Hudspeth happy with Cajuns' defensive scheme, coaching

UL coach Mark Hudspeth was pleased by UL's new defensive scheme, but creating turnovers was an issue in 2015

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This won't end well....

In reading the article, it seems that the only thing he is unhappy with is our lack of creating turnovers this season. Not good. If you can't identify, acknowledge and properly address your issues / deficiencies, you will not solve them.

No one could tackle. It was frustrating to watch. This is on the defensive staff.

Turnovers are hard to come by when a guy catches a slant over the middle and no one is around to even two-hand touch him.

If a player catches a touchdown pass and there is no defender there to see it, is it really a touchdown.

HA!!!

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Originally Posted by MelRock

If a player catches a touchdown pass and there is no defender there to see it, is it really a touchdown.

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I know everything falls on the coaches shoulders in the end but if the DC makes the right call and the players keep
Blowing their assignment, at some point the players need to take responsibility for that. I heard it from players and coaches all season about guys playing for themselves and not doing their job. If everyone is always trying to be the hero, you will get a lot of blown assignments. Gerald commented it's hard to get guys to understand how to be gap sound at this level because a lot were dominant in high school and didn't need to be, they could overcome bad technique with raw power and skill.

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Originally Posted by MelRock

If a player catches a touchdown pass and there is no defender there to see it, is it really a touchdown.

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Touchdowns are irrelevant. The game is all about the turnover battle.

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Originally Posted by Just1More

Touchdowns are irrelevant. The game is all about the turnover battle.

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We really did have a bad season then; we at least scored a touchdown or two!

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Originally Posted by crazycajun

I know everything falls on the coaches shoulders in the end but if the DC makes the right call and the players keep
Blowing their assignment, at some point the players need to take responsibility for that. I heard it from players and coaches all season about guys playing for themselves and not doing their job. If everyone is always trying to be the hero, you will get a lot of blown assignments. Gerald commented it's hard to get guys to understand how to be gap sound at this level because a lot were dominant in high school and didn't need to be, they could overcome bad technique with raw power and skill.

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The only skill that matters on a UL defense is creating turnovers. A really good apple turnover is delicious.

Cherry turnovers are very good too ... at least the first time.

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Originally Posted by moorecajun

Cherry turnovers are very good too ... at least the first time.

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Love em.

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Originally Posted by NewsCopy

UL coach Mark Hudspeth was pleased by UL's new defensive scheme, but creating turnovers was an issue in 2015

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Doesn't sound like a coach coming off a 4-8 season...with a defense he pigeonholed from the word go. Sounds like the same meat-head with a tight T-shirt.

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Originally Posted by Just1More

Touchdowns are irrelevant. The game is all about the turnover battle.

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I don't see the problem.

Touchdowns are turnovers and UL got the ball plenty of times this way. ;)

Coach Hud, the best way to force a turnover is to force a punt.

The best way to force a punt is to play solid, fundamental defense.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crazycajun

I know everything falls on the coaches shoulders in the end but if the DC makes the right call and the players keep
Blowing their assignment, at some point the players need to take responsibility for that. I heard it from players and coaches all season about guys playing for themselves and not doing their job. If everyone is always trying to be the hero, you will get a lot of blown assignments. Gerald commented it's hard to get guys to understand how to be gap sound at this level because a lot were dominant in high school and didn't need to be, they could overcome bad technique with raw power and skill.

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Players blowing assignments is coaching. And the players blowing those assignments were recruited by this staff.

It's coaching.

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Originally Posted by CajunRed

Players blowing assignments is coaching. And the players blowing those assignments were recruited by this staff.

It's coaching.

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Actually, none of those players were recruited by this defensive staff...Mario Osborne maybe?

I don't have to read the article to know Huds unhappy with how the defense played. Players ran man for what seems like the first time in their life and this was a rebuilding year anyways. I look for the defense to be much better next year

A few numbers on the defense. Take them as what you will:

Yards per game: 420.8 (4th best in 5 yrs, only 2012 worse. Rush yds/gm went up over 40 ypg)
Pts per game: 31.83 (Worst, almost 6 ppg worse than last year)
Forced fumbles per gm: 0.5 (Worst, typically around 0.65 so 2 or 3 over the course of a year)
INT per gm: 0.42 (Worst, first 3 years averaged at least 1 INT per gm)
Sacks per gm: 1.83 (4th best in 5 yrs, only 2013 worse)

Red zone defense was surprisingly better in scoring and td percentage than most years.

Looking at general numbers of each year, the two Willis seasons are pretty clearly the best ones in some key areas. We allowed the lowest passing number this year, but that may be because we also allowed over 40 yards per game rushing more than last year.

Pts: Willis (26.2), Stewart (29.0), Smith (31.8)
Rush Yds: Stewart (141.2), Willis (146.5), Smith (183.8)
Pass Yds: Smith (237.1), Willis (253.2), Stewart (272.3)
Total Yds: Willis (399.7), Stewart (413.6), Smith (420.8)
Turnovers: Stewart (1.70), Willis (1.54), Smith (0.92)

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Originally Posted by wcd35

Red zone defense was surprisingly better in scoring and td percentage than most years.

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This is no surprise when you give TD passes of 30+ yards

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Originally Posted by crazycajun

Actually, none of those players were recruited by this defensive staff...Mario Osborne maybe?

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Sorry.... I didn't realize that none of Hud's signees made assignment mistakes this year.

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Originally Posted by CajunRed

Sorry.... I didn't realize that none of Hud's signees made assignment mistakes this year.

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I'm sorry I didn't realize the guy calling the defensive plays has all his guys on the field. This defensive staffs strong suit is recruiting, let's at least see how they do with their guys. The guys that were out there were brought in by an entire staff that was not retained.

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Originally Posted by wcd35

A few numbers on the defense. Take them as what you will:

Yards per game: 420.8 (4th best in 5 yrs, only 2012 worse. Rush yds/gm went up over 40 ypg)
Pts per game: 31.83 (Worst, almost 6 ppg worse than last year)
Forced fumbles per gm: 0.5 (Worst, typically around 0.65 so 2 or 3 over the course of a year)
INT per gm: 0.42 (Worst, first 3 years averaged at least 1 INT per gm)
Sacks per gm: 1.83 (4th best in 5 yrs, only 2013 worse)

Red zone defense was surprisingly better in scoring and td percentage than most years.

Looking at general numbers of each year, the two Willis seasons are pretty clearly the best ones in some key areas. We allowed the lowest passing number this year, but that may be because we also allowed over 40 yards per game rushing more than last year.

Pts: Willis (26.2), Stewart (29.0), Smith (31.8)
Rush Yds: Stewart (141.2), Willis (146.5), Smith (183.8)
Pass Yds: Smith (237.1), Willis (253.2), Stewart (272.3)
Total Yds: Willis (399.7), Stewart (413.6), Smith (420.8)
Turnovers: Stewart (1.70), Willis (1.54), Smith (0.92)

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Thanks for the nuts and bolts research

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crazycajun

I know everything falls on the coaches shoulders in the end but if the DC makes the right call and the players keep
Blowing their assignment, at some point the players need to take responsibility for that. I heard it from players and coaches all season about guys playing for themselves and not doing their job. If everyone is always trying to be the hero, you will get a lot of blown assignments. Gerald commented it's hard to get guys to understand how to be gap sound at this level because a lot were dominant in high school and didn't need to be, they could overcome bad technique with raw power and skill.

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Recruiting errors are on the coaches. These young men accepted our investigation to be coached up. They're either bad citizens or recruiting errors. Both lay at Hud's feet.