It might be time to finally accept USC’s defense for what it is
Adam Grosbard (OC Register) — TUCSON, Ariz. — “You are what you are.”
Those words were spoken by USC head coach Lincoln Riley during the Trojans’ bye week when asked if his defense was getting the respect it deserved for leading the nation in turnover margin. The argument went that, while the numbers may seem like outliers, the Trojan defense had produced them and should be judged by them.
But if you follow that logic, after another wobbly performance in Saturday’s 45-38 win over Arizona, it might be time to ask the question: Is this just what the USC defense is at this point?
The Trojans allowed the Wildcats — a good but not great offense — to gain 543 yards. It was the second straight game USC has allowed its opponent to cross the half-millenniam mark, and across the last two contests the Trojans have surrendered 1,105 yards.
The sheer numbers are massive. In his postgame interview on Saturday, Riley noted some reasons for the lopsided number. Injuries to linebackers Eric Gentry and Ralen Goforth certainly played a part. Riley also noted a number of spectacular plays by Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura (7) and his receivers.
Fair enough. But Riley also used USC’s fast-moving offense as an explanation. In a game full of offensive possessions, the defense is going to have a lot of series, too. Which is fine, until you remember that USC allowed 14.6 yards per completion and 6.3 per carry.
Most concerning, though, is that USC spent a bye week between these two games trying to address season-long concerns about tackling and communication. And neither appeared to improve.
In the loss to Utah prior to the bye week, USC had 18 missed tackles, per Pro Football Focus. Riley and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch talked about how tackling would be a focus and emphasis.
Against Arizona, after all that work, USC had 20 missed tackles.
That played a big part in Arizona’s nine rushing plays of 10 or more yards and 11 passing plays of 15 or more. But so did, apparently, failure to communicate the play call across the defense.
“I would say today that was just us once again not communicating, everybody not on the right track,” safety Calen Bullock said. “You got one half of the field that got the play, and then the other half probably didn’t get the play, or one person didn’t get the play. It’s just little things.”
Sometimes those little things just add up to some cardiac concerns late in a game, like against Arizona. Other times, they lose you games, as against Utah.
USC is ranked ninth in the polls, 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the Pac-12. Despite the 381.6 yards allowed per game, the Trojans are second in the conference in points allowed (22.1) thanks to forced turnovers, sacks and red-zone defense.
Against Arizona, all three of those factors played a role in USC’s win. Safety Bryson Shaw (27, Pac-12 DPOW) intercepted a pass in USC territory to stop the Wildcats in the third quarter. Linebacker Shane Lee had a second-down sack for a loss of 12 that led to an Arizona punt in the fourth. And USC held the Wildcats to field goals on two of five red-zone appearances.
So, through eight games, USC is what it is. The tackling issues and the bleeding of yards might not be fixable this year, but there are strengths for the unit, too, that are contributing to wins.
“You gotta kinda rely on your fundamentals, which is playing hard, doing your job and things like that,” Lee said. “And that’s what as a defense we have to rely on no matter what. No matter who play, how good or how bad we do, we gotta rely on our commitment to what we see as our fundamentals.”
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Off topic here. Could you review the titles again. Allen and Steveg are Mt Rushmore, John and myself are Diamond, and we have Knighted, Noble and Active as well. I can’t resist wanting to get on the Mt!
Lincoln Riley — “I don’t even look at them (the rankings),” Riley said after Tuesday’s practice. “I don’t care about them. Most of the time I don’t even know what it is. Because it doesn’t matter right now. It does not matter one bit.”
Tennessee at Georgia obvious game of the week. The loser is out of the play offs. Only Alabama at LSU and Clemson at ND have the potential for upset in the top 10.
