After seeing BVG's blitzing defense resemble John Tenuta's, I'm wondering if ND has the player depth and time available for study for all of our defensive players to execute this scheme. For all the criticisms of Diaco's defense, his defenses never looked as bad as Tenuta's and now BVG's.

 

I hope this is a temporary problem for BVG, but the specter of Tenuta is there. Diaco is looking pretty good now.

After seeing BVG's blitzing defense resemble John Tenuta's, I'm wondering if ND has the player depth and time available for study for all of our defensive players to execute this scheme. For all the criticisms of Diaco's defense, his defenses never looked as bad as Tenuta's and now BVG's.

 

I hope this is a temporary problem for BVG, but the specter of Tenuta is there. Diaco is looking pretty good now.

 

When I first heard that BVG's defense would be an aggressive NFL style blitzing scheme, I had flashbacks to the CW years. The first few games made me think that it might have just been a talent issue back then....but after the last ~5 games I am back to wondering if this type of scheme is just doomed to fail in the current age of college football.

 

With Diaco, it was frustrating to watch teams march down the field every drive...but I am now starting to appreciate what a "bend but don't break" style of defense brings to the table.

 

What I would really like in a coach is a combination of Diaco and BVG. I want a coach that has a scheme like Diaco that uses occasional blitzing....I am sick of getting one extreme or the other.

I'll give BVG a pass this year being he is a new coordinator installing a new system with a bunch of newbies who most got hurt this year. Next year.... Is a whole new story. We better be drastically better.

When I first heard that BVG's defense would be an aggressive NFL style blitzing scheme, I had flashbacks to the CW years. The first few games made me think that it might have just been a talent issue back then....but after the last ~5 games I am back to wondering if this type of scheme is just doomed to fail in the current age of college football.

 

With Diaco, it was frustrating to watch teams march down the field every drive...but I am now starting to appreciate what a "bend but don't break" style of defense brings to the table.

 

What I would really like in a coach is a combination of Diaco and BVG. I want a coach that has a scheme like Diaco that uses occasional blitzing....I am sick of getting one extreme or the other.

 

 

Agreed, but at this point I'd prefer Diaco. It's nice to blitz if you get there but we never seem to be able to, a Diaco defense would never give up these crazy amounts of points.

I don't know what it is, but ASU also has a blitz heavy defense and they seemed to pressure Golson all day a couple of weekends ago

 

I've also been noticing that our blitzes are looking a lot like Tenuta's...we send like 6 or 7 guys but are immediately stone walled...it's baffling

After seeing BVG's blitzing defense resemble John Tenuta's, I'm wondering if ND has the player depth and time available for study for all of our defensive players to execute this scheme. For all the criticisms of Diaco's defense, his defenses never looked as bad as Tenuta's and now BVG's.

 

I hope this is a temporary problem for BVG, but the specter of Tenuta is there. Diaco is looking pretty good now.

 

Yeah, I was talking about this is chat.

 

Diaco was a good teacher of fundamentals, block destruction, tackling etc.

 

That's the phase we are in now. So right now,I MISS DIACO

 

But if Kelly can help Vangorder over this piece(restrains him) then BVG defense has a much HIGHER CIELING

I know people hate excuses, but the reality is this is a very young, banged up defense that lost two starters and a fifth-year senior MLB before the first snap of the season

 

And one of the absolutely "can't lose this guy" guys was lost to a season-ending injury three weeks ago.

 

All of which made it even more incumbent on the offense to take care of the darned ball - which they didn't. Had they, this season looks very, very different right now.

 

We can sit here and try to play all the blame game we can muster.

 

But sometimes it's all so obvious.

 

A young - and now painfully stretched-thin defense - has not been given the necessary support by a turnover-prone offense.

I know people hate excuses, but the reality is this is a very young, banged up defense that lost two starters and a fifth-year senior MLB before the first snap of the season

 

And one of the absolutely "can't lose this guy" guys was lost to a season-ending injury three weeks ago.

 

All of which made it even more incumbent on the offense to take care of the darned ball - which they didn't. Had they, this season looks very, very different right now.

 

We can sit here and try to play all the blame game we can muster.

 

But sometimes it's all so obvious.

 

A young - and now painfully stretched-thin defense - has not been given the necessary support by a turnover-prone offense.

 

I agree it is obvious that we lack depth due to injuries and are paying the price, and I am not playing the blame game.

