Hey guys, let's generate some discussion on this fascinating game. With Georgia coming into Tennessee -2, is that the same as Tennessee going into Auburn -2? Is this another trap where the home dog should cover? Or if it's different, and Georgia really will when, why? I'd be happy to see some of your opinions.
As far as injuries for UGA, nothing too serious, although a couple of OL are banged up. Nothing that might keep them out of the game. WR Gibson admitted not being 100% at ALA, but expects to be this weekend.
As far as the game, I dont expect UGA to be able to run near as effectively as AUB. UGA backs do not scare anyone. But, UGA runs more to set up the pass and I think Green will turn it around after a couple of 'off' games.
But the UGA defense is playing lights out (disregard the ALA 2nd half). They will stop the TEN running game and bring the heat and melt the Ice Man. Van Gorder puts his guys in the right positions to make the plays.
Maybe its just me, but TEN just doesn't seem to be together yet. Lethargic against Marshall and S Car, beaten up by AUB. I keep looking for them to put it together and just dominate somebody, but they just havn't done it. And I dont expect them to suddenly put it together against UGA.
My $0.02.
Mike5
As far as the game, I dont expect UGA to be able to run near as effectively as AUB. UGA backs do not scare anyone. But, UGA runs more to set up the pass and I think Green will turn it around after a couple of 'off' games.
But the UGA defense is playing lights out (disregard the ALA 2nd half). They will stop the TEN running game and bring the heat and melt the Ice Man. Van Gorder puts his guys in the right positions to make the plays.
Maybe its just me, but TEN just doesn't seem to be together yet. Lethargic against Marshall and S Car, beaten up by AUB. I keep looking for them to put it together and just dominate somebody, but they just havn't done it. And I dont expect them to suddenly put it together against UGA.
My $0.02.
Mike5
This game is dangerous...it could go either way with a blink of an eye. I will be up there for the game and I think you will see a very tight matchup which turns into a air battle...TN has better DB's than georgia, but on the other side it will remain to be seen if TN offensive live gives clausen enough time to find his wr's. My reccomendation is stay away from the side on this game unless you want to tease it to TN +8...then I find it a very very strong play. GO VOLS!
I think Tennessee is overrated. This is the best team Tennessee has played all year. Unfortunately look at all of Georgia's injuries. If Georgia was healthy I'd be on them but since they are not I'm off.
GL,
KMAN
Sean Bailey WR hamstring Questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
Greg Blue ROV knee Sidelined indefinitely.
Josh Brock OG shoulder Questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
Michael Cooper OL knee Probable.
Kentrell Curry ROV leg Expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Ray Gant DT suspension Questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
Cedric Haywood SE knee Sidelined indefinitely.
Daniel Inman ST ankle Questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
Bryan McClendon FLK suspension Sidelined indefinitely.
DeMario Minter SC suspension Sidelined indefinitely.
Ken Veal NT ankle Questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
GL,
KMAN
Sean Bailey WR hamstring Questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
Greg Blue ROV knee Sidelined indefinitely.
Josh Brock OG shoulder Questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
Michael Cooper OL knee Probable.
Kentrell Curry ROV leg Expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Ray Gant DT suspension Questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
Cedric Haywood SE knee Sidelined indefinitely.
Daniel Inman ST ankle Questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
Bryan McClendon FLK suspension Sidelined indefinitely.
DeMario Minter SC suspension Sidelined indefinitely.
Ken Veal NT ankle Questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
NY REB--I ALWAYS LIKE TO PLAY A FAVORED TEAM THATS NOT RANKED IN THE TOP 25 OVER THE DOG THAT IS RANKED. HENCE AUBURN THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND ALSO OREGON STATE OVER ARIZONA STATE THE WEEK BEFORE. BUT GETTING BACK TO THE BUSINESS AT HAND, I THOUGHT THE VOLS WERE OVER RATED UNTIL THEY BEAT THE GATORS IN THE SWAMP. THATS WHEN I REALIZED RON ZOOK NEEDS TO GO! WAS IT JUST FLORIDA SO BAD, OR TENNESSEE SO MUCH BETTER? AFTER WATCHING THE REBELS ( NO PUN INTENDED) UPSET THEM, I REALIZED FLORIDA IS JUST AWFUL BAD THIS YEAR, AND BY RIGHTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BEATEN BY KENTUCKY AS WELL. TENNESSEE WAS BEATEN THIS PAST WEEK BY A VERY GOOD AUBURN TEAM THAT WAS HUNGRY FOR A WIN ( WE'LL SEE HOW THEY DO AGAINST THE HOGS THIS WEEK). GEORGIA LOOKED AS IF THEY GOT ALL THEY WANTED FROM THE TIDE, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN A LOOK AHEAD GAME AS WELL. WITH ALL THIS BEING SAID, I HAVE A LEAN ON THE VOLS FOR BEING THE HOME TEAM, AND A LITTLE PISSED OFF FROM LAST WEEKS LOSS. I FURTHER OFFER NO EXCUSES FOR THE BULLDOGS FOR THEIR INJURIES....THIS IS FOOTBALL RIGHT?? AS OF NOW, THIS IS A GAME IM STAYING AWAY FROM UNLESS I FIND SOMETHING OTHER. IF YOU PLAY THIS GAME...BEST OF LUCK TO YOU MY FRIEND
EDDIE REBEL
EDDIE REBEL
As far as injuries go GA will be thrilled to go into Knoxville with the before mentioned injury list. It has been much worse as far as key players are concerned.
