October 3, 2013 · 7:13 AM
- Strap yourself to a tree with roots. Butch Jones, on his defensive staff: “You kind of have a coaching tree. Whether it’s coach Martinez or [Jancek], it stems to Brian VanGorder who was also the defensive coordinator at Georgia. I’ve known those individuals forever.”
- SEC speed. On defense, the Vols have introduced a 3-3-5 look on obvious passing downs. Given Georgia’s offensive line’s struggles with speed rushers, this might be something to keep an eye on Saturday.
- Pace. I’d expect Tennessee when it’s on offense to try to exploit Georgia’s problem communicating defensive signals quickly.
- UT offense. You’ll find some information about the players and the Vols’ tendencies on offense here. (One thing to add is that Marlon Lane is banged up.)
Get The Picture 
How’s UT’s secondary? If we’re having trouble with the speed rush on obvious passing downs I would think staying in the I-formation would help some.
LikeLike
UT’s secondary is terrible. Like probably worse than ours. At least the Georgia secondary is fast.
LikeLike
We get everybody’s Best Shot.
Gotta be ready !
LikeLike
I would think Keith Marshall in a 1 back set will negate the benefits of the 3-3-5.
LikeLike
+1. Start with 2 backs and put one in motion running into the slot…then snap the ball. Same thing.
LikeLike
The Georgia coaching staff’s biggest chore has to be keeping this team sharp…avoiding going into Knoxville and thinking the game is in the bag because it isn’t. Going up there and dropping passes, fumbling, missing a block and letting a hard sack in on Murray, throwing a pic, missing a fieldgoal, etc. will end in the greatest humilitation possible for the Dawgs and those of us that love them. They have to bring the killer instinct with them to the games against the weak…it’s survival of the fittest and the Vols aren’t fit. Last year we saw Georgia struggle against Tennesseee and esp. Kentucky. Nothing is given. This is the one thing I’m worried about..Georgia’s propensity to play to the level of the opponent. I will be convinced that this is a special team when they stomp a mud hole in Tennessee’s ass. That will signal a “culture change” for the Bulldogs that we have all been wanting to see. Saturday will be telling.
LikeLike
Totally agree. Would be great to dominate in a similar fashion to what we did to Auburn last year.
LikeLike
I remember a time when being associate with Coach VanGorder would have been really impressive. Then Georgia Southern happened. Then the Falcons happened. Then Auburn happened.
LikeLike
“Glory days well they’ll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory days, glory days”
LikeLike
Dawg, But oh how sweet those Glory days are and there will be many more for the DAWGS.
LikeLike
Per the discussion of Bobo yesterday, I think one of the most challenging things in evaluating a “coaching tree” is that there are so many other factors and circumstances that go into the success of a unit and thereby affect one’s assessment of a coordinator. the quality of player has a huge impact on whether or not a coach’s schemes look good. the overall culture of the program and the standards that the head coach sets plays a major role. Also guys go through periods where the schemes and ability to coach players grow stale and dated. Coaches have an arch to their careers where they are working hard to secure the next job with better pay and security. At a certain point, that breeds complacency. On the other hand, a coach hire a coach that is a “professional” coach simply looking to cash a check and support their lives. they know their stuff to VARYING degrees, but they are hardly at the top of their profession. they do it because it is what they know and they have enough of a track record to continue to get recycled in the profession. that is who Willie Martinez and Jancek are at this point. the fact that butch jones sees them as something more suggests he is not very smart
The other thing about coaching trees is the sample size is by definition tiny. So it is quantitatively impossible to draw many conclusions. Belichick’s tree has been a disaster. Do Mcelwain or Dooley count towards saban’s tree?
Butch Jones strikes me as a formulaic and mediocre hire. He got the job because one could make a case that he was a good coach on paper. That said, there is nothing that I have read or seen that leads me to believe he will be anything but fired within the next 5 years. So hiring Jon Jancek and thinking he was knowledge of scheme would make a difference when all one had to do is put in tape of our 2009 LBs and our 2010 LBs and one could see a world of difference (its why akeem dent has a job in professional football).
I can’t wait to give him his first signature embarassment in front of the home crowd.
LikeLike
Butch wasn’t their first choice. He was the one who was willing to take the job.
LikeLike
Other than the money, why would anyone take that job? A lunatic fanbase with delusions that UT is Bama plus a dearth of in-state talent. UT has had only 1 winning season since 2008 and that one was 7-6. Kentucky’s won more games the past 5 years than UT. Seniors in HS were in the 7th grade the last time UT won 10 games. A few more years like this and NOBODY being recruited will even remember UT winning anything. The Vols have become irrelevant. The UT program is at rock-bottom-let’s hope it stays there.
LikeLike
“Other than the money, why would anyone take that job?”
Other than the money, why would anyone take any job?
LikeLike
Job satisfaction?
LikeLike
perks, ie oranges pants.
LikeLike
Ouch – Kentucky has won more games than UT in the past 5 years. That’s the stat of the day.
LikeLike
Georgia LBs under Jancek played with their shoulders squared to the sideline, not the LOS. What does that say about his emphasis on the small details?
