demar Dorsey, Chris Dunkley, Christian Jones, Ted Meline, Dequan Menzie, Corey Miller, Terrence Mitchell, and Brandon Willis.

Why Lane Kiffin and Tennessee Fans Are Stupid (Among Other Reasons)

outsidethesidelines — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:25:10 -0000

ed. - We'd like to extend a warm welcome to all of our new friends from Vol Nation, especially PhillyVol and tommyut, who apparently can't read the time stamp of the article which clearly indicates this was posted October 28th, the Wednesday after the game. If there's anyone who hasn't moved on, it's your friend orangetaz for posting a link to a topic that's almost two weeks old.

Believe it or not, there's apparently a conspiracy theory afoot. I don't know if the ol' vaunted REC has finally gotten to the SEC officials or what, but either way Lane Kiffin is talking of "magical" flags appearing, and when SEC Commissioner Mike Slive told him to shut up, that just meant it was time for Ed Orgeron to run his mouth talking about the officials favoring the conference's best teams. And, of course, this all comes against a backdrop of countless Tennessee fans whining about the officiating Saturday.

It all sounds incredibly stupid to me, but even so I want to take a closer look at the penalties called against the Vols on Saturday and see exactly what happened. And to that end, with the help of flaco, we're going to do just that.

From the outset, it should be noted that Tennessee was flagged with eight penalties on Saturday afternoon. Four of those penalties, however, consisted of three false starts and one delay of game penalty. None of those penalties can be seriously questioned. They are all elementary calls that need no further explanation via film review. That alone takes half of the penalties off the board, and leaves us only four for consideration. Those four penalties are as follows:

Pass interference on a ball thrown to Julio Jones on a 3rd and 8
Illegal block on Javier Arenas' long punt return
Holding on Tennessee while the Vols were driving into Alabama territory
Roughing the punter immediately before Ingram's fumble

Let's take a closer look at all four of these penalties, beginning with the pass interference call on the pass to Julio Jones. Click the following clip for the play:

This penalty comes on a 3rd and 8 from the 'Bama 35-yard line, with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter. The penalty results in a 'Bama first down, and ultimately a Leigh Tiffin field goal.

Specifically, the flag is thrown on Dennis Rogan, and it's hard to complain too much about this call. Julio runs a hard slant inside, gets the proper positioning, but there is contact from Rogan the entire way. There is nothing overly egregious here, but again there is a good deal of contact beginning at the snap and continuing throughout the route, and the ball is clearly close enough to be considered catchable, so again it's hard to cite any real officiating error on this play. Any reasonable referee could have thrown a flag here, and this one did, after watching the route develop the entire way.

The next penalty comes via an illegal block early in the third quarter. Click the following clip for the play

Keep your eye on Denarius Moore in this clip. Javier Arenas has open field in front of him, and he is racing up the right sideline with two blockers -- Dre Kirkpatrick and Chris Rogers -- in front of him. With the way this play is set up, this one is going to be a huge return, plain and simple, and perhaps even a touchdown.

Moore, however, changes that by committing a textbook illegal block, i.e. a block below the waist. He clearly lunges for the lower legs of Dre Kirkpatrick, and the move clearly pays off. By doing so he takes both Kirkpatrick and Rogers out of the play, and forces Arenas to alter his route so that his Tennessee teammates can stop him a couple of yards further up field. Naturally, there is a referee watching all of about five yards away from the foul, and he immediately throws a flag. No conspiracies here, this is a textbook rule violation that any competent official would flag. Again, no one could rationally complain about this flag being thrown.

And in any event, two more points should be made here. One, this is actually a great play by Moore, and a classic example of where committing a penalty is actually beneficial to your team. Second, and finally, it should be pointed out that even if this were a blown call, it would have had no real impact on the game. Alabama went three-and-out in the following possession, and the ensuing P.J. Fitzgerald punt sailed out of the back of the endzone.

On to the third penalty...

This penalty is a holding penalty called on Tennessee center Cody Sullins for tackling Alabama defensive end Brandon Deaderick. And, once again, this is a clear violation. Deaderick is playing inside and gets great penetration into the Tennessee backfield, and upon seeing this Sullins grabs him by the shoulder pads and simply drags him to the ground. Regardless of your personal interpretation of the NCAA rule regarding offensive holding, it's clear this play qualifies as a penalty.

