2014 SEC Teams with real or perceived issues on defense

[jbcarol]

Glenn Guilbeau @LSUBeatTweet  ·  5 hours ago
Chavis may have enough of his lies in a row to win suit vs. LSU:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2015/02/28/john-chavis-lsu-tigers-texas-am-aggies-lawsuit-defensive-coordinator/24168093/ ...

BATON ROUGE, La. – It is third down and $400,000 to go for former LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis, but the Tigers' legal team is blitzing.

Chavis, whose hiring at Texas A&M as defensive coordinator was not announced until Feb. 13 though he was pictured in A&M gear recruiting throughout January, filed a lawsuit in College Station, Texas, in Brazos County on Friday saying that he does not have to pay LSU the $400,000 that athletic director Joe Alleva is demanding because Chavis broke his contract that ran through Dec. 31.

Chavis' lawsuit says his official final day at LSU was Feb. 4 not Dec. 30, 2014, when his defense lost to Notre Dame, 31-28, in the Music City Bowl in Nashville on a last-minute drive and field goal as time expired. Chavis, who guided one of the top defenses in the Southeastern Conference and the nation during his time at LSU from 2009-14, maintains that on Jan. 5 he gave LSU notice 30 days before officially starting his job at A&M on Feb. 4, thus relieving him of the $400,000 buyout according to his contract.

[jbcarol]

Kate Hairopoulos @khairopoulos  ·  Feb 28

Attorney for John Chavis releases statement echoing A&M's. Says A&M inclusion in suit w/ LSU was necessary to resolve "dispute LSU created."

Chavis will coach during upcoming spring season, says school spokesman Jason Cook.

[jbcarol]

Will Auburn, South Carolina and Texas A&M see significant defensive improvements?

All three ranked in the bottom half of the league in total defense and scoring, but all got what appear to be upgrades in the coaching department. Will Muschamp took his superb defensive mind to Auburn after being fired as Florida's head coach, longtime LSU DC John Chavis moved to College Station, and Jon Hoke left the NFL to help the Gamecocks out...

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  Mar 2

Opening spring camp: Texas A&M Aggies http://es.pn/17KzmTI

What's new: Three new coaches debut on the Texas A&M staff this year: John Chavis, Dave Christensen and Aaron Moorehead. The headliner is defensive coordinator Chavis, formerly of LSU, who replaces Mark Snyder (who is now at Michigan State). Chavis is tasked with making vast improvements on the SEC's worst defense two years running. Chavis will also coach the linebackers and Mark Hagen, the Aggies' linebackers coach the last two years, moves closer to the line of scrimmage to coach defensive tackles. Terry Price, the defensive line coach since Kevin Sumlin's arrival, will now focus on defensive ends as a result...

Question marks: Will the Aggies be deeper and/or better at linebacker? That's what they're hoping with Chavis' arrival, but they need the bodies...

Don't forget about: Myles Garrett. A breakout freshman season saw Garrett record 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. He should be poised for a strong sophomore season. Speaking of breakout freshmen, Armani "Ronnie" Watts should be poised for a good season coming off a true freshman campaign where he led the team with three interceptions. The playmaker looks like a star in the Aggies' secondary. The ultimate "don't forget about" is cornerback De'Vante Harris, who is entering his fourth year as a starter...

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  2 hours ago
Auburn spring football 2015: Breaking down the Tiger defensive line http://s.al.com/ar1oPID

BURNING QUESTION
How will Auburn fill the defensive tackle rotation around Montravius Adams after losing four of five key contributors to graduation?

QUOTABLE
"I know some injuries, obviously, hurt them this year tremendously. When you lose a guy like Carl Lawson, a pass rusher like that, that's going to affect your coaching ability, I can tell you that right now."
- Will Muschamp on Auburn's pass rush problems last year

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  3 hours ago
Will Muschamp rebuilding defense 'from the ground up' as Auburn begins spring practice http://s.al.com/s4hqnCZ

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  23h 23 hours ago

Steve Spurrier hopes Jon Hoke breathes new life into South Carolina's defense http://es.pn/1NujX7V

Spurrier brought in longtime NFL assistant Jon Hoke, the older brother of former Michigan head coach Brady Hoke, as his co-coordinator on defense. Hoke will share that title with Lorenzo Ward, who was the lone defensive coordinator from 2012-14.

