Shoop/Defense

[BuckyIsAB****]

C34, Coach57, anyone else who likes X's and O's, what can we expect out of his 4-2-5 this year? Watching a little on him he uses a lot of fire zone pressure, similar to what Grantham did.

Will we see any odd front? Surely we would considering how good we were in it last year. You adjust your philosophy to your kids not the other way around...excited to go to the clinic in april and see practice and how Moorhead runs things

[Bulldog1]

I’m ready to see Moorhead’s offense too. I watched a highlight reel of his “creative calls” and it was really fun.

[Jack Lambert]

I’m ready to see Moorhead’s offense too. I watched a highlight reel of his “creative calls” and it was really fun.

I enjoy watching A Train but Hill is going to be a monster in Coach Joe's offense.

[Bulldog1]

I enjoy watching A Train but Hill is going to be a monster in Coach Joe's offense.

I like Hill too. We’ve got a really good 1-2 punch at RB. Lots more vertical passing in Moorhead’s offense. My biggest concern is Fitz throwing and accuracy. I think having some good additions at WR will help this year. Add in a top 2 or 3 DL in the SEC and we’re in for a fun year.

[Todd4State]

I have seen some thing that made it sound like we will use some 3 man fronts. Not sure if it will be 3-4 or 3-3-5 or what yet. I do expect to see mostly 4-3 and 4-2-5 defenses though.

[Bulldog1]

I have seen some thing that made it sound like we will use some 3 man fronts. Not sure if it will be 3-4 or 3-3-5 or what yet. I do expect to see mostly 4-3 and 4-2-5 defenses though.

I’ve read Bob prefers 4-3, but I haven’t watched any of his film.

[Todd4State]

I like Hill too. We?ve got a really good 1-2 punch at RB. Lots more vertical passing in Moorhead?s offense. My biggest concern is Fitz throwing and accuracy. I think having some good additions at WR will help this year. Add in a top 2 or 3 DL in the SEC and we?re in for a fun year.

I'm not.

[Bulldog1]

I'm not.

Hope I’m wrong, we’ll see...

[Todd4State]

I’ve read Bob prefers 4-3, but I haven’t watched any of his film.

It's been awhile since I watched this- but it's from 2016 and is about 15 minutes of his defense at Tennessee. If I remember correctly, I saw mostly 4-3, 4-2-5, a little 3-4 or some nickle with a three man front. The football experts can correct or add to that.

[Todd4State]

Hope I’m wrong, we’ll see...

It's a valid concern- so I don't think it's "right or wrong". But I think with the combination of new taller WR's and a new offense that is more aggressive with RPO's and downfield passing- there is a good chance that we will improve quite a bit.

[Bulldog1]

It's a valid concern- so I don't think it's "right or wrong". But I think with the combination of new taller WR's and a new offense that is more aggressive with RPO's and downfield passing- there is a good chance that we will improve quite a bit.

Yea, I’m not saying he will or he won’t. I just want him to show me.

[yjnkdawg]

Hope I?m wrong, we?ll see...

Big tall athletic receivers who can break away from tight coverage, and on a 50/50 ball it is like that ball is their ball and nobody else (defender) is getting it. This can sure make a quarterback look better on his passing accuracy. (See OM for an example)

[Todd4State]

Also- we may have hit a home run with our ST coach. Last year South Alabama was second in special teams efficiency per ESPN:

http://www.espn.com/college-football...tab/efficiency

Jones is going to be a great tandem with Boniol recruiting and coaching the kickers while I assume Jones will coordinate the non-kickers on the ST units.

[BuckyIsAB****]

It's been awhile since I watched this- but it's from 2016 and is about 15 minutes of his defense at Tennessee. If I remember correctly, I saw mostly 4-3, 4-2-5, a little 3-4 or some nickle with a three man front. The football experts can correct or add to that.

4-2-5 is pretty much a nickel but yea. He was old school 4-3 in short yardage in what I've watched so far. I think he'd be dumb to not use some odd front with our personnel tbh.

On the other hand we are loaded up front, may want to go even fronts to use our depth, get our best players on the field. Im close with a former DL and he said Chauncey Rivers is already our best DL besides Simmons. Pretty impressive considering Sweat, Adams and others. Gerri Green is the ultimate X factor, if we put him in the right spot we may have the best D in MSU history.

The last time we had all time defenses were in a 4-2-5 under Joe Lee Dunn. Hope it turns out that well this time

[Todd4State]

Big tall athletic receivers who can break away from tight coverage, and on a 50/50 ball it is like that ball is their ball and nobody else (defender) is getting it. This can sure make a quarterback look better on his passing accuracy. (See OM for an example)

That was exactly my point in showing the video- I know it was Donald Gray scoring the TD in the video but it was also a FCS team with a CB of similar height as Gray. In that situation- Nick made the throw accurately downfield even though forced to roll out.

[BuckyIsAB****]

I just hope to God we play tighter with our CBs than he did a lot in that game vs UF.

That is the most frustrating thing to watch

[Coach34]

Ya'll need to read this:

https://www.footballstudyhall.com/20...-georgia-texas

[BuckyIsAB****]

Ya'll need to read this:

https://www.footballstudyhall.com/20...-georgia-texas

Good stuff. Gotta have some ballers to play a 4I or you could get beat on the edge. We have some.

Doesnt really matter what you do if you've got the DL we've got

[BuckyIsAB****]

C34, we played an odd front with our DE's in 5 techs. With a lot of pressure, rip/liz action with the safeties spinning. You expect to see any of that from Shoop?

You can do it with 4Is or 4s if your DL isnt fast enough to slant, or in the 4-3. I think its the way to go. Only prob is if you dont have the size, which Shoop wont have to worry about

[Prediction? Pain.]

Also- we may have hit a home run with our ST coach. Last year South Alabama was second in special teams efficiency per ESPN:

http://www.espn.com/college-football...tab/efficiency

Jones is going to be a great tandem with Boniol recruiting and coaching the kickers while I assume Jones will coordinate the non-kickers on the ST units.

I saw this too, Todd. Good stuff. It also corresponds with how other advanced stats graded USA's special teams last year -- 16th nationally in the FEI special teams ranks, and 27th nationally in the S&P+ special teams ranks. Especially impressive given how little USA's offense was able to move the ball last year. (They were dead last in the Sun Belt in yards per play.)

The strange thing about it, though, is that special teams was mostly bad at USA in recent years under Jones. From 2012 to 2016, ESPN's special teams efficiency rankings put USA at 113th, 98th, 52nd, 122nd, and 102nd nationally. (And S&P and FEI had them similarly ranked.) I checked out USA's 2016 and 2017 coaching bios, but didn't see a ST coordinator listed. I'd be interested to know what, if anything, Jones changed about USA's special teams last season that caused them to improve so drastically from 2016 to 2017.

Regardless, aside from Jones' obvious upside as a great all-around coach and likely Alabama and coastal recruiting connections, it's great to see that his special teams kicked ass last year.