Now, to be sure, this was a costly penalty for the Vols. The run resulted in a one-yard gain, and it would have set up a 3rd and 7 for the Vols from the 'Bama 16-yard line. Instead, it created a 2nd and 18 from the 'Bama 27-yard line, and after two incomplete passes the Vols had a field goal attempt blocked by Terrence Cody. Nevertheless, the fact that it was costly doesn't make it a bad call. Far from it, it's as easy of a call as you can ever get for a referee. Offensive linemen cannot tackle defensive linemen. This is football, not Ultimate Fighting. Period.

On to the fourth penalty...

The final penalty for the Vols comes via roughing the punter. And once again, this one is in no way whatsoever a controversial call. Chris Donald comes in to try to block the punt, and clearly makes pretty hard contact with Alabama punter P.J. Fitzgerald. There is no grand acting job by Fitzgerald on this punt, or anything of the sort. He gets roughed up, and the flag gets thrown. Simple enough.

Furthermore, as was the case with the Vols' previous special teams penalty, it should be pointed out that even if this penalty was bogus, it nevertheless actually turned out well for the Vols. David Oku called for a fair catch of the 'Bama punt at the Tennessee 44-yard line, and when Mark Ingram fumbled on the following play, it resulted in Tennessee taking over at the 'Bama 43-yard line. In other words, oddly enough, this penalty actually gave the Vols an extra 13 yards of field position.

And those are the calls, all eight of them, plain and simple. No grand conspiracy theories here, no "magical" penalties, or anything of the sort. These were all easy calls that no one could really rationally dispute, and with that in mind that it should come as no great surprise that all of the puke orange complaints over the officiating have been general in nature, and not specific criticisms of the specific calls. Simply put, they don't have a leg to stand on.

Furthermore, all of this juvenile pissing and moaning completely overlooks the fact that Tennessee had several calls in this game go their way, and unjustifiably so. You can see that just by looking at the film of the last drive. Watch the following clip, and keep your eye close on the tight end who goes in motion:

This play comes with a mere 1:10 remaining in the game and Tennessee facing a 2nd and 10. Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker goes in motion, and is responsible for sealing off Alabama defensive end / linebacker Chavis Williams while Crompton rolls out to the right. But Williams is a quick player -- a linebacker by physical build -- and he shoots to the inside of Stocker, who is expecting Williams to move to the outside, and he gets into the backfield. So what does Stocker do? He grabs ahold of Williams jersey for dear life, clearly committing a holding penalty in the process. Without the holding, who knows? Maybe Williams gets the sack, but at the least he disrupts the throw and likely forces an incompletion, so the Vols would have been facing 3rd and 10 with about one minute remaining. Instead, the hold gives Crompton time, and he founds Gerald Jones for a 14-yard gain, giving the Vols' new life at the 'Bama 45-yard line.

With the penalty, it would give the Vols a 2nd and 20 at their own 31-yard line with only about 60 seconds left, a call that would completely alter the course of the game. But where is the penalty? Where is that "magical" penalty flag for such an obvious infraction? Where is that conspiracy? It's nowhere to be found, and instead the yellow yankie sits in the referees back pocket while the Vols get a freebie to march down field for a potential game-winning field goal attempt. Conspiracy, my ass.

Lane Kiffin may have gone conservative at the end, and he can blame it all he wants on fears of the officials screwing his team over. But such claims have no legitimate foundation, as we see here. At absolute most, he should have said that he went conservative at the end because he had no confidence in his players to not shoot themselves in the foot with boneheaded penalties. But of course Kiffin would rather run his mouth about everything but his own team, and if the truth gets in the way of that, then the truth be damned. Same thing goes for all of the Tennessee fans repeating his propaganda.

And that is why Lane Kiffin and Tennessee fans are stupid, among other reasons.

Post-game awards: Tennessee Volunteers at Alabama Crimson Tide

Joel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:01:40 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

about 1 month ago: Tennessee's Jacques McClendon (65) reacts after their 12-10 loss to Alabama in an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Browse more photos »

Best Whodunit, Howdidit, and Didtheyevendoit. The mysterious headphone malfunction that began right after the coin toss and lasted for exactly one possession.

Worst quad. Daniel Lincoln's, which Lincoln had aggravated in the pre-game. After hitting one field goal attempt of 24 yards, he missed one of 47 yards and had two blocked of 43 and 44, including the one that would have won the game.

