The Official Fire Randy Sanders Thread!

[volimhtown]

I'm just curious...how far do the Vols have to fall before changes are made?? The rushing numbers have steadily fallen for 5 years, now. Am I the only one who sees the correlation between that and the Vols' lack of recent accomplishments? I know that minus Auburn, the Vols had a good season last year, but let's be real. The Vols were the beneficiary of alot of breaks last season and could/should have lost 4 to 5 games last season. This seasons edition of the Vols (you would think) HAS to be the "straw that breaks the camel's back". The offensive performances in every game have been PATHETIC!! For the life of me, I do not understand the pass first philosophy that this team has taken. If you had a half-way decent QB or even a receiver who could catch the frieking ball, I could understand it. BUT the strength of this offense is the OL and the RB. Even an elementary understanding of football would tell you that the offense should start there. Can anyone explain this??
I guess the REALLY frustrating part of all of this is that they are getting embarrased by teams who aren't any better than they are. No disrespect to my SEC brethren, but be honest...the Vols have beaten MUCH better Florida teams, much better LSU teams, and much better Georgia teams in the past. None of the aforementioned (IMO) look like serious NT contenders this year. Good teams, sure, but we've seen much better teams from each school in recent years.
The other REALLY FRUSTRATING part of this season is that we are wasting the season despite having a solid DEFENSE. This is EASILY the best UT defense we've had in at least 5 plus years and we have NOTHING to show for it. It's simply unacceptable!!
I'm P*SSED!!! Sanders has been allowed to run this offense into the ground for FAR TOO LONG! They don't take advantage of their strengths and the play calling could not possibly be less imaginative. The Vols are doing a great job of making decent defenses look great with their horrible play calling.
The only bright spot for the Vols is that with guaranteed losses to Bama and ND looming on the horizon, those losses can do nothing but fuel the fire to get rid of Sanders.
One final thought, Fulmer needs to shoulder his weight of the blame as well. His obvious love affair with Sanders has allowed this to happen on his watch. If he's not already pushing for some whole-sale changes, perhaps it's time for him to do some soul-searching. Not to mention the fact that alot of us Vols fans have stuck up for him during the recent off-the-field run ins between players and the law. By the lack of discipline we are seeing by the players on-the-field, you have to start thinking that there might be some merit to all of the press reports and scrutiny. Thoughts???
GO VOLS!!!
P.S. HEY BRAVES...HOW YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?? GO ASTROS!!!!!

[HSVTider]

If you guys lose to us and Notre Dame, I expect Sanders to be gone.

If you lose more than that, well then, Fulmer COULD be packing his bags as well.

I know 6-5 is not a good reason to fire Fulmer, but that coupled with all the highly publicized dicipline problems could be the final nail in his coffin.

JMHO though. I hope you guys keep them both. :D

[Djshockley3]

If you guys lose to us and Notre Dame, I expect Sanders to be gone.

If you lose more than that, well then, Fulmer COULD be packing his bags as well.

I know 6-5 is not a good reason to fire Fulmer, but that coupled with all the highly publicized dicipline problems could be the final nail in his coffin.

JMHO though. I hope you guys keep them both. :D


Same here,I hope you keep both Sanders and Fulmer. :D

[DAWG@heart]

I'm just curious...how far do the Vols have to fall before changes are made?? The rushing numbers have steadily fallen for 5 years, now. Am I the only one who sees the correlation between that and the Vols' lack of recent accomplishments? I know that minus Auburn, the Vols had a good season last year, but let's be real. The Vols were the beneficiary of alot of breaks last season and could/should have lost 4 to 5 games last season. This seasons edition of the Vols (you would think) HAS to be the "straw that breaks the camel's back". The offensive performances in every game have been PATHETIC!! For the life of me, I do not understand the pass first philosophy that this team has taken. If you had a half-way decent QB or even a receiver who could catch the frieking ball, I could understand it. BUT the strength of this offense is the OL and the RB. Even an elementary understanding of football would tell you that the offense should start there. Can anyone explain this??
I guess the REALLY frustrating part of all of this is that they are getting embarrased by teams who aren't any better than they are. No disrespect to my SEC brethren, but be honest...the Vols have beaten MUCH better Florida teams, much better LSU teams, and much better Georgia teams in the past. None of the aforementioned (IMO) look like serious NT contenders this year. Good teams, sure, but we've seen much better teams from each school in recent years.
The other REALLY FRUSTRATING part of this season is that we are wasting the season despite having a solid DEFENSE. This is EASILY the best UT defense we've had in at least 5 plus years and we have NOTHING to show for it. It's simply unacceptable!!
I'm P*SSED!!! Sanders has been allowed to run this offense into the ground for FAR TOO LONG! They don't take advantage of their strengths and the play calling could not possibly be less imaginative. The Vols are doing a great job of making decent defenses look great with their horrible play calling.
The only bright spot for the Vols is that with guaranteed losses to Bama and ND looming on the horizon, those losses can do nothing but fuel the fire to get rid of Sanders.
One final thought, Fulmer needs to shoulder his weight of the blame as well. His obvious love affair with Sanders has allowed this to happen on his watch. If he's not already pushing for some whole-sale changes, perhaps it's time for him to do some soul-searching. Not to mention the fact that alot of us Vols fans have stuck up for him during the recent off-the-field run ins between players and the law. By the lack of discipline we are seeing by the players on-the-field, you have to start thinking that there might be some merit to all of the press reports and scrutiny. Thoughts???
GO VOLS!!!
P.S. HEY BRAVES...HOW YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?? GO ASTROS!!!!!




hmmmmm.... interesting..... you want to fire the guy who was behind the offense in 1998, your nat'l title season, strange. Maybe the inefficiences of your offense is not in the coordinator, but in the players and ultimately the head coach. If Fatty Phil wasn't content with Sanders, he would be gone already, so blame Pumpkin Patch for that, not Sanders. It's Snitches team, not Sanders. Just my two cents.....


