Fixing the Defense for next year

#53
#53
BigNasty said:
Giving up the deep ball was the single biggest problem. This was a problem the entire season. Not to mention several PI calls that hurt us on some critical 3rd downs. The secondary weakness combined with injuries really affected how we played the run as the season progressed. Fix the deep sideline ball and as long as we stay healthy the defense should be much improved.
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This. I do believe we'll see an immediate improvement in the coverage of our backs with Warren coming in...I think we sent the house too much. Opened up so much of the field for simple underneaths. Watch the Vandy film.
 
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#55
#55
sjt18 said:
LB. Shoop's success has come running the 4-3. He was successful at Vandy running it with their personnel. As bad as the secondary was at times, the critical factor was the lack of depth and talent at LB.
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this. we ran a 4-2-5 most all year long just due to personnel issues at the LB spot. take away DKjr and JRM, and we were woefully thin at LB.

the DL held up most of the year until O brien, Tuttle and Kmack were gone. the secondary was not very good, but again, you had some shuffling of the line up in probably half the games dues to injuries here and there, and we played a lot of youth back there as a result. those reps and having that film to look at should pay dividends this season.

for me, i agree with you....i think the DL can still be very good, if the middle of the line can get back to where it was. DE is a bit of a ? but there should be talent there with Phillips and Knogbo. after that....not sure.

but get back to a true 4-3, and have a dependable rotation on the line, any improvement in the secondary (no where to go but up), and the defense could easily show marked improvement.

the biggest problem we had, was giving up big plays, due primarily to the issues we had stopping the run. we had a decent pass rush, but most of that was due Barnett and Vareen. i think shoops aggressiveness gets back to where he'd like it to be as soon as he has enough personnel in the front 7 to do it.
 
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#56
#56
BigNasty said:
Giving up the deep ball was the single biggest problem. This was a problem the entire season. Not to mention several PI calls that hurt us on some critical 3rd downs. The secondary weakness combined with injuries really affected how we played the run as the season progressed. Fix the deep sideline ball and as long as we stay healthy the defense should be much improved.
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Sadly, being able to avoid having knucklehead refs is not within the realm of realistic control.

I am really interested in seeing how Gullickson and Warren affect the defense. There are several defensive players who have almost become forgotten men because of injuries. Hopefully, Rock knows how to get them right. As to Warren, I look forward to improvement not only to fundamentals, but to discipline even more so. Creating a shut down secondary is long overdue.
 
#57
#57
TNnative said:
Sadly, being able to avoid having knucklehead refs is not within the realm of realistic control.

I am really interested in seeing how Gullickson and Warren affect the defense. There are several defensive players who have almost become forgotten men because of injuries. Hopefully, Rock knows how to get them right. As to Warren, I look forward to improvement not only to fundamentals, but to discipline even more so. Creating a shut down secondary is long overdue.
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it was the refs' fault?:whistling:
 
#58
#58
Assuming Shoop is as good as is resume, I'm hoping another year for him to install his system and a create a more cohesive defensive coaching group will help. That and staying reasonably healthy could (should?) make a significant improvement.
 
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#59
#59
I think health,knock on wood,would go a long way. A healthy d-line of Kongbo, King Tut, Big Mac, and Phillips would be a great start. Moving Kelly to LB should be considered. He along side Kirkland would give us two athletic backers. If we had any depth at wr, Jennins alongside Warrior would be insane!! If the new DB coach could coach up Martin, I'd have him along side Buchanan or Gaulden at corner. And finally the entire team would live at Coach Gullickson's house until further notice.
 
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#60
#60
LittleVol said:
DE Kongbo
NT Kmac
DT Tuttle

OLB Smith
ILB Kirkland
MLB Jumper
Jack Bituli

Star Gaulden
SS Kelly
CB Byrd
CB Osbourne
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That's 1-deep. You need 3 deep... and that's before you consider that Jones has had above average injury rates at UT.
 
#62
#62
VolDaddy61 said:
I think health,knock on wood,would go a long way. A healthy d-line of Kongbo, King Tut, Big Mac, and Phillips would be a great start. Moving Kelly to LB should be considered. He along side Kirkland would give us two athletic backers. If we had any depth at wr, Jennins alongside Warrior would be insane!! If the new DB coach could coach up Martin, I'd have him along side Buchanan or Gaulden at corner. And finally the entire team would live at Coach Gullickson's house until further notice.
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if you move Kelly down, why would you put Warrior outside? i think he's much better at safety. that doesn't mean i disagree with the notion of Kelly at LB, i'm not sure he's fast enough to be a safety at this point, but could transition to OLB... at DB, you have options, and if they get any better at all, the have some potential. LB is still the key spot, i agree the DL 1st 4 could/should be pretty good. the rotation after that...who knows.

but i'd leave Warrior at Safety...he can provide run support, he can cover, he can hit...and i think when all is said and done, he'll be a ball hawk too. don't know that putting him on one side against 1 guy is taking advantage of all he could bring to the table.
 