Best drama. The series to conclude the game that began with Mark Ingram's fumble with 3:29 left as Alabama led 12-3 and was hoping to run out the clock, continued with Tennessee's two-minute offense getting the game's only touchdown to make it a two point game, and concluded with Tennessee's recovery of an onsides kick, it driving into field goal range, and Alabama's Terrence Cody blocking his second field goal of the game to win it for the Tide. Lane Kiffin said it would have been a "storybook ending." Which it was. For Alabama.

Best streak buster, I. Causing Mark Ingram, who hadn't fumbled the ball in his entire college career, to give the thing away and give the Vols one last gasp.

Best streak buster, II. Scoring a TD against the Tide, the only one that stingy defense has given up in three games (Tennessee, South Carolina, and Ole Miss, the latter two both ranked).

Worst matchup. Cory Sullins (6'1", 270) against Terrence Cody (6'5", 365). Cory and the Vols' offensive line mostly did fine against the monster, but Cody getting through the line to block two field goals was as huge as Cody himself and cemented Cody's position in 'Bama's legion of lore.

Best pancake. Several linemen, including Cory Sullins, getting Mt. Cody on his butt on a quick snap QB sneak.

Best ~~sack~~ hit. Eric Berry on Greg McElroy early in the game. Crunch Berry absolutely blew him up from the weak side.

Player of the Game, offense. Jonathan Crompton, who went 21-37 for 265 yards with one TD and one INT, all against Alabama's "QB-Killer Defense."

Best foot. Leigh Tiffin's, which hit four field goals, including one from 49 and one from 50, both of which barely cleared the crossbar.

Best play, defense. Either Dennis Rogan's or Eric Berry's strip of the ball from Mark Ingram and the subsequent victory in the dog pile to come out with the thing, too. Berry's credited with both, but wasn't it actually Rogan?

Best play, offense. Jonathan Crompton to Gerald Jones for the late TD to bring the score to within two points, although I'm kinda fond of Crompton to Luke Stocker to set up the last field goal attempt. That there was a purty throw and catch.

Best play, special teams. Tennessee's onsides kick, coached and executed brilliantly, with Rogan knocking Julio Jones out of the play so that the ball would bounce again and into the hands of Denarius Moore.

Player of the game, defense. Dennis Rogan, who had six tackles, a tackle for loss, two pass breakups, the great hit on the onsides kick, and, I think, the forced fumble and recovery. Nice game for that guy.

Best quote. Monte Kiffin, who said all of the following on Sunday's Lane Kiffin Show. (Yes, I have to use some all caps because that's the way the man talks.)

Well, it's about winning the game now. And when you win . . . OH, THAT'D BEEN HISTORY, HUH?

* * * *

We about had 'em. Oh, shoot.

* * * *

It's not about grandchildren, it's not about my son, I LOVE IT HERE. I DIDN'T COME HERE TO GET EXPERIENCE FOR THE NFL, I WAS THERE 25 YEARS.

* * * *

(Paraphrasing) I was confused and thought the first four games were preseason games and that the Florida game didn't count.

What'd I miss?

Patience Justified: Tennessee Volunteers Steamroll Georgia Bulldogs 45-19

Hooper — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:17:30 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

2 months ago: Tennessee's Gerald Jones (4) catches a pass as he's defended by Georgia's Bryan Evans (3) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Browse more photos »

Patience is the most difficult virtue for any fan base to acquire. For a fanbase of a storied program coming off of a disastrous 2008 campaign, asking for patience might as well be asking for the Moon to be land-granted to the university. The defense, as was the case last year, appeared to be carrying the team on their shoulders through the first half of the schedule, and yet the Tennessee Volunteers were still facing a 2-3 record with an out-of-conference loss to the UCLA Bruins. And the biggest on-field scapegoat of the 2008 season, Jonathan Crompton, was still the starting quarterback. Lane Kiffin insisted that Crompton was 'the man' for the team and that there was no quarterback controversy to be had, but the fans were wanting more. Even in the Auburn loss, the resurgent fourth quarter comeback bid by the Vols was tempered as "merely against the Auburn prevent defense". Outside of Western Kentucky, Lane Kiffin's offense still had little to show besides some spectacular rushing efforts by Montario Hardesty and Bryce Brown.

