1. Worst thing that was actually somewhat controllable: when we got into 2nd and long, we kept trying to run to set up 3rd and manageable. We got stuffed almost every time, setting up way too many 3rd and impossible. 2. A big part of (1) was on rotten OL play. They got licked in the second half last week and again last night. We knew we didn’t have the depth we needed there, and it’s going to keep hurting us until we get healthy (if we get healthy). 3. In the second half, we had more success than I expected scheming around a weak OL. Once Hooker started running, Ole Miss couldn’t pin their ears back anymore. Adding that dimension to the offense makes it really hard to defend, even without a lot of push up front. [what follows is the “this was just the Pitt game all over again” section] 4. Remember how having a quarterback who can extend plays with his legs makes an offense impossible to defend? Yeah…our defense held Ole Miss to 5.1 yards per play (they average 6.5), but we never did figure out how to stop Corral. Because Corral is impossible to stop without a major talent advantage. Spy him, and they block the spy. Don’t spy him and he runs free. Sell out to clog the lanes and he hits the open receivers. He’s an NFL quarterback and he’s hard to stop. Holding them to 31 points (7 on a short field) is the best you can really hope from the D. 5. When the opposing offense is really good, you can’t give away free points. We had an ugly turnover that led to 7, a couple bad calls that cost us points or very good chances at points, and we overthrew an easy TD pass in the first quarter. 6. At the end of the day, I’m more impressed with how the coaches have covered up our deficiencies than I am mad about the mistakes/calls/QB wizardry that led to the loss. This season was never going to be good, and a close loss to a good team is a more positive sign than playing like crap and getting a couple lucky turnovers to pull a weird upset. [end “this is just the Pitt game all over again” section] 7. Don’t throw crap on the field. There’s making this a hostile place to play and there’s trying to be Azteca. Also, the usual suspects in the national media are going to make a big thing about it, because we gave them the opportunity. They’re not going to change, and arguing about their hypocrisy just makes us look bad. Move on and don’t give them any more low-hanging fruit. 8. The last play of the game was so incredibly stupid and I am more baffled every time I think back to it. Not really much more to say here. 9. If Hooker is out long-term, it is going to take every ounce of coaching acumen to make this offense watchable for the rest of the season. We don’t have any signs of a capable backup right now. 10. With Hooker, we still have a legit shot at 7-5. We don’t have the talent to hang with Alabama or Georgia unless they play their worst games of the season and we play our best. But Hooker’s legs can get us some scores even if our OL is getting obliterated, and our defense is better than Kentucky’s offense. 11. One of these days, we’re going to win one of these big, hyped night games. After the muffed punt last night, I thought we were about to turn it into 2017 Florida. We didn’t. We’re right there, and that’s with no depth, tons of injuries, and a half a season of coaching. It’s coming. Edit: 12. Bill Connelly just released his post-game win expectancy. Basically, take all the plays from the game, shake them up in a box, and dump them out in random order and see what happens. It’s meant to be a measure of whether the result accurately reflected who played a better football game. He has Tennessee 71% last night. Damn if our guys aren’t playing great against quality opponents.
I’d prefer full time wildcat offense to either Milton or Bailey. Losing Hooker takes Kentucky off the table which means the ceiling is now 6 wins. But to be honest we were always going to have to get extremely lucky with the injury bug this year to win more than 6.
This was the best team Ole Miss will have for probably the next 40 years and it was barely good enough to beat the worst roster in Tennessee history.
It’s no surprise that the one call the stripes may (or may NOT…) have gotten right is the one that set the fans off. Missed (multiple missed) holding calls, the miss on the scoop and score… I’m not one to use the refs as an excuse for losing a game (God knows UT could STILL have won the game despite all the bad/no calls if Hooker hadn’t gotten hurt…) but the Vols got jobbed last night. The fans trashing the field gives the media a very convenient excuse to ignore that fact. Milton needs not to ever take another snap as a UT quarterback. I’d rather Bailey get thrown to the wolves. At least he’s not a guaranteed disaster….
And much will be made of Corral’s performance but good grief… even I could gain 200 if I had an o-line that was being allowed to hold the defense all night long.
https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2021/10/17/pff-grades-ole-miss-at-tennessee/ Look at Dayne Davis and Ollie Lane. Move Carvin because both Mays brothers were missing was brutal
Ole Miss defense attacked 66 (honestly do not know name) after Mays got hurt and caused a lot of trouble in the first half. After halftime I thought we did a good job of fixing blocking to help him out. I also noticed we ran the most motion in the second half I'd seen under JH. I thought decision to kick field goal was bad and I scratched my head at more play calls than I have yet. About the only gripe I have with the offense so far is that there is not much short to mid range routes over the middle. I feel it's there sometimes and we're running 4 verts.
There were whole drives in the first half that their LBs were crashing the line of scrimmage. A slant would have gashed them for yards and yards, and we never threw it.
4th and 10 from the 32 is a really tough call. I think if we get 4-5 on 3rd down, we go for it. But I honestly don’t know whether a 49-yard FG or a 4th and 10 is the smarter play.
Not sure if it was JH or Hooker but most likely a mixture of both led to not their best night. Hooker wasn't keeping it at all early, and late in the game, handed it off 3 or 4 times when he shouldn't have. Wondering if the OL issues made JH adjust as he was not as aggressive as usual.
100%. You can't look at how that line was performing and not acknowledge Heupel had to stray from his gameplan after Mays went out
I really hate to pile on a student but a turnstile might have performed better than Davis. That was bad.
It was pretty chilly by that point and he's not got the leg for it in those conditions. I get it's no man's land, but I think you have to go for it there.
There was a play when Davis attempted to seal the end when we were passing the ball. Obviously it resulted in a sack.
TBH the 2nd and long runs have worked often with the first teamers. They almost had to run left because the right side was a nightmare. Ole Miss knew that. 66 couldn't do anything to stop Ole Miss. On pass plays they couldn't even leak the tailback because they needed the extra blocking.
