Posts Tagged ‘Britton Colquitt’

It’s Baaaaaaaaaacckkkkkk!!

As a result of the disappointing 2-3 start for our beloved Vols, the Roundtable for a week (and longer here ate Gate 21) sort of died, much like our hopes for a great season.

While our hopes are slim none, the Roundtable treads on, thanks to CincyVol over at 3SIB, who offers up a trio of questions this week for our reading and enjoyment. Perhaps we can inspire our Vols as they travel to Athens this weekend, where I don’t care how bad we we are, I hope we beat the snot out of UGA and their crap fans. More on that later today…

Anyways, here are the questions, and my answers (hopefully lawvol can stop by and leave his answers as well)…

Much has been made of Nick Stephens and his performance Saturday. Give your opinion on the job he did and what you think is in store for his future.

Improvement? Yes, but I will wait for the Georgia game to pass judgment on the play of Nick Stephens

I’ll go ahead and go on about my entire NIU thoughts while answering this question. OK, Nick Stephens was better, and you can’t deny that fact. However, the offense still scored just 13 points, but I attribute that to the poor offensive line play, which I attribute to Vlad Richard’s absence (we run well when he plays). With no running game and an iffy pass rush, Stephens did well, and lo and behold we threw the ball down the field. Hope there’s more of that…

Before we all get too excited, it was Northern Illinois. The rest of our schedule – save Wyoming – are much stiffer competition than the pesky Huskies. Stephens has been better than Jonathan Crompton, but we’ll see, starting in Athens this Saturday and the rest of October. The jury’s still out for me.

The other issues with our offense: Montario Hardesty and Lennon Creer need more touches. I said this last week. Problem is, so did the coaches. And Creer carried the ball as many times as I did, and I was on the front row (almost caught an errant Husky pass too).

I like Arian Foster. He’s just not our best option. Against NIU, he can get it done (he has scored 6 TDs on UGA the past two years…), but SEC defense are all over him. Hardesty is physical and doesn’t tip-toe. Creer has the scary good mix of power and speed. I’ve said this before as well, why not put two of them in at once? Novel concept…

People have said our WRs aren’t good enough/can’t get separation/blah blah blah, and that’s garbage. Do we have Plaxico Burresses (the top WR on my fantasy team) running around? No. But Lucas Taylor was a 1,000-yard guy. Briscoe works well in the slot. Denarius Moore needs more looks. He’s a deep threat, pretty much the only WR Tennessee has with that ability.

Defensively, I love the effort. I know NIU lost their starting QB and were limited, but this D is playing well. Hopefully Ellix Wilson will be 100% for this weekend…

As Eric Berry continues to impress what do you think is the greatest part of his game?

Eric Berry owns. He’s everywhere. You’ve seen my avatar. How he didn’t take that pick Saturday night to the house I’ll never know. He probably can’t believe he didn’t take it. Dude’s really, really good. I do wanna see him on offense, just once. Just once.

Like Tyler Donovan, I have no clue how UCLA WR Taylor Embree survived getting smacked by #14

To specifically answer the question, I love every aspect of his game. He just makes plays. When he does get his hands on the ball, my first thought every time is that he’s going to score. And it’s going to awesome. And make SportsCenter’s Top 10. He’s an incredible talent.

Britton Colquitt returns from suspension this week, so saying that, how big of a difference will he have on the special teams part of the game?

Finally, it won’t take 5 seconds for Tennessee to get a punt off. Chad Cunningham had some great kicks, but he was terribly slow. Hence the block at UCLA (though it doesn’t matter if you don’t block any rushers) and the partial block NIU had Saturday night. Also, I hope Britton kicks every kickoff – the few we have every game – into the tenth row in the endzones. Since we’re likely gonna be punting more than kicking off with our offensive deficiencies, he’s a potential game-changer in terms of reversing field position. Obviously that didn’t work (see Auburn), but I gotta think the offense is going to improve at some point.

Here’s the other participating members for the Roundtable this week. Enjoy!

- 3rd Saturday
- Curveballs For Jesus
- YSWWC
- Losers With Socks

Images Courtesy of: Wade Payne / AP (Daylife) • Harry How / Getty Images (Daylife)

This Week’s Roundtable is hosted by: MoonDog Sports

Rolling Along We Go!

This week’s Big Orange Roundtable is hosted by the MoonDog, who has served up some great questions for the roundtable.

Here are my laughable thoughts for the week:

Week 6

(Questions in Sort-o-Teal-like color)

1) Let’s assume the worst for a moment and say the Vols finish the season 6-6. Does Fulmer survive? If not, whom do you believe would be the best person to fill the head coaching vacancy? Even if you believe Fulmer survives, feel free to offer your thoughts on the Vols next coach.

