The message didn't change with the audience Tuesday.
Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley's state-of-the-program address wasn't any different for the Knoxville Rotarians than it was last week at SEC Football Media Days in Hoover, Ala. This time, he had a more receptive crowd.
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Media-types don't experience an adrenaline rush when Dooley deems his team is equipped to "go toe-to-toe with any team on our schedule." But fans get excited — especially after the last two seasons didn't exactly prompt parades.
Dooley might not have built UT's program to a level suitable for fans. He has built up his credibility when it comes to evaluations, though.
He didn't talk this way before the last two seasons. In fact, when he addressed the same group of Rotarians before his first season with the Vols, he said how difficult and challenging the rebuilding venture would be.
He was right. And if he's right about this season, UT football fans finally will have a chance to attend a bowl game and travel out of state on the same trip.
The coach's optimism is followed by a caution sign. While Dooley implies the Vols no longer are hopelessly overmatched in talent and depth, he is less certain how they will handle a fourth quarter that matters.
You can't blame him. In the last two seasons, only four of UT's 16 SEC games have been decided by single-digit margins, and 12 conference losses have been by an average of 16 points.
Dooley refers to a team's "grit" as a fourth-quarter determinant. But there are other UT-specific factors to consider.
Stamina and perseverance aren't the only crucial factors when a game is on the line. Quarterbacks and kickers can be just as prominent.
No one questions quarterback Tyler Bray's passing prowess. NFL scouts are included in the long, admiring line of onlookers who have watched Bray throw a football well enough to earn a living at
it. But the same observers might question how well he can throw with a game hanging in the balance.
It's not Bray's fault his team often has been too far down to provide many meaningful fourth-quarter opportunities. Moreover, he has started for parts of two seasons but has yet to manage an offense through a 12-game schedule.
If he plays well early-on and UT prevails in what could be close games against N.C. State and Florida, the preseason optimism will reach stampede proportions three weeks into the season. You still might wonder about UT's finishing kick.
Fourth-quarter grit and superb quarterback play could be overturned by a punt off the side of a foot, or a field-goal attempt that doesn't rise above a defensive lineman's bellybutton as it crosses the line of scrimmage.
Punter Matt Darr and kicker/punter Michael Palardy, who were pedestrian at best last season, could have a huge fourth-quarter say-so in tight games this season. How much they have improved will determine how that say-so is received by UT fans.
But this team could be credited with improvement even if it doesn't produce a series of Alabama-like fourth quarters. Last season, the final quarter was reduced to irrelevancy against LSU, Alabama and Arkansas.
Now, if the Vols are in contention that late against nationally ranked opponents, that alone qualifies as progress.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com. Follow him at http://twitter.com/johnadamskns
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Comments » 105
DeltaCharlie3 writes:
6-6 is nothing to be ashamed of. Contract extension, immediately!
Ichabod writes:
.......Crickets Chirping........
RockyMountainVol writes:
Why? Because DC3 is inside your cranium, or vice versa?
TeamXer writes:
Why are you bringing Muschamp into this?
MooseandSquirrelVol writes:
Does the boss know you're on here while you're supposed to be mopping out the head?
Ichabod writes:
Because Derek Dooley is a bore. You know it, I know it, and the American people know it. We can do all the blah, blah, blah we want, but the probable conclusion is that six months from now, he will be gone, all of us that bleed orange to support the program will then be saying, "well, we knew it wasn't a good fit, he never got it done, he was out of his league, ", etc. Not rolling on the poor guy, but he is about as exciting and motivational as a can of Starkist Tuna. Milligan ?? Really? C'mon man.... Think Nick would take his Bama Group to Montgomery State Community College soccer fields to jazz 'em up heading into a season ? Its just pathetic. A Penn State player 'getting a call from Dooley' is about like a Madoff investor getting a call from a State Farm agent. God bless he and his family for trying to ride to the rescue, but there just ain't no way folks ....
He is soon to join the tribe of Pearl, Fulmer, Green, Houston, Delmonico , Raleigh, and Trembley - Hotshots and big money dudes in a nice insulated fraternity in Ktown, UNEMPLOYABLE anywhere else......
movol77 writes:
Big Orange is back this season!
Witch_Doctors writes:
Witch Doctor see the Ruckers are still trying desperately trying to get ANYONE dumb enough to sign up for their Rag pay site by trolling here as their comment above show! Brilliant Wes and Beth! lol.
Bones never lie.
born2ride writes:
In two years Dooley has lost 12 conference games an average of 16 points.
