Great Article on Chavis...from a Vol's POV

thanks DF!!

I think the following was pretty promising..

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WS: The first two years Chavis saw the spread, the Vols crushed it - they gave up 16 points to the Gators in 2005 (and gave away 10 of those from special teams errors), and 21 in 2006. Problem is, Florida won both those games. But Chavis had the guys ready and put his athletes in the right spots. Same thing happened this year - Florida won 30-6, but scored a touchdown on a punt return and got another 3 on a cheap turnover inside our own 30, and Chavis held the Florida offense that looks so ridiculously unstoppable right now to less than 250 yards. We just never ever helped him out on offense against Meyer's Gators.

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Although it sounds like he's not aggressive enough on 3rd and long situations ...

Vol fans would call it "Third and Chavis" ..

That kinda worries me.

What about the 59-20 loss in 2007 ? They did play Fla/Meyer well in 2005 and '06 but conviently overlooked the '07 fiasco.

He may be what the doctor ordered,but when I see "Chavis" I think about UT headhunting and taking out Davey in Atlanta in 2001.

+1

Thanks for sharing the article.

I hear all over the rant that he doesn't like to recruit, but in the article it says he goes out of state to recruit. Are they trying to hype him up a bit or is it fact that he recruits?

Best article I've seen here in a long time.

Thanks for the article DF. However, here are my problems with it:

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There's a percentage of Tennessee fans who've voiced displeasure at what he's done over the last few years, but when you look at the numbers to me those concerns came more out of a general dissatisfaction with the program instead of specific issues with the defense - the Vols are 4th nationally in total defense right now with an offense that's ranked 116th in the same category.

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Here are Tenn defensive rankings from another post:

2004 #45
2005 #7
2006 #50
2007 #70
2008 #4

and Tenn record in 2008 is 5-7 and in 2005 Tenn record was 5-6.

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Under Chavis, the Vols have put guys like Leonard Little, Shaun Ellis, Darwin Walker, Al Wilson, Deon Grant, John Henderson, Al Haynesworth, Gibril Wilson, Jason Allen, and now Jerod Mayo in the NFL as starters.

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Besides, Wilson, Allen, Mayo and now Berry, all those other great players commited when Peyton Manning was repping UT. What talent have they really had since?

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Getting back to the "soft zone" - Tennessee defenses were typically aggressive under Chavis, except in third down situations. The biggest complaint Vol fans would have about him is what some would call "Third and Chavis", where the Vols employed their "Mustang" package - three down linemen, two linebackers and six DBs

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Will not go over well with LSU fans.

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The first two years Chavis saw the spread, the Vols crushed it - they gave up 16 points to the Gators in 2005 (and gave away 10 of those from special teams errors), and 21 in 2006. Problem is, Florida won both those games. But Chavis had the guys ready and put his athletes in the right spots. Same thing happened this year - Florida won 30-6...
In 2007, Tennessee was so young on defense that Florida torched them for 59

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It was said that Chris Leak running the spread was like watching Arnold Schwarzenegger run a 5K in high heels. UF still won those games if I remember correctly. And UT's not so bad loss this year was pre-LSU v. UF when UF hit their stride and were struggling to find a running game.

Doesn't appear to be handeling the spread well at all. (although no one else is stopping it right now either.) The bigger concern is all the fresh blood in the SEC that he has to deal with now in Saban, Petino, Nutt, Whoever AU hires. Plus, SOS always scores 24+ on him at South Carolina.

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Chavis is not the best in the world at the halftime adjustment - the Vols do what they do and if you can figure out a hole in it, or if you drastically change what you do, Chavis is either stubborn or something else and we never adjust. Why did LSU beat Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game in 2001 when Rohan Davey and LaBrandon Toefield went out? Because we didn't make any adjustment to Matt Mauck. Why did UCLA beat us this year? Because when Kevin Craft stopped throwing deep over the middle after his fourth interception and just went to the short dumps, we didn't make any adjustment.

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This is my biggest problem. Inability to make half time adjustments kill so many teams and I think it's one of the marks of a great coach as to how they make these adjustments.




I know he was a solid DC at one time, but he hasn't been lately, he hasn't brought in the talent they once did with Manning/Jamal Lewis and Travis Henry and hasn't handled the change in the SEC very well from what we've seen. I think his inability to make half time adjustments and soft coverages will make more people hate him than Tepper.

IMHO and FWIW.

Thanks but no thanks.

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Although it sounds like he's not aggressive enough on 3rd and long situations ...

Vol fans would call it "Third and Chavis" ..

That kinda worries me.

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Clemson fans have a similar term for 3 and long with Vic.

I think every fan base does. Playing zone on 3 and long is not a bad thing. Odds are, it is the correct call to make. However, I would like to see some type of twist to it from our point of view. Maybe zone on all receivers but play man on star receiver, blitz a certain way...whatever. I just want to see creative defensive schemes.