Why Was Our Defense So Bad Against SC?

#1
DiderotsGhost

DiderotsGhost

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
4,632
Likes
23,547
#1
Not sure if it's worth it's own thread or not, but it's a question I'm still asking 2 days later. I'd be interested to hear some opinions.

Our defense was undeniably awful the entire 2nd half; and it really started around the end of the 2nd Quarter. South Carolina ran for 224 yards on 40 carries, or about 5.6 ypc; that stat is likely much worse if you look at only the 2nd half. South Carolina's overall offensive efficiency was insanely good after we took a 14-3 lead. If you exclude the game-ending series, they scored on all 4 of their last 4 possessions (total of 24 points).

Yet, I look at our defense and we have some playmakers. Shy Tuttle had the big INT. Daniel Bituli made a few huge plays (one of which was wrongly not awarded to him). Same deal with DK Jr.

So why were we so awful? Is it simply a lack of depth? Our guys are getting worn out and we have no depth to replace them? Alabama and Georgia can play 2 and 3 deep, which is one reason why their defenses are so effective. You look at our defense and that's not the case. On D-line, there's a pretty quick drop-off from the starters to the 2nd string, and even bigger dropoff to the 3rd string.

Or do we not even have enough guys in the starting lineup who play well?

Or could it be that some of these guys just don't fit well in Pruitt's scheme? The transition to the 3-4 from the 4-3 can be rough. Are some of our guys not a great fit in this defense?

What are your thoughts, VolNation?
 
  • Like
Reactions: LittleVol, tbh and feathersax
#3
#3
DiderotsGhost said:
...Or could it be that some of these guys just don't fit well in Pruitt's scheme? The transition to the 3-4 from the 4-3 can be rough. Are some of our guys not a great fit in this defense?

What are your thoughts, VolNation?
Click to expand...
I think its depth issues, especially in the front three, and our line backers are smallish in the middle. Losing Kongbo was a big hit to the front, IMHO. I think we have depth issues throughout the defense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VFFL@THE BEACH, matt1107, TitanicVolz and 6 others
#5
#5
revjayp said:
Well DG, if this isnā€™t bad, look at next years starting Dline. Thatā€™s downright scary. Who in the world will be our starters?šŸ˜³
Click to expand...

That's what terrifies me.

Right now, I see our offense moving in the right direction, and I think we could see a big jump in Year 2. On the defensive side of the ball, however, we're not playing well right now, and it only gets worse next year when a hefty chunk of our D-line are going to be true Freshmen!

Not that this is Pruitt's fault, but if our depth looks bad now with 4 seniors in the 2-deep on the D-line, what does it look like next year?!
 
  • Like
Reactions: feathersax
#6
#6
Look at Muschamp's video on Youtube. He mentioned something about UT playing "2 high" defense and that led them to some running opportunities
 
#8
#8
DiderotsGhost said:
That's what terrifies me.

Right now, I see our offense moving in the right direction, and I think we could see a big jump in Year 2. On the defensive side of the ball, however, we're not playing well right now, and it only gets worse next year when a hefty chunk of our D-line are going to be true Freshmen!

Not that this is Pruitt's fault, but if our depth looks bad now with 4 seniors in the 2-deep on the D-line, what does it look like next year?!
Click to expand...

I would expect Pruitt to really load up with grad transfers and JUCO players for the Dline. All the while recruiting some big uglies. Only way next year will be any better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alto1, feathersax, McDad and 1 other person
#10
#10
DiderotsGhost said:
Not sure if it's worth it's own thread or not, but it's a question I'm still asking 2 days later. I'd be interested to hear some opinions.

Our defense was undeniably awful the entire 2nd half; and it really started around the end of the 2nd Quarter. South Carolina ran for 224 yards on 40 carries, or about 5.6 ypc; that stat is likely much worse if you look at only the 2nd half. South Carolina's overall offensive efficiency was insanely good after we took a 14-3 lead. If you exclude the game-ending series, they scored on all 4 of their last 4 possessions (total of 24 points).

Yet, I look at our defense and we have some playmakers. Shy Tuttle had the big INT. Daniel Bituli made a few huge plays (one of which was wrongly not awarded to him). Same deal with DK Jr.