P.S. HEY BRAVES...HOW YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?? GO ASTROS!!!!!


LOL.... I love it! Your Vols can't beat Georgia, but you rub in Georgia's baseball team getting beat by the Astros.... classic!!!! In case you haven't noticed, the Braves never get past the first round, where have you been the last 10 years?

[the87sundancekid]

Cutcliffe is available, and he was the offensive coordinator for most of the '98 season i believe. He left for the ole miss job after the regular season, and sanders was promoted. We have terrific receivers, who may have dropped some passes, but the issue is that we don't stretch the field enough, or use Riggs efficiently. Sportscenter even said in their season preview that he could be a heisman candidate "but you never know with the play-calling down in knoxville". It sucks, this should have been our year.

[DAWG@heart]

Cutcliffe is available, and he was the offensive coordinator for most of the '98 season i believe. He left for the ole miss job after the regular season, and sanders was promoted. We have terrific receivers, who may have dropped some passes, but the issue is that we don't stretch the field enough, or use Riggs efficiently. Sportscenter even said in their season preview that he could be a heisman candidate "but you never know with the play-calling down in knoxville". It sucks, this should have been our year.

welcome to the party, 2004 was suppose to be UGA's year. Sucks doesn't it?

[RW13]

When was the last time UT did anything worse than 8 wins?

[rabidcock]

...the Vols have beaten MUCH better Florida teams, much better LSU teams, and much better Georgia teams in the past.

True. And all this was accomplished with MUCH better VOL teams.

You may just have to settle for the Citrus Bowl this year. Now would that be so bad?! To be frank, TN was just a few plays away from possibly beating the Dogs (even though you were outplayed). It seems every time you had a successful (perhaps momentum-reversing) play, a penalty would nullify it.

You guys may well get it together 'ere the season is over. Don't forget: you get to play us(c). ;)

[greggspacho]

-----------

[Neo]

Gregg,

You need to ease up a bit. This is not an old saloon. VOL was just giving his opinion and he did it without vulgarities.

Neo
SECTalk.com Admin/News Writer

[ColonelKurtz]

I've chuckled reading the UT boards since the game Saturday and volimhtown's post is along a similar line as many of those. What is more funny (to me anyway) is that it is ALWAYS the OC's fault when an Offense doesn't produce, a recurring theme particularly within a large segment of the urnge fanbase when their expectations of victory are not met.

For an OC to be totally accountable for an offensive Offense, he must commit the sin of employing a scheme for which he hasn't the necessary talent/players for. As most OC's are also position coaches, it would then fall upon him if he isn't teaching the player to excel within that scheme.

Sanders does not fit either criteria, sorry vowel fans. I don't recall similar rantings as last season wound down and essentially the same personnel are back this season. Now granted that the UT Offense of 2005 to date hasn't been scintillating or omnipotent looking but quite good enough to have won 3 games, including the improbable deal @ LSU.

In the Vols' two losses, it faced two of the SEC's better D's and one is prompted to wonder if that just MIGHT have something to do with it..Could it POSSIBLY be that both the FU & UGA D's were simply GOOD enough to negate the assumed Offensive might of UT????

As a Dawg fan, I've read all that before, especially after stinging losses to rivals.....like Georgia......and Florida........and last year, Auburn. Sometimes, your favorite team simply doesn't have what it takes to get'er done.

[fernandomike]

I agree strongly with volimhtown. Our offensive system is no longer useful. For years, I have resisted this notion. Analysts like Mark May and others have been criticizing it for years now. Back then, I chalked it up as the media's love affair with the sophisticated, a preference for the fancy over the functional.
One thing is clear. It is no longer successful. There have always been excuses. Like, we don't have a center or our receivers are too young or the quarterback is not making plays. I listened to Fulmer and Sanders and other Vol fans and accepted these excuses, and more often than not, these flaws were shown to be true when watching the games closely. The implication has always been that next season we will get an exceptional recruit or the player in question will improve and that flaw will disappear. Sometimes it does disappear only to be replaced by another flaw(s). The thing is in this era of scholarship reductions EVERY TEAM HAS THESE ISSUES. It is nearly impossible to build quality depth across the board on offense and defense, injuries happen, players turn pro early, flunk out, etc. No matter how well you recruit, you are never going to stay stocked at all positions.
So, what happens when we inevitably figure out that we are not completely stocked? This is where coaching should happen, but hasn't. On this board, we talked a lot in the off-season about Bama's lack of experience on the offensive line. All I can say is that those guys have been extremely well coached because it sure doesn't appear to be an issue now. You either coach your guys up or you make the necessary adjustments to deal with the problem. Right now, that ain't happening on the hill.
What I am talking about is a larger issue than simple play-calling. Everyone focuses on that. If that alone were the problem, then we could easily adjust it and throw the ball more. The real issues are development of offensive players and the scheme itself. Former receiver Cedrick Wilson said that he was never taught how to run proper routes until he got to the NFL. How is that for a whopping endorsement? Our team is loaded with 4 and 5 star recruits yet we measure success by first downs, not touchdowns. Casey Clausen looked as good his sophomore season as he did his final year. Erik Ainge has clearly regressed. Our bevy of coveted receivers either drop passes or can't seem to get off of press coverage.
We are squandering talent. The Vols cannot expect to always recruit so well. We need offensive coaches who know how to teach discipline and fundamentals. We need coaches who can help talented guys improve. Our days of getting by on raw talent alone are done. We aren't fooling anybody. Sanders needs to go. Our archaic offensive system needs to go too. Hell, even Joe Paterno is running a spread option style attack. Its time for fresh ideas. Either that or we can continue to rely too heavily on our defense and suffer the same obvious consequences.