But once in a while, patience is rewarded. After an early touchdown drive by the Volunteers, the Georgia Bulldogs responded with a kickoff return by Brandon Boykin to tie the game. And Volunteer fans had nothing to do but wait and see if the early success of the offense would finally, finally sustain throughout a meaningful game.

But if any unit came through in spades today, it was the offense. With 468 total yards of offense (310 passing, 158 rushing), Tennessee consistently found success moving the chains, driving into Georgia territory, and turning drives into touchdowns. The scoring started with that initial touchdown reception by Gerald Jones, and the Volunteers answered the kickoff return with another touchdown reception from Denarius Moore for 33 yards. After a Georgia field goal by Blair Walsh, Tennessee scored their third passing touchdown in a row when Crompton found a wide-open Marsalis Teague in the back of the endzone.

Special teams kept the game close, as a kickoff return touchdown, punt block safety, and interception return touchdown kept Georgia within one score at 24-19 midway through the third quarter, but the Tennessee offense just kept coming at them. That pick-six was also answered by an immediate touchdown score by a 39-yard touchdown run by Montario Hardesty that, if it wasn't assured already, will likely move him into the first round of the NFL draft.

For every Georgia success, Tennessee had an answer. And eventually, the Georgian responses to Tennessee's success ran out. While Tennessee scored touchdowns, Georgia survived on fortune. Monte Kiffin's defense shut down the Georgia offense, allowing only 241 total yards on the day, 89 yards rushing, and only one 53-yard field goal to be credited against the Big Orange defense.

PATIENCE IN JONATHAN CROMPTON

Being Jonathan Crompton isn't easy. After being the principal on-field scapegoat of the 2008 trainwreck of a season, every miscue has been magnified to become the height of frustration for the fans. When the Volunteers ran their first play of the day - a play-action rollout for am 18-yard complete pass to Quintin Hancock, fans waited with held breath to see if an interception was in the works. Even midway through the third quarter, when the Bulldogs collected a deflected pass for a pick-six, UT fans were wondering if Crompton would find a way to lose this one. All that, despite having had a very nice day.

And finally, the complete game came through. With quarterback and receivers on the same page, the Crompton Extravaganza just kept going. The interception was answered with an 80-yard touchdown drive, then a three-and-out for the Bulldogs was answered by the Vols with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Jones - the deep ball that Vols fans had been waiting to see all season long.

With a 310-yard, 20/27 completion, 4 touchdown and one interception day, Crompton finally rewarded Lane Kiffin's trust with the signature SEC win that was needed to justify the new coaching staff and give Vols fans confidence going into the bye week.

PATIENCE IN THE RECEIVERS

After a season of wrong routes and bobbled catches, frustration with the receivers came to a head during the first half against Auburn, with 6 dropped passes. After some one-on-one extended practice time between quarterbacks and receivers, the wideouts showed up to play to their potential on the day. 8 players caught passes today, and 3 of the top 4 performances in the passing game came from wide receivers (the other being tight end Luke Stocker). Gerald Jones provided key highlights with the first touchdown and the 51-yard touchdown, but Quintin Hancock provided the great effort play in the passing game with a long stretch-out to get a touchdown in the first. Freshmen Nu'Keese Richardson and Marsalis Teague each added another catch to their early career resumes and had nice days overall, further affirming the ability for freshmen to contribute early in Lane's offense.

PATIENCE IN LANE KIFFIN

With all of the offensive frustrations that Vols fans have endured - stretching all the way back to 2005 - having a coach tell you that the offense is on its way is not a very satisfying thing to hear. That "on its way" offense still accounted for a UCLA loss, a loss to the Florida Gators, and a loss to the Auburn Tigers. Flashes of the concept would come through on occasion, but the only consistency was inconsistency. With Monte's defense a known quantity, people wanted to see that the young head coach would provided on his side of the ball, and the win over Georgia gave exactly that: reason to believe in the future.

With his first SEC win, Lane Kiffin has shown Tennessee fans that the team is on the right track. The bumps in the road are not entirely behind the team, to be sure, but progress - actual progress - on offense has finally been realized.

And for a bunch of frustrated coaches, players, and fans, that has to feel like absolute gold.

