.
The story here immediately became Bray's thumb, but this was a depressing second half overall. The Vols moved the ball all over the place in the first half but couldn't finish drives. But that all stopped in the second half with a three and out, the Lane overturn, a false start on 3rd and 1 that turned into a punt, another three and out, then Bray's injury. A small, slow death, but a death nonetheless.
Key Play: Third down conversions to open the third quarter: LSU got 3rd and 4 and 3rd and 5 en route to a 24-7 lead, then got 3rd and 7 backed up at their own 4 yard line en route to a 99 yard touchdown drive.
The Vols actually outgained the Tigers in the first half, but repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with drops, penalties, and two interceptions on offense leading to just seven points. Here again, a big play just before the half turned a one score game into a two score game. LSU simply dominated in the run game in the second half, winning time of possession by sixteen minutes overall.
Key Play: Matt Simms sneaks on 4th and 1 and is denied after a questionable spot with Bama up 13-6 in the third quarter. The Tide score a touchdown on the very next play and the rout is on.
Much like LSU and much stronger than the previous year against the Tide, the Vols stood up for themselves in the first half and played toe to toe with Alabama. In the second half, the Vols couldn't get a first down and fell victim to an avalanche of mistakes and Bama points. Same result as LSU with a slightly better beginning and a much more frustrating finish thanks to the turnovers and inability to move the ball at all in the second half.
First, remember who we've played. Other than the Georgia blowout last year, eight of UT's ten losses have come against teams ranked in the Top 20, all of which the Vols were very much in at halftime. The two close-at-halftime losses to unranked teams were to the NFL-talent-laden Tar Heels, and the Georgia team most believe will win the SEC East. Florida had John Brantley this year and was ranked #10 last year, even though it didn't turn out so well for them. South Carolina won the SEC East last year. All of the other losses were to BCS caliber teams.
It may all feel the same, but remember: Lane Kiffin lost to 7-6 UCLA and 8-5 Auburn teams. In 2008 the Vols lost to Wyoming, an Auburn team that got Tommy Tuberville fired, and a 7-6 South Carolina team. Dooley's road has been tougher not just because of attrition on the roster, but also because the Vols are facing tougher competition.
Second: both sides of the ball are to blame. The Vols have been outgained in the second half in every one of these losses. Tennessee is averaging a pedestrian 127.2 yards in the second half of these ten games, while giving up an average of 225.2 yards in the second half. It's not just big plays and turnovers, it's ball movement. Those averages aren't going to beat anybody of merit. The offense has to sustain drives and keep the defense off the field. The more that happens, the less likely the defense will be to give up third downs and big plays, both of which have crushed the Vols in the second half of these losses.
The balance between depth and halftime adjustments is an interesting conversation, though like most things with this program, I'm not sure we can fairly answer it right now. Tennessee played well enough to win in the second half against LSU and North Carolina last year, and to a degree, against Florida last year, where they at least responded to adversity. And the Vols fought back against South Carolina last year, and Florida and Georgia this year.
It's only been the truly great teams - Oregon and Alabama last year, LSU and Alabama this year - that have obliterated the Vols in the second half. Three of those teams could've/could win a National Championship, and last year's Alabama team was almost as talented as this year's model. A significant percentage of this has to simply be that Tennessee is not ready to fight teams of that magnitude for sixty minutes. It is what it is right now.
What will make it change? For one, more bodies, more experience, and getting everybody back on the field. That's not coming until 2012 though, and believe me, that team will be fully expected to compete for sixty minutes. Part of it is talent and depth, plain and simple.
But another part of it is confidence, and confidence can only be earned, not taught. What the Vols picked up against Cincinnati was false confidence - not because the Bearcats are lousy, but beating Cincy in Knoxville offered no guarantees in Gainesville, and Tennessee found that out. If the Vols finish 6-6, it'll take a special bowl performance against a worthy opponent to teach this team true confidence.
Either way, I'm sure the 2012 Vols led by Bray, Rogers, and Hunter will have plenty of confidence come next August. But it won't be real until we see it displayed in a meaningful victory - not real for us, and not real for them. You have to have it to win big games...and the only way to get it is to win a big game.
But for the other players on this team, especially the guys on defense? That confidence can still be earned, to a degree, this season.
There's still enough data to make everyone wearing orange fearful of the second half. The only way Tennessee can prove to themselves and everyone else that they're not fragile is to go out there and do it in the second thirty minutes. Not against MTSU, Vanderbilt, or Kentucky. But in a game like the one we'll see Saturday.
As such, this is a huge opportunity for this team and a key chance for growth. Not just for Justin Worley, but for everyone involved, including Derek Dooley. If this team is going to get the sort of win that will truly make them a less fragile, more confident football team going forward, time is running out. And South Carolina in Knoxville sounds a lot better than Arkansas in Fayetteville. I'm just not sure a game against the sixth place team in the ACC in the Music City Bowl would do it - bowls are funny, and it would depend on who it is. It shouldn't matter, but it will - there will be a difference between beating, say, Wake Forest and beating, say, Miami.
But none of that is guaranteed yet. This team still has some growing to do that will be very important for the present and the future. And the best opportunity to grow up comes Saturday night in Neyland Stadium.It's worse than that. They go out to eat and leave just the top part sticking out of the check holder so the server thinks they left them a decent tip, meanwhile they sneak out the door, and this is all that's inside with the bill, usually with some BS written on the tip line like "God will provide," or "Have a blessed day!" then there's no other tip. I have literally never picked one of these up that had another red cent in it for a real monetary contribution to show appreciation for their server.  Just this worthless POS that has likely caused more contempt for the Christian religion than anything. Trash humans.ARCHIVED: What should I do if my BlackBerry cannot send or receive email?
If your BlackBerry cannot send or receive email, follow the steps below in the order given to determine the problem.
Check the signal strength
To make sure that you are in a place with a strong enough signal for BlackBerry communication, click theicon, and then click. For some models, the path is, then, and then.
In the "Signal" field, verify that the value is above -100 Bm. Note the "-"; this is a negative number. If the signal is weaker than -100 Bm (the figure you see is smaller, e.g., -110 Bm), the signal strength in your area is too weak for normal functions. If your signal is stronger than -100 Bm (with a larger number, e.g., -90 Bm), continue troubleshooting.
Verify that you are in a coverage area where email transmission is supported. If your network status indicates email support, but you still cannot send or receive email, continue troubleshooting.
For AT&T
The network status indicator for AT&T should be "EDGE" or "3G".
The Bold on the left shows a 3G signal indicator in the upper right corner of its screen; the Curve 8900 on the right shows an "EDGE". Here is a closeup of the screen for a Bold on a 3G network:
Note the uppercase letters on both. If the "G" or "EDGE" is not uppercase, this indicates that the devices are in range of an area with limited coverage. Phone calls and texting will work, but data like web browsing and BES mail delivery will most likely not..
For more, including a breakdown on what an AT&T customer can and cannot do depending on the indicated signal, see AT&T's Check the Wireless Network Availability for the RIM BlackBerry Bold 9000 using Handheld Software Version 4.6.
The 3G network is faster; Indianapolis and Bloomington users should see that level of service.
Older models that do not support EDGE or 3G will most likely have a "GPRS" indicator