Quote:Ask most every Southern Miss defender about playing defense under first-year head coach Jay Hopson and his first-year defensive coordinator Tony Pecoraro, and you’ll get largely the same reaction.

munzy article http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story.../88742840/

Hopson really wants to return to the Nasty Bunch attitude. I agree.

We've heard this every year for the last 10 years. "The Nasty Bunch is back". Every. Single. Year. Just like every year, I won't doubt or believe it until I see what they play like the first game. Of course, the days of us holding people to 10 points a game are over, offenses are just too good. But if we can hold opponents in the 17-21 area, I'd say that would be worthy of the nasty bunch label.

Hopson is trying to build and sell the whole tough, nasty bunch, vicious defense persona. That may be a good strategy. But ultimately it'll come down to how good the players are. Our defenses in the late 90s were tough. But they were also littered with NFL talent. They can talk all this stuff they want, but if we give up 40 a couple times, I don't wanna hear any more of it.

(08-16-2016 12:01 PM)Eagle9 Wrote:  We've heard this every year for the last 10 years. "The Nasty Bunch is back". Every. Single. Year. Just like every year, I won't doubt or believe it until I see what they play like the first game. Of course, the days of us holding people to 10 points a game are over, offenses are just too good. But if we can hold opponents in the 17-21 area, I'd say that would be worthy of the nasty bunch label.

Hopson is trying to build and sell the whole tough, nasty bunch, vicious defense persona. That may be a good strategy. But ultimately it'll come down to how good the players are. Our defenses in the late 90s were tough. But they were also littered with NFL talent. They can talk all this stuff they want, but if we give up 40 a couple times, I don't wanna hear any more of it.

...This post is worthy of a HARRUMPH!!

(08-16-2016 12:01 PM)Eagle9 Wrote:  We've heard this every year for the last 10 years. "The Nasty Bunch is back". Every. Single. Year. Just like every year, I won't doubt or believe it until I see what they play like the first game. Of course, the days of us holding people to 10 points a game are over, offenses are just too good. But if we can hold opponents in the 17-21 area, I'd say that would be worthy of the nasty bunch label.

Hopson is trying to build and sell the whole tough, nasty bunch, vicious defense persona. That may be a good strategy. But ultimately it'll come down to how good the players are. Our defenses in the late 90s were tough. But they were also littered with NFL talent. They can talk all this stuff they want, but if we give up 40 a couple times, I don't wanna hear any more of it.

Well, this is Hop's first year, so blaming him for what has been said in the past doesn't work. Also, I said Nasty Bunch "attitude". Unlike Monken, Hop understands what the Nasty Bunch represented in attitude. Can he do it, hell I don't know, but I sure like him trying because the Nasty Bunch is a proud part of USM's football history. I do realize with today's offenses, holding teams to the numbers the Nasty Bunch defenses in the past did isn't realistic, but believing they can create the turnovers and make the crucial stops during the game to help produce a win can be done.

(08-16-2016 11:25 AM)usmbacker Wrote:  Hopson really wants to return to the Nasty Bunch attitude. I agree.

more specifically, with the tools on "O", it's a gimme.....

get 'em swarmin', creating turnovers, etc....

again....he has an opportunity that most first year coaches jack-off to.....

he can only screw this up....relative to raw talent. we're more loaded from top to bottom than ever before in my mind....that's what was so disappointing when Monk abandoned ship.....I thought he gambled more in the honest dep't.....

oh wellzy....such is g5 allegiance in the back pocket.....a sure 2mm/yr is worth more than gambling on key players not getting injured that destroys the chance at an upper echelon p5 gig...

don't kid yourself if'n yaz don't think Hop is from same cloth....

just win mothertruckers.....

Please tell me when you say more loaded than ever before, you don't mean this is our most talented team ever. That's just foolish. We might have a pretty good defense, but they are so mediocre compared to the late 90s it's not even funny. We probably have more talent now on offense, but not by much. We don't have a Pinkston, Gideon, Nix. We also put some O linemen in the NFL during those years. IMO, that 1996-2000 era were the most talented all around teams we've ever had.

(08-16-2016 09:41 PM)Eagle9 Wrote:  Please tell me when you say more loaded than ever before, you don't mean this is our most talented team ever. That's just foolish. We might have a pretty good defense, but they are so mediocre compared to the late 90s it's not even funny. We probably have more talent now on offense, but not by much. We don't have a Pinkston, Gideon, Nix. We also put some O linemen in the NFL during those years. IMO, that 1996-2000 era were the most talented all around teams we've ever had.

1) Nix woulda been a beast in the NFL....he had a couple of 100 yard games his senior year sick as a dog.

2) Never forget that first game against Nebraska....we held them to one of their lowest rushing totals ever in the modern era...but they scored on TWO friggin' fumble returns!

3) Fedora's 12-2 squad prolly had as much talent as the teams you are talking about....BUT....we lost to a mediocre Marshall team and a pathetic UAB squad. (We let their QB single-handedly beat us, something that happened time and time again while Fedora was here)

4) Not sure when we stopped taking partials, one thing that woulda helped us during the late 1990's.....

CFBMatrix ranks teams by talent each year and that 2011 team was far and away #1 out of the non-AQs that year.

(08-16-2016 09:41 PM)Eagle9 Wrote:  Please tell me when you say more loaded than ever before, you don't mean this is our most talented team ever. That's just foolish. We might have a pretty good defense, but they are so mediocre compared to the late 90s it's not even funny. We probably have more talent now on offense, but not by much. We don't have a Pinkston, Gideon, Nix. We also put some O linemen in the NFL during those years. IMO, that 1996-2000 era were the most talented all around teams we've ever had.

in specifics, probably not (although, you really only find out afterwards, eh?)

from top to bottom.....yeah....especially on O in today's schema....

