Youth Movement on Defense

[StatTiger 3,188]

Before anyone panics about the defense in 2015, keep in mind Coach Will Muschamp is building towards the future. Defense has been an issue since the 2008 season, which means it took six years to get where Auburn is currently positioned. It will take more than one year to return Auburn to where it once was within the Southeastern Conference as a defensive unit.

Muschamp has to change the culture and mentality of his players to make them understand what is expected of them as individuals and how it all comes together as a scheme. Though we are witnessing a youth movement because of injuries, I also believe it is because of a performance issue. Muschamp along with Coach T-Rob have commented on playing freshman, while at Florida and not being afraid of putting young players on the field if they believe they can get the job done.

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Current Status:

From 1992-2015, Auburn's "stop percentage" on defense is 62.6%. The 2015 Auburn defense is currently hitting at only 35.3%. "Stop Percentage" is defined as possessions resulting in a punt, turnover or loss on downs.

Last season (2014), the Auburn defense allowed an 8-play possession or more 22.3 percent of the time. This season through 3 games, it is 44.1 percent.

From 1992-2015, the Auburn defense has allowed 26.8 yards per possession. This season they are allowing 39.1 yards per possession, the worst average during this time frame.

With the offense averaging only 31.9 yards per possession, Auburn is in jeopardy of the opponent averaging more yards per possession than the Auburn offense for the entire season. This happened 5 times during the past 24 years (1998, 1999, 2008, 2011 and 2012).

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Auburn's inability to get off the field on defense has limited the Auburn offense to only 10 possessions per game. The offense normally has 13 possessions per game, which means Auburn has missed out on 9 offensive possessions through 3 games. Compounding the issue is Auburn's 8 offensive turnovers, further limiting their scoring opportunities.

During the LSU post game press-conference, Coach Gus Malzahn placed the loss on the shoulders of the offense. Even when pressed about the defense surrendering three consecutive 400-yard games, Malzahn did not make a critical remark about the defense. I believe he did so because he is well aware of the youth movement on defense and the goal of molding this young talent for the future.

There is hope...

During the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Auburn averaged 2.9 points per offensive possession. Through 3 games, Auburn has averaged 2.5 points. Lower the number of turnovers and give the offense more possessions and that 2.5 average will increase. The running game must improve and Auburn is in dire need of making explosive plays in the passing game. Through 3 games, Auburn has produced only 7 plays of 15-yards or more in the passing game. Auburn had 9 such plays against Alabama in 2014.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Stat, you've done a remarkable job of not saying "I told you so" regarding the inexperience of this football team. You're a better man than me.

I'm not terribly concerned about the defense, for the reasons you specify above. I'm a little disappointed in what I saw out of our safeties Saturday, and it's a bummer that Kris Frost officially just doesn't have "it" (mea culpa, Mikey). But I can live with the mistakes I'm seeing out of the young guys- man, I'm still having trouble matching jersey numbers to names- and I love the progress that guys like Cass and Monty have made (which was what we expected, I think).

I don't see us fielding a "good" defense this season, but what I do see is a better defense at the end of the season than what we had at the end of last season. Given the disparity in experience between the two squads- and the fact that our offense just refuses to stay on the field- I'd consider that a big win for Coach Muschamp.

[cole256 17,043]

I was ok with our young secondary guys until last game. But still you can't expect too much too soon, and that was about as physical a game they will see. It was brutal

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

I believe that CWM is doing the best job he can with the given players that he has plus the injuries. If we can get Lawson back then I think we will pick it up. I just hope the offense gets in gear and starts putting more points on the board. That will help the D out.

[AUtiger98 24]

The running game must improve and Auburn is in dire need of making explosive plays in the passing game.

The running game has been the biggest disappointment to me. We've been running the illiterate option instead of the read option (Illiterate options is where the QB always gives, even if the pull is wide open). Our offense in the second half was totally different once Jeremy began running the ball some. And yes LSU still had starters in because Beckwith made the tackle on the play before our second TD.

[lewisbr 0]

I've been hearing the same thing since 2008.