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#63
#63
Having only two linebacker seems to hurt the run defense, but not having the nickel back hurts the pass defense. That is why I prefer Dooley's 12 man defense.

Other than that:
prevent the first downs;
keep the other team from scoring;
bow their necks;
hunker down;
want it more;
give it your all;
cause turnovers;
defensive scores...
 
#64
#64
sjt18 said:
That's 1-deep. You need 3 deep... and that's before you consider that Jones has had above average injury rates at UT.
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you're right, but either way, we don't have the personnel to run a 3-4. that'd be like taking a putter to the tee box.

it's the wrong club for what you have in front of you.
 
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#65
#65
Start with fundamentals that were sorely lacking across the board.

Hope the S&C progam can get back on track and possibly reduce some of the injuries.

Set the edge on the line of scrimmage to contain the runs.

Teach the players to actually wrap up on tackles.

Teach the secondary to actually look for the ball in the air.
 
#66
#66
We do not have depth of talent on defense. We certainly haven't had it at linebacker--a definite position of weakness for the Vols for a few years. You look at bama's strength every year: well, they are strong everywhere on defense, but they've always got two/three/four stud linebackers. We have maybe 1. DB is much the same--a little better, a little deeper, but not good enough. Combine that with our injuries on the defensive line and we were in bad shape defensively.
 
#67
#67
armchair said:
We do not have depth of talent on defense. We certainly haven't had it at linebacker--a definite position of weakness for the Vols for a few years. You look at bama's strength every year: well, they are strong everywhere on defense, but they've always got two/three/four stud linebackers. We have maybe 1. DB is much the same--a little better, a little deeper, but not good enough. Combine that with our injuries on the defensive line and we were in bad shape defensively.
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yes, depth is still an issue. no disagreement.
 
#68
#68
You only fix this D with John Henderson, Al Wilson, ad Eric Berry. Short of that, I predict more pain next year.
 
#69
#69
jakez4ut said:
if you move Kelly down, why would you put Warrior outside? i think he's much better at safety. that doesn't mean i disagree with the notion of Kelly at LB, i'm not sure he's fast enough to be a safety at this point, but could transition to OLB... at DB, you have options, and if they get any better at all, the have some potential. LB is still the key spot, i agree the DL 1st 4 could/should be pretty good. the rotation after that...who knows.

but i'd leave Warrior at Safety...he can provide run support, he can cover, he can hit...and i think when all is said and done, he'll be a ball hawk too. don't know that putting him on one side against 1 guy is taking advantage of all he could bring to the table.
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I meant that to read Warrior and Jennings at safety big man.
 
#70
#70
D? WWBD?

Bama most often rushes four; they still shed blocks & get pressure.
Bama LBs line up anticipating the gaps and move fast and hard to plug them when they see a back carrying the ball.
Bama safeties have the patience to see the play, then move quickly to the ball/ball carrier.
Bama corners hold & interfere w/o getting flagged for it. Eff 'em; play clean, look for the ball, move to break up the pass/tackle like you mean it - don't let 'em past you.
Bama blitzes are hard to anticipate because they do the above so well.

Enough about effin' Bama.

Prescription for Tennessee D: Master technique. Know your assignment.
See the plays. Disrupt. Move to the ball. Tackle. Ball hawk.
 
#71
#71
When Tennessee's D has turned yet another opponent into turf butter, their theme should be
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzhiDCJyMks[/youtube]
 
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#72
#72
Player Development! It seems Butch's recruiting strategy is to find diamonds in the ruff. Get players that aren't as hotly recruited as others. If that is indeed what he's doing he and his staff need to do a little better job developing their 2nd and 3rd string guys. As we all know injuries can decimate a team during the season. When our one's and two's went down, some of the others were just not ready to go. I think this was especially the case on defense. Poor technique and fundamentals killed us a lot of the time.
 
#74
#74
mtnmanvol39 said:
Player Development! It seems Butch's recruiting strategy is to find diamonds in the ruff. Get players that aren't as hotly recruited as others. If that is indeed what he's doing he and his staff need to do a little better job developing their 2nd and 3rd string guys. As we all know injuries can decimate a team during the season. When our one's and two's went down, some of the others were just not ready to go. I think this was especially the case on defense. Poor technique and fundamentals killed us a lot of the time.
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At the SEC level of competition the #2 and #3 guys have to be good enough to share reps with #1. If they aren't then that almost assures your #1 guy won't last the season without injury. This could be a contributing factor to UT's high injury rates over the last 3 years.
 
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