Who Are These Vols? Vol-atile or Vol-tastic

The 2012 Tennessee Volunteers sit at 3-3 midway through the 2012 season and at this point I think it's fair to ask ourselves what this football team represents. The team that looked so promising early on in the season has gone 0-3 in conference play and the schedule doesn't really get any easier. The unranked Vols play at home Saturday for the proverbial "Third Weekend in October" Game versus consensus #1 ranked Alabama. The slaughter very well could be on as Bama must see blood in the water.

I really question at this point what this team is all about. At times this team has looked very electric and exciting. At other times it has looked like a team on the brink of implosion. I have blogged extensively on my view of individual and group play and I think it's time to take a good hard look at the coaching staff.

Third year coach Darek Dooley has yet to defeat a ranked opponent and his win percentage is subpar to say the least. There is no doubt he walked into a royal mess and had a dearth of talent in which to operate. There is also no doubt he had a challenge to face in changing a culture that needed a serious attitude adjustment. In that regard he has succeeded in my opinion and I certainly do think the program is once again pointed in the right direction.

I have been one of Dooley's staunchest defenders and I still think it was the right decision. I also still think Dooley needs 1 if not 2 more years to reorganize the program and make sure the directional changes aren't superficial and that the program is indeed on the upswing. Stability is not overrated and the Volunteer football program has been in dire need of stability, not only in regard to recruiting but in terms of the players and their college careers and possible professional careers.

Let's face it a revolving door in coaches can kill a player's chances of success and can really make or break a career unless the player is an incredible talent capable of surviving multiple coaches and different schemes. Do the Volunteers have such a player? At this point it is really hard to tell. The defensive players do not appear to be adjusting very well to the change from a 4/3 base defense to a 3/4 base defense. The offense is continuing to struggle at times.While the run game has improved Tyler Bray has regressed.

It's fair at this point to ask whether these struggles are really all the player's fault. The change in defense may ultimately work out but the transition has been brutal at times and comes at a time when this team needs to win. The fanbase is calling for the coaches head and is just plain tired of losing. How the "powers that be" feel about the situation remains to be seen but clearly they must want the win percentage to improve sooner rather than later.

Ultimately the question boils down to whether Dooley is a good coach. I think the jury is still out if you will pardon the lawyer joke. The coaching staff in general makes head scratching mistakes like not being able to count players or get in the right scheme at crucial points. That this is still an issue is concerning. We also seem to have a remarkable inability to capitalize on opportune situations.

For the record I like this coaching staff and I think first year defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri could make the new defensive scheme successful. Yet I still question the change and we make no effort to try and adjust to make the transition easier for the players. I also like Jim Chaney but like the defense his offense seems to have regressed. Regression is not a sign of a good coaching staff. Nor is undisciplined play and we have amazing moments of lack of discipline.

Ultimately what the fans think or want will not matter. What exactly do the money people think? This writer certainly doesn't know. I doubt they are happy with losing either but do they think Dooley is the right guy? How much time are they willing to give Dooley and company to prove themselves? Only time will tell.

Notes from UT vs UGA - Offense

Coming off a rather baffling Akron game and a troubling loss at home to Florida where many questioned the Volunteers effort and fortitude, eyes were on the team as they traveled to Athens, Georgia to face the number #5 ranked Bulldogs. Not all those questions were answered, particularly regarding a defense that oftentimes fails to execute fundamentals. Could the Volunteers find a successful running game? How would often criticized junior quarterback Tyler Bray respond to a troubling Florida loss? Let's dive in and look for answers, starting with the offensive side of the ball.

Let's start with Tyler Bray who really had a better game than he is getting credited. Bray finished the day 24 of 45 and 281 yards of passing with 2 TD's and 3 INT's. There were two dropped passes that should have gone for touchdowns however.

Bray and Hunter also seemed to have some communication issues early on the pass where he threw a tad bit behind Hunter I think was more an issue of lack of Hunter continuing to come back from an ACL and Bray misreading his speed coming out of the break. Hunter really came off fast, much faster than I have seen this year. Another pass to Hunter was incomplete because the defensive back slipped but managed to trip Hunter up just enough to throw off the timing. One thing is for certain, despite complaints of locking onto receivers, he is not afraid to spread it around,  hitting 8 different receivers in this game for positive yards.

Furthermore, while the offensive line has made significant process particularly in the run game, Bray was under pressure most of the night.

A lot has been made of Bray's mechanics but really he throws a beautiful football and generally his mechanics are pretty sound. The only real issue I have is that sometimes he does have a tendency to throw low. A lot has also been made of his decision making but in my review of the game he only made two really bad decisions one of which was early in the game and insignificant and the other which happened late in the game which really hurt.

This throw to Bartholemew was incomplete when he had Cordarrelle Patterson wide open to the side on a screen didn't affect the outcome.

He threw a bad interception with 5:57 left to play in the game which was just a bad decision, but again the only one that was a game changer.

Finally, Bray needs to work on protecting the football. You can tell he wants so badly to make a play and lead his team but he can't fumble the football like this play at the end of the game.

Overall, his performance was actually good and he was clearly not the reason why this game was lost.

Despite the drop, Cordarrelle Patterson rebounded I thought pretty well from a lackluster Florida performance. I love the way we are creative and use him too. He finished the game with 3 rushes for 55 yards and a touchdown. He had 2 receptions for 31 yards.

Zach Rogers had a really fabulous game as well. He finished the day with 6 receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown pass. He is fast becoming a go to guy in the receiving corp and a good compliment to Hunter and Patterson.

Finally, Mychal Rivera is simply an intimidating force and a nightmare matchup in most situations and we simply must get him the ball more.

Officially listed at 6' 3" and 244 lbs he plays far bigger than advertised. He was also the leading receiver in the game finishing with 3 receptions for 82 yards.

I have to give a ton of credit to how much this offensive line has improved particularly in the run game. James Stone I thought had a very good game as did our tackles against a very tough Georgia defense. Having said that, Rajon Neal deserves volumes of credit for the work he has put in and how much he has improved and if forced to choose he would get my game ball.

He finished the game with 23 rushes for 104 yards and a touchdown. It was his second 100 yard rushing game having rushed for over 100 against Florida. He was also a force in the passing game with 5 catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.

What a solid and reliable guy he is becoming and it is a pleasure to watch. Marlin Lane and Devrin Young are nice compliments and also had some good plays. Most importantly there were no fumbles among any of the running backs.

The kicking game continues to be an area of concern. We simply must get it fixed or it could be a very long season in conference play.

Michael Palardy now only does kickoffs and and was called upon once to hit an extra point which was successful. Derrick Brodus is a great story but he missed a relatively easy field goal and an extra point. He hit one field goal of 34 yards and was 4 of 5 on extra points.

Overall, there is a lot to like about the offensive performance in this game and the areas of concern appear to be fixable. One thing you cannot question is the team effort and the desire to win this hard fought battle.