SB Nation - Aaron Douglas

Talking Points: the NCAA will make you anti-social

Joel — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:35:39 -0000

Lane Kiffin would like to remind the New York Times that this guy played every game this season.

As suspected, the NCAA investigation isn't just about two anonymous hostesses attending a high school game in South Carolina, it's also about Tennessee's use of social media, and like we said yesterday, if the current rules don't specifically address Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, then this could be more about the routine exploiting and closing of loopholes.

For his part, Lane Kiffin (not surprisingly) agrees with the whole "more success equals more complaints" notion:

I know that we've done a phenomenal job in recruiting. I know that it's very competitive around the country with the kids that we go after and within this conference. I think that anytime you're operating at the level we're operating at in recruiting, people are going to come after us.

People are going to question what we're doing, and as head coach it's my job to make sure that we're doing everything by the rules - and we are. We're excited about the direction we're going, and people will always try to take shots at us, they'll always try to bring us down, but it won't matter.

In any event, Kiffin's not in a hurry to come to any conclusions. Well, other than comparing this report from the NYT with the one they ran last year suggesting that Tennessee or Bryce Brown or Brian Butler had done something wrong when they hadn't:

What you've seen of me is I like to get all the information in, research what's going on, not jump to conclusions, and this is something that's had a lot of national run, been in a lot of media. I think what I compare it to in this situation is I go back to the Bryce Brown situation right before the season. That got a lot of national media attention, a lot of SportsCenter attention that the Tennessee staff maybe had some involvement in illegal recruiting of Bryce Brown, that Bryce Brown did some things illegal.

There was an investigation into that and it ended up with no wrongdoing. I look for this to be the exact same situation, a lot of stuff being said and in the end when the research is done and conclusions aren't being made, the same result will happen.

Kiffin's viewing the Chick-fil-A Bowl as another opportunity to make a splash in Georgia with recruits. Billboards, helicopters, and bowl games. What's next? By the way, did you know that the Vols' bowl game against Virginia Tech will be the only football game on TV at that time? And that the Chick-fil-A takes four places in ESPN's top 15 all-time highest bowl numbers?
A bit of good news. Eric Berry won the Thorpe Award last night. Chest bump to him. Chest bumps also to Aaron Douglas and Herman Lathers for being named to the coaches Freshman All-SEC team. Did you know that Douglas played his new position of right tackle for the last nine games of the season and allowed just 1.5 sacks in more than 700 plays and was second on the o-line with 58 pancakes?
A bit of bad news. Linebackers coach Lance Thompson is a strong candidate to join Charlie Strong's staff at Louisville. Argh. Glad for Charlie and all (both because he deserves it and because he'll no longer be at Florida), but . . . Lance, too!?
Going to really miss this guy. Eddie Gran got a sweet deal at Florida State, and Lane Kiffin had some great things to say about him (duplicate link) yesterday:

We’ll miss Eddie, he got a great opportunity. He wants to be a head coach, and to go be the assistant head coach there was an opportunity he really couldn’t pass up. We’re very excited for him. To kind of show what kind of guy Eddie is and our relationship with him, Eddie just left the office today. He’s been here the last three days even though he doesn’t work for us anymore, watching Virginia Tech for us and developing a plan for what he thinks we should do against them and writing it all down. He’s going to go over that with me, and it kind of describes what type of guy he is.

Add that guy next to Trooper Taylor's name on the list of guys I'd love to see return if we ever have a better opportunity for them on Rocky Top.

The basketball Vols are playing MTSU tonight at 7:00. We'll have the open thread, as always.
Swiperboy's got a new video, and he's getting some help from CBS Sports in promoting it and a related contest:

Recruiting Update: Black is the Color of My True Love's Jersey

Hooper — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:30:20 -0000

It's pretty amazing that, for all of the events surrounding Tennessee football since Lane Kiffin's hiring, few topics have achieved as much steady discussion and debate as the color black. It was a significant enough topic that we not only held a create-your-own-uniform contest, we added some swag as prizes for the winner and runner-up. Our busiest day at Rocky Top Talk for the entire month of October? In a month where Crompton turned the corner, Tennessee drilled Georgia, and Alabama very nearly fell to the Vols in Tuscaloosa, it was the day we talked about uniforms.

But if uniform color is a big deal to us, it shouldn't be surprising that color is a big deal to other people as well. It was important enough for Eric Berry and Montario Hardesty to talk to Mike Hamilton and request black for Halloween. It was important enough for Mike Hamilton to make the about-face on earlier statements and rush-order black uniforms with screen-printed numbers. It was important enough that Tennessee's recruiting may very well have turned a surprising and very exciting corner.

Commits Since the Black Jerseys

Shortly after the black jersey game, Tennessee earned the pledge of Ken Adams, Kenbrell Thompkins, and even 5-star basketball commit - point guard Kevin Ware.

Ken Adams could play either defensive end or tight end, but the roster numbers appear to suggest tight end at the moment. He's a Junior College player who was first an Auburn commit out of high school, but the changes in Auburn (which were more significant, offense-wise, than Tennessee) don't particularly suit tight ends very well and Lane Kiffin's offense should be a much better fit for him.
Kenbrell Thompkins is another Junior College player - a wide receiver who is a little bigger than most of the receiver stock currently in Knoxville. He's not a 6'-6" monsterbeastreceiver type per se, but he will fill the role that Brandon Warren was supposed to fill in the offense quite nicely.

I'm actually pretty happy that both of these players are junior college players. With a recruiting class that appears to be on its way of maxing out, having a few players who finish their eligibility earlier will help maintain a healthy scholarship rotation into the next few years of recruiting classes - something I think is very important for the long-term health of the recruiting program. Additionally, both players will play in positions that are thin in upperclassmen, which helps create cleaner, more uniform player distributions.

Here is a chart of the players by class to help visualize what I'm saying. In this chart, the years are years in which a player's eligibility is expected to end. If a player is a redshirt freshman (e.g. Aaron Douglas), they are listed as freshmen. Likewise, a playing freshman is listed as a freshman, so Aaron Douglas and Marsalis Teague are both freshmen in the chart. Ok? Good.

