Why does Shoop seem to be getting a pass this year?

[hatfieldms]

As bad as our defense has been everyone seems to be dialed in on Moorhead and the offense.

 

[Diggin Out Yo Wife]

Most of the loudmouths are the biggest idiots. Like Rosebowl says, "That's the reality of the situation".

 

[AlCoDog]

Because he apologized!**

 

[dawgstudent]

I'll give the defense more of a pass because they lost 3 first rounders and were hit with 2 huge losses by suspensions.

On offense, we returned the bulk of our team outside of Fitzgerald with most saying Fitzgerald was what held us back.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Because he's dealing with depth chart issues that he inherited and trying to get young talent up to speed.

 

[ColoradoDawg]

He coached the #1 defense in country last year. Its like if a coach wins the Super Bowl they are allowed a few bad seasons and no one will question them. He is obviously a capable DC if he has the pieces in place. They say you can't coach speed, you can't coach strength either. At least not in a week...

As I recall, during his few bad seasons at Tennessee he had a banged-up/thin d-line. Having a bad d-line isn't going to cut it in the SEC.

 

[WilCoDawg]

What about tackling? Can you coach tackling?

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Sure, but they won't actually allow him on the field to DO tackling. Nor will they let the guys who used up their eligibility, or went pro, last year come back. So, to suggest that a DC with his experience either forgot, or never knew how to coach tackling is off the charts ridiculous.

 

[Hanmudog]

Defense has been bad but with all those freshmen on the D-line looking like they are playing in roller skates along with the absences of Gay and Autry, I think Shoop does deserve a bit of a pass.

The one person that does not deserve a pass in my eyes is Joey Jones. Our special teams is ten miles the other side of awful.

 

[hatfieldms]

I agree. Special teams have been awful

 

[MSUcoast]

I don't think he gets a "pass" but it's hard to overlook the first play of the 17n game and get a delay of game penalty because Moorhead can't read the defense.

 

[ColoradoDawg]

1st Auburn TD....Lovett a freshman gets pancaked

2nd Auburn TD....Fletcher Adams a RS Senior is out of position...this one was bad....he is senior, but at the same time he is a senior who never saw the field in his career due the previous depth on the d-line

3rd Auburn TD...42 Spencer Marquiss a Senior....is out of position he goes through the line unblocked, Schwartz run right past him, and line man goes up field to make the block...

Just re watching the 1st 3 Auburn TDs I notice its mostly senior d-ends that are blowing assignments and not necessarily the freshman. I guess that is what happens when sit on the bench your entire career behind NFL players, you get complacent.

Also neither here nor there, but Auburn is a lot better with Malzahn calling plays on offense. He is a really good offensive playcaller.

 

[hatfieldms]

Nobody said overlook the first play of the game. I’m just saying the defense has been God awful and I do not notice any adjustments throughout a game to try and fix it

 

[WilCoDawg]

I never said he forgot. He’s the coach. He should be held as accountable as Moorhead is being held. No passes. Tackling has been an obvious problem all season. If we see it, surely he can as well.
I’m also confounded how coaches can tell that strength and speed aren’t to levels that they need to be.
Ill admit I’m also prejudiced by how poorly he did while at UT.

 

[BigDog72.sixpack]

Joe's been hit hard with adversity, but that's coaching. You deal with it. As for the tackling issue, that's coaching for sure. Get them out on the practice field and start doing Oklahoma or similar exercises. If they're not working on it at all due to worries about injuries, then kiss this year goodbye and let's all go dove hunting. It's going to only get worse as the season rolls on. Fundamentals seem to be lost and that goes back to x's and o's at practice. I think I heard someone say Joe said that they should know how to tackle at this level. I do agree, but I guarantee you this doesn't happen under Saban's watch. Watch some videos of Saban at practice and you'll see. We should hopefully be doing the same, but I feel we're not.

 

[Cooterpoot]

When you’re playing career backups and freshmen, you’ve got less talent and experience. Those older guys aren’t all of a sudden going to become good. The young guys might improve but they’ve not been in the weight program and have a lot to learn. Plus, depth in a lot of spots is poor.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I agree that the results are pretty frustrating. I wasn't trying to put words in your mouth, but if he isn't able to coach tackling it is either because he has never known how to or he forgot. I suppose the other possibility is that neither of the above are true and he just hasn't focused on it but needs to. My assumption is that he is coaching fundamentals and these guys aren't getting it yet.

Regardless, the fact that we look like matador's out there on the field is maddening. I mean I flunked out of football in junior high because I was a linebacker who didn't tackle well. Perhaps I gave up too early!

 

[kired]

Let's see... I believe if you figure all this up, he lost 3/4 of his starters from 2018, and half of his second string.

Defensive line: Lost entire starting 4 plus 2-3 primary backups if you include Autry

Linebacker: Willie Gay, maybe our #1 LB, has played less than one half of football this season. Don't believe there were any other losses.

Secondary: Lost both starting safeties and one starting CB (Peters started when he was healthy). Also graduated a couple of backups here plus Marcus Murphy is unavailable.

Shoop did what he was supposed to do with the talent he had last year, so he proved he can be successful with a great roster. But he's having to completely rebuild this defense and doesn't have a few of the pieces he expected to be available 9 months ago. I wouldn't give him a pass - but just have to understand what he's working with. He wasn't responsible for most of the guys on this roster just like he wasn't responsible for recruiting Sweat or Simmons. He was probably given too much praise last year - but doesn't deserve a ton of criticism this year.

 

[Rupert Jenkins]

Excellent post kired. Valid factual points. Can't win in SEC west with a bunch of freshmen and redshirt freshmen. I can understand criticizing Joe to some extent but not Shoop at all. This year is a total cluster17 and for the most part not our staffs fault. Just gotta bear with it and do the best they can.

 

[MSUDC11]

He gets a pass for this year, need to see improvement next year though. Then again, if we don’t improve next year, decent chance Moorhead would be fired and Shoop would be gone anyway.

 

[MrKotter]

As bad as our defense has been everyone seems to be dialed in on Moorhead and the offense.

Will the stupid questions ever stop?

 

[Rupert Jenkins]

Apparently not Mr Kotter. They make me wanna say up your nose with a rubber hose

 

[RightOfCenter]

I totally understand the Mullen roster mismanagement. What I don’t understand is why the end is so inside on some plays. There are times when the end is lined up on the tackle or to the inside of the tackle.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

If you would have told me we would have scored 23 points before the game, I would have said we either win or cover.....
Shoop’s D is rather vanilla 4-2-5 Zone Coverage with the occasional blitz

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Another reason to love SPS: dude named cooterpoot can have one of the most sensible responses!

 

[was21]

Because Moorhead..as the HC... is responsible for holding him accountable

 

[archdog]

Malzahn is good at calling plays because he works with his advantages. He motions jet sweep, that freezes the play side linebacker or make him start looking outside for contain. Pounds it right at the OL tackles. Once they get close to stopping it, you play action or hand it to the jet sweep. The sweep motion takes at least 2 players out of the play or makes them slightly slower to react. I would run Guidry and Zuber on this play, ever single time. It also allows the qb to see the coverage react to the movement.

There is no reason not to go hurry up after every big play of 5 yards or more.

Our defense doesn't need rest, they have recently given up quick scores so they should be able to stay fresh without us using 35 seconds on every play.