The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

We need to start discussing our defense in more detail. Please do not use any names of our players in this thread when we are talking about our players. I consider it ok to call out a player by name if you want to talk about a positive or a good play some one made. Remember our players are young students and most of them are 23 and younger.

My first comment, I think we need to bench some of our senior players for a lack of leadership and poor fundamentals. We have some players that have been in the program for five years and still can't tackle and are out of position on a consistent basis. It looks really bad when your seniors are making most of the mistakes. It is time to accelerate the youth movement.

Another suggestion start Caleb Taylor and Richie Staton. Maybe Richie can play OLB and keep Caleb at the Mike. It would be nice to have 3 Phoebus starting LBs (Morrant).

Another note, our defense does appear to be more aggressive. We are calling more blitzes and I like that. Lets give Nagy a vote of confidence and give him at least four years with his system.

let the comments begin.

That term is foreign to me.

I reserve my comment until i see another game or two.

Defense? Defense??!

You know many of our holy words.
Do you know the E Plebnista?

Defense, what is this you speak of?

It stinks.

End of discussion.

Simple. Secondary isn't tall enough or quick enough to compensate for the fact that the line is not quick enough or big enough to get any kind of pressure. Linebackers seem to be improved. We are going to have to gamble and blitz going forward.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I think the DL has dropped off a bit this year and the LBs the jury is still out. I think the secondary looks a little bigger, but they need to wrap up better. At UMd the rushers were getting into the secondary way too much. We seemed to stop the run against ECU but couldn't stop a girl scout at a crosswalk against UMd.

(09-11-2013 07:00 PM)DaBigBlue Wrote:  I think the DL has dropped off a bit this year and the LBs the jury is still out. I think the secondary looks a little bigger, but they need to wrap up better. At UMd the rushers were getting into the secondary way too much. We seemed to stop the run against ECU but couldn't stop a girl scout at a crosswalk against UMd.

To be fair, MDs running game was head and shoulders better than anything we have ever seen.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I think that, given sufficient reps and recruiting classes, we could field a mediocre-to-poor FBS defense in a few seasons. If our offense can continue to develop, I think they will become a mediocre-to-above average FBS offense. This will compensate for the defense and make us a shootout win-capable team when lined up against most opponents.

That said, we are currently fielding a mediocre FCS defense. I'd say improve the rush defense, so at least we'd have an even workload on that side of the ball for the time being.

The DEFENSE is there primarily to give TH and our Offense a few minutes to catch their breath before scoring again.

Mystery Science Theatre.....classic.

You know there really isn't a lot of trick gimmick plays on defense is there?

It starts up front. The top 7 leaders in tackles are either LBs or in the Secondary. A corner leads the team in TFL and sacks. Need to get more from the DL immediately.

Fcs recruiting class is first. Second change of d coach. Each coach looks for something different. Ours for the last few years well...I think ill give the new coaches some breathing room for now. Not on the basics. That should not be something we are jacking up STILL.

A couple of thoughts here:

1. I feel bad for Andy Rondeau. It's obvious that we have burned through DC's with no drastic improvement. Why? Because when you lack talent, you have to make up for it with coaching. The bland, vanilla defense isn't going to cut it. You need to mix up coverages and blitzes, confuse the offense, take chances, etc. I feel like Rondeau got the most out of the talent that he had. Nagy and Dee have said that they are looking mostly to run base defenses. This doesn't get it done. If we had ran a base offense for the past few years, we would still be a middle of the pack CAA team.
2. The next four games will tell more about this defense. It will show if ODU has made any improvement. I think Maryland is good this year and ECU scorched other FBS teams last year for lots of points as well. If the better FCS teams run through us like butter, than we know that there hasn't been any improvement.
3. There was a comment about Paul Morant. I know we aren't getting personal so I won't make any comments other than the fact that Larry Alston is starting against Howard in his place.
4. My prediction is that everyone will be feeling better about ODU's defense for the next nine games. Up until UNC, who is another offensive giant. Pitt and Idaho do not have the caliber offenses that we have seen thus far.

NO D U !!!!! Simply put we need to recruit at the high FCS and develop that potential all the while having key starters with FBS level talent. I think a couple of players fit that model but most do not. Lets face it....it takes a special player to want to play defense. I think Nagy and this group of assistants will get it done eventually.

Our 2014 recruiting class has real talent on defense. Some may start day 1.

The defense needs more speed. When Maryland got through the hole they had about 3 to 4 seconds before any ODU player even got in the picture. Most solid FBS defenses are there instantly and with more than one arm tackle.

It's kind of telling when we have recruits that came out of high school as dual threat quarterbacks or a running back playing defense is it not? I understand that a lot of times in high school you end up with the most athletic guy with the ball. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the show on Offense and hope for a few turnovers for the next few years until this years class are Jr's and Sr's and then take out the measuring stick for Nagy and company again. All the while looking for at least improvement thru the seasons.

I'm not going to say it's one thing. When you're in a fight and you can't compete with the speed and physicality of the opponent you get sloppy. I think that's what we're seeing.

Positive I think the DLine looked good against ECU. Torched by MD. But I have no idea what that means at this point in time.

(09-12-2013 06:23 AM)odufansam Wrote:  A couple of thoughts here:

1. I feel bad for Andy Rondeau. It's obvious that we have burned through DC's with no drastic improvement. Why? Because when you lack talent, you have to make up for it with coaching. The bland, vanilla defense isn't going to cut it. You need to mix up coverages and blitzes, confuse the offense, take chances, etc. I feel like Rondeau got the most out of the talent that he had. Nagy and Dee have said that they are looking mostly to run base defenses. This doesn't get it done. If we had ran a base offense for the past few years, we would still be a middle of the pack CAA team.
2. The next four games will tell more about this defense. It will show if ODU has made any improvement. I think Maryland is good this year and ECU scorched other FBS teams last year for lots of points as well. If the better FCS teams run through us like butter, than we know that there hasn't been any improvement.
3. There was a comment about Paul Morant. I know we aren't getting personal so I won't make any comments other than the fact that Larry Alston is starting against Howard in his place.
4. My prediction is that everyone will be feeling better about ODU's defense for the next nine games. Up until UNC, who is another offensive giant. Pitt and Idaho do not have the caliber offenses that we have seen thus far.

1. I'm not sure I agree with that. When you lack talent and you try to run complicated defenses with guys that have never taken a snap in college football (playing against 2 FBS offenses) before, it could be really ugly.

2. Yeah, Agree. I think to compare to last year, we need to look at the defensive performance over the next 4 games.

3. Morant may have been in there to try to get more speed on the field vs. 2 spread offenses.