2015 CAA Stats:
Scoring Defense - 11th
Rushing Defense - 10th
Passing Defense - 8th
Total Defense - 10th

2016 CAA Stats:
Scoring Defense - 4th, +7
Rushing Defense - 3rd, +7
Passing Defense - 10th, -2
Total Defense - 5th, +5

2015 National Stats:
Scoring Defense - 77th
Rushing Defense - 87th
Passing Defense - 50th
Total Defense - 77th

2016 National Stats:
Scoring Defense - 17th, +60
Rushing Defense - 28th, +59
Passing Defense - 57th, -7
Total Defense - 30th, +47

The only surprise is no change in rank to our pass defense.

I would like to see how our numbers stack up solely based off of our last 4-5 games. Defense has been disgusting, especially Pass D.

(01-03-2017 03:10 PM)RollDukes757 Wrote:  I would like to see how our numbers stack up solely based off of our last 4-5 games. Defense has been disgusting, especially Pass D.

Agree, don't feel the full season stats do justice to the improvements we've seen. Passing D has looked solid the past few games, and basically shut out Sammy, whose calling card was passing.

Also, you might want to look at snaps per game. It felt like last year's team played faster creating more snaps and possessions for both teams. In that case the total yards/points could be a little misleading. I could be wrong because this year's team played pretty fast.

Whatever the numbers are, this year's team has been better at stopping the run. Thankfully we don't have to watch Withers adamantly sticking to a 3-4 as the defense gets gashed

Do these numbers include postseason, or just regular season? If the former, our SOS must certainly be a lot harder this year, I would think. If the latter (or regardless), as others have noted, the numbers don't necessarily tell the full story, given how much our defense has improved over the course of the season, at least to this poster's eyes.

The numbers are full season stats, as I felt that was the closest apples to apples comparison. It's difficult to get stat break downs of the last 5 or 7 games, without going to box scores of every game and doing the math. Even then, how do you compare it across the CAA and nationally? It also wouldn't be a true comparison to last year to just show our last five games compared to all of 2015.

Either way, i'll take that 40-50 rank improvement in almost every major category every time. Now just to shore up the pass D. That starts by getting after the QB more and coming home on those sacks.

I have to also think that the fact that JMU has been up big on many opponents (causing them to throw and play catch up) translates into a less favorable pass defense ranking.

(01-03-2017 04:55 PM)Northeast Duke Wrote:  I have to also think that the fact that JMU has been up big on many opponents (causing them to throw and play catch up) translates into a less favorable pass defense ranking.

Yes no doubt. You could argue that there's trash yardage in most playoff teams stats though.

(01-03-2017 05:01 PM)Potomac Wrote:  

(01-03-2017 04:55 PM)Northeast Duke Wrote:  I have to also think that the fact that JMU has been up big on many opponents (causing them to throw and play catch up) translates into a less favorable pass defense ranking.

Yes no doubt. You could argue that there's trash yardage in most playoff teams stats though.

To heck with "trash time" stats...I'd like to see the Passing D stats with the UNC game subtracted.

Was thinking the same thing...its cherry picking, but would be interesting in that thr unc game was an outlier probably

Great work coaches and D!

(01-03-2017 11:06 PM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  Was thinking the same thing...its cherry picking, but would be interesting in that thr unc game was an outlier probably

Great work coaches and D!

Gave up 462 yards passing @ UNC. Gave up 512 @ UNH.

If you have a solid run defense, then pass defense is almost an afterthought really, even in this age of pass-dominated play. If a team cannot run against you, and you make them one-dimensional, they will get their yards between the 20s. But in most cases you will find that a team that cannot run the ball effectively will not have a high red zone production rate.

I also agree about the ranking improving if JMU can increase its sacks. The pressure has been decent this year, even if not getting to the QB as much as we did, for example, in 2004. All pressure will increase most QB's "happy feet" and lead to more mistakes. An 80-90 yard drive means nothing if it ends in a INT, but does pad the stats.

We all know that when watching last year's team, our boys couldn't have stopped a Pop Warner team. This team is a very good at shutting another team down. Forget the stats.

I don't like YPG and PPG, because, as others have said, the tempo and game situations alter these more than the defense in most cases. My favorite stat for defenses is 3rd down percent defense. To me, it's a more accurate representation of how good your defense has been against its schedule.

Last Year:
.457 rank 108
This Year:
.332 rank 20

That's a ridiculous change, and although I don't know our SoS from last to this year, I'd imagine this year is harder.

(01-04-2017 07:31 AM)JMU08 Wrote:  I don't like YPG and PPG, because, as others have said, the tempo and game situations alter these more than the defense in most cases. My favorite stat for defenses is 3rd down percent defense. To me, it's a more accurate representation of how good your defense has been against its schedule.

Last Year:
.457 rank 108
This Year:
.332 rank 20

That's a ridiculous change, and although I don't know our SoS from last to this year, I'd imagine this year is harder.

This. 46% even seems low for last year (I believe the stat it just felt way worse). I felt like we could NEVER get off the field.

(01-04-2017 01:11 AM)BDKJMU Wrote:  

(01-03-2017 11:06 PM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  Was thinking the same thing...its cherry picking, but would be interesting in that thr unc game was an outlier probably

Great work coaches and D!

Gave up 462 yards passing @ UNC. Gave up 512 @ UNH.

Sooooo minus UNC and minus the last 8 minutes against UNH...then what

(01-04-2017 09:10 AM)JMUNewbill Wrote:  

(01-04-2017 07:31 AM)JMU08 Wrote:  I don't like YPG and PPG, because, as others have said, the tempo and game situations alter these more than the defense in most cases. My favorite stat for defenses is 3rd down percent defense. To me, it's a more accurate representation of how good your defense has been against its schedule.

Last Year:
.457 rank 108
This Year:
.332 rank 20

That's a ridiculous change, and although I don't know our SoS from last to this year, I'd imagine this year is harder.

This. 46% even seems low for last year (I believe the stat it just felt way worse). I felt like we could NEVER get off the field.

Maybe because the defense wasn't forcing those third downs to start with last year? Not sure what stat that would show up on, but I agree, it seemed like we could rarely get a stop at all. The past 4-5 games have been a dramatic improvement from what we saw heading into the playoffs last year.

(01-04-2017 09:20 AM)jmufan2008 Wrote:  

(01-04-2017 01:11 AM)BDKJMU Wrote:  

(01-03-2017 11:06 PM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  Was thinking the same thing...its cherry picking, but would be interesting in that thr unc game was an outlier probably

Great work coaches and D!

Gave up 462 yards passing @ UNC. Gave up 512 @ UNH.

Sooooo minus UNC and minus the last 8 minutes against UNH...then what

Last 10 min vs UNH I think it was around 250 yards passing.

Bump. I've updated the OP with the final 2016 CAA and National rankings. Our pass defense rank went down further after this YSU game. I'm sure a lot of that is trash time pass yards that we allowed all season.

Bottom line for me...

2015: Gave up 343 yds rushing, 463 yds total offense, and 44 pts to Colgate at BFS

2016: Gave up average of 335 yds total offense and a combined 38 pts to the #5 seed, #1 seed, and national runner-up in last 3 games

(and, 14 of the 38 pts and a good chunk of the yardage were given up after the game was no longer in doubt)