SB Nation User Blog: rblakeh

Williams said he’s impressed with Kiffin’s honesty and demanding attitude. "He doesn’t care how man...

rblakeh — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:37:47 -0000

Williams said he’s impressed with Kiffin’s honesty and demanding attitude.

"He doesn’t care how many stars you had or who started last year," Williams said. "He’s going to play the best people to win."

Toney Williams told by Kiffin he'll be a tailback : Football Recruiting : GoVolsXtra.com

Chavis, who headed up Tennessee's defense for the past 14 years under Phillip Fulmer, will...

rblakeh — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:34:45 -0000

Chavis, who headed up Tennessee's defense for the past 14 years under Phillip Fulmer, will interview for the Clemson defensive coordinator's job on Thursday. New Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is looking for somebody to take over the Tigers' defense after parting ways with Vic Koenning.

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Text of Kiffin's Speech

rblakeh — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:15:30 -0000

(Got it from here)

Head Coach Lane Kiffin: "Thank you, Mike. You know my resume better than I do. Thanks to everybody for coming out, especially some of our players in the back who have come down here. It was very exciting to meet with our players last night. I met with all of them for a while; I had the chance to talk with a number of them today, and I can tell they’re excited about the direction we’re going.

"I’d like to thank Dr. Petersen and Mike Hamilton and everyone else involved in the search. It was a great search, one that was very exciting. As Mike talked about, it took a while.

"One of the things I was most excited about in meeting with Mike and everyone else in the search, I felt really good about Tennessee and really good about the relationship with Mike early on after the first meeting. I felt this was something that was probably going to happen. As Mike and I talked, one of the conversation’s we had, I told Mike the last thing I want you to do is offer me the job right now. I don’t know if that’s what you want to do, but I don’t want you to offer it to me. I want you to go out and interview every guy that’s supposed to be the best in the world. What I want you to do is come back and say, ‘I want you to be the head coach at the University of Tennessee. I know you can do a better job than anybody else.’ You should never look back and see you missed something.

"That was a pretty special moment when Mike did that for me and my family. I’d like to thank all of my family, my mother, father, brother, sister, my wife Layla. I’d also like to thank a number of coaches who have been very influential on me throughout my career going all the way back to Jim Sweeney, then Pat Hill. Jeff Tedford was a very big influence on me as offensive coordinator, position coach and then coaching for him as well. Down to Tom Coughlin at Jacksonville and Dom Capers who I worked with there, on to USC with Pete Carroll and the great run there that we had, so many lessons learned throughout the six years and all the wins. I’d especially like to thank Al Davis for giving me an opportunity the first time I was a head coach. That’s very special to me and very unique opportunity he provided me.

"I’d especially like to thank the former staff. I was able to meet with them last night. It was not an easy thing. A number of coaches we had to let go. That is not an indication at all of what I view of them as coaches. There’s a direction to part of our staff; at some of the positions I know where I want to go. Last night, I wanted to make sure I handled that with class. The last thing I wanted to do was keep those guys around here knowing where I was going to go.

"I’d especially like to thank Coach Chavis. (He had) an unbelievable run with 20 years at this university and some of the best defenses that the SEC has ever seen. So to Coach Chavis and his staff, I’d like to thank you."

"The next guy, as you guys know, I view this guy as a legend in this profession, a guy that so many people have looked up to in Coach Fulmer. He’s done an unbelievable job here and I can’t even imagine what he’s gone through giving 35 years of his life to this university. I’m extremely honored to follow him. I’m not trying to be him, all I’m trying to do is carry on some of the things he’s done. In my opinion, the University of Tennessee football program wouldn’t be anywhere near where it is today without Coach Fulmer. As long as I am here, as long as you guys will have me here, my arms will always be open to Coach Fulmer and his entire family. Our doors will be open because he is a special part of this university. There’s no way we’d be here today without him.

"As far as recruiting, we’ve hit the ground running. I took the test a few days before I got hired here so that we could do that. Yesterday was the first day we could start calling guys, and we started knocking them out everywhere. This is very important for where we are right now. It was important to have a meeting with the team last night and touch those guys first so that they knew about this officially before you guys did. After that, it was right to recruiting.

