Game Thread: Tennessee

[ZuluWarrior]

Please punt the ball out of bounds. Please. Asking nicely.

[BGGrad01]

If we aren't going to kick it out of bounds, we might as well go on every 4th down. Net punt average can't be more than 15 yards per kick.

[gmartin]

That drive killed any momentum. Cut it to a 1 point game and now it's back to two possessions, at 15 points. Can we get a few stops in the 2nd half please.

[Falcon137]

First half seems to support what everyone thought. Offense is very good. Defense has major holes and really struggles to wrap up and tackle.

[Rollo83]

Plus, the Vols have the ball to start the second half.

[gmartin]

Onside kick to start the 2nd half. What do we have to lose

[BGSU33]

Punt return defense needs MAJOR help. The punting is good but the coverage is downright awful, about as bad as it can be.

[Falconwriter]

First half seems to support what everyone thought. Offense is very good. Defense has major holes and really struggles to wrap up and tackle.

And special teams are horrid today. People aren't staying in their lanes on returns; plus way too many penalties. Both of those are discipline issues.

On defense, BG keeps playing some type of zone (I think) where the boundary corner isn't taking the receiver going deep, and the safety isn't coming over fast enough -- and Tennessee has exploited that hole time and time again.

Overall, I'm not surprised by anything today. The defense is just as bad at tackling as I thought they'd be, and I did expect the offense to be better with Johnson back at QB. And he's played well so far.

[BGSU33]

Tough to give up back-to-back TD's after cutting it to one. But right now I'm really concerned about Travis Greene. Losing the game is one thing, losing Greene would be another. That would be a MAJOR blow in back-to-back season openers. Crossing my fingers it wasn't as serious as it looked.

[hammb]

I'm really worried that we may have lost Greene for an extended time this year. That looked like it could be a knee ligament issue. Hope to be wrong.

I'm just upset with the fact that we continue to play stupid football. We shot ourselves in the foot a LOT, and by all means should be closer than the 15 points we currently trail. We were poised to score again to end the half (IMO) and a stupid hold pushes us back to 1st and 20, then we end up punting and giving UT another TD. That was at LEAST a 7 point penalty and probably more like 10-14 point penalty.

The early offsides penalties really hurt us on defense. As did the holds on kickoff returns that forced us deep into UT territory in the 1st quarter. I'd say our penalties and dropped passes were solely responsible for a 21-3 deficit. We battled back, got a gift on that roughing call, then promptly gave up another penalty that screwed us over.

We're not grossly outmatched (well we cannot stop their run game, but they cannot cover our WRs), but we are not good enough to overcome so many penalties. That really upsets me given that it was a big issue last season as well. Johnson was clearly rusty early as well, which hurt, but he's settled in fairly well in the 2nd quarter.

We badly need a stop to start the 2nd half.

Also I'm good with this style of football, but your defense MUST create sacks/turnovers. Giving up points is okay, but the point is to get ourselves more possessions, which we aren't doing.

[gmartin]

Wasn't a stop by the D but regardless a missed FG. Now let's march down the field and get a TD

[ZuluWarrior]

Kicking game break for us…need to roll down the field - Right NOW!

[BGSU33]

Turner just left the game with what looked like a left arm injury. True frosh Bozeman is in at safety.

[gmartin]

Another thing Hammb didn't mention. Poor tackling. Do we not teach how to tackle low, ankles and knees or is that overlooked.

[BGSU33]

Moore comes in and makes a play instantly