Since there can be only one person who calls the plays, Spurrier said it will be Hoke, who hopes to turn around a unit that finished in the bottom three of the SEC in yards per game, rushing yards per game, and third-down and fourth-down conversion percentage in 2014. The Gamecocks had the fewest sacks (14) by an SEC squad since 2011.

"Lorenzo Ward has done an excellent job here," Spurrier said. "We just had one of the worst defenses in school history last year and we had to do something different."

In Hoke, Spurrier is looking for more than just a fresh set of eyes.

"We hope to have better effort," Spurrier said. "Sometimes you have to change. It's not necessarily the guy before's fault. Auburn got rid of their coordinator, SMU got rid of theirs. We just sort of shifted ours over, and I really think Lorenzo Ward is looking forward to the new challenge."

Spurrier added that he hopes the defense tackles better, is more fundamentally sound and disguises better with Ward and Hoke tag-teaming practice.

"We hope we look like a good defense," Spurrier said with a chuckle. "We all know what good defenses look like and we all know what sorry defense looks like."

In the end, though, last season's defensive drop is something the Gamecocks should have seen coming, he said, noting how the season before they rode a top defense that featured first-team All-SEC defensive linemen Jadeveon Clowney and Kelcy Quarles to an 11-2 record.

"We had a false sense we were going to continue to play pretty good defense," Spurrier said. "In preseason, we had one defensive player make third-team all-conference, our safety Brison Williams. And then we were picked to win the division by the same media guys. I said, 'Man, they're picking us to win, but they don't think we have many good ball players.'"

[jbcarol]

 AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  14h 14 hours ago

Will Muschamp helped Auburn 'a little bit' at Outback Bowl http://ow.ly/L9o1L

Will Muschamp's halftime demeanor left an impression on Auburn's defense at the Outback Bowl.

The newly-hired defensive coordinator, much like he has done at other stops, punched a board inside the locker room at halftime, defensive tackle Montravius Adams revealed in March.

"It was actually the Wisconsin game, me and LaDarius Owens were watching a video, the Tennessee game, and he had said something, and he punched the board," Adams said. "And then at halftime, I swear it was like a replay in my head, same thing at Wisconsin."

Muschamp's interaction with players at the Outback Bowl is interesting, especially considering coach Gus Malzahn's comments immediately following the 34-31 overtime loss to Wisconsin. Malzahn said Muschamp, who was spotted on the ESPN2 broadcast wearing a headset in the press box, only listened to play calls and did not chime in with the staff during the game...

[jbcarol]

Tom Green @AUBlog  ·  Apr 4

Auburn's defense gets best of offense in first full scrimmage http://www.oanow.com/sports/college/auburn/football/article_655e18cc-db22-11e4-bab0-0f124f5589cf.html ...

Following the Tigers' first full scrimmage of spring practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday morning, Malzahn was practically beaming about the performance of his team's revamped defense — even if it meant that unit "got the best" of his offense during the 90-play scrimmage.

"There were probably more hits today than any of the scrimmages that we've had since we've been back," Malzahn said. "That was definitely a bright spot with a lot of energy."

That energy translated to a fair amount of physicality and big-time hits from the defense during the scrimmage. With the coaching staff putting an added emphasis on physicality and the Tigers getting back the edge they lost down the stretch last season, Malzahn felt Saturday's performance was an encouraging step in the right direction for a unit that is looking to rebuild its reputation under new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.

"I was very excited with their defense, with their intensity; they were flying around, they were having fun out there," Malzahn said. "Like I said, there were some impact hits — I like to say momentum hits that the whole sideline gets excited on."

