5 Game Report Card: Vol Offense Not Getting the Job Done

2009 Report Card through 5 Games

Quarterback D-

Jonathan Crompton looks like he didn’t learned a thing in the off season. It truly is too bad for Jonathan, he is truly a nice guy that I believe is trying as hard as he can. He definitely has a great attitude and work ethic, but his play is simply not good enough to help the Vols win many games. So far this season he has had one good game and four bad games against decent competition. Crompton has competed on only 54.7% of his passes for 900 yards and 9 touchdowns.. The only reason I did not give him an F is because he is working so hard. He throws well behind or well in front of his receivers on most occasions. Crompton also has a tendency to eye his receivers giving the defense an advantage in pass coverage. Most likely his greatest flaw seems to be his inability to see the field. Once he sees that his primary receiver is covered, he has a difficult time spotting other open receivers. Of course, that’s providing there are open receivers. Too many times this year, there have been none. More on this later. Fullback Kevin Cooper has performed well for the most part, nothing spectacular, but dependable.

Running Back B

I don’t know if the Vols can get much more production out of the running back position than they are right now. Monterio Hardesty has displayed a great ability to break tackles, and to see the field. He runs with power, effort, and great balance. He is the reason the Vols are not 1-4 at this point in my opinion. Hardesty is 5.5 yards per carry and has rushed for 593 yards on 105 carries. Bryce Brown is going to be a really good running back. He has had some trouble finding the open holes so far this season, but he has ran hard and has shown good hands out of the backfield. Some could argue that Hardesty and Brown have been Tennessee’s best receivers so far this season. It doesn’t look like Tauren Poole is going to see much playing time this season behind Hardesty and Brown.

Offensive Line B

Considering all of the injuries sustained this season you have to be pleased with the play of the offensive line. Although not dominant, this group has performed well. They have been forced to run block against eight and nine men fronts because of the lack of a passing game. With little threat of the pass the offensive line has opened holes consistently enough for the back to average 5.0 yards per carry. Tennessee is averaging 188 yards rushing per game. The three most impressive offensive lineman in my opinion so far has been Vladamir Richard,  Aaron Douglas and Chris Scott.

Receivers F

It’s been a long time since Tennessee was referred to as Wide Receiver U. It is not going to happen any time soon either. Tennessee’s leading receiver through 5 games is Quintin Hancock and he only has 15 receptions. Gerald Jones is second on the team with 10 catches and Bryce Brown is third. Tennessee receivers have totaled 50 receptions in five games as a group. That is not going to get it done in the Southeastern Conference. Not all of this can be laid at the feet of the receivers but much of it can. The Vol receivers and Jonathan Crompton just can not seem to get on the same page. Another missing ingredient this year has been the lack of big plays by the receivers and that includes very little yardage after the catch. Both the quarterback and all of the receivers are to be blamed for the lack of production in the passing game. Newcomers Marsalis Teague and Nu'Keese Richardson have shown flashes, but they consistently have difficulty blocking downfield, and they continue to have trouble getting open against tight man-to-man coverage.

Tight Ends C

The tight end position has not produced much in the passing game (7 receptions) but they have done a fine job of blocking for the run. The Vol tight ends are big and physical and have good hands. They have not been utilized as much as I thought they might be considering the play of the wide receivers.

Coaching D

This one is really hard to gauge, without seeing the Vols during the week on the practice field, its hard to know if improvement is being made or not. We as fans have to judge the team’s performance based solely on the play on the field and so far it’s been disappointing to say the least. There has been very little imagination injected into the offensive game plan for the year, and this season looks eerily similar to last season. There has been some improvement when you look at the overall numbers but not enough to give the coaches or the players’ high marks. All the blame last year was directed at Fulmer and Dave Clawson, but I have heard very little grumbling in the direction of Jim Chaney, the Vol offensive coordinator or David Reaves the quarterback coach. We all know that Kiffin calls the plays from the sidelines, but one has to wonder how much help he is getting from the press box. I would love to sit down and talk with Reaves to get his take on the status of the quarterback position.

Here is a look at some of the offensive statistics from this year so far.

Bonus Video:
Band Plays "War Eagle" and "Rocky Top"
Carl Pickens & Andy Kelly Honored as UT Legends
Pride of the Southland Marching Band Forms the Giant T
Tennessee-Auburn 1999 Bonus Video