SB Nation - Demonte' Bolden

NFL DRAFT LIVE COMMENT THREAD

Hooper — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:30:10 -0000

8 months ago: FILE - In these university handouts and file photos top college football prospects for the 2009 NFL Draft are shown. They are : Robert Ayers, Rhett Bomar, Andre Brown, Donald Brown, Everette Brown, Darius Butler, Antoine Caldwell, James Casey, Chase Coffman, Emanuel Cook, Jared Cook and Michael Crabtree. (AP Photo)

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Bumped to the top for day 2 of the NFL Draft. A heart WOO!! to Robert Ayers for being drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos. --hooper

Well, today is the day!

It may seem odd that the NFL Draft receives so much attention and publicity. No other sport's draft even comes close to the sheer overhyping and overspeculating that occurs prior to and during the NFL's greatest offseason show. To me, though, the spectacle makes sense. For one, football is quite simply the biggest sport in the country (and yes, I know NASCAR's claims). Also, the timing works better for football than the other sports: with nearly four months between the last meaningful college football game and the draft, the NFL has the time to put players through workouts and build speculation. And building speculation is easy, what with all the football-only staff members on the major media sites with nothing better to do than update their mock drafts on a weekly basis. Lastly, there is more uncertainty in the draft. Who could have seen this coming, for example?

Oh, and there's this. Money lines:

"Everybody said if Marino was going to be around at that time, that they'd take Marino. Obviously, the Jets know something that the people up here don't."

or

"It's obvious to me right now that the Jets just don't understand what the draft is all about." -- Mel Kiper, way back... yeah, way back...

"We want Sapp! We want Sapp! We want Sapp!" -- NY Jets fans, right before...

"The New York Jets select: tight end from Penn State Kyle Reyes."

Even if the idea of televising a draft is a little over-the-top to you, you have to love the people-watching experience. You have Mr. Hair. You have Jets fans. You have Berman. You have Brady Quinn and a very, very unhappy girlfriend.

As to the Vols, we've pretty well covered their odds. Now it's just time to wait and see. The first-day drama will obviously be with Robert Ayers. He'll get picked up in one of the two rounds on Saturday, but to whom?

UPDATE: Be serious now; how many of you don't think Stafford's career with the Lions won't look something like this:

I warned you...

Many More Players Leaving Tennessee: NFL Draft Plan of Action

Hooper — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:30:47 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

8 months ago: FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2008 file photo, Tennessee defensive end Robert Ayers (91) sacks Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Donovan (12) during the second quarter of the Outback Bowl football game in Tampa, Fla. Ayers is a top prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius, File)

Browse more photos »

We've been on quite the roller-coaster ride with the recent news of Coleman's departure from the team (as well as Sawtelle's), but they will not be the last Vols we see permanently leave the Orange and White behind this weekend. Despite a very turbulent 4 years in Big Orange football and a trainwreck of a 2008 season, there are still several Volunteers who will be drafted by NFL teams on Saturday and Sunday, and others who may get picked up as undrafted free agents UDFAs).

Some prep:

rkmccoy provided a nice bullet list of some Vols to watch for. Click the link to get the Cliff's Notes on Arian Foster, Anthony Parker, Ramon Foster, Demonte' Bolden, and Robert Ayers. Other names not mentioned include Lucas Taylor and Josh Briscoe and Britton Colquitt.
Robert Ayers and Arian Foster are the two most intriguing names to follow, given their histories at Tennessee. Click their names in this bullet point for more detailed information.
Several of the NFL-related SBNation blogs have inquired about Vols players (particularly Ayers) and seem to have a keen interest in him in relation to their team. There should be some Vols buzz afloat at Buffalo Rumblings, The Phinsider, Pride of Detroit, Mile High Report, Music City Miracles, and The Falcoholic.
There is a draft hub for SBNation: Mocking The Draft. It's a great little access point driven by some of the more hard-core draftniks in the SBNation blogs.
A shout-out goes to Craig T of Buc 'Em. He's one of the main guys at the Buccaneers blog, is a big Volunteers fan, and has had his fate even more intricately tied to our own with the acquisition of Monte Kiffin.

