Article on Geoff Collins' 118th ranked recruiting class at Temple

[DogStuckAtUM.sixpack]

Given he maybe our future head coach, thought it was interesting—nothing more, nothing less. It'll be fun to follow his career.

Link.

 

[Shamoan]

if he is our hc....my head will explode.

 

[The Peeper]

@ MSU he was "Straining", @ Temple "Struggling"

 

[engie]

if he is our hc....my head will explode.

He still a terrible DC or....?*

 

[Junction John]

Obviously he's running low on this stuff:

 

[Hoover Dawg]

I was 100% fine with him being our succession plan if Mullen had bolted back in 2013 or 2014. I'm still fine with that now. Assuming he's not a retard with our offense.

I've always been curious what a strong defensive coach could do with our program. Defensive talent is prevalent in Mississippi. Yes, Mullen has improved the offense but when our defense has been a liability, it hasn't been pretty. It's pretty obvious that this defensive coach, whether it's Collins or anyone else, would need to totally turn over the offense to someone who knew what they were doing, preferably in the Mullen tree. Hint: Billy Gonzales.

(This is in no way meant to be interpreted as me wanting to fire Mullen)

 

[notoriousD_O_G]

I was 100% fine with him being our succession plan if Mullen had bolted back in 2013 or 2014. I'm still fine with that now. Assuming he's not a retard with our offense.

I've always been curious what a strong defensive coach could do with our program. Defensive talent is prevalent in Mississippi. Yes, Mullen has improved the offense but when our defense has been a liability, it hasn't been pretty. It's pretty obvious that this defensive coach, whether it's Collins or anyone else, would need to totally turn over the offense to someone who knew what they were doing, preferably in the Mullen tree. Hint: Billy Gonzales.

(This is in no way meant to be interpreted as me wanting to fire Mullen)

I feel like when we replace Dan (hopefully a long time from now) we should stick with a QB guru. The biggest difference in our program since his arrival is good QB play.

 

[Junction John]

Defensive talent is prevalent in Mississippi.

To me, this is why we ALWAYS need to hire an offensive coach. Other than a couple of terrible hires (Sirmon), our D has traditionally been pretty good. Before last year, I would have said you could plug almost anyone in as DC and we'd be fine. I still believe that, up to a point.

It's on the other side of the ball where we need more focus.

 

[Hoover Dawg]

Very valid point. I don't disagree at all that is a good (and proven) method. I often get ahead of myself and ask, what is that one thing we needed to get over the hump in 1980, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2010, 2014, etc. I just wonder what is the most consistent way to get both great defense AND great QB play.

 

[was21]

Doubt if he would come back to Starkvegas. When he accepted the Temple job he made a point of stating that he and his wife liked the bright lights and big city.

 

[Digging dog]

I think he may do ok. Still has a lot to learn. Temple should be a good test for HC. Fwiw. Imo

 

[HD6]

Just wait until these start making the rounds.

 

[Shamoan]

I dont think he is terrible. Sirmon was terrible....i just didnt think he was great....i would call him average. his stats while here would prove that. obviously, anyone can have a great defense with elite talent, a la florida. for all the hell wilson caught (rightfully so), collins was comparable while at state.

 

[Shamoan]

agreed. we dont have to do a whole lot to be respectable on defense, but on the offensive side of the ball, we need to know how to move the ball and get the ball in our playmakers hands.

 

[Hoover Dawg]

You could also say putting our focus on defense (maximizing our strengths), and simply minimizing our weaknesses on offense got us to the same point in the late Jackie years. You could argue we were a QB away from a national title in 1999.

What were we missing in 2014?

 

[engie]

Average DCs don't get to be DCs at Florida -- and certainly don't lead back-to-back top 5 defenses and parlay it into head coaching gigs. You spent his entire first year melting about how terrible he was here -- all the way to the Egg Bowl. You calling a DC the suk a September/October tradition that I have no doubt will be repeated this year the first game Grantham's blitzes get beat deep a couple of times. And, yes, Sirmon was terrible here. In many ways, Wilson's first defense was the best we've had under Mullen -- but it is a forgotten year because the offense struggled.

