The cupboard was bare defensively for this staff

[CousCuse]

Shafer recruited smaller fast guys because all the tall fast guys get sucked up by the power teams , or play offense . A small fast guy can stay with a receiver and be closer to the play than a taller slower player . Then he blitzed a lot to cut down on the amount of time a QB has to make his throws . If he could get all the best athletes he would change his approach .

 

[baggerbob]

Our starting Linebackers, along with our Defensive backs need an upgrade, the back 7 are, and have been bad for a number of years. None of the current starters remind us of Keith Bulluck, Morlon Greenwood, Kevin Abrams, Will Allen, Donovin Darius, or Tebucky Jones. Bulluck, Allen, Jones, Darius, taken in 1st round of NFL draft, Abrams 2nd round, Greenwood 3rd round.

 

[bcubs9497]

Shafer recruited smaller fast guys because all the tall fast guys get sucked up by the power teams , or play offense . A small fast guy can stay with a receiver and be closer to the play than a taller slower player . Then he blitzed a lot to cut down on the amount of time a QB has to make his throws . If he could get all the best athletes he would change his approach .

Yep, that's exactly what he did. Given his situation, it was a good idea. I don't think, though, that the kids HCSS recruited are a good fit for a Tampa 2 defense.

 

[SoBristol]

For Shafer's defense, for any defense, you would want taller CBs & safeties. He tried to get some -- made a lot of offers. Thought he had a couple in Prater and Blair, but they did not qualify. Similar with Babers -- hoped to have Moore and Pierre, but they did not make it. You would also want second year DEs (Ealey & Shepperd), but that did not work out either.
So forget that. Babers & Ward inherited some defensive players (9 starters) and they are working in some true frosh who look pretty good. The defense is led by sophs and juniors. Should get better week to week. Should not regress from last season. Let's see whether the defensive coaches can do the job.

 

[Ish88888]

The secondary is pretty much inherited from HCSS, and was recruited to implement his more aggressive defensive schemes. Most have at least a year in HCSS's system. Shifting from an aggressive blitzing scheme to the Tampa 2, I suspect, will take quite a bit of time for these kids; it's a paradigm shift in thinking and execution. Baber's DB recruits won't have to "unlearn and relearn"; they'll be immersed in the Tampa 2 from the beginning. It will, though, take a good year working the Tampa 2 before they're up to speed.

As far as the DL is concerned, I think the pressure they're bringing is just fine. Slayton, Samuels, and Steven performed as well as Alabama's front did yesterday when they played WKU. Not one of Bama's DL (including Payne) got to the WKU in under 4-5 seconds (I know because I timed it). What needs to happen is the secondary must give the DL a bit of time for them to get through an opposing OL. To restate, pressuring the QB is more than a "4 man rush"; pressure also takes a secondary providing enough time for that pass rush to develop. If the fan base is wanting to see guys in the backfield in less than 4 seconds, we're going to have to blitz CBs and LBs on a fairly regular basis.

Agree bcubs. We need Slayton to come back inside with Steven and hell, burn all the shirts and play the frosh on tbe outside, let them bring it with fresh bodies. We need size at the backer and secondary level going forward

 

[bcubs9497]

Agree bcubs. We need Slayton to come back inside with Steven and hell, burn all the shirts and play the frosh on tbe outside, let them bring it with fresh bodies. We need size at the backer and secondary level going forward

That's a good idea.

 

[NineOneSeven]

If it was HCSS coaching yesterday we lose 30 something to 9.

This board would be on fire. It'd be much more painful.

Let Dino work.

Good joke

 

[TheCusian]

Thought Pickard played well vs Louisville. If Jackson were a normal guy, he's have killed him on one play.

 

[bcubs9497]

Thought Pickard played well vs Louisville. If Jackson were a normal guy, he's have killed him on one play.

I thought he did, too.

 

[baggerbob]

The Linebackers we have playing most of the snaps, hit a ball-carrier, and they always gain yards after the hit. We need linebackers who drive a ball carrier back when they hit them.

