Safety play must improve hoping all positions are wide open at those two spots.

[luke hawg]

Liddell, Ramirez, Coley, Edwards, and Smith all need a shot to start with Brown and Curl pushing those guys thier on campus. The 70 and 60 plus yard touchdowns has to be stopped. This is one part of our defense that has been atrocious for a while now.

[ErieHog]

Plays of 0 or more yards allowed last year:

TAMU:  92 yard pass , 62 yard run
Alabama:  67 yard pass
Auburn:  78 yard run
LSU: 96 yard run,
Missouri: 87 yard run, 67 yard pass


That's  7 plays in 14 games that make your minimum criteria.   That's not that bad, especially for a defense that was depleted up front.   The worst of it is in the run game, as well--  the problems are at linebacker, far more than safety.

[ricepig]

Plays of 0 or more yards allowed last year:

TAMU:  92 yard pass , 62 yard run
Alabama:  67 yard pass
Auburn:  78 yard run
LSU: 96 yard run,
Missouri: 87 yard run, 67 yard pass


That's  7 plays in 14 games that make your minimum criteria.   That's not that bad, especially for a defense that was depleted up front.   The worst of it is in the run game, as well--  the problems are at linebacker, far more than safety.

I'd say blame was earned equally by all. The secondary always sticks out because their missed tackles most generally allow for bigger plays.

[The real Hogules]

I'd say blame was earned equally by all. The secondary always sticks out because their missed tackles most generally allow for bigger plays.

A LOT of the time the issues with our secondary stemmed from an ineffective pass rush. Also on more than a few back breaking plays for major yardage, it would be a sweep and the receivers to the side of the play would run our DB's out of the play and a DE would fail to set the edge. Bama did this at least once for a long distance TD and Auburn ran the same play, on their first snap from scrimmage and we all know how that turned out.........
I'm expecting huge years from Ramirez and Coley! And I predict that Brown won't RS, he'll be getting some PT in mop up duty and on special teams.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Liddell, Ramirez, Coley, Edwards, and Smith all need a shot to start with Brown and Curl pushing those guys thier on campus. The 70 and 60 plus yard touchdowns has to be stopped. This is one part of our defense that has been atrocious for a while now.

I'd say all plays, passing or rushing, that exceed 40 yards need to be stopped or at the very least, limited. Last year was a horrible season for allowing big plays that helped either turn the momentum or drive the stake in our heart.

Over 40 yards allowed:

Vs:                     Rushing                Passing
La Tech                   0                        0
TCU                        0                   2 for 100
Texas St                  0                        0
A&M                   3 for 152             2 for 139
Alabama              2 for 113                  0
Ole Miss                   0                        0
Auburn                3 for 189              1 for 45
Florida                     0                        0
LSU                     1 for 96               1 for 48
Miss St                    0                    2 for 86
Missouri                   0                    3 for 164
Va Tech                   0                        0

[hawginbigd1]

I agree with OP's premise, in fact you can probably find large numbers of my posts that say similar, but it's much more than just chunk plays. Our LB and safety play have been below average the last 2 years. I believe LB play is going to make a huge leap this year, I am not nearly as confident at safety. I believe run support from CBs will also be improved, we had one CB that was very weak in that aspect. Watch the opposition sometimes and you will see where our deficiencies are, and safety is at the top.

[ricepig]

A LOT of the time the issues with our secondary stemmed from an ineffective pass rush. Also on more than a few back breaking plays for major yardage, it would be a sweep and the receivers to the side of the play would run our DB's out of the play and a DE would fail to set the edge. Bama did this at least once for a long distance TD and Auburn ran the same play, on their first snap from scrimmage and we all know how that turned out.........
I'm expecting huge years from Ramirez and Coley! And I predict that Brown won't RS, he'll be getting some PT in mop up duty and on special teams.

Brown needs 15lbs to be SEC size from what I've seen to play safety, hopefully I'm wrong.

[oldrazorband]

I'd say all plays, passing or rushing, that exceed 40 yards need to be stopped or at the very least, limited. Last year was a horrible season for allowing big plays that helped either turn the momentum or drive the stake in our heart.

Over 40 yards allowed:

Vs:                     Rushing                Passing
La Tech                   0                        0
TCU                        0                   2 for 100
Texas St                  0                        0
A&M                   3 for 152             2 for 139
Alabama              2 for 113                  0
Ole Miss                   0                        0
Auburn                3 for 189              1 for 45
Florida                     0                        0
LSU                     1 for 96               1 for 48
Miss St                    0                    2 for 86
Missouri                   0                    3 for 164
Va Tech                   0                        0

We only won one of the games where we gave up plays of 40 or more.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

We only won one of the games where we gave up plays of 40 or more.