The only SEC teams Dooley has beat are:
Ole Miss
Vandy
Kentucky
These teams (along with the Vols) are the worst in the SEC.
Everybody else beat us.
And again by an average of 16 points.
Geez.... that is awful for any coach.
Witch_Doctors writes:
Witch Doctor forget? Witch Doctor ask are you Wes or Beth?
Bones never lie.
FWBVol writes:
I think Adams makes a good point that Derek Dooley has always been brutally honest in how he felt the team was going to do when things have been rough. Now that things are looking up he's also calling it like he sees it.
thevoice writes:
Yeah. Just adding this... I wonder what his definition of "toe-to-toe" is. For God's sake, we were 1-7 in the SEC last year. How can we magically and immediately now go toe-to-toe with everyone on our schedule with no running game, a last-game loss to KY, a brand new coaching staff, and brand new defense, and a pulse-less kicking game? Heck, in the last 10-15 years, KY had a slew of great QBs and WRs and therefore a great passing game. They didn't exactly set the world on fire as a team, however.
Me thinks Dooley says toe-to-toe to only amp up the players. After all, he did trash his own team after the KY game. Guess I'd be down as a player too if my coach didn't have my back. Just another example of Dooley learning on the job at a major university.
underthehill writes:
Nasty..be a little more reasonable..it is not certain UT will lose to NC State and/or Fla..what is reasonable is that when you look at the schedule..you may be able to buy tickets outside the gate much lower even if UT beats NC State and Fla..I'm not a Dooley fan but he appears to be doing better now that he is not making excuses..and not making stupid statements...longtime UT fans may grumble and complain but I don't think you'll find any who are not deep down pulling for UT to come back..so can't you be a little less nasty...
Witch_Doctors writes:
Witch Doctor say we know...Fulmer..blah blah blah..signed your hat..not worth nothing on Ebay..whine whine whine whine. hehe
Bones never lie.
Witch_Doctors writes:
*PS! BUT if you sign up for the free 30 day trial of GVX24/3(yea) there are no trolls!! Your meager mind dont get that under 30 sports "writers" are the smartest guys on the planet!! No one can see thru this!! Woooooow!
hehehe(really guys..? come on)
BNL
RockyMountainVol writes:
OK OK OK Now I got it. You threw me off with the <crickets> reference. Now, after reading your insipid response (stay away from Amateur Hour at the local Comedy Shop and don't quit your day job, Ich) I realize what that noise is:
a cloud of gnats, buzzing in the backyard, circling my dog's nightly deposit.
RockyMountainVol writes:
By the way, Jeffy Rat, Derek Dooley is not "in charge of special teams/kicking game". Charlie Coiner is. But we already know you never let facts get in the way of your bullemic purges.
DannyVol writes:
Adams' columns, no matter the subject, are merely a launching pad to critisize, insult, and highlight (if not celebrate) low points in UT football. If you have been reading this section for more than a year and haven't figured that out yet, my guess is there's a whole lot more you haven't figured out. There isn't a paper in any other SEC town that would put up with him.
10seVol85_Part_Deux writes:
7 out of 19 comments are dumbsh*ts, and almost all of the other comments are responding to the dumbsh*ts.
Doesn't anybody have something intelligent and relevant to say?
I said, "Intelligent and relevant" to the article. Thank you FWBVol. You appear to be the only one.
Yes, Dooley does tell it like it is. He has never sugar-coated anything. I'm sure part of it is that he doesn't think the players need it that way, and I agree. Most of them (if not all) have been told the Sun shines out of their @sses their whole lives. They've were all the star of their high school teams, and could do no wrong, but they're at a different level now.
tovolny writes:
Adams's job is to fan the flames, not start the fires. If Tennessee goes 12&1, look for John to compare that to the 13&0 season of 1998. His job is to pick UT apart. You can bet he will find stuff, or if nothing is there, he will make it up. It's his job. For every ying you have to have a yang. It was once brought to my attention that Adams actually routes for the Vols...believe it or not. I understand he was quite upset with the Cam Clear situation, just like us real fans. Mike Strange, Mike Griffeth, and Erin Chapin do a fantastic job for KNS. The people in charge of KNS, however, are not UT graduates and are not concerned much about an out spoken sports writer. The KNS top brass are sorta Cyber-handicapped, and don't have a clue as how to communicate with the readers, and don't have a clue how Google and Yahoo made a fortune advertising over the internet. They still think that a "pay site" will make money from only 5% of KNS readers. They refuse to get help from the Columbus Dispatch (buckeyextra) about how to report UT sports to the public. Right now, the whole world is going through a cyber revolution. Plenty of folks in charge of our top firms and classic small companies are slowly retiring and giving away to the Texting and Twittering generation. The changes that will be taking place in the next 10 years are mind boggling. All of the artificial intelligence will, however, eventually wipe out the whole world. Do I here an AMEN? The good news is that it will soon be “FOOTBALL TIME in TENNESSEE.”
