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[hammb]

You're arguing in circles GT...first you say you're upset and whining because we aren't getting the same results with last year's players...now you're saying we should just magically get better results with new players because well...that s**t happens.

This year's two deep looks nothing like last year's two deep...new players, new system, sorry if it's looked really ugly in two losses and not quite..perfect...enough for you in three wins.

I am convinced you are just arguing with yourself at this point.

I don't expect the same results as last year. I also think it's absurd to ignore the awfulness of the defense by claiming it's because it's all new players and a new system. These players have played college football in a system that worked very well literally just last year. It's not all new players. This system of defense works fine elsewhere.

You are ignoring or routing around the obvious answer because for some reason you don't want to blame the coaches for this atrocious defense. You are minimizing how bad the defense actually is and their role in creating it.

It's not that the defense looks bad. It's that it may just be one of the worst defenses of all time.

I agree. I really wish the coaches would not have told every player on the roster to stop making tackles. Such a foolish philosophy.

[Globetrotter]

You're arguing in circles GT...first you say you're upset and whining because we aren't getting the same results with last year's players...now you're saying we should just magically get better results with new players because well...that s**t happens.

This year's two deep looks nothing like last year's two deep...new players, new system, sorry if it's looked really ugly in two losses and not quite..perfect...enough for you in three wins.

I am convinced you are just arguing with yourself at this point.

I don't expect the same results as last year. I also think it's absurd to ignore the awfulness of the defense by claiming it's because it's all new players and a new system. These players have played college football in a system that worked very well literally just last year. It's not all new players. This system of defense works fine elsewhere.

You are ignoring or routing around the obvious answer because for some reason you don't want to blame the coaches for this atrocious defense. You are minimizing how bad the defense actually is and their role in creating it.

It's not that the defense looks bad. It's that it may just be one of the worst defenses of all time.

I agree. I really wish the coaches would not have told every player on the roster to stop making tackles. Such a foolish philosophy.

Because that's the equivalent of what I am saying.

[Flipper]

No Globe...you are foolishly trying to blame the coaches...and only the coaches..for breakdowns in execution. Find me the coach or system that says "let the ball carrier run past you" or "hey safety...don't give your CB any help over the top". I'm not minimizing anything...our defense has been bad. I just don't think it's fair to solely blame the coaches or the ever popular "system" for failures by the players...many of whom are seeing their first REAL game action. In other words..I'm not going to be a chicken little and complain about the sky falling. I'm willing to give everyone a chance to jell and grow before I write the season off after week five....when we have a winning record.

You seem very knowledgeable about the systems...please explain to me what we are doing so differently on defense this year as opposed to last..and don't just say "pressing the WR's" because we played off the ball a good bit last year and we have lined up on the WR a bit this year too.

[Globetrotter]

No Globe...you are foolishly trying to blame the coaches...and only the coaches..for breakdowns in execution. Find me the coach or system that says "let the ball carrier run past you" or "hey safety...don't give your CB any help over the top". I'm not minimizing anything...our defense has been bad. I just don't think it's fair to solely blame the coaches or the ever popular "system" for failures by the players...many of whom are seeing their first REAL game action. In other words..I'm not going to be a chicken little and complain about the sky falling. I'm willing to give everyone a chance to jell and grow before I write the season off after week five....when we have a winning record.

You seem very knowledgeable about the systems...please explain to me what we are doing so differently on defense this year as opposed to last..and don't just say "pressing the WR's" because we played off the ball a good bit last year and we have lined up on the WR a bit this year too.

Oh so they went from 7th to 128th and the worst defense maybe ever and are playing with a decent group of seniors and I am to ignore the system. Good to know. I am the one being willfully ignorant here.

Also there are tons of people responding...I dont know if you have a crush on me or what but diversify your comments.

[Flipper]

What system is that again?

