Phillip Fulmer enjoys the game
After a strong start against the Western Kentucky practice squad last week, the Tennessee Vols faced their first real challenge with the UCLA Bruins coming to Knoxville. The Bruins embarrassed Fulmer and the Vols last year in their meeting in California and this year the Vols sported a new coach and new personnel which gave hope of redemption.
However the ghost of Fulmer lurks on the sidelines of Neyland Stadium.
There are marked improvements on offense for the Vols with receivers that can catch and running backs that can hold on to the ball. However, the QB situation looks the same as last year.
Jonathan Crompton, easily our least favorite Vol of all time, stumbled and bumbled around with streaky inconsistency and poor judgment that made us wondering why Coach Kiffin did not pull him out of the game. UCLA was given the game due to the play of Crompton which had us all pulling at our hair.
The game stayed close despite Crompton’s follies. We still have high hopes for an enjoyable year from the Vols and know that a rebuilding year is always tough. But how bad are the backup QB’s on the bench for Kiffin to keep giving Crompton the ball?
We’re thinking that Crompton’s performance today (13 for 26, 93 yds, 0 TD’s and 3 INTs) might hamper his Heisman chances.
Jonathan Crompton for Heisman
Crompton wins game for Bruins?
Say what?
Considering we spotted you guys a touchdown on the fumble, what the heck do you guys have to complain about.
May I suggest that you check the game film again.
When you line up on 1 and goal with a chance to win the game, and you run up the gut 4 times and don’t get any points, it’s not the QB, it’s the coach.
Not trying to rub salt in the wound, but come on. Yeah, your QB isn’t the best, but the play calling was not that good.
The troubles of Crompton were all game. You may say we’re just whining but when your QB misses players open in the end zone multiple times in a row you start to lose hope.
As for the 4th down call, I’ll take a 4th down call any day. I don’t mind a coach taking a chance like that. If our running game can’t score on the damn 1 yard line we don’t deserve to win.
What I do mind is Kiffin leaving a QB in the game he has no confidence in. That doesn’t put the team in the best position to win. A field goal won’t win it and your QB has thrown 3 int’s & a fumble and he missed a goaline scoring chance with consecutive passing plays in the 1st half with people wide open. His stats speak for themself (13 for 26, 93 yds, 0 TD’s and 3 INTs and a fumble!) How many teams can win when a QB plays like that?
Go back and watch those decisions by Crompton during the game, namely when they were on the UCLA’s goal line in the 1st half. You’ll see him overthrow receivers and throw into double/triple coverage constantly. A couple of the INT’s in the game went straight to the Bruins. His bad decision making put UT in the spot they were in.
Kiffin ran it on 4th because there is little confidence in Crompton. If he trusted Crompton to throw they would have thrown on one of those plays. That lack of skills by Crompton is visibly evident in the last series by UT when Crompton had to pass, throwing 2 almost INT’s, one pass to absolutely no one, and the last one to end the game.