I think it's safe to say Ward will be

[DoctorBombay]

coaching for his job the rest of the year, when a team is that bad on one side of the ball, you can't keep him. Hopefully, they can get better as season goes versus some opponents who aren't as athletic and savy on O, there are a few games but not a lot.

Low talent yes, but should they look lost out on the field?! A good coach makes adjustments to his scheme depending on the type of players he has... I don't see any play calling instincts to bring selected blitz pressure in game; Ward is George McDonald on defense...

Year #1. After 3 games...

 

[Dcuse]

Way too early to know about Ward. Relax. A lot of what I see has to do with player execution and player mistakes, and, very clearly, limited speed and athletism. This is no just a DB issue or a Ward issue.

The D should perform better against Uconn. But I expect them to get tourched all season.

How anybody can watch the last two games and not at least question the staff on that side of the ball baffles me. We can all accept,I think,giving up a ton of yards on long drives while adapting to a new scheme with less talent,injuries,etc. But giving up multiple 50 - 80 yard runs untouched? Seeing multiple guys downfield uncovered? Teams have probably left another 4 touchdowns and 3-400 yards just in dropped passes. The scheme either stinks or they are doing a horrible job of teaching it. I'm not advocating for firing guys but they better damn well stop giving up these huge plays or I AM advocating for firing defensive coaches at the end of the year.

 

[007]

How anybody can watch the last two games and not at least question the staff on that side of the ball baffles me. We can all accept,I think,giving up a ton of yards on long drives while adapting to a new scheme with less talent,injuries,etc. But giving up multiple 50 - 80 yard runs untouched? Seeing multiple guys downfield uncovered? Teams have probably left another 4 touchdowns and 3-400 yards just in dropped passes. The scheme either stinks or they are doing a horrible job of teaching it. I'm not advocating for firing guys but they better damn well stop giving up these huge plays or I AM advocating for firing defensive coaches at the end of the year.

Question, yes. Reasons to be concerned? No doubt. Speak in absolute certainties that the staff is solely at fault/coaching for their jobs? Too early.

And, FWIW, there are a couple of other possibilities besides "the scheme either stinks or they are doing a horrible job of teaching it."

 

[upperdeck]

you can teach 1st graders all you want but they still will struggle with 8th grade math..

listen to the NFL guys talk about how hard it is to teach a new scheme to guys who already have the talent.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

North Dakota St just beat #13 Iowa with the same defense...nuff said.

What does that have to do with anything? So go hire their DC

 

[supp]

What does that have to do with anything? So go hire their DC

I think he's saying that there's nothing wrong with the scheme that Ward has chosen. It works at the college level and it can even up an imbalance in talent like the one between a really good D-1AA team with 50 some scholarships and a Top 15 B1G team playing at home. What it might need is some time to sink in. I said this in the game thread: we fall for it every time we have a new coach or coordinator. The players in August tell the reporters that this scheme is easier to understand and learn than the one it replaced and we get our hopes up thinking that there's not going to be a painful period of adjustment. And there always is.

Last Saturday, they had to deal Superman at QB who just put up 63 on FSU. On Saturday, they dealt with a poor man's Jackson and multi-year starter running a no huddle offense way more efficiently than our guy. Now if we're giving up 75 yard passes and runs to BC and UConn, I reserve the right to change my mind but I haven't seen enough to think Ward is a dud.

 

[chakka3421]

I think he's saying that there's nothing wrong with the scheme that Ward has chosen. It works at the college level and it can even up an imbalance in talent like the one between a really good D-1AA team with 50 some scholarships and a Top 15 B1G team playing at home. What it might need is some time to sink in. I said this in the game thread: we fall for it every time we have a new coach or coordinator. The players in August tell the reporters that this scheme is easier to understand and learn than the one it replaced and we get our hopes up thinking that there's not going to be a painful period of adjustment. And there always is.

Last Saturday, they had to deal Superman at QB who just put up 63 on FSU. On Saturday, they dealt with a poor man's Jackson and multi-year starter running a no huddle offense way more efficiently than our guy. Now if we're giving up 75 yard passes and runs to BC and UConn, I reserve the right to change my mind but I haven't seen enough to think Ward is a dud.

Exactly. Babers believes Tampa 2 N Dakota St style works best with his offense. That's good enough for me. Nuff said.

 

[oldpinepoint]

You are all crazy, our talent is way below average. He is here as long as Babers is here.