Fixing Jonathan Crompton Without Fixing Jonathan Crompton

Hooper — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:30:17 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Vol trivia: this isn't the only guy on offense. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Browse more photos »

This is not a post about Jonathan Crompton. Not about Crompton. I'm not excusing Crompton, not saying he's ok, not addressing Crompton at all. He has been well-discussed throughout the week and, even if I did have some reason to try to change anybody's mind, I wouldn't be able to do it.

Instead, let's take a look at some of the passing plays and how the actions of the players on offense not named Jonathan Crompton might have changed the outcome of the UCLA game (ESPN 360 link). And as it turns out, it's entirely possible that we could be sitting here talking about Crompton's one interception and basking in the closer-than-expected Tennessee Volunteers victory over the UCLA Bruins. Without changing Crompton.

But instead, changing the actions of some other players.

Not talking about Crompton.

The Second Interception, Second Quarter, 1:05 left, 2nd and 15

We can skip the first one because that was clearly Crompton's fault and we're looking for non-#8 things here. So let's look at the second interception.

First, we'll use the handy telestrator arrow to highlight what should have happened on this route. Denarius Moore is the wide out of interest in this play, at the bottom of the screen. The announcers drew up what they thought the play was supposed to be (and, honestly this really is what the play was likely to be - a hitch route). Note that Moore was supposed to come back to the quarterback. (Now you know where this is going.)

At this point, the ball is already in the air and you can see what Crompton saw when he threw the pass. Moore had inside position on Alterraun Verner at what would have been a 9-yard gain (assuming no yards after catch). But then, Moore gives up the advantage:

This is the point in time where Verner is making the interception. If you compare the two pictures, you can see that Moore has drifted about 2-3 yards outward (while the ball was in the air). The thing is, he knew that Verner was outboard and looking inward and would see the ball in the air (if you watch the play develop, you see Moore force Verner to the outside). Moore spent the whole play gaining inside position, then gave it up at the last possible moment.

Why? The answer is: Moore was looking for the home run. He drifted outward in anticipation of catching the ball, spinning past Verner, and heading upfield for a long gain. At this time, only about a minute remains in the half and Moore might have been thinking about the clock. Or he might have simply been a little greedy. Either way, he ran before he had the ball and let the defender recover.

Fortunately, UCLA did not score off of this interception. However, UT would have had a 3rd and about 6 with a minute left. If they make the first, they're in field goal range. If not, they punt and force UCLA to kill the clock. Either way, UT's confidence would have been much higher at hafltime and we would have only had the one interception on our minds.

By the way, I meant to add this in originally. We have seen this before, where an interception occurs as the receiver fades away from the quarterback rather than returning to him. --hooper

The third Interception, 3rd Quarter, 15:00 left, 1st and 10

This is not quite as severe as the second interception, but it is a variation on the same theme. This time, Luke Stocker is the intended target and he is being trailed by Rahim Moore. Rahim is covering Stocker man-to-man and starts about 8 yards off the line of scrimmage. Rather than show the whole field, here's the close up on ESPN's replay camera. It shows the detail better.

It's worth remembering that this is the first play of the second half, and one they likely reviewed in the locker room. With two interceptions already, I would guess that they were looking for a safe pass for Crompton to start the second half well. Here, Luke Stocker is running out and will make his cut right about where Rahim Moore is presently standing. He's noticing is that (a) Moore is covering him and (b) Moore is watching the play rather than running with him.

Here, Stocker is making his break. Moore is still watching the play develop and has a view of both Stocker and Crompton. Stocker has made his break at the 8 yard line.

When they talk about making sharp, decisive cuts, this is why. Notice how Stocker is now 11 yards deep. He hasn't lost things yet, but he's hurt his position by either (a) announcing his turn early, giving Moore time to adjust, or (b) drifting closer to Moore out of the cut, making it easier for Moore to adjust to the play.

The slow cut and the soft coverage give Moore the flexibility he needs to jump the route. Moore has been watching the play the entire time, so it's easy for him to time his jump. And Stocker, whose back is turned to Moore, is helpless to do anything about it.

In this play, Stocker needed to make a sharp, tight cut to keep as much distance as possible and to reduce Moore's reaction time. Had that happened, this would have likely been an incompletion; Moore was still in position to disrupt the pass, but better route running would have kept him behind Stocker for a longer period of time, forcing him to bat at the ball rather than to step out for it. It's a really small detail, but it's one that could have been the difference between 2nd and 10 and, well, you know.

