I think the defense could be better

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husker70

husker70

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Why? Front 4. Add Hageman to Edwards to Kirsey and Whilhite. We are bigger, stronger, and quicker. Now the linebacking. Tinsley, Cooper, and Reeves or Maresh. I still have reservations about Collado but Carter is waiting to happen. Theret and Rallis, or Royston. The keys to improvement will be a bigger, more athletic line led by one R. Hageman. He is now 6'6 290. Great length and quickness and ability run down plays. He is the prototype elephant end. I am waiting for the Julius Peppers comparsion.

The linebacking could be better in pass coverage, depth of drops and closing speed. If we could correct one thing in the defense it would be getting off the field on third down. Too many long completions. This has been the bain of Gopher Defense for more than a decade.

And if and when S. Henderson committs I think I could sell tickets to the battle in practice between he and one R. Hageman.
 

I said this last night, the front seven will probably take a step back next year, but in two seasons, this group has the opportunity to be real special.
 

Next year is the real beginning of the Brewster era. I agree with PH though, it's going to be the year after that will get the results we hope for.
 

I guess

My point is there will be no step back, rather all ahead forward.
 

You might be right Husker. It's not like these young guys have been in a closet getting dusty (no leach comparison intended), they've been preparing. On field experience is so important though, however as someone has pointed out outside of the USC game we have half the season before we really need to be improved.
 


I hope you're right Husker. Problem is it's a numbers game. If they were replacing a couple of starters up front, it wouldn't be as much of a crapshoot. When you're counting on 7 young guys to step in and be better than their predecessors, the odds aren't with you. Luckily they appear to be loaded with talent up there, so that cuts down those odds a little.
 

I can argue that the starters next year on D will be as talented, if not more than the group we put out there last night.

However, I expect the D to regress next year. Why...absolutely no depth. Kirksey, Edwards, Wilhite, Cooper, Tinsley, Carter, etc were all players that supplied pretty darn good depth to the crop of experienced seniors. Now those players are expected to start for the first times in their careers and almost across the board we have the 2nd unit with no experience.

The great unknown (aka our depth) coupled with 7-8 new starters will be the downfall.

On the bright side, 2011 could be special.

If you don't think experience matters, I show you the 2009 USC Trojans and their dozens of inexperienced blue chip recruits.
 

One big difference

The one thing next year's defense may have going for it (with any luck at all), is an offense that will keep it off the field more than this year. I don't even want to KNOW how many 3-and-outs this year's offense had during the season. IT would be too painful.

A couple fewer possessions for the opponents per game and we may not notice much of a dropoff, if any, from next year's defense.
 

Moen out, Hageman in....now that's improvement
 



Our defense wil not be better in 2010 and it looks like 2011 will have to be the year for this program. If we really struggle next year then it's time to let Brewster go. Maybe we can get Urban Meyer as our coach.
 

I am a bit concerned about the depth at DT. This year Small and Brown had Kirksey and Edwards behing them and the four of them were tough in the middle. I don't see the same quality backups for Kirksey and Edwards. Jacobs maybe, but he can't do it all.
 

Cooper and Tinsley have playing time as do Wilhite, Edwards, and Kirksey. The other two are R. Hageman and either Reeves or Maresh. Hageman is an upgrade. And then there is Anthony Jacobs who I think may play inside, to provide depth behind Edwards. And there is that recruit from Atilla prep, a Lousiana recuit and another one from Texas. We are well stocked at DT.
 

I am so glad Theret will be there to direct our new corners and of course our lb's to help be a coach on the field.

I really, really, really hope we get some pressure. We need more then 3 sacks by one person. We need someone that dominates so much that when we blitz that we can utilize the pressure to keep the QB guessing.
 



Thanks Husker. Great thread. The DL will be markedly improved. If a run stuffing LB emerges we make a huge jump forward on D. In fact if we have 2 big run stuffing LBs that are good in coverage, I could see us in a legit 3-4 at times. I can see a DE like Garin or KGM dropping into coverage off a 4 man front. Yeah, it gets even better in '11. Key is to sustain Offensive drives so they aren't on the field the whole game. Number 1 priority is to establish a run game and moving the chain. The D will be exciting for the first time in a long time.
 

The defense can most certainly be better. They have been 'off the hook' in a way, due to the inept offense. A better secondary and better third down stands are the big areas, with a better pass rush a distant third. Our run D and turnover rate is acceptable.
 

Pewterschmidt said:
I can argue that the starters next year on D will be as talented, if not more than the group we put out there last night.

However, I expect the D to regress next year. Why...absolutely no depth. Kirksey, Edwards, Wilhite, Cooper, Tinsley, Carter, etc were all players that supplied pretty darn good depth to the crop of experienced seniors. Now those players are expected to start for the first times in their careers and almost across the board we have the 2nd unit with no experience.

The great unknown (aka our depth) coupled with 7-8 new starters will be the downfall.

On the bright side, 2011 could be special.

If you don't think experience matters, I show you the 2009 USC Trojans and their dozens of inexperienced blue chip recruits.
Click to expand...


I think it is a legitimate concern, but I am not so certain the USC comparison is apt. USC was replacing blue chip veterans with blue chip recruits, we are replacing a solid (but not overly talented) group of SRs with kids who have more natural athletic ability. I'm not saying that we won't miss Campbell and Brown, but we aren't replacing Cushing, Mathews, and Maleuga.

As far as the concern about depth, the area that I am most concerned is in our LB ranks.

At DT....Jacobs played some inside, and all I have heard is people gush on about Eric Jacques. In the defensive backfield, we have a JuCo kid coming in this spring to push some of the other R. Fr, and Johnson. (assuming Collado and Carter are our starters).

My biggest areas of concern are:
#1: pass rush.....we need Wilhite, Hageman, KGM, Garin or a blitzing LB to step up and get a rush on the QB. If our defense could develop a consistant pass rush (big if)...i think our D will be in the top 4 in the Big 10.
#2: Lack of Bulk at the LB position....I like the idea of Cooper, Tinsley, and Reeves being on the field, but I just don't like the idea of those three smallish LBs trying to stop John Clay on the counter. I hope Maresh steps up and can split time with Tinsley in the middle.
#3: The play of Collado....the kid has definitely improved (markedly), but I still don't think he runs and makes plays on the ball like a Big 10 caliber CB, so Cosgrove will have to be innovative on how to make Collado a succesful player (play him in the slot, zone coverages, blitzing, etc).
 

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