Question for y"all

[Augusta_Jacket]

Kyle Kennard is having a good season so far on a maligned defense. Clayton Powell-Lee still looks like the real deal. Eddie Kelly has had some moments. Douse has had moments as well.

If you look at the parts without tarring and feathering each player prematurely simply because you do not like the overall defensive results, you can see we have some quality players emerging.

But that requires nuance, which is rare on boards driven by hot takes.

 

[Root4GT]

Yes

Well played but very risk adverse. You might get exposed like out defense

 

[forensicbuzz]

I'm still withholding judgment on anything CFB until 6 games in. That's both for the Jackets and for all the other wannabes out there.

 

[Root4GT]

Kyle Kennard is having a good season so far on a maligned defense. Clayton Powell-Lee still looks like the real deal. Eddie Kelly has had some moments. Douse has had moments as well.

If you look at the parts without tarring and feathering each player prematurely simply because you do not like the overall defensive results, you can see we have some quality players emerging.

But that requires nuance, which is rare on boards driven by hot takes.

Collectively the defense is bottom ten in about every metric. That means there are zero guys making a significant impact in any games. Lenard has made about 4 notable plays in 3 games so he isn’t a bad player, just a typical P5 average player. He might be our best defensive player. That is very damning.

Maybe the light switch will come on for the defense as a group vs Wake. That would be both exciting and great news. To date nothing leads me to expect anything close to an average defense.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Collectively the defense is bottom ten in about every metric. That means there are zero guys making a significant impact in any games. Lenard has made about 4 notable plays in 3 games so he isn’t a bad player, just a typical P5 average player. He might be our best defensive player. That is very damning.

Maybe the light switch will come on for the defense as a group vs Wake. That would be both exciting and great news. To date nothing leads me to expect anything close to an average defense.

This means they'll just get better because they can't get worse. Yea, for Tech.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Collectively the defense is bottom ten in about every metric. That means there are zero guys making a significant impact in any games. Lenard has made about 4 notable plays in 3 games so he isn’t a bad player, just a typical P5 average player. He might be our best defensive player. That is very damning.

Again, that's certainly a hot take.

 

[AugustaSwarm]

Again, that's certainly a hot take.

Is it a hot take? Or is it a brutal reality. We are awful on defense. We also have some individually talented players. Both can be true. Defense is a collective effort. Our collective results have been awful. That doesn't detract from the individuals. The results are facts at this point, and it's been bad. That's not a hot take, just a brutal reality.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Is it a hot take? Or is it a brutal reality. We are awful on defense. We also have some individually talented players. Both can be true. Defense is a collective effort. Our collective results have been awful. That doesn't detract from the individuals. The results are facts at this point, and it's been bad. That's not a hot take, just a brutal reality.

Yes. It's definitely a hot take.

 

[AugustaSwarm]

Yes. It's definitely a hot take.

I suppose we'll see as the season goes on, but the early results are facts - whether we like them or not.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I suppose we'll see as the season goes on, but the early results are facts - whether we like them or not.

No one is arguing that we have a good defense right now. Arguing that there isn't any hope for the D or any difference makers on the D is yet to be seen.

 

[AugustaSwarm]

No one is arguing that we have a good defense right now. Arguing that there isn't any hope for the D or any difference makers on the D is yet to be seen.

I never stated either of those. There's always hope - it's a choice to have hope. And I so think we have done individuals that can excel - if put in position to excel. But to suggest that facts are a "hot take" is pretty dismissive.

I've been hot and cold on Thacker for a few years. I do think the D showed enough down the stretch last year to warrant keeping him, but I worry it was a mistake. The same problems still exist on D and IMO Thacker has had more than enough time to show improvement on that side. There's been a lot of moving parts with assistants, so I suppose patience is warranted assuming we start seeing some improvement. But ranking in the triple digits is not an option.

 

[Root4GT]

Yes. It's definitely a hot take.

Your ability to deny reality is remarkable. When you are one of the worst 10 of 133 Division teams in virtually all defensive metrics your defense stinks. Coaches may suck but the players performance has been dreadful.

