What are your measures for success with the new defense?

[UgaBlows]

He did say Kyle has the starting spot nailed down, fwiw.

Will the NT be taking on a double-team every play in this defensive system? That’s what i remember from the Groh years is our NT just getting buried practically every play

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

< 17 ppg.

 

[iceeater1969]

< 17 ppg.

I think u nailed it.
For us to be 7 and 5 with some heart felt losses and some outright runway way wins , 17 is a good number.

 

[Longestday]

<17 points ppg defense and GT will be in the conversation for the playoffs! Given the recent numbers of 26 ppg, 23 ppg is more reasonable and would be near the best in the last 10 years.

25 got us to the taxslayer...

 

[lv20gt]

I think u nailed it.
For us to be 7 and 5 with some heart felt losses and some outright runway way wins , 17 is a good number.

That would be top 10 in the nation in scoring d. If we go 7-5 with that something is really wrong with the offense.

 

[BCJacket]

<17 points ppg defense and GT will be in the conversation for the playoffs! Given the recent numbers of 26 ppg, 23 ppg is more reasonable and would be near the best in the last 10 years.

25 got us to the taxslayer...

26.2 got us to the Orange bowl! Imagine if that 2014 offense had had a D as good as '08 was, much less '06. We'd have been in the playoffs...

 

[Cam]

Somewhat related, though not quite about specific stats. I was reading an article in The Athletic this morning on the top position units in CFB this season. They gave the Toledo the recognition for having the best receiving corps in the game. This is particularly interesting because Nate Woody's defense shut them out in the bowl game last year. Toledo was 16/29 for 129 yards and had 3 interceptions that game. Makes me feel confident that our defense could be great at both stopping the run (especially from practicing against our offense) as well as stopping the passing game.

 

[Jmonty71]

I would be happy when the opposing QB drops back to pass he doesn't have the time look up and down the field over and over. And we would learn that a TE can catch a pass.

Preach it!!!! Agree 100%

 

[Jmonty71]

Just want to point out that Woody had his CBs way off the LOS and back peddling at the snap on a 2nd and 8. Same on the 3rd and 5. Try not to roast him too much when he does that here.

I just hope to see some mix.. Press coverage on one play, and then a cushion, the next. I think throwing different looks at the other QB, will lead to turnovers.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I just hope to see some mix.. Press coverage on one play, and then a cushion, the next. I think throwing different looks at the other QB, will lead to turnovers.

I'm fine with either. I just find it odd considering our former DC was lambasted for using such a strategy routinely.

 

[TromboneJacket]

My ultimate goal for the defense is to have the other team’s punter exhausted from all the work he has to do. For now, I’ll accept a little soreness in the leg.

 

[redmule]

Can they get a stop late in the 4th qtr with the game on the line more times than not?

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Agree.

GT doesn’t have many such games. Going back to the 12-13 season, I only found three games like that:

BC in ‘16 was 17-14 W
uga in ‘16 was 13-7 L
VT in ‘13 was 17-10 L

In all the other games one team scored at least 20 points.

That said, I think bigger problem is those times when the defense can’t stop the opposing offense. Those occur way too often. Last year that happened a lot and, sadly, happen most years against uga. It’s quite disheartening to know that the opposing team can essentially score at will and that the only way to win is have the last possession and the lead.

‘15 FSU

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

I know it is not fair but Coach Woody has stepped into a difficult situation. It is entirely possible that this year's offense will be limited in big play ability resulting in more pressure on the defense to limit other teams to less, considerably less than the 27 or so points per game that had been the norm. Decreasing this to 24 or fewer points per game will be challenging. I personally do not think we have the playmakers to run up and down the field like we did in 2016 or 2014. Having a better defense across the board is imperative because the days of just outscoring people with a sledgehammer running game and big plays on the perimeter are not in the cards for this year. I will leave the statistical analysis to the math majors but constantly giving up scores at the end of the first half and surrendering fourth quarter leads will not get it done. I am hopeful but not really confident that our defense will be the game changer some believe it will be. Woody is a good coach and richly deserves this opportunity to be on the big stage so to speak. One way or the other, whether this year or down the road, I pray that Coach Johnson's never ending quest for the Holy Grail of defensive coordinators is finally at an end.

I think the O this year could potentially be our best yet. I think it will be our best and deepest Oline barring injuries. We have proven big play guys in Lynch, Searcy, Cotrell, Benson, and Marshall. I think Howard has shown he can be. Stewart has made big plays for us. Camp looks like he could be our next big play WR.

J Mason is a new guy that appears to have big play potential.

