2015 Cajuns' defensive concerns are front-loaded

[MetryCajun]

Yes, I think our bigger issues will continue to be in the secondary. Taboris Lee was a lot like Ringo and I think will be a lot like him in the future. He was in the backfield against Nevada almost as much as Ringo and Juice. I liked what I saw at times from Briscoe and I think White and Douglas are very athletic. I like what we have coming back especially now that it seems we may actually have an edge rusher in Darzil Washington.

Briscoe looked overweight and slow off the line. I would be surprised if he is a significant contributor. Excited to see Washington next year.

[CrazyCajun]

Briscoe will move back to the middle where he belongs.

[CrappDaddy]

Briscoe is solid in the run game. He and Stephens will hold their own.

[Just1More]

Call me crazy, but I think the secondary is going to be much improved. Tracy Walker looks like a good one and we'll add Brazil and Thomas to the fold. There's good reason to believe that we will be much improved there and at linebacker.

Nothing crazy about it. If we main line man coverage, we'll kick rump. We should have counted on these guys to get better week to week in man assignment coverage, and switched to zone under specific scenarios. We showed our hand defensively most of the season. We were lucky our offense compensated. The last 6 quarters of football... second half at Troy... and 4 quarters against Nevada... proved we had the personnel all season to thrive in man coverage. We only resorted to man coverage after failing miserably in the first half against Troy. If we were personnel deficient to play any team on our schedule with secondary assignment football, we shouldn't have done it against Nevada. If we had a weak secondary, or had to park every lineman and LB in a lane to contain Fajardo... we didn't do it. We slashed and gashed to get on his ___, and we covered everyone (but twice) like a blanket, in man coverage. If we don't feature a high pressure/assignment coverage defense next year... our coaches have lost their minds.

In other words, we lack nothing in defensive personnel. You just about can't lack defensive athletes when you recruit in Louisiana and Mississippi. You just have to let the hair grow on your back, teach fundamentals, preach aggression, and let them do what they came to college to do.

[RedCajun]

Briscoe is solid in the run game. He and Stephens will hold their own.

Agreed. Briscoe does a good job playing with leverage.

I think the d line will continue to be a strength next season.

Any chance Sherrard Johnson is in the d line rotation? To me, he would be a beast on the other side of the ball at guard or rt.

[CajunT]

Yes.....the young man we placed from Farmersville 2 years ago is a commitment. Please see updated commitment list at Louisiana.scout.com

Policarp, UL dropped Andrews about a month back. He won't be coming to UL.

[Policarp]

Oops.....my bad.

[Bandwagon King]

Nothing crazy about it. If we main line man coverage, we'll kick rump. We should have counted on these guys to get better week to week in man assignment coverage, and switched to zone under specific scenarios. We showed our hand defensively most of the season. We were lucky our offense compensated. The last 6 quarters of football... second half at Troy... and 4 quarters against Nevada... proved we had the personnel all season to thrive in man coverage. We only resorted to man coverage after failing miserably in the first half against Troy. If we were personnel deficient to play any team on our schedule with secondary assignment football, we shouldn't have done it against Nevada. If we had a weak secondary, or had to park every lineman and LB in a lane to contain Fajardo... we didn't do it. We slashed and gashed to get on his ___, and we covered everyone (but twice) like a blanket, in man coverage. If we don't feature a high pressure/assignment coverage defense next year... our coaches have lost their minds.

In other words, we lack nothing in defensive personnel. You just about can't lack defensive athletes when you recruit in Louisiana and Mississippi. You just have to let the hair grow on your back, teach fundamentals, preach aggression, and let them do what they came to college to do.

Do you need a job as a defensive coordinator? Or better yet, you should go around the country preaching this philosophy in coaching seminars for offensive head coaches. What I don't understand is that when an offensive coach is running a team & he makes his defensive coach run a scheme that he understands. If he can understand it & therefore beat it, then why does he want his own coach running that philosophy? A smart offensive coach will give his defensive guy leeway to run the kind of defense he wants, ala Chavis & LSU. Where would they be without him?

[ManAboutTown]

Nothing crazy about it. If we main line man coverage, we'll kick rump. We should have counted on these guys to get better week to week in man assignment coverage, and switched to zone under specific scenarios. We showed our hand defensively most of the season. We were lucky our offense compensated. The last 6 quarters of football... second half at Troy... and 4 quarters against Nevada... proved we had the personnel all season to thrive in man coverage. We only resorted to man coverage after failing miserably in the first half against Troy. If we were personnel deficient to play any team on our schedule with secondary assignment football, we shouldn't have done it against Nevada. If we had a weak secondary, or had to park every lineman and LB in a lane to contain Fajardo... we didn't do it. We slashed and gashed to get on his ___, and we covered everyone (but twice) like a blanket, in man coverage. If we don't feature a high pressure/assignment coverage defense next year... our coaches have lost their minds.

In other words, we lack nothing in defensive personnel. You just about can't lack defensive athletes when you recruit in Louisiana and Mississippi. You just have to let the hair grow on your back, teach fundamentals, preach aggression, and let them do what they came to college to do.

If we can run a true man and get adequate pressure from the front 4 (Washington coming off the edge at times, J Bris and Taboris up the middle) we can navigate next year's schedule defensively. I believe we have the athletes to do it. Maybe Hud will trust the scheme now that its paid dividends for the team. Question for me is, who provides the speed and discipline at OLB?

[zephyr]

Briscoe looked overweight and slow off the line. I would be surprised if he is a significant contributor. Excited to see Washington next year.

Briscoe was a significant contributor this year. What makes you think that would change with us losing Ringo and Hamilton?