Gene Chizik on defending the air raid

[ShotgunDawg]

As immobile as Will is why not rush 6 and play zone? He?s not going to beat you running.

60 burger

[basedog]

Seems slow starts are with Rogers not connecting in opening drives or two. Against the Hogs we were throwing down the field early.

As far as playing Ole Dixie, I'm more concerned with stopping the run, Corral will make some plays and their run game has home run threats with speed.

It comes down who plays better defense, special teams and mistakes.

[preachermatt83]

What should scare the SEC is we are still learning this offense. when Leach brings in NFL type wideouts like he had in Crabtree at TT LOOK OUT. Will is getting better and better every game. I felt from the very start this was a good coaching hire and now we are starting to see it

Same

[WhiskeyPirate]

State of Miss has so many good athletes , that with a good D coordinator, I think Leach will always have a pretty good D. It’s certainly much better than he’s ever had. Nationally he will get the skill position players because it’s the air raid. O lineman are crucial, I agree.

I think believe it or not, one reason we start slow is the offense is still not 100% , still has some learning and growing room. Don’t forget how tentative the O was at the beginning of the year.

[RougeDawg]

I have been as big a Leach guy as anyone.

There is one thing, you cannot win without players.

Mississippi State has never been a place that got the top talent. I think he can attract RBs WRs & QBs but will he get the Defense and OLine players here on a consistent basis for this thing to work? The OL that can block SEC defenses will be the key to this whole thing to me. Even if it's just one once every 3-4 years for that magical season that contends, I am good for it so long as it doesn't go to trash on the down years. It would be great though to get the top 20 classes to make it more consistent.

The stuff I was worried about his offense causing issues for the defense seems to be answered at least schematically. He doesn't play hurry up and his offense is not a 3 and out machine. If the best defense against his teams is the drop 8 thingy then our defense should have less plays to defend than most teams. DC's love that and we should be able to keep a good one.

So, get the players and keep that red zone offense clicking and we should be in for a nice ride. Leach will have some losses to teams less talented at times when this offense is not running smoothly or has TO's and QB transitioning could be frustrating but the upside is very high.

Any SEC team in Mississippi will never have to worry about getting enough defensive talent. Our state produces the most and best defensive players per capita and #2 probably isn?t close. Just look at the nfl guys.

Our problem has always been getting the skill position players because of the style of offense played in Mississippi. It has come a long way in the last 20 years but we still do not produce the quality and quantity of skill players to do what we can on the defensive side.

Even in the Merlin years, it was evident that he needed to go out of state for skill guys. But that required recruiting and hence why we always lacked in that area.

Leach has a large recruiting footprint, especially in Texas. The most skill player rich state in the country. Given time and enough recruiting cycles, those key pieces will be on campus. Keep putting up video game offensive numbers and more will come.

Bottom line is you could not recruit like Merlin and have a top 25 defense with the annual talent in Mississippi high schools. You have to work hard for a top offense. Leach is/was that missing piece.

Edit: no Mississippi team should have a sub par defense. Not sure what the KlanSharts are doing to have such a putrid defense each year.

[preachermatt83]

NO!

Chiz is a legit dc. And he can recruit!

[RougeDawg]

Chiz is a legit dc. And he can recruit!

He recruits churches like no other.

[dawgoneyall]

200,000 worth

[desotodawg]

Against Arkansas, Odom had the ends setup wide and they were blocking off the running backs from flaring out wide. That took away Will's outlet to the RBs on the side. It forced him to go downfield instead. Several times the RBs ran into the end blocker trying to get outside. Disrupted the rhythm of the play. It took a while to adjust to that.

[TrapGame]

Against Arkansas, Odom had the ends setup wide and they were blocking off the running backs from flaring out wide. That took away Will's outlet to the RBs on the side. It forced him to go downfield instead. Several times the RBs ran into the end blocker trying to get outside. Disrupted the rhythm of the play. It took a while to adjust to that.

Odom's a good DC. The slow start really messed us up at Arkansas.

[Lord McBuckethead]

It was more like the guy that followed the guy type of thing. Mullen had the benefit of Croom following Jackie. The fanbase no longer compared Mullen to Jackie at the level Morehead was getting compared to Mullen. Leach has the benefit of Morehead being crappy following Mullen.

[Maverick91]

Odom's a good DC. The slow start really messed us up at Arkansas.

and still stopped them on the 4 down play to win the game 28-23.

[TrapGame]

and still stopped them on the 4 down play to win the game 28-23.

Yep.

And Wheat was blatantly held around the neck before the 4th down play.

And then after that the obvious false start on their two point conversion.

[Maverick91]

Yep.

And Wheat was blatantly held around the neck before the 4th down play.

And then after that the obvious false start on their two point conversion.

I hate when it is stolen from the players!

[KB21]

Listening to them talk about Oregon, how the 17 was Moorehead not successful here?!

Because being a good coordinator and being a good head coach are two different things. Moorhead is a great coordinator, but he doesn't have the mindset to be a head coach. He's too much of a people pleaser. That works as a coordinator, not as a head coach.