[jbcarol]

 ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  21h 21 hours ago

New staff working to fix Auburn secondary http://es.pn/1EcogV0

AUBURN, Ala. -- The Auburn secondary, which allowed 230 passing yards per game and 22 touchdowns last season, was a far cry from the unit Travaris Robinson played on during his senior year at Auburn. The Tigers finished No. 12 in the SEC and No. 68 nationally in pass defense, forcing a shakeup on the defensive coaching staff.

Now Robinson, the new defensive backs coach, is back at Auburn to fix the problem.

"[Last year] should affect them. It affects me," Robinson said. "Like I tell them, it's not just them. It's me, too. I wasn't here, but you know what, I'm here now..."

The addition of Robinson and new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who both came over from Florida, won't turn around the secondary overnight. They no longer have a Vernon Hargreaves or a Brian Poole or even a Jalen Tabor back there to work with...

[jbcarol]

What will the Gamecock defense look like under new co-coordinator Jon Hoke?

There are two things going against defenses in spring games. First, the play calling is bland. Teams don't call a lot of blitzes. Second, the quarterback can't be hit which gives him a little more time in the pocket and a little more confidence back there. So no, South Carolina's spring game was not a good indication of what to expect under Hoke. But fans had to like what they saw from junior college transfer Marquavius Lewis. He and fellow pass-rusher Darius English made plays off the edge that were non-existent last season.

[jbcarol]

 ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  17m 17 minutes ago

Take Two: Auburn offense vs. Auburn defense http://es.pn/1EFRBaD

I need to see Muschamp, the new defensive coordinator, breathe some life into what has been a tired unit of late.

With Muschamp now on board, along with new assistants Lance Thompson and Travaris Robinson, I want to watch their impact closely on Saturday.

While I don't see a top-three defense in the SEC emerging overnight, I do believe that there are enough parts to work with to make a difference, especially up front. In fact, the return of Carl Lawson is probably the highlight of the spring game for me. If he's healthy and can maximize his considerable talent, it could create a ripple effect from the linemen next to him (paging Montravius Adams) to the linebackers to the secondary...

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  1h 1 hour ago
Lowest-scoring A-Day game of Gus Malzahn era is just fine with Auburn coach http://ow.ly/LNsSl

[jbcarol]

 ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  24h 24 hours ago

Geoff Collins wants UF defense to pay attention to details http://es.pn/1EnKl4t

Collins' mission this spring was to harp on the little things, like being better than seventh and eighth in the SEC in red zone defense and defending third downs. Collins wants to make players more cognizant of down-and-distance, improve how they respond after the offense turned it over, hike up their red zone and overtime IQ, and try to eliminate the stupid and careless penalties that has ravaged this defense over the years during critical points of games and drives.

"Those are the things we really need to hone in on defensively," McElwain said.

Known as the "Minister of Mayhem" with his fiery/charismatic attitude, Collins wanted to shorten the learning curve for his new defense by adapting some to what the players were used to. In the past, Collins has overrun defenses with his own calls and terminology when installing new information. But with the Gators, he learned most of the team's past calls and verbage, while still implementing some of his own.

"It's easier to [learn] if you don't have eight million terms coming at you," Collins said.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  11h 11 hours ago

Will Muschamp still seeking answers with Auburn's pass rush http://ow.ly/MfVBz

"Hey, Ellis Johnson's a good football coach and when you lose a guy like Carl Lawson it hurts, from a standpoint of really not having another dynamic rusher outside of that," Muschamp said Tuesday outside a speaking engagement in Montgomery. "That's something that we've got to continue to work on. We certainly have addressed some things as far as rush is concerned -- as far as protection identification is concerned -- and we need to continue to progress."

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  17h 17 hours ago
Projecting Auburn's depth chart on defense http://ow.ly/MggHP

[jbcarol]

 Brett McMurphy @McMurphyESPN  ·  2h 2 hours ago

Gus Malzahn said defense taking on personality of new DC Will Muschamp: "Everyone's flying around like their hair's on fire"

Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin on new DC John Chavis: "If you can't beat 'em, hire 'em"

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 13h13 hours ago

Travaris Robinson explains why Auburn is 'thin in the right way' in secondary http://ow.ly/NTJTI

Auburn's secondary is thin, but the situation is not dire.

