2 key defensive stats that really hurt us this year

[Fullfillmer]

Looking at conference-only games, lots of room for improvement in these two areas:

1. Opponent 3rd-down conversion rate: 52.6%, the highest rate allowed by an SEC team since 2013 (Kentucky @ 52.9%).
   
   
2. Opponent red-zone TD conversion rate: 84.9%, the highest rate in the SEC since at least 2009, which is as far back as I looked. In fact, only one other SEC team has allowed over 79% during that time span (Missouri @ 81.1% in '20).

Obviously, our lack of quality depth this year contributed heavily to both of these abysmal numbers. Still, again looking at SEC-only games, we improved YoY in a few other defensive categories:

• Pass defense rating: 134.15 vs 151.84 in '20...Admittedly, it didn't "feel" like we were that much better, but that's a pretty significant jump.
• Yards per play allowed: 5.77 vs 5.83 in '20...Negligible difference but I'll take it.
• TFL per game: 6.50 vs 5.50 in '20...This was the most for us since 2016.
• Passes defended per game: 4.63 vs 3.40 in '20...Our highest number since 2015.

We lacked line backers and db's - arguably our two best Lb's went into the transfer portal and ended up at Alabama and Michigan State.

 

[TitanicVolz]

As long as u have the effort and the guys to buy in to what ur doing then good things will come.This team lacks leadership and accountability,I don't mean anything negative by that but that's something that takes time to build.

 

[Vol423]

Looking at conference-only games, lots of room for improvement in these two areas:

1. Opponent 3rd-down conversion rate: 52.6%, the highest rate allowed by an SEC team since 2013 (Kentucky @ 52.9%).
   
   
2. Opponent red-zone TD conversion rate: 84.9%, the highest rate in the SEC since at least 2009, which is as far back as I looked. In fact, only one other SEC team has allowed over 79% during that time span (Missouri @ 81.1% in '20).

Obviously, our lack of quality depth this year contributed heavily to both of these abysmal numbers. Still, again looking at SEC-only games, we improved YoY in a few other defensive categories:

• Pass defense rating: 134.15 vs 151.84 in '20...Admittedly, it didn't "feel" like we were that much better, but that's a pretty significant jump.
• Yards per play allowed: 5.77 vs 5.83 in '20...Negligible difference but I'll take it.
• TFL per game: 6.50 vs 5.50 in '20...This was the most for us since 2016.
• Passes defended per game: 4.63 vs 3.40 in '20...Our highest number since 2015.

If you weren’t already saying 3rd down conversion % to yourself before you opened this thread, then you clearly weren’t paying attention this year. Our 3rd down defense was atrocious regardless of how many yards the opponent needed to gain.

 

[Vol423]

it did not help our Defense that the Offense left them on the field for forever in each game. I like the high octane offense but we have to be more ball control or have twice as many defensive players as offensive players in the future.

If our defense quit letting the opposing offense convert on 3rd and long all day, they’d see a lot more in-game rest on the sidelines.

 

[Remy]

The scary thing was that I thought we were going to be even worse. We just didn’t have a lot of talent to work with.

We actually were worse against our big 3 of Bama, UGA, and UF. We could not cover the spread against them, which is under performing expectations.

The idea you just out score your opponents does not have the ring of truth if you're not even capable of covering the spread.

 

[Vol423]

But the style of offense you play does matter. Lightning fast offense that is on the field for 1.5 minutes - the only rest your struggling defense gets is if your opponent has a plodding offense (rest in between their downs).
I wish they'd put oxygen on our sidelines (if it already isn't. I haven't seen it on t.v.).

…or our defense could actually stop someone on 3rd down for a change and get off the field.

 

[dcm3w]

Our defense was terrible on 3rd down last year as well and then we lost depth and some starters

 

[GVol1966]

The scary thing was that I thought we were going to be even worse. We just didn’t have a lot of talent to work with.

I was expecting to be worse, so I’m satisfied with what the players on the field did

 

[Elhanan]

Can we place any of this on the hurry up offense or have other teams with similar depth been able to manage it?

 

[odom]

I was expecting to be worse, so I’m satisfied with what the players on the field did

I feel like, with the talent we had, the DC did a really good job. We need some serious d line help to put some pressure on the QB without blitzing every time. I felt like the secondary did okay but they looked like they didn’t care in the bowl game

 

[njvols]

Looking at conference-only games, lots of room for improvement in these two areas:

1. Opponent 3rd-down conversion rate: 52.6%, the highest rate allowed by an SEC team since 2013 (Kentucky @ 52.9%).
   
   
2. Opponent red-zone TD conversion rate: 84.9%, the highest rate in the SEC since at least 2009, which is as far back as I looked. In fact, only one other SEC team has allowed over 79% during that time span (Missouri @ 81.1% in '20).

Obviously, our lack of quality depth this year contributed heavily to both of these abysmal numbers. Still, again looking at SEC-only games, we improved YoY in a few other defensive categories:

• Pass defense rating: 134.15 vs 151.84 in '20...Admittedly, it didn't "feel" like we were that much better, but that's a pretty significant jump.
• Yards per play allowed: 5.77 vs 5.83 in '20...Negligible difference but I'll take it.
• TFL per game: 6.50 vs 5.50 in '20...This was the most for us since 2016.
• Passes defended per game: 4.63 vs 3.40 in '20...Our highest number since 2015.

Always knew there was a flaw in the old Bend and Break strategy.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Imagine if Pruitt would have actually recruited good quality SEC caliber players? Maybe the defense wouldn’t have struggled so much.

 

[BruisedOrange]

Looking at conference-only games...

Is there a stat kept for total rushing yardage by opposing QBs, that includes sack yardage along with positive gains?

If so, that might be one of the "key defensive stats" by which we measure defensive improvement over the next several years, as the SEC game is transitioning into a new offensive phase.

 

[savannahfan]

Take away the Purdue game and the one glaring weakness was the play against mobile QBs. A lot of those 3rd downs and red zone TDs were due to that one area. Did decent against the run for non-QBs. Decent against the pass except for Purdue.

Most teams have limited success against "mobile QBs".

 

[Rocky Top T]

it did not help our Defense that the Offense left them on the field for forever in each game. I like the high octane offense but we have to be more ball control or have twice as many defensive players as offensive players in the future.

Even Rodney Garner said if we want to rest, we need to get off the field on 3rd down sometimes! I agree!!!!