 

[engie]

People will nitpick -- but we weren't missing anything in 2014. Dak has even an average game and we're locked into the playoffs leaving Tuscaloosa.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

I'm willing to go all SJW on our program if we hire Geoff Collins

 

[Shamoan]

florida has had average dc's before, so thats nothing novel...however, their defense with collins wasnt even their best total d in the last 5 seasons....2012 was (quinn). my argument has always been misunderstood (purposefully), but the crux has always been performance based on statics while at state. as far as grantham is concerned, i have admitted as much already. we can agree on sirmon being terrible....worse than torbush which is difficult to imagine.

i am optimistic about grantham and getting beat deep will be nothing new, but in that regard, having to endure sirmon has given me new perspective and appreciation. its almost as if he tried to be bad. msu, even in a rebuilding year, should field a middle-of-the-pack defensive team nationally maybe getting in the late 80's or early 90's in a total rebuild year....never 110+. i think we can agree on that.

 

[Hoover Dawg]

florida has had average dc's before, so thats nothing novel...however, their defense with collins wasnt even their best total d in the last 5 seasons....2012 was (quinn). my argument has always been misunderstood (purposefully), but the crux has always been performance based on statics while at state. as far as grantham is concerned, i have admitted as much already. we can agree on sirmon being terrible....worse than torbush which is difficult to imagine.

i am optimistic about grantham and getting beat deep will be nothing new, but in that regard, having to endure sirmon has given me new perspective and appreciation. its almost as if he tried to be bad. msu, even in a rebuilding year, should field a middle-of-the-pack defensive team nationally maybe getting in the late 80's or early 90's in a total rebuild year....never 110+. i think we can agree on that.

My advice to you would be to stop basing everything solely on stats, which can largely be manipulated to say a variety of things.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

I was under the impression that our D was below average here & the whole 1A 1B thing failed to work. Then the end of 2014 happened, Bama not withstanding, & we couldn't stop a wet blanket, AKA OM with hurt Bo.

I'm no film studier or X's & O's guy, but I don't get why some are suddenly enamored by him. What happened the end of that year? Had he really just checked out?

 

[Where'sWaldo]

For the record wasn't he hired in December? This class is no reflection on his recruiting abilities or lack there of.

 

[MaroonNation]

I dont think he is terrible. Sirmon was terrible....i just didnt think he was great....i would call him average. his stats while here would prove that. obviously, anyone can have a great defense with elite talent, a la florida. for all the hell wilson caught (rightfully so), collins was comparable while at state.

The downside to Collins would be that he would bail at the first opportunity for a bigger job. If he does well at Temple he will be gone.

 

[engie]

Our D was good in 2014. Don't really care what basic total defense or even points allowed stats say. We gave up a bunch of passing yards -- and some points -- because everyone was throwing every down from 4 tds behind and we were playing backups/vanilla while protecting big leads. In adjusted points -- we were #10 nationally. Plus we went hurry up and set every school record for scoring. People misremember that season because of the last two games. The biggest thing implying how good Collins was that year -- was what happened after he checked out prior to OM.

And @shamoan -- on "well his defense wasn't that impressive -- it was only practically the same as Dan Quinn's in his time at Florida" -- I think that makes a different point than you think it makes. I just think it highly likely you aren't going to like Grantham either and will be flipping out in week 3 because he's unlikely to be statistically better than Diaz or Collins -- both of which went from idiots to leading top 15 defenses immediately upon leaving MSU.

That's adjusted points per game, adjusted points per play, adjusted points per possession -- repeat for yards.

Team	PPG	#	PPP	#	PPPs	#	YPG	#	YPP	#	YPPs	#
Alabama	7.45	1	0.107	1	0.479	1	219.29	1	3.27	1	15.39	1
Ohio St.	10.86	3	0.175	3	0.740	2	262.52	3	4.10	2	20.67	2
LSU	10.07	2	0.170	2	0.918	3	254.15	2	4.11	3	21.70	5
Michigan	12.44	4	0.196	5	0.959	4	262.64	4	4.15	4	21.37	3
Florida	15.24	9	0.227	9	1.153	9	281.72	5	4.30	5	23.68	8
Colorado	16.94	11	0.229	10	1.092	7	327.03	14	4.44	6	24.20	9
Washington	14.53	7	0.224	8	1.133	8	301.41	6	4.45	7	23.28	7
Clemson	14.79	8	0.220	7	1.057	6	302.07	7	4.47	8	21.68	4
Miami (FL)	17.52	12	0.231	11	1.312	11	334.29	17	4.50	9	26.36	16

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[Shamoan]

I might not sure you understand what the quote symbol means, as I said none of that. And for the record, I LOVED Diaz when he was here. He's the best D.C. We have had under the Mullen regime imo. Just pointing out the fact that he wasn't even the best in the last 5 years....a very small window. Obviously, Quinn knows what he is doing, but over the last 20 years, the Florida d has been good regardless of who has been coaching which is based highly on their talent level. There has been little variation there.

