Great Defensive Plays

[Stallion]

folks after watching the replay I really think this was probably our best defensive performance since tieing the Aggies in San Antonio. The most telling stat is that TCU only scoring drive on offense was a 17 yard drive on 6 plays after which TCU settled for a FG. The defensive guys don't get enough spotlight sometimes but these were a few:

D.D. LEE---with the score at 14-10 and TCU gathering all the momentum and 2nd and 4 from our 7 yard line, Lee flew over the intended blocker to sack Gunn. TCU never really recovered from what I think was one the biggest individual play in the game. Remember Gunn tripped on the next play. Then a few minutes later TCU had a 4th and less than 1 yard. Merrill got the ball and was about 1 yard from the first down when Lee filled the hole and stopped Merrill like a brick wall. If he falls forward its a key first down. Merrill got planted on his [deleted]. Remember TCU fans complained about the spot-no way D.D. stuffed it. Two simply outstanding individual plays. DD Lee got some sweat revenge for last years TCU game-he made too many plays to mention at all the right times.


JUSTIN ROGERS-i had Rogers for at least 4 QB pressures which resulted in incompletions plus he was first to the ball on the errant Gunn pitchout and nudged the ball away from Merrill

THE SECONDARY: they set the tempo in the FIRST Q when TCU was handed great field position. On 3 straight passing plays Jamey Harper had an interception, Brandon Jones made a great knockdown in the flat and Nnanbufie had a great knockdown that was almost intercepted. SMU survived an early blow by these great plays. Nnanbufie had two flying decleaters on TCU receivers who had the audacity to catch passes in his area. He is a punishing tackler. Brandon Jones made the fumble recovery on the errant pitch, Jamey Harper had two Ints and Nnanbufie 1. We really did some great pressure on Gunn and surprise they almost always led to incompletions and Ints.

[giacfsp]

Couldn't agree with you more, Stallion. The defense was terrific. And physical as hell, too. When D.D. Lee stuffed the frogs' first fourth-down play, and when Nnabuife absolutely buried a guy into the froggie bench, I wasn't sure those two were going to get up.

They're a good team, and they'll be ready in two years. But man, this felt GREAT.

[RGV Pony]

I don't think there's any question the D is better than even we're giving them credit for. Vs. Baylor I forgot to mention that we even had a COVERAGE sack...something a far, far cry from J. Rutledge vs. R. Woods. What's more, imagine how well they should do if our O can sustain some drives & combine a)keeping the D off the field and b) giving them some field position to work with.

Two things about our mighty Ponies I'd like to see change:
1) discontinue or propensity to line up looking at 2nd and long
2) see the other team's avg. starting field position be on the other side of the 50.

My seats are on the side of the 50 to which the opponent is driving in the 1st qtr. I don't think I've seen much, if any, 1st qtr action on the opposite side this year

[BUS]

It needs to be added that the DT's had the middle of the field clogged up well all night.

I heard " Bonds on the stop up the middle " at least 4 to 5 times Sat. night.

Lets hope everyone has gained confidence from this game and works harder to beat the Aggies.

[Hoop Fan]

I was so nervous over the score that I was watching the ball all night and not the whole field. Cory Muse played alot, and did well, that was good to see. Did Reggie Carrington play much?

[Stallion]

Muse had the kinda of weak side rush sack that we haven't seen around here in a long time. Hope we can get him on the field more.

[EastStang]

Bennett has more speed on D than ever before. I know I heard the announcers at the game comment on how fast our players were in closing on passes and Frog runners and receivers. That is the best sign of all in this.

[Huey78]

Along those lines, I noticed #30 Ieremia-Stansbury flying around quite a bit.

[ReedFrawg]

The decision to throw the ball on 2nd and 5 from the SMU 7 (when Lee sacked Gunn) cost us the game. We were running the ball consistently and I have no idea why we decided to try a pass????? I truly believe that was the play that completely changed the game. I said so to my brother after we missed the chip shot FG two plays later. If we run the ball and are able to score a TD, we have all of the mo and are up 17-14. But, it didn't happen...

folks after watching the replay I really think this was probably our best defensive performance since tieing the Aggies in San Antonio. The most telling stat is that TCU only scoring drive on offense was a 17 yard drive on 6 plays after which TCU settled for a FG. The defensive guys don't get enough spotlight sometimes but these were a few:

D.D. LEE---with the score at 14-10 and TCU gathering all the momentum and 2nd and 4 from our 7 yard line, Lee flew over the intended blocker to sack Gunn. TCU never really recovered from what I think was one the biggest individual play in the game. Remember Gunn tripped on the next play. Then a few minutes later TCU had a 4th and less than 1 yard. Merrill got the ball and was about 1 yard from the first down when Lee filled the hole and stopped Merrill like a brick wall. If he falls forward its a key first down. Merrill got planted on his [deleted]. Remember TCU fans complained about the spot-no way D.D. stuffed it. Two simply outstanding individual plays. DD Lee got some sweat revenge for last years TCU game-he made too many plays to mention at all the right times.


JUSTIN ROGERS-i had Rogers for at least 4 QB pressures which resulted in incompletions plus he was first to the ball on the errant Gunn pitchout and nudged the ball away from Merrill

THE SECONDARY: they set the tempo in the FIRST Q when TCU was handed great field position. On 3 straight passing plays Jamey Harper had an interception, Brandon Jones made a great knockdown in the flat and Nnanbufie had a great knockdown that was almost intercepted. SMU survived an early blow by these great plays. Nnanbufie had two flying decleaters on TCU receivers who had the audacity to catch passes in his area. He is a punishing tackler. Brandon Jones made the fumble recovery on the errant pitch, Jamey Harper had two Ints and Nnanbufie 1. We really did some great pressure on Gunn and surprise they almost always led to incompletions and Ints.

[PerunaPunch]

I think what it all boils down to is – believe it or not – we had the more athletic team... at least on defense. The front four were getting pressure (Rogers and Stansbury were around – if not on – Gunn all night), the LBs were sticking, and the DBs were swatting down balls... "Laying licks and getting picks" like Bennett has been preaching for the last four years.

If you think about it, the D played almost as well against Baylor. They basically shut Baylor down until the 4th quarter when it appeared that Baylor's rotation of big OLs finally just wore them down.

The key difference in my mind is that against TCU, our offense strung together enough plays that our defense had time to rest up, so that they were still able to stuff TCU's big back (Merrill) in the 4th qtr.

[KnuckleStang]

That "hurdling sack" by D.D.Lee was a world class defensive play. I was surprised at the sort of ho-hum reaction from the announcers on that one. Ditto on Nnabuiffe's MONSTER blows on the frog receivers. That one where he knocked that guy about ten yds. into the frog bench was Tivo-worthy. How'd that guy stay in one piece? I guess his injuries were internal.

I think what we're also seeing is that Bennett and Gush can sure coach the defensive side of the ball, when they have decent speed and half of their players aren't hurt. Hope we can stay healthy this weekend.

I was amused at the CSTV announcers' repeated references to our "speedy defensive line." Anybody else catch that. I was under the impression that Haywood was our only interior d lineman with any real quickness. Am i wrong here?

Great job ponies!

[PerunaPunch]

I don't know if anyone will ever confuse Bonds with winged Mercury, but Stansbury, Rogers, and Muse were all flyin' around the QB at various points during the night.