SINCE WE LAST SPOKE: 11-5-15

BIG ORANGE REARVIEW MIRROR:

-The Vols continued to prove they have short memories and resilience aplenty. They never seem to carry one week to the next and have been prepared to play every game.

-If Aaron Medley closes strong General Neyland and all that played for him will be beaming with pride over the Vols Special Teams prowess

-I was in attendance in Neyland for the 2003 Georgia game that was over the minute the Dawgs returned a late 1st half fumble 98 yards for a TD. Realizing they both happened earlier in the game against weaker opponents I’m still amazed the Vols shook off two sudden-change 14 point turnaround gaffes so easily in their last two victories.

-Josh Dobbs obviously has accuracy issues but his running ability and penchant for making a throw when needed are what makes this offense go. I’ve seen what it looks like without him and to that I say NO THANKS!

-Is there any question that this team would be better with Jauan Jennings at safety and Evan Berry as a hybrid RB/WR?

-Justin Martin, Darrin Kirkland Jr, Khalil McKenzie, Shy Tuttle, Jack Jones, Chance Hall; this staff is flat bringing in some football players

-We still need to learn to finish but this staff is not dropping any “you just can’t lose to those guys” games

BEANO-RHYTHMS Players and coaches have to -as Butch Jones says- “snap and clear”. As a fan however I’m more likely to “clearly snap”. Therefore each week I will take just a second to describe what the results of the previous game have done to my Big Orange outlook: Moved from Thanksgiving to Halloween; the Breeders Cup in Lexington; the Vols coming off an emotional/physical loss to their most traditional rival; the embarrassment the Cats suffered in Neyland last season and the incentive for Kentucky to prove last season’s fade would not be repeated. All the intangibles suggested this was a dangerous spot for the Vols to find themselves in; a perfect spot for an upset. I thought of all those things and had a slight twinge of dread as game time approached. Wasted worry; when all was said and done this was still a football game between the Vols and Cats and when it comes to that it’s good to be Tennessee.

Beano-Rhythm Status: Looking back at the troubling-trifecta of losses to Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama can certainly make me yearn for what could have been but taken a step further it can also comfort me going forward. I now believe the Vols have SEC upper-tank capability and their remaining opponents do not. If Tennessee continues to play with the focus and resolve they’ve shown to date for the remainder of the 2015 slate it will be a campaign that I will astonishingly –after the painful beginning- look back on favorably.

WHAT WE LEARNED IN WEEK 9:

MARK RICHT’S CLOCK IS TICKING: It appears for all intents-and-purposes that Mark Richt’s excellent career as the Head Dawg is quickly coming to an end. Georgia’s second consecutive loss to Florida and the three year absence from the SECCG as a result have even the most resilient Georgia/Richt supporters wondering if he can ever return the Bulldogs to the top of the East heap. Richt has always had detractors -due to his inability to win a National Championship during a run that saw the SEC garner seven in a row- and now the clamor has risen exponentially after dropping last’s season’s contest versus Georgia Tech followed by three of his last four in 2015 versus Alabama, Tennessee and the Gators. If I was Richt and wanted to remain in my current position I would make dang sure that I didn’t drop a game to either Auburn or Georgia Tech. If either of those nightmares occurs I’m not sure any of his previous conquests will matter.

BURGEONING JOB MARKET: Last week we looked at the number of quality jobs already open including both USCs –the Carolina and California variety- Miami and Maryland. Now comes the word that Frank Beamer either wasn’t campaigning for another season in Blacksburg as defiantly as had been suggested or he simply tired of the effort. With Virginia Tech now also in the market for a Head Coach not only will the first wave of hires be intriguing but the directly-related domino effect will be interesting as well. I don’t think the CFB job thrill ride is anywhere close to its conclusion yet. Keep an eye on Georgia and West Virginia in the weeks ahead as well.

POINTS DON’T EQUAL ENTERTAINMENT: I used to lampoon the Big-10 for playing boring, plodding, low-scoring football. Then I found something worse; spread-the-filed, sling-it-around-, never tackle anyone Arena League horse manure. The Big-12 –though certainly not the only culprit- is the poster conference for this new brand of play that if you allow will turn a beautiful fall Saturday into a trip to an open lot where a flag football game broke out. TCU has beaten Texas Tech 55-52 and Kansas State 52-45. Baylor has scored 60 or more points in five of their seven contests. Kliff Kingsbury’s –the Czar of the “get out of their way so we can get the ball back” approach- Red Raiders scored 53 versus OSU last week and still got beat by 17 points. Light up the scoreboard all you want boys, I’m the one that would have to be lit to watch any more of that nonsense.

