Defensive Statistical Improvement

#27
#27
Maybe deepest in the country with pretty good players. Remember the guy coming off a knee injury is still expected to be the best one. Yes we have some nice pieces and Henry T will be very good. But projecting stuff that may happen vs a D like uga bringing so much talent back....”best in the SEC” is a big time homerism. But the D will be very good and so will the OL. Bodes well for an increased win total IMO.

Emmit Gooden best returning? Who says so?
Matthew Butler racked up 45 tackles 3 Tfl and 2 sacks as a 3-4 DE. That's awesome!
Aubrey Solomon was a 5 star and showed why as the season went on. He's our best one probably. Emerson at NG is problem for O-lines.

Call it what you want, but I think we're right there with UF and UGA defensively.
 
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#28
#28
My reactions are still set to instantly reply to this with laughing emojis and some snarky comment. It's hard to believe that Pruitt has made this actual legitimate talk. Still have to pinch myself.

Nobody has mentioned the return of Emmitt Golden next season. Our DL is going to be sick! Plus, I think Q Couch is going to explode next year and be the mind blowing LB that he is capable of. I think he and HT will anchor the interior and he will be fully locked in to his role and understanding. If he's able to release his athleticism without thinking then watch out!

Crouch and Eason are two guys that can absolutely move for their size. Our defense is big AND fast.
 
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#29
#29
Best defense in the SEC?... Really? Not being a homer but the Dawgs defense was absolutely nasty last season and returns 10 starters from that same unit that was #1 in the SEC.. Florida's defense will also likely be better.. And that's just in the east

You all gave up 37 to LSU and almost 500 yards.
We gave up 28 offensive points for 350 to Bama- A similar offense to LSU this season.

I'll take what we have👍
 
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#30
#30
Best defense in the SEC?... Really? Not being a homer but the Dawgs defense was absolutely nasty last season and returns 10 starters from that same unit that was #1 in the SEC.. Florida's defense will also likely be better.. And that's just in the east

UT needs to get its offense out of the gutter, but let’s not pretend you all played a bunch of stud offenses. Just between a terrible D2 Murray State(UTC was much better offensively), terrible Georgia Tech both Ga State and BYU were better. LSU was number 1 and you got your ass kicked by them, Bama was number 2 and if not for JG and his boneheaded play that led to a TD return they don’t get to 35 which is way below their season avg of 47. UGA might be 1 next year in defense but you play Bama and I think they put 30 plus on you guys.
 
#32
#32
Bama quit playing championship defense before Kiffin was their OC. Somewhere along the way Saban known for being a defensive genius turned away from that and embraced high powered offenses. Go back to where he allowed an inexperienced freshman QB at Ohio State to blow him out for a NC win. His defenses are okay but nothing to write home to mom about since then.
 
#34
#34
Ive already mentioned we have 8 returning starters in addition to guys like Burrell, Jackson, Bennett, Flowers who have started.

You haven't changed my mind.

Pruitt in year 3 will field the best defense he's had since being at UT.

Who in the SEC will be better?




Bo Pelini is back at LSU.
Grantham is very good at UF.
UGA and bama will most likely be better. Maybe UF, but they’re hard to gauge. Grantham struggles against teams with equal talent, but their schedule is set up fairly nice. Auburn and LSU will probably take a step back.
 
#36
#36
UGA and bama will most likely be better. Maybe UF, but they’re hard to gauge. Grantham struggles against teams with equal talent, but their schedule is set up fairly nice. Auburn and LSU will probably take a step back.

LSU I expect to be top 5 in the conference. Top 20 nationally because they got Bo Pelini back!

Bama hasn't been great on Defense since Pruitt left. Had some young guys playing but Bama has not been Bama for 2 years on defense.

Kevin Steel has Auburn up there too. Florida and Georgia will be stout.
Still.., I'm not taking any defense over what we will field next season. Not OSU or Clemson's either.

We're going to be able to generate from the 3 stop gap DL. And OLB. And ILB.

Our secondary has 4 Mr. Footballs ??
 
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#37
#37
What's most amazing about how our defense Finished is that it looked nothing like that the first 3 games. If we can start off as well as we finished last season good things will happen and I see no reason to think we won't.
 
#38
#38
Good post LittleVol. Nice responses, too, VNers. May I add that with this incoming o-line (even if Cade's gotta wait a year...which he prolly won't.), less time of possession for the opposing offenses is going to help our guy's stats move up. LBs, DBs & interior linemen should move up a notch or so. If the edge rushers can manage to at least equal last year's production, then we'll be smiling over the results. Yes?
 
