They will get better if you figure that with this offense most teams will be playing from behind. Most concerning to me is penalties and special teams.
Best OLine they will face all year. But I agree I'm not sold on Bedford. Blown coverages cost us 2 TDs. That's one too many. Outside guy also lost contain way too many times. Cost us the 1st long run and the QBs long run.
The defensive hold late in the game on a 3rd down stop didn't help either. Said it many times last year, Bedford and his schtick are old, I want to win without scoring 50.
Oh good grief !!!!!! Unreal. On my 2nd Crown and water, can't we just enjoy this? I just broke down the tape, and I didn't see Bedford suited up.... oh never mind what you're saying is that he schemed the D to double cover a slant and leave a wheel route open. Hmm, you'd think he would know to cover every eligible receiver.
Believe me, I am enjoying it, and if you re-read my first post, I gave credit to the D for holding ND to the FG in 2 OT.
Maybe he didn't adequately coach them on when to switch and when not to switch. I have no idea if that's what happened in this case or not. Sometimes players just goof up in the split second they have to react. In general though, frequent mental mistakes and scheme breakdowns are the result of inadequate coaching. Meh...I understand not wanting to hear a bunch of complaining after a great great win, but we should be able to discuss both positives and negatives about the team. Giving up 37 in regulation is generally not great, so voicing some concern about it is not being overly critical IMO. As the season goes on, if ND continues to light up the scoreboard, and if we are able to hold down other teams, we'll know better how well the defense played today.
As I am watching the game again in OT, I will reiterate my appreciation for what the D did on OT. The tackle for loss on ND's second OT possession by Boyette was huge. Here is my perspective of how big forcing that FG was. With the young team we have, I think it took an immense amount of pressure off the offense to have the luxury, if you will, of being able to tie with a FG. Not needing to score a TD to keep the game going probably allowed the offense to be a bit more loose coming out for the final possession. Again, much credit to the D at the end to grab some sack and get the job done. I hope they build on that and continue to improve.
He was beside himself that ND scored so easily on the previous drive. He looked exasperated. Watch him on that play. I loved that they walk back on the field and he decided to make a difference there.
Youth... I don't know enough to comment on the lessons being taught. But there is NO DOUBT the Equanimious or whatever his name is pushed off on the first touchdown. That wasn't on Bedford or anyone else (plus it was a great pass). I was in the north end-zone and it was right in front of us. We all saw it. It was ridiculous. And that is partly why I don't care about the non-call on the supposed targeting hit later in the game. There were other gaffs by the zebras.
The thing that's really jumping out to me on the replay is that Davante Davis really struggled. Directly responsible for two touchdowns and got beat several times. He's got all the tools but he had a tough night.
We do not have an elite defense yet like, say, Alabama. They are young and learning. The new recruits yet to play will make it even better. ND offense played well and are talented. They were going to score some points. The cut block penalty and another bad snap is what sent us into overtime. Otherwise I am sure we win in regulation. OU, OSU, TTech, TCU and Baylor are going to put some points on us. I just want our D to hold them to one less score than us. If you are going to be focused on defense then you are going to be complaining all season.
Think back to when you were 18, 19, 20 years old. The kids played over their heads in many situations. The most troublesome thing about the defense was how many times they didn't know where to line up, particularly the DBs. How many times did ND snap the ball and our DBs (and sometimes the LBs) were arguing over who goes where?
He was bad last year and I called him out quite a bit, but I also acknowledged he was a freshman. What is very troublesome about him is there was no improvement between last season and this game. The offense was playing with some freshman and they performed much better. Bedford is on the hot seat and needs to show progress this year. Last year was the worst statistical defense in Texas history, averaging 453 yards allowed per game. We allowed 444 last night. Also we play in the Big 12, and Notre Dame will not be the best offense we see all year. Coaches like Muschamp, Chizik and Greg Robinson have demonstrated that these high powered offenses can be stopped or slowed down quite a bit. Bedford had a good defense in 2014. I am not ready to give up on him yet. However, he needs to step up. It is only game 1 and he will have plenty of opportunities to show improvement. Regardless of what we think, I firmly believe Coach Strong has his eye on the defensive staff and will hold them accountable if they do not step up.