CLEM is 8-0 and getting ready to spank ND (+ 3.5) in South Bend IMO. From what I’ve seen, they will also beat LOUIS, MIA and SO CAR, and head into the ACC championship undefeated, with one unlikely loss max. Seems like they’re performing very well right now and deserve a top-five rank, especially if ALA sits at 6 with one loss and ORE and USC are at 8 and 9 with a defeat as well. SYRA scared them, but in the end, were crushed in the 4th Q by the Tigers. Where would you put undefeated CLEM right now?… Read more »
I still feel that the loser of Mich/Ohio State, in a close game, will also still make the playoffs, with only one loss, as well as two out of the three SEC teams, if say the winner of the Georgia/Tennessee game loses to Alabama in the SEC championship game, and they all only have the one loss to each other. The only outlier could be an undefeated Clemson, based on, as USC1988 says, the benefit of the doubt because of previous years success. It isn’t fair, but the reality until the playoffs expand, is that reputation and recency bias will… Read more »
Well said San Diego Trojan. I’ve always felt that the rankings/playoff committee are biased towards East Coast, SEC and BIG. My feeling goes way back to 1978 when I was a second year grad student at the USC School of Business. We spanked ALA in their house and ended up tied at the end of the year with 11-1 records. The Coaches voted SC #1 but the AP voted ALA #1. I still can’t stand the media/AP because of that!
That 1978 Trojan team was something. What a talented roster, with players like Lott, Banks, Allen, Van Horne, Budde, Munoz, White, Howell, McDonald, and many others. But unfortunately, when ranked #2 on Oct 2, USC lost to three-loss Garden State Bowl ASU 20-7, and the Sun Devils were smashed that year 51-26 by WSU, and 41-7 by UW.
But the AP hasn’t always sided against USC. In highly controversial 2003, the AP stuck with USC over LSU, which won the BCS National championship.
Thanks for the reminder Allen about 2003. 2002-2004 was kind of a lost time period for me as I was going through a divorce and becoming a single parent. I could barely follow USC football back then. I’ll never forget the 1978 loss to ASU. I believe Mark Malone was the QB for the Sun Devils. Big guy who could run and throw. Played several years in the NFL with the Steelers as I recall. Frank Kush was the tyrannical Head Coach of the Sun Devils.
I’d love to see Deion Sanders take the AUB job. They just paid Bryan Harsin $15 mil to split and are in major need of a program booster like “Prime Time” to climb out of their giant hole. SI.com — “Those who have spent time around Deion Sanders at JAX ST say he is an organized, CEO-style coach, something AUB could certainly use. He could also put a newly minted AUB NIL treasure trove to great use. He has explored Power 5 opportunities before. “Would Lane Kiffin leave OLE MISS for AUB? He has been considered in multiple coaching cycles… Read more »
I think Deion would be a great hire for any of the high profile jobs. He’s got the energy and personality to recruit and do well at alumni functions, and players only seem to play hard for coaches they respect and can buy into, and he has the reputation and success to back that up. If I’m Auburn, ASU, Nebraska and others, I would go after him. There are at least 8 power 5 coaching vacancies, and there are probably going to be close to that in the Pros, so the best candidates are going to come off the board… Read more »
All I knew of Neon Deion, generally speaking, was that he was an amazing ATH at both FSU and in the NFL. I was at the famous 1988 Puntrooksie game on the CLEM sidelines when Leroy Butler magically ran a 78-yd fake punt right in front of me to the CLEM one yd line, securing the ‘Noles’ win.
As it turns out Primetime could end up at a lot of places. I hope he assumes the responsibility of somewhere big because I’m really just curious about how he would translate to that type of pressure and upper-echelon ball.
Do you think he could handle it? I think he has the experience being in the limelight in the nfl and college ball that the pressure would not affect him that much, but I have been wrong before. He sure seems capable.