[palmettocock]

True. And all this was accomplished with MUCH better VOL teams.

You may just have to settle for the Citrus Bowl this year. Now would that be so bad?! To be frank, TN was just a few plays away from possibly beating the Dogs (even though you were outplayed). It seems every time you had a successful (perhaps momentum-reversing) play, a penalty would nullify it.

You guys may well get it together 'ere the season is over. Don't forget: you get to play us(c). ;)

you cant spell citrus without ut ;)

[thethrill]

I'm just curious...how far do the Vols have to fall before changes are made?? The rushing numbers have steadily fallen for 5 years, now. Am I the only one who sees the correlation between that and the Vols' lack of recent accomplishments? I know that minus Auburn, the Vols had a good season last year, but let's be real. The Vols were the beneficiary of alot of breaks last season and could/should have lost 4 to 5 games last season. This seasons edition of the Vols (you would think) HAS to be the "straw that breaks the camel's back". The offensive performances in every game have been PATHETIC!! For the life of me, I do not understand the pass first philosophy that this team has taken. If you had a half-way decent QB or even a receiver who could catch the frieking ball, I could understand it. BUT the strength of this offense is the OL and the RB. Even an elementary understanding of football would tell you that the offense should start there. Can anyone explain this??
I guess the REALLY frustrating part of all of this is that they are getting embarrased by teams who aren't any better than they are. No disrespect to my SEC brethren, but be honest...the Vols have beaten MUCH better Florida teams, much better LSU teams, and much better Georgia teams in the past. None of the aforementioned (IMO) look like serious NT contenders this year. Good teams, sure, but we've seen much better teams from each school in recent years.
The other REALLY FRUSTRATING part of this season is that we are wasting the season despite having a solid DEFENSE. This is EASILY the best UT defense we've had in at least 5 plus years and we have NOTHING to show for it. It's simply unacceptable!!
I'm P*SSED!!! Sanders has been allowed to run this offense into the ground for FAR TOO LONG! They don't take advantage of their strengths and the play calling could not possibly be less imaginative. The Vols are doing a great job of making decent defenses look great with their horrible play calling.
The only bright spot for the Vols is that with guaranteed losses to Bama and ND looming on the horizon, those losses can do nothing but fuel the fire to get rid of Sanders.
One final thought, Fulmer needs to shoulder his weight of the blame as well. His obvious love affair with Sanders has allowed this to happen on his watch. If he's not already pushing for some whole-sale changes, perhaps it's time for him to do some soul-searching. Not to mention the fact that alot of us Vols fans have stuck up for him during the recent off-the-field run ins between players and the law. By the lack of discipline we are seeing by the players on-the-field, you have to start thinking that there might be some merit to all of the press reports and scrutiny. Thoughts???
GO VOLS!!!
P.S. HEY BRAVES...HOW YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?? GO ASTROS!!!!!
I agree with part of your post. I agree our offense is terrible. But as far as the passing on first down philsophy this year, that comes out of necessity. Whats the point of running on 1st down when the opposing team has 8 & 9 men in the box and end up with 2nd & 10. This comes from having no viable QB. And this is where I blame Randy Sanders, because he is also the QB coach. For Ainge to come into this year this unprepared is unexcusable. Fulmer is going nowhere, unless he retires, but it is way past time for Sanders to go. I have heard rumors that RB coach Trooper Taylor could be promoted. I don't know if he's the answer, but I do know one thing he is a master recruiter, we can't afford to lose him to another team. If it were up to me I would send Ainge and Clausen packing, for acting like spoiled brats this year, and give the ball to the best name in football history, Jim Bob Cooter.

[OrangeCrush]

The lack of production on offense can be blamed on the two pre-season questions facing this team. Who is going to be the QB and who is going to be the Center on the line? The QB derby turned into a mess that should have never gone on as far as it has. Injuries really hurt the Vols in regards to the center position as the top two on the depth chart were both hurt going into the regular season. The Vols finally had their projected starting five together for the Georgia game, but when you face the quailty teams the Vols have in the first half of the season, you do not have time to find your game against the likes of the Gators, Tigers and Bulldogs. I believe lack of coheisiveness on the Line has helped to keep the offense stuck in the mud.

Coaching is always a focal point for fans to assign blame when things are not going well. Last year fans were wondering if Chavis was doing his job well because of the lack of pass defense. Those same people were singing the praises of OC Randy Sanders for doing so much with freshman running the QB position for most of the season. Things have flip-flopped this year and you can hear or see fans wanting the head of Sanders.

The bottom line for the Vols is that they have not played well against equal or better talent in Neyland for the past 6 years. A pattern like that leads me to believe there is a problem in the coaching. Since I have no inside knowledge of how things work at UT, the only blame I can assign is to the head coach. It is Fulmer's responsiblity to make sure problems get corrected. The Vol fans are only going to take so many home losses before a coach on the staff is going to get pink slipped. My money is on the O-Line coach(J.Stephens). He worked under Spurrier at the end of Darth Visor's run as Gator football coach. I thought it was odd that Fulmer would turn to a coach who worked under Spurrier, because of the difference in style of play by the Gators under Spurrier and the Vols under Fulmer.

