Vols vs Miners. Knoxnews.com plus and minuses last weekend

[utep2step]

Interesting. Apparently the Vols looked like crap against a three year old FCS program. Weather sent them inside for safety and came out and scored four quick TD's. They will beat UTEP, but this is not the mighty Rocky Top Vols UTEP played years ago. New coach searching for identity. UTEP could not have come at a better time. Knoxnews low and high points of Vols

"The Vols’ offensive line struggled terribly early against an ETSU defense aligned to stop the run.

• Tennessee’s defense played as though it had something to prove, which it did after a dreadful performance against the Mountaineers.
• UT’s passing game also had something to prove. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano protected the ball and threw with accuracy against West Virginia, but UT relied solely on short- and medium-range throws. It allowed Guarantano to extend his range against the Bucs, and he connected with Marquez Callaway on a precisely thrown deep ball during Tennessee’s second-quarter stampede.
• Most importantly, Tennessee didn’t do the unthinkable and extend Saturday’s suspense beyond the opening moments of the second quarter. After a lethargic start, it did what an SEC program — no matter where it ranks within the conference — is supposed to do against an overmatched FCS opponent.https://www.knoxnews.com/story/spor...e-ut-vols-etsu-utep-jeremy-pruitt/1188171002/

Dimel kept saying UNLV has the best offense UTEP will see all season? He said that multiple times. Mike Cox going to stack the defense? He does not blitz but the few times UTEP did against UNLV, it was smothering.

To keep score below sixty points, Locksley has to connect more on his throws to keep the chains moving. When Canales moved from the run to the pass early first half last week it was a disaster. Locksley must have thrown at least three passes into the ground during three of the early series that led to three or four "three & outs"? UNLV had no answer for Wadley and when Canales abandoned early it proved a bone headed move. UNLV scored four straight TD's. On two of those pass plays if had connected they would've been for major gains. Kai's passing has to improve. Metz can't run this offense. Please Dimel, just keep him warm on the sidelines and develop the other young guns. Fans know Metz had ample chances over three and half years, so don't feel you have to play "the local kid".

Cut the penalties in half. Penalties have probably taken three TD's off the board for UTEP this season when the offense was moving nicely.

 

[VOL37920]

It will be close early due to us most likely starting slow but will open up later. Unless we come out like we did during that weather delay. The coaches lit a fire under their asses.

 

[jdubb66]

We gotta limit turnovers. We can't give the ball away 3 times a game.

 

[VOL37920]

This game will be close for the first quarter or so unless the coaches light a fire under their ashes like they did during the weather delay against ETSU. Even if we start out slow or you all start out hot and inspired the difference in team speed will start making itself known and the margin will widen. We do have some very talented players but they were coddled and mismanaged by butch. For instance one year he fired our S&C coach in part because some players said he was too harsh on them. So instead of hiring a replacement s&c coach we went a whole year with a chubby interim that could inspire no one. That's why we led all of college football in the missed starts due to injury category for 2 years in a row. During that time frame players were lifting on the "honor" system and we had "no sweat" Tuesdays.

Now we have a real coach who wont let that bs happen. It will take time to undo the damage butch did but it's happening and we also dont have the personnel to really run a 3-4 so give us a season or 2 and we will be much improved.

 

[HeWore62]

This game will be close for the first quarter or so unless the coaches light a fire under their ashes like they did during the weather delay against ETSU. Even if we start out slow or you all start out hot and inspired the difference in team speed will start making itself known and the margin will widen. We do have some very talented players but they were coddled and mismanaged by butch. For instance one year he fired our S&C coach in part because some players said he was too harsh on them. So instead of hiring a replacement s&c coach we went a whole year with a chubby interim that could inspire no one. That's why we led all of college football in the missed starts due to injury category for 2 years in a row. During that time frame players were lifting on the "honor" system and we had "no sweat" Tuesdays.