I have no doubt Primetime could “handle it.” But I don’t know how successful he’d be. So many get to the big job and fail, but I think it’s often hard to understand why. Primetime was so good on the field. I can’t think of another guy like that who also killed it in elite high-level coaching, except Super Bowl champ Mike Ditka with the Bears, Steve Spurrier at UF, and Johnny Majors at TENN and PITT. While some thrive despite qualities I don’t like or appreciate, others run into all kinds of trouble, especially when the big expectations are… Read more »
Deion would be good for power 5 football, I just wish he would stay out of the SEC. I think he would fit better going into the ACC, Big12, or even the Pac if it is still around. SEC is a good old boy network and Deion’s personality would rub the old boys the wrong way. But maybe that’s what they need.
Some angry Trojans are calling for Grinch’s pink slip. I was with them earlier this season because of the strong case for Oklahoma having weak defenses. I have changed my tune. Grinch has solid defensive plans that are poorly executed. If someone gets the axe st the end of the season, it should be Donte Williams. His guys aren’t cutting it and every team has exploited the weakness. I felt sorry for him last year and honestly hoped he could bring an A game to the secondary, but his players are often caught holding on to jerseys and a step… Read more »
Donte the recruiter supreme was supposed to be such a big steal from ORE. I too wonder if he really has the chops to be the secondary coach USC needs.
As you cleverly point out Rialto, USC’s DBs “cover like a baby blanket on a king-size bed.” I think that image is locked into my head for at least the rest of the season. Good one!
I wonder if LR will make any staff changes after the season?
Allen & Rialto, while I agree the DBs aren’t at the level we had hoped to see, they are a young group that needs seasoning to get better. They have to get game experience to learn from. I would give Donte 1-more season to prove himself championship capable. And just the same, where the Trojan program is versus where it needs to be in another year, recruiting is just too invaluable today to not have master recruiters on your staff. You notice there have been some 3-4 recruits who originally committed to Oregon & UDUB but now are switching to… Read more »
ORE did just fine without Donte. They didn’t skip a beat, and when the Ducks lost Donte to us, I didn’t know much about the guy except he had a big recruiter rep — and also that some very verbal Duck fans thought he was a mediocre-to-poor-on-the-field-developer coach. Par for the course I assumed. Typical sour grapes. I trust what LR decides to do. He was brought aboard because he should know how to figure this stuff all out. As far as Donte goes, I don’t know how he’s currently viewed by LR. But Donte’s rep has always been strong… Read more »
Oregon got a whole new staff who are a bunch of salesmen first, coaches second. They are blazing away based on talent, and when the USC talent goes up along with good coaching the Oregon salesmen will be exposed.
Fire Grinch? With what he has he is doing a good job. Our db’s are no better or worse than most other teams USC faces. USC still keeps winning the passing game yards. Donte has got Grinch looking over his shoulder, he has to when he is the safeties coach. I was taught to get the interference call before getting beat and giving up the 6. I can’t see where Donte is doing a bad job, he also is working with what he has, and what he has isn’t all that great right now. The team needs talent, everywhere. 2… Read more »
I wonder how Bryson Shaw would work at middle backer, especially on passing downs where the RB is running a wheel route past Shane Lee. The new type middle backers are built more like safeties who can cover, yet tackle.
Good call Steveg. While Shane has his strengths playing LB, covering RBs coming out of the backfield making quick cuts in getting open in the middle isn’t one of them. Shane is built to clog up any open running lanes at the LOS. You remember those FSU LBs 10-15 yrs ago under Bobby Bowden that were well built strong safeties? They were so effective making tackles and covering RBs out of the backfield. I think Miami eventually copied this and flourished defensively also. I always wondered why more programs didn’t see this working?
Can a 200-pounder like Shaw physically survive as Lee’s replacement? I have my doubts and I believe that would be the issue.
Lee’s already been hurt most of the year and he’s 245. Maybe Shaw can assume more of a Talanoa Hufanga role, but that would also be asking a lot. Hufanga got hurt a lot too trying to be too physical and he eventually had to alter his game.
