Couldnt do any worse being aggressiveDoes not have the talent to be aggressive
Yep. People are misremembering what Arnett was the first go-round.We played just like this when Arnett was here before. He just had better talent in the front 7. He's bringing pressure, they just aren't getting there.
This is the same Arnett. And I made this point when we hired him. There's a lot of revisionist history out there about his defense.
Fact.Does not have the talent to be aggressive
We definitely don’t have the talent to not be aggressive. We are not talented and injured in the front seven. We have two pretty good cover corners. Bring people.Does not have the talent to be aggressive
I’d say that’s mostly due to the fact we not only can’t get to the passer- we can’t even compress the pocket.Yep, allegedly
And yet, here’s where we stack up against the rest of the SEC in pass defense
View attachment 1491291
We are not getting beat deep, but getting killed on the short and medium routes being wide open… when’s the last time we brought a safety off the edge on a blitz?We definitely don’t have the talent to not be aggressive. We are not talented and injured in the front seven. We have two pretty good cover corners. Bring people.
We bring corner and safety blitzes quite a bit. We did it less yesterday probably because Arnett was concerned about Leavitt's mobility. But we've blitzed those guys a lot earlier in the year.We are not getting beat deep, but getting killed on the short and medium routes being wide open… when’s the last time we brought a safety off the edge on a blitz?
Been saying this since we hired the guyNot excusing it away, but I think a large part of it is that he’s having to keep some gas in the tank due to Lebby’s offense wanting to get on the field and score in 2 minutes or less.
Ultimately depth fixes that, but he can’t run his defense balls to the wall every snap for almost 80 snaps a game without having a reliable 2nd and 3rd string. When Lebby was hired, I remember a lot of the discussion being that Lebby needed to find someone who didn’t mind giving up 30+/game and focused a lot on creating extra possessions.
Long story short, I think Arnett has had to adjust his defense from playing 60-70 snaps a game with 25-30 guys to playing 70-80 snaps a game with 15-20 guys. Leach’s offense gave the defense some additional rest but Lebby’s is foot to gas at all times
our safeties are pitiful. Sun Belt level pitiful. Very poor talent evaluation there. That's why we rank so low.Yep, allegedly
And yet, here’s where we stack up against the rest of the SEC in pass defense
View attachment 1491291
10+ play scoring drives are worse for the defensive stamina than anything. Go watch second and 10 after we turn it over on downs after a 10 plays drive. I don’t think Kelly could give anymore cushion in the zone than he did. And we brought 4. I think the speed of our offense is a scapegoat. But it doesn’t matter. We aren’t good enough to win without trying g to create a negative play with schemeNot excusing it away, but I think a large part of it is that he’s having to keep some gas in the tank due to Lebby’s offense wanting to get on the field and score in 2 minutes or less.
Ultimately depth fixes that, but he can’t run his defense balls to the wall every snap for almost 80 snaps a game without having a reliable 2nd and 3rd string. When Lebby was hired, I remember a lot of the discussion being that Lebby needed to find someone who didn’t mind giving up 30+/game and focused a lot on creating extra possessions.
Long story short, I think Arnett has had to adjust his defense from playing 60-70 snaps a game with 25-30 guys to playing 70-80 snaps a game with 15-20 guys. Leach’s offense gave the defense some additional rest but Lebby’s is foot to gas at all times
100%, but when you follow that up with 6 plays, 54 seconds and anything but a TD, the complimentary piece goes out the window10+ play scoring drives are worse for the defensive stamina than anything. Go watch second and 10 after we turn it over on downs after a 10 plays drive. I don’t think Kelly could give anymore cushion in the zone than he did. And we brought 4. I think the speed of our offense is a scapegoat.
Sure but considering they scored at will yesterday you may wanna change something up. 7 points on a tired defense is the same as 7 on a fresh defense. We have to give somewhere bc the talent on the front 7 is just bad100%, but when you follow that up with 6 plays, 54 seconds and anything but a TD, the complimentary piece goes out the window
A 1A High School coach can come up with Arnetts scheme’s. We need recruiters.He's not a recruiter or developer. He's a schemer. And he doesn't have the talent to call his scheme.
Correct. He's protecting the lack of talent and make opposing teams drive and hopefully make mistakesDoes not have the talent to be aggressive
And developers.A 1A High School coach can come up with Arnetts scheme’s. We need recruiters.
We’ve been bad there for a while now overall. Even our higher rated guys haven’t been impact guysour safeties are pitiful. Sun Belt level pitiful. Very poor talent evaluation there. That's why we rank so low.
Two of our talented defensive backs injured and are playing at less than 100%Rush 3 or 4 and play soft zone isn’t doing us any favors…we supposedly have NFL talent at Corner.
I keep wondering why no one questions the strength and conditioning. Constant injuries, players aren't developing from year to year, and the Quiet on the Creek video. I mean come on.Injured starters Tillman, J Smith, T Williams, I Smith and Moye. That explains the drop off, not Arnette forgot how to scheme. We should have more serviceable back ups in year 3 though. Still, most SEC schools would have a hard time replacing 5 starters on D.
I don't buy this. Obviously you have to have a baseline level of contact to learn and develop in football, but just pounding their dlcks in the dirt only causes more injuries, not less.Players today don't have 2-a-days practices, they are not required to wear knee pads on their knees anymore -- they all look like they're just wearing shorts...Hell, I remember the 1997 game against Kentucky the Refs wouldn't let Tim Couch receive the 1st snap until he went to the sidelines and put his knee pad on his knee. Practices are also very Contact Light nowadays...all of this contributes to soft play and oft injured players.
Old days football is dead. In 2013 Nikoe Whitley played the last half of the season with a torn ACL, just wore a knee brace and delt with the pain, in an interview Mullen admitted after the Ole Miss game (when Nikoe stripped Bo Wallace) that his ACL was torn earlier in the season.
I remember Omarr Conner (2005 or 2006) having his blood drawn, spun in a centrifuge to separate out the platelets, then have those platelets injected into his groin so that his torn groin muscle would heal and he could get back on the field ASAP.
Football was completely different animal back then.
I deauxI keep wondering why no one questions the strength and conditioning. Constant injuries, players aren't developing from year to year, and the Quiet on the Creek video. I mean come on.
Maroon and White
Lebby, Mississippi State teammates back "Billy" Puckett after loss against LSU
Maroon and White Football
Points of Focus: Mississippi State HC Jeff Lebby speaks on Oklahoma matchup
Maroon and White Football
Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor still "Day to Day" with no clear return timeline
Rivals Football Recruiting
Edna Karr-Rummel Eye-Catchers: Georgia and Mississippi State commits shine, state's top offensive line and defense flex muscle, future stars emerge
Maroon and White
Sunday Notebook: LSU 31-0 Mississippi State