As I previously discussed in Week 2 (Question 3), I believe that Coach Fulmer’s new contract (which includes an automatic extension when he wins 8 games or more), while giving the Great Punkin more job-security on one hand, also sets a quantifiable standard of 8 wins which, if not met, could lead to his firing.  It seems to me that it would be next to impossible for Mike Hamilton to keep Fulmer on as head coach if he failed to meet the 8-win mark in a given season.  That said, I think Hamilton would do everything in his power to keep Fulmer in his current position at the helm of the Vols’ football program.  For the record, at present, I would agree with Hamilton’s desire to retain Fulmer.

Independent of Fulmer’s own merits and accomplishments (which are considerable) — one of the reasons I have always questioned the “Fire-Fulmerites’” cries is that I have never heard any meaningful suggestion as to who would replace him.  As I also said in Week 2, I think Fulmer is likely trying to groom Dave Clawson as his replacement down the road, which — depending on how things pan out — may be a great move.  All that said, if Fulmer were to either be fired or retire, my short-list of candidates would include the following (in no particular order):

• Bob Stoops: I agree with MoonDog that Stoops has an impressive record, despite his habit of losing in the bowl games.  My only concern with Stoops is one of persona and style — a little too Spurrier-esque for me, but I could get over that I suppose.
• Jim Grobe: I like what Grobe has done at Wake Forest, which is a tough place to win.  I would somewhat prefer someone who is likely to stay a little longer — since Grobe appears to be roughly the same age as Fulmer, and probably won’t want to coach into his 60s and 70s.
• Brian Kelly: I agree with 3SIB that Kelly could be another good choice in much the same way that Urban Meyer appealed to Florida — an up-and-coming coach on the rise.  Of course, the same would be true for Clawson.
• Brett Favre: I figure he’s been so dying to get back into someone’s game, why not Tennessee’s?  Actually, I think that would be a horrible idea…

This overly short list only goes to show that I am really not sure who Tennessee would tap to take the head job, and only emphasizes why I continue to think that Fulmer is the best coach for Tennessee at present.

2) With the off-field troubles many college football programs have encountered over the past five years, including Tennessee, what actions would you take to prevent players from getting into undesirable situations?

There are a lot of college students that have done some things that are probably prosecutable if the law caught them.  This is true regardless of whether they are athletes or not.  So, on one hand I generally think that miscellaneous bad behavior shouldn’t automatically lead to dismissal from the team.  Being given the opportunity to play at the college level, however, gives great rewards to the players.  Along with those rewards comes increased responsibility — due to the fact that those athletes are on the front-porch of the university.  Finally, I believe that true “criminal” behavior should be dealt with swiftly and strongly.

Bearing all of this in mind, my thoughts are that there should only be three rules of increasing severity — built on the concept that a team lives and dies as a group — for any team, which should be enforced without exception:

• Rule 1:  Never do anything that will embarrass yourself. — In this case I would lump things like not going to class, bad discipline in practices, being late to practices, and potentially recklessness in a game (such as unwarranted personal fouls), etc.  The penalty for infractions would be that the player is publicly reprimanded in very plain and unfiltered terms before his teammates, and the entire team runs or does some other unpleasant drill as a result of the infraction by one of its members.

• Rule 2:  Never do anything that will embarrass your team. –  This would include general bad behavior that falls under Rule 1, if it is repeated.  In other words, repeat offenses of a Rule 1 violation calls into question the cohesiveness of the team, and thus reflects on the team.  This would also include any “minor” entanglements with the local constabulary such as: drunk and disorderly, speeding, underage consumption, misdemeanor possession of marijuana, etc. — essentially anything which doesn’t involve fundamental dishonesty and/or risk to the physical well-being of others.  The penalty for infractions would be a mandatory one-game suspension, being reprimanded openly in front of teammates, all members of the player’s squad losing privileges, the entire team doing twice as many laps or drills as for a Rule 1 violation, and the team captains being required to do an even greater penance — along with the offender.  The offender would also be required to make some sort of public apology or public sign of remorse along with some goodwill public service (i.e. visiting the children’s ward at the hospital, raking leaves for the infirm, etc.).

• Rule 3:  Never do anything that will embarrass your university, its staff, students, and alumni. –  This would be the most serious violation.  This would include any real criminal behavior such as a felony.  The immediate response would be an investigation by the coaching staff.  If it appeared that the offender was not guilty of the charges, then the player would be suspended for the remainder of the season until cleared by law enforcement officials or the Courts, with the assumption that the player will be dismissed if not cleared.  During that time, the offender would essentially serve as the lowest-level trainer and would be given the worst jobs associated with a football team.  If the staff determined that the player was likely guilty, then the player would be immediately dismissed from the team, and a public statement issued explaining why.  Regardless of the guilt or innocence of the offender, the entire team would have a major privilege suspended for at least half of the season.  The members of the offender’s squad and the team captains would be treated as if each of them had violated Rule 1 by not taking adequate steps to prevent the offense or hold their teammate accountable.  Again, the whole team would also be required to perform additional drills.

