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Two games into 2013, UL’s defense is not – by his own admission – where new coordinator James Willis wants it to be.
The unit created three turnovers – one fumble recovery, and two interceptions.
But the Ragin’ Cajuns yielded 522 yards in total offense in a season-opening 34-14 loss at Arkansas, and 454 in a 48-27 loss last Saturday at Kansas State.
That’s an average of 488 yards per game allowed – both against major-conference opponents, granted, but still 33.1 yards per game more than in 2012, a season after which defensive coordinator Greg Stewart was fired and Willis was hired.
Willis said the Cajuns, who play their home opener Saturday night vs. Nicholls State, had “hoped to be No. 1 in every area of competition.”
“But what I do see is I see progress. Every week we see our defense playing a little bit better,” he said. “I see the youth growing up right in front of our eyes. … The thing I’m most excited about is watching them during the course of a game, making adjustments on the move.
“Things started going bad a little bit the first game. But the second game you noticed them. When things got rough, they stood up. They made adjustments on the sideline. They played with great effort throughout the entire game. I saw them never let go of the rope.”
Neither did head coach Mark Hudspeth, who likes the system Willis is utilizing.
A season ago, the Cajuns opened as a 3-4 defense. The played the same under Stewart in 2011. But by midseason last, they switched to a 4-3 at Hudspeth’s urging.
In the offseason, Hudspeth essentially suggested UL would remain a 4-3 – and hopefully be more multiple too.
But the Cajuns worked hard during preseason training camp last August to keep quiet what their real defensive base is now.
They even initially listed sophomore starter Dominque Tovell as a defensive end in a 4-3, when in reality he’s a 6-foot-2, 248-pound outside linebacker.
When needed, though, Tovell – who will move into injured Boris Anyama’s linebacker spot Saturday – can play down on the line.
“That gives us the flexibility to play 4-3,” Hudspeth said. “But obviously our base is 3-4.”
Hudspeth feels being 3-4/multiple is best-suited for the Cajuns “just as long as we can continue playing some four down when we need to.”
He wants Willis’ defense to keep opponents guessing.
“The 3-4 gives you the opportunity to be multiple, where you’re not just a straight 4-3, Cover 2 team, and you give everybody answers to the test before the game even starts,” Hudspeth said. “We hope they (opponents) have to study for the test.”
Being multiple allows the Cajuns to change looks game-to-game, series-to-series and sometimes even play-to-play.
It allows them to start with four down linemen like they did on their opening defensive series at Arkansas.
It allows them, on occasion, to drop inside linebacker Justin Anderson into deep middle coverage playing Tampa 2, like they employed a time or two at Kansas State.
“Our system and our concepts are our systems and our concepts. They (Cajun players) know it inside and out,” said Willis, a former NFL linebacker and Auburn and Alabama assistant coach whose only prior season as defensive coordinator came at Texas Tech in 2010. “That’s why we’re able to be multiple.
“It’s about understanding formations, and the coverages within. For us, it’s very simple – either ‘I’m in the box’ or ‘I’m out of the box;’ either ‘I’m rushing’ or ‘I’m dropping.’ They understand what they have to do. It’s very simple.
“And at the end of the day, when you turn the film on … it’s about what the kids know,” he added. “I want them to play fast, with confidence. That allows us to make plays.”
It took the Cajuns a game, however, to figure out some major changes that needed to be made.
Most notably, starting strong safety Trevence Patt became a starting cornerback over benched junior-college transfer Cedrick Tillman, backup T.J. Worthy took over as starting strong safety and junior ex-safety Tig Barksdale was named starting inside linebacker ahead of senior Andrew Hebert.
UL also stuck with Sean Thomas, who played cornerback much of last spring, as starting free safety over sixth-year senior Rodney Gillis.
“To me, opening up against Arkansas and Kansas State we sort of got the (final) exam before the midterm,” Hudspeth said. “They (Cajun defensive players) were thrown into the fire pretty quick, especially with eight new starters.
“But, to be honest with you, considering the circumstances, I thought after Week 2 we’re doing some good stuff. … I think now we do have our guys in the right spots in the secondary. I just wish we would have done a better job as coaches realizing that sooner.”
So does Willis, who calls personnel switches made between Week 1 and Week 2 “huge.”
“Luckily it’s early enough in the season to make the changes necessary to get the guys in the proper positions,” he said. “Now it’s about getting the same reps over and over again, getting guys in the right spot.
“We’re finally starting to get our guys in the right positions now. It took us a few weeks. We thought in training camp we would have had that done. But once we got our first test, things really came into picture.”
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