(11-21-2016 04:26 PM)theheadeagle Wrote:  First off, firing HOP after this season is a damn pipe dream, ain't happening.....and it's not happening next season either no matter what his record is.

Second, it's not just coaching.....we are WAAAYYYYY undersized and under-talented (not a word) on Defense. Our offensive line is also undersized but we actually do have some playmakers at the skill positions on offense. We can score points. Our defense is atrocious and needs serious work.

I would agree that our D line and O line are undersized. However we cant overlook how bad we are at LB. We have been bad there for years and it seems to get worse each year. Combine that with poor scheme or coaching on the defensive side of the ball and you get the constant 70 yd td runs.

I've always figured good LBs were hard to find. Difficult position to play.

(11-21-2016 01:15 PM)99beers Wrote:  

(11-21-2016 11:33 AM)Eagle9 Wrote:  See I don't buy the offense/defense thing. A good head coach is a good head coach, no matter what side of the ball he has history on.

Naw, naw, naw........ defensive coaches are very conservative by nature, don't take many chances, and fall into a rut of what has worked in the past. They will recruit the best talent they can find, and mold them to play defense. They will recruit more defensive players. They are more prone to hire conservative run oriented OC's and want to ball control teams so the defense can rest. Just a fact. It's how USM use to win. We use to put our best athletes on defense, and win with them. But times have changed. It is a rare exception that a defensive coach has "great success" as HC's in this day and time. Sure it happens, but look at the trends.

Couldn't agree more on the "put our best athlete's on defense" thingee...

From Pie Vann, to PW, Collins, Big Nasty, what's-his-name and Bower, USM always looked at their incoming frosh, found the fastest, quickest and most athletic---and put them on defense. One exception was putting D. Nix at runnin' back, but he was highly recruited as a 'backer, so USM gave him a chance at RB to gain an edge.

Regarding recruiting, John Smith at Louisville once said Louisville tried to make inroads into Alabama in the 90's using USM's footprint, but every time he went to Podunk High School in the backwoods of Alabamy, the High School Superintendant (many times a USM grad) would say "Southern was looking at the kid last year, he's committed to them now"..

That rarely happens now....since not only is UL, Memphis, Vandy, Middle Tenn., WKU, W. Virginia and the likes scouring the state, Troy, UAB and USA are just enough of a pain in the arse to steal a few.

(Plus, contrary to popular SEC opinion, we don't take non-qualifiers anymore)