Untitled Document

		Senior	Junior	Sophomore	Freshman	Total	2010 Commits	2010 Total
OFFENSE	Quarterback	1	1	1	0	3	1	3
	Halfback	1	0	1	3	5	0	4
	Fullback	0	1	1	0	2	1	3
	Center	2	0	1	0	3	0	1
	Guard	2	0	0	4	6	1	5
	Tackle	1	1	1	2	5	2	6
	Tight End	1	1	1	0	3	2	4
	Receiver	2	3	1	3	9	4	11
DEFENSE	Tackle	2	2	0	3	7	4	9
	End	1	3	2	2	8	3	10
	Corner	1	2	3	2	8	0	7
	Safety	1	1	1	5	8	0	7
	Middle Linebacker	0	2	0	2	4	1	5
	Outside Linebacker	1	1	2	3	7	1	7
SPECIAL TEAMS	Punter	0	1	0	0	1	0	1
	Kicker	0	1	0	0	1	1	2
	Long Snapper	1	0	0	0	1	0	0
		17	20	15	29	81	21	85

The chart is very fluid; juniors who may leave early are still listed as juniors, but the potential early departees to the NFL (like Eric Berry) are not debited for the 2010 total. Also, recruits who may end up going JUCO are not discounted. There are more exceptions, but the basic point is that this is rough. But it does show some good details:

The current sophomore class is going to be bolstered by JUCO players. John Brown and Patrick Harris are both defensive tackle JUCO recruits, which is where the sophomore class is particularly thin. Adding a receiver and a tight end helps round out the numbers on offense, too. That's pretty decent for the JUCO portion of the class, and that's where JUCO players are valuable.
We still need offensive linemen. For clarity, I have Jose Jose listed as a guard, though some speculate that he will be a center. Either way, two more offensive linemen is a minimal must. The gap of linemen in our current junior and sophomore classes are so significant as to be irrepairable. We just have to fill in behind those classes and make do, and that starts with getting numbers now. It'll make an imbalance down the road, but at least things will be manageable then.
The numbers are shaping up very, very nicely. This may be more than just a top-ranked class. This may be a top-ranked class that actually matches the needs of the team across the board. If you're ever wondering how valuable Ed Orgeron is to the team, this is your answer.

Finishing Up

There are still several names floating out there. Rumors are getting very strong that man-beast middle linebacker Jeff Luc will commit to the Vols at some undetermined point in the future. Offensive linemen JaWuan James, John Cullen, Chaz Green, Dakota Mosley, and James Stone are the bulk of names still being floated about - roughly in order of apparent precedence/likeliness at this point. Michael Dyer appears to be taking a serious look at Tennessee, even though he's probably favoring Auburn at the moment. (The guy's a bowling ball; I'd love to have him here.) There are still people insisting that Jesse Scroggins will come to UT, but I just simply don't believe it. Matt Simms is a JUCO quarterback who might be added, but the odds seem slim there as well as he doesn't have an offer yet. That's alright; I'm perfectly fine with only having Tyler Bray in place. Between him, Nick Stephens, and Nick Lamaison, Tennessee should be alright in 2010. That would leave room for a quarterback in 2010's class. Chris Dunkley, Corey Lemonier, and Christian Jones are consistently tossed around as names as well, but it's really anybody's guess at this point.

Many of these players were in attendance during the South Carolina game, and they saw the players put the black jerseys on in the locker room. The impression was strong, as they all have stated in later interviews that the scene was intense and special. Black jerseys may seem like a silly point of conversation, but it's one of those things that somehow matters. It matters to us, and it matters to them.

And to top it all off, the retirement of Mickey Andrews - the soon-to-be-former Florida State Seminoles defensive coordinator - will surely open up a poaching free-for-all on FSU's current commits and prospects. Likewise, the defensive struggles of the Georgia Bulldogs will cast doubt on the future of Willie Martinez and the possibility that Charlie Strong may get a long overdue head coaching gig could loosen up a few Florida Gators commits. Meanwhile, Tennessee has a brand new staff that should be stable for the next few years - a staff who is proving their ability to coach players up to win games. The end of this recruiting season should be a wild one, with commits and decommits flying about from unforeseen directions. It should be fun.

Ken Adams is a Tennessee Volunteer Commit!

Hooper — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:05:24 -0000

Immediately following the victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks, the Tennessee Volunteers picked up a commitment from junior college defensive end / tight end Ken Adams. Adams is most likely going to fill in as a tight end for Tennessee, given the number of defensive linemen already committed to the Vols (seven) and the need for another tight end with Aaron Douglas's move to offensive tackle.

Ken Adams is a Scout one-star / Rivals three-star (not 5*! oh noes!) who played for Copiah-Lincoln in Mississippi and was at one point an Auburn Tigers commit, but the shifting sands of coaching between the two schools most likely tilted the situation in favor of Tennessee, where he will either play in a more pro-style offense with more of a chance to make a name for himself, or he will play for defensive uber-legends Monte Kiffin and Ed Orgeron. Either way is a win-win for Adams and for the Vols.

Tennessee Recruiting: DeMarco Cobbs, Offensive Line, and the South Carolina Gamecocks

Hooper — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:14:32 -0000

Over the last two to three weeks, recruiting news has been predicably slow. There's no rush for anybody but the early enrollees, and even then, there's no real need to solidify any decisions until high school football seasons are over. Today's big news was the decommitment of DeMarco Cobbs, who has now pledged his hand to UT the Younger. Other than that, there really hasn't been a significant change in the status of Tennessee commits for a while (which is why there hasn't been recruiting updates for a while).

But going forward, it's time to focus recruiting attention onto the two most immediate topics: the search for offensive linemen and the visitors to the Tennessee Volunteers - South Carolina Gamecocks Halloween game.

