2021 Defensive stats against P5 opponents

CatManTrue

All-American
Oct 4, 2008
15,805
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So I had a few minutes and wanted to see just how our ddfense has fared against P5 opponents (excluding Ohio and ISU). I was curious as last year we had a top 5 defense against only P5 opponents (B1G then Auburn in the bowl).

The results are pretty ugly. I’m hoping that @Turk’s top people can check these numbers and if any P5 team has had a worse season defensively;
  • Our defense has allowed 32.1 points per P5 game
  • P5 opponents have run for 6 YPC and 258 YPG
  • We’ve only given up 228 passing yards PG - not too shabby!
  • We’ve had 11 sacks and generated only 9 turnovers
    • Keep in mind that 3 of those TOs Came against Duke
 
May 29, 2001
45,734
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So I had a few minutes and wanted to see just how our ddfense has fared against P5 opponents (excluding Ohio and ISU). I was curious as last year we had a top 5 defense against only P5 opponents (B1G then Auburn in the bowl).

The results are pretty ugly. I’m hoping that @Turk’s top people can check these numbers and if any P5 team has had a worse season defensively;
  • Our defense has allowed 32.1 points per P5 game
  • P5 opponents have run for 6 YPC and 258 YPG
  • We’ve only given up 228 passing yards PG - not too shabby!
  • We’ve had 11 sacks and generated only 9 turnovers
    • Keep in mind that 3 of those TOs Came against Duke
Top people confirmed.

The problem of Fitz continues.

Ned had a wine and cheeser and also confirmed what Fitz has said publicly, ie., he doesnt plan on whacking JON and that he doesnt even see JON as a problem. Im still holding out hope that Fitz learns from his errors and whacks JON on Monday after we lose to Illini.

Fitz' handlers stood down and knew they would get whacked if they told Fitz it wasnt a good idea to hire his longterm pal.
 

PurpleWhiteBoy

Redshirt
Feb 25, 2021
5,303
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When a sports team loses at a surprising rate, it is natural to assess blame. We know Fitz is basically the same and he has had success in the past, so its tough to blame him specifically.

The OC has really not had success at NU. It would be easy to conclude that he isn't very good. His experience as an NFL QB coach has not paid off whatsoever.
The DC is new and NU's defense didn't look like anything in recent memory. One season of Terrible.
We lost a lot of players to graduation and the underclassmen could not replace them.

Fitz can be blamed for failing to recruit talented players or for hiring bad coordinators.

Plenty of blame to go around.
 

CatManTrue

All-American
Oct 4, 2008
15,805
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Top people confirmed.

The problem of Fitz continues.

Ned had a wine and cheeser and also confirmed what Fitz has said publicly, ie., he doesnt plan on whacking JON and that he doesnt even see JON as a problem. Im still holding out hope that Fitz learns from his errors and whacks JON on Monday after we lose to Illini.

Fitz' handlers stood down and knew they would get whacked if they told Fitz it wasnt a good idea to hire his longterm pal.
Can you ask Ned what JON’s buyout is? And if he thinks we’ll land some nice portal talent this offseason?
 

EvanstonCat

Senior
May 29, 2001
50,648
661
73
Top people confirmed.

The problem of Fitz continues.

Ned had a wine and cheeser and also confirmed what Fitz has said publicly, ie., he doesnt plan on whacking JON and that he doesnt even see JON as a problem. Im still holding out hope that Fitz learns from his errors and whacks JON on Monday after we lose to Illini.

Fitz' handlers stood down and knew they would get whacked if they told Fitz it wasnt a good idea to hire his longterm pal.

Not a chance JON gets whacked.

Things looking grim with no changes at our coordinator positions.

I find myself almost wishing the Bears make a phone call or two.
 
Nov 5, 2001
18,494
736
113
Too lazy to do this myself, or rather too indifferent, but it would be interesting to know the stats for all games, except Nebraska. or post Nebraska The reason is that I have seen all season on Reddit how Nebraska fans say they are the best 3 loss team, oops 4 loss, oops 7 loss. Yesterday, I kid you not, a guy did an analysis on why they are the best 8 loss team in history. That's what I call damning with faint praise, but the guy, and the rest of them, are serious. 'Look at our point differential! Look at all the one score losses!'. Right - who cares, you are tied with a comatose team for last place.

Every time I see one of their "best X loss team" posts, I rush to point over that they knocked over two tomato cans and our ridiculous team. I can calculate their point differential for the rest of the season by just multiplying losses x 7. I could have also pointed out that the Italian Army was the best one-score loss army in WW2

Anyway I could see Fitz grasping this, like he did the 6 quarters thing: 'we did ok on defense after we made adjustments post Nebraska. Right? RIGHT?' Of course, we all know that is BS - we got pushed around by every team with a pulse. And so does Fitz, he just wants to try to fix it in the background and not admit he was wrong.
 

CatManTrue

All-American
Oct 4, 2008
15,805
5,249
97
Too lazy to do this myself, or rather too indifferent, but it would be interesting to know the stats for all games, except Nebraska. or post Nebraska The reason is that I have seen all season on Reddit how Nebraska fans say they are the best 3 loss team, oops 4 loss, oops 7 loss. Yesterday, I kid you not, a guy did an analysis on why they are the best 8 loss team in history. That's what I call damning with faint praise, but the guy, and the rest of them, are serious. 'Look at our point differential! Look at all the one score losses!'. Right - who cares, you are tied with a comatose team for last place.

Every time I see one of their "best X loss team" posts, I rush to point over that they knocked over two tomato cans and our ridiculous team. I can calculate their point differential for the rest of the season by just multiplying losses x 7. I could have also pointed out that the Italian Army was the best one-score loss army in WW2

Anyway I could see Fitz grasping this, like he did the 6 quarters thing: 'we did ok on defense after we made adjustments post Nebraska. Right? RIGHT?' Of course, we all know that is BS - we got pushed around by every team with a pulse. And so does Fitz, he just wants to try to fix it in the background and not admit he was wrong.
Why would you remove 3-8 Nebraska from the stats and not 5-6 Rutgers?

UNL demolished us and the stats would have been worse if Frost didn’t call off the dogs.

And even with them removed, we’d still be giving up well over 5 yards per rush which is simply awful.
 

eddie_gocats

Sophomore
Sep 4, 2018
1,033
150
57
Wasn’t Ned the one that said Randy Walker - RIP - told him he would win the Big Ten by placing Jeff Backes as CB. That was a classic post! That Ned?
 
Nov 5, 2001
18,494
736
113
Why would you remove 3-8 Nebraska from the stats and not 5-6 Rutgers?

UNL demolished us and the stats would have been worse if Frost didn’t call off the dogs.

And even with them removed, we’d still be giving up well over 5 yards per rush which is simply awful.
I'm just thinking ahead to the excuse-mobile after next week's game where Fitz tries to spin this. "We are such a young team! (a lie). We did better after the bye week. (true, if you limit that to ONE GAME).

Fitz said "never again" and this part is true! Because this team, by any metric - is worse. The offense is as putrid as 2019 (124th this year vs 126th in 2019) but the defense is worse - (76th vs 43rd).

I do think he'll turn it around, but I can't see 2022 being much better. For sure, not "Worst to First". Maybe grovel around at 5-7 due to gigantic losses at places like ILL and MINN