I sure wouldn’t put him in on running downs but long yardage coverage would be beneficial. I doubt we could come up with another Hufanga, but Shaw has enough speed to pick up a RB and perhaps cut off the swing pass. It seems with what Gentry is able to do the size is not quite as important. Maybe next season and have him add a little weight and muscle.
You need players with strong hands & arms that won’t let go of the ball carrier. Yes, arm tackling isn’t ideal but if you can’t get close enough to wrap up the ball carrier or get at an angle to cut his legs off, you limit his progression once you get grab ahold of him and drop down on the ground taking him with you. Those are fundamentals. But either you are a good tackler or you’re not. You have to be willing to give up your body in bringing another player down. LR should know he has to recruit… Read more »
All the best tackles I used to see would basically be called “targeting” now, resulting in disqualifications, and if not, game-changing, drive-extending penalties. The game has changed so radically, especially on D. I wonder, how can defenses win championships any longer when you have such restrictions on hitting players for legitimate safety concerns? Aside from bringing in good tacklers, USC also needs more speed, quickness, size and athleticism from its defensive front seven especially. This upcoming 2023 USC recruiting class ranked #13 so far by both 247 and Rivals looks great to me. It’ll be very interesting to see how… Read more »
Missed tackles are part of football. Elite NFL teams miss 10%, College is about the same. No surprise, Georgia is best in country. The average for college is right around 15% missed tackles. We were at 25% for Arizona. So not good at all. To have been average we would have needed 13 missed tackles, rather than the 20 we had.
USC’s Bryson Shaw was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week, presented by Nextiva. Shaw had seven tackles and an interception in the Trojans’ 45-37 win over Arizona in Week 9
We need to be resigned to the fact the defense is what it is. It won’t get much better this season. The platitudes to not communicating and fundamentals have been used all season. What they need is talent, plain and simple. And add speed.
true, they won’t get A LOT [much better], but they can improve i.e. slow the rush when near [very close] the QB; coral him, fence him in. adjust the onward movement at the point of contact, force QB to tuck it in, and let your teammates finish him off…it’s a team effort [otherwise the QB can easily sidestep the rusher] This is teachable and can be accomplished in the next few weeks. Do the coaches know this? Coaches must recognize the problem before coaches can fix the problem.
Auburn football coaching search: 13 candidates to replace fired Bryan Harsin Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Maybe not the most likely candidate, but first on our list because of his track record in making Ole Miss relevant on the national scene. After building a successful program at Ole Miss, why wouldn’t Kiffin be compelled by the chance to coach somewhere with a higher ceiling − and a chance to beat Nick Saban in a rivalry game? Jeff Grimes, Baylor offensive coordinator Mike Leach, Mississippi State Travis Williams, UCF defensive coordinator Mark Stoops, Kentucky Deion Sanders, Jackson State Kevin Steele, Miami defensive… Read more »
auburn is a mess. The only way they get a real coach to go there will be to way way way overpay him. Harsin never stood a chance. Also who wants to jump in a job where you are expected to beat Alabama and Georgia every year? Good luck.
Georgia has managed to become as good if not better than Alabama, Tennessee is looking good and LSU recently won a Natty. So it is possible. Tennessee-Georgia this Saturday will be a good one.
That TENN win over ‘BAMA was one of the most exciting games I have ever seen, and a very welcome result indeed, especially since former USC kicker/Mater Dei star Chase McGrath barely managed to wobble over a winning 40-yarder with two seconds to go. “Glorious” is the word that comes most quickly to my mind.
Auburn, Wisconsin and Nebraska are the top 3 in that order, followed by GT, ASU and Colorado, the other two are for up and comers or those in the twilight of their careers. It will be fun to see if Deon Sanders moves up to the Power 5.
Deion Sanders has done just an amazing job so far. Talk about a special guy who commands attention in the football arena. Hope he takes on a big program and the elite coaches in the game.
