Re: The Return of a Football Power: A Tennessee Volunteers Dynasty (NCAA 14)
2014 Tennessee Prediction
Offense
QB- Tennessee will have another QB battle this off-season between Justin Worley (88 ovr.), Josh Dobbs (83 ovr.), and Nathan Peterman (81 ovr.). Worley was of course the starter last year and had a rather subpar year as a first year starter. Last year Worley completed 181 passes out of 333 attempts for 2171 yards while throwing 17 TD's and 12 INT's. If Worley is picked as the starter those numbers have got to improve if the Vols want to have a successful season this year. QB Josh Dobbs redshirted last year and QB Nathan Peterman had limited snaps due to the fact that Tennessee really never got up by enough to use the 2nd string offense in many games. So, this QB competition is definitely Justin Worley's to lose.
HB- The HB depth took a huge blow this off-season as the Volunteers lost 3 of their 4 HB's. The Vols lost HB Rajion Neal due to graduation and they lost HB's Alden Hill and Tom Smith to transfers. Hill transferred to James Madison and Smith transferred to Tennessee State. But, Butch Jones brought in 2 extremely talented HB's in the 2014 recruiting class. The first is a JUCO transfer Mike Cummings (81 ovr.). Cummings will be a Sophomore this year and seems poised to take over the starting roll in 2015. The 2nd is stud 4* HB Nick Hawkins (77 ovr.). Hawkins is a bulldozer at 6'1" 225 lbs. and should be a fun back to watch in the future. But of course, the starting HB will be Senior Marlin Lane (88 ovr.) who rushed for 425 yards last year on 80 carries. Also, Senior ATH Devrin Young will also play a little bit of HB and WR this season to give the Vols more depth.
WR- The Volunteers lost 4 WR's in the off-season, all due to transfer. Vincent Dallas transferred to Valdosta State, Paul Harris, Johnathan Johnson, and Cody Blanc all enrolled in Junior College. Only Dallas made an impact on special teams.. Besides that, the Volunteers return just about every WR who had significant playing time last year. Sophomore WR Marquez North (85 ovr.) leads the WR corps as the leading receiver last year by having 44 catches for 530 yards and making the Freshman All-America team. Jason Croom (83 ovr.) will be starting opposite of North. Croom is a big mismatch for opposing defenses at 6'5" 224 lbs. At slot receiver will be Junior Pig Howard who will have an increased role in the offense this year. Other WR's who will get significant playing time are Josh Smith, Jacob Carter, Devrin Young, and Ryan Jenkins. Incoming 4* Freshmen Dennis McPherson (78 ovr.) and Marcus McNeil (76 overall) will redshirt.
TE-Butch Jones definitely helped the TE depth this off-season. Upcoming Senior TE Woody Quinn quit the football team and Butch Jones replaced him with the #1 TE in the country in Jeff Zeigler (81 ovr.). From this moment, it seems as if Zeigler will start and if so, he will become the first True Freshman in Tennessee history to start the opening game at TE. Senior TE Brendan Downs (81 ovr.) will be the main backup and Redshirt Freshman TE A.J Branisel will be the 3rd string TE.
O-Line- This is another big question mark for the Volunteers. They will have to replace 4 offensive lineman, 3 of which who were selected in the 2014 NFL Draft (Ja'Wuan James, James Stone, and Zach Fulton). The only returning starter is LT Antonio Richardson (96 ovr.) who elected to come back for his Senior season instead of leaving for the NFL Draft like many assumed he would. Starting at LG will be Marcus Jackson (88 ovr.) who elected to redshirt last year so he'd be able to start 2 years at G which will really help the Vols in the long run. Starting at C will be Mack Crowder (82 ovr.) who is a bit undersized but should provide the Vols with a pretty quality player in the middle of the O-Line. Splitting reps at RG will be Redshirt Freshman Dylan Weisman (80 ovr.) and 4* Freshman Ed Leak (80 ovr.) who signed with the Vols as the #2 G prospect in the 2014 class. Starting at RT will be Redshirt Junior Kyler Kerbyson (81 ovr.) who played a lot of meaningful snaps as Zach Fulton battled pesky injuries throughout the season.
