Second Spring Scrimmage Stats

[Quattro]

Looking at these stats tells me it's going to be a long year. Our defense was horrific last year and I doubt much has changed after 8 practices. (1) If our offense can't dominate them it's doubtful they'll do much against other teams. Our best chance to show improvement starts on offense and until we see them do something against our own D I don't think we can be very optimistic about next year. And I'm not buying into "the defense is always ahead of the offense" theory. Our defense is bad until proven otherwise and with the lack of depth in the front seven I don't believe we'll be stopping anyone this year (2). Without a QB who shows more than these stats indicate I can't see it happening. It's early and a lot can happen, but talk is cheap/actions speak and right now it doesn't look good.

Disagree with a few points.

(1) Greg Brown was the worst DC in the nation the past two seasons and had no DC experience. Kent Baer on the other hand has lots of experience as a DC. Baer was the DC at Stanford when they went to two rose bowls. THe secondary has said multiple times that they didn't get enough coaching from Brown, we now have Clark for safeties and LaRussa coaching the corners and them splitting the nickle position. In Brown, we had a DC who couldn't figure out a way to stop, or even slow down a slant against a FCS team with a walk-on QB or the fact that Brown couldn't call a defense to not let Cal convert on a 1st and 30. The schemes and coaching were just awful. And then we had this:

Great scheming, Brown. Let's leave a true freshman on an island while the other team is on the four yard line with no right side support. We also return a lot of experience along with having a defensive minded head coach.

(2) Don't underestimate Jim Jeffcoat.

After ranking 100th nationally in sacks per game in 2011, San Jose State improved and ranked fifth in the category under Jeffcoat's direction last season. The Spartans also ranked 20th nationally and second in the WAC with a rushing defense average of 127 yards per game in 2012.

BuffStampede

We return everyone except Will P on the DL. We don't have much depth at LB but Gilliam and Reed have looked good at LB, and they can move in space which will help greatly against the spread, nor do we have Jon Major running the wrong way.

Kent Baer:

His 2012 defense was 25th in the country in total defense, tied for eighth with 38 take aways, 18th in tackles for loss and 19th against the run. His run as linebackers coach was highlighted by freshman All-America recognition for Keith Smith and Vince Buhaguar

Jim Jeffcoat:

Jeffcoat joined San Jose State before the 2011 season where the Spartans went from 1-12 to 5-7. Jeffcoat coached Travis Johnson to a first-team All_WAC season and a spot on the Hendricks Award Watch List for best defensive end in the country. Yahoo! Sports named defensive tackle Travis Raciti as the top freshman defender in the WAC in 2011.

Andy LaRussa:

In his first season with the Spartans, LaRussa's cornerbacks helped the team nearly double its turnovers gained from 18 to 33.

BuffStampede

Overall I believe we will see a big turn around in our defense this year with the emphasis that MM and his staff put on defense along with the returning experience. I'm not overly worried yet. The players are still getting used to and learning the new systems and getting their timing down, among others.

 

[Duff Man]

Still a lot of work to do on defense. The LBs and safeties are huge question marks. Since we are not a defense blessed with incredible speed, a lot of it will come down to whether those two groups can hold up. I have my doubts.

 

[Gold]

When your staff is teaching the team the basics of how to tackle mid-way through the season, it's an unmitigated disaster on so many fronts.

 

[Creebuzz]

True or false, Benard Jackson of 2005 would be an upgrade at QB?

 

[Daaah]

True or false, Benard Jackson of 2005 would be an upgrade at QB?

false.

 

[Duff Man]

False.

 

[lawdogg]

How nice would it be to have a weapon like Cyler Miles running this offense...

 

[Creebuzz]

false.

False.

When Bernard Jackson started for CU that one year, I effectively viewed us as having a running back playing QB. No vertical passing threat at all. I figured that was absolutely the bottom of the pit and perhaps it was. However, the stats from last year are pretty darn similar, potentially worse if you throw in the QB rushing yards.

