Our defense is what so far?
After 2 games how good does everyone think our defense is?
MTSU defensive stats vs. CSU remind you this team lost to a first year Division 1 program 44-7 James Madison.
9 sacks, 13 tfl, 4 PD 5 QB hurries and 1 Def. TD and 2 int.
I hope our defense is really good but after seeing what MTSU did to CSU I think their O-line is terrible.
The Maryland game I think will give us a look at how our defense really is.
September 12th, 2022 at 5:37 PM ^
2-0
Hopeful, but have to play a good offense.
September 12th, 2022 at 8:08 PM ^
I landed on "promising but untested" but you say it well
September 13th, 2022 at 10:32 AM ^
Whatever the defense is we will find out the Saturday after Thanksgiving and no sooner. Football is a game of matchups and we win all the matchups until then. 2018 was the ultimate empirical validation of the second law of thermodynamics and proved all other theories irrelevant.
September 12th, 2022 at 8:46 PM ^
Wake me when we play somebody of substance.
September 12th, 2022 at 9:11 PM ^
I’m impressed that you typed that in your sleep.
September 12th, 2022 at 5:38 PM ^
Well we haven’t seen our defense enough, even against bad competition, to know what they are. Both games were over so quick and the opponents were so bad that there’s not much to take away from it.
September 12th, 2022 at 5:50 PM ^
While this is true, also keep in mind what a question mark our defense was/is coming into the season. Not saying I was expecting to lose either of these games, but the ones really could not have played any better. Given the uncertainty, I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling really good about where our D is.
September 12th, 2022 at 7:39 PM ^
Problem being we saw very little of our starters in either game and as has been pointed out, the offenses they’ve faced are putrid.
Theres simply not enough data for me to feel “really good about where our D is” at this point. It’s still an incomplete grade for me. One positive we can take is that nobody has seemed lost out there. Everyone seems to know what they’re doing on every play. But as far as how they’ll look against a remotely competent team, we still have no idea.
September 12th, 2022 at 9:02 PM ^
That is why the Maryland game will be a good chance to see what our defense is made of. Maryland has a good WR core and probably the 2nd or 3rd best QB in the BIG TEN. I never would have asked except I saw how easy MTSU got to CSU QB.
September 12th, 2022 at 9:49 PM ^
Little Tua definitely is not better than JJ
September 13th, 2022 at 3:10 AM ^
WR core, huh?
September 13th, 2022 at 1:36 PM ^
Corpse.
September 12th, 2022 at 5:43 PM ^
still a question mark but with some positives at places we were concerned about
September 12th, 2022 at 5:45 PM ^
Wagon.
September 12th, 2022 at 5:47 PM ^
Transitive law does not apply to football. Just saying.
September 12th, 2022 at 8:20 PM ^
It doesn’t, but if teams we know are bad are having similar results against common opponents, we should at least acknowledge that and temper our expectations and excitement.
I don’t think anyone is saying it means we’re as bad as those teams defensively by any means. Just that we might want to pump the brakes on our excitement a tad.
September 13th, 2022 at 6:37 AM ^
Sure. But if one's eyes do not see and know that the speed and veracity of this defense is excellent-that is on them. I cannot imagine that there is a more fickle, self-doubting, hand-wringing fanbase than Michigan's. "Michigan fans are not happy unless they are unhappy" is regularly offered on this forum-and for good reason. And since we are playing the transitive game, Marshall scored more points against that "great" ND defense than the vaunted OSU offense did. l will take the Michigan defense over the ND defense every day of the week-just sayin'.
September 13th, 2022 at 10:18 AM ^
We’re all fans, which is short for fanatics. Pump breaks on excitement? What is wrong with you people. This is a good team, beating other teams handily. As fans why wouldn’t you enjoy every minute of this to the max, until something interrupts that?
September 12th, 2022 at 5:48 PM ^
Better than OSU's not as good as Georgia's. Good enough to win the B10, probably not good enough to win the CFB.
September 12th, 2022 at 5:48 PM ^
Maybe their O-line was so badly bruised up that they couldn't really move after dealing with Michigan's D?
September 12th, 2022 at 10:07 PM ^
Did they Play Nebraska after Michigan? If so, I can understand, tough to come back from being outhit like that
September 12th, 2022 at 5:50 PM ^
The D has shown twice that
- it stomps on teams it is supposed to stomp on
- has pretty decent if not amazing depth
These two have not always been the case and I love watching them work so far.
Long way to go and guys are going to improve!
September 12th, 2022 at 5:54 PM ^
They look fast and aggressive. Obviously we won't know who they really are for a couple weeks, but I like the way they play thus far.