"We are very excited to work with our returning players because we have a lot of very good returning players. The previous staff has put together a very good roster, but we’ve got to make it better. We’ve got to go out and get great players to work with us.

"There will not be anywhere that we go, anywhere that we’re not supposed to go. We will go everywhere to find the best players in the United States, nowhere. We’ve got to find the best players and we’ve got to get them to come to the University of Tennessee so we can do this thing and make a run for a long, long time.

"As we’re nationally recruiting, we’ll never forget Tennessee. We’ve got to put a fence around the state of Tennessee. We’ve got to make it so that there is no reason a player from Tennessee should ever leave this state and go anywhere else. They need to be here playing for us and winning championships for the University of Tennessee. That will be our number one goal in recruiting, as well as going nationally.

"With that being said, the spring is going to be very, very big for our returning players. We’ll have highly competitive practices that they’ll be involved with and they’ve got to show us what they’re going to do, because in the fall, the first shots that are going to come, we’re going to give them to our newcomers. We’ve got to find out if the great players we go and recruit; can they help us right away? We’re going to go find these players and put them right in, see what they can do, how far they can take us. It’s very important for our returning players and when we add the new guys in the fall to give them a great shot to come together as a team.

"As far as the staff coming, be patient with us Tennessee. I know all of you want to see this done today and everybody in place. All of the internet boards will be happy. That’s not the way it’s going to be. We have to do this right. Mike and the entire athletic department have made a great contribution to make sure this happens. They’ve done a great job from the first day we met talking about the staff we want to put together for us to be able to win. We’re going to do that, but it’s going to take time. When it’s all said and done, you’ll be extremely happy with the staff that comes here. But give us time on it and understand that it’s most important that we do it right, not that we do it fast.

"I’m really looking forward to embracing some of the great traditions at the University of Tennessee, for instance the Vol Walk, running through the T, singing Rocky Top all night long after we beat Florida next year. It will be a blast.

"That line was Mike’s idea, by the way; all right, Urban?

"I want the Tennessee family to know this. This is what I’m going to give you. I’m rolling my sleeves up and going to work. I’m not promising you how many wins, how many championships. I can’t do that. I don’t know that. There are too many variables, but I can tell you this right now: No one is going to outwork us. No one is going to outwork me as a head coach and no one is going to outwork our staff that we put together. That’s the promise I’m giving you, the wins will come after that. You’re going to see it; you’re going to feel it throughout the state. It starts today. It starts when this thing is done. I’m on a plane and I’m going to Memphis to see the No. 1 recruit. It starts today you’re going to feel it.

"The last thing, I’d really like to thank some of the former players who have reached out in support of this decision throughout the last few days. Jim Haslam, Charlie Anderson, Tee Martin, Peyton (Manning), just to name a few of the guys that reached out. That’s been very special. My wife and I have only been here 36 hours. I’m not going to pretend I know anything about it by any means, but I do know this: in 36 hours, the passion from the people here at this University and in the community, from the people I’ve run into—it’s unbelievable.

"To walk in yesterday and from the janitor to the president, to feel the passion that they have for Tennessee football is special. It’s something I’m going to understand. I get right now what I need to do. I have a plan for that and I understand that. I’m going to bring you guys with me. It’s going to be something very special as we do this."

So, Alabama finished off the season in absolutely perfect form, and both human polls are voting the...

rblakeh — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:28:06 -0000

So, Alabama finished off the season in absolutely perfect form, and both human polls are voting the Tide No. 1 by a wider margin than at any time since they took over the No. 1 spot Nov. 1.

Nick Saban's team charges into the SEC championship game with the kind of momentum that has even Florida followers double-checking their previously overexuberant optimism: The Crimson Tide, everyone finally realizes, are for real, which is why they're the only one of the 66 BCS programs to finish the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record.

This isn't to say that the Tide will beat Florida, or win the national championship. They might, but they still have to prove it. But by no reasonable measure should they be moved down after scoring a ridiculously impressive 36-0 victory in the Iron Bowl.

Yet, they're moved down by the computers, not just behind the mighty can-do-no-wrong Sooners, but behind Texas as well. Alabama No. 3? Because they went 12-0 and beat Auburn by 36 points?

