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Poli · 01-23-2004, 09:07 PM

The game ball is awarded, again, to J.B. Brewster, though I'd have given that to Mason after his 25 yard run and his touchdown. That took the wind out of MSU.

Everyone seemed excited on the trip home. A 27-3 victory looks a lot better than 10-0. Everyone has happy; everyone but me.

I had a terrible game; my first of the year. Three turnovers and I missed wide open receivers left and right. Couple that with Schneider's one play: a touchdown pass. I'm definitely looking over my shoulder.

What coach pulls their starter in a 20-3 ballgame? I'm not feeling very confident about my job security, that's for sure.

Sunday morning

I am woke up by Aaron who tells me to take a look at the paper.

Ardent or Neal?

The headline was just what I expected.

The writer wasn't one of my favorites, but most likely had no axe to grind about me.

Ardent or Neal?

UT Must Decide Quickly Who Will Start Against Kentucky

John Adams, Knoxville News Sentinel

I was there. I saw the game. Maybe you didn't. Maybe you're happy with a 27-3 shelling of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The same Bulldogs that whipped a ranked South Carolina squad. Maybe you're happy enough with the victory that you won't look at the box score. Maybe you think our walk on quarterback is doing just fine. We'll cruise through the season undefeated and win that elusive national championship.

This column isn't for you. You see, QB Ardent Enthusiast wasn't very good Saturday. Three turnovers. If it wasn't for a superior UT defense, this game could have very well went the other way. Throw in his ability to miss wide open receivers, to get intentionala grounding flags, and the simplified offense that UT must run to keep the Enthusiast on the field, and we've got a recipe for disaster.

Enthusiast often looked outmatched by the MSU defense, and don't let the 27 points fool you. Most of these points came almost directly from the defense giving the offense the ball almost in the endzone, and Enthusiast still only netted 20 of the points.

Enthusiast was so bad in the game Coach Phil Fulmer sat him down near the end of the game and backup Neal Schneider went in. Schneider played superbly; netting a touchdown pass on his only throw. At least Schneider appeared confident. Enthusiast has looked lost on the field at times.

Unfortunately for UT, the Bulldog defense will not be the best defense they face all year. We face Florida at home in two weeks, and later in the season we have back to back road games against Alabama and Georgia.

Thank goodness we don't have to play the Razorbacks this year.

Why would Coach Fulmer pull Enthusiast from the game? Was he concerned the walk on senior wasn't getting the job done? Perhaps the senior has lost the confidence of his coach. Maybe the freshman surprised the coaches with his ability to grasp our relatively simple offense.

Whatever the case, Coach Fulmer isn't speaking. Neither he nor the rest of his coaching staff were available for comment following the game.

One thing is for certain: If we're to beat Florida, we'll need a better performance at quarterback. The only question is who will it be.

01-23-2004, 09:07 PM	#142
Poli FOFC Survivor Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Wentzville, MO	The game ball is awarded, again, to J.B. Brewster, though I'd have given that to Mason after his 25 yard run and his touchdown. That took the wind out of MSU. Everyone seemed excited on the trip home. A 27-3 victory looks a lot better than 10-0. Everyone has happy; everyone but me. I had a terrible game; my first of the year. Three turnovers and I missed wide open receivers left and right. Couple that with Schneider's one play: a touchdown pass. I'm definitely looking over my shoulder. What coach pulls their starter in a 20-3 ballgame? I'm not feeling very confident about my job security, that's for sure. Sunday morning I am woke up by Aaron who tells me to take a look at the paper. Ardent or Neal? The headline was just what I expected. The writer wasn't one of my favorites, but most likely had no axe to grind about me. Ardent or Neal? UT Must Decide Quickly Who Will Start Against Kentucky John Adams, Knoxville News Sentinel I was there. I saw the game. Maybe you didn't. Maybe you're happy with a 27-3 shelling of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The same Bulldogs that whipped a ranked South Carolina squad. Maybe you're happy enough with the victory that you won't look at the box score. Maybe you think our walk on quarterback is doing just fine. We'll cruise through the season undefeated and win that elusive national championship. This column isn't for you. You see, QB Ardent Enthusiast wasn't very good Saturday. Three turnovers. If it wasn't for a superior UT defense, this game could have very well went the other way. Throw in his ability to miss wide open receivers, to get intentionala grounding flags, and the simplified offense that UT must run to keep the Enthusiast on the field, and we've got a recipe for disaster. Enthusiast often looked outmatched by the MSU defense, and don't let the 27 points fool you. Most of these points came almost directly from the defense giving the offense the ball almost in the endzone, and Enthusiast still only netted 20 of the points. Enthusiast was so bad in the game Coach Phil Fulmer sat him down near the end of the game and backup Neal Schneider went in. Schneider played superbly; netting a touchdown pass on his only throw. At least Schneider appeared confident. Enthusiast has looked lost on the field at times. Unfortunately for UT, the Bulldog defense will not be the best defense they face all year. We face Florida at home in two weeks, and later in the season we have back to back road games against Alabama and Georgia. Thank goodness we don't have to play the Razorbacks this year. Why would Coach Fulmer pull Enthusiast from the game? Was he concerned the walk on senior wasn't getting the job done? Perhaps the senior has lost the confidence of his coach. Maybe the freshman surprised the coaches with his ability to grasp our relatively simple offense. Whatever the case, Coach Fulmer isn't speaking. Neither he nor the rest of his coaching staff were available for comment following the game. One thing is for certain: If we're to beat Florida, we'll need a better performance at quarterback. The only question is who will it be. __________________ Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum. Last edited by Poli : 01-25-2004 at 10:36 AM.