DEFENDABLE: Tucker NOT publicly ripping his DC for that pathetic performance!
NOT DEFENDABLE: Continuing to allow Hazelton to run the defense and not taking full ownership of game plan/schemes going forward. Many may say "why have a DC if you don't allow him to call the plays". For this I say, Andy Reid has an OC in KC but everyone knows who's offense that is and who's calling plays ultimately-and that's with an offensive unit that is consistently the best or one of the best in the NFL. You want to send a statement to everyone in the program, keep in in-house but let everyone know this shit isn't gonna happen anymore THE SAME WAY on my watch!
DEFENDABLE: Trying to establish the run in the first half even though you're playing catch up on the scoreboard last night. With UW film showing a suspect run defense coupled with Thorne's mechanics earlier in the year PLUS Reed being out of the game, it makes perfect sense to slow the game down and try to wear them down as you'd expect your defense to play better later in the game.
NOT DEFENDABLE: Running the ball on 1st down late in the 3rd quarter when the longest run of the night was from the QB and a RB never broke a single run over 10 yd and the OL was getting pushed around. I mean, WTF JJ??? It was clear by then they weren't gonna be able to run it with consistency AND it was also clear UW was having issues with #0 & 9 all night long. Terrible coaching!
DEFENDABLE: New OL (Brown) struggling in that environment against a decent team.
NOT DEFENDABLE:
Duplain, Samac and Horst not communicating with stunts and not getting any push whatsoever in the run game. These are multi-year starters that are SUPPOSE TO BE the anchors of your OL. In Year 3, Kap has to develop guys he can count on better than what we saw last night. If that's the strength...we know how this will look against better DL's like UM, PSU and OSU. Thorne better take out some life insurance!
DEFENDABLE: Coverage miscommunication due to new players inserted. If Brooks, for example, missed an assignment being a new starter in his first road game in a hostile environment going against quality WR's and a great offensive play-caller.
NOT DEFENDABLE: TE'S, WR & RB out of the backfield absolutely lonesome in the middle of the field ALL NIGHT LONG. This wasn't the byproduct of a singular or maybe two missed assignments. There were guys without a defender within 5 yd of them on probably 25 different passing plays all night long. How can this be in the third year in this system? Cannot be defended any more. This is about implementing a system where players can play fast knowing where they must be at all times and having confidence that everyone will be doing the same. That's called coaching, ladies and gentlemen!!!
DEFENDABLE: Barnett getting a pass last year as everyone knew the corners coach was in way over his head last year and that had a huge impact on the secondary play as a whole.
NOT DEFENDABLE: More deflection from Barnett on the safety play. Grose is, well...GROSS! The kid has zero instincts/feel for being a Power 5 safety. Enough! Play Mangham and take your lumps if you have to. He cannot be any worse than what we've seen and the sample size is enormous!
DEFENDABLE: Rotating CB's & DB's to keep them fresh and "game ready" against inferior competition.
NOT DEFENDABLE: Continuing to trot out Kimbrough and leave him on an island where he's beaten like a mule time after time when the offense knows exactly where to go to make a play and keep a drive going. Kimbrough, in his current role, is a MAJOR LIABILITY! From what I saw in limited action last night and a little bit last year, White deserves his shot and 12 needs to sit! Time to play Brantley as many snaps as possible too. He's a baller! He competes and he's got the best ball skills BY FAR of any of the corners.
DEFENDABLE: Trying to insure teams don't get "easy scores/chunk plays" while working in new guys in the back four.
NOT DEFENDABLE: Never, ever changing up coverages. NOT playing schemes that fit the personnel on the field's best attributes. Example-Speed is a big, physical corner that can run. Has he played press ONE TIME this year??? Instead, he plays off coverage on virtually every play and back pedals from the snap. He gave up the easiest 3rd and long last night in the first half simply by playing soft-ass, non aggressive coverage. Me thinks this is coaching. He surely wasn't doing that when he was playing MEANINGFUL SNAPS in Athens! You brought him here to upgrade the unit, play the f-ing guy in a way that highlights his attributes. Put him in press and let him get physical, disrupt routes and run with guys. 6'2" corners that can run don't grow on trees. Use him, for Christ sake! Same with Brantley. He may be small in stature but he's physical. He loves the contact and he's incredibly competitive. He excels in 1x1 match ups.
DEFENDABLE: Cal Haladay in zone coverage in the middle of the field. He seems to possess the best zone coverage skills of the LB's (sans Snow who's out for the year) of anyone in the playing group.
NOT DEFENDABLE: Haladay on an island 30 yd downfield covering a guy without help over the top! Talk about gift wrapping a TD for an opponent. Again...coaching!!!
DEFENDABLE: Fans having confidence that MT can get this fixed. He's been around the best coaches in the biz with Saban, Tressel, Alvarez, etc. Not to mention his NFL experience...He must have seen the blueprint in how to fix glaring problems with scheme and accountability.
NOT DEFENDABLE: If MSU doesn't SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE this year, the issue isn't with assistants. It's with MT. IF...once again, IF, this happens, MSU has long-term problems. You can't have a CEO that doesn't make the necessary structural changes to improve your defense when that's been his side of the ball throughout his entire coaching career. The time is NOW for MT to make his mark and change the trajectory. He's got enough players to make MSU a solid defense. No more "these are MD"s guys" excuses. FIX IT!!!
