Safeties and DTs -- Are we a complete team for what Hetherman plans to do?

[theibisrules]

It don't matter if all they are gonna do is grab a seat and watch the offense perform, then proceed to go out there and **** the bed. If the defense is gonna watch the offense this year and not perform, then the only thing left for Miami to do is charge all defensive players the premium price for on the field tickets. AND I MEAN EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THIS POST.

 

[DemCanes10]

Do people understand that playing DL is about leverage not weight??

If that was the case that fat *** Finch looking DT at Florida would be the 1st overall pick.

 

[Hstokes1447]

Love will rush for 150 on us. I don’t have much faith game 1 in our ability to stop the run. It’s just can we make it 150 on 23 carries as opposed to 11

No he will not.

In Hetherman’s first season as the DC at Minnesota he had the #9 rushing defense in the Nation with a bunch of no name 3 stars. He basically had a defensive line full of Daylen Russell’s and they balled every week. The combination of Hetherman scheme and the talent on this team is going to be insane.

Penn State returns the #1 backfield and had the 17th ranked rushing attack in 2024. Notre Dame returns the #2 backfield and had the 19th ranked rushing attack in 2024.

Hetherman faced Penn State in 2024 and held them to 117 yards on 33 attempts for an average of 3.5 per carry. For the season Penn State averaged 202 yards rushing per game and 5.3 yards per carry

 

[Bender]

Our defensive backs need to be able to tackle in order for us to do well.

Hetherman loves to defend the deep pass. Miller Moss and USC basically had to dink and dunk their way down the field and every catch was met with a loud hit.

I'm not worried about up front. I'm still worried about the DBs. That's the biggest concern for me, even with all the new additions.

 

[canes614]

Problem Statement: From a traditional defense perspective, we are too thin at Safety and DT. Our expected classic Safety rotation at this point includes Poyser and Thomas as starters, and "possibly" Williams and Day as first in. At DT, we have Blay, Moten and Scott (looking in the 280-300 range) with Jones as the expected rotational player After that, you have true freshmen who may contribute at some point. Classically, that looks too thin to be a playoff contender much less winner. Along with place kicker, those two spots are my biggest concern going into summer/fall camp.

Emerging Solution: @Peter Ariz and @DMoney confirmed in their podcasts today and over the past week that the staff is settling on Lucas and Blount as the two players you move if you need help out at DT and Safety. Meanwhile, @Lance Roffers and @Hstokes1447 are firm believers Hetherman's 4i base scheme, and primary passing down schemes favors leaner, faster guys like these two (along with guys like Bobby Pruitt at LB, Lightfoot at Jack, etc.).

Expected Outcome: ?

The Wilforks and Sapps being the exception (and Sapp was "only" 300 at Miami, and both had generational burst), SPEED was a Miami brand during the championship decades. Ironically, it's Big 10 Hetherman who seems to be bringing us back to a speed-first philosophy. When we were great, we could hold the line against the Nebraskas and Oklahomas and Notre Dames, if needed, with only 4 guys. Do we have the dudes to do so in 2025? Can we stop the run with Hetherman's 4i and fast packages? Can we make it through 13+ games into the playoffs with this roster?

Do we really know the backups from each playoff roster? I think we have to trust our top guys early on while others get valuable snaps against cupcakes....DT size isn't bad compared to other ACC teams...especially with Bain, Mesidor and Blount capable of moving inside on passing downs....making a playoff run is totally different ....I think a fourth DT must be developed..... fatigue would be more of a factor after a long season to facing more physicality ...... safety should be decent with Day, Williams and a young guy likely emerging .....This roster is easily good enough to compete for a ACC title....its on the staff to get them ready no excuses....

 

[Ironmanfootball]

in a conference that’s all about running the ball.

Big Ten might've been that way, but: UCLA, USC, Purdue, NW, Minny, Maryland, Washington, MSU, OSU, Wisky, Illinois, Nebraska and Oregon were 76-129th in the nation in rush attempts / game (bolded their opponents)

They faced Rutgers, Iowa, PSU and Mich who were a little higher up the ladder at 28, 35, 37 and 47 and lost to all four.

 

[Hstokes1447]

Big Ten might've been that way, but: UCLA, USC, Purdue, NW, Minny, Maryland, Washington, MSU, OSU, Wisky, Illinois, Nebraska and Oregon were 76-129th in the nation in rush attempts / game (bolded their opponents)

They faced Rutgers, Iowa, PSU and Mich who were a little higher up the ladder at 28, 35, 37 and 47 and lost to all four.

Of those games you listed only one team actually beat them because of the run. Minnesota held all of those teams below their rushing average with the exception of Iowa.

Rutgers averaged 175 yards per game with 4.4 per attempt. Hetherman held them to 109 yards and 2.8 per attempt.

Penn State averaged 202 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry. Hetherman held them to 117 yards and 3.5 per attempt.

Iowa averaged 197 yards per game and 5.1 yards per attempt. Hetherman defense gave up 272 yards and 6.0 yards per attempt.

Michigan averaged 157 yards and 4.2 yards per attempt. Hetherman held them to 155 yards and 3.6 yards per attempt.

He did that will a band of 3 star defensive lineman who in 2023 ranked 64th in rushing defense. Hetherman turned those guys into the #9 rushing defense in his first and only season as their DC.

