Before all Volunteer home games, the press crew shows video of the Vols reciting General Neyland's seven maxims. They're as follows:
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
2. Play for and make the breaks and when one comes your way - score.
3. If at first the game - or the breaks - go against you, don't let up... put on more steam.
4. Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead and our ball game.
5. Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle... for this is the winning edge.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
7. Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.
I'm so glad that Tennessee uses these statements as guidelines. I'm ecstatic that the new offense has stepped up to return the Volunteers to past glory. I'm so happy that the Tennessee special teams has really turned around. We've really stepped up our team discipline, and we're not making the same stupid mistakes over and over. I feel like we're really ready to step up and take the next step to being able to contend for the SEC East title. We've stuck to the maxims, right?Well, we know that wasn't the case in 2002.
Alabama @ Tennessee, October 26, 2002:
"Volunteers fumble by Derrick Tinsley (TENN), recovered by Gerald Dixon (ALA), returned for a 68 yard touchdown." What isn't included in this was that fumble was really a designed screen pass; Casey Clausen decided to throw a screen pass that was technically a lateral. Tinsley didn't realize it was a lateral, left the ball alone, and a quick-acting Dixon returned the ball for a TD. That was the first score of the game - Alabama went on to win 34-14. Play for and make the breaks and when one comes your way - score.
Florida @ Tennessee, September 21, 2002:
2nd Q, 4:45 left: "Volunteers fumble by Casey Clausen (TENN), recovered by Marcus Oquendo-Johnson (FLA), returned for no gain." Converted into a Florida TD.
2nd Q, 3:32 left: "Volunteers fumble by Corey Larkins (TENN), recovered by Johnny Lamar (FLA), returned for no gain." This was on the kickoff immediately after that first Florida TD. Rex Grossman threw a pick on the next play.
Next play: "Volunteers fumble by Casey Clausen (TENN), recovered by Casey Clausen (TENN), advanced for no gain."
One play later: "Volunteers fumble by Casey Clausen (TENN), recovered by Casey Clausen (TENN), advanced for no gain." Florida scores after the Voluntereers punt - that's another TD.
Last play before the half: "Volunteers fumble by Troy Fleming (TENN), recovered by Clint Mitchell (FLA), 4 yard return." Florida kicks a FG. That's 17 points in 5 minutes. Florida goes on to win, 30-13. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
What about 2003?
Georgia @ Tennessee, October 11, 2003:
Last play before the half: "Volunteers fumble by Casey Clausen (TENN), recovered by Sean Jones (GA), returned for a 92 yard touchdown." Before this, Tennessee was down 13-7 and had the ball on the UGA 3. Maybe they get stuffed and have to kick a FG, right? Not so much. Georgia goes on to win 41-14. Play for and make the breaks and when one comes your way - score.
2004 wasn't a bad year, right?
Auburn @ Tennessee, October 2, 2004:
There was no one backbreaking play here, thankfully (Clausen graduated in 2003). However, Tennessee had 6 turnovers - 5 picks and one fumble. Always good to go into the half down 31-3, turning a top 10 showdown into a blowout. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
Notre Dame @ Tennessee, November 6, 2004:
3rd Q: "Rick Clausen (TENN) pass across the middle intercepted by Mike Goolsby (ND). Returned for a 26 yard touchdown." Oh shit, we're not done with the fucking Clausens yet? I'm going to break something. Play for and make the breaks and when one comes your way - score. Let's just move on to 2005.
Georgia @ Tennessee, October 8, 2005:
2nd Q, ~2:00 left: "Rick Clausen sacked by Charles Johnson, fumbled at the Tenn 26, recovered by UGA at the Tenn 26, tackled by Charles Johnson." Georgia kicks a FG before the half to go up 10-0; that's not too bad, right?