The goal of this system would be to instill mutual responsibility among team members and to emphasize that when one falls short, all fall short.  I am responsible for my brother and my brother is responsible for me. No coaching staff can ever police or monitor players at all times — no matter how vigilant.  When properly channeled, peer pressure can be a beautiful thing, and is the sort of thing which goes with a player everywhere he goes.  This system is also meant to emphasize that, when you are in a position of honor (being a member of the team) then sometimes guilt by association is all that is required to warrant a penalty — it simply comes with the territory.

3) The Vols have rolled through UCLA, UAB, Florida, Auburn, Northern Illinois and Georgia. We’re No. 3 in the polls and up next is Alabama. With 3:16 left in the 4th quarter the Vols are down 20-17 and it’s 4th and one from the Bama 29-yard line. Do you kick the field goal or go for it?

Barring some sort of absolutely deplorable abysmal collapse by our kicking team leading up to the game, or the development of an absolutely hellacious running game which mows down defenses like the grim reaper with a caffeine buzz, I kick the ball.

The reasons for this are several:

• Three doesn’t play for the win, but it also prevents the loss with time expiring, and I’d just as soon not have to live through another episode of the 1998 win over Arkansas.
• You look like a genius if you convert, but boy do you look like a moron if you turn the ball over on downs.
• Tennessee has been very successful in overtime games, especially in Neyland Stadium, and I’ll take those odds with Orange Nation fired-up.
• If you are looking at the possibility of an undefeated season, you coach with your head, not your balls.
• It’s smart football.

So, ultimately, I take the conservative approach.  Of course, Coach Fulmer rarely seems to care what I think is best, so this is somewhat academic.  After all, I haven’t yet seen the film…

4) What impact, if any, do you believe Stan Drayton will have as the Vols prepare to play Florida?

I think the biggest effect that Stan Drayton may have will not be on the players he is tapped to coach.  I think the biggest thing Tennessee gains from Drayton in this year’s battle with the reptiles is his experience coaching the running game in Gainesville — for the benefit of the Tennessee defense.  The message will probably be that — with the exception of Tebow — there really isn’t much of a run game at Florida.  Good little piece of information to have.  Of course, this is a new season, and you really don’t have to be a genius to figure out that Florida was one-directional last year.

On the flip side, I am desperately hoping that Drayton is able to invigorate our running game which — by my mind — is one of the keys to beating Florida this year, or any year.  I have high hopes for him, and generally think he was a very good hire by Fulmer.

5) We’ve discussed the Vols offense and defense, but what about special teams? Give us your thoughts on Tennessee’s kicking game and special teams in general?

The key to success this season is keeping Britton Colquitt off the sauce…

Actually, that really has nothing to do with our kicking game — or at least it shouldn’t.  Nonetheless, all of the distractions stemming from Colquitt’s off-the-field hijinxs have got to be a concern — especially given his early season suspension.  This unit needs to be sure it understands what it is about before strapping on their helmets.  They need to come prepared to play.

On a more substantive note, I am hopeful that the kick returns will improve this year and that Dennis Rogan will get the chance to really wow the Vol faithful a few times this year.  The key on kick-returns (aside from actually catching the ball without fumbling it) is discipline.  If they can be disciplined, learn to stay in their lanes, learn when to take a knee, and when to block, I believe that the kick-return squad could really be impressive this year.

In terms of the field-goal unit — I’ll take Daniel Lincoln over just about anybody.  Absent him derailing in the near future, I feel pretty good about where we sit when it comes to the uprights.

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order):

• 3rd Saturday in Blogtober
• YMSWWC
• MoonDog Sports
• Fulmer’s Belly
• Loser With Socks
• Rocky Top Talk
• SouthEastern Sports Blog
• The View From the Hill

And that’s the way it is….

– Go Figure …

I have been a little slow to follow-up on a story I devoted most of last week to: the Britton Colquitt issue. The Great Punkin himself has spoken out, via a guest column in the Knoxville Snooze-Slantinel, and responded to to John Adams’ article calling for his head.

To Fulmer’s credit, John Adams has made a career out of attacking the UT football program, and may have gone a bit far in so pointedly calling for Fulmer’s head in his article. Adams, an LSU graduate, has long used jabs a Phil Fulmer to sell papers, and keep people reading. I will also say that the timing of Adams’ article was not spectacular. I do find it ironic that, after years of attacking Fulmer, Adams calls for Fulmer’s ouster the very same week that Bruce Pearl and the BasketVols achieved the all-time high-water mark for the mens basketball program.

