We might just have a heck of a D

[money3189]

our blitz heavy D placed way too much pressure on the secondary. We simply lacked the personal to play shafer ball and the coaches didnt have an alternative

Unfair situations to be in when you are a 5'8 and a 5'9 safety.

 

[SoBristol]

IMO we have talent in the secondary. The reason they were ranked so poorly was a mixture of youth, scheme, and Whigham. I like what we have seen from Hudson, Dowels, Winfield, Ellison, Cordy, Whitner. I think we will be fine with those guys. Obviously they need to show it on the field. I am more worried about DE and LB, but it is just my opinion. Also IMO Shafer's system asked too much from the secondary. For college CBs Lyn, Anderson, Reddish were a pretty solid group of guys and we still couldn't stop anyone. I think this scheme will be better for our players.

You could add two names to your list: Williams (who started, until injured) and Scissum (who played ahead of Whitner). 7 very average players, and Cordy who is the best of the bunch, but only 5 ft 9 with sneakers. With another year of experience, the unit can be better than in 2015 but the talent is limited. Bottom line -- we need to do better in recruiting DB talent.

 

[jr4750]

You could add two names to your list: Williams (who started, until injured) and Scissum (who played ahead of Whitner). 7 very average players, and Cordy who is the best of the bunch, but only 5 ft 9 with sneakers. With another year of experience, the unit can be better than in 2015 but the talent is limited. Bottom line -- we need to do better in recruiting DB talent.

agreed. Williams is always injured, and 5'8 at best. Scissum hasn't really produced yet, although he has been in the program for a while. Hopefully, he can make his mark this year. I like the corners, but they are very small, and were totally inexperienced last year, and probably will be only marginally experienced this year. The two freshman safety's have size but need a lot of time in weight rooms. Gonna definitely be another scary year back in the secondary, especially if we can't piece together a DL that can pressure a QB.

 

[Pyle]

Our defense was bad because it was bad.

We couldn't tackle or get off the field on third down.

The offense was actually fairly productive - at time Dungey, Frederick, Ishmail, Phillips and others were pretty darn explosive.

The long drives that UVA and Pitt used to beat us were all on our defense - not our offense.

We ranked 118th in total offense and 77th in scoring. I wouldn't call that fairly productive. I think you need to set the bar a little higher.

 

[SoBristol]

agreed. ...The two freshman safety's have size but need a lot of time in weight rooms. Gonna definitely be another scary year back in the secondary, especially if we can't piece together a DL that can pressure a QB.

Agreed, and now a couple of positive points. The new staff (unlike Shafer) seems open to a PG transfer and a JUCO to add help at positions of need (the prospects recently mentioned are both DEs). At BGSU, they added a PG transfer from Notre Dame ( a safety), who became an immediate starter.

Second, and this is just a hope, a new DC and a new DB coach might take a different approach with the secondary -- for example, flip Cordy to CB, and add size at the safety spots.

 

[atcar]

I think it was agreed upon that last year we had a lot of young guys on D that would have benefited with a red-shirt year in the weight room instead of on the field. I someone told me S&C staff basically said most of the freshmen were just not physically ready to be out there. I think we saw some of that where Cuse was in games until the 4th Qtr. D on the field too long and just not matched well physically against some of the other ACC teams.

 

[TheCusian]

We ranked 118th in total offense and 77th in scoring. I wouldn't call that fairly productive. I think you need to set the bar a little higher.

Exactly. It was the worst total offense stat in the Marrone/Shafer era. 2nd best in scoring during that same time (which shows just how awful and in need of a upgrade on offense we've been for ten years).

We should not mistake a few great plays by promising young players as success.

Babers is going to light this **** on fire.

 

[reedny]

My concerns with the T-2 are that it favors fast players (?), requires just about everyone on D to be a good tackler (?) and the safeties have to be rangy and speedy (?).

We might have better athletes on D than HCDB's Mac team .. let's hope so, because that team (running the T-2) got pounded for 59 points against Tennessee, 44 to Memphis and 58 to Georgia Southern.

 

[OrangePA]

We ranked 118th in total offense and 77th in scoring. I wouldn't call that fairly productive. I think you need to set the bar a little higher.

Yes, I think that's pretty clear - we need improvement on offense, defense and special teams. And I realize that the productivity of one unit does impact the other units.

But, I had no problem with our offense last year when everybody was healthy. I love Dungey. I liked the scheme a lot. I liked the option - the running attack and the ability to score from any part of the field.

The offense was clearly impacted by the loss of Dungey for four games (?).

Still, even with a walk-on QB the offense last year was as explosive as I have seen in awhile.

We moved the ball against some very good teams - Clemson/LSU.

At UVA, our offense moved the ball quite well when it truly mattered during OT.

It was the defense that lost that game and it was the defense that lost the Pitt game. When your defense can't get off the field that impacts your offensive productivity.

So, yes we need to improve. But I personally think that defense is bigger concern going into the spring.

 

[TheCusian]

My concerns with the T-2 are that it favors fast players (?), requires just about everyone on D to be a good tackler (?) and the safeties have to be rangy and speedy (?). We might have better athletes on D than HCDB's Mac team .. let's hope so, because that team (running the T-2) got pounded for 59 points against Tennessee, 44 to Memphis and 58 to Georgia Southern.

I think you recruit to the D. Some of this year will be ugly because the players don't fit the system.

That's why Dino has a 6 year deal.

 

[upperdeck]

if the D doesnt take a late penalty against UV and makes one 4th down stop against pitt we win one if not both games and we dont even have a new coach. add in the stupid late hit against USF. the talent/scheme were not so far off as to be unfixable. But you can argue the upside of this style is far higher I think.

 

[VirginiaOrange]

if the D doesnt take a late penalty against UV and makes one 4th down stop against pitt we win one if not both games and we dont even have a new coach. add in the stupid late hit against USF. the talent/scheme were not so far off as to be unfixable. But you can argue the upside of this style is far higher I think.

Glad we lost all the games if that is what it took to get Dino.

Of course if the coaches did anything at UVA they could have helped themselves and won. Zero adjustments leading to zero offense after the half and questionable decisions in the end. But it worked out as they are gone.

 

[baggerbob]

In game adjustments on defense were bad under Bullough, almost as if Scott forgot he had been a defensive co-ordinator.

 

[upperdeck]

I could never get a sense of that.. when kids blow coverage assignments who is to know how much is coaching and how much is the kid screwing up.

 

[sdhall01]

I could never get a sense of that.. when kids blow coverage assignments who is to know how much is coaching and how much is the kid screwing up.

when kids screw up as much as ours did, it's coaching.