For all the naysayers about our "D"

[BullyPulpit]

/you are you watching the same game as me?...Because I see our D getting man-handled....OIY!

We need to get more pressure on the QB and our whole defense has to do a better job at tackling.

/you there is no running game on either side of the ball.

I didn't post anything about this????

I agree that the missed tackles are killing us. Someone needs to teach our DB's not to try and arm tackle the other teams legs.

[Bullpride08]

Our defense hasnt been horrible. But i think most expected a more dominating performance. The weakness is obviously in the line, we need them to develop into more pressure on the QB and taking careof the OLine so the LBS can attack.

Right now if you watch the game you see the OLine getting to our LBS too often.

The weakness is in the line because we never expected our two best DT's to have a season ending injury, and be academically ineligible, and the #1 DE suspended.

Imagine how close these games were, throw in Tavarious Robinson, Clebert, and Josh Julmiste.  That's a lot of size and ability missing along the DL.

AND YET this staff still has the defense playing well!  Amazing.

[Bullpride08]

TX, the reason they scored so much on Nebraska is because they HAD to. They were down 24-7 early and had to go for the big play thus they pushed the ball down the field. They ended up running 24 more offensive plays in the Nebraska game which led to the large amounts of extra yards. (We gave up 400 yards on 70 plays)

The problem hasn't been the defense allowing yards it's the 3rd down conversions and ball control. We're getting killed in that aspect and teh last 2 teams we've played have come into the game playing ball control killing our defense and daring our offense to beat them.

We have to step it up on defense and make bigger plays or this season will only get longer...it starts with the Line.

UHHH BS Joe....and you're wrong about this game.

I watched the Kansas game.  KU had 574 yards of offense BECAUSE THEY COULD!!!  It wasn't just by necessity it was because NU couldn't stop them on defense aside from turnovers.  KU had to comeback because they turned the ball over 4 times (3 INT's), but they could virtually run and pass at will against NU.  KU was driving on NU from the first until the fourth quarters.  KU's the only group that stopped KU, not NEbraska's defense that's for sure.

KU tried like crazy to get things going against us, but our speed and athleticism at the Ends, on the perimeter and at LB didn't allow them to go off.  Granted a better pass rush and not as much softness in the middle would have allowed us to COMPLETELY shut down KU, but we've got enough assets on defense left that allow us to contain even the most prolific of offenses.

[Bubbles]

/you are you watching the same game as me?...Because I see our D getting man-handled....OIY!

We need to get more pressure on the QB and our whole defense has to do a better job at tackling.

/you there is no running game on either side of the ball.

I didn't even post on this thread!!!  I think something is wrong!

[Joe]

UHHH BS Joe....and you're wrong about this game.

Obviously, I forgot it's Bien. I have no chance like most people on this board of being right.

I watched the Kansas game.  KU had 574 yards of offense BECAUSE THEY COULD!!!  It wasn't just by necessity it was because NU couldn't stop them on defense aside from turnovers.  KU had to comeback because they turned the ball over 4 times (3 INT's), but they could virtually run and pass at will against NU.  KU was driving on NU from the first until the fourth quarters.  KU's the only group that stopped KU, not NEbraska's defense that's for sure.

Ok...but they still had to score and quickly. They fumbled twice inside the 20 against us and were driving from the 1st to 4th Quarters, however they weren't down 17 points so the urgency of scoring wasn't on their side. Instead  they had 5 drives against us that lasted more than 5 minutes because they wanted to put the emphasis on our offense to beat them. Nebraska's offense was already tearing them up.

KU tried like crazy to get things going against us, but our speed and athleticism at the Ends, on the perimeter and at LB didn't allow them to go off.  Granted a better pass rush and not as much softness in the middle would have allowed us to COMPLETELY shut down KU, but we've got enough assets on defense left that allow us to contain even the most prolific of offenses.

We gave up 400 yards total offense, we didn't shut them down! Ya we only gave up 13 points, however, they had the ball for 19 of the 30 minutes in the second half. Once again they turned the ball over in key areas against Nebraska just like they did against us.

The ran 24 more offensive plays against Nebraska their average drive was around 2 minutes (compared to 4:30 against us) and they had 18 possessions compared to 11 against us.

Their WHOLE focus against us was to control the clock eat away yards in small amounts and make out offense try and beat them. It's the EXACT formula Rutgers used Friday and the same formula UConn will use Saturday.

[Bull Matrix]

Joe,

If Kansas had to get that many yards then why couldnt Nebraska stop them??? That makes the Nebraska D look pretty bad in my opinion. Can you imagine all the negativety on this board if USF would have done the same?? People would be calling for Wally Burham's head. A good defense would have shut down Kansas, and the game would have not been going into OT.

