i agree that our defensive shortcomings are a major issue

Nov 25, 2012, 11:32 AM

but i think that it's more specifically in the secondary, and has been for years....our DL has some depth and really stuffed the run last night until late in the game...our LB's have come a long way this year with Shuey and Willard stepping up lately and playing physical. our issue, to me, has been our DB's and their complete lack of ball skills and tackling skills....i've been saying for years that we lack playmaking ballhawk types in the secondary and with even ONE guy like that we'd be a better D by miles...we lack blazing speed back there, we lack ball skills, we have hands of stone back there unless the ball hits them in the chest, we lack guys who out athlete you for the football....and there is absolutely NOBODY back there who'll come up and drill you in the chest....BV in my opinion has our D improved across the board but until we get true playmakers (or even one or two) back there in the secondary we'll struggle. the thing about SC's DB's and some other teams across the country's DB's is that they will come up in run support or the short passing game and PUNISH ball carriers. If you watched the Stanford/Oregon game you'd see Stanford DB's who hit like LB's and play the ball like they are possessed. ND has some too. Blanks looks like he might have some of that in him but he needs to get stronger....none of the upperclassmen we have impress me back there at all and never have. We need a Delton Hall type of corner to be our standard....tough, physical, hitter who, when the ball is in his hands, he's beats the receivers strength and takes the pick. at safety we need the CF patroller who'll come up and separate people from the football. You need a SS who punishes everyone near him. Our tackling back there is a joke....I want good citizens who have class off the field but they have GOT to be physically destructive hitters and ball skill guys ON the field....you need football players who happen to be DB's, not freakishly fast athletes who are not physical and lack instincts. BV will go to work, trust that. Our DL and young LB's show some signs but we have to get DB's with a MENTALITY more than just measurable athleticism traits.

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it's not ALL D but there is no way in the world anyone can tell me that our offense isn't deflated buy the inability of our D to get them the ball back so that we can keep the pedal on the floor.....i totally agree that our O needs a dose of physicality, especially on the O line....but i'm telling you, you want to see an O get fired up? Let a defense take over a game by creating turnovers, separating ball carriers from the ball, and MAKING THE PICK when it's in your hands....an O like ours or Oregon's would become sharks with blood in the water if the D could consistently make plays back there to keep the O in rhythm.....an O like ours and Oregon's is almost all rhythm based....when the D cannot get a TO, they lose their momentum, big time.

i agree that our defensive shortcomings are a major issue

Re: it's not all defense, the offense can't beat good defen

oh i agree

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