1) I feel really bad for Greg Stroman. He covered Jennings and Malone perfectly. Dobbs had two of the prettiest throws of his career and physics (bigger, stronger) took over. The fumbled punt was bad luck as well. The kick was short, and walk on corner Curtis Williams was engaged blocking the gunner. If Stroman had not taken the risk to try to field the punt, the ball would have hit Williams. It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't moment. Stroman made the aggressive play, and it didn't pan out. I didn't care for the call. Possession clearly wasn't in bounds, even on replay. The wrong call on the field made it tougher to reverse.
2) The NCAA needs to get their heads right on linemen down field on a run-pass option. On the Vols first TD pass, two interior linemen were almost five yards down field (ball was snapped at the 6, they were just inside the 2.)
The Hokies were guilty too. Jonathan McLaughlin (who I thought played an outstanding game, at least what I have seen so far) was five yards down field on the 1st Q pop pass to Sam Rogers that set up the initial touchdown. Meanwhile, on the previous drive, McLaughlin was flagged for being down field on a roll out pass where he was maybe a stride past the line of scrimmage.
I constantly advocate for aggressive run blocking posture on play action. But allowing linemen to be blocking the linebackers on passes is making it impossible for the defense. You can take a run blocking posture and sell the run without going down field. This needs to be fixed.
3) Nigel Williams was tremendous all night, especially the Vols were forced into pass pro situations. Ekanem was winning. Baron played well. DL at best was dynamic and playmaking, at at worst was solid with fits and spilled the ball to the linebackers and safeties. Need one more DE to step up for rotational purposes.
Comments
Great tidbits as always and can't wait for the full review.
After the Stroman point I'd be interested to hear your rankings as to which of our DBs had the best game. From my seats I thought Clark was all over the field.
Mook seemed exceptional at times.
Yeah, we pile on Stroman too much at times. I remember thinking that he just got outplayed on those TD catches, not much he could do.
If it's on your review great, but if not, do you feel that Shai needs more touches?
I have actually been impressed by his judgement of calling fair catches or trying for returns so far this year compared to last year.
I have to imagine Shibest sat him down and made him watch film of how many yards he lost last season by trying to give ground.
And he runs forward.
Stroman was maddening last year, not just on special teams but on his coverage as well (see OSU and ECU games). But so far this season, I've been very impressed by his play overall. I agree with French in that he was in perfect position on both of those TDs.
The thing that bothered me the most about our defense last night was the first guy to the ball carrier not finishing the tackle. Over and over it seemed like we had Dobbs and then our guys would grab at him and miss. I understand he's a big guy and very athletic, but it's not like we have a bunch of scrubs.
Honestly, Dobbs and Hurd are just better athletes. The coaches probably knew going in we needed more than one body on them.
They usually get the majority of their yds after contact due to not playing with the benefit of an o-line to block for them. On the same subject, I didn't see many solo tackles on VT's running backs. They ran tough all night.
Hurd is a hell of a player- in a lot of ways he is wasted in that offense. If he was in Georiga or LSU's running system, he'd have numbers on par with Chubb and Fournette.
That will be in the review
Still uneasy with Motu missing open field tackles leading to big plays
and tremaine has been no where to be found.
French what was your 1 positive and 1 negative take on the game last night?
Asked and answered.
Sorry I missed it there :(
French, will you have any review on Trevon Hill's play from the game last night? To me it looked like he has a good initial burst, good speed off the edge and some good moves to boot. On the negative side, he did not do a good job containing the weak side on the zone read (look at Dobbs rushing for TD late in the game... Hill tackles the RB on an aggressive 'crash' and Dobbs runs untouched for a TD).
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Edit: Also, great analysis on Stroman! So many on the boards were down on him last night. But it certainly looked to me like he was covering well on those two TD's, the bigger man/better athlete won the ball... nothing you can do about that.
Uh how about using a different DB to cover him??
What happened to Alexander? The coaches had mentioned he might be in for Stro based on matchups and like French said, it was just physics that won out. Perhaps the bigger Alexander could have made the stop?
Alexander played almost the entire game.
I was a little confused why we didn't have Alexander and Facyson as the two corners in the first goal line possession. Considering we were going to have man outside and a likely jump ball situation.