DUKE DESERVES A “REAL” REPLAY: If CFB instant replay isn’t immediately scrapped after the Miami kickoff return fiasco that cost Duke a win and possibly an ACC Championship Game appearance I guess it’s here to stay. After the Hurricanes’ Three Stooges hot-potato routine concluded there were at least three obvious reasons it should have been disallowed yet a nine minute review failed to undo the travesty. If that is indicative of the overall competence of the state of refereeing in FBS then the game would be better off without arbiters. And while I’m on a roll if you’re going to leave the ultimate decision in the hands of guys moved upstairs because they could no longer handle the rigors of their on-the-field responsibilities you might as well send all replays to the Mayberry Bank and let Asa have the final say.

WHAT WE WILL LEARN IN WEEK 10:

DO THE GATORS HAVE RESERVATIONS IN ATLANTA? After dispatching of the last SEC opponent on the schedule seemingly capable of knocking them off course the Florida Gators are now one conference win away from Atlanta. With only Vandy and South Carolina standing in the way I think it’s safe to dial the 404 and make reservations at the luxury hotel of their choice. Prior to dropping a game to the Commodores in the midst of what would become a seven game slide at the end of 2013 Florida had beaten the Commodores 22 straight times. Jim McElwain seems to be a good fit for both Florida and the SEC while Derek Mason has proven he’s an adequate Defensive Coordinator. I think it will be safe to put the bubbly on ice and hang up the plastic curtains in the bowels of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. I urge them however to go ahead and play the second half prior to popping the corks regardless of how meaningless that 30 minutes of football proves to be.

HOW ABOUT BAMA OR LSU? Though the winner of Saturday night’s LSU-Alabama game will not officially lock up the Western Division’s entry into the SECCG I think they can at least investigate where the Gators are staying and find a suitable hotel across town. I know technically speaking Ole Miss still controls their own destiny but with home games with Arkansas and LSU and a trip to Starkville remaining I just can’t see the Rebels winning out, which probably will be required for them to represent the West for the first time in SECCG history. Or maybe I just can’t stand the thought of a team that lost to Memphis playing for an SEC Title. Anyway I digress; returning to the original LSU-Bama thought the Tigers will not only have to beat the Tide but recent history as well having dropped the last four in the series. Much like Tennessee-Florida in the Nineties this game has become the SEC showcase contest for the Nation as both teams have come into the game ranked for the last nine seasons.

ARE THOSE REAL TIGERS? Surely Clemson will finish the deal this time right? With a win over visiting FSU the Tigers will have a two game lead in the ACC Atlantic with only conference games at Syracuse and at home versus Wake Forest remaining. The Tigers have lost three straight versus the Seminoles and are a surprising 8-20 in the last 28 meetings. The good news amid all that failure is Clemson has somehow won five of the last 6 played in Death Valley. Adding to Clemson’s favor is there may be an FSU QB controversy brewing as Sean Maguire was a solid 23-35 for 348 yds and 3 TDs in place of Everette Golson sidelined last week by a concussion. The Seminoles excellent RB Dalvin Cook is also questionable which begs the question if not now when for the Tigers?

CAN DUKE FORGET REPLAY AND REFOCUS? After rallying for a seemingly hard-earned victory over Miami the Blue Devils had it agonizingly snatched away by 8 laterals and an officiating crew’s ineptitude. The timing of the travesty couldn’t have been worse with a critical two-game stretch versus fellow Coastal Division contenders North Carolina and Pitt dead-ahead. David Cutcliffe and company have gained some footing recently in the UNC dominated series (NC winning 22 of last 25) winning two of the last three including the last contest played in Chapel Hill which not only gave the Blue Devils the Victory Bell but the Coastal Division as well. A repeat of that performance will require a short memory, resilience and an immediate refocus on the task at hand.

WHAT WE MUST SEE FROM VOLS IN WEEK 10:

REMAIN RESILIENT: This will remain a point of emphasis for the remainder of the schedule regardless of the opponent. There is simply no regular season foe looming that has as good a football team as Tennessee. If the Vols remain focused and resolute they will run the table.

MAUL EM: The Gamecocks have the worst run defense in the SEC surrendering 215.25 ypg. We should give them a steady dose of Jalen Hurd, Alvin Kamara and Josh Dobbs. If we do that later in the game both John Kelly and Joe Young can take some whacks at em as well.