Our Plans

Informal as always, I will set up a day-long live comment thread for the first day of the NFL draft. I'd like to have discussions about more than just the Vols being taken as well. I know that most of us are NFL fans and this will provide us an opportunity to have a conversation with fans of teams that are not necessarily our own.

I, for one, will be very intrigued by the Broncos. My lifelong "home" team is in a dubious position in my mind, as I am still very leery of McDaniels (and basically everything that's happened since the end of the season). But they'll be one of the power players in the first round with two mid-round picks in their name.

And, as last year, my personal theme for the NFL draft (as borrowed from Mike and Mike):

You're feelin' it. I can tell.

[UPDATE] Yes, I just learned that this video is not embeddable. Here's the YouTubery if you're interested.

Spring Position Battles: Defensive Line

Hooper — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:00:08 -0000

So far, we have looked at the spring position battles for these positions:

Now, let's take a look at one of the primary concerns coming into the 2009 season - the defensive line.

Before getting into the players, I should note that there is a small chance that a player or two may get moved around - both between the offensive and defensive lines and among the various positions within the lines. I wouldn't expect much, but it's possible. However, I'm only going off the roster positions as listed by UT's football site and I'm not going to speculate much within this writeup about player movement (for lack of information).

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

According to UT's roster, the Vols have seven defensive tackles coming into the 2009 campaign. That's probably enough depth to be alright for the season, but you don't really want that number going any lower. A couple of injuries would create a real squeeze and limit the options available for the defensive coaches.

Final Campaign

Andre Mathis

Mathis is light for a D-tackle - listed at 255 lbs - and has not seen a lot of heavy action in his career. Originally projected as a linebacker, Mathis was likely moved to the tackle position to help with depth during an injury phase. At his lighter weight, he would likely be a more mobile and quicker tackle than most, but less likely to overpower a lineman and hold his ground in a straight-up shoving match. If he stays at tackle, his best use is probably on obvious passing downs, so his action will probably remain limited.

Chase Nelson

Chase is a name we've heard a little more frequently in action last year. At 270 lbs, he's a little more filled into the typical 4-3 tackle shape than Mathis. Yet Chase is also a move-over and was originally projected to be a pass-rushing defensive end than a tackle. He's another great fit for obvious passing downs, but his added experience and weight may make him suitable as an every-down tackle.

Dan Williams

Big Dan has been tearing up the interior for two straight years, and has the most solid shot at starting of any tackle on the roster. At 310 lbs, he's big enough to hold the interior against power runs. But he's also agile:

That was 2007. Williams played all of 2008 as well; although the stats seemed a little quieter for him, much of that was the terrific effort by the all-around defense, as well as a tendency for teams to throw those stupid 5-yard TE passes that killed us all year long. /digress

Starting time is in his hands. Williams is our best tackle, and will remain our best tackle if he chooses to do so.

The Junior

Victor Thomas

We have one tackle on the roster who will be a junior next year. At 6'4", 270, Thomas is - you guessed it - another D-end projection that was shifted over to the tackle position. I remember his name having been mentioned a time or two last season, but not much else. With Thomas, the real question will be his run-stopping skills. Can be be an anchor on the line and keep the guard/center occupied so the linebackers are free to move? Much will depend on how he develops in the strength and conditioning program.

The Sophomore

Donald Langley

Langley is listed at 6'2" and 290 lbs, which puts him more into the range of beef you generally like to see in run defenses. Recruited as a d-tackle, his physique suggests he has a real shot a significant minutes on the field. If you follow the spring practices and the O&W game, the real question will be his weight. You know that the Orgeron/Monte setup is not looking for fat blobs of humanity to occupy volume; they're looking for tenacious and aggressive players. Keep an eye on how his weight adjusts. If he stays (relatively) lean and quick, he's in prime position to start next to Williams.

