Thoughts on the Richardsons, defense, and position struggles

[JasonB]

Defensively, next year, just off the top of my head (assuming we still run a 3-4):

DE- Minor, Nabushoshi, Pruitt? (I thought he was an LB, but listed on roster as DE)
NT- Wright, Reed, Hollie
DE- Wood/Barnes, McCleneghan
OLB- Sanders, Horton?
ILB- Bordano, Longoria?
ILB- D. Halverson (?), Nwabuike
OLB- Seals/Yenga, Carroll?
CB- Montes, Law?
S- Greenbauer, Crosby (?)
S- D. Richardson/Randolph, Justice (?)
CB- H. Richardson, Lancaster, JR Richardson

DLine actually doesn't seem that bad, and OLBs are alright as well. ILB is scary as hell and so is the secondary with the exception of a hopefully healthy Greenbauer. Mason will have his work cut out for him if he's back next year

Yenga will probably move inside... we have to hope that Seals is ready next season.

[PerunaPunch]

Agreed. Our defense always feels piecemeal: a few good parts with some odds and ends bolted on to try to hold it together. Every year we lose a vital part, just like every other school, but it seems like we then have nothing behind them. We also don't seem to have other areas that can step up to help compensate for the soft spot.

I think you just hit the nail on the head. One thing we've done in past years that we didn't do this year is plug holes with JUCOs like Sterling Moore, Richard Crawford, Marquis Frazier, etc.

[ftworthmustang]

Yenga is much better suited to playing outside. If they move him inside its because they have no one else.

[Stallion]

we tried to fill some of those holes with JUCOs but several turned us down

[SMUSIC 07]

Players are good, scheme is bad.

Against Cincinnati, we allowed two consecutive runs of 20+ yards at the end of the game. Everyone watching that game knew Cincinnati was going to run, but we had 3 downed linemen, played soft zone and dropped the LBs into coverage. Bad coaching.

Against UCONN, SMU forced a 3rd and 3 in the waning minutes of the first half, and June called a timeout. Makes sense, you stop them on 3rd down, call another timeout, and you get plenty of time to drive for a score after a UCONN punt. So on 3rd and 3, the corners give a 5 yard cushion and immedately backpedal at the snap. Why call the flipping timeout if you're going to just give them the first down? Bad coaching.

Does anyone know how to get a hold of game tape? I'd like to see how many times we rush 4 or fewer and how effective a 5+ man rush is. We have not played top-tier QBs in conference yet, but O'Korn and Bortles and pretty good. If we can't create some pressure they will have a field day. It seems that the coaching staff is afraid of leaving the DBs vulnerable by sending more players, but we have to take chances and not rely on soft zone. Pressure created mistakes and turnovers, and that may be our only chance against Houston and UCF.

[sbsmith]

Does anyone know how to get a hold of game tape? I'd like to see how many times we rush 4 or fewer and how effective a 5+ man rush is. We have not played top-tier QBs in conference yet, but O'Korn and Bortles and pretty good. If we can't create some pressure they will have a field day. It seems that the coaching staff is afraid of leaving the DBs vulnerable by sending more players, but we have to take chances and not rely on soft zone. Pressure created mistakes and turnovers, and that may be our only chance against Houston and UCF.

You mean All-22 game tape or just replays of the games? You can get game replays from ESPN3.com

[ozfan]

I saw no corner improvement with the new kids. Does not mean they will not be better with more play. Hopefully so. But if they did so well you would not have seen Acker covering the top receiver where ever he lined up late in the game. As far as the 3rd down substitutions, all I noticed was after the play it would be first down again and we would have to do it all over again. We can keep lipsticking that pig but our defense is just not solid right now.

mrydel would a different color lipstick and sunnies help

[SMUSIC 07]

You mean All-22 game tape or just replays of the games? You can get game replays from ESPN3.com

All-22