#39
#39
First fans calling for Bailey to be the next Manning, now just like that a top 15 defense and beating Oklahoma. Our fans often expect miracles and over night success.

Stuff's goood.
17_SuccessBrown_right.png
 
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#41
#41
Good post LittleVol. Nice responses, too, VNers. May I add that with this incoming o-line (even if Cade's gotta wait a year...which he prolly won't.), less time of possession for the opposing offenses is going to help our guy's stats move up. LBs, DBs & interior linemen should move up a notch or so. If the edge rushers can manage to at least equal last year's production, then we'll be smiling over the results. Yes?

Pretty fair assessment. Yes. Absolutely.

We've been below expectations too often. And now that "is" the expectation.

We went on 6 game win streak and beat 4 bowl teams in that process? It was the defense that spearheaded that.
They ended 23rd total after a horrendous start vs GSU and BYU...

Imagine had they started strong?
 
#42
#42
Retooled?

This defense will be better top to bottom. Because we return 8 starters in additon to guys like Burrell, Bennett, Harrison, T Jackson, Flowers who have started or played. Throw in difference makers like Keyshawn Lawrence and Morven Joseph ...

I absolutely think we stop OU.


Just like we stopped Ga State early this past season right? We're losing literally our 2 biggest leaders on defense in Butili & Warrior. I like Henry T to replace Bituli and our secondary should be stout as well but we can't sit here and claim that we will absolutely take a step forward and STOP OU. The key will be slowing them down, not stopping them. Rattler with those WR's & RB's will be a tough task for any defense. I like what we should be putting on the field next year at defense but lets wait and see if we can actually get aligned right early next season.
 
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#43
#43
Regardless of how anyone feels about the defense it's the offense you should worry about. If the offense looks like it has the passed few years, the defense will be on the field too long giving up points.
 
#44
#44
Best defense in the SEC?... Really? Not being a homer but the Dawgs defense was absolutely nasty last season and returns 10 starters from that same unit that was #1 in the SEC.. Florida's defense will also likely be better.. And that's just in the east
Yeah I have to side with this... I think we'll have a very good defense, but UGA could have a historically great defense.
 
#45
#45
Just like we stopped Ga State early this past season right? We're losing literally our 2 biggest leaders on defense in Butili & Warrior. I like Henry T to replace Bituli and our secondary should be stout as well but we can't sit here and claim that we will absolutely take a step forward and STOP OU. The key will be slowing them down, not stopping them. Rattler with those WR's & RB's will be a tough task for any defense. I like what we should be putting on the field next year at defense but lets wait and see if we can actually get aligned right early next season.
These comments are getting so old. Why do so many people seem to care more about how we started the season than how we finished it?
 
#47
#47
Just like we stopped Ga State early this past season right? We're losing literally our 2 biggest leaders on defense in Butili & Warrior. I like Henry T to replace Bituli and our secondary should be stout as well but we can't sit here and claim that we will absolutely take a step forward and STOP OU. The key will be slowing them down, not stopping them. Rattler with those WR's & RB's will be a tough task for any defense. I like what we should be putting on the field next year at defense but lets wait and see if we can actually get aligned right early next season.

We added 7 NEW people to the defense starting lineup in that game against Ga State. Bituli and Thompson were out.
Henry To'oto'o very first college game.

We've reeled of 6 wins in a row because of this defense, thank you!
TOTAL different situation going into this season.

You haven't changed my mind at all.

LSU'S defense was ranked below ours btw, and they put smackdown in the OU offense for 3 qts.
 
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#49
#49
The Vols ended 2018 with 77th ranked defense.

2019 they finished 23rd in Total Defense.
29th in Scoring Defense.

In Derrick Anselys first season as DC he created a Top 25 tier defense.

We lose Taylor, Bituli, and Warrior.
But the coaching duo of Ansley and Pruitt is the key to our defense imo.

With the added talent at every level I think we make the jump to Top 15 defense next season. We haven't been that since 2007...

2007! Eric Berry's freshman season and the last time we were in the SEC Title game.

It is now year 3 under Pruitt and there is talent and experience at every level of defense. I think we'll be the defense BEST in the SEC in 2020. Oklahoma will set the tone.

CHANGE MY MIND
Better make it happen. We lose 8 defensive starters next year.
 
#50
#50
In 2020 we will have at least 3 NFL CBs. We will be better on the DL. I do not see a drop off at Safety or LB.
 
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