Defensive Statistical Improvement

[bpalmer28]

Explain please...

They only gave up 12.5 ppg in 2019 and to my knowledge every key player returns. Considering the stability that Kirby creates on that side of the ball we have to assume they'll be even better in 2020, right? Especially the younger guys like Nolan Smith and Nakobe Dean. There's a chance that they could hold teams to less than 10 ppg in 2020.

That being said, I find comfort in the thought tat their offense may have a tough time staying on the field without that elite offensive line and Jake Fromm.

 

[37620VOL]

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.

Bailey year 1 expectations are the far bigger stretch. Look at the defensive improvement from BYU to Indiana. It's already a top 20 defense once you drop the first 3 games where we were clearly lost. Just look at the progress and extrapolate.

 

[Atlanta917]

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 ??

I also think it’s extremely difficult to project given we don’t know what injuries will happen. Bama’s defense got decimated last year and suffered because of it. All it takes is a few key injuries to derail any defense.

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

Georgia and Florida will have the best defense’s in the country

 

[Dawgoutofwater]

Don't get me wrong Tenn will have a good defense. Probably top 4 in the SEC. But you can't say they were a top 20 defense if you take out the first 3 games. That's why the games are played correct? Many teams could say they had this and that if you took away X amount of games they played. Henry T could be an AA before he leaves you guys but acting like losing warrior and that other lb you guys had last season is going to hurt. Pruitt is doing a good job with the defense (no surprise here) and if you get a few more pieces you guys will start to contend and may surprise a few people starting in 2021.

 

[Bigorangefaninga]

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.

you do understand Warrior sucked the first half of the season. He was getting burnt play after play against GA State AND BYU, he got better just like the defense did throughout the year, but let’s not pretend Warrior even as long as he played here was not very good first half of the season.

 

[RoamingVol423]

Can we slow down Oklahoma early in the season with this retooled defense ?

We get a tune up game to start, it's good we play them early, hopefully no one is injured playing Charlotte.

 

[Bigorangefaninga]

It's because except for IU... no offense ranked higher then 74th during our streak

Well UT did beat South Carolina and they weren’t very highly ranked as an offense. Total offense they were like 96th. So yes maybe in our win streak we didn’t beat a bunch of above average offenses, but we did beat USC and UGA didn’t. They went on to get beat like a drum against LSU and the entire 4th LSU took the foot off the pedal. Could have scored prob another TD or 2 except they tried to run the ball every play except for 2.

 

[whodeycin85]

Well UT did beat South Carolina and they weren’t very highly ranked as an offense. Total offense they were like 96th. So yes maybe in our win streak we didn’t beat a bunch of above average offenses, but we did beat USC and UGA didn’t. They went on to get beat like a drum against LSU and the entire 4th LSU took the foot off the pedal. Could have scored prob another TD or 2 except they tried to run the ball every play except for 2.

So your whole premise is that UGA will be bad on defense cuz they got taken to the woodshed by LSU?? Your kidding right???

But we will be better cuz we beat SC but they didnt???

 

[LittleVol]

Better make it happen. We lose 8 defensive starters next year.

???

Henry T
K Bennett
C Crouch
A Taylor
B Thompson
J McCullough
R Harrison
K Lawrence

Will all be back for 2021. Those are my projected guys for 2020.

 

[LittleVol]

They only gave up 12.5 ppg in 2019 and to my knowledge every key player returns. Considering the stability that Kirby creates on that side of the ball we have to assume they'll be even better in 2020, right? Especially the younger guys like Nolan Smith and Nakobe Dean. There's a chance that they could hold teams to less than 10 ppg in 2020.

That being said, I find comfort in the thought tat their offense may have a tough time staying on the field without that elite offensive line and Jake Fromm.

Their offense will actually be better in my opinion. Frohm was woefully inconsistent. He threw two pick 6's against South Carolina that cost them the game. Inaccurate against LSU. Not an NFL QB. Newman is a much better passer.

You're right about the defense. I thought they had 4 guys declare early. But they all came back.

Yeah they'll be super stout...