Incoming

Arthur Jeffery

Jeffery was a tremendous grab for Tennessee. The Florida native is listed at about 285 pounds - a great weight for an incoming tackle - and is noted more for his quickness than his strength. As will all freshmen, his biggest concern will be his technique. Since he tended to be a better athlete than his counterparts, did he develop some bad habits that need to be broken? How is his stance? His leverage? We don't rightly know, but the coaches sure do. He really looks like a terrific prospect for tackle, but it'll all depend on how fast he rides the learning curve.

Montori Hughes

Hughes is not listed as high up in the rankings as you'd expect. He's 255, but hasn't filled to match his frame yet. Because he's still growing, the speed and strength metrics are very difficult to gauge. He's our tallest tackle, though, at 6'5" - something I really like to see on passing downs. I expect he'll need some time to grow and develop his skills, but he should have a fine career at UT in the long run.

DEFENSIVE END

The roster lists six defensive ends for UT in 2009. Like the tackle position, this is a little low for comfort. Fortunately, ends are at a slightly lower injury risk because they're not involved in as many pilups of humanity in the middle of the line. (That, and they don't line up directly against Auburn guards...) The biggest hurt is the loss of Ayers to graduation, but props to Ayers for tearing up the NFL combine and perhaps becoming a top-15 pick.

The Senior

Wes Brown

Brown saw a fair amount of action at end last year. While Ayers had one end spot locked up, Brown and Martin took up mot of the duty on the other end of the line. Brown is most likely one of the starters coming into the 2009 season, thanks to his experience and maturity. He's agile and quick, and ideally suited to be a pass-rusher, so he just might pull the coveted right end assignment if he grows into the new system.

Juniors

Ben Martin

Martin had his name called for a fair amount of the 2008 season and should be maturing into his full form at this time. A 5-star prospect, Martin is fast. He's also strong and smart, and is probably the most physically gifted D-end currently at school. Martin is the heavy favorite for starting time of the underclassmen and, despite my words for Brown, will most likely be the right end. You'll hear his name a lot throughout the offseason.

Chris Walker

Walker was originally a LB projection, but was moved to end for - you guessed it - depth concerns. His frame lies somewhere between linebacker and d-line ideals, but he can develop the strength and stamina for the line if he commits himself to it. He will always be a lighter player (listed at 230 on the roster), so he may find himself in relief duty in the new system. But one of the things we know about the new coaches is that they place a high value on heart and tenacity. During the spring, watch how hard he fights. If he's tenacious enough, he could overcome his size disadvantage.

The Freshman

Willie Bohannon

Willie Bohannon is the definition of a project. He's a tough player, but he's light (about 240) and a little slow (4.8 compared to 4.6 times) relative to the other end players on the team. The new staff doesn't start people based on their 40 times, but having the physical tolls does affect your ability to produce on the field, and these disadvantages will be very difficult to overcome. He's going to have a lot to prove to pass others on the depth chart.

Incoming

Marlon Walls

Walls was originally a LB prospect - 215 lbs out of high school - who added a lot of weight to his current 266-lb form. Is this weight due to filling into form, or did he gain a lot of the undesirable weight? Remember the 266-lb mark. If Walls drops down to 230 or so, then a lot of his size was probably the bad kind. If he stays 250-ish, then he likely gained a lot of muscle mass and may be turning into a true d-end - especially a left end. It's too hard to tell right now, so we'll have to watch and see. But the answer to Walls all begins with his weight and how it increased so much.

Rae Sykes

Sykes will be one of the new Vols this year, but he was originally recruited in 2007 and spent 2 years in the JuCo ranks. He's listed at 255 and is beginning to push for 4.6 speed, which would be terrific for defensive end. Because of his JuCo time, he may be ready to step in and play on the very first day. It's hard to tell if he can win starting time, however, because it's not easy to compare JC performance to the other names on the roster. If you're into dark horses, he's your guy.

SUMMARY

If I were to guess, I would have the starting lineup look much like the picture above - Wes Brown and Ben Martin at ends (though flipped from the picture), and Dan Williams and Chase Nelson starting in the interior. I'm least certain about Nelson because Langley has a real chance to grab the slot. I'm most confident about Dan because of his past history and because there's nobody else who's nearly as well suited to handle the left tackle position as him.