View Rocky Top Talk Tennessee Volunteers Recruiting Big Board 2010 in a larger map

Offensive Linemen

It is certainly not groundbreaking news that Tennessee needs linemen in a big way. 3 out of 5 starters on the line will be gone next year, and one other is a junior. Additionally, there is a decided shortfall in offensive linemen over the last couple of recruiting classes, which was a major part of the reason that Aaron Douglas was moved over to the line from tight end.

The stage is set for UT to make very significant improvements in offensive line play over the next couple of years - and for 2010 commits to play a large role in that improvement. For one, the current coaching staff has gotten a lot of mileage out of the current unit, which features two decidedly undersized walk-on starters in the Sullins twins. You have to applaud the Sullinses for their efforts, as they are really playing up to their potential, but adding some more natural athletes (hopefully with that same work ethic) will raise the ceiling on line play, which is something that Brown and Oku must be dreaming about when they think of their junior seasons.

But the other motive is the playing time, which will be on a fire sale over the summer. Replacing Chris Scott will be the biggest hurdle, as he has been an absolute anchor at left tackle. Aaron Douglas should slide into that position, leaving the right tackle position open for the best athlete of the bunch. After that, the spring camp will focus on replacing the center, as Cody Sullins will be departing.

Names to keep an ear out for are: Chaz Green of Tampa, Florida, Matt James of Cincinnati, Ohio, JaWuan James of North Gwinnett, Georgia, Damien Robinson of Olive Branch, Misssissippi, and James Stone of Nashville, Tennessee. The staff may be a little cooler on Stone than people think, given his less-than-expected year so far. Chaz was long thought to be a Florida Gator in waiting, but appears very much in play. JaWuan James used to be committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide, and most rumormongerers anticipate him choosing Tennessee over the Georgia Bulldogs, but nothing is in stone here.

I think we'll get two out of that lot, though I don't know which two. And that should be plenty.

The South Carolina Game

This weekend, nine (!) prospects will be in town on official visits:

Ken Adams - JUCO tight end / defensive end
Demar Dorsey - a safety currently listed as a Florida Gators commit
Chris Dunkley - a 5'-11" wide receiver from Pahokee
Christian Jones - a linebacker from Winter Park, Florida
Ted Meline - one of Tennessee's current wide receiver commits (from Miami)
Dequan Menzie - a cornerback from Misssissippi
Corey Miller - a defensive end from South Carolina (same school as Brandon Willis)
Terrence Mitchell - a cornerback from Tampa, Florida,
Brandon Willis - a defensive tackle from South Carolina

Four unofficial visitors are also expected:

Christian Bryant - a cornerback from Cleveland Ohio (same high school as Mike Edwards)
C.J. Mosley - a linebacker from Theodore, Alabama
Drew Phillips - a running back from Boaz, Alabama, and a BYU Cougars commit
Jacques Smith - Ooltewah native and Tennessee recruiter extraordinaire

You'll note that, of all the visitors this weekend, none are expected to be offensive linemen. Chaz Green was rumored to be coming with his parents on an unofficial, but that seems to be not happening this time around. After that - yes, there is a Florida commit in the ranks. That's not a big deal, as commits take officials to other schools all the time. Hey, I'd do it too, if somebody was paying my way. I have no idea if Dorsey is here for subversive reasons and I'm not going to assume so, but even if he hypothetically were, he's going to be head-to-head with Jacques Smith, who has been absolutely lights-out in promoting Tennessee.

But with so many visitors in town, it is imperative that the Vols fans show some class at the game. I don't think it'll be a problem, as the relatively good nature of the UT fanbase was one of the things that attracted me to the team in the first place, but you never do know. Let Neyland be rockin', and let this be the best Halloween game of the day.

Tennessee Volunteers Outlast Ohio Bobcats, Limp Out 34-23

Hooper — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

2 months ago: Tennessee defensive end Chris Walker returns an interception for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Ohio, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Browse more photos »

In the last non-conference game before the heart of the conference schedule, the Tennessee Volunteers won in a tougher-than-expected matchup against the Ohio Bobcats. The good news is that the Volunteers won. The bad news is the injury list.

The opening quarter started out briskly for the Vols, with a solid opening drive capped by an eleven-yard touchdown run by Montario Hardesty to create a 7-0 lead. But then, things went haywire fast for the home team. The following kickoff was returned by Ohio's specialist Chris Garrett for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. The next drive ended abruptly with an all-too-familiar tone for Vols fans: an early interception thrown by Jonathan Crompton. With the short field, the Bobcats took a quick 14-7 lead, closing with a 2-yard pass from Theo Scott to LaVon Brazill. The Volunteers tied things up at the end of the first quarter with a touchdown pass to Brandon Warren.

And then the grudge match was on.

Ohio, led by coach Frank Solich, gameplanned very well for Tennessee. The Bobcat defense sold out against the run, daring Crompton to throw all day long. To his credit (and every Vol fans' fear), Lane Kiffin obliged by turning Crompton loose for a 34-attempt night, even after the early interception. Likewise, Monte Kiffin sold out his defense against the run, determined to halt the spread elements of the pistol formation, to which the Bobcats turned their quarterback loose for a 52-pass night. The result was that the second quarter ground down to a near-halt with field possession ruling the night.

Playing field position worked for the Vols. Pinning Ohio back deep in their own end, the ferocious pressure from the Ed Orgeron-trained line caused Ohio quarterback Theo Scott to throw straight into the arms of defensive end Chris Walker, who sauntered into the end zone for his first career pick-six and a 21-14 Tennessee lead. After trading field goals (and a very near miss from a 46-yard attempt by Daniel Lincoln), the half ended 24-17.

In the third quarter, the grinding game continued, with an early field goal for Ohio and a late touchdown by Tennessee on a 26-yard Jonathan Crompton to Bryce Brown pass that extended the Volunteer lead to 31-20 heading into the fourth quarter. Likewise in the fourth, a pair of traded field goals left the final score 34-23 - much closer than the Volunteer faithful were hoping for, but a win nonetheless.

