Baffled

[Rex Havoc]

2 hours ago, hm101 said:

We just got 2 key stops in a row. There are some glimmers. I'm willing to give him another year with better depth to see what he can really do

The rush 3 drop everyone back into zone defense sucks! It’s so bad the recruits in front of me were laughing and talking about how wide open receivers were. Hopefully some of them will come here and change that. I understand their is a lack of depth, but our defense always looks defeated. The teams overall culture is changing, but the defense needs to step up. I see very little excitement and aggression. Our defense used to be fast, hard hitting, great tacklers, and aggressive. What we see now is db’s 10 plus yards away from their receivers, huge open spots over the middle, etc. 

Edited November 13, 2021 by Rex Havoc

[USFBULL_08]

Anyone have numbers to show? We've played some heavy competition, so we should be able to take that into account.

[The Sheriff]

Same old song and dance. Instead of making a form tackle that you're taught from your first days of playing football, our guys are looking to make those "big" hits. However when you have talented players on the opposing sidelines, those big hits are few and far between with a quick turn of the hips. Antonio Grier is a textbook example of how NOT to tackle a ball carrier properly. Yes, he's the heart and soul of the defense, however if you focus on his game, it's not about making the form tackles you see from prominent linebackers across the country. It's literally Grier racing over to make a big hit, ball carrier swivels quickly, Grier goes glancing off the pads. If he focused on wrapping up the ball carrier instead of demolishing him, maybe it will catch on with other players. Is our DC on the hook for this weekly travesty - without a doubt. However the players have to buy into the system. Tackle ball carriers first - let your overall won-loss record be the highlight reel. 

[The Sheriff]

9 hours ago, Bull Nut said:

3rd and 20 was the end of the game.

I paused the game for an hour right before that play as we were celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday. When we came back to the couch, I looked at her and said this play will determine how the rest of the night goes. She's like "what do you mean?" I told her we lack confidence and a 3rd and 20 situation for average defenses means the offense is punting on fourth down. For bad defenses, they find a way to shoot themselves in the foot. Cinci popped off an 18-yard run which made going for fourth down a no-brainer for the #2 team in the country versus a team with only two wins. It was pretty much downhill the rest of the way for us.

[DELdaBull]

That 3rd and 20 play was the worst I have ever seen from a defense 

[CousinRicky]

32 minutes ago, DELdaBull said:

That 3rd and 20 play was the worst I have ever seen from a defense 

How quickly we forget 4th and 24. 

[Massbull]

IMO they have skill players on defense. They are horribly coached and constantly out of position. Their tackling is horrendous again coaching. Look at the offense they had a bad half that happens at everyone but the had a super 2nd half & with an average D they would have really put pressure on Cincy. The special teams are special.

good coaches take average talent and make them competitive bad coaches take average talent and make them poor unfortunately that is the story of the USF defense. A clear sign of bad coaching NO IMPROVEMENT.

[DELdaBull]

49 minutes ago, CousinRicky said:

How quickly we forget 4th and 24. 

I remembered as soon as I clicked submit, bit decided to roll with it

[Jim Johnson]

51 minutes ago, CousinRicky said:

How quickly we forget 4th and 24. 

4th and 24 was just a great pass and a great catch... in addition to the defense letting the WR get to the sticks.

@DELdaBull is right. IMHO, that 3rd and 20 was just an abysmal failure, with the blame squarely on the coaching.... starting with the defensive play call (3-man DL, zone coverage) to simply assuming Ridder was going to pass (when the odds of a draw play are pretty good on 3rd and long)... and then several defenders taking bad angles.   THAT speaks to a coaching failure.

[BDYZR]

USF has been bad on 3rd and long FOREVER. Year in and year out I cringe at 3rd and 8 or longer. Historically we've done a better job of stopping 3rd and short.