That's the word from defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson, who feels good about his group following the departures of five defensive backs since the end of the 2014 season. The former Florida assistant likes his four returning cornerbacks, two projected starters at safety and an influx of six defensive backs from the most recent recruiting class.

"You say we're thin but we're kinda thin in the right way," Robinson said Thursday outside a speaking engagement in Jackson. "We have a lot of guys we feel are going to be good players, so we have to continue to build upon that."

Auburn has bid adieu to five defensive backs, including one potential starter, since January. The Tigers combated that by adding cornerback Blake Countess, a Michigan transfer, last week. He will compete immediately against Jonathan Jones and Josh Holsey for a starting job. Outside of that, freshmen may get a call if Stephen Roberts doesn't step up as the third or fourth option.

"Those incoming freshmen are going to have to play," Robinson said. "We think they're really good."

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC ‏@ESPN_SEC 1m1 minute ago

Aggies need more quality depth, Kevin Sumlin says http://es.pn/1JMUl7x

Sumlin looks around at his fellow leaguemates and their numbers of NFL draftees compared to Texas A&M's.

"You look at some of these programs, I'm not going to name them, but they have guys drafted in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth round," Sumlin told reporters Wednesday before a speaking engagement in Houston. "That's where we need to be as a program."

The Aggies have had several first-round picks in recent years, with five players chosen in the first round of the draft in the past three years. The numbers drop off after that, however, as the Aggies only had five players drafted in the second through seventh rounds combined in the past three years...

[jbcarol]

Before the South Carolina Gamecocks set defense back with some abysmal performances in 2014, they had ranked among the top five of the SEC in scoring defense in four of the previous five seasons.

Why South Carolina will have a respectable defense in 2015: ...

East quarterback issues: So the East wasn't great with its quarterback play last season, and the Gamecocks still struggled, allowing 406.2 yards per game against divisional opponents. But this side of the conference still hasn't exactly figured things out under center. Right now, Missouri (Maty Mauk) and Tennessee (Joshua Dobbs) are the only East teams with a certified starting quarterback...

Why South Carolina's won't have a respectable defense in 2015:

    Unproven pass-rushers: South Carolina did a good job of upgrading a defensive line in desperate need of talent, but the Gamecocks still don't have any proven SEC-caliber players up front...

[jbcarol]

Brandon Marcello ‏@bmarcello 35m35 minutes ago

Has Auburn defense regained its confidence after 2014 breakdown? http://ow.ly/PQBh5

Auburn has pieced together a top-30 defense only once since 2007.

Auburn's defense learned that lesson the hard way in 2014.

"We hit a wall," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "We lost some confidence."

The Tigers ended the season with a thud, allowing a school-record 31 points or more against the final seven Power 5 opponents on the schedule...

The struggles last season stemmed from the lack of a pass rush, resulting in less than two sacks per game (98th nationally) and Johnson taking chances to generate pressure elsewhere on the field. The approach rarely worked and opponents took advantage with great success.

Amid the struggles, the players took a hit mentally, too.

"I feel like we lost confidence as a team in general and on our defense, we lost confidence," All-SEC cornerback Jonathan Jones said. "We have to be able to maintain that confidence and handle adversity."

That's where Muschamp comes in. He's the last coordinator to lead Auburn to a top-10 finish in scoring and total defense (2007) nationally...

[jbcarol]

Dr. SaturdayVerified account
‏@YahooDrSaturday

Steve Spurrier and Kevin Sumlin wager $10 on which team will have the more-improved defense. http://yhoo.it/1LrKhDi 

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC ‏@ESPN_SEC Jul 21

Kentucky defense starting to find SEC talent and depth http://es.pn/1Ki5PCl

Giving up an average of 400-plus yards in his first 24 games at Kentucky hasn't exactly been the most flattering start for Stoops... Despite losing stars on the edge in Bud Dupree and Za'Darius Smith, Stoops thinks his 2015 defense might be the best he has had in Lexington.