Good observation but we won 2, TCU and Miss State but they were the games where we gave up the fewest big play yards exceeding 40 yards each.

[Allhawgdawg]

We where slow, slow, and slower at LB last year! Harris has improved his body and has lost bad weight and with the return of Dre I think outr LB will be much improved. At least I hope in a bad way. Like many have posted above I think tackling was the major problem with the safeties last year. I would really like to see some young guys step up. I don't think either of the starters last season can get the job done at the sec level besides maybe coley who I love with the big hits but hope he learns.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

We where slow, slow, and slower at LB last year! Harris has improved his body and has lost bad weight and with the return of Dre I think outr LB will be much improved. At least I hope in a bad way. Like many have posted above I think tackling was the major problem with the safeties last year. I would really like to see some young guys step up. I don't think either of the starters last season can get the job done at the sec level besides maybe coley who I love with the big hits but hope he learns.

We had guys out of position last year due to too many responsibilities, too many reads, too many difficult adjustments and as a defense, didn't make it more difficult for opposing offenses to read and adjust to, which I think will change this year. We were too predictable under Robb Smith and he knew that, but refused to adjust. He asked too many players to do too many things that they were not capable of doing out of a bad scheme.

Brooksie was a great run defense LB but too often our defensive scheme made it too easy for OC's to scheme to align him with coverage of WR's over the middle. Kudo's to them for figuring this out, but it was a negative that we didn't scheme well enough in advance to help preclude this possibility.

Sometimes the difference in making a big play and not is a matter of being just 2-3 feet out of position at alingment and not applying pressure, being less predictable and not attacking.

I think we will be better in all facets this season on defense.

[bennyl08]

Brown needs 15lbs to be SEC size from what I've seen to play safety, hopefully I'm wrong.

He probably needs less than that now. He was listed at 6' 175 in the signing day report way back. First, there's no telling when that weight was taken, and it is doubtful it was taken anywhere near the signing day announcement. However, lets assume it is, then that is 7 months for him to add 15 pounds, or just about 2 pounds a month which is well within the lean muscle growth rate.

[ricepig]

He probably needs less than that now. He was listed at 6' 175 in the signing day report way back. First, there's no telling when that weight was taken, and it is doubtful it was taken anywhere near the signing day announcement. However, lets assume it is, then that is 7 months for him to add 15 pounds, or just about 2 pounds a month which is well within the lean muscle growth rate.

Dude looked skinny in his videos and pictures, just saying. And, there's no telling that weight was accurate.....

[bennyl08]

Dude looked skinny in his videos and pictures, just saying. And, there's no telling that weight was accurate.....

247 listed him at 182
espn, rivals 175
The official US army AA bowl listed him at 6'1 180 as did Scout and Hudl.

A player's weight isn't something that is usually static, but instead is dynamic. A player's weight is subject to both misinformation as well as change.

That all those different places all have weights ranging w/in 7 pounds of each other is a pretty good suggestion that the player's actual weight isn't far off. Especially the AA bowl, I'd imagine the weight listed there was done officially and not just them asking "what do you weight".

Also, "looking skinny" is not a really great indicator. Had a friend who weighed a solid 180 but looked like he was 140 at best, just really dense. A lot of people guess my weight about 30+ pounds less than I am as well and I don't look skinny.

[ricepig]

247 listed him at 182
espn, rivals 175
The official US army AA bowl listed him at 6'1 180 as did Scout and Hudl.

A player's weight isn't something that is usually static, but instead is dynamic. A player's weight is subject to both misinformation as well as change.

That all those different places all have weights ranging w/in 7 pounds of each other is a pretty good suggestion that the player's actual weight isn't far off. Especially the AA bowl, I'd imagine the weight listed there was done officially and not just them asking "what do you weight".

Also, "looking skinny" is not a really great indicator. Had a friend who weighed a solid 180 but looked like he was 140 at best, just really dense. A lot of people guess my weight about 30+ pounds less than I am as well and I don't look skinny.

Argue with yourself, Bielema said he's going to need to put on some weight.

[bennyl08]

Argue with yourself, Bielema said he's going to need to put on some weight.

That doesn't support your argument that he weighs significantly less than 175 though. He could weigh 185 and Bielema is rightfully going to say that Brown's going to need to put on some weight.

