[penis] Huffman's Spring Practice Conclusion

The best thing about Spring Practice is that it provides a few moments for you to feel alive again between the end of football season and the beginning of two-a-days. This time presents an opportunity to speculate on what might be. The truth though is as fans what we get to witness is only what coaches do not mind showing the rest of the college football universe. Because of this, we as fans tend to make rushed judgments based on the reps that we see at camp's conclusion that really only make up around 1/25th of that has been implemented in practice. We know nothing.
Allow me to turn the clock back and give you various examples of Spring hysteria.

2001- Michael Brewster – Do you remember this name? Hawaii fans and Alabama fans definitely know this name. Going into the spring of 2001, Tennessee was fearful of the offense’s future minus Travis Henry. Travis Stephens had redshirted in 1999 and had an impressive 80 yard scamper in 2000 against Kentucky but people were yet to be sold on Stephens taking over the primary back role. The spring scrimmage that year saw a 5’6 walk-on named Michael Brewster steal the show in a game where the defense brutalized Casey Clausen, Donte Stallworth, and Stephens on first team offense while the Kelly Washington QB’d 2nd team offense experienced much more success. Based on what fans saw that day, it was not crazy to assume a 5’6 walk-on had a legit shot in taking the RB reigns.

Michael Brewster - [video=youtube;n4PuUv9f4tY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4PuUv9f4tY[/video]

It was not to be though. Everyone, including Brewster, knew he wasn’t of the same ilk of Stephens or the RBs they were planning to bring in. So, following the end of the spring semester, Brewster transferred to Hawaii, where after sitting out a year, became their starting running back and ended up playing his best game in a win over Alabama in ’03.

2008- Play Scrippin’ – The 2008 Orange and White game found fans swarming Neyland Stadium in search of the new offense brought in by a cracker jack OC from Richmond named Dave Clawson. Who could blame them? To ease Clawson’s indoctrination into SEC football, Tennessee boasted the return of two stud running backs, a 1,000 yard senior WR, two impressive Soph. WRs, and a former 4/5 star prep QB in Jon Crompton. What was waiting on Tennessee fans in Neyland Stadium that day was the biggest bloodthirsty spectacle ever perpetrated in a area not located in Rome. Jon Crompton opened the scrimmage by throwing an 80 yard TD to Lucas Taylor who ran right by recently reinstated Demetrice Morley. Only after a closer look was it realized that Taylor wasn’t running by Morley. In fact, Taylor wasn’t even running by anyone on the 2-deep. The number 7 Taylor ran by was in fact Ja’Kouri Williams off of the scout team. Crompton went on to throw for 3 TDs and nearly 300 yards in just a mere 1 ½ Qtrs of game time. To all onlookers it appeared that Judas Brutus had infact made a wonderful OC hire and Tennessee was going to continue their winning ways post-Cutcliffe, and maybe even achieve much higher than what the then Duke coach had lead them to in 06 and 07. What became painfully obvious by October 2008 was that Tennessee had zero clue of who they were from an offensive standpoint and everything that was displayed the previous spring was Pomp and Circumstance in regards to what was actually being accomplished on the Hill…..nothing.

So that brings us to today’s conclusion of 2014 spring camp and [penis] Huffman’s guesstimations, conclusions, and predictions regarding the QB situation.

1. QBS- Riley Ferguson – He isn’t as good as Brent Hubbs’ boner wants you to believe but he is nowhere near as bad as he appeared in Saturday’s spring game. Ferguson stared down receivers, never went through his reads, had difficulties changing the blocking, and held onto the ball an agonizing length of time. It’s nearly impossible for someone to have as bad of a day as Riley Ferguson did today. While he isn’t the savior of the program, (See Brent Hubbs’ purposely misquoting Josh Malone in claiming the staff used lured him to Tennessee by showing how they were gonna get him the ball via Ferguson. Seriously Brent? I doubt a 5 star recruit is swayed by the chance to play with a freshman QB currently redshirting behind Justin ****ing Worley) he may eventually be able to show in a game what writers have rumored about for several years concerning him: talent. In my short years, I’ve seen clear cut starters fall flat on their face in a spring game. Usually when this happens it is just assumed that the guy who played significantly better that day was the ultimate benefactor. I don’t believe that this is the case here. According to anyone who has seen practice, Ferguson is a better QB right now than Josh Dobbs. Assuming that this is true I don’t believe that this can simply be changed by a poor showing in a spring game. What is most important for Ferguson right now is for him to realize that he is in a much better place PT wise than Dobbs and Peterman regardless of his Saturday failures. Nathan Peterman – Today was more than likely the last time we ever see him suit up in orange and I believe he used today’s reps as a tryout to perspective teams. He didn’t fall on his face which is an instant upgrade over how he is remembered by fans. If this is the route he does take, good luck. Josh Dobbs – If I am Dobbs and I believe I am capable of having this kind of output everytime the ball is in my hands, regardless of competition, I am going to begin exploring options outside the University of Tennessee. Baijay threw him in no win situations from Mizzouri on, asking him to put the ball into the air 44 times in his first start while abandoning the ball control offense that was used to some success with Worley at the helm. Justin Worley – He does the bare minimum required of a winning QB on the DI level. Why anyone thinks he gives you more than what a rabid squirrel does amazes me.