On defensive line, incoming players usually have to sit for a while as they fill out into their still-growing bodies. There are a few bright spots, but all of the incoming true freshmen have some physical development to do before they come into true form.

One last note: we have 7 tackles and 6 ends on the roster. Of the 7 tackles, 3 will be seniors. Of the 6 ends, 1 will be a senior, but one of the incoming players is from the JC ranks. Also, of the 7 tackles, 3 were moved to tackle to account for depth problems. Of the 6 ends, 3 were not originally d-line prospects. In short, we're thin on depth, experience, and on players who are ideally suited for the positions on the line. It should be workable this year, but the coaches absolutely have to find a way to get in more d-linemen in the next class. While one top-flight QB will go a long way toward easing our concerns, we're going to need a boatload of linemen next year.

2008 Senior Day Tribute: Demonte' Bolden

Joel — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:00:06 -0000

Why.

Demonte' Bolden

Mr. Emotion. Mystery Motion. Whichever you like best, use, because they both apply to Demonte' Bolden.

Bolden played in only one game in The Season of Which We Do Not Speak, so don't blame him for that one. In 2006, Bolden played in 12 games and averaged three tackles per game in the last five of the season. Last year, Bolden played in and started 12 games and really began to live up to his surname. In his first start, against California, Bolden had two tackles, including one for a loss, and recovered a fumble. He gradually increased his tackle numbers and in last year's game against Kentucky, he forced his first career fumble.

Don't blame Bolden for this Season of Constant Sorrow, either. He's started against every opponent except Northern Illinois, and he's accumulated 30 tackles (21 solo), six sacks, one pass break up, and four quarterback hurries.

Career stats:

				Ast	Solo	Asst Loss	Solo Loss	Loss Yds
			Games Played	Tackles					Passes Defended	Forced Fumbles	QB Hurries
Career Totals			37	24	54	0	15	43	3	2	4

Talking points: "thud" is a funny word edition

Joel — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:37:29 -0000

"Thud" Practices are all the rage! For some! Tennessee's new "thud" practices (make your own joke here!) are getting a lot of play from Knoxville media. Demonte Bolden decleated Nick Stephens yesterday, but Nick just thought it was funny. Robert Ayers said something really interesting about the new notion of preparing to play: " “I wouldn’t say it was desperation but at this point,” Ayers said. “You’re looking for playmakers. Full speed practice is the only way to find those playmakers other than the game.” Aaaah, so that's why we can't find playmakers until after games we lose. Ayers also declined to name names but said that "[y]ou probably have some guys that complained about it." If that's the case, then some things are even more wrong over there than we thought. Better get ready, guys, because Croom's coming, and if you're not ready, his team is going to dominate you physically and get your coach fired.
This just in: Trooper Taylor is thriving in Stillwater. Chief says his zone coverage is "not soft." Is too. Is not. Is too. Is not. Whatever the case, the defense can only stop opponents on third and two seven percent of the time. Perhaps y'all can agree on "too soft" instead of "not soft?" I'm just the mediator here.
The rest of the football season is about pride. Good thing we have Eric Berry.
It's all in the interpretation. The Papa says that Mike Hamilton, who Clay says is sharpening knives, "has been very supportive." Who says verb tense isn't important? Like Fulmer, Third Saturday in Blogtober is encouraged by Hamilton's recent comments, although for a different reason.
Elsewhere around the 'sphere: Fulmer's Belly says this must be how Kentucky fans feel. Southeastern Sports Blog observes that Vol fans "probably spent more time breaking down and looking forward to the season than the Vols did being relevant in it," but has a very valid point:

But the Vols have been very good to us. Now's the time to return the favor.

The future is not set; there is no fate but what we make. The Vols will either go further in the hole or keep playing and lay a solid foundation for what's to come, whatever that will be. And it's the responsibility of everyone involved with the program to do what they can to make it something good.
That includes us.
The BruceBall Blog is counting down the days to tip off (it's 30 days away now, folks) and is down to No. 2 in the top moments of the Bruce Pearl Era, the Vols' ascension to No. 1 in the polls. It's time to start getting up to speed on the new faces we'll see on this year's team. Expectations are high for the freshmen.

