Tennessee Volunteers v. Alabama-Birmingham Blazers: First Thoughts
Uh, oops.Not quite the 100-point bludgeoning the fans were hoping for. Or even the 24-point route the handicappers were betting on.
It almost wasn’t even a win.
Are the UAB Blazers that good, or are the Vols about half as good as everyone thought they were?
Or is it the Vols being the Vols, playing up — and down — to the competition?
Gerald Riggs had a solid game with 110 yards. Jason Allen was a monster, always in the right place at the right time making textbook tackles and denying wide receivers receptions. Jesse Mahelona was double-teamed all day and still managed the Vols’ only sack. Rick Clausen came off the bench and made a case for starting against the Gators in two weeks. I think he ought to.
Starting quarterback Erik Ainge had a tough day, throwing several balls high with two of them finding the hands of Blazer defenders. Receivers dropped easy catches. Parys Haralson picked up this season where he left off last season, earning 30 yards in personal foul penalties. Two times today and several times last season at key junctions in the game. Thought he would have learned.
Still, I think this is just about the perfect place to be for the Vols. The expectations and confidence levels were too high, and this game should serve as notice that they need to work, focus, and concentrate, or they will get blown out at the Swamp and in Baton Rouge.
An ugly win is the best medicine for an over-confident team heading into hostile territory.
January 10th, 2006 at 9:29 pm
[...] Also, see my post below, where I conclude that today’s contest was the perfect game at the perfect time, a much-needed jolt to an over-confident team before they head to hostile territory. [...]
January 10th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
[...] The Vols had several dropped passes in their victory over UAB in week one. [...]
July 18th, 2006 at 6:39 am
[...] Still, no one was panicking. Blogger Haiku of the Id chalked the mediocre performance up to typical first-game-of-the-season goofs, and John Pennington ripped the team but concluded that Vol fans shouldn’t make too much of the game because in college football, one week often doesn’t have much to do with the next. I said that the “ugly win [was] the best medicine for an over-confident team heading into hostile territory.” [...]