Not sure I would still consider Nebraska as a top destination. Don’t think the kids want to go there anymore and the school is not dedicated to creating a winner.
The sheer numbers are massive. In his postgame interview on Saturday, Riley noted some reasons for the lopsided number. Injuries to linebackers Eric Gentry and Ralen Goforth certainly played a part. Riley also noted a number of spectacular plays by Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura (7) and his receivers.
In the loss to Utah prior to the bye week, USC had 18 missed tackles, per Pro Football Focus. Riley and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch talked about how tackling would be a focus and emphasis.
Against Arizona, all three of those factors played a role in USC’s win. Safety Bryson Shaw (27, Pac-12 DPOW) intercepted a pass in USC territory to stop the Wildcats in the third quarter. Linebacker Shane Lee had a second-down sack for a loss of 12 that led to an Arizona punt in the fourth. And USC held the Wildcats to field goals on two of five red-zone appearances.
Off topic here. Could you review the titles again. Allen and Steveg are Mt Rushmore, John and myself are Diamond, and we have Knighted, Noble and Active as well. I can’t resist wanting to get on the Mt!
Lincoln Riley — “I don’t even look at them (the rankings),” Riley said after Tuesday’s practice. “I don’t care about them. Most of the time I don’t even know what it is. Because it doesn’t matter right now. It does not matter one bit.”
Tennessee at Georgia obvious game of the week. The loser is out of the play offs. Only Alabama at LSU and Clemson at ND have the potential for upset in the top 10.
Guessing Trojans want Georgia, Clemson and Alabama to lose this Saturday.
We always hope they lose. I just don’t understand what it is about Clemson being rated so high.
Earned over past decade … how it works
They go because they did before! Makes perfect sense in academia world I guess.
CLEM is 8-0 and getting ready to spank ND (+ 3.5) in South Bend IMO. From what I’ve seen, they will also beat LOUIS, MIA and SO CAR, and head into the ACC championship undefeated, with one unlikely loss max. Seems like they’re performing very well right now and deserve a top-five rank, especially if ALA sits at 6 with one loss and ORE and USC are at 8 and 9 with a defeat as well. SYRA scared them, but in the end, were crushed in the 4th Q by the Tigers. Where would you put undefeated CLEM right now?… Read more »
I still feel that the loser of Mich/Ohio State, in a close game, will also still make the playoffs, with only one loss, as well as two out of the three SEC teams, if say the winner of the Georgia/Tennessee game loses to Alabama in the SEC championship game, and they all only have the one loss to each other. The only outlier could be an undefeated Clemson, based on, as USC1988 says, the benefit of the doubt because of previous years success. It isn’t fair, but the reality until the playoffs expand, is that reputation and recency bias will… Read more »
I think CLEM will be undefeated and deservedly in the POs.
Well said San Diego Trojan. I’ve always felt that the rankings/playoff committee are biased towards East Coast, SEC and BIG. My feeling goes way back to 1978 when I was a second year grad student at the USC School of Business. We spanked ALA in their house and ended up tied at the end of the year with 11-1 records. The Coaches voted SC #1 but the AP voted ALA #1. I still can’t stand the media/AP because of that!
That 1978 Trojan team was something. What a talented roster, with players like Lott, Banks, Allen, Van Horne, Budde, Munoz, White, Howell, McDonald, and many others. But unfortunately, when ranked #2 on Oct 2, USC lost to three-loss Garden State Bowl ASU 20-7, and the Sun Devils were smashed that year 51-26 by WSU, and 41-7 by UW.
But the AP hasn’t always sided against USC. In highly controversial 2003, the AP stuck with USC over LSU, which won the BCS National championship.
Thanks for the reminder Allen about 2003. 2002-2004 was kind of a lost time period for me as I was going through a divorce and becoming a single parent. I could barely follow USC football back then. I’ll never forget the 1978 loss to ASU. I believe Mark Malone was the QB for the Sun Devils. Big guy who could run and throw. Played several years in the NFL with the Steelers as I recall. Frank Kush was the tyrannical Head Coach of the Sun Devils.
