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Miami’s Defense by the numbers: Can they do it again?

motorcitycane

motorcitycane

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What do you guys think?

I mean that 2018 defense was special.

Miami was
#1 in opp 3rd Down Percentage
#1 Pass Defense
#42 Rush Defense
#23 in opp 4th down Percentage
#5 in First Down Defense
T #17 in Defensive TDS.
#55 Redzone Defense
#18 scoring defense
#9 in sacks
#1 in tackles for a loss
# 4 in total defense

Can Miami be this good again in 2019?
 
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My guess we will regress in pass defense and third down percentage if for no other reason than we were number 1 last year in both. I think it will be offset but gains in special teams and offense, though. Still think it will be a top 25 defense in scoring
 
While it was a great defense it wasn’t perfect and there are clear areas of improvements this new defense can placean emphasis on. Who knows if we will be #1 in passing defense as we are losing some experienced players however we are replacing them with some talented guys and they will be playing behind a dominant front 7 once again which will certainly help them
 
Going to be interesting.

Our defense the past few years practiced against a non-Offense with about four plays.

Now our defense will see things no human has ever seen before - from an offense.
 
I thought the defense backs played well today. Deep coverage was excellent, I did not see anyone run free, not many catches and the ones
that were caught would have been down quickly. Short sideline throws, but not all, and coverage of the tight end were the problem.
 
The stat you really want to look at is opponents yards per play. I prefer to look at it against FBS teams only...nobody cares how you played against Savannah State.

Miami was #3 in 2018
#8 in 2017
#14 in 2016

So it's improved every year. I don't expect to go any higher than #3 this year, obviously, but it's clear Manny has a good system in place and the kids know what they're doing. I've been on record saying I see a slight decline overall in the defense this year just because I don't expect to be able to replicate what 9 and 4 did here last year, but with other spots improving (Edge, LB), it should be close. No reason to drop outside the Top 10 in opponents YPP, especially with this pitiful schedule and what should be an improved offense.
 
I put more weight into the advanced stats than raw #'s. Since the raw stats obviously are influenced by who you play and can be skewed by garbage time #s.

Under Diaz, our defense has averaged 9th in Defensive Efficiency and 13.5 per S&P+.

So if Diaz/Baker can have a unit that's top-10 in efficiency and top-15 overall, that would put us right in line with 2016-18. Do that and if the offense takes a jump to even being a top 40-45 unit (we were 104th in efficiency and 66th in S&P+ in 2018), and it should result in at least a 10-win team
 
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When you really look at it, only 3 guys on D (projected starters) would go into Game 1 with minimal experience. (Ivey, GHall, Ford) The other 9 have been all playing significant minutes or starting since their freshman years. So this is actually a very experienced and talented D. No excuses not to be a top 10-15 D in the country.

People talked **** about the offenses we went against last year and said our numbers were inflated due to that but its the same thing this year..we aren't playing any offense on the schedule that would be considered a juggernaut. I expect UFs offense to be no better than LSUs was last year. And the rest of the schedule we face offenses that are not anything special.
 
No. Manny is the biggest reason they were so dominate. Now he doing offense and defense and no offense to the new DC but i dont see how we maintain
 
I think the field position and an improved offense will help offset the losses of JJ, Willis, and Jackson. Overall we improve in areas that needed improvement but we take a small step back in pass D.
 
A better question would be is there any reason to think that it won't be?

Because there's not.
 
As long as we can be stout against the run against above average competition, we will be fine. Our D lends to athletes that will make plays. The run D just hasn't been that great.
 
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motorcitycane said:
What do you guys think?

I mean that 2018 defense was special.

Miami was
#1 in opp 3rd Down Percentage
#1 Pass Defense
#42 Rush Defense
#23 in opp 4th down Percentage
#5 in First Down Defense
T #17 in Defensive TDS.
#55 Redzone Defense
#18 scoring defense
#9 in sacks
#1 in tackles for a loss
# 4 in total defense

Can Miami be this good again in 2019?
Click to expand...
We didn't lose any superstars, so theoretically, yes.
 
Even if we do slip a bit, luckily it doesn't mean impending doom like it used to now that we have an actual OC.
 
MizCane said:
As long as we can be stout against the run against above average competition, we will be fine. Our D lends to athletes that will make plays. The run D just hasn't been that great.
Click to expand...

I think that is where Jon Ford helps our run defense immensely. 6'5 310lbs. He better not let anything come through the middle of that D and better blow up anything that trys. Especially with Shaq behind him cleaning things up too.
 
brock said:
While it was a great defense it wasn’t perfect and there are clear areas of improvements this new defense can placean emphasis on. Who knows if we will be #1 in passing defense as we are losing some experienced players however we are replacing them with some talented guys and they will be playing behind a dominant front 7 once again which will certainly help them
Click to expand...
in other words a definite maybe.....
 
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