[Rebeldrummer]

Cuttcliffe was hired last year ..

sanders is just Cutt with a Lower IQ , and more personality

[thethrill]

Ultimately the blame does fall on Fulmer because he is the HC. And I for one have never heard of any UT fan heaping praises on Randy Sanders, he is a total imbecile. I don't have too many problems with Chavis, except that our secondary hasn't been good in quite awhile, although they are showing signs of improvement. I know after tough losses fans tend to jump on the coaches too hard and after big wins they give them too much credit, but this has been building with Sanders for about 5 yrs. I feel that if Fulmer doesn't make a change at OC he will ultimately put his own job in jeopardy.

[Rebeldrummer]

Ultimately the blame does fall on Fulmer because he is the HC. And I for one have never heard of any UT fan heaping praises on Randy Sanders, he is a total imbecile. I don't have too many problems with Chavis, except that our secondary hasn't been good in quite awhile, although they are showing signs of improvement. I know after tough losses fans tend to jump on the coaches too hard and after big wins they give them too much credit, but this has been building with Sanders for about 5 yrs. I feel that if Fulmer doesn't make a change at OC he will ultimately put his own job in jeopardy.

Well I have always said TN out talents people .. they don't out coach anyone ..
fulmer and sanders together aren't as intelligent as USCRebel ..

[thethrill]

Well I have always said TN out talents people .. they don't out coach anyone ..
fulmer and sanders together aren't as intelligent as USCRebel ..
What did he do, pay you to say that? If he's that intelligent, maybe he can apply for the Ole Miss job. Should be open in a few years.

[Rebeldrummer]

What did he do, pay you to say that? If he's that intelligent, maybe he can apply for the Ole Miss job. Should be open in a few years.


He didn't pay me anything .. Just an opinion of those too .. not an compliment to USC :D

you can't tell me you believe those two are intelligent

[thethrill]

He didn't pay me anything .. Just an opinion of those too .. not an compliment to USC :D

you can't tell me you believe those two are intelligent

I totally agree with you on Sanders. But you don't see too many dummies win the NC.

[Rebeldrummer]

I totally agree with you on Sanders. But you don't see too many dummies win the NC.

with the talent TN has had .. They should have won it more than once ... hence dummy ..

I think the best coaches there are the underlings that are there and Fulmer just
buys recruits and doughnuts :D

[thethrill]

with the talent TN has had .. They should have won it more than once ... hence dummy ..

I think the best coaches there are the underlings that are there and Fulmer just
buys recruits and doughnuts :D
I think we've had this conversation before. I guess you can't convince me and vice versa. But I bet you would take Fulmers record at UT there at Ole Miss.

[OrangeCrush]

I totally agree with you on Sanders. But you don't see too many dummies win the NC.

Well, lets remember that it took so many right bounces for UT in the 1998 season to get to the national championship game. They were lucky enough to face a Florida State team that did not have their #1 QB(Chris Weinke). I still believe that the Vols would have won the game regardless, but lets not fool ourselves by thinking that UT would not have been in for a better game if Weinke and not Outzen was the starting QB for free shoes.

[Rebeldrummer]

I think we've had this conversation before. I guess you can't convince me and vice versa. But I bet you would take Fulmers record at UT there at Ole Miss.


record yes Coach no .. I believe several coaches would have done more with the talent available

[TNGator]

I think UT's troubles fall ENTIRELY on the shouldres of Phil Fulmer. Many of you will not agree with me on this but it's my honest opinion.

Tennessee's biggest problem on offense is the O-Line. They aren't a very good line. This is suppose to be their "strength" and it's just not. They don't run block well and their pass blocking is O.K. If you look UF got quite a bit of pressure on UT's QB's and UGA got enough pressure without blitzing as well. This is suppose to be Fulmer's "specialty" or I may be wrong but he's the O-Line coach. UT also has little experienced depth on the O-Line. I mean they have some guys but none of them are proven from what I've seen. I know they are banged up and some guys have played out of position but they should be better and they are not. With not "true" C that is a whole other problem all together. Fulmer should have these guys blocking/playing better if he's the coach he's jazzed up to be......I mean this is his "position".

The other problem, also created entirely by Fulmer is the QB situation. I hate the 2 QB system and have only saw Steve Spurrier "almost" make it work. It just can't be done. I question when and why Fulmer has pulled Ainge and left Clausen in vice versa. Fulmer would have been much much better off to start last season with one QB (Schaeffer or Ainge) and let that be your QB. If he plays bad, let them play through it and gain the confidence/experience to overcome a bad day. They both had the talent. Schaeffer is gone and there is no doubt in my mind that Ainge should have been "the man" from day one. No controversy, especially not coach created controversy going into training camp. I think it puts more pressure on each to perform and they (especially Ainge) play fearing a mistake. Ainge has all the talent in the world, he has made some bad decisions but maybe he don't make those if he hadn't split time all spring/summer/fall practice with another QB.

Riggs has just been a total "flop" this year. I hate to say that because his #'s are still good but he's just not produced what was expected. Part of this is on the O-line and the other part is the D is not afraid to load the box, play the run and not worry about a pass over 20 yards (in the air). This is partly to blame on playcalling, BUT what are Sanders real options here? I mean Clausen is just not very accurate when he throws a ball 20 yds + in the air so he's not able to stretch the field vertical. That goes back to Fulmers QB derby he seems to want to have and I also blame Sanders limited playcalling on Fulmers created QB problems. D's don't have to respect that part of the game and the running game will struggle in that situation.

I wouldn't be on my high horse to run Sanders out of town. He don't have a high profile offense but it does work when the pieces are in place. UT's pieces aren't in place right now. Fulmer is the guy responsible for alot of UT's problems IMO.