Clausen gives some good bulletin board material dating back to last year saying something in the neighborhood of Tn would have won if he played with one arm -seriously
Alabama gave GA all they wanted...Now that is funny. Please get a tape of the game. It was absoutely BRUTAL
Tn lacks the team speed they used to have but, they are at home, should be a great game.
One more thing, LSU was the first road loss Richt has had, so I guess GA do good on the road after all.
Clausen gives some good bulletin board material dating back to last year saying something in the neighborhood of Tn would have won if he played with one arm -seriously
Alabama gave GA all they wanted...Now that is funny. Please get a tape of the game. It was absoutely BRUTAL
Tn lacks the team speed they used to have but, they are at home, should be a great game.
One more thing, LSU was the first road loss Richt has had, so I guess GA do good on the road after all.
Wow - I opened this thread and was shocked that so many people have no clue about GA. GA is a very young and talented team. They've only lost once on the road under Mark Richt (2 1/2 years). The Alabama game was over in the middle of the second quarter. Bama scored two second half touchdowns - one on an interception return and the other on a fumble return - neither against the GA defense.
GA's one loss came at LSU by a touchdown. The winning touchdown was scored on a 51 yard drive with about 3 minutes left in the game. The big play was a 35 yard touchdown pass where a receiver got behind the GA defense. Although GA lost take a look at the stats and drive charts - GA dominated the game. They simply shot themselves in the foot two many times (dropped passes and missed field goals).
GA was as healthy against Alabama as they've been all year. The same basically applies for this weekend against Tenn.
GA should be able to handle Tenn with relative ease. Although I think there are much better plays on the board, if you're inclined to bet on this game - lay the points with GA.
GA by 7.
GA's one loss came at LSU by a touchdown. The winning touchdown was scored on a 51 yard drive with about 3 minutes left in the game. The big play was a 35 yard touchdown pass where a receiver got behind the GA defense. Although GA lost take a look at the stats and drive charts - GA dominated the game. They simply shot themselves in the foot two many times (dropped passes and missed field goals).
GA was as healthy against Alabama as they've been all year. The same basically applies for this weekend against Tenn.
GA should be able to handle Tenn with relative ease. Although I think there are much better plays on the board, if you're inclined to bet on this game - lay the points with GA.
GA by 7.
Ga's David Pollock is the best pass rusher in the SEC. Tennessee's offensive tackles were only moderately effective against Auburn. Perhaps the most important question about this game is, can UT find a way to stop Pollock and the Ga pass rush?
If Greene has time, because UT's pass rush does not dominate, he will surgically remove the Tennessee heart. How will Vol cornerback Antoine Stewart cover Fred Gibson, maybe the SEC's top playmaker when healthy?
But what if Tennessee can establish a running game? Even if they get something going on the ground, likely it will not be enough, especially considering UGA's prowess against the run.
Ultimately, barring injury to Greene, how does UT stop Georgia? Maybe with 12 players on the field? But that didn't even work against Auburn.
If Greene has time, because UT's pass rush does not dominate, he will surgically remove the Tennessee heart. How will Vol cornerback Antoine Stewart cover Fred Gibson, maybe the SEC's top playmaker when healthy?
But what if Tennessee can establish a running game? Even if they get something going on the ground, likely it will not be enough, especially considering UGA's prowess against the run.
Ultimately, barring injury to Greene, how does UT stop Georgia? Maybe with 12 players on the field? But that didn't even work against Auburn.
The VOLS are of course my team, but if you watched that Auburn game they had a very hard time slowing down the run much less stopping it. Granted the Auburn backs are awesome, but this article makes a valid point that Tennessee's D Line is a real weakness right now and there doesn't seem to be a lot of answers.
Clausen and the passing game is probably how TN stays in this one.
Thursday, 10/09/03
UT’s young defensive line gets hard education
By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer
KNOXVILLE — The signs were painfully obvious in the preseason. They're just downright painful five games into the season.
Tennessee's defensive line, which has been an assembly line for future NFL players, is taking its lumps like never before in the Phillip Fulmer-John Chavis era.