Defense
DE-Tennessee got even more talented at the DE position this off-season. Starting at LE will be 4* stud True Freshman Dane Crosby (81 ovr.). Crosby will be an absolute force for the Volunteers for the next 3-4 years. At RE will be Redshirt Junior Jordan Williams (86 ovr.) and he has some quality backups in Redshirt Freshman Corey Vereen (83 ovr.) and Redshirt Sophomore LaTroy Lewis (83 ovr.). Also in Tennessee's 2014 class were JUCO transfer Greg Pierce (79 ovr.) who will be a Sophomore this year and 4* Freshman RE Nelson Jackson (78 ovr.). Both of them will redshirt this year.
DT-The Volunteers return just 2 of their DT's from last year as they have to replace Daniel McCullers who was selected in the 3rd round of the NFL draft and Daniel Hood who played some meaningful snaps last year. Freshman DT Jason Carr, who was one of the prized recruits in the 2013 recruiting class elected to transfer to a JUCO in Arizona. So, the Vols return DT's Trevarris Saulsberry (81 ovr.) who will start and Redshirt Freshman DT Danny O'Brien (80 ovr.). The Vols brought in the #1 JUCO DT in Shane Morris (81 ovr.) who will start alongside Saulsberry this year. Tennessee also kept the state's best player instate in 4* DT Isaiah Dawson (80 ovr.) who is also from Knoxville. Dawson will play this year while 3* DT Kevin Simmons (77 ovr.) will redshirt.
LB-Due to an off-season injury star LB Curt Maggitt is forced to redshirt this year, which means Redshirt Senior Brent Brewer will start at LOLB this upcoming season with 4* True Freshman LB Dave Stovall (80 ovr.) backing him up. At MLB A.J Johnson (92 ovr.) will start as he looks to improve upon making just 40 total tackles a year ago. 5* prospect Parker Booker will be the primary backup for Johnson while 3* instate True Freshman Aaron Lilly will redshirt this year. Lilly has incredible size for a LB at 6'7" 234 lbs. and will be a force for years in the middle for the Volunteers. Starting at ROLB will be Redshirt Freshman Jalen Reeves-Maybin (80 ovr.) with 4* True Freshman Sam Johnson (79 ovr.) being his primary backup.
CB- The Vols only lost former walk-on CB JaRon Toney as he transferred due to injury. So, Tennessee returns starting CB's Senior Justin Coleman (88 ovr.) and Sophomore Cameron Sutton (87 ovr.). Senior Riyahd Jones (82 ovr.) and Sophomore Malik Foreman (80 ovr.) will get increased roles this season as they have progressed nicely over the off-season. Redshirt Freshman Devaun Swafford (76 ovr.) will also get his first playing time of his collegiate career this upcoming fall. Tennessee brought in 2 stud CB's in 4* ATH Nick Rice (78 ovr.) and 3* instate CB Lee Osborn (78 ovr.), both of them will redshirt this year.
S- The Vols lose starting FS Byron Moore who started because Butch Jones elected to redshirt LaDarrell McNeil (86 ovr.). McNeil who will be starting for the first time since 2012 improved drastically on his speed over the course of the past season and this summer. So look for McNeil to have a break out year. SS Brian Randolph (87 ovr.) retains his starting role and looks to build off of a solid season. The Vols only got 1 newcomer at Safety in JUCO transfer Xavier Ware (82 ovr.) who will be a Sophomore and redshirt this year... Ware is a player who the Volunteer coaches are saying that he could be the best player in the entire recruiting class. At 6'2" 202 lbs. he has great speed and is one of the hardest hitters on the team already.