Stoops, who has watched his team surrender 31 points per game over the past two seasons, is optimistic about his defense because he's finally starting to see true SEC talent and depth. With the departures of Dupree and Smith, the Wildcats lost 25 sacks from the past two seasons, but Stoops likes the committee vying for the opportunity to replace those studs...

[jbcarol]

Natalie Williams ‏@_Nat_Williams 20h20 hours ago

Measuring up: Much of #SEC takes part in offseason defensive coordinator shuffle, my story -- http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/07/measuring_up_much_of_sec_takes.html ...

Eight of the league's 14 teams will feature a new defensive play-caller this fall.

But in looking for ways to counter the up-tempo attacks, the conference's head coaches did not have to look very far.

"Well, we just kind of passed them around, didn't we?" said Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin of the league's eight "new" defensive coordinators. "A lot of them just got new shirts on and new hats."

After watching John Chavis' LSU defense hold his high-scoring Air Raid offense to 20 points each of the last three seasons, Sumlin hired the veteran defensive mind away from Baton Rouge.

His mindset this offseason? If you can't beat 'em, try to hire 'em.

"That's exactly what I did. ... [Chavis] was ready for a new challenge," Sumlin said. "We were in the market, obviously, and here's a guy who's got a tremendous track record in the SEC and recently in the SEC West."

Still, Gus Malzahn believes his program added the "best defensive mind in all of football" to his Auburn staff this offseason with the addition of former Florida head coach Will Muschamp.

With first-year Florida head coach Jim McElwain hiring Geoff Collins away from Starkville, Mississippi this offseason, Mullen also turned to a familiar name to fill his vacant defensive coordinator position this offseason. 

Mullen added Manny Diaz to lead his defense – marking the second time Diaz has held the title of defensive coordinator on his Mississippi State staff.

"It's kind of at a unique situation," Mullen said...

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier added his old defensive coordinator, John Hoke, to his staff as his co-defensive coordinator this offseason.

Hoke spent the last 13 years in the NFL, meaning the last time he coached college football was during the 2001 season when he was the defensive coordinator for Spurrier's Gators. That season Florida led the SEC in scoring defense and total defense.

Spurrier, Sumlin, Malzahn, Mullen and Florida coach Jim McElwain are among the SEC's overwhelming majority – 10 of 14 – of SEC head coaches whose background is primarily on offense.

Looking back at his first season as a head coach, Vanderbilt's Derek Mason realized he should use his defensive-mind to take on an even larger role with that side of his team that struggled mightily last year.   

This year, he will be the Commodores' head coach and defensive coordinator...

[jbcarol]

Top 10 teams in 2014 total defense


    1. Clemson 260.8
    2. Penn State 278.7
    3. Stanford 282.4
    4. Wisconsin 294.1
    5. UCF 298.5
    6. Louisville 308.5
    7. Michigan 311.3
    8. Michigan State 315.8
    9. LSU 316.8
    10. Arkansas 323.4

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman 55m55 minutes ago College Station, TX

One play in particular summed up A&M's defensive frustrations last season, & LSU's Leonard Fournette addressed it: http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/07/countdown-to-camp-lsus-fournette-on-his-bowling-over-of-a-texas-am-safety-people-bring-it-up-a-lot ...

One play in Texas A&M's regular-season finale summed up a season of defensive frustrations for the Aggies in 2014: When LSU freshman running back Leonard Fournette plowed over A&M senior safety Howard Matthews on a 22-yard touchdown run in the second quarter on Thanksgiving night at Kyle Field.

"I don't watch it a lot," Fournette said this summer of whether he occasionally turns to YouTube (video at link above) to see the intimidating play, "but when I see people, they bring it up. They bring it up a lot."