That's never a good sign with perhaps the most important home game the Vols have played since the 1998 national championship season looming on Saturday when eighth-ranked Georgia comes to town.
Tennessee's struggles up front can be traced to a number of factors.
For one, the Vols are inexperienced. Of the eight players listed on the depth chart at tackle, six are freshmen or sophomores.
''It's not talent we're talking about. It's maturity, and that's what we're missing up there right now,'' said Chavis, in his ninth year as Tennessee's defensive coordinator. ''We're better than we were when we started the season, but we have to be a lot better.
''That's not the position you want to be — learning on the job — but that's where we are.''
The obvious question is: How did Tennessee get into this predicament?
One theory is that tackles the caliber of John Henderson, Darwin Walker and Albert Haynesworth just aren't going to come around every year. All three are impact players right now in the NFL. Henderson and Haynesworth were drafted in the first round.
From that standpoint, the Vols have probably been spoiled.
Even last year, Rashad Moore, Aubrayo Franklin and Demetrin Veal were all selected in the NFL draft.
In fact, the Vols have lost nine defensive linemen over the last two years. Only one of those failed to sniff pro football. Six were drafted, and two more signed free-agent contracts with NFL clubs.
''It's not a lack of effort with this group. It's just a work in progress,'' said defensive tackles coach Dan Brooks, who calls this his biggest challenge since joining the UT staff in 1994.
''Defensive tackles are just so hard to find. Everyone is looking for them, and they're not enough of them to go around. We've been fortunate enough to be pretty good there. But this is the first time since my first year here that we haven't had a disrupter there in the middle, the kind of guy offensive coordinators have to plan around. That makes a big difference.''
What has happened is that the Vols' linebackers haven't been able to run as freely and make plays — a staple in Chavis' system. Instead, they've found themselves trying to ward off 300-pound offensive linemen more times than not.
And to be fair, the last two weeks haven't been the finest hour for the Tennessee linebackers. It all adds up to 481 rushing yards in two games — the most a UT defense under Chavis has ever allowed in back-to-back outings.
''We're definitely having to take on more blockers than in the past,'' senior middle linebacker Robert Peace said. ''That makes it hard for us. At the same time, we knew this was going to happen. We still have to do our jobs and play up to our potential. I'm not sure we've done that yet.''
The struggles at tackle have been the most glaring, but the Vols haven't been dynamic at end, either. There's no Shaun Ellis, no Will Overstreet, no Jonathan Brown in this group. At least, not yet.
Sophomore Parys Haralson has shown the most promise of the ends. But at times, Haralson has s been prone to personal fouls.
The Vols have also been a bit unlucky. Their best overall prospect up front, tackle Justin Harrell, has battled injuries since the day he walked on campus. He sat out last season with a stress fracture in his lower leg and had surgery in the spring. He then fractured his ankle in the preseason.
The good news is t the 6-foot-4, 300-pound Harrell has returned to practice and should play some against the Bulldogs. How effective he will be remains to be seen.
Other players simply haven't developed. The Vols played Greg Jones last season as a true freshman because they knew he would have to play this season. He hasn't responded.
Senior Mondre Dickerson has been an enigma after moving from end to tackle midway through last season. He has all the physical tools, but has disappeared on occasion. Fifth-year senior Terriea Smalls was another highly recruited prospect, but he has played very little.
Sophomore J.T. Mapu was a Parade All-America defensive end coming out of high school a year ago. He was moved inside during this preseason and sprained his knee in the first scrimmage. He later had to return home to Hawaii following his brother's accident and is still learning to play the tackle position.
One of the reasons there is such a void in upperclassmen up front is that that Vols have missed on some players the last couple of years, and there have been a few players who've left the program.
Lynn McGruder, now playing at Oklahoma, arrived in 2000 as one of the top defensive line prospects on the West Coast. He played one year and was dismissed after being arrested on felony drug charges in his Gibbs Hall dormitory room.
In 2001, the Vols dipped into the junior college ranks for a quick fix with Veal and Franklin. And last year, they signed three high school tackles — LaRon Harris, Jones and Harrell.
Harris was declared academically ineligible in May, but won an appeal just before the start of the season. He has struggled to get into any kind of playing shape and has yet to get on the field.
Also, the Vols have signed players in the last few years who were being projected as defensive tackles, but ended up on offense. Two of the most noteworthy are Jason Witten, now a tight end with Dallas Cowboys, and Chavis Smith, a senior guard for the Vols.
''It's not by any means just the players,'' Brooks said. ''It's us as coaches, too, and we have to get them in the right place and get things done. We're all searching for answers to where we can get better immediately. We have to.''
Thursday, 10/09/03
UT’s young defensive line gets hard education
By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer
KNOXVILLE — The signs were painfully obvious in the preseason. They're just downright painful five games into the season.
