Everyone is fixated on Wimbush with this woes and the O-line not good against good defenses. Both very true. But what I have yet to hear about, is the breakdown of our defense. Our defense was stout (averaging 18 points per game allowed). Wake scored 37 and Miami 41. Is Vangorder back on the defensive staff or something? Or has Elko been exposed like Vangorder after his few good games?
What happened to our defense?
- Thread starter NDTitan
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They were out there far too long and they got gassed early. The offense needed to make first downs and allow them some time on the sideline to catch their breath.
As for the points, you cannot throw three picks and keep the score low. We gave up a pick-six and two others where Miami got the ball inside the ND 20-yard line. There's three scores right there you can blame on the offense.
As for the points, you cannot throw three picks and keep the score low. We gave up a pick-six and two others where Miami got the ball inside the ND 20-yard line. There's three scores right there you can blame on the offense.
My question again. Why did a dominant defense that gave up 18 pts per game against very potent offenses all of a sudden give up 37 and 41 points in their last 2 games?
I thought it was a questionable plan personally.
Why play soft coverage and expect tackling in space when you have a QB who hasn't shown the ability to hit deep balls ?
I would have played a mix of man and zone.
As to the QB Draw play which killed us I'm sure we game planned for it.
We just didn't get off blocks and tackle----that's on the players
I thought our DT's were invisible.
Why play soft coverage and expect tackling in space when you have a QB who hasn't shown the ability to hit deep balls ?
I would have played a mix of man and zone.
As to the QB Draw play which killed us I'm sure we game planned for it.
We just didn't get off blocks and tackle----that's on the players
I thought our DT's were invisible.
I thought that our defense was one of the best that I had seen at ND in years, and I still think that they are.
However, during the WF game, I saw some obvious weaknesses, and I remarked that I hoped that our coaching staff would make the corrections and adjustments needed to stop a team that plays at a fast tempo.
Perhaps the coaching staff did make some adjustments, perhaps not, but as Hvillebill stated in an earlier post,
The defense just could not overcome the turnovers that our offense gave up and were on the field too long.
The terrible offense was the major problem , and had they played even fairly well, the defense would
Have also looked a lot better.
However, during the WF game, I saw some obvious weaknesses, and I remarked that I hoped that our coaching staff would make the corrections and adjustments needed to stop a team that plays at a fast tempo.
Perhaps the coaching staff did make some adjustments, perhaps not, but as Hvillebill stated in an earlier post,
The defense just could not overcome the turnovers that our offense gave up and were on the field too long.
The terrible offense was the major problem , and had they played even fairly well, the defense would
Have also looked a lot better.
The weaknesses were always there. When the offense ran the ball and they moved the D was rested enough to play well. The D is not terrible and not great. somewhere in between
I think the defense played well considering the circumstances. They missed on more than a few plays but that didn't really happen until the second half when the outcome was obvious. Like others have said, the offense didn't help them out at all with the situations they were put in. They held Miami to two fields after the Wimbush's two interception and then the pick 6 right before the half had to be deflating to the entire team. I know it crushed me in my man cave.
TO's.. They gave up 34 (pick 6) and 4 TO's by the offense put them in horrendous position. It could have been a lot worse, I thought the back to back field goals to make it 20-0 might give ND life but then came the Book pick 6.
And why did Kirk Herbstreit know the defensive strategy as he kept mentioning it on air? If he somehow knew the plan, then of course Miami would.
Wake scored 60 plus on the team that beat Clemson on Saturday. They are not that bad. We had a bad half against them when the game was out of hand. I think the entire team was out of sorts on Saturday. We will know more this weekend and against Stanford if the first part of the season was fool's gold like the big win against Michigan a few years ago, or the last two were off.
I would have inserted a DB to shadow the QB. Greer Martini is too slow. It was bad defensive coaching and Miami ran it over and over.
I would argue that the defense has over performed up until the Wake or Miami game. They don't have a ton of talent. The offense has been helping them out by eating up clock with the running game. And all those turnovers by the O really hurt vs the Canes.
Agreed
We lack 1 or 2 guys that teams have to gameplan for.
Maybe in a year or two some guys develop into that guy but right now we don't have them.
We've been succeeding by forcing TO's and not committing them.
That went away on Saturday-----time to find it again.
We lack 1 or 2 guys that teams have to gameplan for.
Maybe in a year or two some guys develop into that guy but right now we don't have them.
We've been succeeding by forcing TO's and not committing them.
That went away on Saturday-----time to find it again.