LikeLike
He likes to look at their outfits while the boys are on the field?
LikeLike
I hoping for a game equivilant to the O-UT game. With UGA playing the role of Oregon.
LikeLike
I know we all want to say this game has a letdown written all over it, but Tenn is terrible, folks. I mean…really terrible. Perhaps Tenn scores 20 on UGA (wouldn’t at all surprise me), but UGA should have 45+ on the Vols easily.
LikeLike
Ok I’ll take your word for it Parrish. They much worse than North Texas?
LikeLike
North Texas was never in doubt.
LikeLike
Their offense might be.
And their secondary might be.
LikeLike
Their QB probably is, and their return man almost certainly is.
LikeLike
The game really comes down to whether we show up in Knoxville with a bad attitude. IF we do, the game gets ugly quickly similar to the game with the Barn last year. If we don’t, we will have our hands full, and if we make a lot of mistakes, they could beat us. I expect something in between similar to our last trip to Knoxville where beat them but the final score doesn’t reflect the differential in talent.
LikeLike
Butch’s Blue-Collar 6-3 Fist Up Energy Drink Random Sloganfest
“We’re going to get back to getting after people,” Jancek said. “You’re going to be proud of the product you come to watch every Saturday.”
When Jancek sat down, Jones deadpanned, “He must have had a Five-Hour Energy.”*
http://www.volnation.com/forum/tennessee-vols-football/189183-jones-wants-fans-call-fist-up.html
*And kids remember, ‘[i]f you choose to use MDMA, amphetamine, or meth, STAY AWAY FROM ENERGY BEVERAGES.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/2012/11/16/what-you-really-need-to-know-about-the-safety-of-5-hour-energy-drink/2/
LikeLike
Jones then whispered in Jancek ear “avoid that 5 hr energy while on the meth…I read about it in Forbes”
LikeLike
Upon hearing this and then going out and digging a hole in the front yard, Jancek came back in and said to Butch, “Can I read your Forbes?”
“Not until you get a MOU like I have. Now go out and dig some more because winners never quit,” Butch whispered to Jancek using his very best Gunny Carter baritone
http://www.nooga.com/158907/breaking-down-new-ut-coach-butch-jones-contract/
LikeLike
For what its worth, I’d still take BVG as my DC. Falcons D has gotten worse every day since he’s gone, just like happened with the Dawgs. If BVG could just stay in one place, like Chavis, he’d have top defenses every year. You simply can’t have long term success bouncing all over the place.
Martinez and Jancek are just hangers-on, with no appreciable talent.
LikeLike
To be fair, the personnel on the Falcons D has gotten abysmal over the past couple years.
LikeLike
Not sure who was any good before the last couple years either. Abraham was good. But after him its a cast of nobodies for the past several years. I thought BVG worked miracles with the sorry batch of players Dimitroff gave him to work with.
LikeLike
There is no question BVG has the smarts and can make the calls for a D. The question becomes Talent Evaluation, although maybe that is the reason he butted heads with our last R. Garner.
LikeLike
BVG was only successful with Donnan’s players. He saw the decline in talent and bolted leaving Willie Mo holding the bag and taking the blame.
LikeLike
Not necessarily. I think the slide in recruiting was partly Richt’s fault as he moved towards offering kids really early and not updating evaluations as kids grew/developed. The worst era was when we started getting defensive players from far away states with high ratings but against (in retrospect) inferior competition.
BVG brought in Pollock, Odell and Thomas Davis in his first recruiting cycle. Both were unheralded guys and both were studs.
He also offered Tim Jennings, a 2 star prospect with plans to attend SC State.
LikeLike
Pollack was recruited as a fullback and was a three-star.
Thurman wasn’t unheralded. He was an academic risk and was a little out of control (I’m trying to be nice here). That’s why he went from being a partial qualifier straight to being kicked off the team.
Garner discovered Jennings.
I loved BVG at Georgia. He’ll go down as the second best DC at the school. He’s also a fabulous position coach. What he isn’t and never has been is a great recruiter. He’s gotten a lot more mileage out of that Thomas Davis story than is merited.
LikeLike
No doubt BVG got a lot of production from Donnan’s leftovers, like Boss and Sullivan. Switching Pollack and Sean Jones to D was a huge success. We had good recruits during his tenure: Thomas Davis, Charles Johnson, Moses, Blue, Golston, Oliver, Tony Taylor, etc. Plus the usual couple who went on to have better pro careers like R. Geathers and C. Clemons. Of course there were busts like Brandon Miller. But is Miller’s situation much different than Ray Drew now? I don’t buy BVG as being a poor talent evaluator, although I agree he doesn’t have the enthusiasm for recruiting that CTG has. Plus, in getting rid of Garner, CTG has succeeded where BVG couldn’t.
LikeLike
I didn’t say poor talent evaluator. I said poor recruiter. Big difference.
LikeLike
Guys, guys…I think the real question is…what does Dukes think is going to happen on Saturday?
LikeLike
“Strap yourself to a tree with roots.” At Central Michigan
LikeLike