Wyatt Teller first flag actually switched momentum in Vols' favor. Teller definitely has to play better and the fumbles have to stop if we are to win the coastal division.
Until someone shows me the specific rule, I think it was a crap call. Teller hit the DE low away from the play, but it is was within 3 yards of the LOS, wasn't a High/Low, and initial contact was at waste level. Will include the first flag in my review without comment.
Yup, looked at that specifically on replay and it was a crap call. Watched it frame by frame and slo mo. Could not see the foul.
Also, I will need someone with more rules knowledge to explain his other foul to me.
Just watched the 1st quarter, and that play was the final one of the first quarter.
DE had looped around the OT on the backside of the play (offense's left side) and was coming from up field to head back in the general direction of the ball carrier and LOS. Teller came in from the DE's left (direction of the LOS), cutting him off with a diving block to the midsection that slid down to his legs. Both of them went to the ground. From my understanding of the rules it was not an illegal play. Dangerous and a cheap? Sure. But legal.
EDIT: was reading over on TSL and apparently Teller was dinged with a new blocking rule for 2016
http://thecrunchzone.com/college-football-rule-changes-for-2016/
As the quarter closes, Fuente is shown walking onto the field yelling at someone off camera as the offense walks off the field.. Unclear if it was Teller or the ref, but since Teller got benched later, I'm guessing it was him.
In that situation the DL isn't going to make the play, and all you have to do to make sure is give him a shoulder. No need to go low from the side and give shitty refs a chance to blow a call. That was probably Fuente's point regardless of the details of the blocking rules.
Was at the game and didn't see Fuente's reaction, but I've been told he showed a little more emotion than usual. Anyone have clips/gifs? I'm interested in seeing how he is in-game. Likely I won't be able to as I went to Liberty and Bristol and I may get to go to the BC game (poor me right?).
Espn didnt show a replay on either of Teller's penalties. I still don't think you take him out for that long. Maybe sit him for a few plays. Colt Petit was getting pushed back, look like bad technique
There was one play in which Mihota stuffed a speed option all by himself. I figure that will make the review.
Wasn't by himself. He slow played to pitch. Dobbs gets a big run except Williams and Baron both pursued into the lane. Great play by all three guys, but not part of the review.
Good eyes, French, better than mine.
I just keyed in on Mihota taking away the pitch and then, two seconds later, tackling Dobbs before he does any damage.
Line has been very encouraging, has a chance to make this a special unit down the road.
I'm encouraged by Hill as the 3rd end from an explosiveness perspective, but if he can't play more disciplined he's not going to be seeing a lot of PT. He had dobbs dead to right for one sack that resulted in a long TD and his option play was the exact opposite of being disciplined and holding contain.
Linebacker play has been what we're used to last year, sadly.
I am not sure that was on Hill. On a play like that, one player is assigned to crash and one is assigned to QB. Normally the DE crashes because it is more difficult to block.
On the read option, I THINK that Hill was supposed to crash and Tremaine Edmunds should have taken QB. It is also entirely possible that Hill heard the call wrong and crashed when he should have stayed wide for screen-throwback-reverse-QB keeper responsibility and Edmunds fits inside. I thought Hill did the right thing because Edmunds didn't really come up and fill or go to QB. Instead, he kind of hung in no-man's land like he wasn't sure what to do.
Without being in the locker room, it is impossible to be sure.
That sack would have been huge for him and was a big swing in the game because it resulted in a td instead of a punt. Hopefully he gets his tackling cleaned up and starts being the playmaker that he looks like he could be.
It did look like Hill was crashing all the way. Didn't appear he even considered
doing anything else.
French, that is putting it kindly that you didn't care for the call, it was just the plain wrong call. That was legitimately the only call we got a decent replay of all night (thanks Bristol/ESPN), but it was clear the player did not have possession while still in bounds, and having a SEC Replay crew didn't make it any better. But also was their not a missed call on targeting with Evans? I've been to over 100 Tech games and haven't seen such lopsided refereeing in a long time.
When the refs picked up a personal foul late hit flag by a UT DB on one of our O lineman. I knew it was going to be a long night. I received a txt from a UVA friend stating we where getting hosed by the refs. UT did not need any help they are a pretty good team. They may have blown us out anyway but I would have liked to seen a fair game and a blowout rather than that discussing the refs today!
