Ole Miss v Tennessee- crazy stuff
Vols fans threw debris on the field, including golf balls and bottles of mustard, after disagreeing with a spot given on a 4th down, causing a 20 min delay with 55 seconds to go. Classless Vols fans. Despite this, Tennessee gets the ball back and had a chance to win.
Their starting qb gets hurt so they have to put in Joe Milton for the last 2 plays. With 3 sec left and only about 20 yards away from a touchdown, Milton scrambles around and with no time left, runs out of bounds for 5 yards instead of throwing it up to give his guys a chance to win. Wow.
October 17th, 2021 at 8:51 AM ^
Well, Brian Jean-Mary did say that Tennessee had more of a gladiator stadium crowd. I guess he was right.
October 17th, 2021 at 9:09 AM ^
Watching Milton run out of bounds was like watching Tyler Eckert do it in that bowl game when he had Stevie B to lateral behind him.
October 17th, 2021 at 9:19 AM ^
Nearly 16 years later and it's still too soon. ?
October 17th, 2021 at 9:43 AM ^
I was at the game, but fortunately left before the throwing of items took place. It was a great environment and a chance for UT to show what they have to offer. The stadium did a lot of cool stuff with lighting and getting the fans engaged. The checker board looked pretty cool. Now the only thing people will remember is the trash throwing. Really missed opportunity. The school did everything they could to put on a good show, the fans screwed it up.
What I found just as ugly was the booing of injured ole miss players. Both teams had multiple injuries throughout the game. Every time an ole miss player went down the majority of the stadium would boo (not just the student section). I get the fans think the injury is fake to slow the offense down, but they did it when it would make zero sense to fake an injury. I would argue there were more injury timeouts for UT players. Just a really bad look. It's too bad, but that is why they can't have nice things.
October 17th, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^
I disagree. An "injury" might actually have won Ole Miss the game. Tennessee was marching down the field with ease. Then a lengthy break due to an Ole Miss guy down. Once play resumed, UT's drive stalled and ultimately ended in that 4th and 24 situation. If I was a Tennessee fan in attendance, I wouldn't throw things on the field (because I don't do drunk & disorderly), but I would have been no less angry than the folks who did.
October 17th, 2021 at 11:33 AM ^
But players for both teams were going down regularly. At some point, the fans need to realize that it's probably not a fake injury but the pace of the game that was causing players for both teams to cramp up.
And even if an Ole Miss players was faking an injury, I don't see how that would be a major factor leading to UT's stalled drive ending in a 4th and 24 situation.
October 17th, 2021 at 11:41 AM ^
Everyone knows coaches instruct defensive players to fake injuries to break the pace of the 'point a minute' spread offenses. It's a known thing and often not even especially subtle.
But once that became known, it was always going to become the sort of thing where fans are going to assume every opposing team player going down when their team is driving is due to a faked injury.
Blame the coaches/players for opening that Pandora's box by blatantly engaging in unsportsmanlike practices.
And of course that's not unique to any one team. I'm almost certain UT did the exact same thing vs Kiffin's offense. But it's only natural that emotionally invested sports fans aren't going to be into a sober, balanced analysis of the phenomenon in the heat of the moment.
October 17th, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
I get your point and agree that it's a dirty aspect of college (and pro) football. I just think that, in most cases, the players aren't actually faking injuries.
But that doesn't explain why UT fans cheered after Corral was injured. That had to know that wasn't fake, right? I mean, why would Ole Miss fake an injury to their quarterback forcing him to leave the game in a crucial 3rd down situation?
October 17th, 2021 at 12:17 PM ^
I tend not to judge an entire fan base based on a handful of fans (every team has asshole fans) but the shit I heard coming out of the stands at Corral was vile. More than once I heard "Break his F*cking leg" "Go for his head" "Have to knock him out" Etc. To the credit of the UT couple in front of me they were embarrassed and disgusted by it. Also lots of F*ck Laine Kiffin chants, that the majority of the crowd joined in on. Hard to watch a middle age man chant "F*ck" with two elementary school aged kids sitting in front of him, but this dude was totally cool with it.