Special Teams-This is probably the biggest question mark on the team this year. The Vols lost K/P Michael Palardy because of graduation, but they brought in two stud replacements. Starting at Kicker will be the nation's #3 K , Blake Brewster (83 ovr.) who may end up being one of the best kickers in Tennessee's history according to the coaching staff. Then, the Volunteers brought in the #4 P in the country in Joe Clarke (84 ovr.). Both of them have strong chances at making the Freshman All-America team. At kick returner will be Senior HB/WR Devrin Young and Junior WR Pig Howard and Devrin Young will be the Punt returner this year.
PREDICTION
The Vols will be a force in 2-3 years, but question marks at the QB position, on the O-Line, and having true freshman at both Kicker and Punter causes a bit of concern... But, don't get me wrong, there is plenty of talent on this roster... And that is why I believe Tennessee will go at least 7-5 this season and get to their first bowl game since 2010.
Re: The Return of a Football Power: A Tennessee Volunteers Dynasty (NCAA 14)
Week 1: Utah State vs. Tennessee
Utah State Aggies at Tennessee Volunteers
Aug 30, 2014
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Utah State Aggies (0-1)
0
3
14
7
24
Tennessee Volunteers (1-0)
10
7
3
11
31
Team Stats Comparison
USU
TENN
Total Offense
375
488
Rushing Yards
122
184
Passing Yards
253
304
First Downs
19
26
Punt Return Yards
11
0
Kick Return Yards
107
104
Total Yards
493
592
Turnovers
1
0
3rd Down Converstion
7/15 (46%)
6/13 (46%)
4th Down Conversion
2/3 (66%)
1/1 (100%)
2-Point Conversion
0/0 (0%)
1/1 (100%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
3/2/1 (100%)
5/2/3 (100%)
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
USU
TENN
5:53
(TENN) FG: B. Brewster, 39 yard FG
0
3
0:38
(TENN) TD: M. Lane, 4 yard run
0
10
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
USU
TENN
5:15
(TENN) TD: J. Zeigler, 9 yard pass from J. Worley
0
17
3:07
(USU) FG: R. Richard, 21 yard FG
3
17
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
USU
TENN
5:23
(USU) TD: A. Wheat, 27 yard pass from C. Keeton
10
17
3:55
(TENN) FG: B. Brewster, 36 yard FG
10
20
0:13
(USU) TD: R. Hall, 7 yard run
17
20
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
USU
TENN
5:48
(TENN) FG: B. Brewster, 34 yard FG
17
23
3:26
(USU) TD: C. Keeton, 4 yard run
24
23
1:33
(TENN) TD: M. North, 28 yard pass from J. Worley (2-pt)
24
31
Utah State Aggies
PASSING
C/A
YDS
TD
INT
C. Keeton
15/32
253
1
1
RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
C. Keeton
16
26
1.6
1
R. Hall
12
52
4.2
1
J. Hill
7
37
5.2
0
RECEIVING
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
B. Natson
4
34
8.5
0
A. Wheat
3
109
36.3
1
J. Jenkins
3
19
6.3
0
B. Gordon
2
68
34.0
0
R. Hall
1
9
9.0
0
R. Watson
1
8
8.0
0
J. Hill
1
6
6.0
0
BLOCKING
PANCAKE
SACK
K. Whimpey
3
0
L. Molohifo'ou
3
1
C. Meyer
3
1
J. Summers
2
1
J. Mattinson
1
2
DEFENSE
TACK
SACK
INT
TD
T. McMillian
10
1
0
0
Z. Vigil
9
0
0
0
K. Fackrell
8
0
0
0
R. Stewart
7
0
0
0
Z. Toth
5
0
0
0
F. Sutera
4
0
0
0
B. Suite
3
0
0
0
J. Morris
2
align="right">0
0
0
E. Kamana-Matagi
2
0
0
0
T. Seefeldt
2
0
0
0
B. Peck
2
0
0
0
KICKING
FG
XP
PTS
LONG
R. Richard
1/2
3/3
6
21
PUNTING
NO
YDS
AVG
IN20
J. Bentrude
3
142
47.3
2
KICK RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
R. Hall
3
53
17.6
0
R. Stewart
2
39
19.5
0
J. Hill
1
15
15.0
0
PUNT RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
