Defense

[msstate7]

Last November is when our defense really started coming on with the bama game being our coming out party. You think our best defensive play is coming up?

[ShotgunDawg]

Last November is when our defense really started coming on with the bama game being our coming out party. You think our best defensive play is coming up?

Yes. It does ever year under Mullen.

[LC Dawg]

I don't think it will be as noticeable this year. Last year it just suddenly seemed to click with the guys on defense but most of them are the same guys that we have playing this year which is why we've played at a higher level all season this year. Us playing the 1A & 1B this year will obviously help some of the younger guys improve and I think that will show over the last part of the season. As well as he's playing I would love to see Chris Jones take it to Ndamukong Suh level. Redmond playing at a high level and seemingly getting better every game has really helped. I hope some of the younger db's keep improving because that could be big finishing up the year and especially into the playoffs. I also think Geoff Collins has a few things up his sleeve specifically for the Tide and the Bears.

[Maroonthirteen]

That is what I am thinking too lc. It seemed (to me) that we played a very basic defense these past two weeks. I'm thinking Collins will unleash some blitzes and cover schemes that they haven't seen yet from us.

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

I don't have any reason to think we won't be in the game with bama at half and I really think this 1a and 1b thing may be what pushes us over the edge to beat them. We've been competitive with them and others in the past few years until just after halftime and we then begin to wear down. If we can with stand the body blows in the 3rd quarter, we've got a great shot to knock them off at their place.

[dawgpound]

We certainly are healthier at this point in the season than most teams so it must be working I'm just ready to see them live up to the #psycho name, which i know they will when it becomes necessary. We have had a bend but dont break mentality all year so when we have to make the stops against bama and OleMissus I think we will.

[Barking 13]

I don't have any reason to think we won't be in the game with bama at half and I really think this 1a and 1b thing may be what pushes us over the edge to beat them. We've been competitive with them and others in the past few years until just after halftime and we then begin to wear down. If we can with stand the body blows in the 3rd quarter, we've got a great shot to knock them off at their place.

add to, how many scores has we given up just before half this year?

[EAVdog]

Yes. Will Redmond has really blossomed. LB Depth is really astonishing now. Chris Jones is starting to break out from the DT position.

Hard to imagine something so great is going to get better but I expect it to.

[maroonmania]

I don't think it will be as noticeable this year. Last year it just suddenly seemed to click with the guys on defense but most of them are the same guys that we have playing this year which is why we've played at a higher level all season this year. Us playing the 1A & 1B this year will obviously help some of the younger guys improve and I think that will show over the last part of the season. As well as he's playing I would love to see Chris Jones take it to Ndamukong Suh level. Redmond playing at a high level and seemingly getting better every game has really helped. I hope some of the younger db's keep improving because that could be big finishing up the year and especially into the playoffs. I also think Geoff Collins has a few things up his sleeve specifically for the Tide and the Bears.

Statistically we were a much better defense last year than we have been this year except in scoring (which is the thing that matters). But for comparison

2013 :
Total Defense - 52nd (387 yds/gm)
Scoring Defense - 34th (23.31 pts/gm)

2014 (thru 8 games):
Total Defense - 89th (434.8 yds/gm)
Scoring Defense - 20th (20.1 pts/gm)

[HoopsDawg]

Statistically we were a much better defense last year than we have been this year except in scoring (which is the thing that matters). But for comparison

2013 :
Total Defense - 52nd (387 yds/gm)
Scoring Defense - 34th (23.31 pts/gm)

2014 (thru 8 games):
Total Defense - 89th (434.8 yds/gm)
Scoring Defense - 20th (20.1 pts/gm)

It doesn't make any sense. We are better at every position except for safety. We are just playing too many guys. I think if we play 15 against Bama and Ole Miss, we will be ok. If we play 23-25 guys against Bama, we will lose.

[Coach34]

We are a better scoring defense THIS YEAR- and that includes all the points the 1B's have given up. And that is what matters.

We got better on defense last year because we got experience- and we finally GOT HEALTHY

We are much better on D this year than last

[Tbonewannabe]

Statistically we were a much better defense last year than we have been this year except in scoring (which is the thing that matters). But for comparison

2013 :
Total Defense - 52nd (387 yds/gm)
Scoring Defense - 34th (23.31 pts/gm)

2014 (thru 8 games):
Total Defense - 89th (434.8 yds/gm)
Scoring Defense - 20th (20.1 pts/gm)

Yards per game are also up because we are scoring a lot so the other team has more offensive opportunities.

[Tbonewannabe]

We are a better scoring defense THIS YEAR- and that includes all the points the 1B's have given up. And that is what matters.

We got better on defense last year because we got experience- and we finally GOT HEALTHY

We are much better on D this year than last

People just look at the yards per game and don't really pay attention to what those numbers mean. Would you rather a team get to the 50 then put 10 times a game or drive 80 yards twice? One is 500 yards of offense with 0 points and the other is 160 yards of offense with probably 14 points. According to the stats giving up 500 yards would be worse if you didn't know how the stats relate.

[Jack Lambert]

I am not worried about Bama. They are not that good. Anyone they have played that is good they struggled. Simms get raddle easy and will make mistakes. Watch this Saturday, LSU is going to make Bama's offense look bad. They have not impressed me one bit.

[Todd4State]

I suspect our ranking will go up after UT-Martin and Vanderbilt. I'm not sure how much though. Yards doesn't matter to me as much as points.

Our numbers are skewed because of the UAB game and the fact that we played our back-ups too early against LSU. We also got a little sloppy against Texas A&M as well.

[smootness]

We certainly are healthier at this point in the season than most teams so it must be working I'm just ready to see them live up to the #psycho name, which i know they will when it becomes necessary. We have had a bend but dont break mentality all year so when we have to make the stops against bama and OleMissus I think we will.

We really weren't bend-but-don't-break in our big 3 games. We pretty much shut those teams down for most of those games and did what we wanted. We're bend-don't-break when the 1Bs play more as an entire unit because the 1As come in in the red zone.

[SheltonChoked]

Our defensive numbers are skewed because we beat the crap out of everyone we played minus ark and uk. We were up 3 scores in every other game. We are among the top in the country in red zone defense. When you score 40 every game, who care how many yards you give up. POINTS. That's what counts.

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

add to, how many scores has we given up just before half this year?

I just took a quick glance and it looks like the latest score we've given up this year in the second quarter came against aTm when they kicked a FG with 2:02 left to go. Kentucky had a shot at a 50 yd FG with :40 left, but it was missed. The latest TD we've allowed in the second quarter was against Auburn when they scored with 6:20 left. We're doing a great job of taking the momentum or at least making it even at half.