Last Drive, 4th Quarter, 1:33 left, 2nd and 10

On first down, Crompton threw an incompletion that went clear over the head of Brandon Warren. The play was disrupted by a corner blitz. The corner started cheating in for the blitz a little early - enough time for the receiver on the right end of the play to try to point it out. However, the offense simply had nobody on that side of the field to block the blitzer and he pulled Crompton's back leg out from under him just as Crompton was trying to throw. The torque send the pass skyward and well away from an otherwise open Warren. So on to second down we go.

This is the setup of the play for second down. We don't know who the eventual target is because Crompton never gets a chance to throw. Note the lines. The tight end is lined up on the left, as is the running back. The defense is shifted over to that side, so you have a defender lined up against the tight end, the left tackle, the left guard, the center/right guard, and the right tackle. The key to this play is the left guard, Cory Sullins. When you look at the next play, look closely.

The black arrow shows Cory Sullins, and the white arrow shows his defender. Sullins is already behind Brian Price by a full two steps by the time Crompton drops back. How, do you ask, does a tackle get that far past a guard so quickly?

Here's a great lineman lesson for those of us (yes, that includes me) who aren't used to reading line play. Cory Sullins was obviously very worried about blocking Price on this play - so much so that he lost technique. His feet are split very wide apart, removing his ability to adjust laterally. He's also leaning very heavily and no longer has his center of gravity under control. Lastly, his right leg is fully extended and he has no power left. All Price had to do was brush him to the side and come on in. (Which he did.)

Sullins became too worried about Price's strength and was afraid of being driven back, so he committed to lunging straight to where Price was lined up. The problem was that Price maintained his technique. Once they contacted, Price still had coiled legs and the ability to maneuver, so he simply shifted to the side and let Cory lean right past him. With Hardesty running out to be a safety valve for Crompton, there was no safety net for this play. In that last frame, the play is already over. There are simply 100,000 people in Neyland Stadium who don't realize it yet.

We obviously don't know how things would have ended had this play not been a disaster, but it's safe to say that the line did Crompton no favors this time around. (Actually, this play was such a train wreck on the line that Cody Sullins ended up blocking Cory Sullins when Cory spun around to recover. It's kind of amusing in a very macabre sort of way.)

One last time: none of this has anything to do with Crompton's responsibilities. There were, however, plenty of opportunities for other Vols to be heroes on offense, and it's pretty fair to believe Lane Kiffin when he said that the offense as a whole had a bad day on Saturday.

The Tennessee Volunteers Football Depth Chart is Out

Hooper — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:38:34 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

He's been patiently waiting to find out who the other 21 would be. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Browse more photos »

The first real, comprehensive depth chart (pdf) of the Tennessee Volunteers was released yesterday, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press (h/t to Home Sweet Home of Gate21). As expected, freshmen players litter the field, including a listing or two that are surprising even to those following the practices.

OFFENSE

Quarterback

#1 - Jonathan Crompton This we knew, as it was announced on Monday.
#2 - Nick Stephens

Fullback

#1 - Kevin Cooper Cooper is a little shorter and stouter than Johnson, which should help in blocking situations. I don't know how the receiving comparison works out, but protection for the quarterback is probably a high priority until we know how well Crompton performs with the new offense against actual opponents.
#2 - Austin Johnson I'm a little surprised not to see Sam Edgmon given a nod, considering how well he seemed to be catching passes.

Tailback

#1 - Bryce Brown and Montario Hardesty The first surprise to me is the cop-out of listing co-#1s. Even if the very first play against Western Kentucky has both of these players in (and one fullback out), one of the two is still the #2 option for the staff. I still think that, at the moment, Hardesty is the "first-option tailback", but this might be a way to add some publicity for Bryce Brown.

Wide Receiver

#1 - Nu'Keese Richardson Nuke is the only true freshman to have unquestioned ownership of a #1 slot on the offense. Getting the nod over Warren is a testament to his work ethic and his ability to stay healthy through the preseason. I wonder, though, how much of this was influenced by the injury to Gerald Jones and the need to add a little more speed and maneuverability on the field.
#2 - Brandon Warren Stay healthy and practice hard, young man. Coaches don't evaluate training table etiquette when choosing starters.

