As Big as OLine and Defensive Speed to Me is

Discussion in 'Vols Football' started by bigpapavol, Sep 18, 2011.

  1. bigpapavol

    bigpapavol Chieftain

    Our inability to get any maintain outside leverage at all, coupled with the inability of our safeties to help cover the mistake. I can't decide if it's coaching, player mistake, scheme or just pure talent.
     
  2. volfanjo

    volfanjo Chieftain

    I think the corners aren't good enough, or experienced enough, and the pass rush has been pretty pathetic. It has put a ton of pressure on Brewer, Wagnner, and Austin Johnson to cover those mistakes, and AJ and Maggitt, while plenty talented, are not quite there yet.

    If it doesn't improve over the year, especially against a team with comparable speed like Georgia, then I'll have to reevaluate it.
     
  3. bigpapavol

    bigpapavol Chieftain

    but what the hell do our DEs view as their main function on a run? With our slow and young LB issues, would seem that outside leverage is the most important thing they do right now.
     
  4. volfanjo

    volfanjo Chieftain

    Let me ask you this: If Wilcox rushed around the tackles every time with Smith and Miller/Bohannon rather than dropping them back or pushing them further inside, do you think this would eliminate a team's ability to go wide on us, or would they just run between the tackles and guard all day long? If they run between the tackles and guard, are AJ and Maggitt good enough yet to stop them?

    Edit: I hope this doesn't read as me being hostile to you. I just have no idea.
     
  5. kptvol

    kptvol Super Moderator

    Every wideout our corners have gone up against, including the ones from Montana, have blocked the shit out of them on running plays.

    Smith and Walls are pretty nasty physically as far as DEs go. I have a hard time believing they aren't physically able to contain. I'd say it's a scheme issue.
     
  6. bigpapavol

    bigpapavol Chieftain

    Wasn't hostile in the least. I think we have to go the outside leverage route because we have no prayer of making the play otherwise. At least forcing backs toward where we have a prayer of making a tackle is better than letting them go where we have no prayer of even being.
     
  7. kptvol

    kptvol Super Moderator

    I don't know what the answer is. Seems Monte liked to bring Berry up closer to help with this. Brewer seems like he could be a beast in run support, but I've barely even noticed his presence this season.
     
  8. bigpapavol

    bigpapavol Chieftain

    We have seen our corners and safeties blocked a lot. Wonder if that's because there are free linemen because they don't have to black Austin due to inability to get there or because we don't have anyone to demand a double.

    I think the ends are athletic enough and mean enough, so it's likely what they're being coached. Looks like we're being coached to stalemate at the point of attack, so if you're ballside, you hold position rather than getting up the field. It's almost like we're pushing guys to the sidelines, but don't have Jackson or Berry there to make a tackle. OLBs should make it, but aren't.
     
  9. volfanjo

    volfanjo Chieftain

    I think you are right. If our speed was better I would say let the sideline help you out. But we're not, so turning them inside is our only hope.
     
  10. tvolsfan

    tvolsfan Chieftain

    I think experience has a lot to do with this. Our players don't have a lot of experience going up against the guys with Demps/Rainey speed.

    This is one of the issues I'll be more concerned with if I don't see improvement throughout the year.
     
  11. bigpapavol

    bigpapavol Chieftain

    and damn, I'd have Brewer tackling sideline to sideline. Hell, I'd strongly consider him at MLB. He'll get blocked some, but he can make those plays on the corners. I know we're using him behind corners that scare the shiz out of us, but our front 7 is a slow, sure death. Getting beat over the top isn't. Coleman's two gaffes scare Wilcox and Dooley, but that's low % stuff and Coleman will keep getting better. You can tell from UF's playcalling and lack of passing down the field that our safeties were over the top all day long.
     
  12. volfanjo

    volfanjo Chieftain

    I would have to rewatch all the games, but I think yesterday was the first time a team even went much to his side. He was two seconds away from making two huge plays yesterday: the non-sack on the jailbreak screen, and the pass break-up in the first quarter in the endzone.

    Remember, when Berry was pushed up to the line of scrimmage you had Janzen Jackson as another safety that could really play. Tennessee doesn't have that luxury at the moment.
     
  13. volfanjo

    volfanjo Chieftain

  14. kptvol

    kptvol Super Moderator

    Brewer hasn't really looked really good in pass coverage, anyway. When UF tried the trick play with Brantley passes from the WR position, he let his guy run right past him to the endzone. Good thing we stuffed Brantley.
     
  15. kptvol

    kptvol Super Moderator

    I'm almost certain that was Waggner that broke up the endzone pass. The commentators were getting those two mixed up all game.
     
  16. bigpapavol

    bigpapavol Chieftain

    either way, was a touchdown with a better throw. That said, tough to lead inside when designed rolling right. Tough throw.
     
  17. volfanjo

    volfanjo Chieftain

    There were two guys there. You may be right.
     
  18. IP

    IP Super Moderator

    While I know exactly what the OP is referring to, there were also several plays where UT defenders made contact with a runner in the backfield, failed to make a tackle or impede the runner, and the play eventually turned into a large gain on the outside. That isn't scheme, that's individual players' fundamentals. They were in position to make a lot more big plays than they did.

    A tangential example: Teague was in PRIME position to make at least 2 picks, but didn't turn around and instead was face-guarding the UF defender. That's individual fundamentals as well.

    I am not pointing any fingers, I am just sharing my observations for whatever they are worth.
     
  19. Beechervol

    Beechervol Super Moderator

    It seemed to me that when they brought Brewer up and Vereen in they handled the sweeps and extended running plays better than the FR. LBs did.

    The FR. LBs are built for I-formation inside the tackle running teams. The speed of UFs RBs was too much for the FR yday.
     
  20. Lexvol

    Lexvol Guest

    I think it is mostly a talent issue. When you are as undersized as we are in the middle you have to guess too often. Safeties are not fast enough to make up for guessing wrong. In fact, few positions on our defense are. JJ was the exception, and he seemed out of position more often than not.

    Wilcox adjusts quickly and puts these guys in position to make plays.
     

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