Defensive pressure...

[hemmy]

Maybe DOD defenses could swarm around the ball because those players could shed blocks?

[Sugar Dick]

Yep.

When ISU got into obvious passing mode at the end of the game, we got pressure on Arnaud. I agree our lack of pressure to that point was game-planned.

Of greater concern to me is the fact that our defensive players, by and large, are still a step slow and pretty weak. We're now into our seventh straight season where our guys usually get dragged forward when they tackle a ballcarrier, they get caught up in blocks, and they routinely get shrugged off by the ballcarrier.

Compare that to most of the teams playing last night. Auburn, Clemson, Texas, Tech, Iowa, Arizona, Boise...all of their defenses routinely lowered the boom and drove ballcarriers back...stoned running backs, blew up receivers.  Our defense rarely does any of that, and rarely has for the better part of a decade now.

How does this translate when teams try to tackle Daniel Thomas?  Is every team we've played in the last two seasons full of weak defenders?  Maybe Arnaud and Robinson had something to do with running people over, I mean they're pretty good players.  Just sayin'. 

Didn't Robinson have over 1000 yards last season, while missing a couple games b/c of injury?

Without Lamur we do lose a lot of the big hits in the run game, so hopefully his return will bring back some of the "boom" that's been missing. 

Iowa State is not our only piece of evidence.

We also played UCLA and Mo St. and had the same problem.  So before you compare arguably the best Runner in the Nation (behind what is a very good run blocking o-line) to UCLA/MOST/ISU, think about what you're saying.

For the record (FIRE AND ICE 2010 Stats):

14 TFL  (oppo 16)
6 Sacks (oppo 9)
3 FF/FR  (oppo 3FF 2FR)
22 Passes BU (oppo 4)
2 INT    (oppo 1 TAINT)

The secondary is more than pulling its weight, but that there is little pressure being brought to bear in the run game or the passing game.  Very average teams are running at a 4.5ypc clip on the ground.  And we aren't turning the ball over nearly enough to sustain that.  The secondary cannot continue to cover at this rate, particularly when we face an actually good running team (see Nebraska, see oSu, maybe Baylor) and we start getting play-actioned/bootlegged to death.  The real problem is what will happen when our Offense starts putting us in bad field position (see NU, see Texas, probably KU) then what the hell are we going to do with our bend? 

I agree with this, especially the TO part.  Just thought the "our guys look weak b/c they don't always drive the runner backwards" was a little retardy.

Our insanely conservative play calling will come back to bite us in the ass later this year when we play good teams.  Our bend defense is short on depth, particluarly at D-Line, and repeatedly long drives from bending not breaking are going to wear them out.

[KSUTOMMY]

BTW, great thread!!! Enjoy this stuff immensely

[slimz]

 Just thought the "our guys look weak b/c they don't always drive the runner backwards" was a little retardy.

Where did it say that?  Nice strawman. 

[kso_FAN]

IMO, with an undersized, slow Defense the DC needs to focus more on the fundamentals. Additionally, if we could be fundamentaly sound and use the swarming to the ball that we are glaringly missing, we could be more effective. DoD defenses ALWAYS amassed around the ball it was incredible to watch. Fundamentals; if the Pros work on it, we can certainly work on it too. There is nothing more frustrating than fecesty arm tackles that even mediocre RBs can shed with ease.

I guarantee with Snyder as head coach this staff focuses on fundamentals a lot. They just have to keep teaching it. We've had plenty of teams with better players start off as poor tackling teams that got better as the season went a long.

And on the "bend but don't break point", I'm sure we'd like to attack more, but with our deficiencies we can't afford to do that IMO. We will have to game plan to stop specific parts of offenses, and hope we can avoid things that can kill us. Most college offenses will eventually make a mistake, and those teams that don't make many mistakes are probably just better than us anyway.

Another reason why running the ball and TOP will be huge for this team.

[nicname]

HFBIQ thread. 

[Sugar Dick]

 Just thought the "our guys look weak b/c they don't always drive the runner backwards" was a little retardy.

Where did it say that?  Nice strawman. 

Of greater concern to me is the fact that our defensive players, by and large, are still a step slow and pretty weak. We're now into our seventh straight season where our guys usually get dragged forward when they tackle a ballcarrier, they get caught up in blocks, and they routinely get shrugged off by the ballcarrier.

No need to be a jackass, same side here

[slimz]

Just thought the "our guys look weak b/c they don't always drive the runner backwards" was a little retardy.

Where did it say that?  Nice strawman.  

Of greater concern to me is the fact that our defensive players, by and large, are still a step slow and pretty weak. We're now into our seventh straight season where our guys usually get dragged forward when they tackle a ballcarrier, they get caught up in blocks, and they routinely get shrugged off by the ballcarrier.

No need to be a jackass, same side here

 

You posted a paraphrase of my post that you then labeled "retardy." But your paraphrase means something very different than what the original post actually said. I'm not concerned because our defense doesn't always drive the ballcarrier backwards. I'm concerned because they almost never do.

The symptoms I listed tend to indicate a lack of physicality/speed and a tentativeness that, when manifested consistently over an extended period of time (as I stated), will generally correlate with subpar defensive performance.

That being said, here's a beer. Same side.   

[catzacker]

And on the Hartman complaints; I think its fair to point out he is in essentially his 3rd different scheme in 3 years of playing.  Granted, there is carryover from last year, but certainly Burns and Cosh bring a different look, and I think especially in how we cover.  Zimmerman has only really been in this system since he only has practiced since last spring after Cosh took over and Burns came in.  I'm sure some of Hartman's struggles are do to that.  And neither Zimmerman nor Hartman are heavy hitting safety types, which many of us hope them to be.  That is why Zimmerman was Hartman's back up.  But with Lamur out, those two are still the best two options, but again that takes away that physical presence at that spot that we need.

imo, hartman has been mostly garbage since he started playing safety, regardless of the "system".  zimmerman is just slow, but seems like he knows where he's supposed to be (just not fast enough to close). 

[threadkiller]

Where was Troy Butler on Saturday?  Schemed off the field w/ ISU's 3 wr base set, but I was begging all game to see him for Hartman or Zimm.  Can't cover any worse then that pair and is a hitter/tackler. 

[Acceleration Man]

FTR, I approve of this thread. So does the D bend just enough to spring us into a bowl?

OK carry on... 

[swish1]

FTR, I approve of this thread. So does the D bend just enough to spring us into a bowl?

OK carry on... 

Im not sure this thread even belongs on this site as it was about the actual game... but if we win saturday this team should definitely be bowl bound...

[wabash909]

So, to briefly summarize, we've got mostly unathletic players and a non-aggressive defensive coaching scheme.

Let's fix it by recruiting better and replacing Cosh with a DOD quality coach.