DEFENSE

[Bullmastiff 1]

Three weeks in and my take away is...

I think they are surrendering too many yards.

However.

I think this is more to do with overall talent vs scheme.

Until Odom gets his type guys they may give up more yards than you would like, but because of coaching, preparation and play calling they will be able to off set this to a degree.

Vs Vandy there were a few plays that stood out. A blind side blitz that almost lead to another turnover was called and executed to perfection. A reverse that was read and blown up and a few others.


Vs straight up run defense has been pretty stout. Has struggled with containment on QB scrambles though.

So basically, defense will struggle some to win every down because they aren't quite there yet to be dominant physically.


But schematically they will be sound and should continue to create turnovers and apply pressure through scheme.

I think there's a chance this defense will actually improve as the season wears on vs last season where it was very good out of the gate and either wore down or staff ran out of ideas.

 

[Meister_Rebel]

Woodard is a big time player for us at linebacker. He really helps this defense. We should get him back on Saturday after getting disqualified for that targeting call.

 

[reagan21]

The thing about a 3-3-5 is there is so much to run out of it. So many different looks and players can come from a plethora of angles

They have been giving up too many yards, but the switch to a new scheme that not many people play is farther along then I thought they’d be.

Baldwin on that long bomb touchdown at the end of the game…that’s not scheme, that was a brain fart. He had played well up to that point.

Why he thought the safety would be there is beyond me. Maybe the safety was too far inside, but I don’t think so.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

The thing about a 3-3-5 is there is so much to run out of it. So many different looks and players can come from a plethora of angles

They have been giving up too many yards, but the switch to a new scheme that not many people play is farther along then I thought they’d be.

Baldwin on that long bomb touchdown at the end of the game…that’s not scheme, that was a brain fart. He had played well up to that point.

Why he thought the safety would be there is beyond me. Maybe the safety was too far inside, but I don’t think so.

He read it late for sure.

Vandy DB with even bigger brain fart on White catch. Actually their DC as well. Why are you playing man with no safety help?

 

[1Tripoda]

He read it late for sure.

Vandy DB with even bigger brain fart on White catch. Actually their DC as well. Why are you playing man with no safety help?

White was all over the place and they still single coverage him for some reason. I think they were more afraid of DeJesus they are of White. That last 2 minutes of the game was the most intense football I have witnessed since the Patriots comeback vs the Falcons in the Super Bowl.

 

[dcut03]

Three weeks in and my take away is...

I think they are surrendering too many yards.

However.

I think this is more to do with overall talent vs scheme.

Until Odom gets his type guys they may give up more yards than you would like, but because of coaching, preparation and play calling they will be able to off set this to a degree.

Vs Vandy there were a few plays that stood out. A blind side blitz that almost lead to another turnover was called and executed to perfection. A reverse that was read and blown up and a few others.


Vs straight up run defense has been pretty stout. Has struggled with containment on QB scrambles though.

So basically, defense will struggle some to win every down because they aren't quite there yet to be dominant physically.


But schematically they will be sound and should continue to create turnovers and apply pressure through scheme.

I think there's a chance this defense will actually improve as the season wears on vs last season where it was very good out of the gate and either wore down or staff ran out of ideas.

Remember we had 2 starting LBs out pretty much the entire game last week.

Also our 2 best pass rushing threats in Scott and Carter have not contributed much or at all. That may not change this season, but could.

Jerrae Williams has been a beast, and I feel we tackle pretty well as a group. Much better than previous seasons.

Week one it felt like we played very vanilla man defense most of the game. Week 2 a lot of zone early which was exploited, mostly because their QB is so good.

Got more creative last game. Of course their one WR was a beast and they have a good QB.

But overall I think we very good depth at nearly every position on D. We may not have that many stud standout players, but not a ton of drop off when we cycle players in and out.

 

[unlove]

Pass rush and safeties still concerning

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Pass rush and safeties still concerning

Pass rush was very good vs Vandy..

3 sacks multiple pressures.

Michigan game was what it was. I think they were real vanilla vs Bryant. Although a little concern that even vanilla they didn't physically dominate and get a couple.

Safety play has had some definite hiccups.

 

[1Tripoda]

Pass rush was very good vs Vandy..

3 sacks multiple pressures.

Michigan game was what it was. I think they were real vanilla vs Bryant. Although a little concern that even vanilla they didn't physically dominate and get a couple.

Safety play has had some definite hiccups.

The defense looks pretty dang good to me.

 

[lvrebalum2012]

Pass rush was very good vs Vandy..

3 sacks multiple pressures.

Michigan game was what it was. I think they were real vanilla vs Bryant. Although a little concern that even vanilla they didn't physically dominate and get a couple.

Safety play has had some definite hiccups.

It feels like weakness in the secondary has plagued us for years. Have to get better there.

We had some really good plays against Vandy, but then some headscratchers as well.

The last TD we gave up to Vandy was puzzling. Ricky Johnson jogged the entire route, didn't even try to keep up with the WR. Once the ball was in the air, safety over the top wasn't near close enough to make up the ground.