Now we have a real coach who wont let that bs happen. It will take time to undo the damage butch did but it's happening and we also dont have the personnel to really run a 3-4 so give us a season or 2 and we will be much improved.

Thanks for checking in, Vol, and providing the recent background. Apparently, Tennessee has some recovering to do, too. Thing is, the Vols have not lost 14 straight.

 

[VOL37920]

I didnt mean to double post. My first one didnt show up and neither did my second one until I refreshed.

 

[VOL37920]

Thanks for checking in, Vol, and providing the recent background. Apparently, Tennessee has some recovering to do, too. Thing is, the Vols have not lost 14 straight.

No problem. One of our message board morons posted the link to this board over on Volquest which is usually done as a way to expose and mock the excess homerism on display but I'm not seeing that here. I'm seeing a bunch of guys with level heads on there shoulders.

We may not have lost 14 straight but after a decade of disaster our collective attitudes are pretty glum and pessimistic. Though with Pruitt I have a quiet confidence that things will improve but I know its gonna be painful st times. Butch took us to new lows. Prior to last season there were two programs that had never lost more than 7 games, the vols and Ohio state, now there is just one. I thought that was one record we could rely on never being broken. Thanks Butch.

 

[utep2step]

No problem. One of our message board morons posted the link to this board over on Volquest which is usually done as a way to expose and mock the excess homerism on display but I'm not seeing that here. I'm seeing a bunch of guys with level heads on there shoulders.

We may not have lost 14 straight but after a decade of disaster our collective attitudes are pretty glum and pessimistic. Though with Pruitt I have a quiet confidence that things will improve but I know its gonna be painful st times. Butch took us to new lows. Prior to last season there were two programs that had never lost more than 7 games, the vols and Ohio state, now there is just one. I thought that was one record we could rely on never being broken. Thanks Butch.

Thank you for coming on here for constructive convo. As you can tell, we as fans are hoping it stays below 70 and get past the Coach Dimel comments "I want to see improvement in this game" and win.

 

[utep2step]

How UTEP needs to block

 

[VOL37920]

So.....what were your thoughts of the game? Mine is that we are in trouble. At this stage of the rebuild I'd like to just see improvement week after week and I think our first time oc is learning on the job. Sticking to what is working and moving away from what didn't. Our OL of 4 and 5 stars sure as hell dont play like it outside of trey smith. We need another year and hopefully the rest of this one is injury free.

I'm still trying to place it all together. I need to watch a replay.

 

[MineroFanatico]

So.....what were your thoughts of the game? Mine is that we are in trouble. At this stage of the rebuild I'd like to just see improvement week after week and I think our first time oc is learning on the job. Sticking to what is working and moving away from what didn't. Our OL of 4 and 5 stars sure as hell dont play like it outside of trey smith. We need another year and hopefully the rest of this one is injury free.

I'm still trying to place it all together. I need to watch a replay.

Frankly I was stunned that we only lost by 24. Not that I thought we played well at all, but rather I’m just used to the Miners getting pounded by any P5 opponent we face. Our defense showed improvement over the last couple weeks. But our offense is as bad as the offense from the 0-13 team of last year, if not worse.

We seem to shoot ourselves in the foot with untimely penalties which either stall our drives, or extend our opponent’s drives. Today was no exception. I thought Dimel would bring some discipline and sound fundamental football to a ‘nowhere to go but up’ team, but I have yet to see any evidence of this. Our OC, who you are very familiar with, sucks ballz, imo. His play calling, if it is his, is atrocious. Even more astonishing is his lack of awareness in regards to personnel. Our only true homerun hitter touched the ball 7 times today. Seven! We didn’t play to our QB’s only strength, and only seemed to highlight his weakness. Our o line once again resembled Swiss cheese. To be fair, it is a very depleted line due to injury, however, calling it as I see it...they are not good and it showed today, as it has the previous two weeks.

In closing, not that it’s any consolation, but I thought we’d lose by 40+. Anyway, thanks for stopping by. Good luck the rest of the way.