Bray's physical talent is near immeasurable. His mental accumen is below average. His emotional fortitude is non-existent. Had we ever been up by 10, Florida gets blown out. Muschamp knew it, and this the fake punt - he was afraid that Tennessee would get that second score, and was desperate to prevent it. Bray's first pass after the stop is a perfect summation of his many problems, and with this team, in general. Tennessee gets a big stop, and is going to wing it downfield. In, say 1984, this would work, but a team taking what they hope to be is a back-breaking play down fields after a big momentum swing is Coaching 101 shit nowadays, and by calling the blitz, Muschamp was ready for it. Hell, the announcers were talking about it. True to code, that's what Chaney called, and when Bray feels the heat, what does he do? Does he try to escape? No. Does he check down? No. Does he try to get outside of the tackle box? No. Did he try to tuck it an run straight ahead? No. Instead, he just gives up on the play by casually winging the ball into an open and receiver-less area of the field, and quite rightfully, was flagged for grounding. That's equal parts apathy and ignorance. It's now 2nd and 20 and the drive might as well be over. Look at the play-by-play thereafter - different ball game, altogether. Florida had dodged what could have been a game-breaking bullet, seized it, and refused to relinquish it. Tyler Bray didn't lose the game, by any means, but that play was the first swell that breached the levies.
And yet without Bray, we probably would have lost by four TDs or more. Bray, for all his promise, will leave Tennessee with no meaningful wins and as only a slighlty better player than he was as a freshman. I'm not sure if that is his fault or the fault of the coaches, but it is as disappointing of a college career as I can recall.
If only he had a chance to work with a world-renowned offensive coach and hands down the best QB coach in the last, oh, 15-20 years. You know, someone with a universally respected and championship-caliber coach. Just a single season with someone like that could prove incredibly helpful to Bray's game...and his wallet.
It'd have to be someone special, OV. You know how most college QB's only throw in VERY controlled circumstances prior to the NFL Draft, for fear of losing a draft spot? Well, it'd have to be someone who was so well-respected and universally sought after that they would voluntarily submit themselves to his scrutiny. And publicly. Like on television. If only someone like that existed, it'd really help Bray in his decision to return for his senior season, IMO, JMHO. Allegedly.
I don't know how else to say it, Lyls. I am so fearful of it simply being a product of wishful thinking that I'm even afraid to hope for it, much less to believe that it's actually a possibility. If I am wrong, then people whom I know (personally) and trust have either flat-out lied to me, or have escaped the bounds of reality itself. But were I the average person, and had not heard it - and from multiple and independent sources - I wouldn't allow myself to believe it, either. So, I take zero exception to anyone who expresses doubt and skepticism in that regard, not that you are. That it's too-perfect-to-believe for most is understandable, but is not lost on those who can longer afford to agree to something lesser. Hell, Dooley could win out and get an extension for 3 years. Or an available coach could end up on the Cowboys sideline next season. I don't know, and neither does anyone else. But right now, at this moment, I would say that there is less than a 25% chance that Dooley's job situation has not been addressed before season's end, and that there is a better chance than not to land EXACTLY who we want and need to replace him.
I agree and feel the same as you have stated. Nothing is written in stone yet, but lets just say there is bait in the water.
I believe you all are well connected. I am just hoping Murphy and his law are going to finally leave UT alone.
I am not as well-connected as some, Lyls. I should be 1000% clear about that. There are 10 or more people here who not only know more than I do, but have heard it directly from several horse's mouths. But when separate people (they neither know one another, nor that I do) tell me the same things, and emphatically, it's difficult to ignore.
Its something put on a hook to attract a fish but thats not important right now. (sorry I had to do it) I finally get an Airplane joke in!
The game changing play for me - Close to the half, 2nd and 2. James helmet comes off. Kerbyson comes in the game and immediately jumps offsides. We don't convert and have to punt. At that point of the game we were in total control and there is little to no doubt in my mind we go down an get a field goal attempt minimum out of that. Subtle and small, but changed everything IMO.
TenD, totally agree about the turning point. The boy can flick a ball 30 yards sidearm. Instead of getting intentional grounding, wouldn't have taken much more effort to throw it over the TN player's head (just upfield) and out of bounds. iirc, we then threw a short pass on 3rd and long and had to punt.
