This is the most experienced team overall and especially on defense that John Robinson has coached at UNLV. They are senior laden on both sides of the ball with a couple of playmakers on offense and the top rated defense in the MWC going into this year. Nantkes is a solid experienced 25 yr. old Sr. QB behind a much improved offensive line made up of 4 Sr, 1 Jr, and 1 Soph. The playmakers are WR Earvin Johnson and RB Dominique Dorsey. We saw firsthand the quickness and speed of Dorsey (who in turn showed us one of our weaknesses) in this game. Last year he had 100 yds rushing in Unlv's win vs. Wisconsin, a defense which held its opponents to just under 3.9 ypc. So this was no average Non-BCS conference team. And, considering some of the performances of the SEC's cellar teams, UNLV would hold its own very well. Mississippi, Vanderbilt and Kentucky would be hard pressed this year to beat UNLV.
Tennessee came into this game with nothing but uncertainity on both sides of the ball. The starting front line on either side of the ball was our strongest point other than the linebacker position. We knew we had receivers and backs, but no one had stepped up to set themselves apart. The secondary is totally revamped, and nobody knew how they would respond. All in all we had plenty of questions going into this game. All in all we still have questions about this team. But one all important question was answered.. on both sides of the ball. This team has heart; this team has a fire in its belly; this team brought an excitement back into Big Orange Country that has long been missing. When was the last time a Tennessee team ignited such excitement and anticipation in the BOC? We had NO reason to be excited about the QB position just a few days ago. Freshmen starting? Not just one, but two freshmen QB's coming into Neyland Stadium with 108,000+ screaming fans (fortunately they were cheering them on) to face an experienced, senior-laden, MWC top-rated defense who continually moved back and forth showing one blitz scheme then executing another - sometimes bringing everybody... and how would they handle it. I guarantee you Clausen, like Suggs, in his freshman year would have just danced around and taken a sack or thrown the ball away. But these guys.... One simply eluded them and broke off a big run; the other checked to counter the play and threw a 42yd TD pass on 3rd and short. One sprinted out of danger and threw a strike on the run for a first down; the other stepped up in the pocket and did the same. And our RB's... WoW. The experienced teammates were determined not to let these two guys get into too many dangerous situations; they rallied around them both. As a result they too played a better game that any of us have seen since... uhhh... yeah, you know. But I won't say it... not yet.
Was UNLV Florida? Of course not. Is the MWC the SEC? Absurd question. But UNLV is heads and tails above the SEC's cellar dwellers, so lets not sell them short. And who of us wouldn't have been excited to see us start the season under these conditions with a 42 - 17 victory over Mississippi or Kentucky? And just one more thing.... Who is Florida, anyway? They haven't gotten to play game one yet. We know they are better than UNLV... better athletes for one thing. But how much better? We have game one under our belt with an extra week to heal up and prepare a gameplan for Florida. Florida, on the other hand, opens now against Eastern Michigan. The EM Eagles have a new head coach who has never before held a coordinator or head coaching position. They are a lower tier MAC team this year. Which team, Tennessee or Florida, gets a better prep game for each other?
Given everything that has happened... I have hope of the Vols pulling an upset against the Gators this year. I really didn't have that before. That said, our defensive secondary is definitely going to need to improve over these next two weeks to stop the passing attack of Florida. More importantly... our defensive line and linebackers are going to have to step it up another notch to take some of the heat off of them. A special blitz package for the Gators would seem to be in order. We've done it before against them. I'm just praying we can do it again. If that happens, anything is possible.
Go Vols!!!
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