What are your measures for success with the new defense?

slugboy

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,490
Let's see if we can push this further...

For those who cited metrics, but did not include a number, what say you? I see a lot of "3rd down %","points per possession" and "last 2 minute scores". Well, what is the value that will indicate success?

The goal here is to back you into a corner so that you can't get out :)

Ok
1. Points per game: 20 or under. Really would be happy with that, and could ignore the rest. That’s top 20 though. Getting to 23 ppg would help a ton. Sticking with 20 though.
2. Yards per play: 5-5.25, depending on other stats. Under 5 would be really nice.
3. Negative plays: I’d like to see tackles for loss get up to 6+ per game and sacks get up to 25 per year. That’s in the middle for NCAA teams.
4. Turnovers: we were one of the worst last year, only gaining 10 fumbles or interceptions. 20 puts us middle of the pack. I’d be happy to step up to mediocrity there.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Jophish17

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
440
Ultimately, I want to reduce the opponent points per possession. I don't know the actual stats but if the opponent scores less that's the goal. If it's because the opponents average starting field position is 10 yards better than last year, or more sacks create more third and longs, or we have more turnovers, I don't really care - just reduce the opponents scoring relative to Tech's points per possession.
 

HurricaneJacket

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,717
I played with a lot of stats and want to improve the following to consider this a good season defensively (past this is just icing)

1, Points Per Game

Last year we were 64th in the nation in points per game at 26.5 ppg. This year I want this value to be 23.5 ppg (1 field goal less), this would have been good for the 41st ranked scoring defense in 2017.

2. Firsts Downs Allowed

Last year we defended 706 plays and allowed our opponents to gain a first down on 201 of them (28.5% of defended plays resulted in a first down for the opposing team). Of those 201, 53 (approximately 25%) were converted on either 3rd or 4th down. I want to see us allow first downs on less than 20% of defended plays, and to allow less than a 5th of those on 3rd or 4th down.

3. Negative Yard Plays

Last year we had 64 plays that resulted in either a sack or a TFL (National leader NIU had 157, Miami (Fl) had 155). This year I want to have more than 100 combined sacks or tfl. If the defense is putting people behind the chains, then typically good things are happening.

4, Affecting the Quarterback

Last Year 9.71% of plays defended that featured in a sack, a qb hurry, or a pass attempt were counted as sacks or qb hurries for the good guys. This year I would like that value to be at or above 12.5% of such plays.

5. Yards Against

Last year we gave up 3897 yards across 706 plays (5.5 yards per play/354 Yards per game). This year I want to see our ypg fall to less than 325 yards per game.
 

vamosjackets

GT Athlete
Featured Member
Messages
2,150
To me, it's not about hitting a number but about hitting a ranking. If we get 100 sacks but everybody else gets 120 then we're still losing. This is a competition against opponents not just a game against yourself, like solitaire or something. Maybe some new offensive idea or some new rule or something changes the way the game is played and all of the stats change - like maybe we actually have worse stats than last year, or maybe the opposite occurs and we have better stats than last year ... but that won't matter because it affects everyone - like maybe we lower our ypp down to 4 - looks great! - but then you see you're ranked 12th in the ACC and you still went 5-7 because everybody else was less than 4 ypp.

So, long story a little longer, IDEALLY, I'd love to see us be top 40 this year in the stats that tell the biggest story: ppd and ypp ... and to me that's an either/or. If we're top 40 in either of those stats, I'm VERY happy this year. If our ypp is over but our ppd is under it likely means we're getting turnovers. If our ypp is under but our ppd is over it likely means our offense and special teams have put our defense in bad situations. Eventually, my goal would be top 30.

I will honestly still be satisfied with top 50 this year due to it being the first year of a new system and new player fits and such. With CJT, we were something like 50'ish the first year and then top 30 every year after that.

Does anyone know where we ranked in those stats (PPD, YPP) last year or over the last few years? That would be great to know so that we can have a baseline by which to measure improvement. Some of y'all are wizards at finding those kinds of stats.
 