So why were we so awful? Is it simply a lack of depth? Our guys are getting worn out and we have no depth to replace them? Alabama and Georgia can play 2 and 3 deep, which is one reason why their defenses are so effective. You look at our defense and that's not the case. On D-line, there's a pretty quick drop-off from the starters to the 2nd string, and even bigger dropoff to the 3rd string.

Or do we not even have enough guys in the starting lineup who play well?

Or could it be that some of these guys just don't fit well in Pruitt's scheme? The transition to the 3-4 from the 4-3 can be rough. Are some of our guys not a great fit in this defense?

What are your thoughts, VolNation?
Click to expand...
Pruitt said it... They gave us some looks they hadn't seen with the two tight end sets and the I formation out of that look.

Never really got in to why or how, if we did, adjust to it.

They were getting to the second level and wet didn't shed blocks.

That opened things up in the passing game for them.

We won the top so I don't think we were gassed. Still, I'm not sure how much rotating we did up front either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RollerVol
#12
#12
Looked like they played Nickel a bunch for whatever reason. I was wondering why we didn't send extra people after Bentley. When they did send someone they fell down. I don't know, it was kind of weird.
 
  • Like
Reactions: all_volz
#13
#13
Because these players aren't that good and for different reasons. Some of them are not good due to injuries that have taken a toll. Some are just overrated "nice guys" that dominated in HS against weak competition. Some are out of natural position and haven adapted. And most of them don't seem to want to deal with any type of contact. Hey, ****** S&C for years and a previous environment where it is more convenient to play Fortnite than watch video and learn how to play championship football will condition certain players (read: Butch recruits) to be soft. And if they were already inclined to be soft, what you see is what you get. I can only imagine how frustrated in private a great player like Barnett must have been. Ahhh, I am done ranting.
 
  • Like
Reactions: feathersax
#15
#15
malinoisvol said:
1. Discipline
Time and again, our pass defenders leave their receivers to go after a QB when he leaves the pocket. Many time this has led to chunk plays.

2. Depth

3. S.S.S.S
Size
Speed
Strength
Stamina

JMHO
Click to expand...

You said it better than me and in short order.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LittleVol
#16
#16
Because we are slow, have had years of poor coaching, and the smoke and mirrors that covered up some flaws earlier in the year have not been enough to cover up depth issues and opposing gameplans...
 
  • Like
Reactions: feathersax
#17
#17
Pruitt didn't mention as excuse, but did say they played well the first 27 or so snaps and not so well the last 30 something snaps. I'm not a coach, but my opinion is that our D got gassed (depth issue) and for first time this year (other than Bama), Pruitt didn't have a good answer for offense scheme another team threw at him...the 2TE stacked on one side power running game. SC had two weeks to scheme for us, and they did it pretty well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LittleVol, RollerVol and DiderotsGhost
#18
#18
OP because we have have guys all over our defensive side of the ball that flat out have under performed. Go to KMac who should have been a senior this year alongside his fellow 5 star recruit Tuttle. Their whole careers on The Hill have been mediocre. Taylor and Phillips, what you get one or two great plays out of them every other game, is that productive? Next go to LBs. Kirkland came in like a lion and it appears he has turned into a lamb. Sapp? Ignont? Bituli is the only bright spot. Corners and safeties anybody memorabl;e as good there not a freshman this year? TKJr, ok, he's a local Knox County kid, can't disparage his game or the torches and pitchforks come out. Warrior, solid but special so far he has not been. We THOUGHT we had talent on the D side of the LOS but in reality few if any of them have done very much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: feathersax
#19
#19
njvols said:
Pruitt didn't mention as excuse, but did say they played well the first 27 or so snaps and not so well the last 30 something snaps. I'm not a coach, but my opinion is that our D got gassed (depth issue) and for first time this year (other than Bama), Pruitt didn't have a good answer for offense scheme another team threw at him...the 2TE stacked on one side power running game. SC had two weeks to scheme for us, and they did it pretty well.
Click to expand...
Yeah.. They saw a weakness and ran right at it. We're going to play a team in two weeks that can run it much better. I think it's about time to put anyone in that has any promise for next year. Been saving a few guys. With the 4 game rule for redshirts i hope we get some guys some reps. I worry about the defense next year more than the offense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DiderotsGhost
#20
#20
njvols said:
Pruitt didn't mention as excuse, but did say they played well the first 27 or so snaps and not so well the last 30 something snaps. I'm not a coach, but my opinion is that our D got gassed (depth issue) and for first time this year (other than Bama), Pruitt didn't have a good answer for offense scheme another team threw at him...the 2TE stacked on one side power running game. SC had two weeks to scheme for us, and they did it pretty well.
Click to expand...