[hogcam]

The only thing I'd say, is I'd rather have a skinny guy at safety that can run, than a guy that takes bad angles and runs a 4.7.. this isn't a comparison to anyone on our team. Just saying safety is a position where I'd take speed over size as long as they can come make a shoe string tackle

[bennyl08]

The only thing I'd say, is I'd rather have a skinny guy at safety that can run, than a guy that takes bad angles and runs a 4.7.. this isn't a comparison to anyone on our team. Just saying safety is a position where I'd take speed over size as long as they can come make a shoe string tackle

Depends if we are talking FS or SS.

Further, that "as long as they can come make a ... tackle" is a key component. FS is typically the type who can play CB in a pinch for your team while the SS can play WLB in a pinch. For the FS, speed and cover skills are much more important than strength to take on blockers or stop a 240 running back short of the first down. However, for the SS, they are going to be asked to do more in run support and the such. Case in point would be Liddell being in a great position to prevent a td but simply being too small to make the required tackle.

The ideal pairing is somebody who is a headhunter and somebody who is a ball hawk. The headhunter is a bit closer to the LoS, ready to make a receiver regret coming across the middle or stop a RB that the LB's missed and the such. The ballhawk hangs back, giving the cornerback help on a deep throw coverage, and being there to intercept tipped passes and making preventative tackle for anything other's missed. The shoe string, push them out of bounds tackle.

[ricepig]

That doesn't support your argument that he weighs significantly less than 175 though. He could weigh 185 and Bielema is rightfully going to say that Brown's going to need to put on some weight.

I said he was skinny and needed to add weight.

Brown needs 15lbs to be SEC size from what I've seen to play safety, hopefully I'm wrong.

I didn't put a number on him, did I?

[PonderinHog]

I said he was skinny and needed to add weight.

I didn't put a number on him, did I?

Said no one ever about you!   

[bennyl08]

I said he was skinny and needed to add weight.

And based on his listed weights, I didn't argue with that at all and completely agreed. All I did was agree and uplifitingly post that he is well within the margin of weight of being able to be a good SEC size by the time the season comes around.

I didn't put a number on him, did I?

I didn't intimate that you did put a number on him, did I?

What you did do is make a post that strongly suggests (whether that was your intention or not), that his weight was beyond a reasonable margin of error less than the universities listed 175.

Now, I didn't connect that the "needs 15 more pounds" post and the "he looks skinny" post were both by the same person. So, it read to me as "Brown needs to add 15 more pounds to be SEC sized." "Agreed, and that is readily doable for him to get to 190" "No, he looks skinnier than 175 to me, with the implication being that for him to get to the minimum SEC safety size of 190 will require more than 15 pounds and isn't as likely".

[ricepig]

And based on his listed weights, I didn't argue with that at all and completely agreed. All I did was agree and uplifitingly post that he is well within the margin of weight of being able to be a good SEC size by the time the season comes around.

I didn't intimate that you did put a number on him, did I?

What you did do is make a post that strongly suggests (whether that was your intention or not), that his weight was beyond a reasonable margin of error less than the universities listed 175.

Now, I didn't connect that the "needs 15 more pounds" post and the "he looks skinny" post were both by the same person. So, it read to me as "Brown needs to add 15 more pounds to be SEC sized." "Agreed, and that is readily doable for him to get to 190" "No, he looks skinnier than 175 to me, with the implication being that for him to get to the minimum SEC safety size of 190 will require more than 15 pounds and isn't as likely".

Reads like that's all your problem, lol

[ricepig]

Said no one ever about you!   

Actually they did in high school, not so much after the freshman 20.......

[razoredge178]

I said he was skinny and needed to add weight.

I didn't put a number on him, did I?

Why does he need to add a little weight? How do you define skinny? Is he skinny for his position?

[hawg66]

Brown has great instincts. He plays the ball in the air very well. He's gonna be a great free safety. Hopefully sooner rather than later

[Paul]

We had guys out of position last year due to too many responsibilities, too many reads, too many difficult adjustments and as a defense, didn't make it more difficult for opposing offenses to read and adjust to, which I think will change this year. We were too predictable under Robb Smith and he knew that, but refused to adjust. He asked too many players to do too many things that they were not capable of doing out of a bad scheme.

Brooksie was a great run defense LB but too often our defensive scheme made it too easy for OC's to scheme to align him with coverage of WR's over the middle. Kudo's to them for figuring this out, but it was a negative that we didn't scheme well enough in advance to help preclude this possibility.

Sometimes the difference in making a big play and not is a matter of being just 2-3 feet out of position at alingment and not applying pressure, being less predictable and not attacking.

I think we will be better in all facets this season on defense.

Great kid but we couldn't hide him in any scheme.