Defense Rant

[Snaggletiger]

Yes, the whole team shit their pants, including our coaching staff.  Nice game Gus.  And the multiple penalties on the drive in the 4th which was basically for game, set, match...I got nuthin'.  But...

despite how they seemed to play in stretches, our defense is BAD!!! I had to applaud Roof in certain instances.  He mixed it up.  Stacked the box and occasionally brought some heat.  But you can't do anything about players being just plain bad.  UK is a horrible team. They blew our interior lines doors in.  The tackling issue was more evident tonight than ever. Zac Etheridge...WTF? Josh Bynes..holy shit.  Adam Herring...you do realize you're playing defense and you're actually supposed to participate...right?

And last week, I sang the praises of one, Neiko Thorpe.  I had about as much bizznez doing that as I do playing in the Battle for the Crown.  If UK had my 9 year old throwing passes for the Mildcats, they would have beaten Auburn by 25.  Oh, and speaking of 25, hey Darren, I know you're a freshman and all, but I gotta' tell ya'...it looks kinda', you know...pathetic..for the deep safety to be 5 yards behind...wait..not the receiver...but Neiko Thorpe on EVERY fucking long ball.  And Neiko, about those long balls...you can usually cover a guy better when you run WITH him...not 3 yards behind them.  Just sayin.

Again, this was a bad, bad team Auburn played tonight.  Starting QB was out and they had NOTHING to offer except a good athlete taking a direct snap and taking off.  By games end, he was Vince fucking Young. Walt McFadden..many props. You are the one SEC caliber player on this D.

[Kaos]

Here's what's most frightening -- and it's not the defense. 

Auburn has played four SEC games.  None of the teams will have a winning league record unless Tennessee does something unexpected. With the exception of Mississippi State, which was playing its first league game on the road under a new head coach, those SEC defenses have made Auburn's offense look really, really bad. 

Yes, the defense is terrible.  But until the last eight minutes of the game, it played well enough to win on Saturday.

The offense did absolutely nothing. It looked like Fuckwad High School.

If the mighty Kentucky defense that barfed up 41 to Florida and 38 to Bama can hold the Malzahn juggernaut to one score?  Holy crap, what will LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama be able to do? 

I'm worried that the wheels are going to come off and it will get ugly down the stretch.  There were hints of that with Coleman's public declaration that he was going to talk to Chizik about the defense.  And then Chizik saying they didn't.

[Snaggletiger]

I think Antonio wanted to talk to Chizz about taking the rest of the season off. 

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Am I the only one that's noticing the complete total lack of substitutions on either side of the ball outside of McCalebb, Tate and Eric Smith coming in every other play?   None on Defense.  

I believe that it's just going to get worse.  We look tired, withered and emotionally spent.  The biggest challenge the coaches will have the rest of the year is to keep them motivated and keep them in games we'll probably, and SHOULD probably lose.  

Todd missed Fannin on a big play third down situation and missed Tate in the flat for another guaranteed conversion.  Bottom line is, mental mistakes and being tired is kicking our ass.  I'm not sure if the coaches COULD put in a scheme to keep us from getting arses kicked right now.

We shall see.  Rivalry games will hopefully equal a little more energy and focus, but I don't believe it will overcome the physical depletion this team has experienced at this point.

We're officially in survival and recruit for this next season mode.  

[Kaos]

Am I the only one that's noticing the complete total lack of substitutions on either side of the ball outside of McCalebb, Tate and Eric Smith coming in every other play?   None on Defense.  

I believe that it's just going to get worse.  We look tired, withered and emotionally spent.  The biggest challenge the coaches will have the rest of the year is to keep them motivated and keep them in games we'll probably, and SHOULD probably lose.  

Todd missed Fannin on a big play third down situation and missed Tate in the flat for another guaranteed conversion.  Bottom line is, mental mistakes and being tired is kicking our ass.  I'm not sure if the coaches COULD put in a scheme to keep us from getting arses kicked right now.

We shall see.  Rivalry games will hopefully equal a little more energy and focus, but I don't believe it will overcome the physical depletion this team has experienced at this point.

We're officially in survival and recruit for this next season mode.  

Defense is fine, Chop.  It just plays vanilla. It's fucking common sense.  We know because you told us so and attempted to shout down people who actually know what they're talking about. 


 

"We shall see."   Your answer to everything.  It's as meaningless as the cliches Chizik spews. 

You should talk less and listen a hell of a lot more.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Defense is fine, Chop.  It just plays vanilla. It's fucking common sense.  We know because you told us so and attempted to shout down people who actually know what they're talking about. 


 

"We shall see."   Your answer to everything.  It's as meaningless as the cliches Chizik spews. 

You should talk less and listen a hell of a lot more.

Again.  More bullshit from you Kaos.  You'd be amazed where you'd actually get credit if you weren't a steaming pile of shit on here.   

Also, you constantly misrepresenting me at every turn, getting personal with shots on my intelligence and then bitching when you get the same because "It's not all about you Chopper" is fucking sad.

