I know its early in the season but this years D seems faster and more athletic

I thought it was very telling when Houston started running no huddle to keep our defense from being able to bring in fresh bodies on the line. Unrtil that point, we were winning the line of scrimmage.

To add to this. PFF College has the Bearcats graded as the #4 Rush defense in the country through 3 weeks.

Interesting list ahead of them

PFF College Football ‏@PFF_College 9m9 minutes ago

Top-graded run defenses through Week 3
1. @UMichFootball
2. @OU_Football
3. @AlabamaFTBL
t4. @Longhorn_FB
t4. @GoBearcatsFB

Due to injury, most of the guys who played last year were freshmen and other underclassmen who did not play much before. Now they have some experience, their head is not spinning as fast and they are able to react much quicker.

Also think in the secondary Gilhammer is > than Clink-- particularly in the areas of technique.

(09-21-2016 07:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  To add to this. PFF College has the Bearcats graded as the #4 Rush defense in the country through 3 weeks.

Interesting list ahead of them

PFF College Football ‏@PFF_College 9m9 minutes ago

Top-graded run defenses through Week 3
1. @UMichFootball
2. @OU_Football
3. @AlabamaFTBL
t4. @Longhorn_FB
t4. @GoBearcatsFB

For as bad as this defense has been over the last handful of years that's remarkable. Hope it lasts.

(09-21-2016 07:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  To add to this. PFF College has the Bearcats graded as the #4 Rush defense in the country through 3 weeks.

Interesting list ahead of them

PFF College Football ‏@PFF_College 9m9 minutes ago

Top-graded run defenses through Week 3
1. @UMichFootball
2. @OU_Football
3. @AlabamaFTBL
t4. @Longhorn_FB
t4. @GoBearcatsFB

Houston is not in the top 5? Their defensive line is scary good. No one can run on them.

(09-21-2016 10:08 AM)Tech Savy Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 07:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  To add to this. PFF College has the Bearcats graded as the #4 Rush defense in the country through 3 weeks.

Interesting list ahead of them

PFF College Football ‏@PFF_College 9m9 minutes ago

Top-graded run defenses through Week 3
1. @UMichFootball
2. @OU_Football
3. @AlabamaFTBL
t4. @Longhorn_FB
t4. @GoBearcatsFB

Houston is not in the top 5? Their defensive line is scary good. No one can run on them.

Anyone know why Zac Edwards played very little in the Houston game. Terrell Gilbert got the snaps. Also, it appears that LB Jenkinson did not play at all, having been replaced by Antonio Kinard, who had a monster game. Was Jenkinson hurt in the Purdue game, or is he in the doghouse?

(09-21-2016 10:08 AM)Tech Savy Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 07:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  To add to this. PFF College has the Bearcats graded as the #4 Rush defense in the country through 3 weeks.

Interesting list ahead of them

PFF College Football ‏@PFF_College 9m9 minutes ago

Top-graded run defenses through Week 3
1. @UMichFootball
2. @OU_Football
3. @AlabamaFTBL
t4. @Longhorn_FB
t4. @GoBearcatsFB

Houston is not in the top 5? Their defensive line is scary good. No one can run on them.

I agree they were as explosive and dominant as any team I have seen.

Our defense was put into horrible situations time and time again by our offense against Houston, and they kept holding on long enough to allow us to take a lead in the fourth quarter. Any real productivity out of the offense and they may not have worn out at the end.

(09-21-2016 10:08 AM)Tech Savy Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 07:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  To add to this. PFF College has the Bearcats graded as the #4 Rush defense in the country through 3 weeks.

Interesting list ahead of them

PFF College Football ‏@PFF_College 9m9 minutes ago

Top-graded run defenses through Week 3
1. @UMichFootball
2. @OU_Football
3. @AlabamaFTBL
t4. @Longhorn_FB
t4. @GoBearcatsFB

Houston is not in the top 5? Their defensive line is scary good. No one can run on them.

Those rankings have to adjusted for certain criteria because Houston is #1
followed closely by Florida.

(09-21-2016 11:09 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 10:08 AM)Tech Savy Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 07:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  To add to this. PFF College has the Bearcats graded as the #4 Rush defense in the country through 3 weeks.

Interesting list ahead of them

PFF College Football ‏@PFF_College 9m9 minutes ago

Top-graded run defenses through Week 3
1. @UMichFootball
2. @OU_Football
3. @AlabamaFTBL
t4. @Longhorn_FB
t4. @GoBearcatsFB

Houston is not in the top 5? Their defensive line is scary good. No one can run on them.

Those rankings have to adjusted for certain criteria because Houston is #1
followed closely by Florida.

They're probably adjusted for opponent.

(09-21-2016 11:47 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 11:09 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 10:08 AM)Tech Savy Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 07:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  To add to this. PFF College has the Bearcats graded as the #4 Rush defense in the country through 3 weeks.

