Bennubird
Senior
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2011
- Messages
- 4,028
J this is my biggest issue with our defense. We allow other teams to dictate to us far too much. I could see where situationally that would make sense like at the end of a game where the game is decided, but in all seriousness any other time I just don't get that. Not only does it leave our players in the position of ALWAYS reacting, waiting for something to happen rather than making things happen, and to my thinking it creates in the defense entirely the wrong mentality, as you say, one of being constantly on their heels, i.e., passive.
In the past, I didn't like it, but I listened to some good posters who felt things would be different with our defense once we got more experience and talent. Well we've got both, and we are still the same soft coverage, off the ball a mile, defense that we've always been under the current regime. Against FAMU it is irrelevant because they simply do not have anywhere close to the talent that we do across the board, but against peer competition in terms of talent, e.g., VA Tech, FSU, etc., and well coached teams, e.g., Duke, I fear our defense will never get off the field. The worse implications of that have already played out at Louisville where our guys where so worn out at the end of the game that Coach Golden wasn't sure whether they would be ready to go against FAMU on a short week. You would think being we are Miami with a team full of kids from south Florida that our defense would be based on speed and aggression. Sure, we'd give up some big plays, all teams do, but we'd punish teams and set a tone that would carry through even to our offense.
I keep hearing this argument that it's OK for the defense to give up a lot of yards so long as they do not give up scores, but I don't agree with that view. As a youth coach, I'm always concerned about the number of possessions and the number of executions our opponents get. The reason is that the more chances they have the more likely they are to eventually make a play and that's not just true in football its true in basketball, soccer, hockey, etc. In fact, one of the first stats coaches look at is the number of possessions they got and gave up for the very reason that I stated. Assuming the opposite, as our coaches do - that our opponents will make a mistake rather a play - is undermined by our passive play on the corners, especially on first and second down, on defense. I wish someone with more knowledge than me could explain why it's an advantage for us to play defense the way we do. I certainly don't have all the answers.
I guess I'm insane because I'm still holding out hope that at Nebraska that our coaches will shock the world by trying to dictate to Cornhusker's offense (force them to take what we give them).
In the past, I didn't like it, but I listened to some good posters who felt things would be different with our defense once we got more experience and talent. Well we've got both, and we are still the same soft coverage, off the ball a mile, defense that we've always been under the current regime. Against FAMU it is irrelevant because they simply do not have anywhere close to the talent that we do across the board, but against peer competition in terms of talent, e.g., VA Tech, FSU, etc., and well coached teams, e.g., Duke, I fear our defense will never get off the field. The worse implications of that have already played out at Louisville where our guys where so worn out at the end of the game that Coach Golden wasn't sure whether they would be ready to go against FAMU on a short week. You would think being we are Miami with a team full of kids from south Florida that our defense would be based on speed and aggression. Sure, we'd give up some big plays, all teams do, but we'd punish teams and set a tone that would carry through even to our offense.
I keep hearing this argument that it's OK for the defense to give up a lot of yards so long as they do not give up scores, but I don't agree with that view. As a youth coach, I'm always concerned about the number of possessions and the number of executions our opponents get. The reason is that the more chances they have the more likely they are to eventually make a play and that's not just true in football its true in basketball, soccer, hockey, etc. In fact, one of the first stats coaches look at is the number of possessions they got and gave up for the very reason that I stated. Assuming the opposite, as our coaches do - that our opponents will make a mistake rather a play - is undermined by our passive play on the corners, especially on first and second down, on defense. I wish someone with more knowledge than me could explain why it's an advantage for us to play defense the way we do. I certainly don't have all the answers.
I guess I'm insane because I'm still holding out hope that at Nebraska that our coaches will shock the world by trying to dictate to Cornhusker's offense (force them to take what we give them).
