Coach Stephen Ambrose Sarkisian.......Staff

Spin it as you wish, but there are two plays — egregious blunders — that are forever etched in my noggin.

1984 Cotton Bowl - If Curry doesn’t attempt to field the punt over his shoulder — that he shouldn’t have touched, we likely win the NC.

Tech Game - I love Gideon. Excellent and dedicated player. But his drop of the room service INT cost us at least a BCS Championship game. You can slice and dice other plays in that game, including the terrible clock management near the end, but the int was the play.

 

Right

 

Zach Arnett's name has popped up for DC
Just 34, good rep, did well at SDSU

Arnett is a prodigy of Rocky Long, one of the nation's best defensive minds. He spent nine years on the defensive side of the ball with Long at San Diego State as a graduate assistant (2011-13), linebackers coach (2014-17) and defensive coordinator (2018-19). The Aztecs led the Mountain West in total defense in five of those seasons.​

 

I haven't met these people and don't want to because I couldn't be polite.

 

With you on both of those. I was still in my formative years with the Curry punt muff, but I seem to remember other Longhorns being quite upset about it.

 

Article on him, would be a good hire IMO
Zach Attack: A look at what makes MSU's Zach Arnett so successful

 

IT strongly hinting tht Odom was interviewed but not offered the job

His piglet defense finished 106th in total defense (we were 62nd)

 

Ash also has a shot
This is Roach

- I've talked with two sources who indicated Texas defensive coordinator Chris Ash is under strong consideration to remain at Texas. From what we know, Sarkisian has talked with several assistants but Ash isn't one of them yet. His fate is still up in the air, but there's starting to be more of a feeling that Barry Odom sticks with Arkansas. Arizona is also targeting Ash should he be released from Texas, but nothing has been decided to our knowledge. Ash would provide staff continuity and lessen the financial strain of buying out so many assistants. We will continue to monitor this situation as none of the defensive staff have been told for sure what their fate is.

We also continue to hear increasing buzz on Blake Gideon. The former Leander prospect and Texas safety has been making his name in coaching circles since his playing days ended. Gideon is known most for superb special teams coaching, and he's had experience coaching safeties and nickelback ​

 

It was a fangle.

 

There is noise of a possible co coordinator situation involving keeping Ash.
According to most sources, Gideon is in. For what it's worth, he has removed all his Ole Miss info from his twitter.

 

That is one of those names you never forget, and no way was he going to drop this opportunity
But onward and upward we go

It may also mean Ash will not be retained

 

Per TFB, confirms that Sark and Arnett have spoken. This is happening based on what Sark saw Arnett do when the two teams faced each other this year. Sark was impressed.

Arnett is still probably #3 candidate right now. Thinks Muschamp and Tosh are ahead of him.

Also, he's heard that Bama will change DC's after the national championship game. Thinks Muschamp is their target

 

Especially that time I... wait never mind.

 

@Joe Fan - in the Nahlin comment, it say's they want a 3-3-5. Isn't that what Orlando ran?

 

I'm guessing that BG made many good plays in that and other games that helped Horn's be in that position in '08 vs TT.

Is this a situation of 'what have you done for me lately?'

Time to move on!!

 

yep

Here is something he said about that when he first went to Miss St

Cowbell Corner: Upon your hiring, you were of course identified as a “3-3-5” guy. Is that a pretty accurate description of you and your style and what you like to do?

Arnett: I think it’s an accurate description of the personnel we’ve had on the field. You have three guys that are called defensive linemen, three guys that are the linebackers and five (defensive backs). I don’t think it’s necessarily an accurate description of the scheme. If you’re looking at clips of what we did at San Diego State, by no means are we in a 3-3 stack every snap. In fact, there’s probably less of that than other looks. You’d have to ask an offensive guy how they’d break the scheme down and if it’s a 3-3-5 or if it’s something different. For us, it’s just all about trying to maximize the personnel on the field and it was the right combination of guys at San Diego State. We’ll obviously have to get into practice and in fall camp to decide if that’s the right combination of the personnel on the field here.​

 

offensive staff looks like this, at the moment

Sark
Kyle Flood: Offensive coordinator/offensive line
AJ Milwee: Quarterbacks
Stan Drayton: Running backs
Holmon Wiggins: Wide receivers​

 

Zach Arnett explains his defensive philosophy, why he chose Mississippi State over other opportunities

" ..... My philosophy is to get the best players on the field and get them to play as hard, as physical, as intense as possible,” Arnett said during his recent media availability, which was shared on YouTube by Logan Lowery. “Typically, a good indicator of physical defense is how they hold up against the run… SEC is as good of football as there is in the country, all the guys on the roster know that, that’s why they came to school here, I don’t think there’s anyone shying away from the challenge. They are excited to get this thing going and see how good we can be.”

When it comes to his 3-3-5 defense, the Bulldogs may soon find themselves at an advantageous position in the SEC when it comes to the issues the defense can give an offense that attempts to prepare for the unique style of defense.

“We hope it’s unique and difficult to prepare for,” Arnett continued. “I do think you’re seeing more multiplicity, variation in schemes that teams are running, you are seeing more 3-3-5 looks, a lot more of it on third down than on first or second, but with the purification of the spread and teams going sideline to sideline, there’s been an effort by defenses to get more athletes on the field and guys that can run and cover space.”

* * *
Mississippi State’s bio for Arnett includes these stats for his defenses since the start of the 2018 season and where his defensive unit has ranked inside the top 15 nationally in since that time:

Rushing yards allowed per game (1st – 89.6)
Rushing yards allowed per carry (1st – 2.9)
Fewest 30-point games allowed (T1st – 2)
Fewest 40-point games allowed (T1st – 0 … one of just six teams)
Percentage of big plays allowed (2nd – 9.2) with only 153 of 1,658 opp plays gaining either a 12-plus yard run or 15-plus yard pass
Percentage of drives that they kept their opp from crossing the 50 (4th – 61.3)
Percentage drives that their opponent covered less than 25 yards (4th – 60.1)
Percentage drives holding their opponent scoreless (6th – 76.3)
Points per play allowed (10th – 0.3) and points per possession (10th – 1.3)
Yards allowed per play (14th – 4.9)​

 

cnb, already reported that WM declined the offer for DC

 

Lots of moving parts here. He's being mentioned for Georgia and now Bama. This may be a bidding war.

 

Just curious here...why would hiring a ST coach have anything to do with the DC position?

 

Bryan Carrington is now following Keary Colbert (USC WRs coach) and Corey Raymond (LSU CBs coach)

 

Never underestimate Blake Gideon's ability to drop something.

 

He is also rumored to be the safeties coach too
Usually you see it listed as ST/S or sometimes ST/TE
Most DCs want to pick their own assistants
As far as Ash goes, he seems married to Valai and so if other secondary assistants are already coming in then that implies no Valai (and by extension, no Ash)

 

Didn't we think the 3-3-5 was a strategically unsound defense in the Big-12?

 

Thank you for catching that