Although I know there are those who disagree with me (Gee, imagine that…), I acknowledged and continue to feel that Adams did make some good points in his article, and I agree with his underlying premise, if not his conclusion. A lot of what Adams said was worth saying — and even if it wasn’t, it’s Adams right to say it nonetheless. Be that as it may, I think Fulmer’s response was a cogent and timely as it was warranted. Obviously, Fulmer feels confident enough as a coach to publicly respond to Adams’ remarks, and join the conversation. For my part, I’m glad he did.

I for one continue to support Fulmer, because I think he has been a good coach for the Volunteers since 1993. I do not question his integrity or his character — if it appeared that I intended to do so in my articles, then I failed to properly convey my message. (For what it is worth, I do agree with Fulmer’s column that John Adams, however, was questioning these things…) My problem is not with Coach Fulmer, but with the complete lack of discipline shown by players since the first of the year. I know Fulmer wants what is best for both Tennessee and each and every player — I’m just not sure that has been coming to fruition lately.

As I have previously written, I think Fulmer has been too dedicated and steadfast a leader for the football program to be asked to leave over — essentially — one bad month in a nearly fifteen year career at the helm. I believe that he should be given a chance to right the ship. More importantly, however, regardless of whether Fulmer is obligated to bear the consequences of the bad decisions of the Tennessee players, I do not believe that all of the recent problems are his fault. As has been pointed out by Moon Dog, among others, the root cause of these problems arises from a lack of responsibility on the part of players — and society in general. Unfortunately, with the headset comes a bevy of responsibilities that a coach — unlike his players — simply cannot ignore.As a longtime Fulmer supporter, I am glad that he has — at a minimum — acknowledged the situation and publicly. It takes a certain degree of courage to openly respond to such direct media attacks — especially when the writer is as entrenched in the local media as Adams. I think Fulmer’s article does go a certain distance to quell the furor surrounding Britton Colquitt. Still, the ultimate litmus test will come in the form of the results down the road.

While I continue to believe that Fulmer must take decisive actions when it comes to player discipline in the near term, I am content — for the time-being — with Fulmer’s public assurances and answers to some of the questions which have been flying.

He has my full support … until he proves to me that he does not deserve it.

Ultimately, keeping the Tennessee football players in line is somewhat akin to the actions of the Department of Homeland Security — failures are what gets noticed, not successes. Thus, a period of quiet for the Vols, without continual police blotter notices, is really all that it will take for these events to pass into memory. I would still give a note of caution to both Coach Fulmer and the members of the Tennessee football team, however:

Out of sight, does not always mean out of mind…

Hopefully, this is the final installment I will post regarding these trials and tribulations for the football Vols. If not, then the problems persist, and things will only continue to get worse.

For the sake of Coach Fulmer and the University, I hope that is not the case…

– Go Figure …

I’m sure that Phillip Fulmer knew that things were not going to be easy when he found out that rising-Senior Britton Colquitt was arrested for DUI and fleeing the scene of an accident on Sunday. I doubt even Fulmer thought they would be this difficult.

I, along with many others, have come out publicly to decry the fact that Colquitt was not dismissed from the team. I stopped just short of saying that Fulmer should resign or be fired as a result of the off-field incidents which have plagued the Tennessee Volunteers football program over the last five weeks.

The Knoxville News Sentinel’s John Adams did not stop short.

Read the rest of this entry »

Once again, the Tennessee Volunteers are in the news for bad behavior, and once more it is a member of the Tennessee football team that is responsible for the bad press that the university and the athletic department is garnering.

govolsxtra.com/news/2008/feb/17/ut-punter-charged-dui-leaving-scene-accident/”> According to GoVolsXtra, Tennessee punter Britton Colquitt was arrested and charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident. According to the police, Colquitt was arrested near Knoxville’s Old City District after driving his SUV into a parked car and then leaving the scene of the accident. The arresting officer indicated that Colquitt smelled strongly of alcohol, failed a field sobriety test, but later refused a breathalyzer or blood test.

This represents Colquitt’s fifth alcohol-related incident …

In response to the arrest and charges, Coach Phillip Fulmer announced on Sunday that Colquitt will be suspended for the first five games of the 2008 football season, will lose his scholarship, and will be required to undergo alcohol counseling, along with other undisclosed “internal punishments.” Colquitt was previously suspended for an alcohol-related event in 2004.

Colquitt’s arrest is the most recent in a seemingly unending string of off-the-field incidents involving Tennessee Football players. Since 11 January, six members of the football team have been charged by police, one other player (Vince Faison) was also charged with DUI, less than two weeks ago.

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