Number of teams by conference: Pac has 5, SEC has 5, B1G has 4, ACC has 5, and Big12 has 4.
Wow, Tennessee shoots from week one at #24 to #1. Funny how those early polls are always so off. (tap read more makes it easier to read) Week #1 poll 25 Houston Cougars 1-0 143 (NR) 24 Tennessee Volunteers 1-0 194 (NR) 23 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 1-0 246 (22) 22 Ole Miss Rebels 1-0 254 (21) 21 BYU Cougars 1-0 266 (25) 20 Kentucky Wildcats 1-0 373 266 (20 19 Wisconsin Badgers 1-0 476 (18) 18 NC State Wolfpack 1-0 513 (13) 17 Pitt Panthers 1-0 535 (17) 16 Arkansas Razorbacks 1-0 678 (19) 15 Miami Hurricanes 1-0 679 (16) 14 Michigan State Spartans 1-0 690 (15) 13 Utah Utes 0-1 717 (7) 12 Florida Gators 1-0… Read more »
I’d love to see Deion Sanders take the AUB job. They just paid Bryan Harsin $15 mil to split and are in major need of a program booster like “Prime Time” to climb out of their giant hole. SI.com — “Those who have spent time around Deion Sanders at JAX ST say he is an organized, CEO-style coach, something AUB could certainly use. He could also put a newly minted AUB NIL treasure trove to great use. He has explored Power 5 opportunities before. “Would Lane Kiffin leave OLE MISS for AUB? He has been considered in multiple coaching cycles… Read more »
I think Deion would be a great hire for any of the high profile jobs. He’s got the energy and personality to recruit and do well at alumni functions, and players only seem to play hard for coaches they respect and can buy into, and he has the reputation and success to back that up. If I’m Auburn, ASU, Nebraska and others, I would go after him. There are at least 8 power 5 coaching vacancies, and there are probably going to be close to that in the Pros, so the best candidates are going to come off the board… Read more »
All I knew of Neon Deion, generally speaking, was that he was an amazing ATH at both FSU and in the NFL. I was at the famous 1988 Puntrooksie game on the CLEM sidelines when Leroy Butler magically ran a 78-yd fake punt right in front of me to the CLEM one yd line, securing the ‘Noles’ win.
As it turns out Primetime could end up at a lot of places. I hope he assumes the responsibility of somewhere big because I’m really just curious about how he would translate to that type of pressure and upper-echelon ball.
Do you think he could handle it? I think he has the experience being in the limelight in the nfl and college ball that the pressure would not affect him that much, but I have been wrong before. He sure seems capable.
I have no doubt Primetime could “handle it.” But I don’t know how successful he’d be. So many get to the big job and fail, but I think it’s often hard to understand why. Primetime was so good on the field. I can’t think of another guy like that who also killed it in elite high-level coaching, except Super Bowl champ Mike Ditka with the Bears, Steve Spurrier at UF, and Johnny Majors at TENN and PITT. While some thrive despite qualities I don’t like or appreciate, others run into all kinds of trouble, especially when the big expectations are… Read more »
Deion would be good for power 5 football, I just wish he would stay out of the SEC. I think he would fit better going into the ACC, Big12, or even the Pac if it is still around. SEC is a good old boy network and Deion’s personality would rub the old boys the wrong way. But maybe that’s what they need.
Some angry Trojans are calling for Grinch’s pink slip. I was with them earlier this season because of the strong case for Oklahoma having weak defenses. I have changed my tune. Grinch has solid defensive plans that are poorly executed. If someone gets the axe st the end of the season, it should be Donte Williams. His guys aren’t cutting it and every team has exploited the weakness. I felt sorry for him last year and honestly hoped he could bring an A game to the secondary, but his players are often caught holding on to jerseys and a step… Read more »
Donte the recruiter supreme was supposed to be such a big steal from ORE. I too wonder if he really has the chops to be the secondary coach USC needs.