 

[Bigorangefaninga]

So your whole premise is that UGA will be bad on defense cuz they got taken to the woodshed by LSU?? Your kidding right???

But we will be better cuz we beat SC but they didnt???

no maybe you need better reading comprehension skills there bub. What I did say is that every team an pretty much every defense can have an off game. I mean USC scores about the same beating GA as they did us getting beat by 20. LSU could have embarrassed them even more if they didn’t take their foot off the gas. So let’s not pretend that they beat a bunch of offensive juggernauts. Notre Dame was overrated as usual getting crushed by Michigan and beating for the most part a bunch of jokes. Heck GA State was a top 50 offense and we were missing 2 players there one which graduates and another a CB that’s going to be playing on Sundays. So what I am saying is week in week out every team has to show up. UT didn’t against UGA this year after the first half. UGA gets to play Bama this season, plus their usual Auburn. Another year of Bo Nix might help beat UGA and they very well will get out coached against Bama and so their D stats might not look as good as this season when the only ranked teams they beat were Notre Dame, Florida and Auburn. UT won’t beat UGA this coming season, but I don’t think they look as good defensively as they did this season. That 3rd game of the year against Bama should be a fun one and might answer a bunch of questions.

 

[LittleVol]

Don't get me wrong Tenn will have a good defense. Probably top 4 in the SEC. But you can't say they were a top 20 defense if you take out the first 3 games. That's why the games are played correct? Many teams could say they had this and that if you took away X amount of games they played. Henry T could be an AA before he leaves you guys but acting like losing warrior and that other lb you guys had last season is going to hurt. Pruitt is doing a good job with the defense (no surprise here) and if you get a few more pieces you guys will start to contend and may surprise a few people starting in 2021.

I didn't say take out those first 3 games. I was simply saying the defense had new parts and was incomplete. No I don't think we will miss Warrior as much. Crouch is more explosive than Bituli and played a ton last year.

The Vols have some really great pieces on defense. That's no surprise as Pruitt has been putting the best playmakers on defense for 2 years now.

Looking at UGA and what they have coming back...I was not aware they have 4 guys that were draft eligible returning. I thought they left. I thought they were a part of the big group that sat out the Bowl Game.
UGA looks to be formidable on defense as well.

 

[whodeycin85]

no maybe you need better reading comprehension skills there bub. What I did say is that every team an pretty much every defense can have an off game. I mean USC scores about the same beating GA as they did us getting beat by 20. LSU could have embarrassed them even more if they didn’t take their foot off the gas. So let’s not pretend that they beat a bunch of offensive juggernauts. Notre Dame was overrated as usual getting crushed by Michigan and beating for the most part a bunch of jokes. Heck GA State was a top 50 offense and we were missing 2 players there one which graduates and another a CB that’s going to be playing on Sundays. So what I am saying is week in week out every team has to show up. UT didn’t against UGA this year after the first half. UGA gets to play Bama this season, plus their usual Auburn. Another year of Bo Nix might help beat UGA and they very well will get out coached against Bama and so their D stats might not look as good as this season when the only ranked teams they beat were Notre Dame, Florida and Auburn. UT won’t beat UGA this coming season, but I don’t think they look as good defensively as they did this season. That 3rd game of the year against Bama should be a fun one and might answer a bunch of questions.

Yea my bad totally didnt get all that from your previous comment.

 

[Dawgoutofwater]

I didn't say take out those first 3 games. I was simply saying the defense had new parts and was incomplete. No I don't think we will miss Warrior as much. Crouch is more explosive than Bituli and played a ton last year.

The Vols have some really great pieces on defense. That's no surprise as Pruitt has been putting the best playmakers on defense for 2 years now.

Looking at UGA and what they have coming back...I was not aware they have 4 guys that were draft eligible returning. I thought they left. I thought they were a part of the big group that sat out the Bowl Game.
UGA looks to be formidable on defense as well.

I apologize I misread what you were saying on the 3 games. I also had thought crouch was leaving as well but with him returning you guys will have a great lb core. Your secondary should be effective as well. I'm not completely sold on the vols dline as it stands right now but improvements and surprise players are bound to happen. Pruitt is a hell of a coach when it comes to defense and I have been saying since you all hired him that he would have you playing at a much higher level on that side of the ball.

