Thoughts on the defense?

[peck4au 0]

It is my opinion that our def will be vastly improved this yr. I am one of the few that thinks our def played well enough to win every game last yr except for LSU. Considering what he had to work with I think Roof done a fine job. Everyone got to see what a rested Auburn def looked like against Bama. If we can get a few fresh to play well and Savage, McNeil and Etheridge return to form our def will be one of the better in the conf. meaning one of the better ones period. Say what you want about the stats but like I said earlier other than LSU what game did we not have a chance to win? This is going to be a special season down on the Plains, I mean I always think we are going to win them all but this yr. we have a more than fair chance of that happening. So WDE and remember Auburn just has that "Winning" Gene!

[triangletiger 1,599]

Winning 'Gene' - I like that! 

[Mattco 0]

Our defense has to be better, it can't get worse.  Our defense had some talent last year but playing for what, 11 straight weeks?  That will kill these kids.  Adding any depth at all that can take some reps when the starters need it will give a new step to the defense.

Our main thing that we need to improve on are injuries.  While we have added depth, we haven't added experience and we need to get lucky for the first time in years with the injury bug.

[AUnCullman 601]

I think we finished like 52nd in the country last year in defense if I'm not mistaken. If we can half that, with our offense its going to be a "good to great" year!

   

[NWALTIGER 1]

The defense will be deeper. That alone should help. Don't count on not having injuries we will have a few at least. Haven't heard much about the freshman linebackers. I think one at least will have to have significant playing time. My guess would be Owens, but Holland or White could get in. Has anyone heard how they are progressing?

[Funnthasun 0]

I agree we were had some talent, but no depth. If we can just have a top 25 defense this year ... this could be a special year.

[Aubie791 0]

I agree with peck's comments... Can Savage, McNeil and Etheridge play close to their previous levels?  I sure hope so because that will be a great indication of the type of season we can expect.  We were not very good defensively last year and yet we were in every game except LSU and (don't forget) Arkansas.  I love the "Winning Gene" by the way... AUsome!

For me, a couple of other keys will be whether or not we can field special teams which are not dominated by starting offensive and defensive players and whether or not we can build defensive experience via well timed substitutions as opposed to it being created out of necessity when a starter goes down.

We will be better offensively, defensively and on special teams.  Can we avoid the injury bug?

WDE! 

[around4ever 4,139]

With the move of Bates from S to LB, I am thinking we may see a little more 4-2-5, or nickel, with him playing kind of a hybrid position.  He is very good on run support and can drop back in coverage, too.  It won't be a standard defense but I think we may see it more, especially against a spread type offense. 

[NoALtiger 4,101]

I agree our D will be better- not that it should be that hard coming off one of the statistically worse AU D's of all-time. Another year in the system and fresh faces should help vastly. I think the D will a work in progress and should (hopefully) improve as the season goes along, no reason it shouldn't. WDE.

[Quietmaninthecorner 2,033]

... I am one of the few that thinks our def played well enough to win every game last yr except for LSU...

  I agree we will be a lot better on D,  and I agree we played with one hand tied behind our backlast year,  but there were a lot of games our D didn't play well enough to win last year besides LSU.  Arkansas and Georgia come to mind.

With the depth we have now,  we should see tremendous improvement. 

[HardFightingSoldier 0]

I have a lot of faith in Chizik and Roof as defensive coaches. We will turn it around on defense sooner than later.

[au_weagle 0]

Roof and Chizik aren't guys who out-scheme people, like Muschamp did. The love to play base defense, and leave it in the hands of their players to make plays, get off blocks, make the tackles. That's why I think Chzik's philosophy wasn't good in Iowa State, they didnt have the players to make that happen.

[AUBSC76 0]

Our defense has to be better, it can't get worse.  Yes it could, a lot worse (but it won't) Our defense had some talent last year but playing for what, 11 straight weeks?  That will kill these kids.  Adding any depth at all that can take some reps when the starters need it will give a new step to the defense. I agree 100%

Our main thing that we need to improve on are injuries.  While we have added depth, we haven't added experience and we need to get lucky for the first time in years with the injury bug. True but we have a few jucos and rsFr and trFr who went through spring training who have more experience than trFr (Bonomolo, Egue, Sanders, Curry)

[Slammer1 409]

Just a few thoughts on our defense. I think the offensive scoring in our scrimmages is pretty much like it is in a regular game. I have no idea how Coach Chizik comes up with defensive scoring.

But in defense of the Defense, has the thought occured to anybody that we have one hell of an offense that is extremely difficult to defend. Our defense might be trying to stay up with the one of the best offenses in the country this year. If Coach Malzahn's previous record is to account for anything then this just might be the case.

We seem to have a lot of play makers on our offense this year, so to me the jury is still out on our defense but I can guarantee it won't be anything like last year.  We will know soon enough when the season starts. I am really looking forward to this season like I never have before and I've been watching the Auburn football since 1957.