AUFC

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,846
Location
Atlanta
I just don't want to see any teams predictably throw their way down field 10 yards at a time on soft, conservative man coverage in 90 seconds anymore. I can live with anything as long as that doesn't happen. I will be okay giving up the occasional long touchdown as long as I don't have to sit and watch demoralizing end-of-half/end-of-game drives like that anymore.
 

ilovetheoption

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,816
To me, it's not about hitting a number but about hitting a ranking. If we get 100 sacks but everybody else gets 120 then we're still losing. This is a competition against opponents not just a game against yourself, like solitaire or something. Maybe some new offensive idea or some new rule or something changes the way the game is played and all of the stats change - like maybe we actually have worse stats than last year, or maybe the opposite occurs and we have better stats than last year ... but that won't matter because it affects everyone - like maybe we lower our ypp down to 4 - looks great! - but then you see you're ranked 12th in the ACC and you still went 5-7 because everybody else was less than 4 ypp.

So, long story a little longer, IDEALLY, I'd love to see us be top 40 this year in the stats that tell the biggest story: ppd and ypp ... and to me that's an either/or. If we're top 40 in either of those stats, I'm VERY happy this year. If our ypp is over but our ppd is under it likely means we're getting turnovers. If our ypp is under but our ppd is over it likely means our offense and special teams have put our defense in bad situations. Eventually, my goal would be top 30.

I will honestly still be satisfied with top 50 this year due to it being the first year of a new system and new player fits and such. With CJT, we were something like 50'ish the first year and then top 30 every year after that.

Does anyone know where we ranked in those stats (PPD, YPP) last year or over the last few years? That would be great to know so that we can have a baseline by which to measure improvement. Some of y'all are wizards at finding those kinds of stats.
Dfei is essentially a sos-adjusted ppd/ypp matrix.
 

OldJacketFan

Helluva Engineer
Messages
8,348
Location
Nashville, TN
To me, it's not about hitting a number but about hitting a ranking. If we get 100 sacks but everybody else gets 120 then we're still losing. This is a competition against opponents not just a game against yourself, like solitaire or something. Maybe some new offensive idea or some new rule or something changes the way the game is played and all of the stats change - like maybe we actually have worse stats than last year, or maybe the opposite occurs and we have better stats than last year ... but that won't matter because it affects everyone - like maybe we lower our ypp down to 4 - looks great! - but then you see you're ranked 12th in the ACC and you still went 5-7 because everybody else was less than 4 ypp.

So, long story a little longer, IDEALLY, I'd love to see us be top 40 this year in the stats that tell the biggest story: ppd and ypp ... and to me that's an either/or. If we're top 40 in either of those stats, I'm VERY happy this year. If our ypp is over but our ppd is under it likely means we're getting turnovers. If our ypp is under but our ppd is over it likely means our offense and special teams have put our defense in bad situations. Eventually, my goal would be top 30.

I will honestly still be satisfied with top 50 this year due to it being the first year of a new system and new player fits and such. With CJT, we were something like 50'ish the first year and then top 30 every year after that.

Does anyone know where we ranked in those stats (PPD, YPP) last year or over the last few years? That would be great to know so that we can have a baseline by which to measure improvement. Some of y'all are wizards at finding those kinds of stats.

Yep, that why I went with the # from the NCAA stats for 2018. If the D hit those metrics we're looking at a top 30 D overall.
 

YJMD

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,622
I want havoc, and I want consistency in execution (sustained effort and lack of confusion about responsibility on a play). I don't think, if we are succeeding there, judging based on total points and yards allowed will be sufficient. If we create havoc, we put ourselves in position to get the ball on offense quicker and closer to the opposing goal. That will greatly magnify the pressure our offense puts on theirs, and should lead to more total possessions which is why per game stats will be misleading. I will tolerate the inevitable big plays if they come from the other team beating us, but not if they come from slacking off or confusion on play call.
 
Top