This Chalk Talk coming to you a day late this week…. I’m in the middle of a three day golf, etc trip up in East Tennessee with eight other friends including Vols Phillip Fulmer, Carl Johnson, Sonny Leach and David Beckler. All four of these guys played around the time that I did and frankly I don’t remember them being as good as they now claim. But a lot of great stories about not only the Dickey and Battle years but also about other Vol greats that Phillip coached. Post season a Talk or two about some of them.
But right now 2017 Vol football and Southern Miss. Of course we are badly in need of a win to stop this slide and USM should be the answer. Look for USM to throw the ball a lot against Tennessee, they have not run the ball well against any team even average on defense. Like a lot of teams attrition has cost them some key depth and their last few games have been shaky at best. This game will be about Tennessee and not Southern Miss. I thought we saw some improvement against Kentucky in several areas. Guarantano got better between start #1 and #2. Unlike several other observers I think he can be a very good quarterback with game experience and learning practice and film study. How good? Time will tell because there isn’t anyone behind him that will see the field now that Dormady is out. Playing and calling a game plan offensively that #2 can execute will be the test for this offensive staff. It looks like we will have a few offensive linemen out this week. This presents some younger players a great opportunity to show they can be “players” in this league. We saw last week some of the future with the offense….for much of the second half four freshmen played: Guarantano, Trey Smith, Ty Chandler and Ryan Johnson. And to my eye all looked good. By the end of the year I would bet all four are bright spots heading into spring practice 2018. Post season Talk will dig really deep into the returning players in this program. The future is much brighter than this season will show. More on that in future Talks.
This 2017 team has been unable to fix problems that have popped up much of the year and all of those problems were evident in the Kentucky game. The biggest of those for me has been the inability to win games in the fourth quarter. We had the opportunity again with a five point lead in the last quarter to either drive the ball for a game ending score or on the defensive side stop Kentucky from scoring a touchdown with 33 seconds remaining. We could do neither. Good teams do this! Offensive tackle play again was poor in the pass protection phase. Way too much pressure on #2 and very little help from the sideline in giving both tackles help from a back or tight end. It doesn’t do any good to send five receivers out in pass routes if your QB doesn’t have the time to throw. Kentucky tried to give us the game with four turnovers…..we were unable to take them and win.
Much talk about the future of Coach Jones…..much everywhere except where it matters…..in the decision makers’ hands. No use using this space to speculate, there are plenty others doing that for you. I will only repeat what I have said in the past. This football program will be evaluated in the following areas: Where are we in terms of young players (freshmen and sophomores) in the program, where are we in 2018 recruiting, how are those players being developed that are in the program and can the current head coach get us to the championship mix in the eastern division. It is really that simple….in the decision makers minds (I use this phrase because I am not really sure on exactly who in the end will have the final say) can Coach Jones lead this program and accomplish the above criteria?
In closing….I really don’t understand when I hear a few vocal folks constantly rip this head coach about almost everything he does. I don’t know how this will all turn out but I do know that Coach Jones has done many, many good things that will have a lasting effect on this football program. This program was in a mess when he came in….in academics, discipline, talent and recruiting the state of Tennessee. We are in so much better shape now than we were five years ago….much better shape. Are there areas where we must improve….yes. I don’t know if Coach Jones will be our coach next year, what I do know is he has done many good things that will help this program in the future whether he is the coach or not. And I for one appreciate that. There is nothing to be gained by parsing every word he utters in a press conference, nothing to be gained from calling for him to be fired, no reason to use some of the vitriol coming from some areas of our fan base. If Coach Jones leaves after this season I for one will thank him for the contributions he has made in furthering our program. As with other former coaches and athletic directors we don’t appreciate what they did until after they are gone for a while.
Let’s Talk next week
But right now 2017 Vol football and Southern Miss. Of course we are badly in need of a win to stop this slide and USM should be the answer. Look for USM to throw the ball a lot against Tennessee, they have not run the ball well against any team even average on defense. Like a lot of teams attrition has cost them some key depth and their last few games have been shaky at best. This game will be about Tennessee and not Southern Miss. I thought we saw some improvement against Kentucky in several areas. Guarantano got better between start #1 and #2. Unlike several other observers I think he can be a very good quarterback with game experience and learning practice and film study. How good? Time will tell because there isn’t anyone behind him that will see the field now that Dormady is out. Playing and calling a game plan offensively that #2 can execute will be the test for this offensive staff. It looks like we will have a few offensive linemen out this week. This presents some younger players a great opportunity to show they can be “players” in this league. We saw last week some of the future with the offense….for much of the second half four freshmen played: Guarantano, Trey Smith, Ty Chandler and Ryan Johnson. And to my eye all looked good. By the end of the year I would bet all four are bright spots heading into spring practice 2018. Post season Talk will dig really deep into the returning players in this program. The future is much brighter than this season will show. More on that in future Talks.
This 2017 team has been unable to fix problems that have popped up much of the year and all of those problems were evident in the Kentucky game. The biggest of those for me has been the inability to win games in the fourth quarter. We had the opportunity again with a five point lead in the last quarter to either drive the ball for a game ending score or on the defensive side stop Kentucky from scoring a touchdown with 33 seconds remaining. We could do neither. Good teams do this! Offensive tackle play again was poor in the pass protection phase. Way too much pressure on #2 and very little help from the sideline in giving both tackles help from a back or tight end. It doesn’t do any good to send five receivers out in pass routes if your QB doesn’t have the time to throw. Kentucky tried to give us the game with four turnovers…..we were unable to take them and win.
Much talk about the future of Coach Jones…..much everywhere except where it matters…..in the decision makers’ hands. No use using this space to speculate, there are plenty others doing that for you. I will only repeat what I have said in the past. This football program will be evaluated in the following areas: Where are we in terms of young players (freshmen and sophomores) in the program, where are we in 2018 recruiting, how are those players being developed that are in the program and can the current head coach get us to the championship mix in the eastern division. It is really that simple….in the decision makers minds (I use this phrase because I am not really sure on exactly who in the end will have the final say) can Coach Jones lead this program and accomplish the above criteria?
In closing….I really don’t understand when I hear a few vocal folks constantly rip this head coach about almost everything he does. I don’t know how this will all turn out but I do know that Coach Jones has done many, many good things that will have a lasting effect on this football program. This program was in a mess when he came in….in academics, discipline, talent and recruiting the state of Tennessee. We are in so much better shape now than we were five years ago….much better shape. Are there areas where we must improve….yes. I don’t know if Coach Jones will be our coach next year, what I do know is he has done many good things that will help this program in the future whether he is the coach or not. And I for one appreciate that. There is nothing to be gained by parsing every word he utters in a press conference, nothing to be gained from calling for him to be fired, no reason to use some of the vitriol coming from some areas of our fan base. If Coach Jones leaves after this season I for one will thank him for the contributions he has made in furthering our program. As with other former coaches and athletic directors we don’t appreciate what they did until after they are gone for a while.
Let’s Talk next week