 

But what is also obvious to me is that ND will always have a small margin for error because of our inability to go the JUCO route when we have depth problems. So, if we have a defense where the learning curve is really big for young players to be thrust into starting roles then we're always going to be a few key injuries from big problems on defense.

 

Perhaps this is a reality that Kelly has considered, but has still chosen to go the NFL defense route because, on those years where everything aligns, we'll need an NFL type defensive scheme to win if we get in the playoffs.

I agree it is obvious that we lack depth due to injuries and are paying the price, and I am not playing the blame game.

 

But what is also obvious to me is that ND will always have a small margin for error because of our inability to go the JUCO route when we have depth problems. So, if we have a defense where the learning curve is really big for young players to be thrust into starting roles then we're always going to be a few key injuries from big problems on defense.

 

Perhaps this is a reality that Kelly has considered, but has still chosen to go the NFL defense route because, on those years where everything aligns, we'll need an NFL type defensive scheme to win if we get in the playoffs.

 

 

Your last paragraph I think is spot on. Alabama simply marched down the field at ease against Diaco's defense. That won't work during the playoffs unless if teams turn the ball over, settle on field goals, or simply have no offense. Give this defense another year for a fair assessment. It looked good early on when we were healthy and with a healthy Schmidt. Wait until we have the depth.

But what is also obvious to me is that ND will always have a small margin for error because of our inability to go the JUCO route when we have depth problems.

 

I hear you.

 

But this wasn't a test of a small margin of error. It was the result of an uncanny confluence of events that included losing three starters to the NFL draft and Tony Sprinmann, Brad Carrico, Jarrett Grace, and Isaq Williams all missing all or most of their senior years due to injuries or suspension then not having Russell in the back end and Moore as depth at MLB and then all the injuries ND's suffered through the course of the season.

 

I don't know many teams that can withstand that kind of bad luck/losses.

 

Here is the thing.

 

The BK's detractors use "all the breaks going for him" in 2012 against him but won't use "so many of the breaks going AGAINST him" in support of him.

 

The last two seasons, whether through by fate or the self-inflicted damage done by carelessness with the ball, so much has gone against ND.

 

That's why I gladly accepted the good fortune of two years ago.

 

You can't have enough of the good stuff to keep chugging in the right direction and you can only absorb so much of the bad stuff before things go off the rails.

It's hard for me to criticize him too harshly since it's his first year here and he's just been plagued with rotten luck. But I do question some of the decisions he's made, in particular sitting Shumate and Redfield for collinsworth and tranquill.

Edited November 22, 201410 yr by goirish83

Please, please hire Muschamp, please.

Please, please hire Muschamp, please.

 

It's not going to happen, so don't even think about it.

It's not going to happen, so don't even think about it.

 

Why not? You think ND couldn't pony up the $$$ to get him here? Texas is the only other school that could do that and I don't see him going back there.

Why not? You think ND couldn't pony up the $$$ to get him here? Texas is the only other school that could do that and I don't see him going back there.

 

for various reasons.

 

Most significantly, not really looking to get rid of BVK. After one year and three key suspensions and a bunch of injuries, I'm not thinking of making a change I'm thinking about continuing to build with him and the (very) young defense he took over.

 

I think ND feels the exact same way

I will give BVG a pass on his innefective blitzing scheme with all of the injuries, but there is no excuse giving up this many points. I don't care what "school" you come from.

This defense is probably the youngest in college football. All of the blame does not go on BVG. I am sorry, but there are valid "Excuses" why this defense sucks. It is far too young and injured, if you cannot see that, then you are just a debbie downer and not thinking logically.

This defense is probably the youngest in college football. All of the blame does not go on BVG. I am sorry, but there are valid "Excuses" why this defense sucks. It is far too young and injured, if you cannot see that, then you are just a debbie downer and not thinking logically.

 

Primarily, I blame Everett and his turnovers. Enough is a God Damned enough already. Can't handle the football. We also can't hold a longsnap down and kick a FOOT BALL.

This defense is probably the youngest in college football. All of the blame does not go on BVG. I am sorry, but there are valid "Excuses" why this defense sucks. It is far too young and injured, if you cannot see that, then you are just a debbie downer and not thinking logically.

 

People need to re-read this. We are in a very unfortunate place right now. Let's look at our projected starting lineup aftert the spring game and see how many guys are not injured or not in school...

The injury excuse is valid, this is a defense full of 18 year olds and some aren't very good to begin with. It comes down to the head coach, he didn't recruit well enough.

again... there's a reason BVG has worked at 10 different places in the past 20 years.