Our friend Sallee say...

Sep 4, 2012
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That the transition between coaches will be as seamless as any and this offense will “put the fear of God into anyone it plays.”

That rattled some cages.
 

o_dawgnabit

All-American
Oct 13, 2016
5,074
8,211
113
He'll still pick us to go 7-5 and finish 5th in the west
 
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philduckworth

Redshirt
Feb 20, 2015
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He also said our defense was questionable.

I'm still very concerned about Shoop. I think it's much easier to pick up blitzes in a 4-2-5 than a 3-4 and harder to shut down the run. Also, don't like the cushion we were playing with our DB's in the spring. I realize we had a very vanilla gameplan but I watched a lot of UT football the past 2 years so I think my concerns are warranted.
 

aTotal360

Heisman
Nov 12, 2009
22,659
16,669
113
Rumor is we are running a lot of zone in the secondary. Grantham ran a lot of zone too. If we get pressure from the front 4, it won't matter what we are doing in the backend.
 

o_dawgnabit

All-American
Oct 13, 2016
5,074
8,211
113
The only concern I have with Defense is shoop and his play calling. We have the athletes and the players all over on defense. Just hope his situational playcalling puts those players in position to succeed. I do like the 4-2-5 for this team versus the 3-4. This puts the best athletes on the field and we have the front 7 that can support the DB's
 
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maroonmania

All-Conference
Feb 23, 2008
11,389
1,165
113
I'm still very concerned about Shoop. I think it's much easier to pick up blitzes in a 4-2-5 than a 3-4 and harder to shut down the run. Also, don't like the cushion we were playing with our DB's in the spring. I realize we had a very vanilla gameplan but I watched a lot of UT football the past 2 years so I think my concerns are warranted.

I'll admit that I would be even more confident than I am right now had we kept Grantham but it is what it is. Apparently Moorhead feels more comfortable with Shoop likely due to their mutual close relationship with Franklin so just hope that it works well. We essentially played a 4-2-5 in the Joe Lee Dunn era and it worked quite well. You would think having the extra DB on the field most of the time would work well against the spread.
 

Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
7,321
0
36
He also said our defense was questionable.

Our defense gave up 30+ points per game in half our SEC games last year, and the secondary is garbage until proven otherwise. I know everyone likes the talent in the front 7, but every decent offense we played was able to consistently score on us last season. At this point, questionable is an accurate statement.
 

maroonmania

All-Conference
Feb 23, 2008
11,389
1,165
113
He also said our defense was questionable.

He is also the guy that dogged Grantham pretty good when we hired him so there's that. If he is saying our defense is questionable because of personnel then he is just an ignorant dufus. If its because of the DC changeover well I have a little concern over that myself.
 

tatedog

Redshirt
Mar 28, 2015
8,739
0
0
If nothing else, it will be a welcome change to have a full time football coach for the month of November. That should do wonders for the transition.
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
61,270
32,960
113
Tennessee had a lot bigger problems than who their defensive coordinator was. In 2011, Shoop took over a Vandy defense that gave up 31 ppg and over 3 years, he gave up 22 ppg. Then he took over a Penn St. defense giving up 26 ppg and over 2 years he gave up 20 ppg.
 
Sep 4, 2012
512
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I’m perfectly okay with a break but don’t bend defense**

I think we will be very good against the run, and have a great pass rush. We will get burned occasionally, but I suspect it will be better than last year and good enough if the offense is what we all hope.
 

philduckworth

Redshirt
Feb 20, 2015
2,228
0
0
Rumor is we are running a lot of zone in the secondary. Grantham ran a lot of zone too. If we get pressure from the front 4, it won't matter what we are doing in the backend.

Grantham played a bunch of man. Not too much zone. And for the first time in a long time we were in tight coverage on the underneath stuff and I loved it. Shoop is going to play a lot more zone than Grantham.
 

philduckworth

Redshirt
Feb 20, 2015
2,228
0
0
Tennessee had a lot bigger problems than who their defensive coordinator was. In 2011, Shoop took over a Vandy defense that gave up 31 ppg and over 3 years, he gave up 22 ppg. Then he took over a Penn St. defense giving up 26 ppg and over 2 years he gave up 20 ppg.

This is true and this gives me hope. Shoop was outstanding at Vandy, but that was 7 years ago. A lot can change in 7 years just ask Joe Lee Dunn.
 

dawgstudent

Heisman
Apr 15, 2003
40,714
22,874
113
If there is one side of the ball where I have the least amount of worry - it's the defense.
 

engie

Sophomore
May 29, 2011
10,764
106
63
2011
Grantham UGA - 5th total D
Shoop Vandy - 18th total D

2012
Grantham UGA - 32nd total D
Shoop Vandy - 19th total D

2013
Grantham UGA - 45th total D
Shoop Vandy - 23rd total D

2014
Grantham Louisville - 6th total D
Shoop Penn St - 2nd total D

2015
Grantham Louisville - 18th total D
Shoop Penn St - 14th total D

Obviously Shoop's time at Tennessee was a disaster. But he certainly has not spent a career in the shadow of Todd Grantham. And judging by what Pruitt is saying now -- it looks like that was cultural. He made a dumb coaching move. Should have stayed with Franklin, where he would have had far more elite defenses with Moorhead actually moving the ball compared to the Christian Hackenburg square peg in a round hole offenses with Franklin that routinely missed the top 100.
 