R. Hall
1
11
11.0
0
Tennessee Volunteers
PASSING
C/A
YDS
TD
INT
J. Worley
17/27
304
2
0
RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
M. Lane
16
97
6.0
1
D. Young
7
40
5.7
0
N. Hawkins
1
6
6.0
0
RECEIVING
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
M. Lane
5
111
22.2
0
J. Croom
4
75
18.7
0
J. Zeigler
3
22
7.3
1
N. Hawkins
2
36
18.0
0
M. North
2
48
24.0
1
D. Young
1
12
12.0
0
BLOCKING
PANCAKE
SACK
K. Kerbyson
7
2
M. Crowder
2
0
M. Jackson
1
0
E. Leak
1
0
A. Richardson
1
0
DEFENSE
TACK
SACK
INT
TD
J. Williams
7
2
0
0
A. Johnson
7
0.5
0
0
B. Brewer
6
0.5
0
0
J. Reeves-Maybin
6
1
0
0
B. Randolph
5
0.5
0
0
J. Coleman
4
0
1
0
S. Morris
4
0.5
0
0
D. Crosby
2
0
0
0
T. Saulsberry
2
0
0
0
L. McNeil
2
0
0
0
C. Vereen
2
0
0
0
KICKING
FG
XP
PTS
LONG
B. Brewster
3/4
2/2
11
39
PUNTING
NO
YDS
AVG
IN20
J. Clarke
2
74
37.0
1
KICK RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
D. Young
4
84
21.0
0
P. Howard
1
20
20.0
0
Tennessee scored it's first points of the 2014 one a 39 yard field goal by Freshman Kicker Blake Brewster who drilled it right down the middle to put Tennessee up by 3. Tennessee would score their first TD of the season on a read option handoff to Senior HB Marlin Lane for the 4 yard score. So, at the end of the 1st quarter, Tennessee was ahead 10-0.
Tennessee scored first in the 2nd quarter as well as Justin Worley ran the play action fake to perfection and threw a strike to Freshman TE Jeff Zeigler from 9 yards out for the Freshman's first Collegiate catch and first collegiate Touchdown! Utah State finally got on the board with 3:07 left in the 2nd quarter on a 21 yard FG from the left hash mark. So, going into halftime, Tennessee had a 17-3 lead.
Utah State scored first in the 2nd half with a 27 yard TD pass from Chuckie Keeton to Junior WR Alex Wheat on the post route over the middle of the field as he got behind SS Brian Randolph. Tennessee responded on their next drive with a 36 yard FG by Freshman Blake Brewster to make the lead 20-10 Tennessee. Utah State scored their first TD of the 2nd half on a 7 yard run up the middle by HB Rashard Hall who was tackled forward into the endzone. So, going into the 4th quarter, the score was 20-17 Tennessee.
Tennessee struck first in the 4th quarter on yet another field goal by Freshman Kicker Blake Brewster, this time it was from the left hash and 34 yards out to extend the Tennessee lead to 6. Utah State QB Chuckie Keeton led a great drive and ended up scoring the go-ahead TD with 3:26 left in the game. Keeton dropped back to pass and was pressured by Freshman DE Dane Crosby, so he scrambled out of the pocket and ran in from 4 yards out. So, Utah State took their first lead of the game late in the game. But, back come the Volunteers... On this drive it became obvious Justin Worley has improved drastically from last year both as a passer, but also as a leader. Worley completed a key 4th and 5 pass to WR Jason Croom on the slant route to keep the Vols in the game. And then, with 1:33 left in the game, Worley hit Sophomore WR Marquez North on the comeback route. North broke a tackle, ran 10 yards, and dove for the corner of the endzone and barely got in to give the Volunteers the lead! But, Tennessee wanted to go for 2 to make it a 7 point game again. So, Worley dropped back to pass, faked the handoff to Marlin Lane, and found WR Josh Smith wide open in the endzone to complete the 2 point conversion.
