"Base Defense"

Zaimejs

Zaimejs

New member
I have been on this board for years, and every year I see the same comments about why our defense is terrible. "We don't want to show (insert top 25 team here) our whole package... so we were just playing our 'base defense'."

Seriously?

Do you think Alabama ever just plays their base defense because they are afraid of giving something away? It shouldn't be about gimmicks and secret tricks up your sleeve. It should be about execution week in and week out. We bring our best game every week, put it on the field, and adjust as needed to whatever the other team has prepared for.

This pathetic excuse that so many have used for so long needs to go to the garbage can along with every Blackshirt given out to these mediocre players, and the paychecks we give to defensive coordinators. 

 
Zaimejs said:
I have been on this board for years, and every year I see the same comments about why our defense is terrible. "We don't want to show (insert top 25 team here) our whole package... so we were just playing our 'base defense'."

Seriously?

Do you think Alabama ever just plays their base defense because they are afraid of giving something away? It shouldn't be about gimmicks and secret tricks up your sleeve. It should be about execution week in and week out. We bring our best game every week, put it on the field, and adjust as needed to whatever the other team has prepared for.

This pathetic excuse that so many have used for so long needs to go to the garbage can along with every Blackshirt given out to these mediocre players, and the paychecks we give to defensive coordinators. 
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All of this^.  We aren't and haven't been good enough in almost 20 years to hide anything.  That is an excuse mentality to cover up a host of decencies that were exposed last night. Same with the penalties, giving up the the safety, the 40 yard onside kick, clock management etc......  I'm sure Tom Herman went vanilla as did every team that lost yesterday.  I mean why win on-conferenece games.  Unleash the "good" stuff on conference foes......  Game are when iron sharpens iron.....

 
Whether we 'hid' anything schematically is different argument from acknowledging the personnel groupings we ran last night. IIRC, we only went into nickel or dime personnel 1-2 times last night, in all the plays we ran defensively. Instead, in 4 WR sets, we had Newby, Ferguson, Barry and Gifford trying to cover WRs in the flats and down the field. 

We may learn that Diaco is a stubborn man, but an unintelligent man isn't something I would put on him. So take from that what you will.

But one thing is certain, if we do that again next week, we are easily getting 50+ on the board put up against us.

 
BigRedBuster said:
Well....you can say it's an excuse and be all passed off about it, but it's true that we showed absolutely nothing special last night. 

During fall camp camp we heard constantly that our o line was seeing a lot of different stuff from the front seven. 

Fact is, there is a lot more to this defense than what we saw. 
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Well, I would certainly hope so, because we almost lost to a SunBelt team last night.

 
Here's an interesting prediction from before the game started by Husker Chalk Talk:

Finally, pay attention to how Diaco defends 11 personnel (3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 RB) with his own personnel.  Though teams frequently like to play Nickel packages (5 DBs) against 3-WR sets, I think Diaco will try to defend it primarily with base 3-4 personnel if he can.  I think he feels more comfortable right now using Marcus Newby or Luke Gifford at the DOG linebacker position than he does using another corner, be it DiCaprio Bootle or rotating Kalu down to play the nickelback while Antonio Reed or another safety comes in for the Nickel package.  Gifford as a former safety has some hybrid coverage abilities that make him extremely valuable in that role.  But while Diaco may have the luxury to stay in base 3-4 against Arkansas State, I’m not sure we can get it away with it the following week against Oregon given their team speed at WR.
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Beating Ark State is every bit as important to a successful season as beating the Ducks.  Obviously we are not good enough to beat anybody without playing our very best and using every bit of strategic planning and scheming, etc we can.  From what I know of Oregon's offense, they tend to run a lot of what Ark State does, ONLY MUCH BETTER with much better athletes.  If so, Oregon will score 70 on us and our offense won't score 30.   An ugly scenario.  I sure want to find silver lining but I don't see it right now.  Very depressing.

 
Two excuses I keep hearing that I think are ridiculous:

1. We were very vanilla on defense. Even if that's the case you pull the plug on that B.S. when ASU keeps scoring and driving the ball. You especially pull the plug on it when they recover the onside kick or the drive before that where they scored to bring it within 7 points!

2. They have won the SunBelt conference several times over the past 6 years.................uh so? It's still the SunBelt, we're in the B1G, no way this team should be able to hang with us.

 
BIGREDIOWAN said:
Two excuses I keep hearing that I think are ridiculous:

1. We were very vanilla on defense. Even if that's the case you pull the plug on that B.S. when ASU keeps scoring and driving the ball. You especially pull the plug on it when they recover the onside kick or the drive before that where they scored to bring it within 7 points!

2. They have won the SunBelt conference several times over the past 6 years.................uh so? It's still the SunBelt, we're in the B1G, no way this team should be able to hang with us.
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Do you remember Boise State? What about Utah pre PAC? Teams can still be good and not be P5. Similarly, Kansas. Good football teams are good football teams. Don't let arbitrary groupings lead you to forget that. 

 
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