Defense and Pruitt/Rocker and Company

NC_Dawg, short time back you asked me in another thread about my thinking on defensive schemes. Since then have started two or more attempts trying to answer you. Below is a link that covers part of what I am seeing Pruitt do in Athens.

I believe without throwing too many rocks at a previous defensive coordinator (Willie Martinez) Willie did not understand how to run the defense laid out below. Many complications when trying to recruit and teach young pups when the better players have plans other than college scholarships.

Answering the defensive portion of your question, it also included offense as well. I am a strong supporter of "man". That can and does take "time". Have said a few times that I have to see more of what Pruitt does and that can only be accomplished with "time" and "talent". Three year contract is cutting it pretty close, but it does speak to what Pruitt thinks he can do in three years.

Reason for the link below is not favoring the Tampa team it simply is bringing a certain defense forward for many that may or may not understand. Willie didn't.

Will say this . . . . tightends and sideline routes can break the back of C2. Takes a patient quarterback and head coach/offensive coordinator to be effective.

bleacherreport.com/articles/1084800-foot...-the-cover-2-defense

Edit. A while back when the gators were kicking us regularly, the below portion in bold type is exactly what they were doing with Tebow at the helm. Did not need a strong armed pro style quarterck, and Tebow was not that.

As ESPN's Bob Davie explains, there are a variety of ways to attack the traditional Cover 2. If the receivers can get to the sideline with speed, the safeties will struggle to contain them. High-low combination routes can attack the gap between the corners and safeties. Flat routes and wheel routes can attack the gap in between the outside linebacker and cornerback. Most dangerously, slot receivers and athletic tight ends can split the safeties and get big gains down the middle.

I have my fingers crossed that we sign this young man. He can be to Georgia Football what Derrick Brooks was to FSU and Tampa. Key piece to Pruitt's puzzle. My opinion.

247sports.com/Player/Roquan-Smith-26765

36869, read where we have returning players with playing time for 2015. That in my mind is good news. Gives Pruitt the time necessary to spend with the incoming pups. In my mind, that is huge. This is the way to get solid "two deep" on defense.

Read in other places that folks want to move back to the "bigs" at nose guard. Two deep means a heck of a lot more to me than "bigs at nose". You and I both know that "gap assignments and talent" change a lot of things in that area.

Entering into 2015 Season, don't really see where our head coach has a lot of room to "coach speak". He is the leader and it is time for him to step up and do "just that". As has been said before, if our head coach does not have the "background" to make certain calls in certain situations, needs to drop the "coach speak" and allow those that understand the "how to" to do just that. Do not see a "lack of talent" again in Athens playing football, not sure about the mental side of one or two on the sideline.

Taking note of the "3 ***'s" that Pruitt is bringing or trying to bring to campus. Tells me he understands what those in the media don't. Pruitt/Rocker and Company are not coaching for clicks, they are looking for body types and movements from the body types that the "click folks" don't have a clue about when analyzing "talent".

36869, this young man has my attention . . . .

georgia.scout.com/a.z?s=135&p=8&c=1&nid=7817035

Not a doubt in my mind that Keyon Brown is going to get everyone's attention. Keyon Brown is a football player, with enormous talent.

Mr. Brown under CJP and his crew will polish up real well

His body with added muscle..... beast ..... Mentor taught me along time ago

You recruit/hire both the head and the heart. Thanks for sharing

Go Dawgs

Thanks Buc! There was a time, not too many years ago, when our former O Coordinator stated something to the effect that our offense need only score 24 or more points and we win the game. This, to me, was an absolute reliance on a stout defense that shut down our opponents ability to score....Not so much anymore!

Our opponents not only understand our defensive weaknesses, they exploit them! So much so that former opponents that we once "owned" are now taking our lunch money. Like you, I'm hopeful that CJP will answer the call and reunite a JYD mentality to this team. However, I am fearful that CJP's attempts to accomplish this goal will be thwarted by Mr. Good Guy...

Time will tell,....

Another element to the way football is played now. Anyone can look back at a call made against us, wrong, two calls made against us in Nashville against Vanderbilt.

Football has changed, changed more in the last 4 or so years than in the previous x number of years. Young men have a hard time with bringing a running back down, or getting to the quarterback, referees are looking for "anything close" during a tackle or hit to throw a flag.

From where I sit, every year we get closer to "flag football", think about that. Don't go for some of the hits that were allowed back in the days of most anything goes. Appears to me that football has been taken out of the hands of coaches/players and now the referees run the game from start to finish.

Players and "some coaches" are still aggressive or want to be. Take the fire out of the belly of coaches and players, yep, flag football.

Think that most of us realize that "Big Money" is all about putting points on the board, the trend started right around the time that college and pros were playing 7-6 and 10-9 defensive games. Have said this before on this board, really enjoy watching defensive football games. Guess that is part of getting longer in the tooth, too many of todays fans have been routed to high scoring games. Simple to me and some often say this . . . . win by one, the win is what I want from my team.

Wonder how many folks/fans would be disappointed if next season (2015) Georgia beats Alabama by a score of 7-6 or 10-9? Not what many in the media would want, but many in the media don't really understand what is going on in the "arena".