 

[orangezen]

alot of those long plays broke because of bad/missed tackling not because of scheme

 

[AZOrange]

You are all crazy, our talent is way below average. He is here as long as Babers is here.

I guess some want to run a base 3-4 or something to make it better. Another poor tackling undersized linebacker should do the trick!

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I agree man, but a good coach adjusts to what he has, he doesn't try to pound a square block into a round hole...

I think he is adjusting to what he has, actually.

 

[oldpinepoint]

I guess some want to run a base 3-4 or something to make it better. Another poor tackling undersized linebacker should do the trick!

I actually like the Tampa 2, unfortunately the talent doesn't fit the scheme. It's going to take 2-3 years

 

[PAcuse]

The bring issue is the amount of fluff the kids that came in from 2012-14 that actually made it here. Those classes are mostly a train wreck and WE as fans helped to hype them up, because they are OUR GUYS!! Once we have another class or 2 of Dino guys and increased talent level it will be much better.

 

[Millhouse]

I think he's saying that there's nothing wrong with the scheme that Ward has chosen. It works at the college level and it can even up an imbalance in talent like the one between a really good D-1AA team with 50 some scholarships and a Top 15 B1G team playing at home. What it might need is some time to sink in. I said this in the game thread: we fall for it every time we have a new coach or coordinator. The players in August tell the reporters that this scheme is easier to understand and learn than the one it replaced and we get our hopes up thinking that there's not going to be a painful period of adjustment. And there always is.

Last Saturday, they had to deal Superman at QB who just put up 63 on FSU. On Saturday, they dealt with a poor man's Jackson and multi-year starter running a no huddle offense way more efficiently than our guy. Now if we're giving up 75 yard passes and runs to BC and UConn, I reserve the right to change my mind but I haven't seen enough to think Ward is a dud.

Maybe it means Iowa has a lousy offense. I wouldn't know, you couldn't pay me to watch Iowa

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Exactly. Babers believes Tampa 2 N Dakota St style works best with his offense. That's good enough for me. Nuff said.

Ok, well it sucks mooseballs of monumental proportion so far.. Not just bad but worst ever type bad so far... "Nuff said"

 

[dollarbill44]

Serious question: What's harder to play against, a predictable defense or an unpredictable defense? We have the most predictable defense I've ever seen...

Hyperbole much?

 

[Cuse'91]

Hyperbole much?

I don't think we are running a Tampa 2 defense, we are running a Deer in the headlights 2 defense...

 

[HRE Otto IV]

A scheme could work fine (see UCLA) but if the coach can't run it (see McFIt) then you won't have success.

Ward has only been with these kids for 3 games. So he should get some time. IMO this week will say a lot about him.

I think our D talent stinks. However the coaching hasn't helped the situation. In terms of talent we are probably around 100th in the country. The coaching IMO has turned that into the 125th best D in the country. Sure there isn't much difference between 100th and 125th, they both suck. The problem is what happens when we have talent around 75th in the country? We cannot have the coaching turning that into the 100th best D.

 

[TheCusian]

If you want to pretend we're a Shafer led team, just lop off the 4th Q and a part of the third. That will account for the increase in plays and possessions. We're still just as bad, but with less "historically" in front of it.

 

[CuseOnly]

Ward isn't the problem the talent is just not good. We have 3-5 ACC caliber players on defense. We need 2 years of these recruits who capable ACC players getting better. It is like what USF went thru their old coach left the cupboard bare and they had 2 terrible years getting young players thru the system but not last year and this year there are ready.

USF has more talent on their roster than we do. If we give up 30 points this week people will see it isn't the scheme its the players as UConn's offense is atrocious.

We need atleast 2 LBs, 3 DBs, and 2 DEs to compete defensively. The only position on D I have any confidence in is DT.

You say that we only have 3 -5 ACC caliber players on defense. N. Dakota State has how many B1G players on defense? They just beat Iowa with the same scheme on defense.

 

[Alsacs]

You say that we only have 3 -5 ACC caliber players on defense. N. Dakota State has how many B1G players on defense? They just beat Iowa with the same scheme on defense.

ND State has won 5 1-AA NCs in a row. They have won 9 straight games against P5 teams. I think their coaching staff develops talent. I wouldn't compare ND State to SU. Their roster 1-85 probably has more talent as well.

 

[PhatOrange]

ND State has won 5 1-AA NCs in a row. They have won 9 straight games against P5 teams. I think their coaching staff develops talent. I wouldn't compare ND State to SU. Their roster 1-85 probably has more talent as well.

and they're all system kids.