Utah State was forced into a 4th and 10 situation and Keeton's pass was broken up by Sophomore CB Cameron Sutton to clinch the Volunteers victory.
Re: The Return of a Football Power: A Tennessee Volunteers Dynasty (NCAA 14)
I am jealous! Your stats were fantastic in all your games. You also had a realistic record given the team. I've been working on sliders like crazy to get a similar result before I start a new dynasty.
Re: The Return of a Football Power: A Tennessee Volunteers Dynasty (NCAA 14)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miles Perry
I am jealous! Your stats were fantastic in all your games. You also had a realistic record given the team. I've been working on sliders like crazy to get a similar result before I start a new dynasty.
Haha! I try making everything as realistic as possible... Because I'd get bored with the dynasty fast if Tennessee went 10-2 in year one when they had no business even having a winning record. :P
Re: The Return of a Football Power: A Tennessee Volunteers Dynasty (NCAA 14)
Week 2: Tennessee vs. #23 Oklahoma
Tennessee Volunteers at Oklahoma Sooners
Sep 6, 2014
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Tennessee Volunteers (1-1)
14
7
0
3
24
#23 Oklahoma Sooners (1-0)
0
0
14
21
35
Team Stats Comparison
TENN
OKLA
Total Offense
349
378
Rushing Yards
166
145
Passing Yards
183
233
First Downs
18
20
Punt Return Yards
40
24
Kick Return Yards
115
61
Total Yards
504
463
Turnovers
0
2
3rd Down Converstion
3/13 (23%)
5/12 (41%)
4th Down Conversion
0/1 (0%)
0/0 (0%)
2-Point Conversion
0/0 (0%)
0/0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
2/1/1 (100%)
4/3/0 (75%)
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
TENN
OKLA
5:17
(TENN) TD: J. Zeigler, 24 yard pass from J. Worley
7
0
1:33
(TENN) TD: J. Zeigler, 25 yard pass from J. Worley
14
0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
TENN
OKLA
4:08
(TENN) TD: M. North, 4 yard pass from J. Worley
21
0
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
TENN
OKLA
5:42
(OKLA) TD: D. Neal, 1 yard pass from B. Bell
21
7
2:21
(OKLA) TD: S. Shepard, 6 yard pass from B. Bell
21
14
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
TENN
OKLA
6:42
(OKLA) TD: A. Bennett, 32 yard pass from B. Bell
21
21
4:19
(TENN) FG: B. Brewster, 32 yard FG
24
21
2:09
(OKLA) TD: A. Bennett, 25 yard pass from B. Bell
24
28
0:46
(OKLA) TD: B. Bell, 8 yard run
24
35
Tennessee Volunteers
PASSING
C/A
YDS
TD
INT
J. Worley
3/3
57
2
0
J. Dobbs
8/22
126
1
0
RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
M. Lane
19
134
7.0
0
J. Dobbs
12
18
1.5
0
N. Hawkins
9
20
2.2
0
RECEIVING
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
M. North
4
47
11.7
1
J. Zeigler
4
85
21.2
2
J. Croom
2
38
19.0
0
P. Howard
1
13
13.0
0
BLOCKING
PANCAKE
SACK
A. Richardson
6
0
D. Wiesman
3
0
K. Kerbyson
2
2
M. Crowder
1
0
B. Kendrick
1
1
DEFENSE
TACK
SACK
INT
TD
D. Crosby
9
2
0
0
J. Reeves-Maybin
8
0
0
0
A. Johnson
7
0
0
0
B. Brewer
6
0
0
0
S. Morris
4
0
0
0
L. McNeil
3
0
1
0
M. Foreman
3
0
0
0
J. Williams
3
0
0
0
T. Saulsberry
2
0
0
0
KICKING
FG
XP
PTS
LONG
Blake Brewster
1/2
3/3
6
32
PUNTING
NO
YDS
AVG
IN20
J. Clarke
7
261
37.2
2
KICK RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
P. Howard
4
81
20.2
0
D. Young
2
34
17.0
0
PUNT RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