It was also brought up as a prime example as to why A&M needed to get more physical on defense – and Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin swiped defensive coordinator John Chavis from LSU about a month later to try and get A&M aimed in that direction.

[jbcarol]

Technique over tactics: USC's Jon Hoke set to build a winner on defense

From his first meeting with the media after being hired as South Carolina's co-defensive coordinator, Jon Hoke has been puzzled by the term "4-2-5." That's the terminology South Carolina has used to describe its base defense since the arrival of Ellis Johnson as coordinator seven years ago.

"It's the nickel, right?" Hoke asked.

In fact, yes. What the Gamecocks have called the 4-2-5 essentially is a nickel defense, employing a fifth defensive back rather than a third linebacker. The fuss over the difference has made Hoke shake his head more than once in the past six months.

It happened again Wednesday, when he had his first extended conversation with reporters since his hiring in February.

"I know a big deal was made about the 4-2-5, and I have always known it as nickel," the 58-year-old Hoke said. "The fifth guy is really a DB."

"We both went to the NFL. I lasted two years, and Jon Hoke lasted 13," Spurrier said. "So he's a lot smarter, better coach than I am."

Hoke doesn't feel any extra pressure because of Spurrier's very public confidence in him, Hoke said.

"All we are going to do is go out there and try to build a championship defense," he said. "It's going to be a day-by-day process. We are going to be very detailed in what we do. It's always going to be technique over tactics. It'll be a step-by-step process. We are going to try to improve every day, no more than that."

The Gamecocks finished last season as the worst of the Spurrier era. They were 12th in scoring defense (30.4), 13th in rushing defense (212.23 yards per game), last in total defense (432.7 yards per game) and last in sacks (14) in the SEC.

Hoke has mentioned none of that to his players since arriving...

[jbcarol]

Tom Green ‏@AUBlog Aug 2

As Auburn reports for fall camp, expectations are high for Will Muschamp http://www.oanow.com/sports/college/auburn/football/article_2be72efa-38b3-11e5-bf2f-e7b5bad774c2.html ...

Needless to say, expectations are high for Will Muschamp in his first season back as Auburn's defensive coordinator as the Tigers prepare to report for fall camp on Monday.

Auburn's defense faltered down the stretch last season, giving up at least 34 points during four of its five Southeastern Conference losses, including 55 in a shootout loss to Alabama in the Iron Bowl. The unit particularly struggled to develop a consistent pass rush late in the season, tallying just five sacks over the team's final five games — including three total in the Tigers' final four games against FBS opponents — and mustering just 21 sacks on the season. That number translated to the 94th-best pass rush in the country and near the bottom of the SEC, ahead of just three teams: Vanderbilt, LSU and South Carolina.

But when Muschamp was hired in December to replace former coordinator Ellis Johnson, perceptions changed, and the hype machine began to build up the expectations for Auburn's defense heading into next season —

[jbcarol]

 ESPN SEC ‏@ESPN_SEC 4h4 hours ago

Jon Hoke aims to improve South Carolina defense http://es.pn/1IDWhuS

South Carolina opens preseason training camp today, and improving a defense that ranked 13th in the SEC last season is the biggest task at hand.

To that end, the Gamecocks brought in new co-defensive coordinator Jon Hoke this offseason to help cure the ills haunting the Gamecocks.

Hoke, who spent 13 seasons coaching in the NFL, says his focus is on the Gamecocks excelling at four things.

"There are four things that are going to drive the defense every day, whether it's a zone blitz or just base coverage, and it's always going to be about assignment, alignment, technique and key," Hoke told the Charleston Post and Courier. "If we can do those four things well, we've got a chance to improve."

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 11h11 hours ago

Believe it or not: Will Muschamp doesn't mind high-scoring games (as long as Auburn wins) http://ow.ly/QB8rN

How would he define a successful season at Auburn?