 

[mcdawg22]

I'm not going to argue whether Collins was a good D Coordinator or not. But to think we would hire a coordinator that has only been on good teams is nuts. If we were to hire a DC as a head coach I would expect it to be from an elite team. We are a top 20 program as far as visibility because of the neighborhood we live in. We also have a AD that isn't clutching his fanny pack refusing to shell out dough like his predecessor. So Collins may prove himself capable of running a program at Temple, but no way would I take a chance on a guy like him here, this isn't 1988.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

So, he checked out on his team's biggest game of the year?

No wonder Mullen threw his *** under the bus.

 

[Hoover Dawg]

Our D was good in 2014. Don't really care what basic total defense or even points allowed stats say.

Hahaha, oh really? Stats only matter when they back YOUR point up? Says the guy who's been using stupid statistics to make stupid points for like 8 years on message boards. How many times have you "statistically proven", in your words, some dumb obscure point over the years?

Keep truckin', little man. As far as your post, I actually agree. That's what happens when your mind isn't finite.

 

[engie]

So, he checked out on his team's biggest game of the year?

No wonder Mullen threw his *** under the bus.

He showed up to Oxford -- but it's a big rumor that Mullen had stripped play-calling already at that point upset about the "lateral move". I don't know the truth to it and seems ridiculous -- but the Egg and Orange were equal parts defensive disasters that we hadn't been similarly exposed in any of the first 11 games.

 

[engie]

Hahaha, oh really? Stats only matter when they back YOUR point up? Says the guy who's been using stupid statistics to make stupid points for like 8 years on message boards. How many times have you "statistically proven", in your words, some dumb obscure point over the years?

Keep truckin', little man. As far as your post, I actually agree. That's what happens when your mind isn't finite.

You still want your forehead autograph I see*

One thing that is statistically proven -- you are the worst poster in MSU message board history without a close second. Could you name half of your own previous usernames on here? Just curious.

 

[Todd4State]

People will nitpick -- but we weren't missing anything in 2014. Dak has even an average game and we're locked into the playoffs leaving Tuscaloosa.

Our defense was good in 2014, but I think how we used 1A/1B that year hurt our defense statistically. If I remember correctly the 1B's gave up some key TD's to Alabama right when we were rallying and had the momentum and also gave up a long TD to Ole Miss when we had pinned them inside the 10. I have to believe that the 1A/1B thing was Collin's idea because we didn't do that on offense and my guess is Dan was probably like "you can do it but if it doesn't work, go look somewhere else." That probably was the rift between the two because I don't even recall Dan calling out Sirmon after Arkansas this year when we didn't stop them at all. Maybe I just don't remember it.

And I understand the theory behind the 1A/1B strategy, but I don't like how we implemented it. I'm fine doing 1A/1B 50/50 against someone like Arkansas State, UAB, or maybe even Kentucky. But against Alabama we need the 1A's to be on the field at least 75% of the time- and certainly on the field during the most critical part of the game against them. That's part of the benefit of "resting the 1A's" most of the season. We should have also used some more creativity with it too- like used McKinney at OLB and DE some to get him in different spots and utilize his talent more.

I think that killed us more than anything in the games we lost in 2014 than anything else if I had to point a finger.

I think we'll know for sure if it was Dan's idea or not this year because for the first time since then we have amassed enough talent on defense to possibly play 1A/1B with all the JUCO's we just brought in.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

Fascinating!

A thread about a first year HC at one of the 5 worst D-1(FBS) football programs of all time discussing the possibility of him replacing the GOAT Mississippi State Head Football Coach who will likely be here at least 5 more years.

We are who we are, aren't we!

 

[HD6]

Well said.