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Doug Mathews Chalk Talk - Pre-Utah State Game
Topic Started: Aug 29 2014, 05:56 PM (35 Views)
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UTAH STATE

Chalk Talk starts what will be a weekly look at the previous game when applicable and the upcoming game on the schedule with today’s article. What went right and/or wrong and why? The problems the next opponent will present the Vols and the probable way we will attack those teams. We will keep you updated on the improvement or in some cases the regression with all phases of the team from the view of a former coach.

Going into this first game what are the positions that most concern you on both offense and defense? In order they would be place kicker, left tackle followed by right tackle on offense and then depth at corner back and defensive tackle. It appears that neither Bullock nor Medley will win the job of place kicked instead being awarded the position. Both have been inconsistent for much of the fall and one will have to win or lose the job by game performance. Offensive tackle has been a problem since last spring. Several different players have been tried at both tackles and it appears a committee of four or five will man those positions until someone(s) win the position. As noted in the last Chalk Talk this offensive line has an abundance of center/guard bodies and a clear lack of tackle types. Cornerback has a problem of numbers…. as in not enough numbers. No question we will be better but right now there is not enough depth at corner to feel comfortable.

Will fans see a markedly different defense this season compared to last year? Without question- both in athletic ability and also in defensive scheme. I expect a lot more movement with the front seven in terms of both line slants and also pressure from outside rushers. This group will be a good bit smaller than last year but will more than make up for the difference in size with a great deal more quickness and overall speed. Those two factors will allow for a lot more flexibility in defensive play calling this season. Additionally the infusion of more speed in the secondary will permit playing a lot more man coverage in key situations. I would also expect a good bit of three linemen in passing situations to take advantage of Maggitt, Weatherd and Reeves-Mabin blitzing from the outside. Very important……a smaller team must make up for the lack of size by being quicker and showing different looks to the offense. As one of my mentors once told me if our opponent is bigger and stronger then “we better be moving when they aren’t”. I doubt we will be sitting still much against most of the teams we will be playing.

It appears as many as fifteen freshmen will be in the two deep starting the season, your thoughts? First they are in the two deep because the coaches think they are they are the best we have right now. As a coach you can complain about lack of experience or you can embrace the enthusiasm that youth brings and use it to your advantage. Personally on the defensive side of things I would be very excited about coaching this group knowing that they will be getting better with each passing week and realizing how much more we can do defensively with the uptick in talent and speed. I can’t think of another year when so much is expected from so many freshmen.

Some national writers are picking Utah State in this game, how do you see it? I guess they have to pick someone. The Aggies are a good team coming off a fine season that saw them win a bowl game and they return one of the more exciting quarterbacks in the west. From an experience standpoint Utah State has the edge. However, I would be very surprised if they will come into Neyland and win. Neyland is a tough opener for a team coming from the western part of the country. I coached in Utah for three years and the humidity is nothing like what awaits them on the Tennessee River this Sunday. We are young but we are also a more talented team that Utah State and it has been my experience that usually the more talented team wins.

You have seen this team practice several times this fall, what do you expect to see this Sunday night that you did not see last year? The upgrade in football talent and overall speed will be apparent to everyone very early. You will need to keep a program handy as most of the speed will come from new comers to the team. I expect this group of receivers will quickly become favorites of the fans. They are capable of making a lot of big plays and I think the offensive staff will turn them loose early and often. Jalen Hurd can be a special player at running back, I think we are all going to love watching him develop. While I am anxious to see how all of the freshmen react to their first game nostalgia leads me to especially watch Elliott and Evan Berry, Dillon Bates, Todd Kelly Jr. and Nikko Creamer. I had the honor of coaching each of their fathers in some phase of the game while they wore the Orange. I can only imagine how proud each will be watching their sons running through the T for the first time.

With Worley being named the starting quarterback do you see a role for Dobbs and Peterman going into this game? About the only good thing about all the injuries at the quarterback position last season was the experience each got starting a SEC game. While Worley is clearly the man CBJ has chosen to lead this offense he at least knows that the other two have played before. I would expect that Worley will get as many snaps as possible this game with either Dobbs or Peterman playing some at the end of the game if we are well ahead. Worley needs as much experience with this group of receivers as he can get prior to the start of the conference schedule when the Vols go to Georgia.

Tell us your thoughts on Jalen Hurd. Jalen brings to the running back position more than any running back in my memory going back to the early eighties. Big, strong, fast, smart and now healthy I will be greatly surprised if he doesn’t come right out of the chute being a fan favorite. Remember, he was an early enrollee last January and has learned most of the offense. It makes a lot of sense to me to start Lane. He is a senior and has played well this fall, but you will see Hurd in the game very quickly. With the potential to spread defenses out with our wide receiving group Utah State should have their hands full with #1 running inside.

Any last thoughts? I would simply caution to remember that a football game lasts for sixty minutes and sometimes it takes a full sixty minutes to win a ball game. With all of the youth that will debut in this game I would expect some youthful mistakes, but with all the young talent I would also expect a number of big plays…..
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