"Ted Roof hasn't recruited his players yet"

"We are a young team"

"We don't have VanGorders players yet"

"Ellis Johnson will have this defense ready NEXT year"

"We have so much youth on defense"

Sounds like the same ole same ole to me. Hopefully this will be the last time we have to say this for a while. We have had plenty proven successful defensive coordinators over the years and we always make excuses about being young. So many teams are young and doing fine. Maybe Muschamp will do what we thought the past 3 or 4 defensive coordinators were going to do. I certainly hope so

[ECHSfan 0]

I'm just glad everyone has finally stopped talking about what a great tackler Matthews is. OVERRATED.

[cole256 17,043]

One game doesn't make a player, that logic is not smart at all

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

I'm just glad everyone has finally stopped talking about what a great tackler Matthews is. OVERRATED.

You know he was guarding his shoulder, right?

[tomtomwde 22]

I'm just glad everyone has finally stopped talking about what a great tackler Matthews is. OVERRATED.

You know he was guarding his shoulder, right?

He hits with violence typically. That was indeed pure self preservation on that attempted tackle.

[aubaseball 2,595]

In my view, we need to change the type of defense we run. Put the three biggest and most physical linemen at nose and tackle postions. Put two of the tweeners at the end positions and two middle backers. Its obvious that our two backers cant get off blocks, so by having three big linemen covering the center and guards postions, maybe they can make some plays.

[ECHSfan 0]

I'm just glad everyone has finally stopped talking about what a great tackler Matthews is. OVERRATED.

You know he was guarding his shoulder, right?

He hits with violence typically. That was indeed pure self preservation on that attempted tackle.

I stand by my comment while respecting your opinion.

[imaolgatiger 523]

I'm just glad everyone has finally stopped talking about what a great tackler Matthews is. OVERRATED.

You know he was guarding his shoulder, right?

He hits with violence typically. That was indeed pure self preservation on that attempted tackle.

I stand by my comment while respecting your opinion.

Yea....He started as true freshman for THUGA, was laying the wood vs. Louisville and was injured, but yet he is overrated. Wow! We have some stupid fans. Do some of y'all actually watch the game or keep up with what is actually going on with the team? Who should be starting in his place? Overrated by whose standards? Yours? That's laughable at best.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

If you don't like Tray Matthews as a tackler, I can't imagine what you think of every other guy in our defensive back seven.

Seriously though, I almost expect to see more youth as the season progresses. If you're going to lose, you might as well get something out of it, right? I am encouraged by a number of the freshmen: Russell, Holland, Irvin, Cowart, Davis, Dinson... those guys look like they may be football players.

As for the guy that said this all seems like the same ole, same ole. It's been true every time. It takes 3 years minimum before a coach has his personnel. Ted Roof is the only DC that's had 3 years at Auburn since Chizik was the DC. Think about that. If we're patient with Muschamp, he'll build a mentally and physically tough defense. It's going to take three years though, and this is Year One.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

It has been 8 years with a lousy defense. I have said it before and I will say it again. If Muschamp can't fix it, nobody can. We are only 3 games into he first season as a DC. He lost his best player the first quarter of the first game. He is playing true freshmen everywhere. Hopefully with time he will turn it around but it is hard to turn around a defense that has been soooo bad for soooo long. You need time and players.

[catch8185 4]

I think this youth movement is a bit of hogwash myself. It seems like most of our players playing right now have been in the program and have played for two or three years. Let me just name a few. Frost, McKenzie, Adams, Lambert, Garrett, Countess, Ford, and Matthews. It seems slightly unfortunate that some of them can't seem to stay healthy, i.e. Lawson and Holsey.

Fournette looks stronger and faster, (so why Ford made such a ridiculous comment before the game made it such that I wouldn't be surprised if he was eating his words later), but you also put yourself in a hole when you let him get a seven yard head of steam going too. And that's the way it was most of the day on Saturday. 5 - 7 yards upfield before anyone even touches him. Except for the time where we had two guys in the backfield, and he studder-stepped one, and then flat ran by the other one to the corner and another 15-20 yard gain.