You're a fucking joke.

[Kaos]

You're hilarious.  When you say something idiotic and are called on it, that's not "taking personal shots."  If you don't want to appear stupid stop talking.

But fuck it.  I'm pissed that we're as bad as we are. That's not your fault even though you failed to heed the warning signs and tried (failing once again) to discredit those who pointed them out. 

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Am I the only one that's noticing the complete total lack of substitutions on either side of the ball outside of McCalebb, Tate and Eric Smith coming in every other play?   None on Defense.  

I believe that it's just going to get worse.  We look tired, withered and emotionally spent.  The biggest challenge the coaches will have the rest of the year is to keep them motivated and keep them in games we'll probably, and SHOULD probably lose.  

Todd missed Fannin on a big play third down situation and missed Tate in the flat for another guaranteed conversion.  Bottom line is, mental mistakes and being tired is kicking our ass.  I'm not sure if the coaches COULD put in a scheme to keep us from getting arses kicked right now.

We shall see.  Rivalry games will hopefully equal a little more energy and focus, but I don't believe it will overcome the physical depletion this team has experienced at this point.

We're officially in survival and recruit for this next season mode.  

Another note to this...  Playing vanilla...  WHY is it that we do NOT blitz? Mix up pass rushes or do ANYTHING to put pressure on anyone? 

I'm asking because I don't know?  Has ANY team every had success with what seems to be a constant state of a "prevent defense"?   When we played Ball State.. it was okay.  When we do it against TN, KY and Arkansas... I have to wonder what the fuck is going on?? 

[Snaggletiger]

Actually, last night they were rotating the defensive fronts in and out.  They had starters of Coleman, Blanc, Ricks and Carter.  They spelled them with Goggans, Fairley, Wadley and McKenzie/Ford.  The second group, especially Fairley, did an okay job at times.  I honestly didn't see much of anything else substitution wise for the defense.  LB's and DB's are on their own.  None of them can tackle though.

On offense, it looks like the line stays in tact throughout.  They were rotating different groups of receivers out there so I think they're okay in that respect.    

[Snaggletiger]

Another note to this...  Playing vanilla...  WHY is it that we do NOT blitz? Mix up pass rushes or do ANYTHING to put pressure on anyone? 

I'm asking because I don't know?  Has ANY team every had success with what seems to be a constant state of a "prevent defense"?   When we played Ball State.. it was okay.  When we do it against TN, KY and Arkansas... I have to wonder what the fuck is going on?? 

I had been ripping Roof for that same 4-3 and his refusal to change it up at all.  I do give him credit for showing some different looks last night and blitzing juuuuuussst a bit more.  But hell, they just gutted us up the middle. And please God, don't let any more ball carriers put juke moves on our players.  The littering of the field with orange and blue jock straps is just plain embarrassing. 

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

I had been ripping Roof for that same 4-3 and his refusal to change it up at all.  I do give him credit for showing some different looks last night and blitzing juuuuuussst a bit more.  But hell, they just gutted us up the middle. And please God, don't let any more ball carriers put juke moves on our players.  The littering of the field with orange and blue jock straps is just plain embarrassing. 

Was it Zack Etheredge that got punked on that run by #20?   

[Snaggletiger]

Was it Zack Etheredge that got punked on that run by #20?   

If I recall correctly...yes.  That's exactly what I was referring to.  I don't claim to know shiot about intricate X's and O's but hope I have a decent understanding of the game.  I just see literally every one of our defenders, save for McFadden, taking unbelievably bad angles to the ball carriers time and time again.  Are they not being taught properly, or are they just that slow?   

[RWS]

On offense, it looks like the line stays in tact throughout.  They were rotating different groups of receivers out there so I think they're okay in that respect.    

You won't see a terrible amount of substitution on the offense, because that disrupts Malzahn's tempo and lets the defense substitute. If the offense substitutes, then they have to give the defense a reasonable amount of time to substitute as well. Then that defeats the purpose of the offense of 1) keeping tired defensive players on the field 2) keeping a very fast tempo.

I think the lack of blitzing on the defense is due to lack of depth. If you blitz and blitz and blitz all day long, your ass is going to be wore out by the 4th quarter. Especially in a close game where you're scared to sub out due to lack of experience at the position you just subbed.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

If I recall correctly...yes.  That's exactly what I was referring to.  I don't claim to know shiot about intricate X's and O's but hope I have a decent understanding of the game.  I just see literally every one of our defenders, save for McFadden, taking unbelievably bad angles to the ball carriers time and time again.  Are they not being taught properly, or are they just that slow?   

A combination of both at the moment I believe.  I think they've lost a step over the past weeks.  Our depth is starting to show in defense.

I had to chuckle at one replay last night after a KY touchdown, the guy crosses the goal line and then a few second or two later, I see Bates fly horizontally across the screen behind him.   I just kind of turned to a friend of mine and said... "...annnnnnnnnd the whifffffff!"...

..ah well...   Maybe we scare someone this year.  Yay for extra practice time at a bowl with a win at Furman?