Might as well go 9-3.

[Bulldog Bruce]

growing pains suck. I believe that is the best defense we have ever fielded since I have watched Bulldog Football (since 1978 ) . Such a shame to go through these offense growing pains this season.

 

[Hankp22]

The defense

They are so much fun to watch. Landrews and Dantzler played great...Rayford too. And Thompson has been lights out all year. The talent on that side is scary.

This team should be playing for the West in two weeks. And we still have a long way to go offensively. But it was fun to get a win tonight.

 

[11thEagleFan]

State’s defense vs Bama’s offense should be fun to watch. I look forward to seeing Tua eat some turf.

 

[anon1787432961]

aTm was picking on 11 all night

 

[Dawgzilla]

I think the '99 defense was better. And the '99 offense was probably worse. I love the way these guys play, but I am not looking forward to Tuscaloosa. Have my tickets, though.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

Smoot & Bean made the 99 defense better. JLD felt comfortable leaving them 1 on 1 most of the game which allowed him to blitz everyone but the water-boy.
The 99 offense was gawd-awful. The problems were primarily with the OL despite having two future NFL guys (Pork Chop & Randy Thomas). WR also was not a strength.

 

[Dawgzilla]

The '99 offense wasn't quite so awful whenever Jackie would let Sparky open it up. Hence, the multiple 4th quarter comebacks.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

This defense is deeper. Those two were required on that one. We have what were second team guys playing due to injury and haven't lost a beat this year. There are times our best line is not in the game on purpose, and we don't suffer. This is the most complete defense we have ever had.

 

[ezsoil]

aTm was picking on 11 all night

what game were you watching?

 

[was21]

Seems to me unfortunately that so much attention has been paid to the offensive uncertainty that this great defense hasn't gotten the credit it has deserved from the media and a lot of fans and other observers.

 

[boatsandhoes]

With this guy. He’s a bad man.

https://12thman.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6485

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

Both defenses were/are damned good. Don't forget though that the 99 defense was really good 2 deep everywhere except the 2 cornerbacks.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

The 1980 D

was not exactly chopped liver.

 

[was21]

...that's the truth..."I was there when we beat the bear"..southwest corner stadium and Billy Jackson making that stop..believe it was Billy Jackson might have been some other Jackson..but the game was in Jackson anyway

 

[FreeDawg]

The 99 defense benefited greatly from the rules of the day. I don’t believe ole Morgan would play much now. He’d get ejected weekly for targeting. Man I loved him destroying people

 

[MSUDawgFan86]

I think the '99 defense was better. And the '99 offense was probably worse. I love the way these guys play, but I am not looking forward to Tuscaloosa. Have my tickets, though.

Disagree I think this defense is better and deeper. They have to deal with more explosive offenses today, like the spread, and are giving up the exact same amount of points. You only had to worry about the I-formation and Shotgun, etc back then so easier to gameplan for.

 

[MSUDawgFan86]

was not exactly chopped liver.

Alright David Murray any defense that gives up 42 points to Southern Miss is disqualified from consideration.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Anybody that has beaten you 30 something times

and is No. 1, and had been #1 for about 3 years, (BAMA)

and hold Bama to 3 17'n points is special.

Lapses do seem to happen, now and then.

 

[Dawgs'n'Grizz]

The most likely scenario that allows us to compete in this game is that Tua's durability finally cracks down and he leaves early. Then Hurts comes in and is the Hurts we saw in the first half of the title game last year.

 

[PreacherDog]

Disagree I think this defense is better and deeper. They have to deal with more explosive offenses today, like the spread, and are giving up the exact same amount of points. You only had to worry about the I-formation and Shotgun, etc back then so easier to gameplan for.

I would agree that it was a different day offensively where most played smash mouth football. Everyone had a dozer at running back. However, Mumme was at Kentucky with Leech then though so you had the beginnings of the spread offense. Spurrier at Florida was a blast to watch at that time too. Spurrier was just a little early for the NFL that is super pass happy now. He was never the same coach even though he had success at South Carolina.

 

[Go Budaw]

The 99 defense benefited greatly from the rules of the day. I don’t believe ole Morgan would play much now. He’d get ejected weekly for targeting. Man I loved him destroying people

99 defense also benefitted from a much, much easier schedule. We had really bad Auburn and LSU teams at home with terrible offenses (coached by lame ducks Gerry DiNardo and Terry Bowden), an 0-11 South Carolina team with a terrible offense, Bama team coached by Mike DuBose and QB’ed by Andrew F-ing Zow, terrible Vandy, subpar UK, an Arkansas team that didn’t have a great offense (pre-Matt Jones), and OM who was the only decent offense we played all year in SEC play. The SEC West truly was a joke back then compared to today, and our 3 East teams that season were horrendous.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

The 80 defense was fun to watch. Big Big Hitters. Cooks, Collins, Edwards, McEnany, Stowers, and we had a safety named Larry Friday who took peoples heads off.

It was Tyrone Keys that popped Bama's QB Don Jacobs causing the fumble at the goal line. Billy Jackson recovered.

 

[Dawgzilla]

Tuberville was already at Auburn in '99, but they were trying to rebound from Tiny Terry's early exit midway through '98. And UK was running Hal Mumme's air raid offense with Dusty Bonner at QB. That was an awesome Thursday night game in Starkville!

I will grant you that the SEC West was not as hard back then, but, seriously, what high octane offenses have we faced so far this year?

This is like a throwback year in the SEC, where we have several teams playing good defense and mediocre offense. State, LSU, UF, UK, Auburn, A&M, USC all fall into this category. Maybe UGA, too, but their offense should be better than it is. State may have the best defense and the worst offense out of that group.

Then we have at least four teams playing Big 12 style high scoring offense: Mizzou, Arkansas, and UMiss -- the three worst teams in the league -- and Bama.

Vandy and UT are not in my list, because I do not know their identities.

 

[Dawgzilla]

What explosive offenses have we faced so far this year? Oh, and the '99 defense was easily as deep as this one.