So, our defense has improved from the first several games compared to now. This gives me some hope going forward. However, I was wondering if you might be willing to do a few video breakdowns that show just how our defense has changed and why it has improved. Would love to see your take on whether it is players being more disciplined/experienced, play calling, changes in scheme, or what. Anyone else that can also contribute would be awesome. Thanks!
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- Thread starter Comebakatz3
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Safety play [edwards] and Jordan Jones are the main reasons the Defense has been better able to get teams to a 3rd and 7+.
I will add to this as the week progresses
Denzil Ware though he has 4.5 sacks, continues to be a trouble spot on the weakside. When ,USM, So Car, NM, Bama and Vandy needed to move the ball it it attacked the boundary. Below are few clips I grabbed to illustrate.
I will add to this as the week progresses
Denzil Ware though he has 4.5 sacks, continues to be a trouble spot on the weakside. When ,USM, So Car, NM, Bama and Vandy needed to move the ball it it attacked the boundary. Below are few clips I grabbed to illustrate.
Thanks ARO. I love your breakdowns. I like to think that I know a good bit about football, but it is a sport that can really get down to some minutia, and I can admit that I am more than inexperienced and ignorant when it comes to the smaller things.
Below is an example of better safety, Sam, MLB, WLB play. Not much changes scheme wise, but better and more physical execution.
Let me first say that UK's defense has indeed "looked better" the last 3 games than the first 3. Was that because of playing better/differently or simply facing inferior offense? I don't know. I'll offer a statistical based thought but let adolph do any heavy X and O lifting.
The first 3 games the Cats faced what are now the #26, #50 and #43 ranked offenses. Those teams (USM, FL and NMSt respectively) put up 44, 137 and 68 more yards of offense over their current per game averages.
It is a different story with the past 3 games.
UK held SC and AL under their per game averages by 36 and 17 YPG respectively and allowed Vandy only 1 more yard than their per game average. However, SC, AL and Vandy are ranked #125, #13 and #127 in total offense per game.
So in the first 3 games UK faced 3 pretty good offenses. In the last 3 games UK has faced 2 absolutely awful offenses.
I just don't spend a lot of time on replays any more but I'll offer these observations
The next 2 games are against a fairly decent run offense (#45 MSU 192 YPG rushing) and a good passing offense (# 27 Mizzou 284 YPG passing). Overall, MSU is #66 in total offense (402 YPG) and Mizzou #37 (442 YPG). FWIW, the Cats are currently allowing 443 YPG.
Peace
The first 3 games the Cats faced what are now the #26, #50 and #43 ranked offenses. Those teams (USM, FL and NMSt respectively) put up 44, 137 and 68 more yards of offense over their current per game averages.
It is a different story with the past 3 games.
UK held SC and AL under their per game averages by 36 and 17 YPG respectively and allowed Vandy only 1 more yard than their per game average. However, SC, AL and Vandy are ranked #125, #13 and #127 in total offense per game.
So in the first 3 games UK faced 3 pretty good offenses. In the last 3 games UK has faced 2 absolutely awful offenses.
I just don't spend a lot of time on replays any more but I'll offer these observations
> The D-line overall "looks" quicker and more active with Elam's diminished PT. Overall I think the LB play has been better in terms of getting to the ball the past few games. But again, that included games against the 98th and 121st ranked rushing games which implicitly means pretty bad O-line play as well. Still, front 7 pursuit has "looked" better.
> They appear to be basically playing the same schemes, just doing a better job of it. I think UK may be playing the NT in a 1 tech a bit more frequently than earlier in the year (always hard to tell from sideline shots). They sometimes use a 4-2 front with 2 upright DEs but that alignment is more more situational than "strategic".
> They appear to be basically playing the same schemes, just doing a better job of it. I think UK may be playing the NT in a 1 tech a bit more frequently than earlier in the year (always hard to tell from sideline shots). They sometimes use a 4-2 front with 2 upright DEs but that alignment is more more situational than "strategic".
The next 2 games are against a fairly decent run offense (#45 MSU 192 YPG rushing) and a good passing offense (# 27 Mizzou 284 YPG passing). Overall, MSU is #66 in total offense (402 YPG) and Mizzou #37 (442 YPG). FWIW, the Cats are currently allowing 443 YPG.
Peace
^^ I think those are some fair assessments of some stats.