 

[OrangeDW]

That is my point. When GRob came aboard, the excuse was that P left the cupboard bare. Likewise, when FHCDM came on, GRob had left us with nothing. Now I'm learning that when Shafer took the helm, he had nothing, and of course babers has been left with nothing now.

But THIS TIME, I'm supposed to believe it will be different! Just as soon as the new guy gets his recruits here?

Marrone did fine and turned things around because he was a good coach. That was working. If Babers is a good coach(I believe he is based on all the evidence), he will turn it around too.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Marrone did fine and turned things around because he was a good coach. That was working. If Babers is a good coach(I believe he is based on all the evidence), he will turn it around too.

Marrone had a lot to work with on D. Here is a list of players:

DE: Chandler, Marinovich, Jard Kimmel
DT: Art Jones, Tribbey, Lewis, Perkins
LB: Smith, Hogue
CB: Merkerson, Kevyn Scott, Nico Scott
S: Suter, Holmes

That isn't great and lacked depth but it is something to work with and a lot better than what we have now. Who from this team would even make the starting lineup? Maybe Cordy but that is it. That just shows you how poor our D talent is that we don't even have a player who could break into the 2009 D lineup.

 

[Alsacs]

Marrone had a lot to work with on D. Here is a list of players:

DE: Chandler, Marinovich, Jard Kimmel
DT: Art Jones, Tribbey, Lewis, Perkins
LB: Smith, Hogue
CB: Merkerson, Kevyn Scott, Nico Scott
S: Suter, Holmes

That isn't great and lacked depth but it is something to work with and a lot better than what we have now. Who from this team would even make the starting lineup? Maybe Cordy but that is it. That just shows you how poor our D talent is that we don't even have a player who could break into the 2009 D lineup.

Coach Lock 'em up had a lot more to work with in 2009 than we have now.
Clark/Slayton/Franklin/Cordy look like solid ACC players the rest need to develop.


The roster on defense was not stocked with ACC caliber players.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I think we're fine at interior DL. DE is a mess of inexperience. LB has pieces but they can't do it on their own. The secondary is really limited. So, yeah. This is like trying to oil paint with wax candles, and instead of brushes you have forks. And instead of a canvas, you have a brown paper bag. And instead of Rembrandt, you have Pauly Shore. Or Pauly D. Take your pick.

The good news is we're not trying to paint defensive masterpieces anymore.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

The D is on pace for 18 non sack TFL this year. For comparison we had 55 last year. The worst team in the ACC last year was GA Tech with 33, partially hindered by their pace of play. I get that we don't attach the LOS as much with the new D, but how do you take down the ball carrier behind the LOS 3x in two games? Especially playing against two run heavy teams? By dumb luck you should have more than that.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

The D is on pace for 18 non sack TFL this year. For comparison we had 55 last year. The worst team in the ACC last year was GA Tech with 33, partially hindered by their pace of play. I get that we don't attach the LOS as much with the new D, but how do you take down the ball carrier behind the LOS 3x in two games? Especially playing against two run heavy teams? By dumb luck you should have more than that.

Wasn't there one year when it took us until like the 7th game to get a sack under Pasqualoni?

 

[donniesyracuse]

Wasn't there one year when it took us until like the 7th game to get a sack under Pasqualoni?

I thought that was interceptions.

 

[Trueblue25]

Good joke

That louisville team was a bit better than Geno Smith's WVU or Teddy's UL. Don't know what else to tell ya.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I should add I don't think this D will struggle like this against USF/UConn/Wake/BC/Virginia Tech/NC State/Pitt. We are just going to get carved up by Louisville/Notre Dame/Florida State/Clemson for sure. Those teams just have huge talent advantages. That was my point.

Well, even though those teams are all very good (ND being the weakest of the bunch), I don't see us giving up that many big plays in a game again. They have to be able to figure out how we allowed so many receivers to get so wide open, especially in the fourth quarter as players were injured and the rest were gassed.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The Linebackers we have playing most of the snaps, hit a ball-carrier, and they always gain yards after the hit. We need linebackers who drive a ball carrier back when they hit them.

Part of that is the emphasis on the new tackling technique. There was an article about it in the last week or so.