Pre-game

Okay, I know this hurts, but we’re almost done. Trust me.

Tennessee’s 2005 victory over Memphis did little to quiet the stirrings on Rocky Top. Sure the special teams and wide receivers had begun to show some improvement, but the quarterback controversy was still alive and well even ten games into the season.

Fortunately, or so we all thought, the Vols were closing out the regular season against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. During prior painful seasons, Tennessee players and fans could always count on self-medication with Gold and Blue salve, and this season would surely be no different.

Or would it? The Rocky Top perspective had changed dramatically. Pre-season fantasies of whether the team could win out and make it to the Rose Bowl and the National Championship had given way to questions of strategy for next season. Should the team put the rest of this season at risk by playing quarterback Erik Ainge and getting him all of the game reps or should Clausen start so the team could win one more game and get to a bowl game thereby affording the new offensive coordinator another month of practice?

Such questions evidenced a wicked, nagging thought that fans were attempting to suppress: a win against Vanderbilt was not a given. After all, the Uh-Oh stat was alarming: the Commodores had scored 85 points in their last two games, and the Vols had scored a whopping total of 73 points in their last five games.

Still, the outlook was not completely dire, and Vol fans — those that remained faithful anyway — gathered for the last home game of the season to honor their seniors, including Jason Allen, whose season-ending injury against Georgia had dealt a blow to his NFL prospects, Gerald Riggs, who had suffered a season-ending injury against Alabama, and Jason Mitchell, who risked a shot at the NFL by playing the entire season with both a torn ACL and a torn MCL.

Vol fans were looking to put the bad news behind us. It was not meant to be.

The game

NOTE: A larger version can be found on the Animated Drive Charts page.

The game was all Arian Foster, whose 223 yards were the most for a UT tailback since Travis Stephens’ 226 against Florida in 2001.

Unfortunately, it was also Foster (and the o-line) who failed to convert on 4th down and inches on the third drive of the second half within three yards of the goal line, squandering excellent field position resulting from a 43-yard punt return by Jonathan Hefney.

Foster did get a TD on the next drive, but the failed conversion on the prior drive was the difference in the game. When faced with 4th and one on their own 24 with under five minutes to play and the team leading 24-21, Fulmer elected to punt rather than risk coming up short again.

The defense initially did its job and got the ball back for the offense, which should have meant that they could run out the clock with a first down or two. The offense sputtered again, however, gaining only five yards in three tries before having to punt again.

This time, the defense collapsed. Three plays and 63 yards later, Jay Cutler and the Vanderbilt Commodores had scored a touchdown and taken a 28-24 lead over the Volunteers with only 1:11 left to play.

Rick Clausen was out of magic, and although he drove the team 64 yards on nine plays, his pass on 4th and nine into the end zone was intercepted.

Post-game

It was the End of the World as We Knew It.

First loss to Vandy in 22 years. First losing season in 17 years. First year without a bowl game in 16 years. Tennessee wasn’t going to the Rose Bowl. Or a BCS Bowl. Or the Citrus, Outback, Music City, or Independence Bowls.

The Tennessee Volunteers were not going to the Alamo.

Reaction in the Tennessee blogosphere was not pretty:

The Vol Abroad is wondering how to spell the “whimpering sounds I’m making.”

Big Orange Michael is embarking on an off-season-long grief counseling session.

Dave from Opinari.net has a Christmas list for Volunteer fans everywhere and eloquently captures the frustration of the Vandy game and the 2005 season:

We’re stopped on 4th and less than a yard inside the 5. We drop a sure TD pass on the sideline. We have two guys going for an interception, and they let the receiver outbattle them for the ball. We take bad penalties, and we make the least of every opportunity the other team gives us. To go from a preseason #3 ranking to this is just painful to watch as a fan. Fortunately, we only have one more game to watch before we can utter that mantra usually reserved for mediocre football programs: “There’s always next season.”

* * * *

Big Stupid Tommy picks a good time to post the email that’s been circulating about the custody of the abused kid in Knoxville.

Great Smoky says we can’t even get a seat on the Toilet Bowl:

I have not been so humiliated since the University of Chattanooga beat us back in 1958. We were so shamed by that we merged them in with us rather than risk another loss. Wonder if Vandy is in an acquisition mood?

Shots Across the Bow has some words about the 2005 team and Coach Fulmer:

Embarrassing.
Overrated.
Poorly Coached.
Underachieving.

He’s got some other words, too.