[VOLSFANinga05]

my dad told me tonight that he read somewhere that in next weeks bcs poll , the computers will put Georgia at number 2????? over texas and vt?? "CONGRATS GA ON BEATING UT AGAIN AT HOME " ..Georgia's a good team that beat Tennessee who is struggling on offense but how can you say georgia is in the top 3? The reason Tennessee lost the game was because of so many penalities & our offense struggling.. we had nearly 15 i think.. and you cant win big games with so many penalities.Why does the Tenn coaches try and come back in the last couple mins of the game and try and throw the ball long?? they should of done that a while back or put ainge in there..kinda to late.. I'll have to say in the 4th quarter.. when clausen threw the ball and he caught it then it droped and georgia recovered.. THAT WAS A FACE MASK.. PLAIN AS DAY AND THE OFFICIALS NEVER CALLED IT..that would of given tennessee the ball in a good spot but again.. it was missed and georgia had the ball in good field position.. Also.. whys the Georgia fans saying Their schedule is hard as Tennessee's.. thats NO..! Tennessee went to florida then lsu..goes to bama norte dame.. every one of those teams has been in the top 10 and u cant expect tennessee to win those games if your offense is struggling like it is.. which i cant believe.. as good as they was last year and was suppost to be so good this year. very dissapointing. Georgia has a pretty easy schedule.. The "tough" game for them is florida and i hope florida beats the $hit out of them.. if UF wins at lsu then beats georgia.. no sec game for them but we'll see how it turns out.... For the Tenn coaches...... i like Trooper alot.. he seems to get the team pumped up and ready to play.. id like to see sanders and fulmer out and get some new coaches in.. UT has a off week then goes to bama(which should be a battle esp how good bama is playing and how bad tennessee offense is playing..AINGE NEEDS TO BE THE STARTING QB..) then has south carolina @ home then @ norte dame.. I'm sorry but if UT goes to play at the music city bowl.. ill be really dissapointed and i will be praying for fulmer and sanders to be GONE..! going from top 5 bcs team to being out of the top 25 and going to the music city bowl is nothing but SAD.. go vols

[CarolinaGrad]

I think UT's troubles fall ENTIRELY on the shouldres of Phil Fulmer. Many of you will not agree with me on this but it's my honest opinion.

Tennessee's biggest problem on offense is the O-Line. They aren't a very good line. This is suppose to be their "strength" and it's just not. They don't run block well and their pass blocking is O.K. If you look UF got quite a bit of pressure on UT's QB's and UGA got enough pressure without blitzing as well. This is suppose to be Fulmer's "specialty" or I may be wrong but he's the O-Line coach. UT also has little experienced depth on the O-Line. I mean they have some guys but none of them are proven from what I've seen. I know they are banged up and some guys have played out of position but they should be better and they are not. With not "true" C that is a whole other problem all together. Fulmer should have these guys blocking/playing better if he's the coach he's jazzed up to be......I mean this is his "position".

The other problem, also created entirely by Fulmer is the QB situation. I hate the 2 QB system and have only saw Steve Spurrier "almost" make it work. It just can't be done. I question when and why Fulmer has pulled Ainge and left Clausen in vice versa. Fulmer would have been much much better off to start last season with one QB (Schaeffer or Ainge) and let that be your QB. If he plays bad, let them play through it and gain the confidence/experience to overcome a bad day. They both had the talent. Schaeffer is gone and there is no doubt in my mind that Ainge should have been "the man" from day one. No controversy, especially not coach created controversy going into training camp. I think it puts more pressure on each to perform and they (especially Ainge) play fearing a mistake. Ainge has all the talent in the world, he has made some bad decisions but maybe he don't make those if he hadn't split time all spring/summer/fall practice with another QB.

Riggs has just been a total "flop" this year. I hate to say that because his #'s are still good but he's just not produced what was expected. Part of this is on the O-line and the other part is the D is not afraid to load the box, play the run and not worry about a pass over 20 yards (in the air). This is partly to blame on playcalling, BUT what are Sanders real options here? I mean Clausen is just not very accurate when he throws a ball 20 yds + in the air so he's not able to stretch the field vertical. That goes back to Fulmers QB derby he seems to want to have and I also blame Sanders limited playcalling on Fulmers created QB problems. D's don't have to respect that part of the game and the running game will struggle in that situation.

I wouldn't be on my high horse to run Sanders out of town. He don't have a high profile offense but it does work when the pieces are in place. UT's pieces aren't in place right now. Fulmer is the guy responsible for alot of UT's problems IMO.

I totally agree. In Knoxville today, I've heard a bunch of complaining about Sanders just like 2 years ago. Come on Vol fans, the blame must be placed on Fulmer. How in the world can Clausen or Ainge play at their best this year? One day Fulmer names Ainge the starter, then he changes it to Clausen and I heard today that it's back to Ainge. Either settle on a QB or say that you're going with the 2 QB system (not that I think that's a good thing). What kind of confidence is the rest of the team supposed to have when the head coach isn't even confident with his QB situation?

By the way, so sorry about Jason Allen. He's a really class act that will be missed in all of the SEC.

[RW13]

question, how long has Randy Sanders been OC? and what is his background like??

[thethrill]

I totally agree. In Knoxville today, I've heard a bunch of complaining about Sanders just like 2 years ago. Come on Vol fans, the blame must be placed on Fulmer. How in the world can Clausen or Ainge play at their best this year? One day Fulmer names Ainge the starter, then he changes it to Clausen and I heard today that it's back to Ainge. Either settle on a QB or say that you're going with the 2 QB system (not that I think that's a good thing). What kind of confidence is the rest of the team supposed to have when the head coach isn't even confident with his QB situation?

