Third Down Defense (Through 10/2)

Yeah, we don't have enough quality kids on defense. Pretty simple. The young kids look promising, but they have a ways to go. It's too early IMHO to rate the coaches ability to scheme until we get some stud recruits. We would have won a natty with Trask if we had a defense. And that was then! It's only gotten worse. So there's that.

There were a few plays where the Eastern Washington corners were right there in great coverage, but our QB's put it exactly where it needed to be. There were times it looked like they only had nine players on the field-not unlike us at Tenn. Giant gaping cavernous holes. The kids looked confused and puzzled. Then suddenly they up their game in the red zone. Or not. Inconsistency at best and that's being nice.

Do you really think even Muschamp could make these kids a top 30 defense? I think not. He'd be spitting and growling all over the refs.

Go Gators.

 

dejavue!

 

while it's the bowl staff we had last year were lame ducks, they still got paid extra to prep for the bowl, but I understand they only practiced the week of the game

 

yup - I trust our staff. It's obvious they are trying to keep everything in front of the players. Some call it soft and bend but don't break. The last staff did the same. Hopefully week by week some guys will start to get it and young guys will learn. The effort is there. Great effort will cause mistakes on the other team, turnovers, and create some wow plays from time to time.

Also pop with some surprise aggressive calls here and there to create a little chaos.

 

Passive Defense, 3dl on 3rd down, 8 pseudo Db’s, teams still are consistent making first downs on us. This makes me want to puke. We need a five man front on 3rd down with two lb’s up close. Dbs need to man up. Put pressure on the QB. Playing Missouri, if this bend but not break defense continues, this scheme will hurt recruiting, like it or not. Give your team a chance to stop third down plays. Every year we say we are going to beat Missouri, it is due to defensive schemes we have had, like it or not. Our athletes were all highly rated and could learn an aggressive defense. Just beat Missouri and stop automatic first downs!

 

Actually muschamp recruited extremely well on defense.

 

We actually weren't terrible last year before the wheels fell off. We held Alabama to 91 yards rushing last year. The difference in talent isn't all that much from last year.
Not ready to make excuses for these coaches yet. Let them finish the season and see if we make progress along the way. The more excuses we make for them the more things stay the same. See Mullen.

 

I forgot to add in my first post . . . losing Diabate and Hopper was a big blow. Two starters at LB who would have certainly helped the defense.

 

No doubt. Horrendous one-eyed goof ball that couldn't see or cede the proper value to the offense. But we had a great D players.

 

OK. I was going by what the site said "through games October 2, 2022."

 

Hopper definitely was a major blow. Hopper along with Miller would have been a decent ILB group.

Diabate? He sort of epitomizes the problem we have had in recent years. Solid athlete that consistently blows assignments, which we used to our advantage when we played against him(he looked lost on occasions). Bogle was probably a bigger loss than Diabate in my mind.

 

The crazy thing is that last year, teams would have third and much greater than ten and make a first down (third and Grantham), whereas this year, we don’t see distances like that much, but teams are making first downs on third and much shorter distances.

 

Any idea how Bogle is doing?

 

Hopper is having a very good year. Hurt he left.

 

If we had Hopper and someone good at SS the defense would be significantly improved.

 

Perhaps you say this sarcastically, but why not? In fact, it is even more than two causes, as "coaching" includes not only coaching this year but the coaching our experienced players have had the last 2 or 3 years. Like Burney standing straight up as the back comes out on a route instead of chopping his feet, DBs not breaking downhill as soon as the receiver cuts, or our ends crashing and losing contain. We also have depth issues.

So I would say it is:
- Talent across the first string (especially LBs DBs)
- Talented depth (new players coming along)
- Previous coaching (or lack thereof)
- Current coaching that does not trust the LB/DBs so plays safe. This is subject to fair criticism, though as we see with James (for example) at LB, it also results in busted defense b/c he is so young, but at least you get experience and hope.

"For every complex problem there is a simple solution. Unfortunately, it is usually wrong."

 

People seem to forget the older guys now have years of Mullen coaching in them. Those are habits very hard to break

 

When there is very little pressure on a qb, any db is going to suffer. Any db who is anybody wants to play man to man. Are they going to get beat some, yea. Are they going to get picks, yes. And in all probability they will get tackles. We need more bodies near the line of scrimmage to get more pressure and force more downfield throws. I believe every coach we face will instill pressure defense on us whether or not they are EW or LSU.
It’s almost to my disbelief that anyone can say recruiting is the problem. It is part of it but give the team a chance to stop offenses before they have long drives and scores that leave us on the short end of the stick. This type of defense shreds and credibility in Toney and if there are no changes, the CBN will start getting hammered in press conferences, other teams using this against us in recruiting and losing fan support at a all time high. Waiting three or four years and hoping for change allows all enemy programs the green light to help build their programs. This weekend will cement Thoughts about our coaches in minds across the nation. A truly uphill battle with Florida’s state law on NIL. Right now we have both hands tied behind us in a fight for life. State legislatures getting involved without guidance from the NCAA and our Congress, not making it consistent in athletics allows chaos and doesn’t allow fair dealing in recruitment of players. People in the board of regents, UF, should be involved with the state legislature on going to help all Florida schools be able to compete without cheating. I am sure FSU and Miami just laugh at us playing by the rules. We are in a perfect storm of trying to compete in D1 football.