Was our defense really that good this year??

[g8terh8ter_eric]

Here's a basic breakdown of what our defense did this year.

[gatorhater_35]

I have thought the same thing.... good post, maybe we can hold florida to under 30 next year

[chavisut]

Opponent's average yards per game 333
Opponent's average versus UT 263

70 yard difference

[volmsbd]

Originally Posted by chavisut

Opponent's average yards per game 333
Opponent's average versus UT 263

70 yard difference

Math is your forte I see...

[chavisut]

Originally Posted by volmsbd

Math is your forte I see...

what can I say, I was my class Valid Victorian.

[g8terh8ter_eric]

6 out of the 12 teams we faced ranked in the 100's in Total Offense. That's a telling sign right there.

[tvolsfan]

Also, you should probably consider that teams didn't really need to pile on points at the end to beat us.

[Bassmanbruno]

Originally Posted by tvolsfan

Also, you should probably consider that teams didn't really need to pile on points at the end to beat us.

Florida could have hung 60 on us if they hadn't just run the ball in the 2nd half. That game could have been 500 total yards if they wanted it to be.

[dancinoutlaw]

Yes, our defense was that good. Imagine how many less yards we would've held our opponents to if they weren't dog a$$ tired from being out on the field ALL GAME LONG. One thing I'd like to know (for all you diehard stat geeks) is how many more snaps we had against us simply because we were the 3 and out bandits. Time of possession surely weighed on the stamina by 4th quarter. Yeah, a breather woulda been nice for our defensive squad. They probably didn't even have time for a bathroom break before the punt team was trotting back off the field.

[jhen713]

Our Defense was on the field for an avg. of 64.5 snaps a game. If you lok at the teams that finished ahead of us their Offenses were much better than ours and could actually pick up a few first downs a game. The D was stellar the Offense was the problem.

[ledhed43]

Originally Posted by dancinoutlaw

Yes, our defense was that good. Imagine how many less yards we would've held our opponents to if they weren't dog a$$ tired from being out on the field ALL GAME LONG. One thing I'd like to know (for all you diehard stat geeks) is how many more snaps we had against us simply because we were the 3 and out bandits. Time of possession surely weighed on the stamina by 4th quarter. Yeah, a breather woulda been nice for our defensive squad. They probably didn't even have time for a bathroom break before the punt team was trotting back off the field.

That's where I was going. The offense didn't help those guys at all and they still held us in some games. I think if we had run the ball and picked up first downs it would have greatly helped that squad. I said before the season that the difference between us having a good defense and a great defense was how many times we asked them to take the field.

[kiddiedoc]

I think our defense was good, but I think that the numbers are skewed by the below-average offenses we faced and the fact that the "big guns" could let off toward the end of the game against us. We played a TERRIBLE second half against UCLA, and it cost us the game. There is no doubt that our defense gave us the opportunity to win several games that we didn't simply because we couldn't score (NIU, Auburn, Wyoming).

[VolfanMike]

I think our defense would have been even better if they hadn't stayed on the field the entire game. Those guys never got a breather because our clawfense went three and out so much.

[Jay Hud]

D was pretty good this year, had some lapses but overall good. Maybe not as good as the numbers would suggest, but defiently a very solid D.

[Rasputin_Vol]

Just like our O-line was overrated last year because of the quick throws and gave many of us false hope for 2008, the same may unfortunately be true of this defense (considering about 8 of the teams we faced had offenses that were dreadful).