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[QUOTE="0.2 YNdeeR, post: 4478846, member: 8125"]
I know this is a Linton thread, and the stats guys might quibble. But since you posted defensive rankings that included our (much improved) secondary, I thought it might be interesting to look just at rushing yards allowed compared to our DL personnel. In 2017 we had the 99th ranked defense against the run (196 o-ypg) - with lots of size up front (280-320 with Ruff, Slayton, Samuels and MacW). They were even better the next year (2018, sans Samuels) with more experience and obviously a good offense: we moved up 34 spots to 65th (162 o-ypg).

After Slayton left, in 2019 we dropped 43 spots from 65th to 108 (201 o-ypg), stayed around the same in 2020 (105th, 209 o-ypg). But interestingly, in 2021 when we had some size and experience (MacW 285 and Josh Black 290) and NOT a great offense (ranked 93rd ypg), we made the biggest jump in recent years moving up 78 spots to 27th (127 o-ypg). Maybe TW and Achuff helped.

But this year with the same coaches and MacW and JB gone (with a similar offense - 89th ypg), we were both undersized (all interior guys at or < 270 Lockett, Darton, EFC ) [I]and [/I]inexperienced. So we dropped 39 spots to 66th (149 0-ypg) and got dominated on the ground in some losses (ND, Pitt, Clemson).

Smaller shifts in ranking probably don't mean much. But huge jumps (30-80 spots during a 6 year period with different DC's) suggest that regardless of offensive prowess or scheme  ... size and experience do play important roles in our run defense.

[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2021-team-defense.html[/URL]
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