What the what?

That's how ridiculous this has become.

FOX Sports on MSN - COLLEGE FOOTBALL - Computers defy logic in boosting Sooners

Kiffin time in Tennessee: Lane Kiffin isn't wasting any time. He's already in Knoxville and will...

rblakeh — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:33:10 -0000

Kiffin time in Tennessee: Lane Kiffin isn't wasting any time. He's already in Knoxville and will meet with the team on Sunday night at the football complex. He will be introduced as the Vols' next head coach during a Monday news conference. Kiffin already has a portion of his staff assembled. His father, Monte Kiffin, is coming with him after an ultra successful run as one of the NFL's best defensive coordinators. The elder Kiffin is currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It also appears that former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron is coming, as well as South Carolina quarterbacks coach David Reaves, who is Kiffin's brother-in-law. Orgeron is currently the defensive line coach with the New Orleans Saints and would head up the Vols' recruiting. He and Kiffin worked together on the Southern California staff earlier this decade. The jury may be out on Kiffin as a head coach, but it looks like he's putting together one sweet staff.

ESPN - What we learned in the SEC: Week 14 - SEC

Vindication

rblakeh — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:05:21 -0000

I feel fortunate to have been a part of history tonight. I spent a long day in the car and traffic to make it back to Knoxville. I walked a mile and a half in the rain to get to the stadium, hurrying so that I could see the seniors and Coach Fulmer walk through the T one last time. I stood in the cold rain amongst the most faithful of Vol fans, each one of whom came out to see the same thing - Coach Fulmer and the Vols put on a performance that we expect and knew they were capable of giving. I'm happy to say that we were vindicated tonight, and I'm even happier to say that there was plenty of vindiciation to go around.

Throughout all of the adversity, criticism, humor at their expense, and doubt, the 2008 UT Football team has stuck together. There was never any real indiciation of infighting or resentment between offense and defense. Problems and disagreements certainly existed, but they were kept within the family. Tonight's game was like our entire season compressed into 60 minutes. And we once again had the fortune to witness a team that exhibited no quit, despite what it was up against.

As a team, the offensive struggles of the first half seemed all too familiar. It took six (seven?) tries to get the ball into the endzone from the 1. But the team never quit. They kept pounding that rock, and on the final try, the O-line got just enough push to get Crompton in there for 6. Just like Josh McNiel pushed the noseguard off the ball, an offense like we have not seen all season was unleashed in the second half. All it needed was a tipping point, and that goal line score was it.

The offensive line, which struggled mightily in the first half, came to play in the second. On most plays, the blocking was sound, and on a few them, the holes were so big you could drive a truck through them. I am happy that the offensive line got to end their season strongly.

For all of the abuse Arian Foster has taken this year for not being a team guy, not being able to securely carry the ball, not being able to hit the hole hard, etc, I am happy to say he played a great game tonight. His stats won't blow you away, but I was less than 100 feet away from him when he was trying to score at the goal line to conclude the first half. It was his refusal to be denied and willingness to sacrifice his body that got us in position to score. Pure individual effort at times. And, just as it has been all season, in the end, he wasn't even the one to get the touchdown. He carried us to the Promise Land, and celebrated when someone else got the Glory. Arian, you Sir have nothing more to prove to the Vol faithful.

Jonathon Crompton may very well be one of the most hated Vols of all time. He doesn't always make the best play, and sometimes he makes the flat out wrong play, but not one of us can deny his determination, toughness, and grit. His game started out rocky, and there was certainly grumbling in the stadium, especially in the student section. When he scored on the QB sneak, I saw a player celebrate with the rest of his team in a way that I have not seen much this season from our guys. While I'm up in the stands being pessimistic and wondering why in the world it took us six (seven?) attempts to score, the players on the field are relishing the moment. The other first downs he picked up with his legs, and his beautiful deep pass to Denarius Moore were very much the difference in the game. Most of us, myself being one of them, would have become cynical and disinterested at the thought of playing for.. well, us, the fans... long ago. But not Jonathon Crompton. Through it all, he has shown his love for his teammates, and his willingness to do whatever it takes to get the win. Jonathon, you Sir have nothing more to prove to the Vol faithful.