Tennessee Volunteers v. Florida Gators: game preview

Joel — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:42:25 -0000

There are essentially three keys for home-dog Tennessee this Saturday against the Gators:

Control the A and B gaps on both offense and defense.
Win on third down defense.
New standard for punters: forget on-time, high, and deep. Go with early and out-of-bounds.

First, the pertinent stats:

Tennessee rush v. Florida defense	Tennessee pass v. Florida defense	Florida rush v. Tennessee defense	Florida pass v. Tennessee defense
20	52	20	12
13	4	44	74

Field Goals	Tennessee punting v. Florida punt return	Florida punting v. Tennessee punt return	Intangibles
T-85	118	37
T-85	14	21
Push

Strength of schedule metrics:

at UCLA	0-1	L 27-24
UAB	0-2	W 35-3

Hawaii	1-1	W 56-10
Miami (FL)	1-0	W 26-3

Can somebody explain the NCAA's strength of schedule pdf to me? Maybe it's just a mistake, but they have Tennessee's past opposition strength of schedule calculated as, well, zero, based on prior opponent's non-Tennessee games record of no wins and three losses. As much as that pains me, that appears to be correct, but they have Florida's calculated as zero as well, listing their prior opponent's non-Florida games record of zero wins and one loss. That has to be a data entry error, don't you think?

Here's how the teams look next to each other in each of the key statistical categories currently used in the RTT Ready, Fire, Aim BlogPoll Computer Ballot:

Rank	Team	WL	SOS	PED	RD	3DO	TD	PEO	EXP	OPPG	TO	3DD	AVG R	W AVG
17	Florida	1	99	4	13	19	3	34	116	6	62	15	33.82	191.09
70	Tennessee	65	99	12	20	61	30	96	116	27	23	68	56.09	450.36

It appears that Florida should have been ranked even higher than they were this week by the computer based on that wacky SOS data discussed above. Correcting for that puts them at third rather than 17th. Sigh.

So what's it all mean?

The bulk of the struggle in this game is going to focus on the A and B gaps in both lines. Those are the holes on either side of the center on the offensive line. As we've been saying all week (and for years), Tennessee's best chance against the Gators is to run the ball. If successful, they can then use the play-action pass, but if they aren't successful at running the ball, they'll give Florida another chance to run up the score because they won't be able to control possession on offense. The only possibly viable alternative to establishing the run and sticking with it is to use a short-yardage passing game. Despite all of that, the Vols will need to take a shot down the field once in awhile at opportune times to keep the defense honest. If they can hit one or two of those, it will help the running game a great deal and get us on the road to a possible upset. If not (and see the No. 54 Tennessee pass rank against the No. 4 Florida pass efficiency defense rank), it will just be viewed as an empty threat and will make matters worse. Tennessee's running game is good (or it appears to be good -- see the strength of schedule), but Florida's rush defense appears to actually have the edge. Still, it's our only hope Obi-Wan.

Really surprising to me here is that the numbers indicate a possible advantage for the Vols on defense. The knee-jerk skepticism is somewhat quelled by the fact that although UAB's defense was really bad, its offense really isn't. When we're on defense, look for two things: watch the A and B gaps, and watch our defense's ability to stop Florida on third down (Note Florida's third down offense rank of 19 against Tennessee's third down defense rank of 68.). Can Demonte' Bolden, Dan Williams, Walter Fisher, and Donald Langley dictate matters in Florida's backfield like Miami did? Will Chavis play the linebackers up at the line in different gaps at different times to give Tebow and the o-line and the blockers and options more to process and to disrupt the play at the outset? Will that increase the odds that any of Tebow's passes might be off target and result in interceptions from our ball-hawking secondary? It's possible. Defense is that one area where the home crowd can really help the team. It's been a long time since Tennessee's fielded an intimidating, dominating defense, and the early returns this year are encouraging. Al Wilson will be in attendance to be honored as the Tennessee Legend of the game, and it is probably safe to assume that coach Fulmer will have him address the team to get them fired up. If Vol fans see glimpses of the Tennessee defense of yore, they'll go nuts.