I am a pretty huge skeptic about the defense. I say that because NMSU and USM were able to run the ball down our throats. The two teams had 536 rushing yards against us. That's inexcusable in my opinion. In the last three games we've only given up 483 yards rushing, and one of those games was against one of the best rushing teams in the country. I legitimately felt that if we weren't better that a team like Alabama would just cut through us like a hot knife through butter, especially with a mobile quarterback. Granted they beat us soundly, but we did make it much harder for them to run against us than we did for NMSU and USM. It could still just be fools gold, but South Carolina had a running quarterback and those almost always give us fits, but we held him in check. Vanderbilt has a workhorse and great running back (who did get banged up), but we were especially able (from what I can tell) to keep Vanderbilt under wraps on 1st down and keep them in 2nd and long and third and long and that helped us to limit their run game.
I am a pretty huge skeptic about the defense. I say that because NMSU and USM were able to run the ball down our throats. The two teams had 536 rushing yards against us. That's inexcusable in my opinion. In the last three games we've only given up 483 yards rushing, and one of those games was against one of the best rushing teams in the country. I legitimately felt that if we weren't better that a team like Alabama would just cut through us like a hot knife through butter, especially with a mobile quarterback. Granted they beat us soundly, but we did make it much harder for them to run against us than we did for NMSU and USM. It could still just be fools gold, but South Carolina had a running quarterback and those almost always give us fits, but we held him in check. Vanderbilt has a workhorse and great running back (who did get banged up), but we were especially able (from what I can tell) to keep Vanderbilt under wraps on 1st down and keep them in 2nd and long and third and long and that helped us to limit their run game.
Yes, Wildcard - UK sucks and haven't played any better.
Cats looked like they could be one of the worst defensive teams in history after 3 games...no lie. They have improved.
USM, UF and NMSU is not much, if any of a better trio offensively than SC, VU and BAMA.
USM, UF and NMSU is not much, if any of a better trio offensively than SC, VU and BAMA.
In the focus on Ware, who has had a pretty solid first half of the season, (especially the last 3 games), I think Adolph has highlighted something that Stoops said after the first 2 or 3 games: "We have to trust each other . . . . and play team defense." On (I think) the first replay, it looks like Ware was heavily leaning toward filling the middle, when I believe his responsibility was to seal the edge, in the opposite direction. If you don't "trust" the backers in the middle, to make a play headed that direction, you can get take a bad angle, get caught by a block, get caught up in "the trash," etc.
When you see a team playing good team defense (I notice this a lot with Alabama) frequently it doesn't look like they are making freakish plays . . . . not leap-frogging o-linemen, running clear across the field, etc., its just that there is always a player in the right position at the right time, and maybe two there at the right time. Everyone can hold their position, play their lane, or responsibility, and trust the other talented defenders to do the same.
When you see a team playing good team defense (I notice this a lot with Alabama) frequently it doesn't look like they are making freakish plays . . . . not leap-frogging o-linemen, running clear across the field, etc., its just that there is always a player in the right position at the right time, and maybe two there at the right time. Everyone can hold their position, play their lane, or responsibility, and trust the other talented defenders to do the same.
Ummm, current rankings #26, #50 and #43 versus #125, #127 and #13 in total offense. Sorta looks to me there is quite a difference between those 2 groups. [winking]
Peace
Yep, Southern Miss and New Mexico are top notch.
They have played:
Savannah State
Troy
UTEP
Rice
UTSA
New Mexico
ULL
Idaho
LSU.
SC and Vandy would be quality offenses against those schedules as well. Give me a break.
VU and SC opponents for comparison
MSU, ECU, T A&M, UGA, MTSU, GT, WKU, UF & VU/SC
Moreover, this clever fellow cites Mizzou's stellar No. 26 ranked offense. Take out the Delaware St. game (Delaware St. is not only FCS, but a genuinely terrible team by FCS standards), and it's much, much lower than that. Take out the Eastern Michigan game as well (midmajor, and genuinely terrible by midmajor standards), and now we're looking at a Vandy/S.Carolina offense.
Wow... three very terrible plays by Ware there. The first one is almost inexplicable. Really doesn't make any sense why he would step back and to the inside as the contain defender. Heck, at the very least if you always force the play back inside then you have help. Just a terrible first and second steps there.
Give the guy a break. He really is a really swell guy, visiting as he does to free us from our ignorance. If he didn't care about us he wouldn't post. We are his children.