* * * *

Meanwhile, Vandy fan Salem’s Lots is gloating, sort of, and the other another Vandy fan, Scott Rushing, is remembering what he was doing — learning cursive, waiting to see whether Darth Vader was really Luke Skywalker’s father — the last time the Commodores beat the Vols. Rushing has this to say:

So the Commodores won’t be going to a bowl game this year. However, I can guarantee that winning in Neyland Stadium must be the next best thing for this team. Beating Tennessee in Knoxville is the Holy Grail of Vanderbilt football. A bowl victory could not surpass that. And to think…for the next year I get bragging rights over all of my Tennessee friends. Sweet!

Word came quickly that the players themselves were not happy either, and some were behaving quite badly:

From GoVolsXtra:

In the frustration after the Vols’ failed last play – an end-zone interception by Vanderbilt – several UT players appeared to throw their helmets on the ground. A number of players went to the locker room leaving their helmets on the field.

Offensive lineman Albert Toeaina reportedly spit on a Jumbotron cameraman as he left the field. The cameraman, Scott Liston, told WBIR-TV’s Steve Phillips on Sunday that Fulmer had called him to apologize for the incident.

John Pennington has more:

Nearly as bad as Helmet-gate was the amount of jawing, talking and showboating that UT’s 4-6 players did during the Vandy game. Several times, UT defenders ran their mouths to Vandy’s Cutler following defensive stops. But for the day, Cutler was 27 of 39 for 315 yards and 3 touchdowns and he recorded the first signature win of his career. Guess who laughed last.

Two UT defensive players also popped off to Vandy (and former Knox Central) running back Cassen Jackson-Garrison as the teams made their way to the lockerrooms at halftime. Jackson-Garrison responded by pointing to the 21-14 lead on the Neyland Stadium scoreboard.

My guess? This was the first time that a Vandy player had been able to say “scoreboard” to a Tennessee player since the game clocks went from analog to digital.

Prior to the 4th and a foot at Vandy’s 4, several of UT’s offensive linemen were seen bobbing their heads and gesturing for the Vols to go for the first down. It was more than energy and enthusiasm… it was cocky. And as I noted earlier, it was misplaced cockiness since the O-Line could [sic] blow Vandy off the line of scrimmage.

Lastly, after the disappointing loss, the popping off, the mid-season “we’re not a .500 football team” promises, the numerous Clausen quotes… in the end, only 5 people associated with the Vol team came out to speak to the media after the game: Phillip Fulmer (who gets paid to do it), John Chavis (good for him), and players Foster, Mahelona and Jason Mitchell (who had played all season on a torn ACL and a torn MCL).

It turned out that Toeaina actually spit on the ground, not on the cameraman. He was suspended for the next game, though, for inappropriate conduct, which apparently consisted of throwing his helmet after the loss, leaving it on the field, and yelling an expletive at the cameraman. He did apologize, saying that it was done out of anger and frustration.

Losing to Vanderbilt will do that to you.

The Tennessean relays a humorous exchange between UT coach Phillip Fulmer and Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson at the Comcast Sports Speaker Series:

Bobby Johnson acted confused.

The Vanderbilt football coach was just asked what life was going to be like without Jay Cutler, the former Commodore quarterback who was picked No. 11 overall in this year’s NFL Draft.

“He’s not coming back?” Johnson asked, feigning ignorance.

“You can’t afford him right now,” quipped Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer.

Then, as if on cue, the always quick-witted Johnson responded, “We’d have to use your budget.”

Well, the basketball Vols used smothering defense to erase a 16-point second-half deficit and beat Vanderbilt 68-59 on Saturday. It wasn’t pretty early. I remember thinking at about the 12:00 minute mark when the Vols had two points that at that pace, they would score eight points by the end of the game.

But they eventually stopped the bleeding and then caught fire in the second half, using their defense of all things, to stymie the Commodores. Chris Lofton was 2 of 11 in three point attempts, but was 6-7 inside the arc.

Tennessee now gets a bit of well deserved rest in the form of a bye in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Their next game will be at 1:00 p.m. on Friday against the winner of Thursday’s South Carolina-Mississippi State match up. Should they win, they’ll play at 12:00 on Saturday against Alabama, Kentucky, or Ole Miss. The SEC Championship game is at 12:00 on Sunday.

Vanderbilt’s “Princeton-style” (slow tempo) presents the Volunteers with a new challenge for tomorrow night.

College Football News has the Tennessee Volunteers ranked No. 9 in its Pre-preseason poll. Here’s how the Vols’ 2006 opponents stack up in the same poll:

• California — No. 12
• Air Force — No. 89
• Florida — No. 2
• Marshall — No. 88
• Memphis — No. 73
• Georgia — No. 21
• Alabama — No. 20
• South Carolina — No. 35
• LSU — No. 4
• Arkansas — No. 34
• Vanderbilt — No. 72
• Kentucky — No. 78

John Pennington plays the part of both optimist and pessimist and breaks down the expectations for the Tennessee Volunteers next season:

The Defensive

Optimist: There’s no need to even break this down by individual groups. Suffice to say, the defense will be just as good next year, if not better. “In Chief We Trust.” When was the last time John Chavis didn’t have a top notch defense on the field?