 

[TVOL71]

Can we slow down Oklahoma early in the season with this retooled defense ?

More importantly I think is will our offense be able to take advantage of OUs typically mediocre defense. They will score some points, but I think our D keeps it reasonable, but the O is going to have to perform well. GBO.

 

[MemphisVol77]

With the added talent at every level I think we make the jump to Top 15 defense next season.

Agreed. I think we're a lock for top 10-15.

At Pruitt's three previous stops he was able to immediately field elite top-10 D's starting at least 8 inherited 3-5th year players rated 4*'s or better.

Pruitt now has almost all the talent and returning players in place to replicate the top-10 D's he fielded at FSU, GA, & ALA.
I wouldn't be too surprised if he's ahead of schedule on defense and fields a top-10 defense but I think that's probably contingent on QB being settled and offense being able to eat up time of possession with the run game.

Who in the SEC will be better

GA/FL/ALA
Georgia barring catastrophic injuries and collapse.
Florida is until they aren't and they've got allot of talent coming back. We're closing the talent gap and I'd love to leap frog them.
Ala - They're young and have almost everyone coming back. Don't they also get 1-2 uber talents back that missed all of last year to injury? I don't know that we get the win or that our D out plays theirs in Neyland this year but we might surpass them(and I'd love it). I hope their struggles in the front 7 wasn't an aberration while we've improved.

Our D-line is the deepest in the country...

Are we really?

Is that orange shades or do you really think we have the deepest DL in the country? I'm not saying we don't. I just don't know enough about allot of other teams.

 

[LittleVol]

Agreed. I think we're a lock for top 10-15.

At Pruitt's three previous stops he was able to immediately field elite top-10 D's starting at least 8 inherited 3-5th year players rated 4*'s or better.

Pruitt now has almost all the talent and returning players in place to replicate the top-10 D's he fielded at FSU, GA, & ALA.
I wouldn't be too surprised if he's ahead of schedule on defense and fields a top-10 defense but I think that's probably contingent on QB being settled and offense being able to eat up time of possession with the run game.

GA/FL/ALA
Georgia barring catastrophic injuries and collapse.
Florida is until they aren't and they've got allot of talent coming back. We're closing the talent gap and I'd love to leap frog them.
Ala - They're young and have almost everyone coming back. Don't they also get 1-2 uber talents back that missed all of last year to injury? I don't know that we get the win or that our D out plays theirs in Neyland this year but we might surpass them(and I'd love it). I hope their struggles in the front 7 wasn't an aberration while we've improved.


Are we really?

Is that orange shades or do you really think we have the deepest DL in the country? I'm not saying we don't. I just don't know enough about allot of other teams.

Butler
Middleton
Solomon
Emerson
Gooden
Bumphis
Blakely will all play some form of Professional Football

 

[Peyton_ManThing]

you do understand Warrior sucked the first half of the season. He was getting burnt play after play against GA State AND BYU, he got better just like the defense did throughout the year, but let’s not pretend Warrior even as long as he played here was not very good first half of the season.

That's kinda my point. We know how good Warrior actually ended up being.. he was experienced, athletic, and graded extremely high by the end of the year. Even with all those positives our defense had a particularly hard time getting aligned at the beginning of the year. Now someone has to replace Warrior as the secondary "QB." We cannot clearly say whoever that ends up being is going to be effective enough to "STOP OU" as the original poster stated. Also in regards to GA ST & BYU.. Watching film it looked much more obvious to me that the Dline and Backers were struggling more so than the secondary in Ga St game. In the BYU game our defense played pretty darn good up until the blunder by A. Taylor. After that it was a collaborative meltdown.

 

[Peyton_ManThing]

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.

1. LSU's schedule was so much more ridiculously difficult than ours that it would make sense their defense might have ranked a tad lower. Also note the ridiculous amount of points their offense put up and how quickly it happened, hence the defense being on the field more. Also when your team has that large of leads it either means you have multiple reserves in the game getting playing time or you have a lax defense.. (trading yards for time just to get the game over.)