4th Q, 8:50: "Britton Colquitt punt for 46 yards, returned by Thomas Flowers for 54 yards for a TOUCHDOWN." Oh, good; now we've gone from down 13-7 to down 20-7. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
Also, just for the hell of it: "Brandon Coutu kickoff for 64 yards returned by Lucas Taylor for 25 yards to the Tenn 26, Tennessee penalty 19 yard illegal block accepted." "Tennessee penalty 51 yard illegal block accepted, no play." "Brandon Coutu kickoff for 65 yards returned by Lucas Taylor for 11 yards to the Tenn 11, Tennessee penalty 5 yard holding accepted." The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
South Carolina @ Tennessee, October 29, 2005:
No one backbreaking play, thankfully. But:
- 3 plays, 9 yards, punt
- 0 plays, 0 yards, INT
- 4 plays, -2 yards, missed FG
- 6 plays, 21 yards, punt
- 4 plays, 15 yards, punt
- 3 plays, 18 yards, fumble
- 3 plays, 0 yards, punt
- 3 plays, 3 yards, punt
- 7 plays, 19 yards, turnover on downs
I'm so glad we have such an effective offense against the best teams in the SEC. Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.
Vanderbilt @ Tennessee, November 19, 2005:
Let's not even talk about what happened during the game; this was Vandy's first win over the Vols in 20+ years. And it was at home. On second thought:
4th Q, less than 1 minute to go, Vanderbilt driving: "Tennessee penalty 11 yard pass interference accepted, no play." Next play, Jay Cutler to Earl Bennett for the game-winning TD. Discipline. Also, while we're at it: "Bryant Hahnfeldt punt for 47 yards, returned by Jonathan Hefney for a loss of 1 yard to the Tenn 33, Tennessee penalty 10 yard holding accepted." Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.
2006 - David Cutcliffe returns, thank god.
Florida @ Tennessee, September 16, 2006:
First play of the game: "Erik Ainge pass intercepted by Reggie Nelson at the Fla 41, returned for no gain to the Fla 41."
This isn't reflected in any game score, but after Wilhoit kicks a FG to put the Vols up 20-14, Ainge decides to do the Gator Chomp in front of the Florida student section. The next drive, Florida goes up 21-20. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
LSU @ Tennessee, November 4, 2006:
Tennessee's up 17-14 late in the third quarter against a very, *very* good Tigers team. And yet: "Britton Colquitt punt for 39 yards downed at the LSU 33, Tennessee penalty 15 yard kick catching interference accepted." LSU scores on the ensuing drive, LSU's up 21-17.
First play of the 4th quarter: "James Wilhoit 46 yard field goal MISSED."
LSU's last drive of the game: "LSU drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 07:14 LSU TD." Six first downs. One - yes, one - third down conversion. Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead and our ball game. Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle... for this is the winning edge. Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.
2007. We defend our home turf, going undefeated at home. Let's be generous and ignore the ignominious opening game at Cal, the skull-crushing courtesy of Florida, and the inexplicable only good game John Parker Wilson had all year.
And yesterday. "Brandon James went 52 yards for Florida with the opening kickoff and soon after the Gators were in the end zone. Tim Tebow flipped a 2-yard pass over the top of the line of scrimmage to Aaron Hernandez for a 7-0 lead five minutes into the game.
James, who's had four career punt returns for touchdowns, returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown to put Florida up 17-0 with 4:42 in the first quarter. At least five Vols defenders missed James as he blew by them."
"Twice Tennessee drove to the Florida 1 and fell apart. In the second quarter, Jonathan Crompton simply dropped the ball drooping back to pass and Gators defensive end Carlos Dunlap fell on it.
The next time down, Crompton was picked off in the end zone by Janoris Jenkins right before halftime." If at first the game - or the breaks - go against you, don't let up... put on more steam.
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
2. Play for and make the breaks and when one comes your way - SCORE.
3. If at first the game - or the breaks - go against you, don't let up... put on more steam.
4. Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead and our ball game.
5. Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle... for this is the WINNING EDGE.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
7. Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.
I'm glad we're doing a good job of that. We're ready to take that next step. (In the interest of full disclosure, all game summaries and play-by-play data courtesy of ESPN, who apparently have a pretty nice database of these sort of things if you know how to find it.)