I think Tubs gave us some good years but he never struck me a a great coach. Good, yes, but not great. On that note, I like Coach Chizik's philosophy, "good to great". I think its about time we had someone that thinks that way and Coach Chizik certainly has us headed in that direction. WDE!! Let's go get 'em Tigers!! 

[BustemBigBlue 222]

With the type of offense we run we need a lot of quality depth on defense to be very good. The up tempo style doesn't lead to many long sustained drives and the defense doesn't get time to rest. I think this is why we looked so poor at times last year. We'll have more depth this year but a few freshmen will have to step up.

[AUIH1 1,515]

It is my opinion that our def will be vastly improved this yr. I am one of the few that thinks our def played well enough to win every game last yr except for LSU. Considering what he had to work with I think Roof done a fine job. Everyone got to see what a rested Auburn def looked like against Bama. If we can get a few fresh to play well and Savage, McNeil and Etheridge return to form our def will be one of the better in the conf. meaning one of the better ones period. Say what you want about the stats but like I said earlier other than LSU what game did we not have a chance to win? This is going to be a special season down on the Plains, I mean I always think we are going to win them all but this yr. we have a more than fair chance of that happening. So WDE and remember Auburn just has that "Winning" Gene!

Other than the SPUAT game our D was pretty bad.  IMO, we won in spite of the D most of time.  Our D was rested against NW and looked like a high school team.  The jury is still out on Roof.  Fortunately, from what I have read, Chizik seems to be spending alot of time in the pre-season visiting the D during practices.

wde

[au_weagle 0]

I think having our offense to practice against should be a big help.

[peck4au 0]

A high school team? Let me put you on the field against a team that throws the ball on every play and not give you a single play off to rest and see how you fair in the 3rd and 4th quarter. I mean all our lb's and Thorpe played every single play, not 85 or 90%, every single play. You find me a game where the starting LB's and CB's played every single snap. I'd be willing to bet very few exist. To call them high schoolers was a bit unfair, I'd say dog tired and still able to dig down and make the play to win the game.

[WarDamn2010 183]

Well on paper...we had a ridiculously huge chance to lose to Northwestern...600 some odd yards of total offense I believe.

[auskull 242]

It does bother me that our Defense has struggled. Defense wins championships and we are not back to where we need to be. Hopefully we will get better. Also, Cam is not having stellar practices either but does seem to be successful against our defense. I hope the offense is really playing lights out and the defense is competing against one of the best. I just am not convinced.

[AUIH1 1,515]

A high school team? Let me put you on the field against a team that throws the ball on every play and not give you a single play off to rest and see how you fair in the 3rd and 4th quarter. I mean all our lb's and Thorpe played every single play, not 85 or 90%, every single play. You find me a game where the starting LB's and CB's played every single snap. I'd be willing to bet very few exist. To call them high schoolers was a bit unfair, I'd say dog tired and still able to dig down and make the play to win the game.

Yes, against an average NW team our D looked and played like a HS team.  NW was moving the ball at will in the 1st and 2nd Quarter not just the 3rd and 4th.  We should win 9 regular season games just by our offense taking control and some improvement on D.  For us to win 10 or especially 11 or more games then our D has to improve by leaps and bounds. 

wde

[AUBSC76 0]

"Our D was rested against NW and looked like a high school team."

NU ran twice as many plays as a typical game which exacerbated our lack of depth on defense as well as on our kick and punt coverage teams.  Ironmen J. Bynes and C. Stevens played EVERY defensive snap (all 117 of them) and T'Sharvan Bell and Drew Cole who hardly played a down that mattered all season were in on NU's final two possessions when the games was on the line AND WE WON!  Besides the gutty performances by our two ironmen LBs, much-maligned Neiko Thorpe, and Walt McFadden Ted Roof, Tracy Rocker, and Tommy Thigpen deserve a lot of credit for getting more done with fewer players than Auburn has had in a long time.

[au_weagle 0]

D will definitely improve this year, with the steps that have been taken this offseason, and with the leadership returning. How much they improved they are is what will decide whether we are a good, 9 win team, or a great, Championship contending team.

[13sandersmama 0]

I agree with that wholeheartedly, but I think that these young guys are really Auburn men, and will make more big plays that mistakes.

[RockyMtnTiger 0]

I have mentioned many times that due to the added depth to our LB's and DB's Roof will be able to amp up the defense he likes to employ which is highly aggressive. The talent we have on the D-Line is sick and our LB's are tough as heck with so much experience which will help our young guns to get up to speed. Our D will end up in the top 25 and that right there seals the KY, GA, Bama game from last year. Secondly I believe with another year in Malzahn's system our O will keep our D off the field more this year with better sustained drives. Depth was our true enemy last year and although we are not all the way there yet we will be fun to watch on D this year. I am stoked just as much for them as I am for our O. WDE