NOT DEFENDABLE: Continuing to allow Hazelton to run the defense and not taking full ownership of game plan/schemes going forward. Many may say "why have a DC if you don't allow him to call the plays". For this I say, Andy Reid has an OC in KC but everyone knows who's offense that is and who's calling plays ultimately-and that's with an offensive unit that is consistently the best or one of the best in the NFL. You want to send a statement to everyone in the program, keep in in-house but let everyone know this shit isn't gonna happen anymore THE SAME WAY on my watch!
DEFENDABLE: Trying to establish the run in the first half even though you're playing catch up on the scoreboard last night. With UW film showing a suspect run defense coupled with Thorne's mechanics earlier in the year PLUS Reed being out of the game, it makes perfect sense to slow the game down and try to wear them down as you'd expect your defense to play better later in the game.
NOT DEFENDABLE: Running the ball on 1st down late in the 3rd quarter when the longest run of the night was from the QB and a RB never broke a single run over 10 yd and the OL was getting pushed around. I mean, WTF JJ??? It was clear by then they weren't gonna be able to run it with consistency AND it was also clear UW was having issues with #0 & 9 all night long. Terrible coaching!
DEFENDABLE: New OL (Brown) struggling in that environment against a decent team.
NOT DEFENDABLE:
Duplain, Samac and Horst not communicating with stunts and not getting any push whatsoever in the run game. These are multi-year starters that are SUPPOSE TO BE the anchors of your OL. In Year 3, Kap has to develop guys he can count on better than what we saw last night. If that's the strength...we know how this will look against better DL's like UM, PSU and OSU. Thorne better take out some life insurance!
DEFENDABLE: Coverage miscommunication due to new players inserted. If Brooks, for example, missed an assignment being a new starter in his first road game in a hostile environment going against quality WR's and a great offensive play-caller.
NOT DEFENDABLE: TE'S, WR & RB out of the backfield absolutely lonesome in the middle of the field ALL NIGHT LONG. This wasn't the byproduct of a singular or maybe two missed assignments. There were guys without a defender within 5 yd of them on probably 25 different passing plays all night long. How can this be in the third year in this system? Cannot be defended any more. This is about implementing a system where players can play fast knowing where they must be at all times and having confidence that everyone will be doing the same. That's called coaching, ladies and gentlemen!!!
DEFENDABLE: Barnett getting a pass last year as everyone knew the corners coach was in way over his head last year and that had a huge impact on the secondary play as a whole.
NOT DEFENDABLE: More deflection from Barnett on the safety play. Grose is, well...GROSS! The kid has zero instincts/feel for being a Power 5 safety. Enough! Play Mangham and take your lumps if you have to. He cannot be any worse than what we've seen and the sample size is enormous!
DEFENDABLE: Rotating CB's & DB's to keep them fresh and "game ready" against inferior competition.
NOT DEFENDABLE: Continuing to trot out Kimbrough and leave him on an island where he's beaten like a mule time after time when the offense knows exactly where to go to make a play and keep a drive going. Kimbrough, in his current role, is a MAJOR LIABILITY! From what I saw in limited action last night and a little bit last year, White deserves his shot and 12 needs to sit! Time to play Brantley as many snaps as possible too. He's a baller! He competes and he's got the best ball skills BY FAR of any of the corners.
DEFENDABLE: Trying to insure teams don't get "easy scores/chunk plays" while working in new guys in the back four.
NOT DEFENDABLE: Never, ever changing up coverages. NOT playing schemes that fit the personnel on the field's best attributes. Example-Speed is a big, physical corner that can run. Has he played press ONE TIME this year??? Instead, he plays off coverage on virtually every play and back pedals from the snap. He gave up the easiest 3rd and long last night in the first half simply by playing soft-ass, non aggressive coverage. Me thinks this is coaching. He surely wasn't doing that when he was playing MEANINGFUL SNAPS in Athens! You brought him here to upgrade the unit, play the f-ing guy in a way that highlights his attributes. Put him in press and let him get physical, disrupt routes and run with guys. 6'2" corners that can run don't grow on trees. Use him, for Christ sake! Same with Brantley. He may be small in stature but he's physical. He loves the contact and he's incredibly competitive. He excels in 1x1 match ups.
DEFENDABLE: Cal Haladay in zone coverage in the middle of the field. He seems to possess the best zone coverage skills of the LB's (sans Snow who's out for the year) of anyone in the playing group.
NOT DEFENDABLE: Haladay on an island 30 yd downfield covering a guy without help over the top! Talk about gift wrapping a TD for an opponent. Again...coaching!!!
DEFENDABLE: Fans having confidence that MT can get this fixed. He's been around the best coaches in the biz with Saban, Tressel, Alvarez, etc. Not to mention his NFL experience...He must have seen the blueprint in how to fix glaring problems with scheme and accountability.
NOT DEFENDABLE: If MSU doesn't SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE this year, the issue isn't with assistants. It's with MT. IF...once again, IF, this happens, MSU has long-term problems. You can't have a CEO that doesn't make the necessary structural changes to improve your defense when that's been his side of the ball throughout his entire coaching career. The time is NOW for MT to make his mark and change the trajectory. He's got enough players to make MSU a solid defense. No more "these are MD"s guys" excuses. FIX IT!!!
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