Other Quick Notes:
1. Josh Malone is special – It’s not everyday when you find someone who is a physical and athletic mismatch. He looked the way a 5 star is supposed to. For all of those using his exploitation of DBs as a measuring stick of our secondary play, shame on you. There aren’t many people on the planet that can do what the staff was asking 5’9 Deandre Payne to do today.

2. The Circle of Life Drill needs to be explained to a good portion of the fanbase. Everyone around me just assumed they were watching Sumo wrestling regardless of the obvious technique being displayed by guys on the field. Example: Brett CAK Kendrick faced off against Mixon – from the get go Mixon forced Kendrick backwards 6-8 steps (ordinarily you’d stop the drill at this point unless you particularly enjoy embarrassing a kid being pushed around.) Kendrick then braced using Mixon’s momentum against him and appeared to attempt to pin him WWE style.

3. Jalen Hurd- Im not gonna critique or comment anything related to him. We’ve only got him for a short amount of time so bygod I’m gonna enjoys it.

4. Tackling- Many people have posted serious concerns with the poor exhibition shown in tackling. While it is easy to get worked up about this, I believe that it will clear itself up. Why? You ask. Simple. Entering 2014’s fall practice will be a sizeable amount of 17 and 18 year old pitbulls that can and will knock your lights out.

 

Well done.

 

Sounds almost, dare I say, hopeful.

 

The tackling will be better because it couldn't possibly be any worse than what it was. IMO. That isn't a talent issue. How the hell do you come out of Spring practice so bad at a fundamental skill?

 

Soft players don't like to tackle, so they don't do it well. It's more of a mindset than anything

 

My take on Josh Dobbs...

First allow me to preface my opinion. With all of the early exits from the college game, we all realize the product is a watered down version of what we watched in through the UT heyday of the 90s. What Joshua Dobbs was asked to do last year was still damn near impossible.

The SEC is a QB league. A true freshman will not come in and make a team competitive.

However, from the minute he stepped on the field for the first time, it was evident that he had more raw talent/arm strength than anyone that UT had started in front of him. I hope Riley Ferguson has the tools to play QB at UT. I saw nothing yesterday that made me think he is any better than Dobbs. His throws have a little more snap, but the difference is not nearly as big as the difference between Dobbs and Worley.

Dobbs has all the tools to be competitive in the SEC + one year of real experience.

 

It's worth noting that Dobbs was facing the second team defense with some of our best weapons (what up, Malone) on his side. Fergie had no weapons and was (at least how it sounded on the radio) facing the toughest defense (if not in personnel, at least in play-calling).

I wonder if they were intentionally trying to challenge Ferguson because he's near the top of the battle. Throw him into the deep end in the spring game and see how he handles it.

Just a theory. Could be way off.

 

Good post, DH.

 

They switched up groups quite a few times after the first period.

 

Huffman the sunshine pumper. Whodathunkit?

 

I remember when Bo Hardegree was the best QB of the Spring.

 

Bill Grimes was the breakout star at wr

 

You guys rattle off names from the past so well the smoothest talking politician would be envious.

My memory, as limited as it has become, is geared more towards useless information.

 

I'm just trying to put things in perspective. Are we good? No. But there will be some excitement in Knoxville soon.

Right now though Butch is coming to terms with the fact that Bajay can't develop a QB.

 

Will he pull a Tuberville & can both his coordinators to save his own neck?

That's the $64,000 question right now.

 

Janceck will fire himself just as soon as Tennessee fans realize we have adequate defensive talent. At that point you can't excuse scheming yourself into giving up 400 yards rushing against an Auburn team that couldn't pass on Knox West.

 

You mean that Auburn team that averaged about 350 rushing yards per game?

 

That makes it acceptable?

 

Means better teams (talent and coaching) couldn't stop them either. If you're going to hate on Jancek, I would use another example.

 

South Alabama

Mizzou

Patton Robinette