AlGolden'sHair
Recruit
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2013
- Messages
- 1
I personally did not make this, but I found it on TOS and thought it brought up some good points and wanted to share it with you guys...
I am going to put some quantitative analysis to the problems behind the defense just so we can all have an idea of just how bad it was.
Before I begin, can we agree that we have better players on defense than teams such as NC Central, Memphis, East Carolina, Virginia, Troy, Ball St., Western Carolina and Wake Forest? Because those are the teams who are on the lists I compiled. They are the teams that had similar defensive performances against the teams we faced. It is actually far more pathetic and worse than I thought.
Duke Game:
Duke had 52 rushing plays against us, their highest total of the season. That includes games against NC Central (49), Memphis (45), Troy (40), Virginia (44) and North Carolina (46). I mention those schools because they had over 40 rushing plays against all of those teams, as you can see by the numbers in parenthesis after the school name. They averaged 39 rushing plays a game for the season.
Duke gaines 500 yards of offense only 3 times all season, against us (543), Pittsburgh (532), and Troy (514). NC Central held them to "only" 488! They averaged 408 yards a game on offense, so we allowed them there best offensive game by far. FSU held them to 239, VaTech held them to 198, and GaTech held them to 254.
Duke only gained 300 yards rushing in one game this season, against us. They went for 358 in that game. The next highest total were 257 (NC Central), 213 (Pitt), 190 (Troy), and 173 (Memphis). We allowed over 100 more rushing yards than freaking NC Central, the next best total, in only 3 more rushing attempts!!!! Against 7 fewer attempts, Memphis gave up less than half the yards we did.
Think the problem is only against rushing offenses? Only against Duke???? Think again....
North Carolina Game:
North Carolina had only 3 games with 400 or more yards of total offense. Against Old Dominion (721!), Middle Tennessee (511), and Us (500). They also had 448 against Duke and 465 against East Carolina.
They had over 300 yards passing against the same teams, with the following breakdown Old Dominion (409), East Carolina (398), Us (395), and Middle Tennessee (377). That is some company we keep!!!
Wake Forest Game:
Wake Forest had over 350 yards of total offense 4 times. Against Presbyterian (408), NC State (382), Us (361) and Army (360). See a trend???? We ARE ALWAYS ON THE BEST OF LIST FOR EVERY OFFENSE!!! We gave up more yards to Wake AT HOME than freaking Army did.
They had over 250 passing yards against LA-Monroe (310), Us (302), NC State (268) and Maryland (260).
Va Tech Game:
Va tech had over 500 yards offense only ONCE all season, against Us (549). The next closest were Western Carolina (462), BC (446), Marshall (382), Duke (387) and Virginia (364). We gave them their most prolific day by almost 100 yards more than Western Carolina (didn't even know they existed).
Many may say that the turnovers were the problem, hence more plays. Not so. They ran 78 plays against us. They ran over 70 plays 7 times: East Carolina (77), Marshall (87), Pitt (72), Duke (84), Virginia (72), and BC (70). They gained almost 140 fewer yards against Duke in 6 extra plays, and 238 less against East Carolina (311 total yards) in 1 less play. In 9 extra plays against Marshall, they gained 169 less.
Virginia Game:
VA ran over 90 plays 4 times all year, against VMI (93), Ga Tech (93), Maryland (93), and Us (91).
They gained over 450 yards of offense in 4 games, against VMI (580), Maryland (505), Us (483) and Ball St. (459)
They rushed for over 200 yards 4 times, against VMI (357), Us (243), Maryland (242), and Ball St. (236). After those All-Star teams, the next best was 124 against Oregon (they lost 59-10 and much of that was in garbage time).
Florida Game:
Florida was putrid on offense this year. They ranked 113 in the entire FBS, or even worse than our defense.
They gained over 400 yards of total offense 3 times all year, against Toledo (415), Us (413), and Kentucky (402).
They had over 200 yards passing three times also, against Vanderbilt (305)- much in garbage time since they lost 34-17, Us (295), and Arkansas (240).
I could go on and on for basically every game, but I think the sample size is very sufficient and telling. We can't stop the run (Duke, VA games) or the pass (NC, VaTech, Florida and Wake games). We give up yardage totals equivalent or worse than FBS teams or perennial doormat FCS teams. If it wasn't for turnovers, our defense would be even worse. Now, I understand turnovers are great plays and they are earned, but if a few passes were dropped instead of picked off, or a few fumbles bounced the other way, these numbers could be far worse (if that's possible). The turnovers saved us in particular against Pitt, VA, and UF.
How anyone can say its the players after reading those stats is beyond me!!!! We have better players on defense than all of the teams listed, in my opinion. We certainly have better players than VMI, Army, Ball St., Western Carolina, etc. There really is no excuse for us to be on every teams best of list for their offensive performances this year. I didn't realize it was as bad as it is until I started digging. It is BAD, BAD, BAD. There is no way anyone an support Coach D after reading this list, and if you do, I welcome a similar substantive (IE backed by something other than opinion) argument. Good luck, because I have looked at all the numbers and they aren't pretty.