As you cleverly point out Rialto, USC’s DBs “cover like a baby blanket on a king-size bed.” I think that image is locked into my head for at least the rest of the season. Good one!
I wonder if LR will make any staff changes after the season?
Allen & Rialto, while I agree the DBs aren’t at the level we had hoped to see, they are a young group that needs seasoning to get better. They have to get game experience to learn from. I would give Donte 1-more season to prove himself championship capable. And just the same, where the Trojan program is versus where it needs to be in another year, recruiting is just too invaluable today to not have master recruiters on your staff. You notice there have been some 3-4 recruits who originally committed to Oregon & UDUB but now are switching to… Read more »
ORE did just fine without Donte. They didn’t skip a beat, and when the Ducks lost Donte to us, I didn’t know much about the guy except he had a big recruiter rep — and also that some very verbal Duck fans thought he was a mediocre-to-poor-on-the-field-developer coach. Par for the course I assumed. Typical sour grapes. I trust what LR decides to do. He was brought aboard because he should know how to figure this stuff all out. As far as Donte goes, I don’t know how he’s currently viewed by LR. But Donte’s rep has always been strong… Read more »
Oregon got a whole new staff who are a bunch of salesmen first, coaches second. They are blazing away based on talent, and when the USC talent goes up along with good coaching the Oregon salesmen will be exposed.
Fire Grinch? With what he has he is doing a good job. Our db’s are no better or worse than most other teams USC faces. USC still keeps winning the passing game yards. Donte has got Grinch looking over his shoulder, he has to when he is the safeties coach. I was taught to get the interference call before getting beat and giving up the 6. I can’t see where Donte is doing a bad job, he also is working with what he has, and what he has isn’t all that great right now. The team needs talent, everywhere. 2… Read more »
I wonder how Bryson Shaw would work at middle backer, especially on passing downs where the RB is running a wheel route past Shane Lee. The new type middle backers are built more like safeties who can cover, yet tackle.
Good call Steveg. While Shane has his strengths playing LB, covering RBs coming out of the backfield making quick cuts in getting open in the middle isn’t one of them. Shane is built to clog up any open running lanes at the LOS. You remember those FSU LBs 10-15 yrs ago under Bobby Bowden that were well built strong safeties? They were so effective making tackles and covering RBs out of the backfield. I think Miami eventually copied this and flourished defensively also. I always wondered why more programs didn’t see this working?
Can a 200-pounder like Shaw physically survive as Lee’s replacement? I have my doubts and I believe that would be the issue.
Lee’s already been hurt most of the year and he’s 245. Maybe Shaw can assume more of a Talanoa Hufanga role, but that would also be asking a lot. Hufanga got hurt a lot too trying to be too physical and he eventually had to alter his game.
I sure wouldn’t put him in on running downs but long yardage coverage would be beneficial. I doubt we could come up with another Hufanga, but Shaw has enough speed to pick up a RB and perhaps cut off the swing pass. It seems with what Gentry is able to do the size is not quite as important. Maybe next season and have him add a little weight and muscle.
You need players with strong hands & arms that won’t let go of the ball carrier. Yes, arm tackling isn’t ideal but if you can’t get close enough to wrap up the ball carrier or get at an angle to cut his legs off, you limit his progression once you get grab ahold of him and drop down on the ground taking him with you. Those are fundamentals. But either you are a good tackler or you’re not. You have to be willing to give up your body in bringing another player down. LR should know he has to recruit… Read more »
All the best tackles I used to see would basically be called “targeting” now, resulting in disqualifications, and if not, game-changing, drive-extending penalties. The game has changed so radically, especially on D. I wonder, how can defenses win championships any longer when you have such restrictions on hitting players for legitimate safety concerns? Aside from bringing in good tacklers, USC also needs more speed, quickness, size and athleticism from its defensive front seven especially. This upcoming 2023 USC recruiting class ranked #13 so far by both 247 and Rivals looks great to me. It’ll be very interesting to see how… Read more »
Missed tackles are part of football. Elite NFL teams miss 10%, College is about the same. No surprise, Georgia is best in country. The average for college is right around 15% missed tackles. We were at 25% for Arizona. So not good at all. To have been average we would have needed 13 missed tackles, rather than the 20 we had.
