quote:
Did our D line let Vandys receivers run right by our DBs every play? Barnett and Vereen were both playing, I wouldn't attribute the awful secondary play to a bad pass rush.

The entire defense failed just as it had failed in the prior two games. Vandy could've been any team -- who we played mattered not. Go and look at what they were giving up the past three or so games - EVERY GAME. Defense far more than offense has to work as a unit in order to function. You have no DTs, bad LBs, beat up safetys, and one good corner who is coming off of injury and they played like it.

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Posted by Nukeese

Member since Nov 2016

1269 posts

Posted on 12/26/16 at 7:08 pm to Prof

Yes, they played terribly because they were poorly coached. There have been a lot of terrible defenses in the SEC, including a recent VOLS defense. I would be willing to wager that there are only a select few who gave up 2k yards in 3 games. Injuries are an excuse only up to a certain point, blaming the entire defenses struggles on injuries and not holding coaches responsible is lazy and irresponsible IMO. Even after we lost Sutton, JRM, and Kirkland to injury there was no adjustments from Shoop to better fit the personnel available to him. How many times does it take seeing Gaulden whiffing on a corner blitz and us getting burnt as a result for him to make an adjustment?

Shoop may have a solid track record, but he had a horrendous season and a lot of the poor displays the 2nd half of the season fall on him.

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Posted by WhiskeyPapa

Member since Aug 2016

9277 posts

Posted on 12/27/16 at 7:10 am to Prof

quote:
The entire defense failed just as it had failed in the prior two games. Vandy could've been any team -- who we played mattered not. Go and look at what they were giving up the past three or so games - EVERY GAME. Defense far more than offense has to work as a unit in order to function. You have no DTs, bad LBs, beat up safetys, and one good corner who is coming off of injury and they played like it.

This sounds like mitigation for Coach Jones. So maybe this game was not such a sure thing after all?

Of course -our- offense was shut down by Vandy.

Yes, yes. The Vandy wing of my family ostentatiiously bought each other these shell vests that Coach Mason favors and tried them on at our joyous Christmas celebration.