THROW CAREFULLY: Though Carolina throws out the red carpet for teams to run the football they are opportunistic against the passing game with 9 INTs (3rd in the SEC) on the season.

STAY DISCIPLINED: There are only two teams in the league less penalized than Tennessee (38.6 ypg); Auburn (36.9) and South Carolina (37.8). It’s not a good idea to let an undermanned opponent win the hidden yardage categories.

DON’T RELY ON POINTS FROM THE RETURN GAME: The Gamecocks coverage teams are very good ranking 3rd in the SEC in both Opponent’s Punt (5.3 ypr) and Kickoff Returns (17.8 ypr)

WHAT VOL FANS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT S CAROLINA

OFFENSE:

-Former walk-on QB Perry Orth will make his 4th straight start and 5th of the season this Saturday. He has completed 69-of-127 passes (54.3 percent) for 947 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions

-5th-yr Sr RB Brandon Wilds (85.6 YPG) in the last 2 games since his return from a rib injury carried a season-high 24 times for 119 yards in a win over Vanderbilt, then came back with a 17-carry, season-high 128-yard, two touchdown effort at A&M

-WR/RB/Wildcat/Stud Pharoh Cooper (44-609, 4 TDs) ranks 3rd in the SEC with 76.1 receiving yards per game and is fourth with 5.5 receptions per game. He has four 100-yard receiving games this season

-Sr TE Jerell Adams is the team’s 2nd-leading receiver with 16 receptions for 233 yards and 2 TDs

-Carolina has had stability in the O-Line, with the same starter in every game at 4 of 5 spots (LT Brandon Shell, LG Mike Matulis, RG Will Sport, RT Mason Zandi) Alan Knott (5) and Zack Bailey (3) have split starts at center.

DEFENSE:

-Jr DE Marquavius Lewis leads all SC D-Linemen in tackles with 31

-DE Darius English has 4 tfl (-29) and 3.5 sacks (-27)

-Gamecock LB Skai Moore. Moore, leads the team in tackles with 83 and also has 4 INTs (11 career) on the season

-MLB T.J. Holloman has a two-pick game this year (UCF)

-Graduate transfer Safety Isaiah Johnson (Kansas) is second on the squad and tied for 22nd in the SEC with 54 tackles (6.8/game).

SPECIAL TEAMS:

-PK Elliott Fry is 15-for-21 (71.4 percent) in FGs this season with a career long of 52 yards. He has also hit a school record 115 consecutive extra points, and is 121-for-122 in his career

-P Sean Kelly averages 41.7-ypp and has placed 17 inside the 20

-True Fr Rashad Fenton returned a kickoff 96 yards for a TD against LSU which was the first KO return for a score by SC since 2002 (Matthew Thomas 95 yards vs Virginia)

OTHER FUN (or not so much) STUFF

-Tennessee leads the all-time series, 24-7-2 and holds a 15-2 advantage in Knoxville

-On its last three trips to Knoxville, Carolina has been held to 13, 14 and 21 points.

-The Gamecocks are 3-0 when they have fewer turnovers (UNC +3, Vandy +1 UCF +1). They are 0-2 when even (Ky and Ga) and are 0-3 when committing more turnovers (at Missouri -3, at LSU -1 at A&M -2)

-South Carolina is winless in four tries on the road this season

CAN IT CUONZO: Though it’s waaaay early for the Beano-Blog to delve into the world of College Basketball I feel compelled to quickly hit on Myron Medcalf’s ESPN.com article about the “sad trials and tribulations of poor Cuonzo Martin" during his hugely successful tenure here at Klan Headquarters. I’m not going to rip Medcalf’s journalistic skills since I know as little about his work as he does the vast majority of the Tennessee Basketball fanbase. I am however disappointed in Cuonzo. Not because he’s thrust himself into the martyr role for what seems like the tenth time in the 19 months since his flight to Berkeley. That I expected. I’m just surprised it was so ill-timed by such an experienced deflector. He should have waited until he leads his second Cal squad –with an NCAA-caliber roster that includes two players listed among cbssportsline.com’s Top-25 players in America (Jaylon Brown #11; Tyrone Wallace #24)- to yet another NIT appearance. That’s when he should have played his trump card.

IN A PERFECT WORLD: College Basketball and Football seasons wouldn’t have such an overlap.

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