I easily can make the statement that Mullens has as much moxie as Davis and the supporting cast in the backfield and perimeter is as good or better.....don't forget about the TEs either....losing Brooks sucks, but if the others (especially Payne) can fill the load.....well, it only makes "More Ito" that much more valuable.....we're loaded on O any way you look at it....

we all know the tackle position is a question mark....hence the switch with Freeman....

we will have the answer in a few weeks.....this is why we watch....

of course I'm a homer...but my spew was documented last year at only achieving a bowl game at best with fingers crossed that Monk wouldn't make me out to be wrong....I didn't see him leaving....that one I got wrong....

(08-16-2016 09:41 PM)Eagle9 Wrote:  We don't have a Pinkston, Gideon, Nix.

We have the gift of hindsight now, but not many people knew what Pinkston, or Gideon would become going into their last two years. We didn't know what Mike Thomas would be going into his senior year either. The point is, guys can and will step up. Somebody will be the Mike Thomas this year. Somebody will get Martin's catches this year. And next year or the next, we will be lamenting the fact that we won't have a "so and so" this year.

(08-17-2016 04:25 PM)ProfessorEagle Wrote:  

(08-16-2016 09:41 PM)Eagle9 Wrote:  We don't have a Pinkston, Gideon, Nix.

We have the gift of hindsight now, but not many people knew what Pinkston, or Gideon would become going into their last two years. We didn't know what Mike Thomas would be going into his senior year either. The point is, guys can and will step up. Somebody will be the Mike Thomas this year. Somebody will get Martin's catches this year. And next year or the next, we will be lamenting the fact that we won't have a "so and so" this year.

when you get down to it, that has the been the crux of the success southern miss football has had at it's disposal over the years in the recruiting wars....we've found and developed many a diamond in the rough that had ability and grew into their skin....THAT is a testament to the coaches we have shuffled thru over the years....

just think about how many qbs we've had that started 3/4 years since the seventies.....

it's been one helluva a fun roller coaster ride...I can't wait for this one to unfold...my nutz are stoked like a witch tit cold february morn.....

Well at least the fanbase is excited.

(08-17-2016 04:25 PM)ProfessorEagle Wrote:  

(08-16-2016 09:41 PM)Eagle9 Wrote:  We don't have a Pinkston, Gideon, Nix.

We have the gift of hindsight now, but not many people knew what Pinkston, or Gideon would become going into their last two years. We didn't know what Mike Thomas would be going into his senior year either. The point is, guys can and will step up. Somebody will be the Mike Thomas this year. Somebody will get Martin's catches this year. And next year or the next, we will be lamenting the fact that we won't have a "so and so" this year.

Well said, Prof.

(08-16-2016 10:01 PM)eaglebeaver Wrote:  

(08-16-2016 09:41 PM)Eagle9 Wrote:  Please tell me when you say more loaded than ever before, you don't mean this is our most talented team ever. That's just foolish. We might have a pretty good defense, but they are so mediocre compared to the late 90s it's not even funny. We probably have more talent now on offense, but not by much. We don't have a Pinkston, Gideon, Nix. We also put some O linemen in the NFL during those years. IMO, that 1996-2000 era were the most talented all around teams we've ever had.

3) Fedora's 12-2 squad prolly had as much talent as the teams you are talking about....BUT....we lost to a mediocre Marshall team and a pathetic UAB squad. (We let their QB single-handedly beat us, something that happened time and time again while Fedora was here)

I loved that 2011 team; not because they were talented. On the contrary, I think they were the most cohesive team USM put together, which greatly compensated for the lack of (overly) talented players.

Think about that line-up: Ryan Ballentine; Peanut; Desmond Johnson; Kendrick Hardy; Hester; #18 @ WR (name escapes me right now); Deron Wilson @ CB; Wheaton @ the other CB position; Jacorious Cotton @ safety...quickly, can you name the other safety?

Sprinkle in Jaimie, Cordorra, Khyri, a very young Nunez-Rooches, Austin, and Lamp (the most talented players on the team, and arguably amongst USM's most talented throughout our history), you will find a team that simply understood their roles and played very well together, as one team.

This was very much evident in the play of our O-line that season; which, could arguably been our best o-line (play) ever....

*Sidebar and digression: just makes me sick that "he who should forever remain nameless" squandered such a well-put O-line that lost only 1 player in 2012.

The 2011 team:
Most talented team ever...I would wager "NO".
Best and the true definition of team..."YES".

(08-18-2016 06:04 AM)DNEagle Wrote:  Think about that line-up: Ryan Ballentine; Peanut; Desmond Johnson; Kendrick Hardy; Hester; #18 @ WR (name escapes me right now); Deron Wilson @ CB; Wheaton @ the other CB position; Jacorious Cotton @ safety...quickly, can you name the other safety?

#18 was Dominique Sullivan and I think the other safety was Kendrick Presley.

Presley was the guy who almost killed that poor dude from SMU.

(08-18-2016 09:39 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  Presley was the guy who almost killed that poor dude from SMU.

Yep. It was brutal.

That was a fun year, and a fun team to watch.

(08-18-2016 11:44 AM)ProfessorEagle Wrote:  

(08-18-2016 09:39 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  Presley was the guy who almost killed that poor dude from SMU.

Yep. It was brutal.

This is a telling video in the sense that he wasn't even flagged for that. Just a few years ago.

Right now, no matter how clean the hit......a hit like this is getting flagged every time because reasons.