The real danger comes on special teams, specifically Tennessee's punting game. With Florida's Brandon James fielding punts, Tennessee's fourth-down territory should be expanded. If a punt is definitely called for, Chad Cunningham does not need to be a Colquitt, he just needs to be a mere pawn in the scheme, helping his team take one small step in the right direction. He does not need to get the punt out on time, high, and deep. He needs to get it out early and out of bounds. A thirty-eight yard gross average is not the standard here. Avoiding a special teams touchdown for the other team is the only goal. A ten-yard punt that is not returned may be the best play of the night that we'll never acknowledge simply because it precluded something bad from happening.

Tennessee Volunteers v. Florida Gators: good news, bad news

Joel — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:15:04 -0000

It's that time of year again when Vol fans and coaches observe that whichever team rushes the ball best in the Tennessee-Florida game wins:

Year	UT rushing yards	UF rushing yards	UT	UF
2007	37	255	20	59
2006	-11	121	20	21
2005	66	68	7	16
2004	171	135	30	28
2003	139	73	24	10
2002	99	94	13	30
2001	242	36	34	32

Pretty simple. Three out of four times we've outrushed the Gators -- and all three times we've outrushed them substantially -- we've beaten them. When we haven't outrushed them, we've lost. The trend goes back further than that, but easy stats do not.

The good news. We appear to have a decent running game this year, provided that we have indeed discovered our identity in that aspect of the game.

The bad news. We've not run well against the Gators recently. Uh-huh, yeah, see the last three seasons above. Florida has outgained the Vols on the ground 257 yards to 54 yards in each of the first halves the last three seasons. Tennessee had -11 yards on the ground against the Gators in 2006. We've not had a rushing play longer than six yards in the last two years. 92 yards total rushing offense in three years. Add to that that Florida's defense appears to be better this year -- Miami didn't have a single snap in the red zone against them two weeks ago-- and we've got trouble.

Why are we still harping on the running game? Isn't it getting a little tiring? Isn't there something new and exciting to talk about? Don't we already know this?

Yeah, we should, but we seem to never learn, no matter how many times we resolve to stick with the running game against Florida. This year, we have a new offensive coordinator, which could be either good or bad. Perhaps Clawson will look at the historical stats and conclude that because running wins the Tennessee-Florida game, Tennessee will need to run to win. But maybe he'll get suckered into thinking otherwise. Maybe he'll need to learn the lesson himself. I sincerely hope not, but he is sounding like he's flirting with danger, uttering words like "balance" and phrases like "keep them honest."

The good news. Greg Mattison, the Gators' defensive line coach from 2005-2007, bolted for the NFL this summer and is no longer with the Gators. Florida is 2-3 in their last five games away from The Swamp. Meyer was 3-3 away from home in his first season with Florida. Even when they win on the road, they're not nearly as dominating or fearsome as they are at home. The players and coaches are using last year's dishumiliarrassment as motivation. Says Demonte' Bolden: "I feel like that was the worst game ever that I've been in." Says Rico McCoy: "it's not a game I'd like to forget. It's a game I'd like to make up for." The game plan against the Gators will provide these guys with the opportunity to work out some hostility. One of the goals is to hit Tebow at every legitimate opportunity. When the defense isn't hitting him, the offense is to relegate him to the sideline. Avoid the staggering :27 seconds total possession in the third quarter we experienced last year. That completely and utterly drained the tank on our defense last year, which was woefully lacking in depth. Gerald Williams is being moved to defensive end to help with depth there. Gerald Jones, who is not only athletic but smart, apparently having a Good Will Hunting moment at a whiteboard in front of the coaches this week, figures to be heavily involved in the offensive game plan. That's all good, and we haven't even looked at The Papa's surprising record in Games You Can't Possibly Win.

There's good reason to go to or at least watch the game this Saturday. We could win.

