First reaction to the Grambling Game

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Run defense is especially concerning.

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This for sure.

This offense will struggle against any decent defense. Our defense may actually be worse. Prediction: 5 losses.

The front seven will be ok if they can figure out how to play within the defense together, as a defense. We are getting into the backfield and we are getting pressure, we just aren’t making the tackle bc our players aren’t playing within the system so someone can make a play. We have a guy or two in the backfield often, but we are out of our gaps so it creates a huge hole for the offense to exploit. Once we get that cleaned up then I think we’ll be ok. They need to get batter as a team and the secondary plays a lot of off zone so the defense will give up short plays and a big play if they miss an assignment. I don’t think our defense is built to be completely dominating. It’s built to prevent big plays and be opportunistic when their chance comes. You need time in a defense like this. But it can start to pay off once they’ve had time together. We have to tackle when we get a chance to and we have to start trying to get the ball out. We need better reaction time, better tackling and be more aggressive with the ball.

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Defense has regressed. Run defense is especially concerning.

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We are way over pursuing and leaving the backside wide open. Last week this burned us badly when Travis scrambled. This week the RB's cut back on us but there were some plays in there we simply got blocked and there were big rig gaps for the RB to run through.

We should never play Grambling or Southern or Southeastern

Cup cake games.

We don't have any "dudes" in the front seven like we used to have. Maybe Wingo in adequate, the rest are soft, including that big 5- star that's always hurt.

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Defense has regressed. Run defense is especially concerning.

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I'm not super concerned with the run defense. Grambling's biggest runs were on 3rd and long when we were in dime man and they ran draws off the tackle. The Saints wouldn't have stopped those runs, just the perfect call against that defense.

Now Swinson did lose contain on two of their other runs. I think that's something you'll see shake up against MSU. Would love to see Maason and Jones on the ends and Wingo and Jefferson in the middle when we run our 4 down/jack set.

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Our LBs are not savy enough. The line is not eating up enough space.

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I think Speights was hurt this weekend. One of their decent runs he appeared to be limping pretty bad chasing the ball carrier. Regardless, I would love to see Whit Weeks get some significant playing time in the middle. He's the fastest LB outside of Perkins by a pretty good margin Need him to get looks and work diagnosing run plays.

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CBs are also not there yet but are more promising than the front 7.

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CBs played much better than they're getting credit for. The first ball on Alexander and the TD on Harris, they were both in perfect position. Just need to work on turning their head a little sooner. Harris did it for multiple balls after that first TD.

The safety's, specifically Burns, concern me with their tackling in space. Burns is heady and savvy enough to be in position 99% of the time, but his ability to blow tackles that would make Craig Loston jealous