re: LSU Fans: What made the difference in your defense?

quote:

---

Remind me who started this childish game of thread policing, which has never happened in the 2+ years I've posted on the SEC Rant?

---

Have you seen many trick threads? Right.

quote:

---

Are you trying to get a moderator job?

---

I'd sure like to wear one of those orange windbreakers the mods get.

quote:

---

You are asking why our defense is better. Yes, only 2 guys had season ending injuries, but if you look at our 2-deep, at least 5 new guys are seeing significant playing time and we lost THREE players who went in the top 3 rounds in the NFL draft. You comparing apples & oranges here.

---

Not really.

I'm finding out about your current defense, but also hearing how your defense wasn't as good as it could have been last year due to injuries. Apples to apples.

Is it that painful for people to give Arkansas credit for anything? LSU already has a better offense, defense, and special teams. LSU has a better coach. LSU has better everything. I'm not even making this shite up. This is the stuff that's consistently on this board, which is understandable given the population and current success.

I'm not even saying that Arkansas has a good defense. I'm simply saying that it's naive to just look at stats. I think I've made a fairly good argument. But still, NONE of you can say, "yeah - that's fair."

quote:

---

What you're missing are probably the two most IMPORTANT factors: Preparing in the offseason for Oregon and more/better depth.

---

What your missing is the fact that I'm not talking about LSU's 2011 defense and how it compares to Arkansas. I'm referring to LSU fans who have admitted that they would have had a better defense in 2010 if guys like Sam Montgomery had not been injured.

By that notion, it's reasonable to assume that if Arkansas hadn't lost 5 starters over the course of 5 games, their defense would have been better.

quote:

---

LSU has had injuries/suspensions, whatever this year, and it hasn't stopped them - they just plug in another great talent, in top condition, and win.

---

I realize that.

quote:

---

Quit trying to gin up excuses before the game even kicks off.

---

WTF? How am I making up excuses? How would someone's PERCEPTION of a defense possibly be construed as a reason for losing? "Our defense isn't as bad as looks on paper" suggests the complete opposite. An excuse would have to be something like, "Our offense isn't as good as it looks so if you shut us down it's not that impressive."

quote:

---

We don't have to look at stats. No defense has been able to contain our offense outside of Bama. Neither will yours no matter how unknown your identity is. We will be able to contain your offense though.

---

That. is. not. the. point.

Jesus christ.

Let me ask you a simple question:

If a basketball player average 20 points per game for the first 41 games of a season, then hurts his shooting hand and averages 10 points a game over the last 41 games...Would you expect him to score 15 points per game in the playoffs if his hand was still hurt?

If a baseball player bats .400 for 81 games in a season but then comes down with a hernia/pulled hamstring/whatever......and then bats .200 for the remaining 81 games...would you expect that player to hit for .300 in the playoffs if he was still injured?

If a team gives up 30 points a game with an unhealthy defense, but only 10 per game with a healthy defense, would you expect that defense to give up 20 points per game if it was healthy?

Let me spell this out one more time. I am not suggesting Arkansas has a good defense. I'm saying that no one knows how good arkansas' defense is. Stats do not factor in the impact of lost players. FACT. So to draw conclusions about Arkansas' defense based on stats if asinine, in any direction.

Arkansas' defense is an unknown. LSU might run for 5000 yards on us. Or you may run for 150.

quote:

---

There's no one reason why we are so much better. The OP is trying to make a point that Arkansas' defense is better than we think because they were decimated with injuries early in the year. Unfortunately, injuries are about 10% of the reason we are better. But every LSU fan has hit the nail on the head. Let me attempt to summarize:

1. Better offensive identity resulting in huge TOP favoring LSU
2. Special teams. 6 punt return yards on 40+ punts. Average starting field position is +15 yards LSU
3. 10-man DL. deepest in the nation. All equally talented for the most part
4. More experienced secondary. Eric Reid's development into the best safety in the nation. Mo Claiborne/Honey Badger superior athletes
5. One more year in Chavis' scheme.
6. Fundamental tackling--we do not give up big plays.

---

^This. Well done. 'Nuff said.

quote:

---

Doesn't change the fact that ark still has yet to beat a good team with or without the injuries

---

We've beaten good teams. No great teams like Bama, but we've got a couple of decent wins.

But, once again, for those of you who fail to grasp the point....I'm not question whether arkansas will win or lose. I'm saying you can't extrapolate the effectiveness of arkansas' defense based on stats, which is running rampant on this board.

Scar without lattimore? You're wanting the benefit of the doubt when there's little evidence. Don't hold your breath

You want the benefit of the doubt for your mediocre defense when even once healthy don't have a single impressive win. GL with that

The third year in the Chief's system for many of the players; natural progression of maturity of some very skilled athletes; and two guys the Hawgs did not see last season dut to injuries have fully recovered; Montgomery and Taylor were having great seasons a year ago when they suffered season-ending injuries. Their absences really hurt against Auburn(Montgomery) and Ark.(both guys out).

quote:

---

What your missing is the fact that I'm not talking about LSU's 2011 defense and how it compares to Arkansas.

---

No, what you initially asked was the difference between the 2010 and 2011 LSU defenses:

quote:

---

Coming from 2010 to 2011, what's made your defense that much better?

---

You've been given lists of reasons, and all you have focused on are the injuries. I'm telling you that isn't the biggest factor. Then you spew a bunch of gas, but in reality it only looks like you're trying to use injuries to justify Arkansas' poor defensive perfomance this season.

Injuries happen to every defense, it cancels itself out over the season between teams.

The DIFFERENCE is that if you have enough QUALITY DEPTH, injuries don't impact the performance of the defense as a whole.

So Arkansas' problem isn't injuries, it's a lack of quality players to plug in for the injured ones - no depth.

And it's been long enougjh for BP to build quality depth on his defense, but he hasn't. You can'tt blame that on BP being an offense guy, you have to blame that on the DC.

After all, Miles isn't a defensive guy either.