Tennessee Volunteers' Jonathan Crompton: What Happened?

Crompton is a name that makes Tennessee fans cringe.  He started last year, and was rotated with Nick Stephens based on who happened to throw less interceptions the game before.  Fans began to hate him, and he received death threats in the 2008 season, but never told anyone.  To UT fans, watching No. 8 line up behind center meant a high probability that this game was going to be a loss.

He started off the 2009 season with a bang, throwing for five TDs against Western Kentucky middle school, but still, he had two interceptions that many debated were not his fault. 

The next game, against the UCLA Bruins, was a disaster.  He threw for 93 yards and three interceptions, with another takeaway being called back.  The hate against him shot back up—off the charts in fact—and many called for Lane Kiffin to replace him with the backup, Nick Stephens.  But Kiffin maintained that Crompton was his quarterback and he had his full confidence.

The next game at the Swamp, Jonathan Crompton again threw for only 93 yards, but he had two interceptions on fewer than 20 throws. 

More than that, it was obvious that the offense was playing very conservatively because they were afraid of what their quarterback could do to hurt them.  The fan base was temporarily quieted, though, with what many saw as a "moral victory" for the Vols.

After Florida, the expectations for Tennessee were up again, but they struggled against Ohio.  In a game that turned into a letdown game, Kiffin tried to get Crompton more throws, but he completed only 50 percent of his 34 passes, and didn’t look too good in the process.  The cry for his removal began to inch up again.

Then, Tennessee had their first home SEC game of the year, and while it was against a good (undefeated, at the time) Auburn squad, we fans wanted an SEC win.  The offense looked pathetic for the first one-and-a-half quarters, only putting a drive together at the end of the first half in a two minute drill type offense. 

The third-quarter offense couldn’t get a first down, and the fourth quarter was the only time the offense looked good at all.  But I maintained that the offense had shown some signs of life and seemed to be getting onto the same page.  Other Vol fans weren’t so optimistic, and while we were favored over Georgia, if you had asked a Vol fan you would have thought Tennessee was a high school team playing against an NFL squad this week.

Saturday against Georgia, the UT offense came out looking hot, though they didn’t score on the first drive.  The running game was getting good, consistent yardage on the ground, and the passing game was connecting in a way we haven’t seen for years. 

Jonathan Crompton was rolling out of the pocket and hitting receivers like Peyton Manning tearing apart the Titans yesterday.  He finished 20-27 on the day with four TDs.  He did throw one interception that went the other way for a touchdown (arguably both his and the receiver’s fault), but he never got rattled and kept his cool.  It looked like a totally different quarterback on the field.

So, what happened?  Well, first of all, we have to acknowledge that Crompton was throwing against a Georgia defense that their fans have complained about all season.  Georgia’s defense was giving up 236 yards per game through the air, and 121 per game on the ground.  They have only held one team (Arizona State) to under 20 points all season, and in half their games, the opponents have scored over 35 points.  So, Tennessee isn’t the first team to take advantage of this defense.

Then again, though, Tennessee has played other games against not-so-great defenses and hasn’t come out with a performance like this.  Against Ohio, Tennessee did score 34 points, but no one doubts that the offense was abysmal that game. 

I think that the offense is finally clicking.  I’m not naive enough to think that Crompton’s going to throw for 300-plus yards against Alabama in a couple weeks, and I really don’t expect the Vols to win the game.  However, the offense did click better than they have all season, a fact that cannot be denied, and if they can make the short passes and keep the running game going, this Tennessee team doesn’t have to finish the season at .500 or less.

Most of all, what I know is that I’m now optimistic about the season, and Jonathan Crompton deserves the SEC Player of the Week he was awarded.  No one has made a complete turnaround this season like he has. 

I can’t wait for the Alabama game because for the first time this season, I really can say that we have a chance.

Go Vols!