The death of the gambling defense.
Check out the national stats for Total Defense. Notice anything?
The gurus of the gambling-style defense aren’t doing so well. A lot of people (myself included) said last year once the C-USA gets used to JLD, the stats will fall off. Today Memphis is #69 in total D.
Charlie Strong is another JLD-type. His Florida Gators are ranked #52. And we know what State did this past weekend. On that 37 yd TD by Norwood, Strong blitzed. Jerious juked a Safety and LB and it was goodbye Ron Zook.
Lastly, the pentultimate defensive guru, John Thompson finally unpacked his suitcases in East Carolina after being named head coach. Guess what the Pirates are ranked. That’s right, 111th!
Could it be, as we’ve said all along? That D’s like JLD’s only work with NFL type talent. It was never about schemes, it was about being aggresive and allowing players to use their athleticism. A downturn in talent means a downturn in production.