Interesting list ahead of them

PFF College Football ‏@PFF_College 9m9 minutes ago

Top-graded run defenses through Week 3
1. @UMichFootball
2. @OU_Football
3. @AlabamaFTBL
t4. @Longhorn_FB
t4. @GoBearcatsFB

Houston is not in the top 5? Their defensive line is scary good. No one can run on them.

Those rankings have to adjusted for certain criteria because Houston is #1
followed closely by Florida.

They're probably adjusted for opponent.

I guess, although Houston has a top 15 SOS currently. I think any ranking that doesn't have them in the top 5 of run defense is probably not useful this early in the season.

According to ESPN...
UTM had 177 rushing yards
Purdue had 103 rushing yards
UH had 180 rushing yards

So we're giving up an average of 153 rushing YPG, 141 not counting FCS. I'm not sure how they're ranking the rushing defense if we're #5. I'm impressed by our improvement in defense, but that seems a bit generous.

(09-21-2016 11:47 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 11:09 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 10:08 AM)Tech Savy Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 07:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  To add to this. PFF College has the Bearcats graded as the #4 Rush defense in the country through 3 weeks.

Interesting list ahead of them

PFF College Football ‏@PFF_College 9m9 minutes ago

Top-graded run defenses through Week 3
1. @UMichFootball
2. @OU_Football
3. @AlabamaFTBL
t4. @Longhorn_FB
t4. @GoBearcatsFB

Houston is not in the top 5? Their defensive line is scary good. No one can run on them.

Those rankings have to adjusted for certain criteria because Houston is #1
followed closely by Florida.

They're probably adjusted for opponent.

PFF has their own system for grading. I' think it gives you a good idea, but that isn't to say that these are definitive as to who has the best run defenses. I only posted because I think it says a lot about the UC defense this year and how solid they've been up front.

We can squabble over where Houston should be and other issues on run defense all we want. If you are more comfortable just looking at YPA go ahead though I'm not sure it tells the entire story. I like to look at things like this in conjunction with other numbers and what I'm actually seeing on the field.

(09-21-2016 12:08 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  According to ESPN...
UTM had 177 rushing yards
Purdue had 103 rushing yards
UH had 180 rushing yards

So we're giving up an average of 153 rushing YPG, 141 not counting FCS. I'm not sure how they're ranking the rushing defense if we're #5. I'm impressed by our improvement in defense, but that seems a bit generous.

Ditto, I think the D is better. Yards per attempt in probably in the low 3's which is better. We are in the top 10 in TO margin. Good sign, force some more on Saturday.

(09-21-2016 11:55 AM)Tech Savy Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 11:47 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 11:09 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 10:08 AM)Tech Savy Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 07:18 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  To add to this. PFF College has the Bearcats graded as the #4 Rush defense in the country through 3 weeks.

Interesting list ahead of them

PFF College Football ‏@PFF_College 9m9 minutes ago

Top-graded run defenses through Week 3
1. @UMichFootball
2. @OU_Football
3. @AlabamaFTBL
t4. @Longhorn_FB
t4. @GoBearcatsFB

Houston is not in the top 5? Their defensive line is scary good. No one can run on them.

Those rankings have to adjusted for certain criteria because Houston is #1
followed closely by Florida.

They're probably adjusted for opponent.

I guess, although Houston has a top 15 SOS currently. I think any ranking that doesn't have them in the top 5 of run defense is probably not useful this early in the season.

When I say adjusted by opponent, I think their formula also puts into account the opponent's offensive tendencies sort of like a wonky version of DVOA (ie. Oklahoma likes to sling it quite a bit, same as UC at least in their model so they aren't expected to have a ton of rushing yards vs our opponents rushing for more yards with a more heavy reliance on the rush...as well as scenario scalers).

So far the D has been better than I thought (and that's even with giving up big yardage to Purdue and Houston). I need to see it over a longer time period, though. There were glimpses last year where I thought we looked good (Houston for instance) but then looked totally inept (USF, SDSU for instance).

(09-21-2016 02:57 PM)Racinejake Wrote:  So far the D has been better than I thought (and that's even with giving up big yardage to Purdue and Houston). I need to see it over a longer time period, though. There were glimpses last year where I thought we looked good (Houston for instance) but then looked totally inept (USF, SDSU for instance).

Speaking of them, won 13 in a row and I think their RB is leading then nation in rushing.

...is light years ahead of the previous several. A pleasant surprise but agree that let's see how the body of work plays out. So far, so good. Last year in particular was like watching pee wee football players trying to be in the right position and making tackles.

(09-21-2016 12:22 PM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 12:08 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  

Ditto, I think the D is better.

(09-21-2016 02:57 PM)Racinejake Wrote:  So far the D has been better than I thought (and that's even with giving up big yardage to Purdue and Houston). I need to see it over a longer time period, though. There were glimpses last year where I thought we looked good (Houston for instance) but then looked totally inept (USF, SDSU for instance).

My high school mind is taking over in this thread lol