The CheckerBoard

It's an understatement that they miss Randolph. Having an Eric Berry, or a Janzen Jackson and then a Randolph back there erases a lot of mistakes and turns those 72 yarders into 12 yarders. Hopefully McNeil can get better fast.

I don't know what the solution is, but I'm hoping the open date will give us time to find some answers. The defense must stop giving up these big plays.

He certainly would have helped. I still say move Brewer to LB.

I think Brewer may be getting more bad press on here than is justified. I'm not saying keep him in over McNeil (we need fast, hard-hitting safeties), but we had some huge holes in our front 7 a whole lot tonight and GA TB's getting into the secondary or endzone virtually untouched an awful lot. Maybe other safeties could have 'erased' those mistakes, but I don't think one safety should take the fall for the shortcomings of the entire defense.

I didn't realize the 3-4 defense was designed to give up big plays. I didn't see much of J. Smith and it seems to me the LB's are out of position when these big plays take off. Either can't get off the block or getting out of their lanes. I know this is a new system, but there is something really wrong with personel or coaching when we're giving up this many big plays.

J.Smith hasn't been setting the edge very well all season, don't honestly remember who was in when they broke those long runs. My biggest thought to the Defensive failures is GET OFF YOUR FREAKING BLOCK!!! Only time i can remember not being able to disengage was when i was being held. I seriously doubt every single one of them was being held every play. What is so disappointing is we play in a RUN heavy league and apparently every game is going to be a track meet. That's fine if we minimize mistakes like in the 1st half, but not if we give them up like in the second half. Maxims /sigh

Three LONG run plays. Almost impossible to overcome and still we were in it. D was good in fourth, but we have got to find a way to make offenses work harder for yardage. Maggitt is not 100%. JSmith is simply undersized. We lack LB depth.

And we are in our first year under a new DC and D staff. If our younger players develop well, a la McNeil, we will be stout on D next year. If TB, CP, and JH return, wow. If our RB's continue to develop, watch out!

I don't think J. Smith is undersized at all. I think he's just struggling way more than we thought he would in a position that seems ideally suited for him.

You can tell from dooley's comments he is not satisfied with a "good loss". As disappointed as us fans are at the ultimate outcome, the players are coaches are certainly more so.
I think this team showed yesterday that they have the fight to compete with the best in the conference. I hope the team doesn't get down and lose their mental edge. Based on this game they can take the fight to starkville in 2 weeks and get a W. That is assuming, of course, they learn to stop 70+ yds runs from happening with regularity.
Miss St. has that dang spread offense which can put up points, but I think if the vols offense rushes for around 200 yds and puts up 44 again, they should win.