Wide Receiver

#1 - Quintin Hancock In his senior year, Hancock has a golden opportunity to show Vol Nation that he's as good as he can look in practice. That he is the tall receiver on the field (and not Brandon Warren) is a statement about the premium that the coaching staff placed on practice time.
#2 - Marsalis Teague I wouldn't expect Teague to be far behind right now, with Hancock having the advantage of spring practice to learn more of the playbook. By the time Jones gets back, Teague may very well have moved up (back) to send on the depth chart here.

Tight End

#1 - Luke Stocker Stocker's the better receiver, and Cottam's the better blocker. This may be more informative of the staff's offensive tendencies than the actual comparison between the two.
#2 - Jeff Cottam I have to wonder: if he hadn't been injured all last year, where would Cottam be as a player right now?

Left Tackle

#1 - Chris Scott No surprise here.
#2 - Dallas Thomas The redshirt freshman is the heir apparent and should get some live fire time here and there throughout the season.

Left Guard

#1 - Vladimir Richard I like Vlad, he's a fun guy.
#2 - Cody Pope Another heir apparent, it's notable that Vlad is listed at 300 lb and Pope at 288. This offensive line is going to be much lighter and quicker than last year's, courtesy of a different zone blocking concept.

Center

#1 - Cody Sullins Who might have been #1 even if McNeil hadn't been injured.
#2 - Cory Sullins Learn quickly, young man. Please learn quickly.

Right Guard

#1 - Jacques McClendon where experience again made the difference. The right guard will be critical in the new running game, as he both assists the center in blocking and is the primary blocker to open up most cutback lanes on zone sweep plays. If you're inclined to watch line play, watch him.
#2 - William Brimfield Note, though, that the beef is apparent on the right side of the line. McClendon is 324 and Brimfield is 346. Run blockers, yes.

Right Tackle

#1 - Aaron Douglas and Jarrod Shaw Even more transparent than the co-number 1 running backs - we're not going to see two right tackles on the first play against Western Kentucky. I'm guessing that Douglas has more potential, but Shaw is more polished.

DEFENSE

(Note: I think that the defensive line terms of 'left' and 'right' refer to the left and right as the offense sees them, so the left end lines up against the offense's left tackle, and so on.)

Left End

#1 - Gerald Williams Raise your hand if you saw this coming at the beginning of spring camp, when GW was begging Kiffin to let him play linebacker. It's good to be unblockable.
#2 - Willie Bohannon and Ben Martin Sigh. Another co-listing. I'll stop that now, as you know my feelings.

Left Tackle

#1 - Wes Brown - at 257 pounds, he's one of the lighter starting tackles you'll ever see. This feels much like a pass-rushing tackle, similar to the way the New York Giants line up.
#2 - Andre Mathis - I think Mathis will be in for short-yardage situations.

Right Tackle

#1 - Montori Hughes and Dan Williams Talk of Dan Williams not being the exclusive starter did not begin for a while, and even when Hughes came on strong earlier in the fall camp, it was thought he'd be at left tackle. The staff really like what they see in this new kid, and so do I.

Right Guard

#1 - Chris Walker who has also had a really nice fall, though you don't tend to hear about it as much because of Williams and Hughes.
#2 - Steven Fowlkes The consensus on Fowlkes appear to be that he has a really, really high ceiling but is still developing. If he stays on course, then next year's presumed lineup of Gerald Williams, Hughes, and Fowlkes may be special.

Strongside Linebacker

#1 - LaMarcus Thompson This is not a surprise.
#2 - Greg King That Thompson was the obvious #1 is not a slight on King, though. You don't hear much of him, but it's always been very complimentary. I think he should be at full speed next year.

Middle Linebacker

#1 - Nick Reveiz Even less surprising. The staff loves this guy, and his attitude should be a real emotional boost for the whole defense.
#2 - Herman Lathers It's hard to find information on Lathers, both because the news coverage on linebackers has been almost nonexistent and because Shorty Reveiz has made a better story whenever they did bother mentioning these guys.

Weakside Linebacker

#1 - Rico McCoy Injury didn't keep him from losing his slot. Healthy, he's one of our best and I look forward to seeing him play.
#2 - Savion Frazier I'm curious how close Frazier came to taking the slot when McCoy was hurt. Unfortunately, the lack of news drama here suggests it wasn't as close as I'd hoped.

