3rd Down Defense | Syracusefan.com

3rd Down Defense

Orijinal

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We have been harping on offensive line performance and Devito's inability to handle pressure or move in the pocket (as we should), but I think the 3rd glaring weakness of this team is 3rd down defense.

I have no numbers to back this up, only what I observe on TV. But seems to me there needs to be vast improvement here

This defense constantly gave up 3rd down yardage against Pitt. It was ridiculous that someone was always open ...and what I noticed was that a receiver was always open right around the first down marker, or a couple yards past.

Defense has to adjust on 3rd down to focus on run support and making sure they know where the first down marker is, cause that's right where these catches wind up ..and they are back breakers ...every time
 
We're 91 in the country in FBS games this year. Last year we were 6th.

I wonder if some of it is exhaustion/fatigue by the defense since they are on the field longer this year. Last year we were 40th in TOP and this year we are 71st. That doesn't account for all of it but might account for the big discrepancy between 6th --> 91st
 
From my "Winning Plays" post: we are 78-45, (63%) in stopping the other team on third or fourth down. We are 49-86, (36%), when trying to make it on third and fourth down.

Last year, when we were considered excellent in both, we were 142-73 on defense (66%) and 100-130 on offense (43%).

So the offense has fallen off a bit but the defense is still strong. these last two games we looked like we were getting blown out but the defense shut the other team down in the second half, (just a field goal in each game) and gave us a chance to win each game. Defense is not our problem this year.
 
It’s our reluctance to play man so we go soft zone even with a first down marker. It’s infuriating. P.s. how about chucking the te once in a while on third down instead of giving them a free release to a first down.
 
It’s our reluctance to play man so we go soft zone even with a first down marker. It’s infuriating. P.s. how about chucking the te once in a while on third down instead of giving them a free release to a first down.

Its worked for 4 years. Time to put this one to bed. Plenty of other issues to pick at
 
I don’t see how it ever worked. Soft zone doesn’t work whether we do it or someone else does.
 
I don’t see how it ever worked. Soft zone doesn’t work whether we do it or someone else does.

We typically go zone on 3rd and long. I stand corrected about it being a 4 year success rate - but for 2 years - it was one of the best 3rd down D's in the country.

3rd down conversion %
2015, SS: #53
2016, DB: #82
2017, DB: #13
2018, DB: #7

2019, DB: #80
 
We're 91 in the country in FBS games this year. Last year we were 6th.

I wonder if some of it is exhaustion/fatigue by the defense since they are on the field longer this year. Last year we were 40th in TOP and this year we are 71st. That doesn't account for all of it but might account for the big discrepancy between 6th --> 91st

I understand your line of thinking but they are giving up lots of 3rd down conversions right out of the gate. It’s pretty much an issue all game long so I’m thinking it has more to do with scheme and player situational awareness then anything.
 
we failed at 3rd down all game long vs pitt and its really the reason we lost the game.. the Lbs are lost in zone sometimes. but the real reason we failed was the poor contain by the DEs let the Qb roll out way to easily and find late RCVRS coming open which was not a zone vs man issue..
 
we failed at 3rd down all game long vs pitt and its really the reason we lost the game.. the Lbs are lost in zone sometimes. but the real reason we failed was the poor contain by the DEs let the Qb roll out way to easily and find late RCVRS coming open which was not a zone vs man issue..
I watched Robinson a bunch when it was third down and the call had him drive towards the DT's guy in what I guess was an attempt to allow a stunt for the DT to come around the outside. It didn't work at all. Not sure why you wouldn't just release your top edge rushers to just go ham.
 
We're 91 in the country in FBS games this year. Last year we were 6th.

I wonder if some of it is exhaustion/fatigue by the defense since they are on the field longer this year. Last year we were 40th in TOP and this year we are 71st. That doesn't account for all of it but might account for the big discrepancy between 6th --> 91st

partially true... but without data to back it up, i feel we cant get off the field in the 1st quarter, 2nd quarter, 3rd or 4th.
 
Soft zone and a group of inexperienced guys at linebacker who aren't making the proper reads on passes.
 
I just went through and counted all the 1st down conversions (for the Pitt game) between the 2 halves, should have done it by quarter but wasn't thinking.
1st half - 6
2nd half - 4

So the fatigue thing is potentially not the main issue for 3rd down conversions. What would be interesting to look at if I had more time, if our guys are getting tired and as a result is the opponent converting more 1st downs in down 1 or 2 and the opposing offense isn't even in 3rd down situations that often. What makes me curious about that is I "feel" our tackling drops off significantly in the 2nd half.
 
I just went through and counted all the 1st down conversions (for the Pitt game) between the 2 halves, should have done it by quarter but wasn't thinking.
1st half - 6
2nd half - 4

So the fatigue thing is potentially not the main issue for 3rd down conversions. What would be interesting to look at if I had more time, if our guys are getting tired and as a result is the opponent converting more 1st downs in down 1 or 2 and the opposing offense isn't even in 3rd down situations that often. What makes me curious about that is I "feel" our tackling drops off significantly in the 2nd half.

Last two games the D was poor in the first half and strong in the second half. Don’t think fatigue is the issue.
 
Defensive line isn’t as good as last year. We knew Slayton would be a HUGE loss but add loosing McKinley and the difference is even greater.
 
We typically go zone on 3rd and long. I stand corrected about it being a 4 year success rate - but for 2 years - it was one of the best 3rd down D's in the country.

3rd down conversion %
2015, SS: #53
2016, DB: #82
2017, DB: #13
2018, DB: #7

2019, DB: #80
So why not working now. We have more backend talent than we did 2 years ago even with guys hurt.
 

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