[kenyon]

Okay - Lets all agree that the D is not performing but I'm hoping that a couple of changes I saw this week may begin to help. First, I think the move of Martin to the middle might help. Although he is back from last years injury I don't think he is all the way back. Moving him inside will allow him to play in a smaller box. Stanford looked more comfortable playing in space this week. Valdez and Senn can play the other side with Locke spelling Martin. Biggest thing the D seem to be missing is BooBoo Gates in the middle. He was a difference maker and helped over the top and in the middle of the field (sure tackler and big hitter). The corners continue to play soft. The biggest area to improve will be reacting to the soft corner play. They are painfully slow to react and come up quickly. It seems like they are afraid to come up for fear they will miss the tackle or overplay it. They should worry about not coming up, because five games in has shown they are not good open field tacklers. Personally, I'm surprised. Thought the corner play and would be stronger this year based on the Spring and camp play I saw. Still puzzled by the lack of tackling in space.

[Flipper]

Agreed Kenyon... I think the secondary has been a disappointment. We saw more plays being made by the LB's against UMass and I think that's encouraging. Any time you see DB's making all the tackles, it's a problem Frankly, I'm surprised Martin is back already. ACL tears are usually a 12 month recovery

[jpfalcon09]

Agreed Kenyon... I think the secondary has been a disappointment. We saw more plays being made by the LB's against UMass and I think that's encouraging. Any time you see DB's making all the tackles, it's a problem Frankly, I'm surprised Martin is back already. ACL tears are usually a 12 month recovery

Martin doesn't look anywhere close to 100%, he's had a noticeable drop in speed to the outside and I've seen him miss some tackles which is uncharacteristic. I talked to some of his family at the WKU game and they said he likely won't be playing healthy at all this season but he didn't want to miss out on his senior year.

[Globetrotter]

I've liked both schweiterman and Crowley on defense. They both seem very active which I love in d lineman. If schweiterman can add weight I think he'll play in the league. He is a perfect no nonsense end of the rotation guy that comes in to spell your high profile starter. I don't think it's a sure thing by any means but his motor is non stop.

[kenyon]

One more thing - watch the defense closely. They almost appear to be running two entirely different schemes at the same time. The front seven are taken a very aggressive stance with respect to the beginning of the play. They are pressing up inside the tackle box. If it is a run, then the defense generally looks ok (please ignore the Wisconsin game). However, if we are wrong and get caught pressing inside, then our edge players are not quick enough to recover and get out to the flats or drop back to help cover the intermediate middle of the field. This coupled with the soft corner play really exposes our defense to plays to the flat and underneath routes. If the front seven get caught inching up (but not blitzing) on a pass or play action pass, then the back four have already retreated and now have 10-15 yard gaps that need to be closed. Couple that with poor open field tackling and an inability to consistently shed blocks and you have what we have. Then when you toss in the obvious injuries it puts more pressure on players that are not seasoned and accustom to reads and DB handoffs. To top it all off, I'm understanding that if we need to reach into the available bag of red-shirts to help, they may not be well prepared or versed to step in because they don't participate in position meetings in season unless they are a travel redshirted or the decision to remove the redshirt has been made. So if a player is needed due to whatever reason in week 6, that player hasn't been in position meetings since fall camp.

[Flipper]

I think moving Martin to MLB with Sanford Valdez and Senn playing the OLB spots really helps the quickness on the edges. It also seemed like they were zone blitzing more agaisnt UMass in the second half...rushing LB's and occasionally DB's and dropping DE's ad LB's into coverage . In theory..that should mke it harder for the QB's to figure out exactly where those seams might be and maybe bait them into an INT or two.

I think the open field tackling improved against UMass...I think the secondary might be coming around. The stat sheet would have looked so much better if they ahdn't given up those 60 and 80 yd td's. Ben Hale played ST and Ballew saw action...how many redshirts do we have to burn on defense at this point? Tyler King?

[joek1121]

Oh..well then..it's eactly the same then...same level of athletes...same experience in the system...same number of returning players with any experience in college football...yeah...that's not a superficial, meaningless comparison there at all

Bro, he is making a solid comparison. Running this system and having a decent defense are not mutually exclusive. No need to be snarky.

[Flipper]

Oh...ok bro...I'll like keep that in mind, bro...if you can like show me where I said our system and a decent defense are mutually exclusive..bro

[joek1121]

Oh...ok bro...I'll like keep that in mind, bro...if you can like show me where I said our system and a decent defense are mutually exclusive..bro

gotcha.

[joek1121]

Infighting aside, is Roger Lewis completely healthy?