Let's talk Manny Diaz !

[AustinDawg]

The one year he was at MSU I thought he did a really good job running the defense.

While Ellis Johnson was a solid DC (and terrible coach at USM), it didn't seem like his schemes worked well after more conference teams moved to the spread and variants of the spread. To be fair, Peeping Croom's gulf coast offense was also abysmal.

Diaz came in and made good adjustments, and we had a fun defense to watch.

As a resident of Austin, it's easy for me to believe that his tenure at UTejas was an aberration. Mack Brown (the head coach at the time) went out of his way to limit contact drills, then stood in yellow-teethed-amazement as his teams couldn't play "physical". Given all the politics involved at UT, I also believe that coaches actively worked to undermine one another. The fact that UT(ejas) has had top 10-15 recruiting classes for the 15+ years and still don't have a quarterback (and haven't had an olineman drafted to the nfl in 8 yrs) smacks of a lack of development/teaching and Texas talent being overrated.

Anyway, what do ya'll think?

 

[121Josey]

Let's talk about the "While Ellis Johnson was a solid DC... it didn't seem like his schemes worked well after more conference teams moved to the spread and variants of the spread." WTF are you talking about?

 

[WrappedinMaroon&White]

EJ's defenses were flat, vanilla, predictable, and not really effective. Nice guy, but. . . I've been comfortable the the Diaz hire and looking forward to seeing how it goes. He did a great job here the first time. Really don't hold it against him for leaving given the $ that Texas waived in front of him. There was something clearly wrong in Texas that I don't pin on him. Like everyone else as they mature in their career, Diaz has learned a lot since he left Starkville that should make him an even better DC this time around. I just hope we're aggressive, physical, unpredictable, can tackle, defend the pass, and put a lot of pressure on QB's (yes, I want it all!).

 

[Shamoan]

it will be an improved unit for sure. im excited to see diaz on the sidelines again. he said there is improved talent on that side of the ball from when he was here last, so i think we will be a more stingy defense with teams gashing us on the deep ball far less....which admittedly isnt that bold of a statement considering you couldnt get much worse in that dept. i think we stay about where we were in red zone efficiency and improve in the total yards department (again, not that bold of a statement), but turnovers should improve markedly which is a big plus.

and maybe a little part of me is wanting to see a comeback of the air guitar

 

[Sutterkane]

You could always count on EJ's defenses to have 2-3 games every year where they'd give up billions of yards and points. But the rest of the games they were solid.

 

[PBRME]

Just a general observation. Everyone in this thread remembers we didn't go from Johnson to Diaz as DC's right? Can't remember 08 and don't want to but 09 was to Torbush. Just wanted to make sure our crappy d's for 2 seasons weren't being lumped in EJ's years.

 

[aTotal360]

It always felt like Diaz was really good at making in-game adjustments. Best your *** that if we get burned a couple times on long pass routes, Diaz is going to find someone that will protect deep thirds. Even if he has to call someone out of the stands.

His stance as a DC has been "here's what we need to do be be successful" not "here's what we are going to do". Never felt like he was trying to stick a round peg in a circle hole.

 

[121Josey]

Just a general observation. Everyone in this thread remembers we didn't go from Johnson to Diaz as DC's right? Can't remember 08 and don't want to but 09 was to Torbush.

That was my primary contention. The original post seemingly lumped the last decade of SEC football into the last two years. So, WTF does EJ have to do with Manny Diaz?

 

[Sapsdawg]

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure many on here will), but I seem to recall Manny's tenure at State characterized by giving up an early TD very often, making adjustments, then for the most part shutting an opponent down. He was good at making adjustments, which is much needed here over the past couple of seasons. If he could cut out the early TDs, look out.

 

[AustinDawg]

Crap that's my bad

Just a general observation. Everyone in this thread remembers we didn't go from Johnson to Diaz as DC's right? Can't remember 08 and don't want to but 09 was to Torbush. Just wanted to make sure our crappy d's for 2 seasons weren't being lumped in EJ's years.

My bad. I had blocked out Torbush completely and thought those were the last two years of EJ.

I'll make sure to drink a beer this afternoon as penance

 

[HD6]

The other point to remember is that those defenses received exactly zero help from the offense, and were often set up with terrible field position by Blake McAdams. Johnson's defense single handedly put us in a bowl in 2007.