P.S. Urban Meyer says you can't not kick to Brandon James and threatens to block your punt if you try. Oh, okay, coach. We'll just kick to Brandon then. All right. Sorry.

Big Orange Roundtable: Volunteers' unit bell curve against UAB

Joel — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:20:01 -0000

YMSWWC has this week's Big Orange Roundtable and asks one simple question: how did the Vols do against UAB?

At the top of the curve

Running backs. This unit had 264 net yards. 41 carries to 33 passes is a beautiful thing when we're getting 6.5 yards per carry. Arian Foster carried 12 times for 100 yards with a long of 31 and an average of 8.3. Lennon Creer carried eight times for 93 yards, two TDs, a long of 45, and an average of 11.6. (!) Montario Hardesty ran Mo Hard, and Tauren Poole average 4.8 yards on nine carries. I'm with Will at Southeastern Sports Blog. I know it was UAB, but what more can you ask for?

Offensive line. Um, see above. They made way for the 'backs to have such a fine day, and they gave up only one sack. I also don't really remember much pressure for Crompton, either. Good job to these guys.

Linebackers. These guys played really well. Ellix Wilson continues to surprise, racking up seven total tackles a shared one for a loss, an interception, a break up, and a hurry. Adam Myers-White had five tackles, including two for a loss, and Rico McCoy added four tackles.

Defensive backs. Eric Berry. Yeah. Seven tackles, a shared one for a loss, and an interception. Dennis Rogan, who played both safety and cornerback, had five tackles and did well in coverage. DeAngelo Willingham had four tackles, one for a loss, and an interception.

In the middle of the curve

Wide Receivers. Lucas Taylor had a fantastic day, catching nine passes for 132 yards, including a really nice 48 yard reception on which he made several moves after the catch to extend the play. Gerald Jones had two TDs, and Brandon Warren had two catches for 48 yards, including the 42-yarder from Nick Stephens. There seemed to be a lot of drops, though, including several -- three, I think -- from Luke Stocker. He apparently has very good hands, but he had a bad day. As a unit, though, 282 yards is pretty good. A couple more TDs would have been nice, though, huh?

Defensive line. Not a whole lot of action here. Chris Walker seemed to have his name called quite a bit, but the stats show him with only three tackles. He did also force a fumble, though. Dan Williams also had three tackles.Walter Fisher, Demonte' Bolden, and Ben Martin all had only tackle each. Robert Ayers' only contribution to the stat sheet is a QBH. These numbers probably should have been better considering the competition. Still, Joe Webb is a great quarterback, and keeping him contained was probably priority No. 1. They accomplished that.

Special teams. Chad Cunningham averaged 38 yards on two punts and put one inside the 20. We could not get the ball into the end zone on kickoffs, but most of them went to the two- or three-yard line. We attempted no field goals, which was probably excruciating for Daniel Lincoln. Punt return and kick return yardage was practically non-existent. Gerald Jones returned one punt for six yards, and Denarius Moore returned one kickoff for 27 yards.

Coaching. The coaching staff seemed fired up. It was good to see them focus on the rushing game in the second half. Still, 14 points in the first half against the nation's second-worst defense was disappointing. Perhaps it was necessary to get Crompton some reps, I don't know. The defense holding UAB to three total points is a very good performance, though, because as bad as UAB's defense was, their offense wasn't.

At the bottom of the curve

Quarterbacks. Not the best day for these guys, but several dropped passes from their receivers didn't help matters much. Crompton fielded the team well when we went to the running game, but we went to the running game after the passing game faltered a bit. Crompton missed an open Brandon Warren at least a couple of times, once to throw to Lucas Taylor in double coverage. Still, Crompton finished 19 of 31 for 240 yards and had two great-looking TDs to Gerald Jones. One of the interceptions was more like a punt, and probably didn't matter much, but the other wasn't good. Nick Stephens looked decent when he got into the game. Finding Brandon Warren for a 42-yard seam route reception will do that for you.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Roundtablers' responses:Loser With Socks

Southeastern Sports Blog
3rd Saturday in Blogtober
Curveballs for Jesus
Fulmer’s Belly
Gate 21
Moondog Sports