By the way, so sorry about Jason Allen. He's a really class act that will be missed in all of the SEC.
The ultimate blame does go to Fulmer he is the HC. He hired Sanders and as of now has not fired him. As for the QB situation, he started Ainge at the first of the season because he has more talent and he wanted for him to take over and be the leader for the next 2 yrs., didn't happen. Clausen seemed to be the better leader, who the team wanted to be the QB. I think what he wanted for Clausen to do was complete short passes and not make big mistakes. Well he overthrew a sure TD Sat. and on the next play threw an Int. in the endzone. Later he had a critical fumble. If Clausen is going to make those kind of mistakes in big games, you might as well have the kid with the big arm in there. I fault Fulmer & Staff for not getting a QB prepared this summer, to play in SEC games this fall.

[OrangeCrush]

question, how long has Randy Sanders been OC? and what is his background like??

Sanders was QB coach when Cutcliffe was the OC. When David took the Ole Miss coaching job, Sanders was promoted to OC. His first game as OC was the national championship game against free shoes univ. Here is his bio from utsports.com

Sanders bio (http://utsports.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/sanders_randy00.html)

[rammerjammer]

Well its not the tides year(sorry vol embredds)but we have arrived and recovered sooner than all you toothless and uneducated losers.History repeats again,Tenn wanted to put us under so they could be on top for once in history, but you forgot about florida huh!!!lol! oh yeah, we didnt sink either, just layed low for awhile."let me see BAMA RANKED #6, tenn ranked let me see #17 with 2 losses(LOL!!!)You hillbilly's suck!!!.Well gotta go get ready for our next big game(LSU)we will have 3 cupcakes before that (OLE MISS,TENN,UTAH ST). Maybe you toothless turds need to give FULMER more doughnuts, then again i couldn't see the fans behind him on tv for his ...

[volimhtown]

[QUOTE=DAWG@heart]hmmmmm.... interesting..... you want to fire the guy who was behind the offense in 1998, your nat'l title season, strange. Maybe the inefficiences of your offense is not in the coordinator, but in the players and ultimately the head coach. If Fatty Phil wasn't content with Sanders, he would be gone already, so blame Pumpkin Patch for that, not Sanders. It's Snitches team, not Sanders. Just my two cents.....


Perhaps what's even more interesting is the hipocracy and predictability of your response. For starters, Sanders was on the sidelines in '98 but the influence was largely Cut's. Not to mention that the Vols offense was hardly considered to be any sort of imposing force that season. Frankly, what relevance does the NT season have on today's Vols anyway??
Secondly, I'm fairly sure I placed a large part of the blame on Fulmer (or whatever whimsically, utterly hilarious, and original nickname you can come up for him...that proves true genius).
Finally, according to you and many others on this board, Tennessee's talent is FAR superior to anyone else's and the Vols should be winning NT after NT with their superior talent. Yet, you NOW say that "the ineffenciencies" is possibly due to the players. Well, which is it??
Fact of the matter is that you read my post as being derogatory towards GA as opposed to being what it really was. Whatever, dude....Poor lil' Dawgs never get any respect!! BAWAWAWAH!!
FYI, if you look back to last season's posts, I have been saying the same things regarding Sanders since then and have made similar posts this season as well. And ALL before Georgia's incredibly impressive win on Saturday.
Ironic how the past is relevant concerning Sanders present, but is a simple justification for the Braves' recent failures. Just as I'm sure that you'd be quick to point out that Georgia's won 5 of 6, yet would fail to recall the Vols 8 straight!! In the immortal words of the Church Lady..."How Convenient"!!!

[VOLjlt]

Well, I'm back after a week long hiatus....staying too busy at work.

First of all, congratulations to Georgia on a well-deserved victory at Neyland Saturday. The way the Vols played, you deserved every point you got from us. We didn't deserve the mercy TD at the end.

In response to volimhtown, I pretty much agree with everything you have posted on here. And basically, everyone is right about Randy Sanders AND Phillip Fulmer. I think I said this in the preview to the Ole Miss game but Kirk Herbstreit was right. The main fault for Fulmer is not firing Sanders. Now, where can we throw blame? It is so easy after a loss, especially after one like this past Saturday. First of all, again, let's throw a lot of blame at Randy Sanders here. I look around the rest of the NCAA and I see all kinds of offense by all teams....reverses, dble reverses, long throws, short throws over the middle, open receivers who break from press and man coverage, extremely mobile QBs....the list goes on. What happened Saturday was predictability. Georgia knew exactly everything that was going on. Rick Clausen was read like a 1st grade book. Every play, the Georgia defense knew what was coming at them. Why did they know? Because they could study every game tape for the last six years and see the same thing over and over and over again. Run it up the middle, throw short into the flat, run it up the middle again, punt. Our running game is great, don't get me wrong. But the passing game leaves SO much to be desired. And the option - does not exist at Tennessee. I think only a few times in the last 6 years have we ever done anything out of the ordinary. If we look back to 2001 in the Swamp, we won that game because Fulmer had control of the playbook. In any given game, we use maybe 20-30% of the plays written in there. That game alone, we used over 80% of the plays....and it took all of it to beat a very good Florida team. In 1998, the Vols won the national title on Defense. Outzen was good enough to beat us, it was our defense that saved our butts....along with a little luck during the regular seaon. Sanders was OC for that one game in the 1998 season....and it showed. If you look at the offense from that game and compare it to the games you see today, they are going to look very much the same. So, by now, it should be clear that Sanders doesn't know what he is doing with the playbook. As a QB coach, he is just fine (I really may be stretching that)....but he can not call plays....he doesn't know how to. So, it is time to CAN his butt and get him away from UT.