 

[NCDawg.sixpack]

EJ's defenses were flat, vanilla, predictable, and not really effective. Nice guy, but. . . I've been comfortable the the Diaz hire and looking forward to seeing how it goes. He did a great job here the first time. Really don't hold it against him for leaving given the $ that Texas waived in front of him. There was something clearly wrong in Texas that I don't pin on him. Like everyone else as they mature in their career, Diaz has learned a lot since he left Starkville that should make him an even better DC this time around. I just hope we're aggressive, physical, unpredictable, can tackle, defend the pass, and put a lot of pressure on QB's (yes, I want it all!).

Which is totally different from how we played against Ole Miss last year: not aggressive, not physical, predictable, couldn't tackle, couldn't defend the pass, and ZERO pressure on the QB.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

As another Austinite I agree with your analysis of his time here with the Tea Sippers. He has proven himself elsewhere and I think really learned some valuable lessons while here in Aukstanskan.

 

[futaba.79]

don't you mean ...........

that you could always count on EJ's defenses to be completely outmanned 2 or 3 games a year?

 

[jwbigcreek]

Sounds like Joe Lee Dunn. Used to piss me off. Then he'd shut folks down (until Trickett figured him out on the Bayou in 2000; all down hill after that).

 

[jwbigcreek]

And saved Croom's *** from getting fired sooner.

 

[archdog]

Daiz is going to be fine. By the time we play Auburn, ESPN and the like are going to be cutting to Diaz half the game to watch him do the guitar move calling plays from the sideline.
When we play Auburn, I think our players will be calling out their plays prior to the snap like they have for the past 4 years anyway. If I was Mullen, I would not use the headsets this year in Auburn. Just saying.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

I went to check out that history of that season to see how much credit the D really did deserve, and the Wiki page on that season sums up how most of us felt about most Croom seasons. We'll get about three games in, and the 17 it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Mississippi_State_Bulldogs_football_team

 

[Crazy Cotton]

Diaz had two of the fastest, nastiest linebackers to every play here on that D

And his defensive backfield was pretty choice as well. The only thing I worry a little about is if we have the personnel to make his style work, and that he's going to modify the details of his approach to make the best use of the talent that's on this team.

I say that because I was around during Joe Lee Dunn's best years, when we regularly had top 5 defenses in the country, and I watched when they came crashing down because we didn't have the right kind of players in crucial positions, and JLD kept trying to run his scheme anyway. I'm excited about this team, and a lot of that is I enjoy seeing someone who loves to run a disruptive, gambling style of D.

 

[bulldogbaja]

Thank you. I'm not sure that we've had a better DC than Ellis Johnson since he left, especially considering the situation he was in.

 

[HD6]

I mean, the winning margin against Auburn and Alabama was a pick 6.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

I wasn't doubting you. I just don't have the iron clad menu you have on things like that, so I have to reference it to be reminded. As far as non-offense goes, Croom can barely take credit for that Egg Bowl either.

 

[aerodawg.sixpack]

My bad. I had blocked out Torbush completely and thought those were the last two years of EJ.

I'll make sure to drink a beer this afternoon as penance

Also had a year of Charlie Harbison thrown in there directly after Johnson, then Torbush for a year, then finally the start of the "Co-Coordinator" thing with Diaz (the actual DC) and Wilson.

 

[WrappedinMaroon&White]

Actually that is exactly how the totally unprepared defense played last year vs Northern Miss. Embarrassing.

 

[QuadrupleOption]

I went to check out that history of that season to see how much credit the D really did deserve, and the Wiki page on that season sums up how most of us felt about most Croom seasons. We'll get about three games in, and the 17 it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Mississippi_State_Bulldogs_football_team

From the wiki article:

For MSU, QB Patrick Carpenter completed just 11 of 28 passes on his way to a school record-tying six interception-performance.

Has Michael Henig been editing the wiki page for this season?

 

[tcdog70]

I still think JLD could still be a great DC if He had the right athletes. Another problem He faced was an offense that totally suxed and kept His Defense on the field and a short field at that. When JLD Coached at a School with a good offense His defense looked a whole lot better.