tnvolfan30 writes:
Sounds to me there are so many "experts" out in cyberspace but what inside information do you smarta**es have that leads me to believe that any of you could do a much better job than what UT has now?
usafvol writes:
Should change your name to thevoiceofignorance!
usafvol writes:
It's almost back to school time for you and nasty rat. Hopefully, you guy's won't get your milk money taken this year and who knows, you may even finally get to kiss a girl for the first time if thats the right gender for you pitiful little boys..
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
For one, we are not playing the toughest schedule in the country this season (quite the opposite). And we have quality capable depth in case of a injury to key personnel. Hunter went down and the wind went right out of the big orange balloon after that. I agree with CDD they will be able to lineup and play against anybody..GBO!
vol4gzus writes:
Just heard that ewe have a new fan club...The Rat Patrol.....everybody squeaks in unison and looks for old cheese to chomp on for hours....the cheese is Fulmer brand as the favorite....watch out for those rat traps....Oh BTW the fan club has one member...you....
On topic, support our team and staff til the end...let'em play sir Jeffy and at year's end all the great prognosticators can chime in with old PH in Nashville on the state of the futbol union....oh bTW it ain't no where near as bad as at PSU....
UTistheOLEMISSoftheEAST writes:
Of course Dooley's optimism plays well with a local crowd. It's the national crowd that's laughing.
BigBadVol writes:
The trolls are really worried about TN. It's obvious. The Florida trolls are proud of their 6-6 record with Muschump at the helm. It's laughable. Most of them are probably on welfare because they are on here 24/7. There is now way they could actually be working.
orangecountyvols writes:
Vols,
Adams wrote the article, then said "RAT Fink, you and Ichabod Crane go to the next room, get onto the computers there, and spill your garbage to try and rile up the loyal Tennessee fans. I've done my job, now you do yours. " "Oh, and tell Delta Dawn to get away from the water cooler. I need more ideas from some of you loyal trolls of mine."
arkyvol writes:
dooley is an amateur compared to professor harold hill.
arkyvol writes:
"you can't blame him." ???
i guess its all fulmer's fault.
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
No doubt, they really are worried that UT will rise from the ashes and resume their national status as an elite fb program..I know in my heart UT will turn the corner and it starts 8/31/12..HBTV!!
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
Not all, but mostly Fulmer's fault..Good point.
Stokes44yrs writes:
You know KNS? It's really not that hard to avoid the trollifics on here. They're easy to spot and it's free to avoid. I have nothing against the pay site that I haven't signed up for...but I really can't afford another monthly payment. Or any payments.
Oh well. I guess I'm stuck reading the same ole' same ole'.
Maybe you could rename the site gotrolls.com.
Bobsrazor writes:
Wow! Who let the clowns in today?
SCVFL writes:
CDD is IMO still doing the right things to bring TENNESSEE back. If he let's his OC (Question Mark on the OC), DC and assistants do the coaching, TENNESSEE will be OK. I believe that under the circumstances that 5th or 6th best recruiting in SEC is great and with a few wins this year it will continue to get better. I know that in the world of instant gratification, it hurts rebuilding, but any coach needs a minimum of 5 years to be judged on his ability to recruit, coach, and win. That gives CDD 3 more years to establish his legacy.
Please give him a break for at least one article.
GO BIG RNG...VFL
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
Going 1 and 7;finishing last in the SEC was a bitter pill for all vol fans..Looking back we would be better off had we appointed an interim coach from what was left of the Kiffin staff and hired a more proven recruiter and coach..water under the bridge now.Too Dooley's credit he has assembled a team with decent talent and we finally have depth but Iam beginning to wonder if these players really respect him and will give 100%..Coaches like Miles and Saban have a personality of confidence that demands players and recruits respect..Dooley does not!! It baffles me why we couldn't recruit a top#10 running back considering the opportunity to play right away;our excellent facilities and huge fan support. our best rb Lane would be at the bottom of LSU;Bama and USC depth chart
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
That's one position, if you had bama's WR's they would be at the bottom of UT's depth chart..Give Lane and company a chance, schematically the o-line has much better coaching and Jay Graham will make his mark on UT's running game..GBO!
OTPVol writes:
I miss Barbara.
