This Defense

[JacketDan]

I'm glad that CPJ is harping on giving up yards and not forcing enough 3 and out situations, but this D reminds me of my favorite defense since I became a full fledged Tech fan: the 1998 Randy Edsall bend, but don't break D.

They would give up a lot of yardage as well, but had several attributes that made them a very difficult D to get TD's against:

1. vicious in the red zone
2. very opportunistic in takeaways (tied the NCAA record for consecutive games with a defensive score)
3. got tighter and tighter as the game went on and they made adjustments.

I see many similarities in those 3 points.

 

[1gtfan]

I want to see us become a dominant defense that

like all truly dominant defenses, yeild a lot of 3 and outs. Our Blackwatch defense back in the day did that...I remember the 6-6 game at UT...

That is what P.J. is looking for...Giving up a lot less yardage than the 400+ we did yesterday to an absolute pitiful offense...

A common trait among National Championship teams is that dominent defense..Like the old Miami defenses....see U.S.C. and Oklahoma present day...

I was real proud of P.J. yesterday in his comments on our defense...That bend but don't break is another phrase for mediocre defense that will lose you games against a good offense like we will face later on this year...P.J. has it right on his comments and what he knows... He sees what I see, i.e. that 1st TD drive that VT had last week (I watched the Tape) and we had no intensity on that drive and on that T.D. by VT. I saw Mario Butler, D. Reese and Morgan Burnette miss tackles...That has to be eliminated...Sure tackling and intensity...You can bet that P.J. HAS AND IS ALREADY ALL OVER THE DEFENSE ON THIS...He got on them at halftime over this and it showed in the 2nd half (A better effort by the 1st unit in the 3rd qtr. but not so much by the 2nd unit in the 4th qtr.)

 

[Ish]

Re: I want to see us become a dominant defense that

OK, let's be real here. Half of those yards came against our third string going up against their starters. Even then they could barely score, and had to drive the entire field. Another 70 or so came on one play.

Our defense played well, bottom line.

 

[1gtfan]

Re: I want to see us become a dominant defense that

OK, let's be real here. Half of those yards came against our third string going up against their starters. Even then they could barely score, and had to drive the entire field. Another 70 or so came on one play.

Our defense played well, bottom line.

You are wrong on this...

Miss. State ran up and down the field on us in the 1st half (Between the 20's) they just turned the ball over to us...
That is exactly why P.J. was upset at Halftime...I thought the same thing while watching, and like I said..P.J. made my day when he said that on those 2 halftime interviews...Word is, that he got on them pretty hard at halftime....we only put our scrubs in on Defense in the 4th quarter...

 

[GTFanJeff]

I also was thinking they were moving really well. Everybody around me was saying our D was playing awesome, but I was thinking we were giving up a ton of yards. Glad PJ shared my thoughts.

 

[ncjacket]

Seems we did tighten up in the 3rd after what I'm sure was a tongue lashing at the half. Then the subs got their shot and the numbers went up again. Even then though we allowed no big plays which is a nice change after last season.

 

[aeromech]

We have a good defense; but Saturday we greatly benefitted from an opposing offensive coordinator who makes Pat Nix and Chan Gailey look like great offensive minds. Go back and look at MSU's play selection on any short yardage situation. The collection of deep handoffs and toss sweeps he chose, to try and pick up a yard or less, just left me stunned. Did MSU even have quarterback keeper play in the play book?

Again, our defense has served well so far this year; but MSU simply stopped themselves several times Saturday.