And before you point out all the guys who have graduated, just remember that UT played A LOT of guys on defense this year. That’s experience. And experience talent Chief = many wins.

Pessimist: Forgive me, but I’ll say it anyway. Six of the front 7 will definitely be gone, and it could be all 7 if Justin Harrell decides to go pro early. That dominating front 7 helped to hide some holes in the secondary this year, especially once Jason Allen went down (add him to the list of guys who won’t be back).

Chavis is good, very good, but he’s not perfect. In 2004, his D gave up 28 to Florida, 29 to South Carolina, and then Kentucky and Vandy scored in the 30s. He’s human. And “human” – a dominating front 7 – depth (who knows if next year’s team will have the quality depth on D that this year’s squad had) = a drop-off on defense.

Pennington’s internal debate extends also to the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, offensive line, and intangibles.

Is Tennessee’s 5-6 season an anomaly or a harbinger of things to come?

Penn State fan The Nittany Blog offers perspective from someone who’s been there:

What exactly went wrong at Tennessee? I don’t know. I can only offer an outsider’s point of view. However, as a Penn State fan who watched our proud program crumble to nothing from 2000-2004, I have a fair idea of how something like this happens. And unfortunately for the Vols, the conclusions are not pretty.

* * * *

The downfall of a traditionally successful program typically occurs because of one or more of the following- poor recruiting of late, poor coaching, NCAA violations and just bad lcuk. Penn State’s downfall was caused by the first two and the last. The Nittany Lions strategy of taking the first players they offered and not waiting on the “big fish” were what produced the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The 2000 and 2001 seasons were just a lot of bad luck. There was more talent there than on the 2003 and 2004 teams. Poor coaching has already been tabbed as a contributing factor after Randy Sanders resigned as offensive coordinator. Obviously bad luck has contributed to it as well. The fumble near the goal line against Alabama and the touchdown by Vanderbilt late in the fourth quarter were two of the biggest.

I think Fulmer will right the program and Tennessee will get back to a bowl next season. There’s too much talent at his disposal to suffer another disappointing season like 2005. A couple years from now, 2005 will just be looked back upon as a hiccup, not the new norm.

I wonder, what was Joe Paterno’s response to the losing season? Did he shake up the coaching staff like Fulmer did? It sounds like he started recruiting differently, and I’ve heard that he started coaching differently, at least by utilizing star freshmen sooner rather than later. But how soon did he react? Did it take four or five years to recover even though he acted immediately?

Coach Fulmer has responded swiftly to the Vols’ losing season.

But was it the right response, and how long will it take to see results?

Time will tell.

The Tennessee Volunteers must beat the Kentucky Wildcats today to avoid last place in the SEC East:

Everyone knows how dark and eerie it can be down there.

When you’re 8 years old, a trip to the depths of grandma’s cellar was about as welcome as ringworm.

When you’re 22, and a senior football player at the University of Tennessee, a trip to the SEC East cellar is just as frightening. It means “Rocky Top” has truly found “Rock Bottom.”

That’s what lies at stake today.

Tennessee (4-6, 2-5 SEC) travels to Kentucky (3-7, 2-5) at 12:30 p.m. (TV: WVLT) with the loser a guaranteed cellar-dweller in the East Division.

The Vols have lost to the Gators. Lost to the Bulldogs. Lost to South Carolina. Lost to Vanderbilt.

Kentucky?

The Tennessee Volunteers play their final game of the season this Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats. The measuring stick for this game is, believe it or not, Vanderbilt.

The Volunteer offense scored 24 points against the Vandy defense.

The Wildcats, just one week earlier, put 48 up on Vandy.

The Kentucky offense appears to be twice as efficient as the Vols’.

Uh-oh.

John Pennington is not having fun:

When I started working in sports full-time, I thought it would be a pretty carefree existence. After all, it wouldn’t be life and death I’d be covering, it would be games. The passion, the pageantry, the excitement of sports. Nothing could sour that.

Of course, I never dreamed that I would see Tennessee’s football team lose to Vanderbilt… at home… in a year that started with a #3 national ranking… to guarantee a losing record… and snap a 16-year bowl streak… and fall to within one more loss of finishing dead last in the SEC East.

Heck, if this team doesn’t beat Kentucky (and I’ll say it now… they won’t), they will not only not win the SEC East as was predicted back in August, but they won’t even beat an SEC Eastern Division TEAM during 2005!

Think about that.

No thanks.