It was not a pretty night for the fan base, again really too bad because it was a great set up and could have been a fun night where their improving team put up a great fight against a high ranked team. Like I said missed opportunity to show something positive about UT and the program.
October 17th, 2021 at 11:58 AM ^
"sober" is not a term I would use on any level with the UT fan base last night.
October 17th, 2021 at 11:28 AM ^
Yeah, booing the injured players was an especially bad look. I get that the fans thought they were faking injuries, but they should've realized that the UT players were dropping like flies as well. Hell, at least one Ole Miss player had to go to the locker room to get an IV for cramping.
October 17th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
Lots of injury delays for both teams. A ton of snaps in this game. I tend to give the kids the benefit of the doubt. It is a violent game and guys get hurt, they cramp, they get Charlie horses that need to be walked off, but they want to play. I did not think it looked overly intentional either way to mess with the tempo, but I can see an argument that both teams would have.
Certainly the up temp Offenses bring it into question. Neither offense was subbing much at all trying to get the defense locked on the field.
But if I am a CB and I know I am getting a cramp in my leg I am probably going to go down because I know I will get smoked on a route. I don't think that means I am faking the cramp, but I know I am not physically able to play under that condition. Maybe I am naive about it, but I am old enough to remember when players got hurt on either team the crowd would go silent and cheer when they were able to get off the field. Kind of miss that.
October 17th, 2021 at 12:06 PM ^
Benefit of the doubt? This sport is built around dirty tricks, not only but especially down South. It's natural for SEC fans to assume the worst about other teams because their own team most likely has done the worst, too.
October 17th, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
Just let me believe that kids want to play straight up. If they are being coached to fake injuries, then they have bad coaches. If they agree to fake injuries for bad coaches, that does not speak well for their future.
October 17th, 2021 at 10:09 AM ^
It's never crossed my mind to bring golf balls to a football game. So those Vol fans were planning to throw them regardless. The mustard bottles is surprising. But the water bottles? Those things cost like $50.00 at the big house. You might as well throw your wallet on to the field if you're going to do that.
October 17th, 2021 at 10:38 AM ^
The spot was correct.
October 17th, 2021 at 10:45 AM ^
Mr. Punkkid got this right: classless.
October 17th, 2021 at 10:46 AM ^
That last play by Milton was a joke. Why wouldn't you just throw up the ball on the last play? So glad he transferred
October 17th, 2021 at 11:01 AM ^
If you didn't stick with the SEC Networks coverage, Kiffin took his time leaving the field surrounded by security. As he neared the exit he was pelted with more objects and even tried to catch one which actually looked like something metal to me.
As Kiffin hit the exit he tossed his visor up to some Tennessee fans who looked shocked and dumbfounded.
Lane 1 dipshit Tennessee fans 0
October 17th, 2021 at 11:22 AM ^
He did catch a water bottle one handed and then put it in his jacket pocket immediately.
October 17th, 2021 at 11:30 AM ^
I think Lane was a little surprised by how deep the hate against him runs. But when he was coaching there, he should have noticed (and taken note) that their fight song, which they belt out so proudly at every opportunity, is about locals murdering federal law enforcement agents (i.e. outsiders that piss them off).
October 17th, 2021 at 11:23 AM ^
Lane saw some shit last night.
October 17th, 2021 at 11:48 AM ^
The fact that other fans are using Milton's boneheaded decision to somehow hate on Harbaugh and Michigan is just how rent free we live in some people's heads
October 17th, 2021 at 12:35 PM ^
Joe Milton is not a quarterback. He doesn't have the it factor.
October 17th, 2021 at 3:57 PM ^
Joe Milton is beyond pathetic. He is flat out a selfish lame ass. He could have put his shoulder down and tried to score and win.
Who the fuck runs out of bounds on the last play of the game when they could win? I would not want him on my team.
October 17th, 2021 at 4:45 PM ^
Honestly, losing him and Giles Jackson was addition by subtraction. I’m glad both are elsewhere.
October 17th, 2021 at 7:56 PM ^
While I laughed maniacally last night when this happened I was crying inwardly thinking about this very play.
Tyler Ecker, man...that would have gone down as one of the all-time bowl game finishes. Just one cut!
Edit: this was meant to be a reply to EYB‘s post.