2. We reeled off 6 wins.. 6 average wins at best. Not saying I'm not happy with winning, but lets be real when we say none of those wins were over impressive teams. We beat IU by 1.

3. You originally stated we would or should stop OU. My post is in regards to there is absolutely no way to honestly say that or truly believe that. I hope i'm wrong and we do, but to suggest we'll likely shutdown their offense is ignorant. As i stated the key will be slowing them down, and capitalizing when our offense has opportunities.

 

[Peyton_ManThing]

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?

Bc the original poster is suggesting that we will "stop OU." OU (2nd game) is at the beginning of the season, which directly relates to take a guess... beginning of this last season. We'll have new leaders at every level of the defense, talented leaders yes, but still young. They'll be responsible for properly lining up against a highly effective offense in OU... something that we struggled with regularly at the beginning of this past season. I'm not saying we can't be competitive or even come out of there with a win, but to suggest we stop OU and somehow have become an absolute monster of a defense over the course of this off season is very unlikely. OU will be better team than any of our wins this past season. I loved the way we finished the season but we still have a ton of questions on this team and what they're truly capable of. One of those being how do we actually stack up against really good teams... something that we obviously didn't do well last year.

 

[Kinglberry]

I'll be satisfied with a top 15 D, top 10 would be fantasy land and amazing. With a top 30 offense we could be very competitive, can we get that high, I'm not optimistic on that yet.

 

[LittleVol]

1. LSU's schedule was so much more ridiculously difficult than ours that it would make sense their defense might have ranked a tad lower. Also note the ridiculous amount of points their offense put up and how quickly it happened, hence the defense being on the field more. Also when your team has that large of leads it either means you have multiple reserves in the game getting playing time or you have a lax defense.. (trading yards for time just to get the game over.)

2. We reeled off 6 wins.. 6 average wins at best. Not saying I'm not happy with winning, but lets be real when we say none of those wins were over impressive teams. We beat IU by 1.

3. You originally stated we would or should stop OU. My post is in regards to there is absolutely no way to honestly say that or truly believe that. I hope i'm wrong and we do, but to suggest we'll likely shutdown their offense is ignorant. As i stated the key will be slowing them down, and capitalizing when our offense has opportunities.

OU lost their starting QB. Staring WR.
So what about their schedule? I'm talking about how our defense performed...
We played Florida Bama, MSU, and Vandy
So Did LSU.

Check the state line on those games and compare defenses...

We had the better defense. And we will next year too.

If you can't change my mind, then I suggest you just saddle up and watch my wisdom come to fruition....

 

[BACKDOC]

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

I don't want to change your mind, but replacing Bituli and Taylor with Crouch, Peterson, Bennett, or Johnson aint gonna be an improvement. We lose our best tackler, and our no. 1 pass rusher; not to mention Warrior was playing really well last yr. after a shaky start.

 

[Peyton_ManThing]

OU lost their starting QB. Staring WR.
So what about their schedule? I'm talking about how our defense performed...
We played Florida Bama, MSU, and Vandy
So Did LSU.

Check the state line on those games and compare defenses...

We had the better defense. And we will next year too.

If you can't change my mind, then I suggest you just saddle up and watch my wisdom come to fruition....

You are that delusional vol fan. You're mistaking passion & optimism for common sense. In fact I would be willing to say majority of this board would not call your ridiculous prediction .. wisdom. This happens every off season, regardless of the previous season we had, fans talk themselves into 10+ win seasons.

We got smoked by Florida, played a Tua-less Bama, and beat 2 below average teams in MSU, Vandy. The fact you're comparing our team, specifically our defense, to arguably the greatest college football team of all time is laughable. Did our defense play considerably better last year than they have in probably the last 10 years? YES. Are they going to take another step forward? TBD. Are they going to for sure shutdown/stop OU? LOL no.

OU lost Hurts & Lamb, I'm aware of that. Are you familiar with who else they have? They are absolutely loaded at WR. And they have a QB in Rattler that can sling the pigskin all over the field with a full off season ahead of him. Why would you think we would just automatically shut them down? I'm not trying to change your mind.. I'm just pointing out how delusional you are.