Great explanation of Shoop issues this year, flea'd from VN

[BanditVol]

To expand on Shoop ...he coaches a 43 single gap defense. A single gap system has each of the front seven responsible for a gap ...as opposed to a two gap system where the front seven are responsible for a player . The linemen typically tie up a blocker and the backers roam free to make the plays . Also Shoop prefers to play NFL style and leave the 43 on the field on 'possible' passing downs ( not third and long ) where it could be pass or run regardless of how many receivers are on the field. So if there are three receivers ...the OLB steps out and covers the extra receiver. No worries though ..he should not have to play man because Shoop imploys mostly zones, especially quarters which many have referred to as 'cover 2' in absolute error .

So why did his defense suck so bad ? Injuries . Period . And here is why. To play a one gap scheme like this , the front has to be aggressive and fast to attack and break the gaps beating the offense to the gap. We have one DT and the other DTs are manned by backup defensive ends. The interior is getting blown up. 2 gaps are blown by this failure. Since the OLB , or 'star' player is the focal point and allows the defense to not switch personnel groupings ...the loss of JRM was huge from a strategic POV , because not he has to switch groupings and gives up the element of defensive scheme and suprise. They now know you are in a nickle so they will run on those 'tweener' downs.

So when the scheme is running optimally, the secondary is operating in zones. This requires the front pressure front the fast free flowing 1 gap system. Now you are not getting that . The front is having to shift resources from other gaps to compensate for the f'd up A & B gap inside . The 'star' player is not picking up receivers , backs, TE's because he is flowing to a gap. You have 8 different combos of secondary players playing man with no pressure from the front .

All of this turmoil and Shoop cant bring the magic with his exotic fire blitzes , scrapes, and zone traps ...because the injuries have left this defense with no gap control.

I have to give Shoop a pass this year. The injuries have hit his philosophy where it hurts and I can see no way he could have corrected it with the personnel / injury issues .

Will hold judgement until next year

So maybe we suck at D again next year.  I sure hope not!  End of this season was enough for me.  Shoop will be around, so I guess we will see.

[VinnieVOL]

I buy it.  Shoop didn't have 5 or 6 or however many straight years of highly ranked defenses then suddenly become incompetent.

[murfvol]

I'd think a good tactician would scrap his plan in an extreme case, and use what he has. Because of Shoop's track record I'm willing to give him another shot, but the D better be lights-out.

[SmokeyJoe]

I'd think a good tactician would scrap his plan in an extreme case, and use what he has. Because of Shoop's track record I'm willing to give him another shot, but the D better be lights-out.

I have never understood coaches NOT adapting to personnel. It makes no sense.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[BanditVol]

To adapt to other personnel, the other personnel have to actually exist.  

And for the record, I am  neither condemning nor defending Shoops.  I am saying I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and wait and see.

It's highly likely that he is back regardless of how I feel about it, so I am going to hope for the best.  

[73Volgrad]

If you lose the starting DTs and the backups, lose your best LBs and a dependable backup, and then you lose most of the starting and backup DBs, you end up with the defense at the end of the season. There is a reason most of the players were 3rd or 4th team; because they are not ready for the SEC yet or maybe never. Defense is not a plug and play endeavor. At DT, you cannot teach a man to weigh 290-300 lbs. You cannot teach a LB to run 4.5 fi his best is 4.8 and you cannot teach them to always plug the right hole. And again you cannot teach speed to a DB that has to think "What coverage are we in?"

So Shoop deserves a break. Provided Butch decides to hire a new S&C coach and the players stop dropping like flies.

[Tnphil]

IMO the most important hire is the S&C coach....and a good one. We are weak at several positions. Bama's DBs and safeties look like linebackers.....ours look like WRs.

[BanditVol]

IMO the most important hire is the S&C coach....and a good one. We are weak at several positions. Bama's DBs and safeties look like linebackers.....ours look like WRs.

Yeah, we have some short DBs...

[HerbTarlekVol]

Here's what I can't get past:

South Carolina had a QB who should have been playing a high school game the night before he starting in his first game against UT, and he beat our scholarship guys who were playing in their 8th game of the season. 

Don't want to hear any excuses, because there are none. 

[Tnphil]

And the Vandy QB was averaging 169 yards passing per game for the season and against us he got 406

[BanditVol]

Here's what I can't get past:

South Carolina had a QB who should have been playing a high school game the night before he starting in his first game against UT, and he beat our scholarship guys who were playing in their 8th game of the season. 

Don't want to hear any excuses, because there are none. 

They only scored 24 on us, and 7 of those were caused by an idjut fumble when Hurd took himself out of the game.   We should have been able to out score them. 

No excuse for losing true, but I'd hardly hang that one on the D.

The last three games?   God-awful D.  Not why we lost at USC jr though.