D. Young
4
40
10.0
0
Oklahoma Sooners
PASSING
C/A
YDS
TD
INT
B. Bell
18/37
233
4
1
RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
B. Bell
14
88
6.2
1
A. Ross
9
30
3.3
0
K. Ford
5
27
5.4
0
RECEIVING
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
T. Metoyer
6
48
8.0
0
S. Shepard
3
23
7.6
1
A. Bennett
3
65
21.6
2
D. Neal
2
13
6.5
1
A. Ross
2
50
25.0
0
Q. Brown
1
27
27.0
0
T. McNamara
1
7
7.0
0
BLOCKING
PANCAKE
SACK
D. Williams
4
2
T. Darlington
2
0
A. Shead
1
0
D. Farniok
1
0
A. Woods
1
0
DEFENSE
TACK
SACK
INT
TD
C. Ndulue
11
1
0
0
D. Alexander
8
0
0
0
G. Grissom
6
1
0
0
F. Shannon
5
0
0
0
G. Lynn
5
0
0
0
A. Franklin
5
1
0
0
J. Phillips
3
0
0
0
T. Franks
3
0
0
0
T. Peterson
2
0
0
0
H. Byrd
2
0
0
0
KICKING
FG
XP
PTS
LONG
M. Hunnicutt
0/0
5/5
5
--
PUNTING
NO
YDS
AVG
IN20
J. Barnett
7
327
46.7
2
KICK RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
D. Neal
2
37
18.5
0
T. Metoyer
1
24
24.0
0
PUNT RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
D. Neal
4
24
6.0
0
Tennessee completely dominated the first half as they were the only team to score in the half. The Vols scored on their opening drive as Justin Worley hit former 5* Freshman TE Jeff Zeigler on a post route and Zeigler was tackled forward into the endzone for the early score. On Oklahoma's ensuing possession, Blake Bell threw his only interception of the game to Tennessee S LaDarrell McNeil. McNeil caught the ball near mid field and returned it all the way to the 25 yard line. On the very next play, Justin Worley hit Jeff Zeigler again for the score, but this time it was from 25 yards out. But, Worley was hit and injured by Oklahoma DT Jordan Phillips. It was announced later in the game that Worley was diagnosed with a mild concussion and will miss the rest of the game, but he will be ready for the Arkansas State game next week. The only score of the 2nd quarter was when Justin Worley threw a bullet to WR Marquez North on the slant pass for the 4 yard TD. So, going into halftime, Tennessee led 21-0.
And as the 1st half was dominated by Tennessee... The 2nd half was dominated by Oklahoma. The Sooners got on the board early as QB Blake Bell hit Durron Neal on the 1 yard fade pass for the TD. After a quick 3 and out by Tennessee, Oklahoma took advantage as Blake Bell led a great drive down the field which resulted in a 6 yard TD pass to Sterling Shepard. So, at the end of the 3rd quarter, the score was 21-14 Tennessee.
The Sooners got on the board first as Blake Bell threw a 32 yard TD pass to WR Austin Bennett to tie the game. Tennessee scored the first and only points of the 2nd half on a 32 yard FG by Freshman K Blake Brewster. Oklahoma responded with another TD, this time Blake Bell threw a 25 yard TD pass to Austin Bennett, for Bennett's 2nd TD catch of the game and Bell's 4th TD pass of the game. Tennessee went for it on 4th down, but Redshirt Freshman QB Josh Dobbs' pass was batted away, so Oklahoma would take possession. But, just 5 plays later, Oklahoma put the game away on an 8 yard TD run by Blake Bell which was his 5th total TD of the game... So, Bell was apart of every score for the Sooners in this game.
The final score in Norman, OK was 35-24 as the #23 Oklahoma Sooners avoid the upset with a HUGE 2nd half.
06-28-2015, 03:24 PM
