Can the Blackshirts hold to single digits this year?

NUance

NUance

Assistant Coach
2009 Blackshirts were #1 scoring defense in the nation at 10.43 pts per game.

There’s talk that this years Blackshirts will be better. So is there any way we hold to less than 10 pts/game---that we have a single digit defense? USC did it a couple of years back.

I’m skeptical. I think we will be good. But maybe not better than last year. We’ll prolly be a bit better at corner (we were great last year), but I think we drop off a a bit at D-line, safety and maybe LB. I’m a big fan of Crick, but he is no Suh. And we’re are gonna miss Dillard more than we realize. On the other hand, since this is our second year at Peso as our base D maybe our team play improves.

 
This is an interesting question. After all, for a lot of our games the correlation between points and yards given up was almost backwards. FAU put up just shy of 400 yards on us and only scored 3, same with OU. But TTU, the only team to score a lot of points on us, didn't have the yardage to reflect it. I think the one thing most important about our defense is that we were almost a different unit inside the red zone. In that regard, I don't expect us to fall very far, if at all. Maybe that's why Bo thinks our D can be better. After all, teams can rack up 450 for all I care if we can hold them under 10 points.

 
It's definitely possible, just not very probable. I could see us keeping it in the 10-15 ppg range. I fully expect the offense to do their own scoring this year to offset this.

 
nuance said:
2009 Blackshirts were #1 scoring defense in the nation at 10.43 pts per game.

There’s talk that this years Blackshirts will be better. So is there any way we hold to less than 10 pts/game---that we have a single digit defense? USC did it a couple of years back.

I’m skeptical. I think we will be good. But maybe not better than last year. We’ll prolly be a bit better at corner (we were great last year), but I think we drop off a a bit at D-line, safety and maybe LB. I’m a big fan of Crick, but he is no Suh. And we’re are gonna miss Dillard more than we realize. On the other hand, since this is our second year at Peso as our base D maybe our team play improves.
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Anything is possible when Bros. Pelini are running things.

I will say this though, they'll be tested early in the season against two projected 1st round NFL QBs in back-to-back weeks in Enderle (Idaho) and Locker (Washington). If the Blackshirts can make an early statement in those two games, then that'll boost their confidence in Big 12 play when we meet Gilbert, Gabbert and Johnson.

Overall, the quality of QBs we'll be facing this season will be quite tough. I do have confidence in the system that Bros. Pelini are selling. I think the players do too.

 
GSG5545 said:
It's definitely possible, just not very probable. I could see us keeping it in the 10-15 ppg range. I fully expect the offense to do their own scoring this year to offset this.
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Yeah. And it would held out our D if the offense could stay on the field for more than 3 downs, and maybe put a drive together once in a while. Which I think will happen this year.

 
Nexus said:
nuance said:
2009 Blackshirts were #1 scoring defense in the nation at 10.43 pts per game.

There’s talk that this years Blackshirts will be better. So is there any way we hold to less than 10 pts/game---that we have a single digit defense? USC did it a couple of years back.

I’m skeptical. I think we will be good. But maybe not better than last year. We’ll prolly be a bit better at corner (we were great last year), but I think we drop off a a bit at D-line, safety and maybe LB. I’m a big fan of Crick, but he is no Suh. And we’re are gonna miss Dillard more than we realize. On the other hand, since this is our second year at Peso as our base D maybe our team play improves.
Click to expand...
Anything is possible when Bros. Pelini are running things.

I will say this though, they'll be tested early in the season against two projected 1st round NFL QBs in back-to-back weeks in Enderle (Idaho) and Locker (Washington). If the Blackshirts can make an early statement in those two games, then that'll boost their confidence in Big 12 play when we meet Gilbert, Gabbert and Johnson.

Overall, the quality of QBs we'll be facing this season will be quite tough. I do have confidence in the system that Bros. Pelini are selling. I think the players do too.
Click to expand...
Frankly, I'm not sold yet on Enderle. Everyone thought Case Keenum was a stud racking up yards on CUSA until he faced a nasty pass defense in Air Force and he had his worst game ever, 5 picks I believe. Personally I our pass defense is just too good even if Enderle is the stud he's cracked up to be, I'll take Prince Dennard and Gomes over Idahos WRs 8 days a week.

 
Nexus said:
nuance said:
2009 Blackshirts were #1 scoring defense in the nation at 10.43 pts per game.

There’s talk that this years Blackshirts will be better. So is there any way we hold to less than 10 pts/game---that we have a single digit defense? USC did it a couple of years back.

I’m skeptical. I think we will be good. But maybe not better than last year. We’ll prolly be a bit better at corner (we were great last year), but I think we drop off a a bit at D-line, safety and maybe LB. I’m a big fan of Crick, but he is no Suh. And we’re are gonna miss Dillard more than we realize. On the other hand, since this is our second year at Peso as our base D maybe our team play improves.
Click to expand...
Anything is possible when Bros. Pelini are running things.

I will say this though, they'll be tested early in the season against two projected 1st round NFL QBs in back-to-back weeks in Enderle (Idaho) and Locker (Washington). If the Blackshirts can make an early statement in those two games, then that'll boost their confidence in Big 12 play when we meet Gilbert, Gabbert and Johnson.

Overall, the quality of QBs we'll be facing this season will be quite tough. I do have confidence in the system that Bros. Pelini are selling. I think the players do too.
Click to expand...
Seems like Locker is getting all the press right now (does the guy have a publisist or something?). But I think Gabbert will be at the same level this year. I doubt many outside the B12 even know about Gabbert.

 
I think when you're talking that low of a number, blind luck starts to matter. It also depends who you're playing and how good their offense is. It would be a pleasant shock if we did manage to do it, though.

 
I'm not sold an UW being such a force to be reckoned with yet, especially with a god awful o-line that they have. Our defense could do it if they play like they did last year, then add some playmaking linebackers into that mix. :bonez

 
I definitely think its possible. If it wasn't for our offense last year then we would have held teams to less than 10 per game. Losing the guys we did hurts but our D'backs will still be deadly this year.

 
It'll be close, no one can replace Suh, he's another Neil Smith.

Matt O'Hanlon is another big loss with 124 tackles and 7 pics.

BO Knows Defense we will rebound.

I still believe Solich with Bo's Defense was top notch had we got Carl Crawford over Jamal Lord we'd won a Championship that was the death of him.

 
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If you take out the 56-yd TD Colorado scored on the last play of that game the Blackshirts held opponents to 9.93 ppg points last year.

 
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