"Winning the SEC and then you're probably in the final four, I would think," Muschamp said. "I don't get into stats and all that. At the end of the day that's great, that probably may help in recruiting. At the end of the day it's about doing what you got to do to win football games and if you win 3-0 that's just as good if you win 41-40. It really is, and I know people don't think I think that way, but I do. It's about winning games and doing what you go to do to win games."

Muschamp's history, however, reveals a different story.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/AdamSparks/status/632727873007304704

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/634830870344544257

Overall, Muschamp is still not satisfied with the defense as they approach the fourth week of practices.

"We're OK," he said. "The inconsistencies are what bothers me a little bit right now. You get in this portion of camp and everybody's still a little tired and a little sore and they've got to push through it. That's where your leadership's got to show up. We're just not consistently doing that well enough at this time.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/AUBlog/status/636321776067289088

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/636531113897426944

2011 Crimson Tide led the country in every major statistical category ― allowing 183.6 yards a game, 77 fewer than the Clemson defense that topped last year's total-defense ranking.

Four years later, a touch of that confidence is back in Tuscaloosa.

"No, we aren't trying to bend, said Pettway, now a key member of the defensive line who wasn't trying to make comparisons to 2011. "We're trying to be a steel curtain. We're trying to really make history."

But college football is a different world these days.

What is the pop pass?

The concept essentially marries the play action pass with the read option. It can take various forms, but the idea is relatively simple. Offenses want to force outside linebackers and defensive backs into a split-second decision to defend a runner who could, in one quick move, throw the ball.

Sometimes it's subtle, but the most costly example that illustrates run-pass option impact is textbook.

Video from a key play for Auburn in the 2013 Iron Bowl which would have been illegal under new NCAA rules along with an interview from Kirby Smart is embedded in the article.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/gogamecocks/status/637067586446884864

The reason most have picked as why South Carolina's defense will be better in 2015 is, "Well, it couldn't be much worse."

Jon Hoke's looking for substantially more.

But the new co-defensive coordinator's not going to limit, or over-reach, his expectations.

"Just continue to coach assignment, alignment, technique and key," Hoke said on Thursday, a week before the season-opener. "Those are the four things we need to make sure we're sound in all of those areas, then continue to make sure we understand the importance of getting takeaways in the football game."

Hoke's not going to be glib about who starts, who sits, what's working and what's not. He's as tight-lipped as Lorenzo Ward was an open book. That fits what USC's defense needs to be this season, especially early – nobody needs to talk because nobody's proven anything.

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC ‏@ESPN_SEC 2h2 hours ago

John Chavis' Texas A&M defense highlights opening weekend for new coordinators http://es.pn/1K21EJw

There were 13 new coordinators making their debuts in their roles across the SEC on opening weekend but none had a bigger immediate impact than Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis...

Florida's Geoff Collins and Missouri's Barry Odom had impressive debuts.

As for Manny Diaz (Mississippi State), Jon Hoke (South Carolina) and Will Muschamp (Auburn) it was a bit of a mixed bag. Each oversaw a defense that allowed 400-plus yards.

At Vanderbilt, head coach Derek Mason's defense allowed just 246 yards, 1.6 yards per rush (23 carries, 37 yards) and two third down conversions on 12 attempts.

[jbcarol]

Dave Ammenheuser ‏@NashSportsEd 21h21 hours ago

Who is key to @VandyFootball Derek Mason's future? http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/columnist/dave-ammenheuser/2015/09/07/who-key-derek-masons-future/71712102/ ... via @tennessean

It's become increasingly clear that Derek Mason's future as head coach of the Vanderbilt football program depends heavily upon one man: the Commodores' defensive coordinator.

That man: Derek Mason.

Yep, Mason's decision last winter to fire defensive coordinator David Kotulski and put himself in that role was a big gamble he put on himself and the university's football program.

Mason earned his reputation as a defensive wizard during the three years (2011-13) that he was the defensive coordinator at Stanford.

[jbcarol]

Brandon Marcello ‏@bmarcello 14h14 hours ago

7 power-read plays lead to big gains, concerns for Auburn defense http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2015/09/7_power-read_plays_lead_to_big_plays_concerns_auburn_defense.html ...