Now on to the next problem, Fulmer. This is a little shorter. Fulmer needs to get some guts and fire Sanders. If the terrible play calling continues like this, we could see a situation like at KY last year - the KY AD gave Rich Brooks the ultimatum - fire the OC or Brooks will lose his job. Guess what, the OC was out the door faster than lightning. (Not that it helped much) I expect and hope for the same result out of Mike Hamilton at UT. Maybe then it will be revealed to Fulmer that with the talent our offense has, we could do something creative for a change.
Next, the defense. I have not really had a problem with the defense this year until the Ole Miss game. Both in that game and the Georgia game, I saw way too many busted pass coverages. Many times receivers are getting open and making easy catches. The defenders are playing sometimes 5-10 yards back and allowing this to happen. Considering the Vols have the high propensity to get called for Pass Interference, I understand this....but they have to learn how to cover without touching....other teams do it, why can't we? So, for someone to say that the players are responsible, I agree...but it is more important for coaches to teach the proper way to do things so players can have the responsibility to do it right.
I'm sure by now, I have put a few people to sleep with this rant, but I am ticked off with how our team is running and it all comes from the top. But, 1998 was a "perfect" season. After that, Vol fans are spoiled. Perfection can't be had every time so we need to grow up. All teams are like that. I am sure if USC lost 3 games or 4 games a season after winning their title(s), fans would be calling for a new coach, too. The responsibility lies on Fulmer to make sure his underlings correct their problems. If they can't correct it, get rid of them. If he can't figure out how to correct the assistants, fire him and get someone who can.
Finally, to RammerJammer - if you Alabama had not screwed up in the first place, they wouldn't have had to worry about a whistleblower. Play by the rules and you won't get hurt. But I am glad to see you having a great season. I plan on watching Georgia and Alabama in the SEC Championship.

[CarolinaGrad]

I know that all of you Vol fans are upset and with good reason. I listen to the Dewey Warren show in Knoxville and have never heard him as upset as he was yesterday. However, everytime y'all start off bad, you turn it around the second half of the season. Unfortunatly, that's when you always play us. Sound like we may have a close UT/Carolina game again this year. I sure do wish it was in our house but know that you can't wait for Spurrier to return to your house.

[rabidcock]

Well its not the tides year(sorry vol embredds)but we have arrived and recovered sooner than all you toothless and uneducated losers.History repeats again,Tenn wanted to put us under so they could be on top for once in history, but you forgot about florida huh!!!lol! oh yeah, we didnt sink either, just layed low for awhile."let me see BAMA RANKED #6, tenn ranked let me see #17 with 2 losses(LOL!!!)You hillbilly's suck!!!.Well gotta go get ready for our next big game(LSU)we will have 3 cupcakes before that (OLE MISS,TENN,UTAH ST). Maybe you toothless turds need to give FULMER more doughnuts, then again i couldn't see the fans behind him on tv for his "BIG FAT ASS"!!!ROLL TIDE ROLL !!!! ALL OVER THE STINKY ASS TATTLE TALEVOLS!!!!! FU!!!!

Hey rammerjammer, we try to keep things civil around here. These folks are stating their opinions and analyses and, while yours are welcome, please do so without personal attacks and vulgarities.

[Rebeldrummer]

Hey rammerjammer, we try to keep things civil around here. These folks are stating their opinions and analyses and, while yours are welcome, please do so without personal attacks and vulgarities.

Let me back up MR Cock's Statement with red admin writing

[roosterj37]

you cant spell citrus without ut ;)
you cant spell suck without a US and a C

[uscrebel]

you cant spell citrus without ut ;)

you cant spell suck without a US and a C

Apparently, you guys are not reading Drummer's posts. The man can spell "CAT" without c-a-t...I'm sure he could manage citrus without UT and suck without USC. :cool: :cool:

[Rebeldrummer]

Etu' USC :( :(

[uscrebel]

Apparently, you guys are not reading Drummer's posts. The man can spell "CAT" without c-a-t...I'm sure he could manage citrus without UT and suck without USC. :cool: :cool:


Etu' USC :( :(

Brosef....

It's a compliment. You're epic! The rules of grammar are mere suggestions for you.

Rule down, brah

[cocky4ever]

It's a compliment. You're epic! The rules of grammar are mere suggestions for you.

Yeah, he's a rebel without a cause.....or a dictionary for that matter:D

But we like his presence on the board anyway;)

[Rebeldrummer]

Brosef....

It's a compliment. You're epic! The rules of grammar are mere suggestions for you.

Rule down, brah
:D :D :D :D I Luv ya Always Have

[greggspacho]

Volimtown, I hope you were not too offended by my course language it was not personal. I was just ribbing you a little and taking up for my beloved Braves. After watching the Braves blow the lead (with help from the umps, not making any excuses, Houston was the better team and its over) and then being tortured 9 more innings I was a bit frustrated. I didn't realize Neo was so sensitive, I will watch my tounge in the future.

Any who, with regards to your post. I know it must be very difficult to have a football team with the possibility of going 7-4. I don't know how that would feel, but it must be just awful.(see South Carolina record for 100+ yrs. lol)

Unfortunately for you I don't foresee any major shakeup for Tennessee coaching staff. Also I am not counting yall out for the Notre Dame game. I understand that the game is at Notre Dame, but yall did when on the road at LSU which is just as tough as any other place. With wins like that he will probably keep his job.

Good luck next weekend @ Bama, I believe you will need it.

