Sadly, I've got to say that our run defense through the 1H of the game (will provide updates on the 2H later) looks to be making all the same mistakes from last year. There is no gap discipline by the LBs and even when there is, most of the time they miss the runner right in front of them (ie 2nd play of the game). I'm not sure what our coaching staff is telling these LBs, but any kind of cut back by a RB seems to be at least an 8 yard gain.

Hopefully, watching 2H tells a different story, but at this point, it's appearing to be a coaching problem and not personnel problem, especially when you see new players that were supposed to come in and help over pursue and make the same mistakes.

wtr1975 said:

---

EKG1996 said:

---

Fishwrangler11 said:

---

Sadly, I've got to say that our run defense through the 1H of the game (will provide updates on the 2H later) looks to be making all the same mistakes from last year. There is no gap discipline by the LBs and even when there is, most of the time they miss the runner right in front of them (ie 2nd play of the game). I'm not sure what our coaching staff is telling these LBs, but any kind of cut back by a RB seems to be at least an 8 yard gain.

Hopefully, watching 2H tells a different story, but at this point, it's appearing to be a coaching problem and not personnel problem, especially when you see new players that were supposed to come in and help over pursue and make the same mistakes.

---

It was a Spring game.

---

So what's the point? You saying they don't need to show improved gap discipline because it's a Spring game. It was a weakness last year. It would have been nice to see improvement.

---

I'm saying it is a spring game that you can't take much if anything from it.

Offense sets the pace and defense is responsive. It's hard to tell at a spring scrimmage how the two compare.

While the results of the game I'll totally grant you, the techniques that the players are using is completely fair to criticize given that they've been through 2 weeks of practices AND THEY ARE THE SAME ONES THEY MADE LAST YEAR.

I was never a QB so I can't critique that position, but based off McGees comments during the game, it seems like Marcel has improved from a pocket presence standpoint, something I anyone could say you can fairly evaluate during a spring game.

On the other hand, when I'm continuing to see LBs over pursue or defensive ends not keep contain in the run game, I get concerned since that got so exposed by tu and Miami last year.

For the record, in the 2nd half I finally saw ONE appropriate controlled attack of the LOS by a 3rd string LB and what do you know? He was right there to make the play.

I bring this all up because I don't think it takes that much of a change from our defense to improve to good to great. If these LBs will just played controlled, gap disciplined football, we could be a top 3 defense in the SEC.

its a spring game means nothing, you know how many times I heard oh so and so is beast, our D looks amazing from Spring games only to barley win 6 games the next season.

LB recruiting has been abysmal for quite some time. Last player we had was Cooper. 2026 is the first recruiting class with an LB pulse since. Hopefully it improves, but they are young.

We were talking the same stuff about how woeful the offense was in the spring game last year, and then our offense came out and balled in the first part of the year. Spring ball doesn't bring the big changes, fall camp does that.

EKG1996 said:

---

Fishwrangler11 said:

---

Sadly, I've got to say that our run defense through the 1H of the game (will provide updates on the 2H later) looks to be making all the same mistakes from last year. There is no gap discipline by the LBs and even when there is, most of the time they miss the runner right in front of them (ie 2nd play of the game). I'm not sure what our coaching staff is telling these LBs, but any kind of cut back by a RB seems to be at least an 8 yard gain.

Hopefully, watching 2H tells a different story, but at this point, it's appearing to be a coaching problem and not personnel problem, especially when you see new players that were supposed to come in and help over pursue and make the same mistakes.

---

It was a Spring game.

---

That's just a meme.

Quote:

---

The only conclusions you can rationally draw from spring games are about the athleticism of certain players. You cannot learn anything of consequence about coaching, scheme, gap integrity, etc. from a spring game. Period.

---

Unless it wasn't great last season, and our best LB is out for the year...

What I found interesting was the difference in alignment between to the two teams. The white team seemed to do a lot of what we have seen in the past. 4-2-5 with weak eagle and having the weak side safety come up in support. The Maroon team did a lot more of a tilted 50 look with the Nickel being tied to the box. Anytime the Nickel was removed for either team we got gashed and that's just simple math.. its either 7 vs 6 or worse 8 vs 6. That is just the inherited weakness of 4-2-5, the 6 could play perfect technique and still get ripped in those cases. The linebackers get washed a lot more in our light set because they are essentially having to 2 gap prior to recognizing flow. The positive for me was ... since its a spring game and typically in this setting its mainly the base defense... to see us line up to 3x1 in a different look other than weak eagle made me feel a lot better about our defense going into the year. People have abused us in that set over the last two seasons. I like seeing that look with the nickel tied to the box in certain cases and the fact we did it in the spring game regularly (maroon team) makes me think that is an influence from Hemphill. One thing I did see that isn't run related but a concern was we looked really bad in match coverage. People were running free all over the place, but on the flip side we actually looked really good in zone coverage when we did it. Going to be a interesting year for sure.

btglow87 said:

---

What I found interesting was the difference in alignment between to the two teams. The white team seemed to do a lot of what we have seen in the past. 4-2-5 with weak eagle and having the weak side safety come up in support. The Maroon team did a lot more of a tilted 50 look with the Nickel being tied to the box. Anytime the Nickel was removed for either team we got gashed and that's just simple math.. its either 7 vs 6 or worse 8 vs 6. That is just the inherited weakness of 4-2-5, the 6 could play perfect technique and still get ripped in those cases. The linebackers get washed a lot more in our light set because they are essentially having to 2 gap prior to recognizing flow. The positive for me was ... since its a spring game and typically in this setting its mainly the base defense... to see us line up to 3x1 in a different look other than weak eagle made me feel a lot better about our defense going into the year. People have abused us in that set over the last two seasons. I like seeing that look with the nickel tied to the box in certain cases and the fact we did it in the spring game regularly (maroon team) makes me think that is an influence from Hemphill. One thing I did see that isn't run related but a concern was we looked really bad in match coverage. People were running free all over the place, but on the flip side we actually looked really good in zone coverage when we did it. Going to be a interesting year for sure.

