Nixon and ERob returning for 2026

[GoSU96]

Post Angeli has been the opposite of complimentary football. Miami game, tight single score game until a pick six and close red zone fumble, and then the wheels fall off in the second.

Defense has held up until it can’t

 

[kirbivore]

Really need to watch more than look at stats.

You can call the right D and a guy mis fills a gap or misses a tackle thats not all about the DC.

We have no play making DL. That limits big plays on D to help setup the 2-3 plays.

If we are going to play every year with below avg play on the DL there is only one choice to play down hill and isolate the Corners and thats a recipe for disaster.

Look at the Miami game. Really one bad play on D in the whole half and that flips they game to 7-0 then the pick 6 and the D is chasing the whole rest of the night after a solid 90% of a first half.

Much the same on offense. We call the perfect play vs the D and the oline cant block at all and the plays blow up.

If we can just get to avg on both lines then the OC/DC have more chances to succeed.

He made one of the most idiotic calls against Stanford last year that I've ever seen. That alone should have gotten him fired.

 

[Archbold44]

Not by FBS only, but overall yes.

1st half YPC 5.77
2nd half/OT YPC 3.89

QB Rating
1st half 148.23
2nd half/OT 148.27

By Q YPC
1st 4.88
2nd 6.60
3rd 3.67
4th 4.14
OT -1.00

By Q QB Rating
1st 117.26
2nd 177.27
3rd 178.02
4th 123.95
OT 35.12

The 2nd Q for both Run and Pass has been god awful.


Edit
I don't see TOP by Q but overall we are at 29:05:40 per game. Not really a tired excuse IMO. It is better than 2023, 2022, and less than 10 secs off of 2021 when we ran the ball every play. The only season in the last 10 that was significantly better was last year.

Super helpful thank you. It's totally different than what I would have thought from the eye test (besides second quarter sucking, which i kind of expected).

This makes complete sense.

Our defense--other than Tennessee/Duke--comes out playing. But our offense--other than Clemson and the 2nd quarter against Tennessee--comes out weak. Our defense is on the field too much in the 1st quarter and 2nd quarter... begins to fade in 2nd quarter. We get halftime to rest up... come back out. The 3rd quarter... our O continues to stink, if not turn the ball over... so P4 teams pull away and our defense gets overwhelmed as they try to go for turnovers rather than tackles. By the 4th Q, the game gets out of hand... at which point... the opposing offense goes conservative, allowing our second half numbers to improve... our opposing defense goes prevent, so we finally move the ball... and in the end, it looks like we get better in the second half, when really it is just that the other team has let up significantly during the 4th quarter. The only good offensive first quarter was Clemson... and we looked great as a team...

 

[690West]

Good.

I’m curious your take on the 124th ish ranking defense. I need a rational take and I know you’ll bring it. Is the argument simply recruiting chops and continuity?

Edit: Saw your response above

 

[buffalorange]

Hopefully they hire at least two former coordinators to help get some experience on staff.

Retaining Don Brown as well would be nice.

Maybe he becomes the co-defensive coordinator. As it was at Texas A&M.

 

[GoSU96]

I’m curious your take on the 124th ish ranking defense. I need a rational take and I know you’ll bring it. Is the argument simply recruiting chops and continuity?

It sucks.

They lost a ton of experience and leadership that was core to a make key plays and stops defense, not a shut down defense. That defense contributed significantly to the 10-3 record.

This year the best players are underclassmen and the offense hung them out to dry most of the year. Talent is the much bigger issue than scheme this year. There are good pieces at DB and LB coming back. Some of the freshmen DL are getting snaps now. Next year will be all their year own players. If it isn’t at least top 60, scrap it and start over.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

This makes complete sense.

Our defense--other than Tennessee/Duke--comes out playing. But our offense--other than Clemson and the 2nd quarter against Tennessee--comes out weak. Our defense is on the field too much in the 1st quarter and 2nd quarter... begins to fade in 2nd quarter. We get halftime to rest up... come back out. The 3rd quarter... our O continues to stink, if not turn the ball over... so P4 teams pull away and our defense gets overwhelmed as they try to go for turnovers rather than tackles. By the 4th Q, the game gets out of hand... at which point... the opposing offense goes conservative, allowing our second half numbers to improve... our opposing defense goes prevent, so we finally move the ball... and in the end, it looks like we get better in the second half, when really it is just that the other team has let up significantly during the 4th quarter. The only good offensive first quarter was Clemson... and we looked great as a team...