Areas of Concern

Special Teams: The kickoff touchdown run has to worry the Vols. Between that and other returns, it appears the coverage unit needs some more work in anticipation of other good return games down the horizon. On the plus side, Lincoln is having a much, much better year kicking field goals than he did last year, with only missing the one 46-yarder on the year and setting a new career high with the late 49-yard field goal to ice the game. Improvement has definitely been made in special teams, but Eddie Gran's job is not done.

Wide Receivers: Either to the credit of the Ohio secondary, the detriment of the Tennessee receiving corps, or both, the Volunteer receivers were not able to consistently establish separation in their routes, giving Crompton precious few targets and forcing many throwaways. While the interceptions were down for Crompton (just one on a deflected ball) as well as for the Ohio secondary (who had 5 on the year already), the lack of opportunities were more of a problem in this game than in previous outings for Tennessee.

Injuries: At one point, five defensive starters were out of the game for injuries, including a potentially nasty leg injury to home crowd favorite linebacker Nick Reveiz. The injuries are coming at the worst possible time - the very beginning of the main SEC conference slate, which starts next Saturday against the Auburn Tigers. As this is a team that is very clearly led by the defense and very thin on depth, getting as many healthy bodies back into the lineup as possible is a high priority.

Other Notes

Tennessee touchdowns were scored by Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown, Chris Walker, and Brandon Warren. Daniel Lincoln missed his first field goal of the year (a 46-yarder) but made a personal record 49-yarder and a 38-yarder, dispelling many of the fears of a return of last year's shaky performance. Aaron Douglas made his first career start at right tackle, adding valuable experience for the future of the Vols offensive line. Eric Berry had another quiet night, as Ohio clearly played to keep the ball as far away from him as possible. Janzen Jackson is obviously relishing the opportunity to lay hard hits, inflicting several on Bobcats players. The Tennessee defense held the Ohio offense to 21 yards on the ground on 17 carries, but gave up 319 passing yards on 52 attempts for a 6.1-yard average.

Talking points: even homework is afraid of Eric Berry

Joel — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:02:44 -0000

Eric Berry tackles his homework like it's Knowshon Moreno. From his Twitter feed:

...Shout out to EmeraldMaserie!!! Just crushed my presentation. Now I'm off to eat and off to practice.

No doubt that if it weren't for that pesky 140 character limit, the last part of that would have read, "Now I'm off to demolish my dinner and destroy practice."
The word of the day is . . . FINISH . . . brought to you by Wes Rucker and the Times Free Press:

College football coaches pore over statistics after most games, and they obsess over them after close losses. Most of the most important statistics boil down to one factor: As Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin puts it, "Did we finish?" Did your defense get off the field on third down? Did your team outscore its opponent in the fourth quarter? Did you turn red-zone drives into touchdowns? Kiffin's Volunteers did two of those three things the past two weeks, but they lost to UCLA and Florida in large part because they couldn't accomplish the third task. They couldn't fully capitalize inside the opponent's 20-yard line, and that's one of the biggest reasons they're 1-2 heading into Saturday's 7 p.m. game against Ohio University. UT scored six times in seven red-zone chances against the Bruins and Gators, but just two of those possessions, and just one of the last six, crossed the goal line.

The Google of Football is always and forever indexing:

Still Learning: Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has been indoctrinated in the spread offense and will see it again from the Bobcats. But they'll add one more wrinkle the coaching veteran hasn't faced much before with their Pistol attack that features a running back behind the quarterback in a shotgun formation. "I didn't even know what it was until I got here," Monte Kiffin said. "Every week it's something new."

As Jarrod Shaw moves to left guard to sub for injured Vladimir Richard, Aaron Douglas will start at right tackle for Shaw. Douglas's former NFL dad will be rooting for Douglas . . . to get up and get back in the huddle.

Friend of the blog Brian Cook has issues with RTT and Clay Travis asserting that Lane Kiffin's taking up residence in Urban Meyer's head. Which is fine, although I'm not sure that anyone's really trying to say that it necessarily means Kiffin will win. It does have the effect of rallying the team (much like it has his fanbase -- hmm . . . there's a post in there somehwere), which is probably a piece of the puzzle, though. Oh, and both Kiffin and Meyer have heard from the principal now, too.

Kiffin's expecting better times for the passing game this weekend -- but remember that Ohio's secondary is quite ball-hawkish -- and is thinking that Brandon Warren may fit into that somehow.

Miss last night's game between South Carolina and Ole Miss? Catch up with SBNation's storystream of the Gamecock's 16-10 victory over the Rebels. Oh, and if you missed the game, you also missed the Dr. Lou segment, which was actually quite funny.

Quintin Hancock & Vladimir Richard injured, out for Ohio

Will — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:43:38 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

3 months ago: Tennessee Quintin Hancock (87) out runs UCLA's Akeem Ayers (10) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009 in Knoxville, Tenn. UCLA won 19-15. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Browse more photos »

Tennessee's struggles in the passing game will face an even steeper climb this week: senior OG Vladimir Richard is out with a knee injury and is on crutches, and WR Quintin Hancock has a broken jaw and will miss this week and then some.

Richard, who has been hampered throughout the month with achilles tendon and knee issues, will see his absence filled by Jarrod Shaw moving inside from tackle to guard, meaning redshirt freshman and converted tight end Aaron Douglas will see his first start at tackle on Saturday night. Douglas has played a handful of snaps in Tennessee's first three games.

Hancock has been Tennessee's most reliable wide receiver since spring practice, and leads the team with 11 catches for 128 yards this season. No other wide receiver has caught more than six passes.

Lane Kiffin stressed yesterday that Jonathan Crompton needed to play well this week, and the downgrade from Florida to Ohio in terms of defensive talent should allow the passing game to open things up more, even if only a little bit. But now with an offensive lineman and the leading pass catcher out, it'll be an even more interesting re-evaluation of Tennessee's passing game on Saturday.