B Jax (12 games) 49.8%, 1298 yards, 7 TDs,7 INTs, (along with 690 rushing yards and 7 more TDs)

J. Webb (10 games) 54.3%, 1434 yards, 8 TDs, 8 INTs

 

[Daaah]

When Bernard Jackson started for CU that one year, I effectively viewed us as having a running back playing QB. No vertical passing threat at all. I figured that was absolutely the bottom of the pit and perhaps it was. However, the stats from last year are pretty darn similar, potentially worse if you throw in the QB rushing yards.

B Jax (12 games) 49.8%, 1298 yards, 7 TDs,7 INTs, (along with 690 rushing yards and 7 more TDs)

J. Webb (10 games) 54.3%, 1434 yards, 8 TDs, 8 INTs

The team around bjax was much better than the team around webb.

 

[Duff Man]

When Bernard Jackson started for CU that one year, I effectively viewed us as having a running back playing QB. No vertical passing threat at all. I figured that was absolutely the bottom of the pit and perhaps it was. However, the stats from last year are pretty darn similar, potentially worse if you throw in the QB rushing yards.

B Jax (12 games) 49.8%, 1298 yards, 7 TDs,7 INTs, (along with 690 rushing yards and 7 more TDs)

J. Webb (10 games) 54.3%, 1434 yards, 8 TDs, 8 INTs

B Jax had a much better defense to cover for his poor play. A defense that could actually keep us in games we had no business winning. We finished 6th in the Big 12 that season in scoring defense and could have been higher if not for the flat-out worst offense in the conference. We very easily coulda/shoulda been a bowl team that year with any sort of offense.

 

[Creebuzz]

B Jax had a much better defense to cover for his poor play. A defense that could actually keep us in games we had no business winning. We finished 6th in the Big 12 that season in scoring defense and could have been higher if not for the flat-out worst offense in the conference. We very easily coulda/shoulda been a bowl team that year with any sort of offense.

Yes, and last year the CU offense got to play against backups after being down by 30 points. You would think that Webb would have some padded stats from garbage time. Fact is, we couldn't score a point against Oregon's 3rd team defense either or any other teams 2ns string.

I know it's a team game, but if HCMM trots out Jordan Webb game one, he'd better light it up or there's gonna be a whole lot of angry fans out there.

 

[Duff Man]

Yes, and last year the CU offense got to play against backups after being down by 30 points. You would think that Webb would have some padded stats from garbage time. Fact is, we couldn't score a point against Oregon's 3rd team defense either or any other teams 2ns string.

I know it's a team game, but if HCMM trots out Jordan Webb game one, he'd better light it up or there's gonna be a whole lot of angry fans out there.

I agree that if Webb is the guy, he better have a short leash. I personally will be pretty disappointed if Webb sees much time at all this coming season.

I also hope this new coaching staff takes advantage of garbage time a lot better than Embree and his staff did. How Hirschman and Wood have such limited experience baffles me.

 

[Gold]

It's not worth it to play a polarizing player like Webb. If he is at this moment better than Dillon, the incremental difference is so small there is no significant upside to playing Webb. MM would waste a lot of good faith being thrown his way.

 

[Duff Man]

It's not worth it to play a polarizing player like Webb. If he is at this moment better than Dillon, the incremental difference is so small there is no significant upside to playing Webb. MM would be wasting a lot of good faith being thrown his way.

How would we know "the incremental difference is so small" between Webb and Dillon?

 

[Gold]

How would we know "the incremental difference is so small" between Webb and Dillon?

Measured by assuming that if Webb is better, that means Dillon is basically a guy with a pulse wearing a jersey, that's about it. I grade Webb as being slightly better than that. But only slightly.

 

[BlackNGold]

One of the biggest problems on defense last year was the Linebacker play. I don't know how many times they failed to fill the hole. Jon Major had the motor but just was not the same player after numerous injuries, Rippy never lived up to expectations.