Left Cornerback

#1 - Anthony Anderson and Mike Edwards I think this really means that Anderson is the #1 for the first couple of games, but Edwards could take it so long as he keeps learning the system.

Right Cornerback

#1 - Art Evans No real surprise here. His name has come up quite a bit during practices, particularly for his interceptions.
#2 - Marsalous Johnson The depth is really nice in the secondary.

Strong Safety

#1 - Eric Berry
#2,436 - Darren Myles, Jr. and Prentiss Waggner Welcome to the competition for the guy that gets to replace Eric Berry next year. Don't worry; we won't be judging you according to Berry. Sure.

Free Safety

#1 - Janzen Jackson and Dennis Rogan I'm still a little surprised that Rogan gets moved around between corner and safety as much as he does. Jack of all trades, master of none? However it works out, I'd like him to have a more permanent home on the roster.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker

#1 - Daniel Lincoln
#2 - Chad Cunningham

Punter

#1 - Chad Cunningham His kicking strength is supposedly much better this year.
#2 - David Harrington
#3 - The Ghost of Colquitts Past

Kickoffs

#1 - Chad Cunningham
#2 - Daniel Lincoln

Punt Returner

#1 Nu'Keese Richardson I guess those worries about ball-catching weren't enough to sway the staff. Hopefully that means he's been catching better.
#2 - Dennis Rogan

Kick Returner

#1 - David Oku
#2 - Dennis Rogan

Deep Snapper

#1 - Morgan Cox
#2 - Nick Guess

Holder

Bram Cannon

The Big Orange Roundtable - Week Six Roundup

Will — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:00:10 -0000

Thanks again to all who participated this week...we review the questions and share some of the best answers from around the Vol blogs:

1. Which newcomer do you expect to play the most total snaps this fall?

We liked Montori Hughes on a thin defensive line, and Ghost at Third Saturday in Blogtober likes Hughes or redshirt LB Herman Lathers:

Hughes wowed coaches in the spring, looking — at times — like the best defensive player on the field after a year in prep school. Though he hasn’t been as dominant during the preseason, I was talking to some buddies the other day, about junior DT Victor Thomas, who was discussed a lot this past week. While it’s encouraging to hear Thomas getting some press and some praise from Kiffin, we all believe it’s a ploy by the Kiffster to motivate Hughes, a sure sign that he expects Hughes to play a lot this year. I think to start, Hughes will be the first DT off the bench for the Vols. So, I think it’ll be a close race between him and Lathers, but I’ll roll with Hughes … for now.

Home Sweet Home at Gate 21 liked what he saw from Marsalis Teague at the scrimmage two weeks ago.

The rest of the roundup after the jump...

2. Assuming we all believe Gerald Jones leads the team in receptions this season, who finishes second?

Losers With Socks likes Brandon Warren, and we agree, and so does Gate 21. Ghost, however, brings up an interesting option: Luke Stocker. All in all, it has to get better, as Home Sweet Home mentioned:

One final thought: Jones led UT with 30 catches last year and Lucas Taylor led the Vols in yards. Taylor caught 26 passes. Who was third? Arian Foster with 19. Josh Briscoe and Austin Rogers were the next wide receivers, with both catching 14. All that is to say again how ineffective the quarterbacks were last year. Hopefully the second and third leading receivers this year have more catches—which you think has to happen, right?

3. If Tim Tebow and Eric Berry are the two best players in the SEC, who's third?

It's bad news for the Vols when two different Alabama players are getting love here: we went with Terrence Cody, 3SIB with Rolando McClain. Gate 21 likes Brandon Spikes, and LWS likes Phil Steele's Heisman darkhorse.

4. Generally speaking, which fan base if your favorite/least favorite to interact with?

Home Sweet Home and I agree: we're fine with Auburn, but we don't like Georgia

I got incessantly and constantly barked at, which is fine but extremely annoying. But even more so, my friends and I got cursed at because we had orange on. They had no respect for me. I had sorority girls looking great in red and black dresses dropping the F-bomb at me completely unprovoked.

3SIB, to no surprise, has Alabama at the top of their list, and LWS agrees:

Alabama is both my favorite and least favorite. Favorite because they are the most gullible and least secure fanbase ever. Least favorite because they interrupt any serious dialogue about the future of our great program.

Thanks again to all who participated...two more weeks, boys. Two more weeks.