Gerald Jones and Denarius Moore have the experience, but one still wonders if either is fully healthy. Freshman Marsalis Teague caught six passes in the opener but hasn't seen one since. Brandon Warren and Nu'Keese Richardson are still more hype than result. And thus far, Tennessee's third, fourth and fifth leading receivers are tailback Bryce Brown, fullback Kevin Cooper, and tight end Luke Stocker. The Vols need increased productivity from the WR position, and in Hancock's absence the competition will be more wide open than ever...who will step up?

Poll

Who will lead Tennessee in receptions against Ohio on Saturday?

Gerald Jones

54 votes

Denarius Moore

7 votes

Nu'Keese Richardson

11 votes

Marsalis Teague

70 votes

Brandon Warren

10 votes

A non-WR: Brown, Hardesty, Cooper or Stocker

32 votes

184 votes | Poll has closed

The Challenge Going Up Against Tennessee's Monster Offensive Line

Nestor — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:21 -0000

I wanted to delve a little deeper into the matchup between our defensive front-7 and the Tennessee OL. I think this will be the biggest challenge for our Bruins on Saturday. If our Price, Jerzy, Carter and co. are not able to hold their own against the behemoth Volunteers frontline, I think it will be a long day of watching prime time football on ESPN.

First, let's put the numbers of Tennessee front line in perspective. Here is a look at the Volunteers OL depth chart:

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Chris Scott, Sr (6-5, 330)	Vladimir Richard, Sr (6-4,300)	Cody Sullins, Sr (6-1, 260)	Jacques McClendon, Sr (6-3, 324)	Jarrod Shaw, Jr (6-4, 332)+
Dallas Thomas, Fr.* (6-5, 268)	Cody Pope, So (6-6, 288)	Cory Sullins, Sr (6-1, 270)	William Brimfield, So (6-5, 346)	Aaron Douglas, Fr* (6-6, 282)+

*Indicates red shirt
+ Listed as "Co-No. 1"

And now here is a look at the depth chart of the San Diego State's OL heading into last weekend:

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Tommie Draheim, So (6-4, 290)	Mike Matamua, So (6-4, 290)	Trask Losefa, Jr (6-0, 290)	Ikaika Aken-Moleta, Sr (6-2, 295)	Peter Nelson, Sr (6-5, 295)
Tom Rische, Jr, (6-4, 290)	Alec Johnson, Fr* (6-3, 300)	Damian Shankle, Sr (6-2, 295)	Emilio Rivera, So (6-4, 295)	Kurtis Gunther, So (6-8, 285)

*Indicates red shirt

You guys see the difference? It took couple of series for Brian Price and rest of the Bruin defensive frontline to generate pressure on the Aztecs. I don't think we can afford to have that luxury on Saturday evening. The Tennessee guys will come out right away and look to establish their own tempo and rhythm, by power running all over the Bruin defense.

If you recall they had decent amount of success against the Bruin defense rushing the ball last year as they ran for 177 yards in 34 attempts. They lost control of the game when for some inexplicable reasons they decided to go chuck and duck with Jonathan Crompton with astonishing 41 pass attempts. I don't see the Vols making the same mistake this time around.

You can bet they will come out at Neyland and serve up heavy doses of Hardesty and Brown. Don't forget though. Tennessee also has other talent at the tailback position. From Athlon.com's season preview:

Senior Montario Hardesty hits holes hard and possesses breakaway speed, and with a healthy spring behind him is on pace to enjoy his finest season. But before Hardesty can lead the Vols to victories he must first win his position. That figures to be a challenge with highly regarded prospects Bryce Brown and David Oku coming to fall camp. Brown, a 6'0", 215-pound super talent from Wichita, Kan., was ranked the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, and a visit to various YouTube highlight reels shows why. Oku, a 5'10", 185-pounder, was Rivals’ No. 1-rated all-purpose back and offers quickness and receiving ability. Freshman Toney Williams enrolled early and was expected to challenge for immediate playing time, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in summer workouts. Tauren Poole is another shifty option who should get into the mix this year. Fullbacks Kevin Cooper and Austin Johnson could get competition in the event the coaches move a tailback to the position.

Looking the boxscore from last Saturday, it looks like Oku got a decent chunk of action. He carried the ball 8 times for 42 yards, scoring 2 TDs, while Poole also carried the ball 5 times for 62 yards. So no doubt Hardesty and Brown are going to get the spotlight. However, I am sure our coaches will also be aware of Oku and Poole.

It will be interesting to see how Bullough scheme up his defense for Saturday. I thought our defensive effort in the early going was fairly vanilla. It seemed like the San Diego State OL (who clearly are not in the same league as the Tennessee OL in terms of size and athleticism) handled our stunts pretty well. It took us a while to get serious pressure going on the Aztecs passing game.

So what do we do? For starters, I think we are going to need more intense effort from our LBers. For whatever reason, I though Reggie Carter and Akeem Ayers came out a little slow last weekend. I didn't think their concentration level pick up till the second half (perhaps I am being bit harsh here but calling it as I saw the action). I think those guys will need to focused and locked in so that they can help our defensive frontline in containing the Tennesee ground attack.

I think the key for us will be to disrupt Crompton's comfort level. If we can contain their running game early on and get some heavy pressure on the Tennessee QB by blitzing him through different looks, I think we might be able to get him rattled a bit and throw him off rhythm. It is going to be a huge challenge.

That is why it will be imperative for a total team effort. The defense will need all the help it can get from an offense that will need to play effective ball control and the special teams doing whatever it can to give us good field position on both sides of the ball. Otherwise with that kind of imposing size and experience, I can see their OL eventually wearing down our front-7 in front of a rocking Tennessee home crowd.

GO BRUINS.

Opening Our Files: Roundup on Tennessee Previews & Other Volunteer Notes

Nestor — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:26 -0000

So let's officially open up our collective notebooks on Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols under first year head coach Lane Kiffin is coming off a picture perfect opener against newly minted D-1 Western Kentucky. The numbers the Volunteers piled up against the Hilltoppers were pretty sick. From the Tennessee team report posted over at Yahoo! Sports:

Western Kentucky turned Jonathan Crompton into Peyton Manning Lite, as the senior quarterback tossed five touchdown passes Saturday in a season-opening 63-7 annihilation at Neyland Stadium.