 

[Quattro]

FWIW, Adam is reporting that they did a decent amount if redzone/goal line work

 

[Scotch]

It is tough for a Freshman to compete for a starting job at QB unless he is an incredible talent. Dillion may be better physically but not might be ready to take the reins right off the bat. I think the QB situation is scary right now.

Besides 0-12 , after last season nothing is scary.

 

[BlackNGold]

Just for 'Tini....Stanford only went to the Rose Bowl once when Baer was there and that year it was not because of their defense - they gave up over 30 points a game. Baer has plenty of warts on his resume with his defenses giving up a lot of points at times. His teams gave up an average of 27 points a game at Stanford, ND and UW.

Remember - no one is as good as they seem and no one is as bad as they seem.

 

[Quattro]

Fair enough but on the flipside of that there was some really bad offenses. That's not going to help the defense out.

And yeah I read the Rose Bowl part wrong, but the resumes of the staff from SJSU that I posted remain the same and are all valid.

 

[Duff Man]

We are going to be a better coached football team in 2013, but these coaches are not miracle workers. Scheme only goes so far.

 

[Quattro]

We are going to be a better coached football team in 2013, but these coaches are not miracle workers. Scheme only goes so far.

I'm not saying they're miracle workers, but they do have experience in turning around programs. As we know, SJSU was about to scrap football before MM came. They went 1-11 the first year and 5-7 the second and we are in a better position than SJSU was IMO. I'm expecting 4 wins. We blew two wins last year so depending how you look at it it's either a one win improvement or a three win improvement.

 

[Buffnik]

HCMM displaying his genius by playing the QBs hoping for 4th position on the depth chart and giving them a scaled back offense without our best WR to throw to. He's lulling the teams on our schedule into a false sense of security now... will deliver shock and awe in September.

 

[Duff Man]

It would be a three-win improvement. Stop with the "almost won" garbage.

You overestimate our situation in comparison to PAC-12 peers. Way too many questions, especially on defense.

 

[Buffnik]

I'm not saying they're miracle workers, but they do have experience in turning around programs. As we know, SJSU was about to scrap football before MM came. They went 1-11 the first year and 5-7 the second and we are in a better position than SJSU was IMO. I'm expecting 4 wins. We blew two wins last year so depending how you look at it it's either a one win improvement or a three win improvement.

We were much closer to 0-12 than we were to 3-9. Just sayin'.

 

[Quattro]

It would be a three-win improvement. Stop with the "almost won" garbage.

You overestimate our situation in comparison to PAC-12 peers. Way too many questions, especially on defense.

I'm saying it's a three win improvement, but we had no business losing to CSU or Sac State. My win predictions aren't really coming from the Pac 12 either except for one or maybe two (something even Embree managed to do) conference wins. CSU, CAU, Utah, and either FSU or Cal. I don't think that's expecting too much.

 

[Quattro]

We were much closer to 0-12 than we were to 3-9. Just sayin'.

Insert "Stop with the 'almost' garbage"

The staff is being paid $5.6M/year total, I expect to see them worth the money they are being payed.

 

[Buffalo Brad]

We were much closer to 0-12 than we were to 3-9. Just sayin'.

Absolutely! I have a hard time remembering 3 games where we were within 20 pts of the other team. Amost my ass!

 

[buffaholic]

How would we know "the incremental difference is so small" between Webb and Dillon?

Well, because, because, well, we just know. Last year we knew that Connor Wood would compete for all conference and lead us to a bowl game. This week, Connor Wood is competing with Dorman to see who starts learning how to long snap!

We collectively don't know ****....

 

[Quattro]

Absolutely! I have a hard time remembering 3 games where we were within 20 pts of the other team. Amost my ass!

CSU (had a 14-9 lead going into the half despite Embree's dumbass coaching, lose 17-22), Sac State (jump out to a 14-0 lead, lose 28-30), Utah(Up 28-20 heading into the 4th, lose 35-42), WSU (lucky win)