Disagree with that.

GA Tech the D was bad the whole game. UConn it was bad until UConn got conservative. We really only faded on D the last 2 games. And did we not lead the game at half and TOP vs UNC?

I do think the D gets mentally exhausted by watching our O. But I don't think that is the case physically.

 

[RMH44]

Post Angeli has been the opposite of complimentary football. Miami game, tight single score game until a pick six and close red zone fumble, and then the wheels fall off in the second.

Defense has held up until it can’t

Arguably, one of the most lethal defense-killers is an offense that can move the sticks.

 

[Archbold44]

Disagree with that.

GA Tech the D was bad the whole game. UConn it was bad until UConn got conservative. We really only faded on D the last 2 games. And did we not lead the game at half and TOP vs UNC?

I do think the D gets mentally exhausted by watching our O. But I don't think that is the case physically.

First Quarter at Georgia Tech: Fumble, FG, Punt. How is that a bad start at all??? Ga Tech averages 30+ PPG against FBS defenses. We held them to 3 and got a turnover.

Gardner-Webb, an FCS school, passed for 200 yards against Ga Tech and ran for another 100. Our accomplishments against Ga Tech offensively were similar. FBS teams averaged 24 PPG against Ga Tech (excluding us) and we scored 16. Only Gardner-Webb scored less against Ga Tech.

Our offense scored nearly 1/3 of its points so far against Colgate. Take away that game... 17 PPG in the other 9 games. The worst offense I have ever seen was GRob in 2005. And that team scored 152 in 11 games... no FCS opponents.. so 14 PPG agaisnt FBS. We are one field goal per game better than the worst offense I have ever seen.

Whatever our defense is... it is within a standard deviation or two of what we can expect out of an SU defense with this schedule for the past 40 years.

The offense, however, has been historically bad. I don't care who your QB is... there is NO excuse for a P4 offensive coordinator having 6 straight games without an offensive TD in the first half outside of 15-yard drive. We can make it worse--add in the 3rd quarter... no additional TDs. So, our offense has scored ONE non-garbage time TD in 6 games... and it was a 15 yard drive. Our defense has also scored one first half-TD in 6 games. And that was a longer "drive" than our one offensive TD. And we wonder why Our D is eschewing tackling and instead going for the ball strip, giving up yardage and first downs along the way...

 

[HRE Otto IV]

First Quarter at Georgia Tech: Fumble, FG, Punt. How is that a bad start at all??? Ga Tech averages 30+ PPG against FBS defenses. We held them to 3 and got a turnover.

Gardner-Webb, an FCS school, passed for 200 yards against Ga Tech and ran for another 100. Our accomplishments against Ga Tech offensively were similar. FBS teams averaged 24 PPG against Ga Tech (excluding us) and we scored 16. Only Gardner-Webb scored less against Ga Tech.

Our offense scored nearly 1/3 of its points so far against Colgate. Take away that game... 17 PPG in the other 9 games. The worst offense I have ever seen was GRob in 2005. And that team scored 152 in 11 games... no FCS opponents.. so 14 PPG agaisnt FBS. We are one field goal per game better than the worst offense I have ever seen.

Whatever our defense is... it is within a standard deviation or two of what we can expect out of an SU defense with this schedule for the past 40 years.

The offense, however, has been historically bad. I don't care who your QB is... there is NO excuse for a P4 offensive coordinator having 6 straight games without an offensive TD in the first half outside of 15-yard drive. We can make it worse--add in the 3rd quarter... no additional TDs. So, our offense has scored ONE non-garbage time TD in 6 games... and it was a 15 yard drive. Our defense has also scored one first half-TD in 6 games. And that was a longer "drive" than our one offensive TD. And we wonder why Our D is eschewing tackling and instead going for the ball strip, giving up yardage and first downs along the way...

They had over 100 yards in the first Q

 

[MadNY3]

It sucks.

They lost a ton of experience and leadership that was core to a make key plays and stops defense, not a shut down defense. That defense contributed significantly to the 10-3 record.

This year the best players are underclassmen and the offense hung them out to dry most of the year. Talent is the much bigger issue than scheme this year. There are good pieces at DB and LB coming back. Some of the freshmen DL are getting snaps now. Next year will be all their year own players. If it isn’t at least top 60, scrap it and start over.

Weren’t we like 120th last year?

