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Hopefully we will have our best running attack to date this fall. We'll need it against GSU if our Front 7 is our weak spot again.

I definitely have some concerns about our defense right now.

Losing Simpkins and Matich hurts us from a depth and rotation standpoint. If our LB'ers are depleted from injuries and a couple of transfers, that is going to put some strain/pressure on an already iffy secondary... which in turn puts more pressure on the offense to score points. Not exactly an ideal scenario.

Bottom line is we will need some guys to step up and emerge this summer and into the fall. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being petrified), I'd say I'm at about a level of 4-5. There's still a lot of time for guys to get in valuable reps this summer.

Defense is banking on young talent filling out depth. Not necessarily a bad thing. And young talent is something this team has in droves.

But the point might be moot. The offense is going to be so good that we might just outscore every opponent regardless of what our defense does. OL is talented and deep (Keenoy, Moton, Chuks are some of the best in the MAC). Same with QB, and Terrell is all-MAC. RB unit is the deepest it has ever been at Western, with at least 4-5 legit backs. WRs led by Davis will be great, with young talent waiting to step into the limelight. This offense is going to be explosive.

I am less sure about our defense than I was a few months ago, but I'm not exactly worried. Still a lot of playmakers and tons of talent. If linebackers play at even an adequate level, the defense will be fine and the team will be great.

If Darius averages a pick-6 per game, the defense will likely only need to hold opponents under 42 in order to run the table. He can do it.

Fleck's fourth year, all those Number One recruiting classes, no way we should have issues on defense unless he's been hoarding best players for offense.

Not worried. Don't see our defense being worse than MAC average and the offense should be more than good enough to make up for it.

Video:

https://youtu.be/xmQwG98fFPg

(04-18-2016 03:21 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Fleck's fourth year, all those Number One recruiting classes, no way we should have issues on defense unless he's been hoarding best players for offense.

If you look at the players, that's exactly what he's been doing.

(04-18-2016 03:48 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  Not worried. Don't see our defense being worse than MAC average and the offense should be more than good enough to make up for it.

I agree we shouldn't be worse than average. I'm still waiting to see a pass rush of any kind.

Let's hope special teams can be as solid as they were last year!

(04-19-2016 12:53 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 03:21 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Fleck's fourth year, all those Number One recruiting classes, no way we should have issues on defense unless he's been hoarding best players for offense.

If you look at the players, that's exactly what he's been doing.

That's a coaching problem then.

(04-19-2016 01:15 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(04-19-2016 12:53 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 03:21 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Fleck's fourth year, all those Number One recruiting classes, no way we should have issues on defense unless he's been hoarding best players for offense.

If you look at the players, that's exactly what he's been doing.

That's a coaching problem then.

Ok. I'm sure you'll put that in your anti-Fleck arsenal to be used later.

It seems that MAC defenses always lag behind the offenses. It seems harder for MAC schools to recruit the top level defensive players. A theory I have is that a lot of good recruits who come to a MAC school over a lower level Power5 school that might be recruiting them, come because they want to play offense, and the Power school is recruiting the kid to play on defense. A MAC coach will sometimes commit to playing the kid on offense. Just a thought.

(04-19-2016 02:07 PM)brovol Wrote:  It seems that MAC defenses always lag behind the offenses. It seems harder for MAC schools to recruit the top level defensive players. A theory I have is that a lot of good recruits who come to a MAC school over a lower level Power5 school that might be recruiting them, come because they want to play offense, and the Power school is recruiting the kid to play on defense. A MAC coach will sometimes commit to playing the kid on offense. Just a thought.

I think this thread can be adjourned.

(04-19-2016 01:59 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  

(04-19-2016 01:15 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(04-19-2016 12:53 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 03:21 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Fleck's fourth year, all those Number One recruiting classes, no way we should have issues on defense unless he's been hoarding best players for offense.

If you look at the players, that's exactly what he's been doing.

That's a coaching problem then.

Ok. I'm sure you'll put that in your anti-Fleck arsenal to be used later.

And yet you were the one that posted it.

(04-19-2016 04:57 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(04-19-2016 01:59 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  

(04-19-2016 01:15 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(04-19-2016 12:53 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 03:21 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Fleck's fourth year, all those Number One recruiting classes, no way we should have issues on defense unless he's been hoarding best players for offense.

If you look at the players, that's exactly what he's been doing.

That's a coaching problem then.

Ok. I'm sure you'll put that in your anti-Fleck arsenal to be used later.

And yet you were the one that posted it.

I don't have an agenda.

(04-19-2016 08:58 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  I don't have an agenda.

I'm not "Anti-Fleck," Scully. Another nice attempt at deflecting.

My only "agenda" is to have an "Elite" football program that wins MAC championships - same as Fleck's. You know, the one he promised four years ago

The question here is whether defense is being adequately stocked personnel-wise through recruiting or utilization decisions.

As to "using it later," if defense doesn't hold up its end at championship level, it will be obvious. But again in HC's fourth year with the Number One ranked recruiting classes, it shouldn't be a question of talent or depth.

(04-20-2016 06:48 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(04-19-2016 08:58 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  I don't have an agenda.

I'm not "Anti-Fleck," Scully. Another nice attempt at deflecting.