"To see Jonathan throw for five touchdowns today, more than he threw for all of last year, was really good for him," Kiffin said. "This is a quarterback and an offensive line that has been torn apart for a while now."

Crompton and the O-line did the tearing in front of a sun-drenched crowd of 98,761. Tennessee finished with 657 yards and 34 first downs, numbers that would have required three games to amass last year when the team went 5-7 and cost Phillip Fulmer his job.

Tailbacks Montario Hardesty and Bryce Brown each rushed for more than 100 yards and scored a touchdown. Hardesty rolled up 160 and Brown, a highly touted freshman, ended with 104.

Monte Kiffin’s defense had the Hilltoppers in minus numbers during the third quarter and allowed only 83 yards in 46 snaps. Western Kentucky picked up just six first downs.

The Volunteers piled up video game numbers on both sides of the ball, racking up 657 total yards and 34 first downs on offense, while limiting the Hiltoppers to 6 first downs (apparently their only first down in first half came via a penalty).

Yeah, I know it's kind of easy to dismiss those crazy numbers because they were taking on a hapless Hilltoppers bunch that was apparently playing their first D-1 game. However, I am not going to discount this kind of performance in their opening game under new coach, because it (at least on paper) shows that they are trying to put together a team with lethal killer instincts.

Bruins will have a puncher's chance though (even though at this point I am not seeing how we can pull out this win with a freshman QB and a completely revamped OL). The Tennessee team we are going to play this season is going to be a bit different than the one we shocked at the Rose Bowl. I have gathered some of the pre-season notes on their personnel from around the web with the latest update from our colleagues at Rocky Top Talk (RTT), after the jump.

So Kiffin (or should I say the Kiffins?) will be waiting for the Bruins with a team that returns 12 starters (7 on offense and 5 on defense) from last year's team. Paul Meyerberg from the New York Times has the following lowdown on the key losses from last year's team:

Key losses: Tennessee’s losses on offense are most felt at receiver, where the team lost two 2008 starters to graduation and another pair of potential 2009 starters to injuries. Lucas Taylor was one of Tennessee’s more dependable targets last fall, making 26 grabs for a team-leading 332 yards. The Vols also lost the part-time starter Josh Briscoe, who made 14 receptions for 176 yards and a score. Making matters worse, U.T. lost the senior Austin Rogers (14 for 180) for the season in the spring because of an A.C.L. tear, and may also be without the junior Denarius Moore for much of 2009. Moore, who made 11 receptions for 271 yards (a team-best 24.6 yards per reception), broke his left foot two weeks ago and may miss as much as three or four months. The team also faces a gap on the right side of its offensive line, where it lost guard Anthony Parker and tackle Ramon Foster (27 career starts). In the backfield, running back Arian Foster (570 yards, 1 touchdown) might have had a disappointing senior season, but he still departs as the team’s second-leading career rusher (2,964 yards). As a junior, Foster earned all-SEC honors after rushing for 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also added 83 career receptions, 19 as a senior. The would-be junior Lennon Creer, the team’s second-leading rusher last fall with 388 yards, opted to leave the program in April.

On defense, Tennessee lost a pair of starters at each level: the line, linebackers and secondary. The biggest is most likely end Robert Ayers, who earned all-SEC honors as a senior. He seemed to put it all together in his final season, making 49 tackles, a team-best 15.5 for loss, and 3 sacks. At tackle, the 21-game starter Demonté Bolden had 35 stops (6 for loss) as a senior. Middle linebacker Ellix Wilson led the team with 89 tackles, and added a sack and an interception; a fine season for the first-year starter and team leader. Rounding out the losses at linebacker are Nevin McKenzie (53 tackles, 10 for loss, a team-best 5 sacks) and Adam Myers-White. The U.T. defense must also replace cornerback DeAngelo Willingham and safety Demetrice Morley. Willingham, a two-year starter, finished second on the team with three interceptions. The would-be senior Morley added 42 tackles and 2 interceptions, but was kicked off the squad after violating team rules. That’s the second time Morley has been kicked off the team in three years; he won’t get a third shot.

Now don't get lulled into a false sense of comfort after reading those grafs. ~~First of all not sure where NYT got their info on Lucas Taylor because I still see him listed in Tennessee's depth chart this season. So that's a mistake~~. As for their losses at WRs, they have plenty of youngsters sprinkled through their depth chart (PDF) (HT hooper at RTT via Chattanooga Times Free Press).

Also, despite the loss of Paker and Foster at the OL, the Voluntees will have a powerful, huge veteran OL ready for the Bruin front-7 this weekend in Knoxville. If I read their correctly everyone except their center is over 300lbs and all of their starter are upper classmen (except for Jarrod Shaw, the 6-4, 332 Jr. who is listed as "Co-No-1" with Aaron Douglas, 6-6 282 red shirt freshman) From Athlon Sports' pre-season capsule on the Tennessee OL:

Chaney (OC John Cheney, who who Kiffin pried away from the St. Louis Rams, - BN Ed.) has brought with him a zone blocking scheme that has enabled the Vols’ linemen to play with more aggression. The interior line is strong with fourth-year starter Josh McNeil at center flanked by fellow seniors Jacques McClendon and Vladimir Richard. Senior Chris Scott has a hold on left tackle duties, while Jarrod Shaw and converted tight end Aaron Douglas are battling for the starting job at right tackle. "Last season was rough," Richard says. "But Coach (Kiffin) is a competitor. He loves smacking people in the mouth." After years of defensive dominance in practice drills, the UT offensive line stepped up and proved it could hold its own in the spring.

