Officially worried about our defense

[ULoverUK]

I was wondering who would win the battle of the D-Coordinator switcheroo from last year with M-State. It is apparent we have come out on the losing end with the lesser DC. Granted M-State played a nobody, but their D put up a goose egg last week. They haven't played today yet.

If UNC can put up 35 on us, what will Clemson and FSU do?

 

[HRTheCard]

Last TD didn't matter. 28 is what mattered. However, the D made 2 great stops on 4th down, one being 4th and goal.

Without Alexander, you cant expect really anything but conservative coverage. They picked on Washington a lot but that would/will be Alexander in that spot next week.

 

[Louisvillian]

I agree with the OP to a certain extent but I think our defensive coaches game planned for UNC running the ball more and therefore were more interested in containment and stuffing the run. They had 220 yards on the ground against Cal last week.

That part worked, the Tar Heels had 17 yards for the game but we sacrificed getting after the QB which tested our defensive backs playing without Jaire. They struggled to say the least.

Good ACC road win and all our goals are still in front of us.

 

[Knucklehank1]

Sirmon plays a conservative defense and it got more conservative without Jaire out there. In the 4th quarter we had 2 true freshmen (Yeast and T. Smith) and a converted receiver (Sturghill). I think you might see more of those guys going forward.

 

[KerryRhodes]

Last TD didn't matter. 28 is what mattered. However, the D made 2 great stops on 4th down, one being 4th and goal.

Without Alexander, you cant expect really anything but conservative coverage. They picked on Washington a lot but that would/will be Alexander in that spot next week.

7 was on a kickoff return for a TD

 

[zipp]

I wasn't in the 'fire Grantham' camp, and I don't really wanna hear how we made a mistake doing that. (We could then start a lot of other poster credibility threads...)

I also wasn't a guy hammering Klenakis about the O-line. But it's way too early to decide if their replacements are a step up or not. As much as I may want to say "I told you so", I would rather see a better football team at those positions. Let the cake bake...

 

[Kratz]

Sirmon isn't impressing me, but a lot was lost off of the defense too. JHC and Wiggins were vital parts of the defense that missed games last season. We lost Rankins who was just a monster at clogging up the middle. So yes, Sirmon lost some tools, so he needs time to adapt. Early returns don't look so good, but I'm not ready to pass final judgment yet

 

[Mike'sMarbles]

I think we just need Alexander (and everyone else for that matter) to get healthy.

It's really not fair to expect Louisville to not miss a beat with a 1st team All-American sidelined. We're not like Alabama where you replace a star player with a 5-star. At least, we're not at that level today. We're still winning regardless. It just won't always be pretty when you have a guy like that out for an extended period.

 

[TheRealVille]

Sometimes you have to give the other team credit. Their QB's played very well. A accurate pass can hurt any defense. It's the pass rush that interferes with accuracy and the Cards didn't get much with a 4 man rush.

We didn't blitz and it was a bend don't break defense. I think we will see a much more aggressive defense against Clemson.

 

[tluck28]

I definitely feel your concern. All we can do is let it play out. Hopefully it will click the further we get along. Clemson and FSU might be able to put up some numbers but we can beat one of those two at least with our offense. Our O line looks very improved. It's about time

As far as the rest of the schedule, we'll only beat ourselves. We should curb stomp UK. I was flipping back and forth and that team looks atrocious. Virginia, NC state and anybody else besides the two teams mentioned will not be able to match our offense as long as we keep the fumbles and false starts in check

 

[BPGhost]

I agree with the OP and also, that Sirmon should be given a chance. Certainly hope the tackling in space improves though.

 

[Cue Card]

I thought the defense bent but never really broke. The run defense was stellar. The official number was 17 yards given up on 23 carries. One really bad play by Surratt going backwards caused that official number to look better than it really was, but even if you don't count his negative 31, they still only got 48 yards on the ground for the game.

Once Alexander makes it back to help shore up the pass defense, we'll be just fine.

Special teams needs to improve.

I'm liking this team. They got some room to grow and become more balanced, but when they get there they'll be really good. Just got to stay healthy.

 

[CardsFirst]

They did bend at times but held; it's our secondary that is having issues. You bring back Alexander and that should help. We are not putting enough pressure on the QB that needs to get fixed. We have several new starters so it will take a little time. They have shown at times that they have the talent to be very good. We need consistency. And whether Sirmon is the answer only time will tell, but Grantham most certainly was not.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

D Line got no push today. 0 QB hurries in a game where their QBs threw 37 passes.

Taking a realistic look at the team.

It's obvious the offense is very good, could be a top shelf offense if the Williams "break-out" continues.

The D is just average at best, it's probably a touch below average. Without Alexander, it's closer to a bad D than it is a good D.

Special teams FG accuracy is nice but the coverage teams were just atrocious today.

That's who the team is. Room for improvement in all areas.

Could also get worse.

 

[KingHenry_X]

It should also be noted that he (Sirmon) has thus far gone against Jeff Brohm and Larry Fedora. Not exactly conservative playcallers. The D is playing better than you're giving them credit for. Alexander out is a liability. Tru Washington on the outside is a liability. If you watch the formations and plays, they are solid calls and the defensive pursuit is good. There is room for improvement, but we are playing better than third and Grantham.

 

[rockycard]

Sirmons defense would look totally different if he had a Sheldon Rankins or a DeAngelo Brown, give him time to recruit.

 

[Senore2006]

Let it cook. Quit looking so hard for negatives. In case you haven't noticed, we have a hell of a team.

Next week's QB will be the worst we've faced this season, so far.

 

[CardsFirst]

Let it cook. Quit looking so hard for negatives. In case you haven't noticed, we have a hell of a team.

Next week's QB will be the worst we've faced this season, so far.[/QUOTE

Yep but it's the best D we've faced this year. Setting up to be another UL Clemson battle. We need to win this one. And I'm not convinced he's the worst we've faced.

 

[ALLNCARD]

17 total yards on the ground for the entire game. The passing game gave up shy of 400, but we are missing an All American Cornerback. Special teams had a lapse in coverage that better be corrected before next week. All in all I see more positives than negatives. We can pass or run with multiple options. Venable will have his work cut out for him this week. Go Cards!!!!!

 

[Birdie King]

Sirmon plays a conservative defense and it got more conservative without Jaire out there. In the 4th quarter we had 2 true freshmen (Yeast and T. Smith) and a converted receiver (Sturghill). I think you might see more of those guys going forward.

And don't forget about another freshman who played more then they did - Tresean Smith.