(all stats courtesy of NCAA.org for those who want to double-check my work)
I am going to put some quantitative analysis to the problems behind the defense just so we can all have an idea of just how bad it was.
Before I begin, can we agree that we have better players on defense than teams such as NC Central, Memphis, East Carolina, Virginia, Troy, Ball St., Western Carolina and Wake Forest? Because those are the teams who are on the lists I compiled. They are the teams that had similar defensive performances against the teams we faced. It is actually far more pathetic and worse than I thought.
Duke Game:
Duke had 52 rushing plays against us, their highest total of the season. That includes games against NC Central (49), Memphis (45), Troy (40), Virginia (44) and North Carolina (46). I mention those schools because they had over 40 rushing plays against all of those teams, as you can see by the numbers in parenthesis after the school name. They averaged 39 rushing plays a game for the season.
Duke gaines 500 yards of offense only 3 times all season, against us (543), Pittsburgh (532), and Troy (514). NC Central held them to "only" 488! They averaged 408 yards a game on offense, so we allowed them there best offensive game by far. FSU held them to 239, VaTech held them to 198, and GaTech held them to 254.
Duke only gained 300 yards rushing in one game this season, against us. They went for 358 in that game. The next highest total were 257 (NC Central), 213 (Pitt), 190 (Troy), and 173 (Memphis). We allowed over 100 more rushing yards than freaking NC Central, the next best total, in only 3 more rushing attempts!!!! Against 7 fewer attempts, Memphis gave up less than half the yards we did.
Think the problem is only against rushing offenses? Only against Duke???? Think again....
North Carolina Game:
North Carolina had only 3 games with 400 or more yards of total offense. Against Old Dominion (721!), Middle Tennessee (511), and Us (500). They also had 448 against Duke and 465 against East Carolina.
They had over 300 yards passing against the same teams, with the following breakdown Old Dominion (409), East Carolina (398), Us (395), and Middle Tennessee (377). That is some company we keep!!!
Wake Forest Game:
Wake Forest had over 350 yards of total offense 4 times. Against Presbyterian (408), NC State (382), Us (361) and Army (360). See a trend???? We ARE ALWAYS ON THE BEST OF LIST FOR EVERY OFFENSE!!! We gave up more yards to Wake AT HOME than freaking Army did.
They had over 250 passing yards against LA-Monroe (310), Us (302), NC State (268) and Maryland (260).
Va Tech Game:
Va tech had over 500 yards offense only ONCE all season, against Us (549). The next closest were Western Carolina (462), BC (446), Marshall (382), Duke (387) and Virginia (364). We gave them their most prolific day by almost 100 yards more than Western Carolina (didn't even know they existed).
Many may say that the turnovers were the problem, hence more plays. Not so. They ran 78 plays against us. They ran over 70 plays 7 times: East Carolina (77), Marshall (87), Pitt (72), Duke (84), Virginia (72), and BC (70). They gained almost 140 fewer yards against Duke in 6 extra plays, and 238 less against East Carolina (311 total yards) in 1 less play. In 9 extra plays against Marshall, they gained 169 less.
Virginia Game:
VA ran over 90 plays 4 times all year, against VMI (93), Ga Tech (93), Maryland (93), and Us (91).
They gained over 450 yards of offense in 4 games, against VMI (580), Maryland (505), Us (483) and Ball St. (459)
They rushed for over 200 yards 4 times, against VMI (357), Us (243), Maryland (242), and Ball St. (236). After those All-Star teams, the next best was 124 against Oregon (they lost 59-10 and much of that was in garbage time).
Florida Game:
Florida was putrid on offense this year. They ranked 113 in the entire FBS, or even worse than our defense.
They gained over 400 yards of total offense 3 times all year, against Toledo (415), Us (413), and Kentucky (402).
They had over 200 yards passing three times also, against Vanderbilt (305)- much in garbage time since they lost 34-17, Us (295), and Arkansas (240).
I could go on and on for basically every game, but I think the sample size is very sufficient and telling. We can't stop the run (Duke, VA games) or the pass (NC, VaTech, Florida and Wake games). We give up yardage totals equivalent or worse than FBS teams or perennial doormat FCS teams. If it wasn't for turnovers, our defense would be even worse. Now, I understand turnovers are great plays and they are earned, but if a few passes were dropped instead of picked off, or a few fumbles bounced the other way, these numbers could be far worse (if that's possible). The turnovers saved us in particular against Pitt, VA, and UF.
How anyone can say its the players after reading those stats is beyond me!!!! We have better players on defense than all of the teams listed, in my opinion. We certainly have better players than VMI, Army, Ball St., Western Carolina, etc. There really is no excuse for us to be on every teams best of list for their offensive performances this year. I didn't realize it was as bad as it is until I started digging. It is BAD, BAD, BAD. There is no way anyone an support Coach D after reading this list, and if you do, I welcome a similar substantive (IE backed by something other than opinion) argument. Good luck, because I have looked at all the numbers and they aren't pretty.
(all stats courtesy of NCAA.org for those who want to double-check my work)