A high-scoring offense allows some slack, but concerning when we can’t tackle, get off the field and prevent points in two years, two different scenarios.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Weren’t we like 120th last year?

A high-scoring offense allows some slack, but concerning when we can’t tackle, get off the field and prevent points in two years, two different scenarios.

FBS Games 2024 vs 2025

Scoring 96th vs 112th
TYPG 78th vs 117th
YPC 119th vs 107th
QB Rating 90th vs 124th
Redzone TD % 72nd to 68th
TOs 74th vs 118th
Sacks 71st vs 83rd
TFLs 91st vs 43rd (really surprised by this year is so high)
Passes Defended 78th vs 117th
3rd Down 77th vs 61st


The highest rated category above from 2024 was Sacks at 71st. So we didn't even rank in the Top half of FBS in a single category.

 

[dwilmont44]

Absolutely hate the defense is tired because of the offense arguments

You're allowed to have a good defense with a bad offense.

 

[skeeter223]

EROB is a GREAT defensive coordinator. Any school looking for a head coach or D coordinator should read this and give the guy a shot. The best I’ve seen. Take my word for it. It would be a disservice for college football if EROB is not the head coach somewhere next year like Penn State

I'm all for him going to Penn State.

 

[Archbold44]

Absolutely hate the defense is tired because of the offense arguments

You're allowed to have a good defense with a bad offense.

Our defense is not a good defense. It is a below average defense.

But our offense is not a bad offense. Our offense is a historically bad offense. It is a "wow, we actually made a first down" offense.

 

[Scooch]

Absolutely hate the defense is tired because of the offense arguments

You're allowed to have a good defense with a bad offense.

The stats simply don’t back it up. I mean, people are saying the D is too tired in **the second quarter**?!?!

Come on, that’s silly.

Our D, generally speaking, stinks. It stunk last year too. Yea, they have their moments where stops are made. Yes, they have a game here and there where they play well. That’s how the sport works.

But they stink.

 

[baggerbob]

The stats simply don’t back it up. I mean, people are saying the D is too tired in **the second quarter**?!?!

Come on, that’s silly.

Our D, generally speaking, stinks. It stunk last year too. Yea, they have their moments where stops are made. Yes, they have a game here and there where they play well. That’s how the sport works.

But they stink.

The stats simply don’t back it up. I mean, people are saying the D is too tired in **the second quarter**?!?!

Come on, that’s silly.

Our D, generally speaking, stinks. It stunk last year too. Yea, they have their moments where stops are made. Yes, they have a game here and there where they play well. That’s how the sport works.

But they stink.

The 1985 Super Bowl Bears defense, wouldn't do well playing with this offense.

 

[Archbold44]

The 1985 Super Bowl Bears defense, wouldn't do well playing with this offense.

We might have won one of the last six games if we had the 1985 Bears defense.

 

[PAcuse]

I think this is fine bringing both back.
The defense has had bright spots BUT we have to make changes somewhere on that side of the ball. How much does Wright have as co-DC? He has been touted as a rising star in the coaching community, is it just a title to give him more money or does he get t ohave real input?
Not really sure what changes we can actually make for the D side for coaches.

Offensive side of the ball Dale needs to go and maybe Johnson as the QB room is not getting developed at all.
OLine has gotten worse and worse, would be shocked if Dale is back and pissed off.

Gattis I think will be moved up to CO-OC in 2026 and sould help balance out Nixon.

Off season will be huge for both the portal and reshuffling the coaching staff.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

The 1985 Super Bowl Bears defense, wouldn't do well playing with this offense.

Uhm, yeah they would.

 

[RyanCuse44]

Absolutely hate the defense is tired because of the offense arguments

You're allowed to have a good defense with a bad offense.

That's been Kentucky's problem.

 

[djorange1989]

All Fran said is EROB is coming back. First of all, that could be for recruits. Or, he is coming back but with a co-DC title and the other half of the co-DC will actually be the play caller. If EROB is calling plays next year, I will cry

 

[MSOrange]

Absolutely hate the defense is tired because of the offense arguments

You're allowed to have a good defense with a bad offense.

Iowa managed to do it for several seasons.

 

[Scooch]

The 1985 Super Bowl Bears defense, wouldn't do well playing with this offense.

No, see that defense would do just fine.

 

[UpstateSM]

Don Brown and ERob co-defensive coordinators in name only would work for everyone