This is too funny and it could only happen at Stanford…..
https://twitter.com/DaStanfordTree/status/1586898284437643264
And their Twitter post proves the point of the mascot’s message. And I’m sure the irony was totally lost on them.
USC’s Bryson Shaw was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week, presented by Nextiva. Shaw had seven tackles and an interception in the Trojans’ 45-37 win over Arizona in Week 9
We need to be resigned to the fact the defense is what it is. It won’t get much better this season. The platitudes to not communicating and fundamentals have been used all season. What they need is talent, plain and simple. And add speed.
true, they won’t get A LOT [much better], but they can improve i.e. slow the rush when near [very close] the QB; coral him, fence him in. adjust the onward movement at the point of contact, force QB to tuck it in, and let your teammates finish him off…it’s a team effort [otherwise the QB can easily sidestep the rusher] This is teachable and can be accomplished in the next few weeks. Do the coaches know this? Coaches must recognize the problem before coaches can fix the problem.
Auburn football coaching search: 13 candidates to replace fired Bryan Harsin Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Maybe not the most likely candidate, but first on our list because of his track record in making Ole Miss relevant on the national scene. After building a successful program at Ole Miss, why wouldn’t Kiffin be compelled by the chance to coach somewhere with a higher ceiling − and a chance to beat Nick Saban in a rivalry game? Jeff Grimes, Baylor offensive coordinator Mike Leach, Mississippi State Travis Williams, UCF defensive coordinator Mark Stoops, Kentucky Deion Sanders, Jackson State Kevin Steele, Miami defensive… Read more »
Ruhle would be my #1 pick and Hugh Freeze #2
Rhule seems to be most obvious choice. Plus having him early is a huge recruiting advantage.
Kiffy lol – better stick with Ole Piss and that cupcake schedule. Of course, it has to be burning him,Suck has a better job and contract.
Mostly a list of the usual suspects. Glad we didn’t end up with any of them.
auburn is a mess. The only way they get a real coach to go there will be to way way way overpay him. Harsin never stood a chance. Also who wants to jump in a job where you are expected to beat Alabama and Georgia every year? Good luck.
Georgia has managed to become as good if not better than Alabama, Tennessee is looking good and LSU recently won a Natty. So it is possible. Tennessee-Georgia this Saturday will be a good one.
That TENN win over ‘BAMA was one of the most exciting games I have ever seen, and a very welcome result indeed, especially since former USC kicker/Mater Dei star Chase McGrath barely managed to wobble over a winning 40-yarder with two seconds to go. “Glorious” is the word that comes most quickly to my mind.
Brett McMurphy @Brett_McMurphy
There are now 8 head coach openings for 2023:
Arizona State
Auburn (Bryan Harsin just fired)
Charlotte
Colorado
Georgia Tech
Nebraska
UAB
Wisconsin
Auburn, Wisconsin and Nebraska are the top 3 in that order, followed by GT, ASU and Colorado, the other two are for up and comers or those in the twilight of their careers. It will be fun to see if Deon Sanders moves up to the Power 5.
Deion Sanders has done just an amazing job so far. Talk about a special guy who commands attention in the football arena. Hope he takes on a big program and the elite coaches in the game.
Recruiting and portal would be something
Not sure I would still consider Nebraska as a top destination. Don’t think the kids want to go there anymore and the school is not dedicated to creating a winner.
Those are some really good jobs there