WHAT ABOUT THE DEFENSE?

[Lee Adams]

:blink: if they are going to pull this off th D is going to HAVE to step in a couple of games....not to mention some other folks...what the H..L can they do?

[Quickzips]

I don't know, judging by how well we shut down that offensive jugernaut Eastern Michigan I think someone has already "fixed" our defense.

[GP1]

:blink: if they are going to pull this off th D is going to HAVE to step in a couple of games....not to mention some other folks...what the H..L can they do?

I have season tickets to Wake Forest. They have a completely undersized defense and they play a 4-3. They line up as if it is a five man front to compensate for the size difference. It also helps that they have a fist team All American playing corner so they can shift coverage to allow him one-on-one. They also have a future first round draft pick playing LB and he covers sideline to sideline. UofA needs more large people on the line. Stop the run first and make the other team one dimensional in lieu of balanced. There are more things that can go wrong when you pass than when you can run.

[HELLOZIPS]

Defense is the reason why we get in these bad situations. We need better players on the field and someone that will plug the hole to stop the running game. I don't understand what Fleming/Chambers/JD are doing with allowing kids like Hazime and Pendleton sit on the bench. They aren't getting any playing time at all. Lively didn't get a tackle during the EMU game. What does that say. Obviously someone was missing plugging up the hole, because they were running all over them.

[Dr Z]

The Toledo game will be like the rest of our games. Pressure will be on our offense to score on almost every possession.That's the way the 3-3-5 roles, it's a bend and break D.At least it's consistent.

[Zips Win!]

After watching that garbage, I'm not sure what can be done. We can complain about the 3-3-5 all we want. I believe that it doesn't really matter if we play a 4-3, 3-4, 3-3, 7-2 or 10-1.What we need to do is to design some blitz packages that will distrupt the QB. EMU's QB was awful..there were at least 6 3rd and longs and he had all day to throw. It's one thing to watch your blitzes with Nate Davis, but this guy stinks and we made him all MAC.Find a speedy db, move him around and send him after the QB.

[RACER]

they should put andre jones in at db on 3rd & long situations.it would only be a few plays a game.how many times has this defense had teams 3rd and long.i am not saying to put him in on d the entire time.it would be in certain situations like 3 & long.i do agree with the one poster that we need to start rotating d-line.what could it hurt at this point.every fourth qtr we give up big leads.i think alott of this is the d-l being worn out.nothing we are doing now is working so they need to try something else.

[Dr Z]

We can complain about the 3-3-5 all we want. I believe that it doesn't really matter if we play a 4-3, 3-4, 3-3, 7-2 or 10-1.What we need to do is to design some blitz packages that will distrupt the QB. Find a speedy db, move him around and send him after the QB.

It's all about numbers if you blitz a DB in a 3-3-5, offense only has to block 4 attackers.Blitz a DB in a 4-3 and now they have to block 5.When JD described this defense, he said you would never know where the pressure is coming from in a 3-3-5.I'm thinking my definition of pressure and his definition of pressure are not the same.You are right ZW, we do NOTHING to disrupt the QB. On top of that the QB always has the running game to depend on.We do everything to make the opposing QB's job easy.

[GP1]

We can complain about the 3-3-5 all we want. I believe that it doesn't really matter if we play a 4-3, 3-4, 3-3, 7-2 or 10-1.What we need to do is to design some blitz packages that will distrupt the QB. Find a speedy db, move him around and send him after the QB.

It's all about numbers if you blitz a DB in a 3-3-5, offense only has to block 4 attackers.Blitz a DB in a 4-3 and now they have to block 5.When JD described this defense, he said you would never know where the pressure is coming from in a 3-3-5.I'm thinking my definition of pressure and his definition of pressure are not the same.You are right ZW, we do NOTHING to disrupt the QB. On top of that the QB always has the running game to depend on.We do everything to make the opposing QB's job easy.

Zips Win! and DrZ make some good points but miss the main point. My main complaint about our defense for years now has been the size of players it uses. It has to function in extremes because the players are too small. The 3-3-5 requires a lot of players blitzing because they are too small. Size matters!It's easy for an OLineman to block a blitzing DB one-on-one. In fact, it is like a play off for the OLineman to block a DB because it is so easy as the DB can not over power the lineman and the lineman are quicker than you might think. After five years now, I don't think we are fooling anyone with the defense. There are enough good players on the team now that they could go to a more traditional defense and let the talent win the game in lieu of hoping guessing wins the day. I'll take talent over guessing any day of the week. We have it, let's start using it.

[Dr Z]

After five years now, I don't think we are fooling anyone with the defense. There are enough good players on the team now that they could go to a more traditional defense and let the talent win the game.

Totally agree. We don't HAVE to have 4 good DL. How about 2 or 3 good DL and 1 or 2 average DL. Works for everybody else.

[RowdyZip]

After five years now, I don't think we are fooling anyone with the defense. There are enough good players on the team now that they could go to a more traditional defense and let the talent win the game.