Seinfeld

All-American
Nov 30, 2006
11,751
8,145
113
This may not have a thing to do with it, but I will remind everyone that the spring game ended early last year after one of our players nearly got his head taken off. The new coaches may not even be aware, but I’d imagine that the secondary was probably instructed to give a little space one way or another
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
61,270
32,960
113
The game of football didn't completely change between January 2016 and September 2016. What changed is Shoop jumped right into a giant burning dumpster fire.
 

philduckworth

Redshirt
Feb 20, 2015
2,228
0
0
The game of football didn't completely change between January 2016 and September 2016. What changed is Shoop jumped right into a giant burning dumpster fire.

125th in the country against the run last year. That scares the crap out of me. I just think the 3-4 is a much better design to stop the run than a 4-2-5.

We are going to be good on defense this season. Too much talent in the d-line to not be good. But we need to be great. Top 10 is the benchmark b/c that's what Grantham did last year.
 

DosEquis

Heisman
Dec 9, 2017
9,208
31,584
113
125th in the country against the run last year. That scares the crap out of me. I just think the 3-4 is a much better design to stop the run than a 4-2-5.

We are going to be good on defense this season. Too much talent in the d-line to not be good. But we need to be great. Top 10 is the benchmark b/c that's what Grantham did last year.

Actually, any defensive alignment can be schemed to defend what you want it to defend. The only differences is predominantly in the size of the defender you are using. Now, with that being said, if stopping the run is your main concern, then a 4 down line should make you happier than a 3 down line. You will be fitting gaps with bigger bodies, which is better to do in the SEC to stop the run.
 

DosEquis

Heisman
Dec 9, 2017
9,208
31,584
113
Grantham's defense is based out of a "pattern-match" zone defense. We played some man to man, but it was more situational than it was base.
 

bocephus.sixpack

Redshirt
Mar 22, 2015
188
0
0
Rumor is we are running a lot of zone in the secondary. Grantham ran a lot of zone too. If we get pressure from the front 4, it won't matter what we are doing in the backend.

I played CB in juco and was taught wen we played zone we manned up when our zone was invaded. In other words we were responsible for a certain area on the field and when the opponent came into your zone, you jumped him and played man until the ball is thrown or the play was dead. This is where you also were taught to stay deeper than the deepest man in your zone.
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
61,270
32,960
113
It's pretty apparent you're determined to keep stressing out over Tennessee, so I'll quit trying to stop you.
 
Sep 25, 2013
1,627
0
0
125th in the country against the run last year. That scares the crap out of me. I just think the 3-4 is a much better design to stop the run than a 4-2-5.

We are going to be good on defense this season. Too much talent in the d-line to not be good. But we need to be great. Top 10 is the benchmark b/c that's what Grantham did last year.

Well if we lose players to injury like Tennessee did, your fear will be warranted.

"The Tennessee training room has been more crowded than any other in college football the past two seasons.
The Vols led college football with 52 missed starts due to injuries last season, with 17 starters missing at least one game, and only five position players starting every game.
Tennessee is on the verge of repeating as the most injury plagued football program in the FBS ranks.




The Vols look to have 87 missed starts due to injuries after Saturday’s game with the Commodores — with only six position players having started every game this season (barring another injury)"
 
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5049

Redshirt
Dec 3, 2017
700
0
0
125th in the country against the run last year. That scares the crap out of me. I just think the 3-4 is a much better design to stop the run than a 4-2-5.

We are going to be good on defense this season. Too much talent in the d-line to not be good. But we need to be great. Top 10 is the benchmark b/c that's what Grantham did last year.
Defense needs to be schemed around what the offense is doing. JoMo wouldn't have gotten him if he wasn't doing what he thought would mesh best with his offense

And weren't you chicken littles saying the same dumb stuff about Manny Diaz after his time at Texas
 

Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
7,321
0
36
If there is one side of the ball where I have the least amount of worry - it's the defense.

Well, I don’t have a tremendous amount of worry about either side. But it’s hard for me to not be more worried about defense than offense. On offense we return 2 excellent QB’s, 3 excellent RB’s, everyone on the OL besides Rankin (who was hurt most of last year anyway), and we add an influx of talent at the weakest position on the field (WR).

On defense we keep our front 7 intact and add Rivers, but the secondary is suspect for seemingly the 20th year in a row. Adding Cole will help but losing Bryant and Cleveland will hurt from a depth standpoint. There is just really no one in the secondary I feel good about besides Abram until we actually see some folks step up.

We we are going through scheme changes on both sides of the ball, so I think that is a wash. I think mainly it’s a diminishing returns issue with the defense, as all the main guys we are adding like Rivers, etc. are supplementing an already strong unit. We don’t seem to have many new pieces like we do on offense with Guidry, Whop, Heath, and Williams.
 

expireddog

Redshirt
Oct 4, 2013
211
0
0
All I know is I had flashbacks to Ashley Cooper when I saw Brian cole come of the corner blitz a few times!
 

Shamoan

Redshirt
Jun 27, 2013
12,466
0
0
If he truly said that, or offense is going to suck. Old sallee is batting .000 when predicting anything MSU related.
 
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