Zach played one of his best games as a Cane, but his game against UAB was subpar. I hope we see this UL-Zach more than the UAB-Zach. Frankly, I think the LBs and defense as a whole aren’t elite. I need to see a whole lot of improvement across the board (fundamentals, play-calling, recognition, preparation, talent, etc) before I can say the Canes have an elite defense. Giving up 500+ yards, 34 points, fourth down conversions, red zone conversions and a bunch of explosive plays wasn’t a coincidence or fluke. Every metric says this defense has played well in its first two games, and I don’t see proper technique everywhere on defense. There is a LOT to fix on defense.
This defense isn’t as good as it has been under CMD, but hopefully that will change as this season progresses. So far, I am not impressed with any position group on defense. Certain individuals show flashes but no consistent high level performance. Too many defensive players getting undeserved hype. Film don’t lie.
Lashlee, King, Harris, Jordan, Mallory and company are good enough to win most games, but they will need much better defensive play against elite teams like Clemson. It could be that the Canes will have to win with offense this season.