 

[1Tripoda]

It feels like weakness in the secondary has plagued us for years. Have to get better there.

We had some really good plays against Vandy, but then some headscratchers as well.

The last TD we gave up to Vandy was puzzling. Ricky Johnson jogged the entire route, didn't even try to keep up with the WR. Once the ball was in the air, safety over the top wasn't near close enough to make up the ground.

No one is complaining about the offence against all 3 teams. The OL is so bad against Michigan that I have to cursed at the TV. That is just the worst part.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

It feels like weakness in the secondary has plagued us for years. Have to get better there.

We had some really good plays against Vandy, but then some headscratchers as well.

The last TD we gave up to Vandy was puzzling. Ricky Johnson jogged the entire route, didn't even try to keep up with the WR. Once the ball was in the air, safety over the top wasn't near close enough to make up the ground.

My guess. Johnson thought he had help over the top. Safety thought Johnson had 1v1. Communication breakdown.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

It feels like weakness in the secondary has plagued us for years. Have to get better there.

We had some really good plays against Vandy, but then some headscratchers as well.

The last TD we gave up to Vandy was puzzling. Ricky Johnson jogged the entire route, didn't even try to keep up with the WR. Once the ball was in the air, safety over the top wasn't near close enough to make up the ground.

Follow up to this, I agree sorta.

Except there was a season under Sanchez where UNLV was really good at completion percentage against but still surrendered a lot of yards through the air. That same season I think Rebs had barely double digit sacks.

So basically they were good in pass coverage, but because there was so little pressure QB had all day. They were forced to cover too long and tended to give up big plays.

I think getting consistent pressure on a QB can elevate a DB group.

That's my hope going on forward.

 

[j. spilotro]

It feels like weakness in the secondary has plagued us for years. Have to get better there.

We had some really good plays against Vandy, but then some headscratchers as well.

The last TD we gave up to Vandy was puzzling. Ricky Johnson jogged the entire route, didn't even try to keep up with the WR. Once the ball was in the air, safety over the top wasn't near close enough to make up the ground.

We’ve had some great pass breakups, some great tight coverage. And then those head scratchers.

 

[dcut03]

I think our corners have been pretty good so far this year. That one play with Ricky Johnson just seemed like a brain fart to me. He obvisouly did not do what he was supposed to on that play. He made some good plays one on one with their stud receiver that game.

Against Michigan they got tore up early because they just exploiting our cushy zone with ease, Actually got better once we played more man.

Thinking back we have gone against some decent QBs so far this year. Even Bryant had a very solid QB. UTEP's guy has put up decent numbers, but may be a step down? Curious to see how our defense looks this week.

 

[Couev]

That Ricky Johnson play it just looked like a 4.6 guy trying to cover a 4.4 guy without any combat at the line of scrimmage. He got his hips open turned and he was already beat. Maybe he was cheating the sideline route a tiny bit but sometimes speed just gets you open.

 

[rebel5280]

4.6?!
Man I hope we don’t have CB’s that run that slow because those guys should be safeties!

 

[Couev]

4.6?!
Man I hope we don’t have CB’s that run that slow because those guys should be safeties!

I"m just saying what it looked like, I have no idea what Ricky's 40 time is.

 

[dcut03]

That Ricky Johnson play it just looked like a 4.6 guy trying to cover a 4.4 guy without any combat at the line of scrimmage. He got his hips open turned and he was already beat. Maybe he was cheating the sideline route a tiny bit but sometimes speed just gets you open.

He wasn't even trying to run with him. It looked like he thought it was some sort of deep cover 2, but he did not have the safety help. Just a brain fart/miscommunication imo.

 

[Couev]

He wasn't even trying to run with him. It looked like he thought it was some sort of deep cover 2, but he did not have the safety help. Just a brain fart/miscommunication imo.

So I went back to re-watch it because I felt like I was taking crazy pills. He had two 9 routes he got beat on in the 2nd half. The one I was thinking of was to #14 at the 4 minute mark. I think the one you're thinking of was the late TD throw to #3 to tie it after the late TD throw to De Jesus. On that TD throw I agree 100% he was waiting for safety help over top the D was 100% in a cover 2 shell and the safety was late on his rotation. Maybe he was sitting on that TE to run a post instead of a corner.

So in a rare turn of rebel-net events, I think we are both right haha.

 

[Rebel Hoya]

It feels like weakness in the secondary has plagued us for years. Have to get better there.

We had some really good plays against Vandy, but then some headscratchers as well.

The last TD we gave up to Vandy was puzzling. Ricky Johnson jogged the entire route, didn't even try to keep up with the WR. Once the ball was in the air, safety over the top wasn't near close enough to make up the ground.

Yes the defense on that TD was atrocious. Also the dropped INT in the end zone would have been a game changer. Have to have that.

 

[220reb]

We have a few players that have not played on Defense that may see time at UTEP.