[Bullpride08]

Joe,

If Kansas had to get that many yards then why couldnt Nebraska stop them??? That makes the Nebraska D look pretty bad in my opinion. Can you imagine all the negativety on this board if USF would have done the same?? People would be calling for Wally Burham's head. A good defense would have shut down Kansas, and the game would have not been going into OT.

Because Joe knows everything...Kansas' offense has been prolific for the past two years, they're very strong under Mangino.

No, if anyone wanted credibility with me talking about the Kansas game they wouldn't try to downgrade KU's offensive output, they'd wonder how NU could rack up 511 yards offense agains KU, and we had trouble getting 300.

[BullDoug]

The opening drives vs our Bulls is killing the TOP stat.  In both Rutgers (7:30ish) and KU (6:00+) games, the opposition had long opening drives.  USF has no rushing game and its a quick strike O.  TOP is a lame stat to use to determine competitiveness.  USF has lost two games that could have been won by a TD and a FG.  In both instances, USF had a chance in the final seconds.

The Bull D is not terrible.  It's just soft between the the 30s.  When the opposing Os can't stretch the Bull D downfield, it tightens up.  No defense can hold every team to 85 yds rushing and 150 passing in every game.  Let's be realistic here folks.  The loss of Clebert, Robinson & Julmiste has been huge.  BTW, will Clebert get a med. r'shirt for this season?  These guys will be needed desperately with the loss of St. Louis & Nicholas in '07.

Bien is right at KU@NE.  KU was scoring at almost will in the fourth qtr vs NE.  NE loses if not for the TOs and a lucky pass play where the KU DB falls down and the NU WR goes for six.  KU lost on two bad passes on 3rd & 4th down in OT.  There may have been a little NE pass rush on the 3rd down but the 4th down play was a bad toss.

If UCONN comes out to duplicate KU's and RU's O plans, they will have a tuff time 'cuz I don't believe they have a 1400+ yard rusher in thier backfield like Cornish or Rice.  Both these guys prolly play on Sundays.  

[Bullpride08]

The opening drives vs our Bulls is killing the TOP stat.  In both Rutgers (7:30ish) and KU (6:00+) games, the opposition had long opening drives.  USF has no rushing game and its a quick strike O.  TOP is a lame stat to use to determine competitiveness.  USF has lost two games that could have been won by a TD and a FG.  In both instances, USF had a chance in the final seconds.

The Bull D is not terrible.  It's just soft between the the 30s.  When the opposing Os can't stretch the Bull D downfield, it tightens up.  No defense can hold every team to 85 yds rushing and 150 passing in every game.  Let's be realistic here folks.  The loss of Clebert, Robinson & Julmiste has been huge.  BTW, will Clebert get a med. r'shirt for this season?  These guys will be needed desperately with the loss of St. Louis & Nicholas in '07.

Bien is right at KU@NE.  KU was scoring at almost will in the fourth qtr vs NE.  NE loses if not for the TOs and a lucky pass play where the KU DB falls down and the NU WR goes for six.  KU lost on two bad passes on 3rd & 4th down in OT.  There may have been a little NE pass rush on the 3rd down but the 4th down play was a bad toss.

If UCONN comes out to duplicate KU's and RU's O plans, they will have a tuff time 'cuz I don't believe they have a 1400+ yard rusher in thier backfield like Cornish or Rice.  Both these guys prolly play on Sundays.  

UConn doesn't have 1,400 yard rushers, they lack any prolific passing attack.  A semi mobile QB that I just don't think is very good.  Uconn has a solid defense so the stats go, but look at their comp before Navy, it made Rutger's first four games look like the SEC East- Rhode Island, Indiana, Wake Forest and Navy- clearly Kansas is better than all four in my book, yes even and undefeated WF team, and so is Rutgers, for that matter UCF isn't to far behind that group.   Get the drift

[Joe]

I never once in my writings tried to say Nebraska's defense was good. My point was that our defense has not played all that great and it has allowed other teams to control the clock and convert on more than 50% of their 3rd downs. Kansas ripped our defense up when it mattered and if someone has a problem admitting that please remove your Green and Gold glasses and come back.

T.O.P and 3rd Down Conversions are HUGE, it's probably what the coaching staff is focusing on this week because it's been our undoing the last two games.

Bien, Your right I don't know all, but I believe that if we'd been up big on KU when after those 1st two turnovers they had in their redzone they wouldn't have run the ball control offense they ran against us and the outcome would be different.

But the mere fact that you claim a Kansas offense that finished 88th and 100th in Total Offense the last two seasons is "prolific"  shows you don't know much more than me.