 

[Ironmanfootball]

Of those games you listed only one team actually beat them because of the run. Minnesota held all of those teams below their rushing average with the exception of Iowa.

Rutgers averaged 175 yards per game with 4.4 per attempt. Hetherman held them to 109 yards and 2.8 per attempt.

Penn State averaged 202 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry. Hetherman held them to 117 yards and 3.5 per attempt.

Iowa averaged 197 yards per game and 5.1 yards per attempt. Hetherman defense gave up 272 yards and 6.0 yards per attempt.

Michigan averaged 157 yards and 4.2 yards per attempt. Hetherman held them to 155 yards and 3.6 yards per attempt.

He did that will a band of 3 star defensive lineman who in 2023 ranked 64th in rushing defense. Hetherman turned those guys into the #9 rushing defense in his first and only season as their DC.

Rutgers his D allowed TWO guys to average 20+ yards per catch, well above those two dude's averages and the QB hit on 3 TD's... 20% of his season total in a game.

Iowa dude hit nearly 10 yards per carry with no passing game

He was there 1 season, give canoe boy a lil credit- he's a **** of a developer. The Minny O and D improved from '23 to '24. 25 spots for O, 20 for D per SP+

PSU they gave up a wide open passing TD but definitely shook Allar up, guy was as accurate as the old guys were at the urinals in the Orange Bowl. Singleton still hit over 4/carry, the freshman was stuffed

 

[Pentagon Cane]

The staff as asked Kennedy to lose weight and Mesidor is now 260 and will exclusively play edge.

Mesidor looks terrific.

 

[DTP]

The myth that defenses need 350lb tackles to stop the run will never die at CIS.

 

[HardCane]

Love will rush for 150 on us. I don’t have much faith game 1 in our ability to stop the run. It’s just can we make it 150 on 23 carries as opposed to 11

I also have little faith in our ability to take proper angles × tackle x hit. Until this D can be labeled truly tough and physical we will be vulnerable to less talented teams scoring on this D consistently.

 

[Pentagon Cane]

I also have little faith in our ability to take proper angles × tackle x hit. Until this D can be labeled truly tough and physical we will be vulnerable to less talented teams scoring on this D consistently.

Minnesota appeared to be well coached defensively.

 

[TexasCane90]

The myth that defenses need 350lb tackles to stop the run will never die at CIS.

Been drilled into most with ESPN parading SEC defenses of the 2010s that had dudes like mt Cody who was like 350 whale…

Gotta have a good scheme and players who are unselfish to do their job even if means not getting flashy stats some games

 

[DTP]

Been drilled into most with ESPN parading SEC defenses of the 2010s that had dudes like mt Cody who was like 350 whale…

Gotta have a good scheme and players who are unselfish to do their job even if means not getting flashy stats some games

They see Kirby Smart using some behemoth at 0 technique and think that’s the only way to do it.

Georgia Tech gouged us for 270 yards rushing at 5.6 yards per carry. They rushed for 260 at 5.5 with 3 touchdowns against UGA so maybe the key isn’t just having enormous fat asses at defensive tackle.

Florida was 71st against the rush with multiple 400 pound tackles in their rotation.

 

[Sabetta]

Big Ten might've been that way, but: UCLA, USC, Purdue, NW, Minny, Maryland, Washington, MSU, OSU, Wisky, Illinois, Nebraska and Oregon were 76-129th in the nation in rush attempts / game (bolded their opponents)

They faced Rutgers, Iowa, PSU and Mich who were a little higher up the ladder at 28, 35, 37 and 47 and lost to all four.

Holy MSNBC take. Jesus

 

[JamesQuall]

The myth that defenses need 350lb tackles to stop the run will never die at CIS.

The prophecy will only die when the one foretold at 350lbs fails to stop the run while his 290lbs brother does all the work.

 

[Ironmanfootball]

Holy MSNBC take. Jesus

Gotta come up with sabetta material next time

 

[bacane]

Minnesota starting d-line last year was 285, 290, 310, 254. Miami will be 265, 305, 305, 265. So what’s the big difference?

Difference or problem is what’s behind the DTs. Do we have quality depth that can hold up? What if a starter or depth piece go down? We’re fine Game 1, but the season is a grind.

 

[OrangeBowlMagic]

Not apples to apples but Minnesota only gave up over 4.5 a carry twice last year.

Iowa got them for 272 on 45 carries. Kaleb Johnson gashed them in the 2nd half, but they held Iowa to only 7 points at the half. Problem was Minnesota couldn’t get out of their own way on offense.

USC got them for 173 on 28 carries. Woody Marks had a good day, but USC only got 17 points and Minnesota won the game.

2 NFL draft picks. We know Love is on that level. But I’m confident we have better athletes than Minnesota did, and the kids are gonna be juiced as ****. I just don’t see a good coordinator letting Love beat them when the opponent is starting a freshman QB who has never thrown a pass.

Other than that, the Minny run D was really good. Top 20-25 in just about any metric you can find. If Carr beats us, I’ll live with it. But we can’t let their backs run for 200 on us.

 

[Combo]

Difference or problem is what’s behind the DTs. Do we have quality depth that can hold up? What if a starter or depth piece go down? We’re fine Game 1, but the season is a grind.

Exactly. If our top 5 guys stay relatively healthy, we should be solid. But how likely is that? Injuries happen.