And Matthews stuck his shoulder in there earlier on one play when a guy was already stood up, but avoided it like the plague on the Fournette run down the sideline. It was a ridiculous attempt at a tackle in my opinion. Hit him straight on with your shoulders square if your right one is banged up. And if he can't really tackle properly, why is he even out there in the first place? I still can't seem to understand why tackling from the waist is a lost art. Sure, you might not always get a clean shot at the waist, but if you stay on your feet long enough and get in position, it sure beats getting shucked off like an ear of corn, when you go really low, or really high (as Matthews did).

Offense didn't really help much either, so I guess it can be mentally deflating at times to have to keep going out there, but the defense looked just as bad as the offense in my opinion with their poor tackling, and they basically just looked like they got manhandled. LSU was just tougher and seemed like the team that wanted to take revenge for the *sswhipping we gave them last year.

[cole256 17,043]

I'm just glad everyone has finally stopped talking about what a great tackler Matthews is. OVERRATED.

You know he was guarding his shoulder, right?

He hits with violence typically. That was indeed pure self preservation on that attempted tackle.

I stand by my comment while respecting your opinion.

Yea....He started as true freshman for THUGA, was laying the wood vs. Louisville and was injured, but yet he is overrated. Wow! We have some stupid fans. Do some of y'all actually watch the game or keep up with what is actually going on with the team? Who should be starting in his place? Overrated by whose standards? Yours? That's laughable at best.

Lol. It's like what if you watched Joe Montana when he threw that horrible pick....oh well he sucks, he's no hall of famer lol

[C'viewTiger 242]

After watching the game again, I really think Mathews' failed tackle was a mistimed attempt to knock LF out of bounds. I'm hoping it serves as teaching moment because it has surely served as entertainment for the highlight real. If yiu watch, TM has made several great tackles and a lot of them are from the waist up.

[3Jtiger22 0]

respect Stat too much to go as far as hogwash...but I will say there are enough seniors on this squad to make a decent argument.

What gets me is seeing 8 and 17 get literally taken out of a play by a running back or lineman...and just seem to get be exploding to at least get a hand on the play to slow it down. I don't want to get to the point where I say I am thankful at least they turn around and chase the play. I am just tired of seeing 8 or 17 coming in at the end of the play after other team scores or runs out of bounds...with a I showed up at least look. Linebacker play is non existent and to me that is killing us.

[cole256 17,043]

Scouts say different as far as Cass goes. They say he was playing pretty God up until the LSU game

[auburn4ever 1,266]

ESPN said that Auburn's offense is 113th in the nation. We have no offensive line and Jeremy needs to be benched for a few games. By doing that, maybe he would work harder and be the QB we all thought he'd be. And as for the defense, we don't have one. Maybe Will can find one before the season is over. Who knows.

[lala 327]

I think it takes time to change the p***y mentality that the d has had since Tubs left. Unfortunately CGM has not done a good job thinking D, but it can change, just takes time.

[StatTiger 3,188]

respect Stat too much to go as far as hogwash...but I will say there are enough seniors on this squad to make a decent argument.

What gets me is seeing 8 and 17 get literally taken out of a play by a running back or lineman...and just seem to get be exploding to at least get a hand on the play to slow it down. I don't want to get to the point where I say I am thankful at least they turn around and chase the play. I am just tired of seeing 8 or 17 coming in at the end of the play after other team scores or runs out of bounds...with a I showed up at least look. Linebacker play is non existent and to me that is killing us.

I think you missed the part of my post, where I suggested that some of the youth movement is because of player performance and not just injuries. Muschamp has been playing other LB's in place of 17 and 8.

[AURealist 2,185]

I like that Muschamp isn't plagued by favoritism, 'no freshmen' or "waited his turn" crap and is using all his pieces to get the D where he wants it to be. Offense should take note of that.

Let the man work.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

There's no question we're playing far more youth than we have in the past. Yes, most of the defense are juniors and seniors, but we started three freshmen (Russell, Davis, and Irvin) and gave heavy reps to three others (Cowart, Holland, and Dinson). Plus we saw more getting limited reps. That's a LOT of youth without touching Ruffin, Tre Williams, Matthews, and Kennion (all sophomores).