And finally we come to Coach Philip Fulmer. His vindication came about long ago, but it was brought back to the forefront tonight. As we had time to reflect and think about all that Coach has done for our University and football program, we all realized that he is Tennessee, and he can never be replaced. As the game concluded, I saw a Kentucky football coach who had so much respect for Coach Fulmer that he didn't bother with calling meaningless timeouts. Heck, he hardly even bothered with throwing the ball on the final drive. Tonight, I saw thousands of fans, standing, waiting, watching Coach Fulmer has he walked to the center of the field. As the rain came down and the crowd chanted his name, Coach Fulmer took a knee at the center of the field, and, one last time, lead his team in prayer. I then saw a big strong man who would probably never let you give him a hand up if he fell (though he would certainly offer you one should you ever need it) lifted up and carried off of the field by those who he has carried on his back for four years.

I then saw something I've never seen before at Neyland Stadium. I expected everyone to kind of hang around as Coach Fulmer made his way into the tunnel, and, as expected, they did. But then something happened that I did not expect. Even after Coach had left the field, the majority of fans remained. It was like we all realized that once we left the stadium, it was all over. Not just the season, but the end of an era. We will never come to a football game at Neyland Stadium and see our beloved Coach Fulmer on the sidelines. None of us wanted to accept it, but as it goes with life, we eventually came to terms with it, and made our way out.

Coach Fulmer wanted to Stay the Course, knowing he could Right the Ship. He did, and, in a lot of ways, he has. Vindication.

Coach Fulmer, you Sir have nothing more to prove to the Vol faithful. Thank you, good luck, and happy trails.

"We won a lot of games here and experienced a lot of highs, but the relationships and all the...

rblakeh — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:47:39 -0000

"We won a lot of games here and experienced a lot of highs, but the relationships and all the people you touched and all the people that touched you ... that's what it was all about," Fulmer said. "I didn't come in here and scorch the earth, cheat, get in trouble, win a lot of games and leave.

"This was home. This was my family and always will be."

ESPN - So long to a coach who gave his all for Tennessee - SEC

Shane in Alabama writes: Chris, what of the rampant speculation over the past 24 hours that Lane...

rblakeh — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:47:15 -0000

Shane in Alabama writes: Chris, what of the rampant speculation over the past 24 hours that Lane Kiffin to Tennessee is a done deal? Either way, GO VOLS!

Chris Low: I've thought since Tennessee fired Phillip Fulmer that Lane Kiffin was at or near the top of Tennessee's list. I still believe that, although it would be premature to call it a done deal. Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton and his search party are still out talking to people. In fact, they're on the road today. What I know to be fact is that Kiffin has already started talking to people about coming with him to Tennessee. One of those people is former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron, now an assistant with the New Orleans Saints. Orgeron was a recruiting whiz at Ole Miss, and he worked with Kiffin on the Southern California staff earlier this decade. I could see Orgeron coming as either a defensive coordinator, associate head coach and/or recruiting coordinator. I think the Vols will have their coach named by the middle of December. The other names to keep an eye on are Cincinnati's Brian Kelly, Texas Tech's Mike Leach and Air Force's Troy Calhoun. I think the Vols have also talked with Minnesota's Tim Brewster. But I've thought from the beginning that the final decision would come down to Kelly or Kiffin.

Chris Low -- ESPN

"I gave (the game ball) to Eric," Fulmer said following UT's 20-10 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday....

rblakeh — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 05:11:00 -0000

"I gave (the game ball) to Eric," Fulmer said following UT's 20-10 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday. "He gave it back to me."

Berry returns pick for TD, game ball to Fulmer : Football : GoVolsXtra.com

The No. 4-ranked Gators lead The Citadel 49-6 at halftime. Six different players have already...

rblakeh — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:14:46 -0000

The No. 4-ranked Gators lead The Citadel 49-6 at halftime. Six different players have already scored touchdowns, and it's the fifth straight game that Florida has scored six touchdowns before its opponent has scored its first touchdown.

ESPN - No surprise, no sweat for Gators - SEC