 

[LongforDodd]

Is it a hot take? Or is it a brutal reality. We are awful on defense. We also have some individually talented players. Both can be true. Defense is a collective effort. Our collective results have been awful. That doesn't detract from the individuals. The results are facts at this point, and it's been bad. That's not a hot take, just a brutal reality.

There doesn't seem to be enough athletically instinctual, individual efforts made collectively on any one play.

 

[UgaBlows]

here’s a hot take- our DL coaching and play has reverted back to what it was last time Coleman was here working for Geoff, I don’t understand why we fired the previous guy

 

[JacketFan137]

are there any issues on this defense that can realistically be fixed? our corners are struggling to tackle in one on ones on the outside. our pass rush is generating zero pressure. the scheme isn’t gonna magically be fixed

even in the collins years i felt like we got glimpses of real impact play from some of the individuals even though our defense was poor as a unit. i don’t feel like i’ve seen that with this current group. still a lot of ball and we could have played two of the better teams in the acc and sec but if we struggle this weekend vs wake i’m not sure that i can see this improving very much over the course of the season.

 

[Jacket20]

The returning players touted to be really good in the secondary are also the same ones getting beat in coverage, outran, and not wrapping up on tackles.

 

[CEB]

are there any issues on this defense that can realistically be fixed? our corners are struggling to tackle in one on ones on the outside. our pass rush is generating zero pressure. the scheme isn’t gonna magically be fixed

even in the collins years i felt like we got glimpses of real impact play from some of the individuals even though our defense was poor as a unit. i don’t feel like i’ve seen that with this current group. still a lot of ball and we could have played two of the better teams in the acc and sec but if we struggle this weekend vs wake i’m not sure that i can see this improving very much over the course of the season.

So now you’re a “scheme” guy?
Even if we have played two pretty good offenses, why is this weekend make or break? We need a win for sure, but to suggest that a poor performance this week means we won’t improve the rest of the season is silly. I guess we may as well pack it in early so we can get to the off season and make some real progress…

 

[yeti92]

here’s a hot take- our DL coaching and play has reverted back to what it was last time Coleman was here working for Geoff, I don’t understand why we fired the previous guy

Not disagreeing with you, but I wonder how much of our DL's performance last year vs this year is a result of the DL coach vs Keion White being a freak.

are there any issues on this defense that can realistically be fixed? our corners are struggling to tackle in one on ones on the outside. our pass rush is generating zero pressure. the scheme isn’t gonna magically be fixed

even in the collins years i felt like we got glimpses of real impact play from some of the individuals even though our defense was poor as a unit. i don’t feel like i’ve seen that with this current group. still a lot of ball and we could have played two of the better teams in the acc and sec but if we struggle this weekend vs wake i’m not sure that i can see this improving very much over the course of the season.

I think tackling is fixable if the coaches will dedicate time to it, and maybe we can do something scheme wise to bring more pressure, although that's had limited success in past Thacker years and probably just leaves more holes/uncovered receivers for a halfway decent qb to pick apart. Otherwise yea, it's going to be a long season of really bad defense.

 

[JacketFan137]

So now you’re a “scheme” guy?
Even if we have played two pretty good offenses, why is this weekend make or break? We need a win for sure, but to suggest that a poor performance this week means we won’t improve the rest of the season is silly. I guess we may as well pack it in early so we can get to the off season and make some real progress…

i was always a scheme guy but was never a fan of people using “scheme” as coded language instead of admitting they wanted a coach with a gimmick offense at the helm.

this weekend is make or break because 1. going 0/3 in real games is a very bad sign. 2. wake’s o line got picked apart by old dominion, and if our d line is unable to do the same i’m not sure when we will just magically put it all together. 3. even though we have looked worse each week this is not just a 4 week thing. these problems have been going on for years now and thacker has been a part of it the whole time.

idk i get the delusional optimism as i was in the same boat hoping and wishing for collins to turn it around the whole time but i don’t see how this gets better this season when we are objectively one of the worst defenses in college football by most metrics. but i’m sure we’ll hear “it’s only 4 weeks” “it’s only 5 weeks” “it’s only week 7”….

 

[yeti92]

i was always a scheme guy but was never a fan of people using “scheme” as coded language instead of admitting they wanted a coach with a gimmick offense at the helm.

Translated: I don't like that scheme and I don't like CPJ.