There was considerable speculation during the offseason as to what level of improvement was possible for the 2011 defense under Mattison. Jumping 40 or 50 spots in the rankings was considered the maximum plausible expectation based on exhaustive statistical analyses.
I couldn't wait to see where things stood following today's effort, so I went into spreadsheet mode and came up with the following:
| 2011 Ave | 2011 Rank | 2010 Ave | 2010 Rank | |
| Scoring Defense | 16.1 | 7 | 35.2 | 108 |
| Rushing Defense | 130.9 | 41 | 188.9 | 95 |
| Passing Defense | 191.3 | 22 | 261.9 | 112 |
| Total Defense | 322.2 | 17 | 450.8 | 110 |
The numbers should be accurate although there are a couple of late games that could nudge the yardage rankings a smidge. These numbers would be even better if the NCAA had counted the WMU game.
I know, I know, there are still two (+) tough games remaining, and I don't want to jinx anything, but how many thought these results were possible through 10 (9 that count) games. Color me delighted with Marvelous Mattison.