[volimhtown]

Volimtown, I hope you were not too offended by my course language it was not personal. I was just ribbing you a little and taking up for my beloved Braves. After watching the Braves blow the lead (with help from the umps, not making any excuses, Houston was the better team and its over) and then being tortured 9 more innings I was a bit frustrated. I didn't realize Neo was so sensitive, I will watch my tounge in the future.

Any who, with regards to your post. I know it must be very difficult to have a football team with the possibility of going 7-4. I don't know how that would feel, but it must be just awful.(see South Carolina record for 100+ yrs. lol)

Unfortunately for you I don't foresee any major shakeup for Tennessee coaching staff. Also I am not counting yall out for the Notre Dame game. I understand that the game is at Notre Dame, but yall did when on the road at LSU which is just as tough as any other place. With wins like that he will probably keep his job.

Good luck next weekend @ Bama, I believe you will need it.
No offense taken. You learn pretty quickly on this board to have thick skin. That said, the Astros were the Braves' bitch for many years, so I think we're allowed a little gloating now.
As for the Bama game, you're right...we will need ALOT of breaks to go our way to have a chance. I'm hopeful, but lack any serious confidence.

[rammerjammer]

Hey I Am Sorry If Tenn Hillbilly's Take It Personal, But The Truth Hurts Sometimes.so Belly Up To The Table Jack, Before Fulmer Beats Ya.tenn Losers Cant Stand The Fact That Not Even Probation Could Keep Us Out Of The Top 5 In The Country.just Admit It Tenn Will Never Be Bama Or Have Bamachampionships Or History.there Good For 7 Or 8 Wins And A Year And Thats All. So Go Play With Smokey, He's Bored -not Much To Cheer For This Year."roll Tide Roll Again!!!!rammer Jammer Yeller Hammer, Giv'em Hell Alabama!!! Roll Tide!!

[usafbamafan]

Hey I Am Sorry If Tenn Hillbilly's Take It Personal, But The Truth Hurts Sometimes.so Belly Up To The Table Jack, Before Fulmer Beats Ya.tenn Losers Cant Stand The Fact That Not Even Probation Could Keep Us Out Of The Top 5 In The Country.just Admit It Tenn Will Never Be Bama Or Have Bamachampionships Or History.there Good For 7 Or 8 Wins And A Year And Thats All. So Go Play With Smokey, He's Bored -not Much To Cheer For This Year."roll Tide Roll Again!!!!rammer Jammer Yeller Hammer, Giv'em Hell Alabama!!! Roll Tide!!


From a fellow Bama Fan......

If don't have anyting to add to a topic, don't say anything at all. You are the only one that sounds like a Hillbilly.

Fairweather poster. :eek: :rolleyes:

[Cianne]

Hey I Am Sorry If Tenn Hillbilly's Take It Personal, But The Truth Hurts Sometimes.so Belly Up To The Table Jack, Before Fulmer Beats Ya.tenn Losers Cant Stand The Fact That Not Even Probation Could Keep Us Out Of The Top 5 In The Country.just Admit It Tenn Will Never Be Bama Or Have Bamachampionships Or History.there Good For 7 Or 8 Wins And A Year And Thats All. So Go Play With Smokey, He's Bored -not Much To Cheer For This Year."roll Tide Roll Again!!!!rammer Jammer Yeller Hammer, Giv'em Hell Alabama!!! Roll Tide!!

This is the most obnoxious to read post yet. It Is Always Cool To Capitalize All Of The First Letters In All Of Your Words So That You Make It Impossible To Normally Read.

Good call usafbamafan. Sheesh, people like this embarass other SEC schools.

[Rebeldrummer]

Hey I Am Sorry If Tenn Hillbilly's Take It Personal, But The Truth Hurts Sometimes.so Belly Up To The Table Jack, Before Fulmer Beats Ya.tenn Losers Cant Stand The Fact That Not Even Probation Could Keep Us Out Of The Top 5 In The Country.just Admit It Tenn Will Never Be Bama Or Have Bamachampionships Or History.there Good For 7 Or 8 Wins And A Year And Thats All. So Go Play With Smokey, He's Bored -not Much To Cheer For This Year."roll Tide Roll Again!!!!rammer Jammer Yeller Hammer, Giv'em Hell Alabama!!! Roll Tide!!

please don't be stupid ...

you are only # 5 in teh nation becasue you are Bama and a media darling .. IF we were 5-0 with teh same shcedule .. we mught break in at #10 at the highest ...

that said I do believe bama whuiel lest talnetd is a better "TEAM" that TN

[rabidcock]

please don't be stupid ...

you are only # 5 in teh nation becasue you are Bama and a media darling .. IF we were 5-0 with teh same shcedule .. we mught break in at #10 at the highest ...

that said I do believe bama whuiel lest talnetd is a better "TEAM" that TN

Rebeldrummer, i love yoiu, but yoyu must type too fast or your spell cjeck is broken.

[rabidcock]

I know it must be very difficult to have a football team with the possibility of going 7-4. I don't know how that would feel, but it must be just awful.

:D :D :D

Only a Gamecock could TRULY appreciate the irony of that comment! :( ;) :p

[rammerjammer]

hey why u cutting me down?? u bama fan or tenn fan?

[usafbamafan]

hey why u cutting me down?? u bama fan or tenn fan?

We treat each other with respect on this board. If you can't handle that, you can leave. :cool:

This board is not a place for you to flame fellow SEC fans, this is a place to talk football with other people who share a common interest. Go to the ESPN message boards if you want to cuss at other fans. It's not tolerated here. I am sure one of the fine Admins of this site will be telling you the same very soon.