---

Also have to tame into account it's put squads, so all 1's not playing together

Darthag11 said:

---

its a spring game means nothing, you know how many times I heard oh so and so is beast, our D looks amazing from Spring games only to barley win 6 games the next season.

---

Given your username, a minimum of 19 times

SteveA said:

---

Quote:

---

The only conclusions you can rationally draw from spring games are about the athleticism of certain players. You cannot learn anything of consequence about coaching, scheme, gap integrity, etc. from a spring game. Period.

---

Unless it wasn't great last season, and our best LB is out for the year...

---

You can draw that conclusion from the performance last year plus losing Sanford. You don't need to see a spring game.

I think it's just something that's a give or take with Elko's scheme. It's highly aggressive and produces tons of negative plays. It can also leave guys vulnerable.

At the end of the day, he keeps people off the scoreboard. I mean, what did the offense have, a net 2 points in the first half? After the pick 6?

btglow87 said:

---

What I found interesting was the difference in alignment between to the two teams. The white team seemed to do a lot of what we have seen in the past. 4-2-5 with weak eagle and having the weak side safety come up in support. The Maroon team did a lot more of a tilted 50 look with the Nickel being tied to the box. Anytime the Nickel was removed for either team we got gashed and that's just simple math.. its either 7 vs 6 or worse 8 vs 6. That is just the inherited weakness of 4-2-5, the 6 could play perfect technique and still get ripped in those cases. The linebackers get washed a lot more in our light set because they are essentially having to 2 gap prior to recognizing flow. The positive for me was ... since its a spring game and typically in this setting its mainly the base defense... to see us line up to 3x1 in a different look other than weak eagle made me feel a lot better about our defense going into the year. People have abused us in that set over the last two seasons. I like seeing that look with the nickel tied to the box in certain cases and the fact we did it in the spring game regularly (maroon team) makes me think that is an influence from Hemphill. One thing I did see that isn't run related but a concern was we looked really bad in match coverage. People were running free all over the place, but on the flip side we actually looked really good in zone coverage when we did it. Going to be a interesting year for sure.

---

In fairness to the coverage, our top 2 corners didn't play. I'm guessing just about any team that has their top 2 corners out in a spring game will have some coverage issues. I think the secondary is going to be elite or bordelrine elite this year. not too worried about it.

I am more worried about the front 6. The front 4 has solid depth, but few gamechangers if any. Marco Jones is still the best bet here.

Sanford will be slowed even when he comes back, it might take time to get back into playing shape (I don't think he's out for the year and think people are really jumping the gun here)

beerad12man said:

---

btglow87 said:

---

What I found interesting was the difference in alignment between to the two teams. The white team seemed to do a lot of what we have seen in the past. 4-2-5 with weak eagle and having the weak side safety come up in support. The Maroon team did a lot more of a tilted 50 look with the Nickel being tied to the box. Anytime the Nickel was removed for either team we got gashed and that's just simple math.. its either 7 vs 6 or worse 8 vs 6. That is just the inherited weakness of 4-2-5, the 6 could play perfect technique and still get ripped in those cases. The linebackers get washed a lot more in our light set because they are essentially having to 2 gap prior to recognizing flow. The positive for me was ... since its a spring game and typically in this setting its mainly the base defense... to see us line up to 3x1 in a different look other than weak eagle made me feel a lot better about our defense going into the year. People have abused us in that set over the last two seasons. I like seeing that look with the nickel tied to the box in certain cases and the fact we did it in the spring game regularly (maroon team) makes me think that is an influence from Hemphill. One thing I did see that isn't run related but a concern was we looked really bad in match coverage. People were running free all over the place, but on the flip side we actually looked really good in zone coverage when we did it. Going to be a interesting year for sure.

---

In fairness to the coverage, our top 2 corners didn't play. I'm guessing just about any team that has their top 2 corners out in a spring game will have some coverage issues. I think the secondary is going to be elite or bordelrine elite this year. not too worried about it.

I am more worried about the front 6. The front 4 has solid depth, but few gamechangers if any. Marco Jones is still the best bet here.

Sanford will be slowed even when he comes back, it might take time to get back into playing shape (I don't think he's out for the year and think people are really jumping the gun here)

---

Overall I was encouraged by what I saw on defense, Tawfiq was a huge pick up by us in the portal. The more we can play the Nickel in roles other than, over #2 removed from the front,.. the more flexibility it gives us to align and combat schemes that have hurt us over the last two seasons. The fact we did some of that in a spring game with mixed rosters of 1s and 2s was the most encouraging sign I saw. With respect to my comment on coverage in match, it was more vs the combo routes that was concerning. With that said, when all the 1s are out there together that will likely correct itself. I just want to see more zone concepts especially with pressures (zone fire roll to 3).. because 1 interception from the secondary last year isn't going to cut it this year .... especially if our front isn't producing the same level of pressure as it was last season. I want as many of my athletes with their eyes on the ball in turnover situations and I'm hoping we see more of that this year and have more turnovers via interceptions. The spring game was very encouraging in that respect.