Kellen Moore, Drew Brees, Tyler Bray, and the NFL draft
One of the fascinating developments in Tennessee Vols football has been the emergence of Tyler Bray, soon-to-be junior quarterback. As a freshman, he took the starting job away from Matt Simms for the November stretch and the bowl game. As a sophomore, he was the selected starter for the entire season. Only an injured thumb prevented him from his first full season as the number one. Could his only full season be his last?
The tagline that has been commonly applied to Bray is “a surefire first round pick, perhaps top 5.” Or, at least something similar. To make this sentiment even more dramatic, many feel that this will apply to him immediately after his junior year. Right. Bray is good enough to leave early for the pros and good enough to be one of the most coveted picks in the 2013 draft.
Bob Woodruff, Joe Paterno, and the lights at Neyland
Former Tennessee Athletic Director Bob Woodruff was a crafty old dude. I had the privilege to interview him in his office during my undergraduate years at UT as part of a journalism project. I was researching the plans (that were never fulfilled) to retrofit the south end of Neyland Stadium so that the Vols basketball team could play a few selected home games there. This was the mid-1970s when Bernard King, Ernie Grunfeld and Co. were lighting up men’s hoops like a bonfire. The old Stokely Athletic Center was not big enough to hold the excitement of those days. All-night lines for student tickets were becoming commonplace, especially for the big games like Kentucky (that 103-98 war remains the best basketball game at any level I’ve ever witnessed in person).
A reason to schedule a game at Hawaii
I keep track of upcoming schedules for college football as they are announced. Recently, I noticed an oddity. UNLV added a game to its 2012 schedule this week, booking a home contest for September 8 against Northern Arizona. It will round out a 13-game schedule for the Rebels. Allowed? Here is what I found out, which jogged my memory a bit. It isn’t just about creating an opportunity to take program officials, coaches, players, and fans to paradise for a week.
Second Half Tennessee Vols Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Every game is a ‘big game’ for Vol fans. That’s what makes us great fans. We care. A lot.
But Saturday’s game against South Carolina is a really Big Game. This team has made it a big game due to psychological concerns – we now have a phobia of, a neurotic aversion to, a downright fear of the Dreaded Second Half.
I had a dream about Saturday’s game…
More Like The Good Than The Bad
North Carolina vs. Tennessee | 30 Dec 2010 | LP Field
Music City Bowl – Nashville, TN | 5:40 pm CST | ESPN
On Wednesday, Teddy Karwacki suddenly realized that Tennessee was about to face North Carolina in Nashville the following day. That’s how strange bowl games can be to a fan – days on end that turn into weeks of inactivity, and then all of a sudden, shortly after Christmas, it’s game day. He thought he’d perhaps better set his alarm on his wristwatch just in case Thursday afternoon slipped by without a thought of turning on the television.
Anything but This
LSU 16 Tennessee 14
2 Oct 2010 | Tiger Stadium | 92,932
Recap | Boxscore | Play-by-play | Drive ChartLSU scored on the very first play from scrimmage and on the very last play from scrimmage. In between, Tennessee fought their hearts out and left everything they had out on the playing surface of Tiger Stadium. Except for a bizarre event on the final timed play of the game, it was enough to win.
A Win is a Win
Tennessee 32 UAB 29 (2 OT)
25 Sep 2010 | Neyland Stadium | 95,183
Recap | Boxscore | Play-by-play | Drive ChartSometimes you just have to say that a win was mostly good fortune.
Good Fight, But Little Might
Florida 31 Tennessee 17
18 Sep 2010 | Neyland Stadium | 102,455
Recap | Boxscore | Play-by-play | Drive Chart
Tennessee brought a 60-minute game to the Florida Gators Saturday afternoon, but in the end, it was an audacious call by Urban Meyer, and Florida’s ability to continually respond to the Vols’ best efforts, that led the Gators to a win in the SEC opener for both schools.
Einsteins in the Fall
Here’s the summary of predictions offered by the collective genius that is the Vols in the Fall (in order or point spread:
Learning How To Compete, and Learning How to Cope
The 2010 Tennessee Vols are an exercise in going back to square one. The seeds of this were planted some time ago, and the sprouts appeared Saturday night in the most lopsided defeat of a Vol team at Neyland Stadium. The Oregon Ducks are a magnificent squad, but we’ve played a lot of magnificent teams over the past 90-odd years in the old house, and none of those whipped us by this many points on Shields-Watkins Field.
The Business End of the Week Arrives for Ducks and Vols Alike
Last week, Oregon defeated New Mexico 72-0, and Tennessee defeated UT-Martin 50-0. That’s a combined 122-0. What do you say we combine teams and go to LA and whip the livin’ cheatin’ out of Southern Cal? We’d both like to do it for our own causes if you know what I’m talking about.
Vols Munch on Martin Minnows
Tennessee 50 UT Martin 0
4 Sep 2010 | Neyland Stadium | 99,123
Recap | Boxscore | Play-by-Play | Drive Chart
Well…
“Here’s a farmer that hanged himself on th’ expectation of plenty.”
William Shakespeare said that.
“The joy of the present is the known of the past; the terror of the present is the unknown of the future.”
I said that.
Saturday’s thumping of the hapless UT Martin Skyhawks was the first shutout by the Vols since 2003′s 48-0 whipping of Vandy. That’s the joy of the present in the known of the past – wow, we haven’t done that in seven years! We’re on fire!
Karnak the Magnificent Kicks Off 2010
It’s that time for the first game prediction of the season.
Does it matter that we have a bevy of good receivers? Does it matter that the quality of the offensive line looks like a crap shoot? Does it matter that the depth of this year’s squad is likely as shallow as we’ve seen in over 30 years? Does it matter that our defense as a whole looks pretty competitive? Read More…