Totally agree. We don't HAVE to have 4 good DL. How about 2 or 3 good DL and 1 or 2 average DL. Works for everybody else.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/teams/akron/This is a link to the new Zips page from sports illustrated. It breaks down future opponents offensive and defensive rankings both nationally and within the conference. Toledo boasts the 12th ranked MAC offense (97/120 in 1-A) and the 4th ranked total defense (67/120 nationally). Yet somehow they are last in the MAC in points allowed and 105/120 nationally. Compare that to the Zips at 4th in the MAC on offense (43rd nationally), and 12th on defense (94th nationally). Does defense win games? We'll find out in 2.5 weeks.

[ZippyAlum]

I remember when a student of mine beat out another of my students for linebacker on our hs team. After congratulating him I said, I'm glad you got the position but truthfully I didn't think it was fair because the other team never really ran the ball at him during the scrimmage so he couldn't show what he could do. The winning student replied, "but it's my job to read the offense and put myself in a position to make the play and be where the ball is. Maybe our guys just aren't reading the offense and calling the checks that need to be called to put themselves in position to make the play.

[GP1]

After five years now, I don't think we are fooling anyone with the defense. There are enough good players on the team now that they could go to a more traditional defense and let the talent win the game.

Totally agree. We don't HAVE to have 4 good DL. How about 2 or 3 good DL and 1 or 2 average DL. Works for everybody else.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/teams/akron/This is a link to the new Zips page from sports illustrated. It breaks down future opponents offensive and defensive rankings both nationally and within the conference. Toledo boasts the 12th ranked MAC offense (97/120 in 1-A) and the 4th ranked total defense (67/120 nationally). Yet somehow they are last in the MAC in points allowed and 105/120 nationally. Compare that to the Zips at 4th in the MAC on offense (43rd nationally), and 12th on defense (94th nationally). Does defense win games? We'll find out in 2.5 weeks.

Defense wins championships is something high school coaches tell the guys on defense to make them feel better since they were not athletic or smart enough to play offense. Teams need to score and score and score and score to win games. That is the state of college football today.

[HELLOZIPS]

After five years now, I don't think we are fooling anyone with the defense. There are enough good players on the team now that they could go to a more traditional defense and let the talent win the game.

Totally agree. We don't HAVE to have 4 good DL. How about 2 or 3 good DL and 1 or 2 average DL. Works for everybody else.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/teams/akron/This is a link to the new Zips page from sports illustrated. It breaks down future opponents offensive and defensive rankings both nationally and within the conference. Toledo boasts the 12th ranked MAC offense (97/120 in 1-A) and the 4th ranked total defense (67/120 nationally). Yet somehow they are last in the MAC in points allowed and 105/120 nationally. Compare that to the Zips at 4th in the MAC on offense (43rd nationally), and 12th on defense (94th nationally). Does defense win games? We'll find out in 2.5 weeks.

Defense wins championships is something high school coaches tell the guys on defense to make them feel better since they were not athletic or smart enough to play offense. Teams need to score and score and score and score to win games. That is the state of college football today.

I would have to disagree with you on this. It is a team effort to win ball games. Defense has to stop the other team from scoring, as well as the Offense has to score points. Also, I can't see how you feel you need to be smart to play on offense. Are you calling all the Defensive players dummies?

[GP1]

Are you calling all the Defensive players dummies?

If they were smart, the would be on offense.

[Buckzip]

After five years now, I don't think we are fooling anyone with the defense. There are enough good players on the team now that they could go to a more traditional defense and let the talent win the game.

Totally agree. We don't HAVE to have 4 good DL. How about 2 or 3 good DL and 1 or 2 average DL. Works for everybody else.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/teams/akron/This is a link to the new Zips page from sports illustrated. It breaks down future opponents offensive and defensive rankings both nationally and within the conference. Toledo boasts the 12th ranked MAC offense (97/120 in 1-A) and the 4th ranked total defense (67/120 nationally). Yet somehow they are last in the MAC in points allowed and 105/120 nationally. Compare that to the Zips at 4th in the MAC on offense (43rd nationally), and 12th on defense (94th nationally). Does defense win games? We'll find out in 2.5 weeks.

Defense wins championships is something high school coaches tell the guys on defense to make them feel better since they were not athletic or smart enough to play offense. Teams need to score and score and score and score to win games. That is the state of college football today.

I would have to disagree with you on this. It is a team effort to win ball games. Defense has to stop the other team from scoring, as well as the Offense has to score points. Also, I can't see how you feel you need to be smart to play on offense. Are you calling all the Defensive players dummies?

I disagree too. You need great athletes on defense. That is the problem with the UA defense. There are very few of them.To win you need one of the 2 units, offense or defense, to be great. But you still need the other unit to be good. If you have a great offense but a bad defense you will lose. If you have a great defense but a bad offense you will lose too. However, you have a better chance with a bad offense, because a great defense can score too and keep the game close.