On other key returnees let's go back to that capsule from the NYT:

Players to watch: He’s undoubtedly the best defensive player in the F.B.S. But in my mind, the strong safety Eric Berry is the best player in the country – regardless of position. Yeah, there’s that quarterback down in Gainesville, so maybe Berry’s coming in second. That shouldn’t detract from what we’re all seeing from the talented junior: he’s the best defender U.T. has developed since Reggie White, and in my mind, if Tennessee shocks the SEC and wins 9 or 10 games, Berry should receive very heavy consideration for the Heisman. Through two seasons, Berry stands second in the N.C.A.A. with an SEC-record 487 interception return yards, a total coming off of 12 interceptions. His single-season outputs in this category rank first (265 yards last fall) and third (222 in 2007) in SEC history. Last fall, Berry tallied 73 tackles (8.5 for loss), 3 sacks and 7 interceptions, two of which he returned for scores. (He may have been Tennessee’s best offensive weapon.) For his efforts, Berry was a unanimous all-American – U.T.’s first since 1990 – and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. The only college safety I’ve seen match Berry’s combination of speed, ferocity and ball skills was the late, great Sean Taylor. So, as you see, he’s the king of the U.T. defense. Who will help carry the load? The Vols return the junior Dennis Rogan at one cornerback spot, as well as the 2007 starter Brent Vinson. Also competing for a starting spot at corner are the sophomores Art Evans and C.J. Fleming, though I wouldn’t be surprised if one of Tennessee’s heralded incoming freshmen make a push for playing time. U.T. will look toward the freshmen Prentiss Wagner and Rod Wilks or the sophomore Stephaun Raines at free safety. The senior Rico McCoy (87 tackles and a sack last fall) is the lone returning starter at linebacker. Making the push to join him in the starting lineup are the juniors Nick Reveiz (middle) and LaMarcus Thompson (strongside), each of whom played important roles on special teams a season ago. Besides McCoy, U.T. is very young and untested at linebacker. The situation is a little clearer on the line, where the juniors Ben Martin (18 tackles, 1 sack) and Chris Walker (15 tackles, 3 sacks) have secured their places as the starters at end. You’ll likely find the senior Dan Williams (48 stops, 8.5 for loss) on the nose, while the senior Wes Brown (37 tackles, 2.5 sacks) finds himself in competition with the freshman Montori Hughes for the second starting spot on the interior.

On offense, the senior Jonathan Crompton will again be the starter at quarterback. Let’s ignore the fact that his starting job has come by default. Quite simply, Crompton must be better in 2009 than he was a season ago. It shouldn’t be too difficult, as he did not play up to his potential last fall: 86 of 167 (51.5 percent) for 889 yards, with four touchdowns against five interceptions. He can – and should – be better, but some aspects of Crompton’s game must improve. His touch, for example. Crompton lacked it last fall, when he seemed to throw every pass as hard as he could. His decision-making must also improve. His only competition for the starting job is the junior Nick Stephens, who has missed most of the last five months while recuperating from a hand injury. Stephens started six games last fall, putting up numbers similar to Crompton’s (840 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 picks). The senior Montario Hardesty ascends to the top spot in the backfield after rushing for 271 yards a season ago. That total leads all returning Volunteers. He may be the lead back, but the Vols will also give carries to the sophomore Tauren Poole and the true freshman Bryce Brown, the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the 2009 cycle. Brown chose U.T. in part because of the potential for immediate playing time, so expect to see his number called early and often. Three starters return up front, led by the potential all-conference center Josh McNeil. The senior enters his final season with 35 career starts, the most of any active Volunteer. McNeil was a freshman all-American in 2006 and an honorable mention all-SEC selection in 2007. He’s joined up front by the senior left tackle Chris Scott and the senior left guard Vladimir Richard. I’m intrigued by the potential of the redshirt freshman Aaron Douglas, a former tight end who is in the hunt to start at right tackle. Given his experience and lack of prototypical size (he’s only 282 pounds, my word), can Douglas be the presence required of the right tackle in the run game?

Well as mentioned above looks like Douglas impressed the coaches sufficiently enough that he earned a spot on the depth chart as "co number 1" (whatever that means) with Jarrod Shaw. In some ways, Douglas sounds like he is the same situation as Nate Chandler found himself last year (when we were hurting for bodies at OL) as the coaches are doing whatever they can to incorporate his size and athleticism into the lineup.

Now in terms of what to expect next week, my bet is that Kiffin and Cheney will devise a plan on offense in which they will rely on a power running game. Again from Pete Fiutak's preview at Scout.com:

What to watch for on offense: Power running. The coaching staff will try to pound the ball, rely on the tremendous defense, and try to control the game and the clock. The passing game will try to push the ball deep a little more to stretch things out, but the offense will spend most of its time using its humongous, veteran line to pave the way for a fantastic group of backs. The backfield was good enough to get by, and then came the recruiting class with Toney Williams, David Oku, and the No. 1 prospect in America according to CFN, Bryce Brown, all ready to make a huge impact and upgrade the stalled ground attack.

What to watch for on defense: A ton of interceptions. All the pieces are there for the secondary to come up with a phenomenal year. Not only is there track star speed across the board, but there’s all-everything safety Eric Berry as the sheriff in the Tampa 2 scheme, but the pass rush should be better. Even with Robert Ayers off to the NFL, the Vol defensive front should be more active with Ben Martin and Chris Walker two speedsters on the ends who should be camped out in opposing backfields.

Going back to their offense, I am still shocked at how the Tennessee coaching staff from last year forgot to run the ball down our throats last season at the Rose Bowl. They had piled up around 180 yards rushing and 2 TDs running the ball against our defense last year yet for some inexplicable reasons they decided to go away from that and depend on Crompton's arm. I just don't think Kiffin is going to make the same mistake. I fully expect them to come after our front-7 all evening long with their powerful OL, and do what they can to wear us down on their home turf. This is going to be a huge challenge for our defense.

I think the key for us on Saturday is going to be somehow get on the board early. If they we can get on the board early and then force them to go away from the game plan of running the ball down our throats, we will have a shot.Needless to say special teams is going to be a huge factor. We are going to need our kickers to give us good field position as much as possible forcing the Volunteers to go long drives. Otherwise if we fall behind early and make early mistakes on offense, the situation has the potential to snowball out of control like last year in BYU.