My only two concerns on O is connecting on enough passes and skill guys buying into blocking with ferocity.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Just want to point out that Woody had his CBs way off the LOS and back peddling at the snap on a 2nd and 8. Same on the 3rd and 5. Try not to roast him too much when he does that here.

I noticed that in videos also. His DBs seem to do a better job near the first down sticks than we have the last few years.

I don’t mind cushions or backpedals so long as defenders are aggressive at the sticks and making plays to bat balls down or stop plays short of first downs.

What’s difficult for this lay person to determine is how much the failures or successes in doing so is due to player skill or scheme philosophies. But App St seemed to show more proclivity for successes than we have recently.

 

[Longestday]

I guess I know how people fee about my support of the spread option offense... except I believe the data suggest the O has been top half versus the data showing the D has been bottom half. The O is not perfect and will struggle at times and I expect the D to struggle at times too.

Cushion is not always bad. A bend don't break play call is not bad. A keep'em in front of you play is not bad. Leaving two people out of every defensive play because they are 20 to 30 yards deep is not good. Playing 10 yards off with a back peddle on a 3 and 3 is most of the time not good. 3rd and 3 with a 10 yards cushion and moving forward on snap is not always a bad idea.

BC in ‘16 was 17-14 W .........................BC had an awful offense
uga in ‘16 was 13-7 L ...........................uga had a awful offense.... this was 15 right as 2016 was the quantum leap?
VT in ‘13 was 17-10 L ..........................not sure here

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I noticed that in videos also. His DBs seem to do a better job near the first down sticks than we have the last few years.

I don’t mind cushions or backpedals so long as defenders are aggressive at the sticks and making plays to bat balls down or stop plays short of first downs.

What’s difficult for this lay person to determine is how much the failures or successes in doing so is due to player skill or scheme philosophies. But App St seemed to show more proclivity for successes than we have recently.

I'm no defensive guru, but it would seem to me that if you're going to be blitz heavy, you'd prefer a bit of cushion from the DBs to keep any completions in front of you. If you're man up and get beat it goes to the house in a hurry. The key difference between what I see on film from AppSt vs GT under CTR is that the AppSt D seems to get to the QB more often than we did. It's not like we weren't blitzing, we just never seemed to finish the drill.

 

[danny daniel]

I'm no defensive guru, but it would seem to me that if you're going to be blitz heavy, you'd prefer a bit of cushion from the DBs to keep any completions in front of you. If you're man up and get beat it goes to the house in a hurry. The key difference between what I see on film from AppSt vs GT under CTR is that the AppSt D seems to get to the QB more often than we did. It's not like we weren't blitzing, we just never seemed to finish the drill.

I love watching football with my brother. We play this game where we describe action with our outrageous sarcasm. "The GT blitzers, for example, seem to look for a blocker to charge into, and velcro themselves to". This obviously slows down the pass rush. This seems to be a pretty good description of our blitz pass rush in the past. I prefer the App St rush where the D gang charges through and around the blockers and loses very little momentum getting to the QB area. I hope the new D treats the blockers as a pure nuisance and not the object of their affection.

 

[UgaBlows]

I think the O this year could potentially be our best yet. I think it will be our best and deepest Oline barring injuries. We have proven big play guys in Lynch, Searcy, Cotrell, Benson, and Marshall. I think Howard has shown he can be. Stewart has made big plays for us. Camp looks like he could be our next big play WR.

J Mason is a new guy that appears to have big play potential.

My only two concerns on O is connecting on enough passes and skill guys buying into blocking with ferocity.

I’m having a hard time imagining TM passing much better than last year, i hope i’m wrong

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

I think the O this year could potentially be our best yet. I think it will be our best and deepest Oline barring injuries. We have proven big play guys in Lynch, Searcy, Cotrell, Benson, and Marshall. I think Howard has shown he can be. Stewart has made big plays for us. Camp looks like he could be our next big play WR.

J Mason is a new guy that appears to have big play potential.

My only two concerns on O is connecting on enough passes and skill guys buying into blocking with ferocity.

"...skill guys blocking with ferocity" I will believe it when I see it. If I said it once, I have said it a dozen times. When you have safeties and linebackers crowding the line of scrimmage with no fear and little respect for our receivers or passing game then blocking skills are pretty much negated. Big play guys like Lynch, Searcy, and Cotrell did not get the ball enough last year as it was a Benson and Marshall show. Good enough playing Pitt not so good playing Clemson and UGA. The one thing those guys fear is an Aback receiving a perfect pitch with corners and safeties on their hands wondering where their knees went.