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KNOXVILLE – Too bad to go 12-0.
But could this football team from the University of Tennessee in 2019 go from 0 to 12?
We will try to answer this question by walking on the grass at the Neyland stadium, as Saturday sunlight fades much more slowly than the local team. A study on passion and unbridled joy at the time, Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott, did not change his thoughts on why his Panthers had shocked the 38-30 Volunteers.
"We were in better physical shape," he said. "We used them, we used them in the trenches."
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"We have not played a lot of guys," he added, "but we pushed them to the front."
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"We played better than today's Tennessee flights," Elliott continued emotionally, his sweat-drenched blue coaching shirt since the first quarter, but his entire body was now soaking wet after a bath. Cold water. "It's the SEC, they say it just means more in the SEC, it meant more for us today."
They have been playing football at Georgia State for 10 years. UT begins its 123rd season in the sport. During these first 122 falls and the first day of Saturday, the Flights lost 391 games in total. On the list of the 10 most embarrassing defeats in Neyland, a defeat against a Panthers program that was achieved 2-10 a year ago would surely be in the top three, with the 1958 defeat against Chattanooga and the 1975 defeat against North Texas.
"I think we had a 2% chance of winning this game," said Panthers quarterback Dan Ellington, who scored 22 yards with a 4-yard touchdown at 4:45 to faint after that his two previous passes have kept Georgia State in the game. Game. "At least, that's what the experts in Vegas said."
Indeed, Flights have been favored from 24 to 27 points on almost all lines of paris. Throw the touchdown the last second of the UT in the 38-30, and the Panthers challenged the 39-point 39 points.
Not surprisingly, one of the social media hot topics of the discontented Volniacs focused on the number of days to Rick Barnes' fall training. (September 24, just in case you're interested.)
And the Big Orange Nation is perfectly entitled to express its concern until widespread panic.
Another quote from Elliott regarding the Tennessee line game: "I thought our defensive line could be a source of trouble, and I thought our offensive line could push them a bit."
Jeremy Pruitt, the UT's sophomore coach, did not seem to disagree. He said: "You can watch the yards running .. Georgia State has rushed for 213 and Tennessee for 93. I think that says a lot."
But could he tell the story for the next 11 regular season games? Forget about facing BYU inside this same Neyland stadium on Saturday night, even though Volsville could be forgiven if many nightmares happened in the meantime to meet another team in blue and white colors and whose record was 2 at 10 a year ago.
I do not want to offend Elliott, who is generally considered one of the best offensive line coaches in the sport, but if Tennessee gets shoved by the Panthers in the trenches, what do you think it's going to be when he faces Florida, Georgia and Alabama?
Beyond that, Ellington was by far the best quarterback on the field Saturday. Other schools that recruited him beyond the state of Georgia?
"South of Alabama and Miami from Ohio," he said.
Yet against the Vols, the senior from Olive Branch, Mississippi, through Itawamba Community College, appeared to be a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate.
And that touchdown pass of 22 yards in the fourth quarter, the one that left two flights face down to try to attack?
"I made a few moves and saw only grass in front of me and some ladies in the end zone," Ellington said. "I just had to get there."
When asked if he had already had a better touch, he replied, "No, I did not do it."
For each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Even though the UT fan base was at the end of it, fans of the Panthers were exalted, especially Elliott's wife, the former Summer Scruggs, who remains there. one of the best tennis players for the girls' preparatory school.
Like all women coaches, she lives more than anyone else the ups and downs of athletics. The couple's daughter Maddyn and her son Max at her side, she said that this moment was to be "the pinnacle" for her husband.
It also contained a light text from Jerri, the wife of Steve Spurrier, whom Summer was close to when Shawn was working for the Ol & # 39; Ball coach of South Carolina.
"Jerri and I have this joke on hot beer," said Summer. "When we won today, she sent me a text:" I'm going to drink a hot beer for you tonight. "
While he was trying to prepare his Panthers to the atmosphere that he feared for his team at Neyland, Elliott ordered the game "Rocky Top" to be repeated at high volume during the tests.
"It's a catchy song," he said in his post-match remarks. "I just thought we would get the players excited by playing it."
Then he paused momentarily before skillfully delivering the typing line: "We did not hear much today."
If the Flights do not improve quickly, the rest of their opponents will not be better either.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TFPWeeds.
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