They gashed us over and over on what appeared to be an extended veer angle run that we are still trying to stop. We'll see that play every game from now to end of season, CJP and the DC better figure out a way to plug it up.
 
#21
#21
I think it was more about the X and O's. Muschamp and Pruitt are defensive minded guys... so they have studied their philosophies. I would assume that Muschamp just took advantage of what he thought Pruitt was trying to do defensively. Same with us. Our offensive scheme probably "looked better" but we just took advantage of what Pruitt probably was anticipating from Muschamp's defense.
 
#22
#22
Just look at SC defensive pkayers compared to ours. They look much faster and stronger. This all goes back to S&C and injuries. Then there is the issue of not only depth but quality depth. Botch didnt worry so much about quality depth. I mean we barely have any defensive starters that would start for most SEC teams. I mean even our LBs (other than maybe Bituli) look slow. Our best DBs are true FR.

On the road, after getting destroyed by Bama, SC coming off a bye. It was a perfect storm for disaster. It makes it worse when we should have won the game. But inevitably it comes down to Jimmies and Joes in college football. And we just dont have them right now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: feathersax
#23
#23
I would hope stamina was a non-issue for our defense as SC only had the ball for 8:42 in the 2nd half and ran just 25 plays. Of course, they got a lot more production out of their limited time on offense than we did (over 2x more yards and 3x more points per play).
 
  • Like
Reactions: hog88
#24
#24
Because we came off a murderers row finished up w the best bama team in its history. All w a roster w depth issues AND just lost one of its best players ( kongbo for the mouth breathers)in a position of need.

Oh and usc was coming off a bye ..

So a worst case scenario that we managed to lead for 80% of the game. But you bitching little girls continue w your uneducated temper tantrum
 
  • Like
Reactions: BanditVol and feathersax
#25
#25
Pruitt is a man of few words....and he doesn't "drill down" on what he says because he doesn't need to do that--it would embarrass his players and then we would have a thread about how CJP is a "meany" and throws his players under the bus. Instead--we have these kinds of threads. The big eye just don't lie--watch the film and you will find all of your answers...

But Pruitt did say a few things on the Sunday show:

1. We are not winning our 1 on 1 matchups with the opponent's OL....That statement includes our entire front 7.

He specifically said "It's hard to be good defensively when you cannot win your 1 on 1 matchups." He also, later in the show said that we did a very poor job of getting off of blocks. He also said that we cannot allow WRs in motion to produce confusion in us.

2. HE specifically said--"watch the black shirts move/push around the white shirts" And this was happening on USCe's 2nd possession of the game....DEPTH didn't cause this problem!

He pointed out--at least twice--just how far USCe's OL was moving our DL away from the LOS. In first half as well as 2nd half....

Pruitt didn't say the following--but I do:
There aren't any adjustments to be made when you're getting your azz stomped at the LOS. Our Safeties cannot tackle now....bring them down in the box and USCe will throw for 500 yards against us.

As an interesting note--watch the film again and observe how many times our LBs--all of them--are slow to read plays...fail to get off their blocks....and just count the number of times #34 gets pancaked.

3. HE explained--our OL and DL got WHIPPED
4. He explained that we had a few busted coverages....one time he said that there is only one call when we blitz a DB and the offense is in trips formation--and we blew that assignment
Another time our Safety we blew another assignment around the 10 yard line on a corner blitz. Pruitt's words on that blown coverage were "It's easy..." His inference was that the Safety on that side of the D had an easy assignment and blew it.

5. He explained that on another 2nd half TD by USCe--the one where they ran a toss sweep and score easily--that we didn't even line up correctly.

Coaches coach and players play.....and ultimately our Defensive players played very poorly. ALL OF 'EM.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BallerVols, LittleVol, VOLSanon and 9 others
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.
Advertisement



Back
Top