Tennessee's defensive line, which has been an assembly line for future NFL players, is taking its lumps like never before in the Phillip Fulmer-John Chavis era.
That's never a good sign with perhaps the most important home game the Vols have played since the 1998 national championship season looming on Saturday when eighth-ranked Georgia comes to town.
Tennessee's struggles up front can be traced to a number of factors.
For one, the Vols are inexperienced. Of the eight players listed on the depth chart at tackle, six are freshmen or sophomores.
''It's not talent we're talking about. It's maturity, and that's what we're missing up there right now,'' said Chavis, in his ninth year as Tennessee's defensive coordinator. ''We're better than we were when we started the season, but we have to be a lot better.
''That's not the position you want to be — learning on the job — but that's where we are.''
The obvious question is: How did Tennessee get into this predicament?
One theory is that tackles the caliber of John Henderson, Darwin Walker and Albert Haynesworth just aren't going to come around every year. All three are impact players right now in the NFL. Henderson and Haynesworth were drafted in the first round.
From that standpoint, the Vols have probably been spoiled.
Even last year, Rashad Moore, Aubrayo Franklin and Demetrin Veal were all selected in the NFL draft.
In fact, the Vols have lost nine defensive linemen over the last two years. Only one of those failed to sniff pro football. Six were drafted, and two more signed free-agent contracts with NFL clubs.
''It's not a lack of effort with this group. It's just a work in progress,'' said defensive tackles coach Dan Brooks, who calls this his biggest challenge since joining the UT staff in 1994.
''Defensive tackles are just so hard to find. Everyone is looking for them, and they're not enough of them to go around. We've been fortunate enough to be pretty good there. But this is the first time since my first year here that we haven't had a disrupter there in the middle, the kind of guy offensive coordinators have to plan around. That makes a big difference.''
What has happened is that the Vols' linebackers haven't been able to run as freely and make plays — a staple in Chavis' system. Instead, they've found themselves trying to ward off 300-pound offensive linemen more times than not.
And to be fair, the last two weeks haven't been the finest hour for the Tennessee linebackers. It all adds up to 481 rushing yards in two games — the most a UT defense under Chavis has ever allowed in back-to-back outings.
''We're definitely having to take on more blockers than in the past,'' senior middle linebacker Robert Peace said. ''That makes it hard for us. At the same time, we knew this was going to happen. We still have to do our jobs and play up to our potential. I'm not sure we've done that yet.''
The struggles at tackle have been the most glaring, but the Vols haven't been dynamic at end, either. There's no Shaun Ellis, no Will Overstreet, no Jonathan Brown in this group. At least, not yet.
Sophomore Parys Haralson has shown the most promise of the ends. But at times, Haralson has s been prone to personal fouls.
The Vols have also been a bit unlucky. Their best overall prospect up front, tackle Justin Harrell, has battled injuries since the day he walked on campus. He sat out last season with a stress fracture in his lower leg and had surgery in the spring. He then fractured his ankle in the preseason.
The good news is t the 6-foot-4, 300-pound Harrell has returned to practice and should play some against the Bulldogs. How effective he will be remains to be seen.
Other players simply haven't developed. The Vols played Greg Jones last season as a true freshman because they knew he would have to play this season. He hasn't responded.
Senior Mondre Dickerson has been an enigma after moving from end to tackle midway through last season. He has all the physical tools, but has disappeared on occasion. Fifth-year senior Terriea Smalls was another highly recruited prospect, but he has played very little.
Sophomore J.T. Mapu was a Parade All-America defensive end coming out of high school a year ago. He was moved inside during this preseason and sprained his knee in the first scrimmage. He later had to return home to Hawaii following his brother's accident and is still learning to play the tackle position.
One of the reasons there is such a void in upperclassmen up front is that that Vols have missed on some players the last couple of years, and there have been a few players who've left the program.
Lynn McGruder, now playing at Oklahoma, arrived in 2000 as one of the top defensive line prospects on the West Coast. He played one year and was dismissed after being arrested on felony drug charges in his Gibbs Hall dormitory room.
In 2001, the Vols dipped into the junior college ranks for a quick fix with Veal and Franklin. And last year, they signed three high school tackles — LaRon Harris, Jones and Harrell.
Harris was declared academically ineligible in May, but won an appeal just before the start of the season. He has struggled to get into any kind of playing shape and has yet to get on the field.
Also, the Vols have signed players in the last few years who were being projected as defensive tackles, but ended up on offense. Two of the most noteworthy are Jason Witten, now a tight end with Dallas Cowboys, and Chavis Smith, a senior guard for the Vols.
''It's not by any means just the players,'' Brooks said. ''It's us as coaches, too, and we have to get them in the right place and get things done. We're all searching for answers to where we can get better immediately. We have to.''
