B Brown gives most first-hand insight into Collins' scheme that we've seen yet...

[engie]

This should go a long way toward easing the doubts on what we're actually going to do on that side of the ball...


"We are all going out all the way. It is attack, attack, attack. No more standing around on our heels and letting the offense attack us. Now we are going to get them."

This also from Bonner's blog about Nickoe Whitley:

Under defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, Whitley should also see a rise in his sacks and tackle for losses. During Sunday’s session, the safety stalked the line of scrimmage quite a bit.

I'm pumped to see this type of defense come back to MSU...

[FISHDAWG]

I'm encouraged but as for now it's still rhetoric (which we never even heard out of Wilson).... is he planning a bunch of safty blitzes with Whitley ? can we get blitz happy with an inexperienced backfield ? .... so many questions remain but I'm def on board with Collins

ETA - we need to fire Bracky Brett

[Dawg61]

Oh man please let Whitley roam the line of scrimmage and lay the wood this year. QB doesn't have much time to think when he's gotta get rid of the ball in under 3 seconds.

[ShotgunDawg]

Looks like we are basically going from the bend, but don't break model to a make big plays, but may give up big plays model. I am very much in favor of this because we need to make more big plays and not just bleed to death on defense. Alabama doesn't make mistakes, so playing a bend but don't break defense doesn't do anything but make you bleed to death. We need more sacks and more interceptions. If a team is going to score, I just assume they do it on the first play of the series so our defense doesn't get worn out.

Of course, last year our bend but don't break defense gave up big plays as well, so going to an aggressive attack, can only help.

The key to this defense is our linebackers and secondary having exceptional tackling fundamentals in space!!!

[engie]

I'm encouraged but as for now it's still rhetoric (which we never even heard out of Wilson).... is he planning a bunch of safty blitzes with Whitley ? can we get blitz happy with an inexperienced backfield ? .... so many questions remain but I'm def on board with Collins

That's the thing, Collins hasn't said a word. This is from players and reporters watching us practice... and the reporters aren't even going to really get to see any of the blitzing schemes...

The db position is not inexperienced -- just doesn't have all that many starts yet. Love, Calhoun, Whitley, and Hughes have played a bunch of snaps for us -- and Redmond, Giles, Cox, Arrington are all uber-talented

Blitz happy = less time to make decisions = less pressure on the DBs in man, but I get your point... We are going to blitz about how we did with Diaz IMO, which is alot. It'll save our ass a bunch -- and it'll cause us to get burned for some huge plays too when other teams guess right.

Conservative simply doesn't win at MSU...

[MarketingBully01]

Bend but don't break defense last year? It was a break and break defense. Why oh why did we promote Wilson to DC in the first place. He had no experience doing that whatsoever. Our best bet would have been to hire Collins to do this all along. I don't see many if any DCs who also coach DLines. Those two things never go together. Hopefully, Mullen learned a two year lesson. He should have learned in 2009 under Torbush that the bend but don't break style just doesn't fit him. I wonder if Mullen even knew that Wilson would go with this style to begin with?

[engie]

By all accounts, Mullen thought he was getting the exact same defense under Wilson that he got under Diaz(and it was the same basic scheme that they actually drew up together)...

The guy calling the plays and blitzes makes all the difference...

Insane the extent that Fletcher Cox masked our deficiencies under Wilson in hindsight. There were certainly warning signs there too...

[maroonmania]

Bend but don't break defense last year? It was a break and break defense. Why oh why did we promote Wilson to DC in the first place. He had no experience doing that whatsoever. Our best bet would have been to hire Collins to do this all along. I don't see many if any DCs who also coach DLines. Those two things never go together. Hopefully, Mullen learned a two year lesson. He should have learned in 2009 under Torbush that the bend but don't break style just doesn't fit him. I wonder if Mullen even knew that Wilson would go with this style to begin with?

Given that Diaz and Collins SUPPOSEDLY worked together to design and implement the 2010 defense, I'm not necessarily convinced that Mullen understood just how conservative Wilson was going to play things when he gave him the DC job in 2011. But it does show me that the CO in CO-DC is there for a reason. Pretty obvious that Diaz was making all the calls when Wilson was his Co-DC and that Wilson was calling all the shots when Collins was his Co-DC.

[Barking 13]

Oh man please let Whitley roam the line of scrimmage and lay the wood this year. QB doesn't have much time to think when he's gotta get rid of the ball in under 3 seconds.

I'll have a Nickoe - Wells sandwich, please.... with some Jones sauce...

[bulldawg28]

Hopefully Nickoe gets there. I wasn't impressed with Hughes playing the deep ball last year.

[Coach34]

Hopefully Nickoe gets there. I wasn't impressed with Hughes playing the deep ball last year.

I wasnt impressed with much last year on D- and we just looked like we played confused too much. And as you know 28- confusion on D is one of the worst things you can have.

[mic]

We have 3 maybe 4 future NFL CB's
Love, Cox, Redmond.. if our front four can get some pressure and cause some havoc , our DB's will make some plays behind them ..

[hailmari]

I hope Love's problem truly was because of the schemes last year.. He always worried me out there. Then again, even Slay and Banks had their brain-farts.

[bulldawg28]

I wasnt impressed with much last year on D- and we just looked like we played confused too much. And as you know 28- confusion on D is one of the worst things you can have.

100% true.

[engie]

I hope Love's problem truly was because of the schemes last year.. He always worried me out there. Then again, even Slay and Banks had their brain-farts.

Exactly.

Only time I remember Love looking foolish was the trip on the touchdown pass at UK... and he was out there a ton in nickel...

[maroonmania]

We have 3 maybe 4 future NFL CB's
Love, Cox, Redmond.. if our front four can get some pressure and cause some havoc , our DB's will make some plays behind them ..

Well we technically don't have Redmond until half the season is over.

[Todd4State]

I expect our defense to be a lot better. Just having people in the right spot and doing things to maximize their talent is going to go a long way for us.

[RougeDawg]

That's the thing, Collins hasn't said a word. This is from players and reporters watching us practice... and the reporters aren't even going to really get to see any of the blitzing schemes...

The db position is not inexperienced -- just doesn't have all that many starts yet. Love, Calhoun, Whitley, and Hughes have played a bunch of snaps for us -- and Redmond, Giles, Cox, Arrington are all uber-talented

Blitz happy = less time to make decisions = less pressure on the DBs in man, but I get your point... We are going to blitz about how we did with Diaz IMO, which is alot. It'll save our ass a bunch -- and it'll cause us to get burned for some huge plays too when other teams guess right.

Conservative simply doesn't win at MSU...

And are prone to make mistakes under pressure. Putting pressure on college QB's is the best way to beat them. Come at them early and often. As the game wears on they will feel pressure even when it's not there and make mistakes. These aren't seasoned NFL veterans who have studied blitz schemes for years. Stress as pressure causes offenses to force things and make mistakes.

[Bark]

We have 3 maybe 4 future NFL CB's
Love, Cox, Redmond.. if our front four can get some pressure and cause some havoc , our DB's will make some plays behind them ..

Jiles is our 2nd best corner right now.

[Political Hack]

Conservative simply doesn't win at MSU...

the sooner our administration, head coach, assistant coaches, etc... realize this, the better. I think Dan knows after last year.