Seems like a flippant question, but it really isn't. Taking into account all of the factors, including Chizik's noticeably prevalent frustration in his post-game presser, I'd like to hear some reasons why y'all think the rush defense is still so dang bad. We've touched on this topic a lot in the last couple days, but never in its own thread where we actually try to diagnose the problems.
Factors, figures, facts, and frustrations:
So let's discuss. What the heck is going wrong beyond just relative lack of talent? This is a major problem.
EDITED TO ADD: For accuracy's sake, I looked at Tulsa's schedule and their game against San Jose State (53 rushing yards allowed) drastically curbs their average, so you can eliminate them as an example if you wish. The other teams still are good examples, IMO. Troy played Clemson and USM (who beat Kentucky) and they're still 102 ypg better than us.
Factors, figures, facts, and frustrations:
- We know the personnel is lacking and that's been documented plenty of times here, but the personnel is only lacking relative to the top ~third of our Power 5 brethren. Our personnel ain't 2*s and unranked guys; they're 3*'s and 4*'s, guys we beat other Power 5 program(s) out for. Saying our talent is bad -- I've been guilty of this too -- is an exaggeration. We may not have all the horses we need, but we should at least have some . . .
- Yes we've suffered a rash of injuries along the D-Line, but that isn't an excuse. All teams suffer injuries. Where's the depth? Injuries happen in football. This falls back on recruiting, be it whiffs or failed qualifiers (K. Campbell).
- Complexity of scheme? I'm not great with defensive X's and O's, but I was under the impression that the Chizik defense is not very complicated, especially up front, even with the nuances that were installed this year which were present last season. Is this incorrect?
- Talent evaluation is suspect? Going back to the first bullet, a lot of these guys were fairly highly ranked. Are they just not panning out? It was a big red flag when the staff recruited J.B. Copeland from Juco. The fact that you had walk-on Schoettmer as a 2-year starter and now have Cole Holcomb winning the starter's role as a former walk-on, it begs the question, what the heck happened to our supposedly talented recruits? Cayson Collins is an enigma. Tyrell Tomlin flunked out but probably wouldn't have fit in the Chizik defense. Why is no one else panning out?
- DT/DE and the Jalen Dalton experiment. It's still too early to form a concrete opinion on it, but dangit the "Moving Dalton to Tackle Experiment" still perplexes me. We need edge pass-rushers BAD, we get one, and we move him inside? I have not been blown away by Dalton in the interior, at all. He could very well become a beast in time, but right now he definitely isn't. In my unprofessional opinion, our defense would be more imposing right now -- on paper, at least -- with Dalton on the outside and Naz and Dinkins/Clarke inside. Instead, we're having to go with Powell and Bart, the former of whom can't stay healthy and the latter of whom is a hard-worker but isn't necessarily starting caliber for an aspiring Top 15 program.
- We rank 106 of 128 in rushing yards allowed per game (226.7). Going back to the first and fourth bullet point (recruiting rankings and whether those recruits pan(ned) out), here are some teams ranked dramatically ahead of us in rush defense --> Tulsa (148.7), Charlotte (147.0), UMass (132.3), Troy (124.3), Ohio (111.0). Do you not think we have way more talent.....night and day talent than those teams? Yet, why are our numbers far worse than theirs? By the way, you'll notice I didn't just pull teams who haven't played anyone. All of those teams I picked out have faced at least one quality Power 5 opponent like us. Charlotte faced Louisville, UMass faced Florida, Troy faced Clemson, etc.
So let's discuss. What the heck is going wrong beyond just relative lack of talent? This is a major problem.
EDITED TO ADD: For accuracy's sake, I looked at Tulsa's schedule and their game against San Jose State (53 rushing yards allowed) drastically curbs their average, so you can eliminate them as an example if you wish. The other teams still are good examples, IMO. Troy played Clemson and USM (who beat Kentucky) and they're still 102 ypg better than us.
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