It will take supreme concentration and focus on our part to hang in there early against the Volunteer emotion, and then somehow put ourselves in position to steal the game in second half. My head tells me that we are simply too young and inexperienced (on offense) to pull this off. My heart is pulling for our guys to make me eat crow on Saturday night. So that's what I have for initial notes on the Volunteers to get the scouting started for this week. I will throw it back to you start filling up the info. folders on Tennessee (either via comment thread here or in the FanPosts).

GO BRUINS.

Vols to Watch For in the Opener

Will — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:53:32 -0000

Despite all the new that will be on hand Saturday at 12:21, there are a few things we know for sure: the Vols will still run thru the T, Nick Reveiz is still short, and Eric Berry is still Eric Berry, son.

...that's about it.

Joel used the word "carnival" to describe it Monday night on the podcast, and he's right: there will be so much to see for the very first time, Vol fans may find themselves in sensory overload by the first TV timeout. Amidst the orange flood in Lane Kiffin's personal genesis, here are five key things we're watching for on Saturday afternoon:

The Fab Five

That's right: Jimmy, Jalen, CWebb, Ray and Juwan.

(Do you know that a google search for "Fab Five" pulls up a Texas cheerleader scandal before the Michigan basketball team?)

In years past, it seems like if we even had five freshmen who would be contributing right away, we'd be talking about both sides of the ball plus special teams. But Lane Kiffin's first class has combined with injuries to upperclassmen to produce five offensive skill players - Bryce Brown, David Oku, Nu'Keese Richardson, Marsalis Teague and Zach Rogers - who will be seeing significant action on Saturday.

Brown is the co-#1 starter at tailback, and as Rivals' overall #1 recruit, all eyes will be on #11 when he gets in the game (though in fairness, we haven't seen the fully armed and operational Montario Hardesty in about two years either, so I'm very eager to see what the senior can do as well). Oku could be the first Vol to touch the ball in '09, as he'll be returning kicks with Dennis Rogan.

Nu'Keese Richardson could also touch it first as the Vols' primary punt returner, who has also claimed the top spot on the WR depth chart and seen some camp action at quarterback in a package we're still trying decide what exactly to call. Teague and Rogers will see action alongside Brandon Warren and Quintin Hancock at wide receiver as well.

One big day from any of these guys would be special. Getting contributions from several of them would be even better.

The Defensive Line

They may not all be freshmen, but there's a possibility that all four starters could be seeing their first action in a brand new role.

Chris Walker was a backup end last season, was the most talked about defensive player not named Eric Berry in the spring, and will receive his first starting assignment on Saturday. Gerald Williams is slated to lineup on the other side, who was playing linebacker while Walker was being called "unblockable" this spring. Now Williams has been called the most dominant player on the line in fall camp. We've never seen either of these guys show anything like that at defensive end in an actual game...but we're ready and willing to have our hopes validated, early and often.

In the middle, Wes Brown has been moved from end to tackle, though his snaps will be limited due to the structural integrity of his knees. And if freshman Montori Hughes can hold off Dan Williams - who thought about turning pro last season - the Vols will have four brand new faces at each position from last season's starting defensive line. And where that would normally be a cause for great concern, this entire offseason it's been a cause for great optimism, based on their play in practice and scrimmages. Tennessee needs this defensive line to be more than good if the Vols are going to have the type of season they want to have. That type of performance can start with lots of time in the WKU backfield on Saturday.

Not Eric Berry

We know all about #14, and the new VolTron will be eager to show you more during breaks in the action on Saturday I'm sure. What we don't at all know about is Dennis Rogan at free safety, or just about everybody who is slated for action on the two deep at corner.

Brent Vinson has been banged up in camp, and has thus disappeared from the depth chart. Marsalous Johnson has seen limited action before at corner, but he's currently listed as the #2 option on the right side.

That leaves freshmen Mike Edwards, Eric Gordon, and Janzen Jackson, plus Anthony Anderson and Art Evans (Darren Myles is EB's backup. Have you ever seen EB come out for a play?). We've never seen anything from any of these guys before, and chances are before the year's out we're going to see lots from all of them.

I know Eric Berry can play. I don't know if any of these other kids can. We're all eager to find out...so any of them who get their hands on a ball on Saturday, we'll instantly feel a lot better about.

Cody Sullins, Aaron Douglas and Jarrod Shaw

Sullins has been neck and neck with Josh McNeil since Kiffin opened practice back in the spring, so the news that Josh McNeil may never play football again isn't as devastating on the field as it is off it. But in a spot where the Vols have no quality depth to begin with, they'll also be counting on these three names to step into the fray immediately and protect...

Jonathan Crompton

Alright, so we'd all love to see 25 of 30 for 350 and a touchdown pass to each freshman on Saturday...but we don't need it.

What we need is confidence. Crompton sounds like he has it - he sounded better in Tuesday's press conference than I've heard him since this time last year, he's earned his own fresh start, and playing well - not great, just well - would be a tremendous way to build his own confidence, and silence those who are waiting for his first mistake to revisit old demons.

If our quarterback - because that's what he is - can limit poor decisions, not turn the ball over, and simply manage the offense and all those other cliches, Tennessee's offense will be much improved. Against Western Kentucky, a team that will start so many young players on defense, Crompton and the offense may have a chance to get off to a really good start.

Like any broken relationship, it's going to take plenty of time and more than one good moment to reconcile the two parties, Crompton and the fans. But he can take a huge, huge step in the right direction - both with the fanbase, and in the infinitely more important department of winning football games - with a good performance on Saturday.

What about you? What are you watching for as the season finally begins?

Poll

Who are you most interested to see in the season opener on Saturday?

The Fab Five

86 votes

The Defensive Line

15 votes

New Offensive Linemen

9 votes

New Defensive Backs

5 votes

Jonathan Crompton

131 votes

other (leave it in the comments)

8 votes

254 votes | Poll has closed