I am still infuriated that they didn't eject the player for the helmet to helmet hit on Evans.
Said the same on a different thread
I could have swore that I saw a couple of refs punch the ball out of our guys' hands on a couple of those fumbles. NCAA might want get on that.
Did anyone see the ref dipping his hands in a bucket of something right before he went to place the ball?
So I understand the illegal lineman down field rule, but I don't understand it's purpose? Can someone elaborate on why this is a rule?
Having lineman downfield it is a huge advantage for the offense. They can essentially pick defensive backs and linebackers that are trying to cover crossing routes, backs out of the backfield, etc. It also gives the defense a false read of run/pass. It has always been a rule but teams are trying more and more the last couple of years to work in the grey area and hope they don't get called.
A lineman downfield blocking on linebacker for a pass play is just not fair to the defense and makes coverage impossible.
What would happen to the game of football if 2 linemen could run aggressively into the secondary and block linebackers meanwhile a receiver would pass right behind that lineman or 2 and have an unopposed catch, turn upfield and accelerate.
Nobody would do anything else.
I hate to disagree but I have to. The rules on "pick" plays are clear enough and enforcing them would eliminate any need for the line-man down-field stuff. The best an O could do would be getting a man of two down-field with a crossing route running at it. The guy can't block anyone before a catch, and the effect would be the same as a screen. Defense tracks it, attacks the QB and the line-man, and gets either a sack/ interception/ or a free penalty on the offense.
There are plenty of ways to hide a pick such as to have a lineman double teamed so he gets pushed back. Now they aren't picking the LB, they are blocking the same lineman and happen to accomplish the same thing.
No, it's better to have the rule remain so that no matter how you disguise it, it is still an illegal Receiver downfield.
The defense has to know whom to cover and they can't get blocked when they are on their own line of scrimmage.
It makes me absolutely giddy when your reactions match my own.
I thought Adonis Alexander was our Starting Corner along with Facyson.
For the most part I was pleased with the defense. We gave up to many big plays, but it was also the second game against a good opponent. With a couple days to think about it, I am not going to worry and will trust in Bud. Luckily this week we get BC and their offense to practice the basics on.
My only complaints about Stroman were when he took the ball out of the endzone or fielded it on the 1.
Have been able to do a little bit a film review, but I'll wait for French to post before I add anything.
Would be surprised if Trevon chasing the dive isn't part of the review. Blown assignment leading to big plays for Dobbs.
https://youtu.be/NoN4Fb7dG9k?t=2h2m31s
Forgive the link; I couldn't figure out to embed to where the video would start at a certain spot... but how in the hell is this NOT a personal foul??? The dude should have been ejected, AGAIN! If that's not targeting than idk what is. He launched at the guys head.. from behind.. after the play... unbelievable.
I could understand if they missed/didn't see it, but to throw the flag then pick it up is insane. Then we get one called on us the very next play. The last 3 quarters of that game were just a series of unfortunate events.
https://youtu.be/NoN4Fb7dG9k?t=2h2m31s
Ridiculous. Was at the game and didn't see this. Wondered why I was getting so many texts about a personal foul that was picked up. I assume this is the one Herbie was discussing as a missed call?
I think I would use that clip at a referee clinic to define launching and targeting an opponents head. You wonder if it was picked up b/c it was a big o-lineman that was targeted and maybe we don't need to protect them as much? /s
It is because Tenn was ranked, it was their home game, and for some reason the ref's just don't like Tech.
The self proclaimed former UTenn lineman sitting behind me was bragging about how boosters used to tell him and other players that they would pay off refs. I'm not sure I believe him, but in my drunken state it infuriated me with all of the flat out bullshit calls.
"Haha, we probably just paid a neeckle for dat one derrrrrrr!" is what he so eloquently said after one of the calls.
Regarding #2, there has been a gradual evolution (devolution if you will) in the way illegal man downfield is not called over the last 15 years. If refs called it more by the book, spread offenses would lose a key advantage and the powers-that-be aren't going to discourage anything that shuts down scoring.
It's similar to (albeit on a lesser scale) how the interpretation of carrying the basketball has completely transformed the game of basketball over the last 30 years.
carrying the basketball is cool tho.