Randy Smith
Even though times have been pretty lean for the University of Tennessee football team the last few years, it's still "Great To Be A Tennessee Vol." The Vols performance against 4th ranked Oklahoma was everything I expected and even more. For the first time in years, U.T. fought a superior opponent until the bitter end, never giving up, never quitting and still fighting when the final horn sounded. The Sooners won the ball game 34-10, but the Vols proved to everyone they are "almost" all the way back. I say "almost" because with twenty-two true freshmen playing against the Sooners, Tennessee still has a long way to go before they can actually travel to a veteran top-five ranked team and have a legitimate chance to win.
Here are a few things to make all Big Orange faithful feel good on Monday following a 34-10 loss:
The play of true freshman running back Jalen Hurd. This kid is as good as advertised. The five star back from Nashville has played and contributed in all three Tennessee games so far this season. The more he plays, the better he gets and by the time the season ends he could be as good as any running back in the SEC.
The play of Tennessee's receiving corp. U.T. is deep at the receiver position and quarterback Justin Worley has spread the wealth around so far. If the Vols receivers can stay healthy, they can be as formidable as any group in the SEC.
More speed and depth on defense. Thirty-four points was all that Oklahoma could get against the Vols. Several times Tennessee stopped the Sooners and made them settle for a field goal, or in the second half the Vols stopped them and forced a punt numerous times, even though the defense had been on the field a long time. This was the teams' best defensive performance in years.
Now, a few things that still causes some concern: The offensive line was just awful against Oklahoma. It's a wonder that quarterback Justin Worley knew who he was at the end of the game. He was hit time and again by the Sooners defensive front; once being sacked with a three-man rush. Now giving credit where it's due, Oklahoma has one of the best defensive fronts in the country, but at this level, despite their youthful inexperience, the Vols' offensive line should have played better. Hopefully the week off will help correct some things.
There is some concern for quarterback for next year. Nathan Peterman and Josh Dobbs each have some ability, but I really don't want to look ahead too far. Justin Worley is a quality SEC quarterback and improved line play will make that very evident in the coming weeks. Let's enjoy him while we can.
Coach Butch Jones has done an awesome job with this team so far. They're 2-1 heading into their off-week, with a big game at Georgia in Athens next on the schedule September 27. The Bulldogs face Troy this week, still reeling from a tough loss on the road to South Carolina on Saturday. Georgia could be ripe for an upset, and remember the Vols could have easily scored an upset win last year in Knoxville, yet the Bulldogs pulled it out in overtime.
Just before Tennessee fired Coach Phillip Fulmer back in 2008, I begged them not to do it. That would send the entire program into a downward spiral that would take years to turn around. I was right. Three head coaches and seven years later and Tennessee was picked to finish fifth in the seven team SEC East pre-season poll. Tennessee is still the nation's winningest college football program since the 1950s, yet because of the seven year turmoil that all began with the dismissal of Phillip Fulmer, the Vols are not respected as one of the winningest programs in all of college football. Butch Jones has almost done the job, bringing Tennessee back to respectability and he has done it in two years. It starts with recruiting but it doesn't stop on national signing day. He has taken a couple of very talented groups of young athletes and molded them into a team worthy of wearing the orange jersey. Are the Volunteers close to contending for an SEC East Title? Yes, very close; perhaps even next year but more likely in 2016. With athletes like Jalen Hurd coming into the program U.T. is almost back to where they need to be.
On Sept. 15, 2014, "It's great to be a Tennessee Vol." And it will get even greater.
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Randy Smith has been covering sports on radio, television and print for the past 45 years. After leaving WRCB-TV in 2009, he has written two books, and has continued to free-lance as a play-by-play announcer. He is currently teaching Broadcasting at Coahulla Creek High School near Dalton, Ga.
His career has included a 17-year stretch as host of the Kickoff Call In Show on the University of Tennessee’s prestigious Vol Network. He has been a member of the Vol Network staff for thirty years.
He has done play-by-play on ESPN, ESPN II, CSS, and Fox SportSouth, totaling more than 500 games, and served as a well-known sports anchor on Chattanooga Television for more than a quarter-century.
In 2003, he became the first television broadcaster to be inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame. Randy and his wife Shelia reside in Hixson. They have two married children, (Christi and Chris Perry; Davey and Alison Smith.) They have four grandchildren, Coleman, Boone, DellaMae and CoraLee.
To contact Randy: rsmithsports@epbfi.com