September 12th, 2022 at 5:54 PM ^
Defending well. It'll be fine, definitely a top 20 unit at the low end and top 10 at the high end. And that's good enough to win the B1G again - providing the offense shows up like it promises to do. After 7 years of the Harbaughffense, I've learned to be wary of it until it proves itself late in the season. Some seasons it hasn't, but last year it did. I feel okay so far this year, but still have some worry about how 'unleashed' it will be in the heat of B1G battle against competent defenses.
I'm not worried about the defense, at all.
September 12th, 2022 at 5:54 PM ^
Outlook hazy, ask again later. Sometime in October.
September 12th, 2022 at 5:56 PM ^
Pretty, pretty good.
September 12th, 2022 at 6:00 PM ^
What are they? Untested. Maryland probably changes that.
September 12th, 2022 at 7:35 PM ^
D gets first real test against Maryland, O against Iowa.
September 12th, 2022 at 6:09 PM ^
... healthy after the first two games and needs to stay that way.
So far so good for the starters and 2nd string, but beyond that we have little experience and/or depth. This Saturday vs UConn is the last opportunity for the defensive staff to see who on the 3rd & 4th units is for real.
September 12th, 2022 at 6:10 PM ^
Statistically -
1st team - top 5
1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th teams combined - top 15
September 12th, 2022 at 6:20 PM ^
To be determined, but I'll throw these thoughts out:
- The defense will be strong against the run all year regardless of the opponent. Watching Harrell set the edge is fun. How often do you get to say that?
- How well they do against the pass will probably be more scheme/game plan dependent. There are a lot of really good players, but not elite stand-out game changers. That will be okay, unless they run into a team they can't adjust to.
More than anything, I love how much game experience the coaches are giving the back-ups early in the season. I'm guessing there will be some game in Oct/Nov the defense will benefit from this. This has not always happened under Harbaugh.
September 12th, 2022 at 7:41 PM ^
All good points. And by the end of the year, they will be a veteran team that has had as much time as you could hope for to plan for OSU.
September 12th, 2022 at 9:29 PM ^
Regarding the passing defense, I think our corners will be tested more this year compared to last because of our pass rush is still to be determined. However, we know what we have in DJ. Our safeties and other corner still need more data and time. But I expect very good things from them given how well they are playing. So, one lock down corner and everyone else yet to prove on passing defense.
September 12th, 2022 at 6:30 PM ^
That was 34-19 MTSU
September 12th, 2022 at 6:31 PM ^
Untested
September 12th, 2022 at 7:17 PM ^
Not worthy of a thread but in Harbaugh's press conference he said Amarion Walker will continue working on both sides of the ball and Dom Guidice has moved to OG/OC.
September 12th, 2022 at 7:58 PM ^
Not that I expected to see Guidice in the two deep on the d-line this year but that has to say something about how they are feeling about the freshman and depth in the d-line at least.
September 12th, 2022 at 8:58 PM ^
And for what it's worth he said "Never seen a guy transition so quick".
September 12th, 2022 at 8:58 PM ^
I saw that for snap counts and thought it was just an error but makes sense for him to move to the Oline.
September 13th, 2022 at 1:02 AM ^
Could that have been the plan all along, while recruiting him ?
September 12th, 2022 at 7:51 PM ^
Better than the '85 Bears!
September 12th, 2022 at 8:15 PM ^
An ameoba
September 12th, 2022 at 8:22 PM ^
They will have a bad game or two and everyone will freak out and question their previous assumptions. That's a certainty.
September 13th, 2022 at 12:56 AM ^
Ugh. I had assumed they were an amoeba.
September 12th, 2022 at 9:31 PM ^
Solid, young, improving, and somewhat untested.
September 12th, 2022 at 9:35 PM ^
According to ncaa.com stats, we have the 19th ranked offense and 13th ranked defense. (Crazy stat) Minnesota has the #1 ranked offense and defense in the country as of now
September 12th, 2022 at 9:47 PM ^
There is definitely a different vibe with the defense this year. At times in the past we would play down to the level of the competition. Not this year - they are flat out against the O line and flying everywhere. I do not see us letting up.
September 12th, 2022 at 9:51 PM ^
This is one of the best lookin’ defenses you’ve ever seen, bitch.
September 12th, 2022 at 9:56 PM ^
What I know so far is that the players who will actually play this year have been sharp in their fundamentals, playing with energy, well-coached in executing the scheme, and so on. Many of them are clearly NFL-caliber players, and there are proven or potential stars at every level of the defense. All you can ask for against flatly bad opponents