NO_DIGGITY writes:
Which Barbara? The one that was killed off on South Park by Robert Smith of the Cure or the one that wore the Short Skirts and Little Jeannie outfit?
Hopefully Dooley's optimism turns into wins. More depth and easier schedule should equal 9 wins.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
The Vols will improve significantly over last year, not "magically and immediately", but as a result of the last two years of rebuilding. You can't recruit or even coach experience, you can only build it by letting guys play, often out of need, before they are ready, and learn on the job, and maybe get hammered by the country's toughest schedule in the process. Unlike any previous year for at least the last five, MOST of the guys on the squad have actually PLAYED in the SEC. This is their year to show they can WIN in the SEC.
I would agree with anybody that Dooley's learning curve hasn't been as steep as I initially hoped. However, I have been watching, playing, and coaching sports long enough to know that coaching can only go so far without adequate personnel. He now has sufficient personnel for him to demonstrate to all of us whether or not his coaching can make a positive difference. If he can't show that, he's likely gone. I'm fine with that. In the meantime, GO VOLS!!!
crappieking writes:
Sure are a lot of Doolaid drinkers on here. After the upcoming 5-7 season, the pitcher will be empty. Time to hire a well known PROVEN coach. Get the checkbook out Hart.
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
Crappie, I know you from the Commercial Appeal..You're a cool guy when you want to be, so what's the deal with this Dooley bashing?? That's not like you, and you will be proven wrong when UT wins at least 9 games this season..GBO!!
atnvol#283282 writes:
John Adams says "Media-types don't experience an adrenaline rush when Dooley deems his team is equipped to "go toe-to-toe with any team on our schedule."
Thats understandable....most media types out there do not possess the manly qualities that furnish the body with the essentials for adrenaline.
Regards, Mike
Stokes44yrs writes:
I'm only posting now because I don't believe in letting negative ideas have the last say. I really never have understood the Doolaide thing in a bad sense. I don't know what Crappiking is referring to. But if he's saying we're Dooley fans then I'm ok with it. however I'm not really as we keep telling KNS or whoever is sponsoring Crappie and others on here. We're UT fans supporting the UT sports staff. Which only makes good sense.
Now as far as the video is concerned? Even Dooley is aware of the potential for harm from the negativity said about UT. Young UT wannabees just don't get that these people are not UT fans...at least for the most part. I'm not referring to people just stating negatives that are real. But there seems to be an agenda by some posters that could not be from real UT fans. They would probably be happy if some recruit saw their posts and decided that UT was not a good fit without even ever visiting the campus. I don't know maybe their ridiculous statements about our coaches are ignored by recruits.
Regardless it's annoying to see these posts about our program over and over again. Sorta like flies. It's not aggravating like they think but just annoying.
Dooley has things going in the right direction and really we can only move up at this point anyhow.
8-3. With a little skill and luck and perseverance?10-1 I just don't see a miracle against Bama. Really Georgia either.
Yeh I do!! 11-0 baby!!!
wallingdad writes:
I disagree on the 5 years. it does not take that long. it took Fla to figure Zook out in 2.5 years. and they were right. it might be different for each situation but 5 is too long in any situation. trends can be developed and seen long before 5 years has elapsed.
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
I liked your response, but why post your resume' with it?? Gees and GBO!
Big_Orange_Aide writes:
Really, more and more I am seeing and hearing quite the opposite about the Big Orange this upcoming year. Get those facts right about the Big Orange; you don't have too much longer to hurl your insults at our team.
GO BIG ORANGE!!!
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
Saban had bammer back on track pretty fast as well..Stoops at Okie won almost immediately, it seems UT expects gradual success and that is not acceptable in my opinion..CDD needs to win year 3 or go another direction..I personally believe he will win this season, but his learning curve has passed.
Pompey writes:
....this is the typical rambling rant of the "legion of the miserable", coherents is not required and certainly not in evidence.
Dude you might want to consider changing sports or teams because your current selection is making you look stupid.....!
beartn#223846 writes:
We will see what kind of coach Dooley is this year. For all the "Dooleave" crowd, how many more wins would another coach have over the last 2 years with the same attrition and lack of depth? If I remember correctly, we had 9 Seniors and 9 Juniors on last year's squad, with only 8 players remaining from Kiffin's lone class. How many SEC teams have won big with that much youth? How many won big while inheriting an OL that had 3 career starts between them? None. Dooley still has to prove that he is a good coach, but at least we have the players and depth to see what he and his staff can do. We weren't going to contend for the SEC East the past 2 years no matter who was coaching. 3 coaching staffs in 3 years does that to a program.
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