Louisville piled up 91 yards on nine power-read run plays, Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said, and the Tigers' defense played it "right" only twice in the season opener last week.

"We lost leverage on the formation on three different calls, so it wasn't the same thing every time and we just didn't play very well," Muschamp said.

The containment issue had a lot to do with freshman quarterback Lamar Jackson, who replaced starter Reggie Bonnafon and played the entire second half.

Jackson finished with a team-high 106 yards on 16 carries.

Auburn substituted players along the defensive line throughout the game, but the Tigers ran out of steam as Louisville continued to chew up yards on the Georgia Dome turf.

"When a big guy runs out of gas, he's done, we're going to lose him for the game," Muschamp said...

[jbcarol]

Michael Bonner ‏@MikeBBonner 18h18 hours ago

MSU defensive coordinator Manny Diaz: Lay off the secondary, it's a new team, a new year http://on.thec-l.com/1EWvAGp 

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Wesley Sinor ‏@WesleySinor  2h2 hours ago
Jacksonville State's Eli Jenkins the latest mobile QB to dismantle Auburn's defense http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/09/eli_jenkins.html ...

Another week, another mobile quarterback giving Will Muschamp and the Auburn defense trouble.

Seven days after Louisville's Lamar Jackson exposed plenty of weaknesses in the season opener, Jacksonville State's Eli Jenkins made the Tigers look even worse. The redshirt freshman accounted for 314 total yards Saturday's 27-20 overtime loss to Auburn, 277 though the air and 67 on the ground.

"Wow... how much has that guy grown?" JSU head coach John Grass said.

[jbcarol]

David Cloninger @DCTheState

Spurrier says the second-half defensive adjustment was a matter of disguising coverages. He suggested to Hoke, Hoke listened.
11:14 PM - 12 Sep 2015

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Bruce Feldman ‏@BruceFeldmanCFB Oct 25

#Auburn, which was near the bottom of SEC in D in 2014, now ranks last in total D (allowing 32 yds more than last year) & is 13th in YPP.

[jbcarol]

tnsports ‏@tnsports 12h12 hours ago

#Vandy has played most top-15 offenses of any top-15 defense in nation, @AdamSparks writes http://tnne.ws/1P69P9A 

Vanderbilt has been tested by more high-scoring offenses than any top-tier defense in college football, and that challenge will grow at No. 18 Houston on Saturday.

After this weekend, there will have been four games this season where a top-15 scoring offense has faced a top-15 scoring defense, according to the current rankings. Vanderbilt will have been in three of those contests.

"We play the game for the challenges," coach Derek Mason said. "The pressure is on Houston. They are No. 18. We are Vanderbilt, and we are slowly but surely trying to claw our way to relevancy.

"... The spotlight is going to be on them. It is an SEC opponent, so I'm sure for them that's added value. But sometimes you've got to be careful what you ask for."

The only other game between a top-15 scoring offense and a top-15 scoring defense was Ole Miss against Alabama (No. 15 in defense) on Sept. 19.

Mason's unit is ranked third nationally in third-down defense, fifth in red-zone defense, tied for 10th in fewest first downs allowed, 16th in rushing defense and 22nd in total defense.

"Challenge is an understatement," Houston coach Tom Herman said of Vanderbilt's defensive rankings. "They are really good."

VANDERBILT (3-4) at NO. 18 HOUSTON (7-0)

When: 6 p.m. CDT Saturday

TV: ESPN2

Derek Mason became the defensive coordinator for 2015.

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Chris Low @ClowESPN  ·  17 hours ago

Steve Spurrier is bringing in a colleague from years gone by, Jon Hoke, to help mend the South Carolina defense. http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/12279072/jon-hoke-coach-defense-south-carolina-gamecocks ...

SportsTalk ‏@sportstalksc  13m13 minutes ago
Jon Hoke returns to NFL http://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-football/article55061745.html ...