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[QUOTE="IthacaMatt, post: 3166903, member: 405"]
In Dino's first year, we fell from the 98th "best" defense under Shafer to 122nd out of 127 teams, based on the NCAA's Total Defense ratings.  (BC was first in the nation!)

Then we improved to 105th in total defense his 2nd year, 87th his third year, and now we're back down to 115th out of the now 130 teams that play FBS football.

So, the high water mark so far under Dino is 87th best in total defense, although we did really well in certain special categories - turnovers, sacks, 3rd down defense.  It was the ability to overcome our below average tendencies with these special plays that permitted us to win 10 games last year.

Our defense should have resulted in maybe a 5 or 6 win season.  But the special teams and turnovers and 3rd down defense lifted a below-average team to great heights.  But that was last year.

In 2013, our defense was 33rd best in the country based on the NCAA's total defense statistics, and we finished 7-6.  Shafer's defense his third year - 2014 - was 26th best in the country - and we finished 3-9.

So, his problems were clearly on the offensive side of the board, even when he was melting down.

Dino's defenses have never really been close, statistically speaking, to what Shafer was able to do, even as a head coach.  It was the rest of the job - media obligations, organization, program management - that overwhelmed him.

At his core, Shafer is a very good defensive mind.  Just like George DeLeone is a very good offensive line coach, despite his obvious limitations when he was asked to do more.
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