Oh man, don't even get me started on Oregon State, who's usually the laughing stock of the Pac-12 when it comes to defense, somehow managed to lock down San Jose State. They held them to 17 points, 56 yards rushing, and 223 yards passing. Let that sink in for a moment. This is a defense that usually couldn't stop a jogger, let alone a college offense, and they made San Jose State look like a Pop Warner team.
What does that say about our defense? I'll tell you what it says: it's embarrassing!
If Oregon State's defense can contain an offense that rolled all over us, then what are we even doing? San Jose State ran and passed for double the yards on us compared to what they did against Oregon State. We're still floundering in the swamp of mediocrity.
We all observed that our defense was a laughing stock last year, we tried to orient our selves toward improvement, decided to change something, and then acted on it, but Grinch just sucks - 3rd and 22!
If this were us against Oregon State, we'd be the team giving up double the stats. I expected to not be worse than Oregon State, and yet here we are.
You know what kills me? That line the coaching staff keeps trotting out: "We're two plays away from..." Two plays away from what? Glory? Victory? Nah, more like two plays away from having fans tear their hair out. It's the football equivalent of saying "I'm two beers away from making sense." It's ridiculous!
You wanna be a hero as a quarterback? Play against Grinch's defense. You'll look like Michael Vick in his prime.
We need a D coordinator that knows defense is half the game? When the defense stinks this bad, it affects everyone. The offense has to carry the weight, special teams are demoralized, and the fans are reconsidering their life choices. The cost of keeping Grinch far outweighs any potential benefit.
So, it's painfully clear we have zero excuses. What are we doing, running a charity for opposing offenses? Time for a serious overhaul, starting with Mr. "Two Plays Away" Alex Grinch.
The defense rests, Your Honor—literally!
can't disagree w any of this
USC’s Bear Alexander delivers exactly what Lincoln Riley wanted
The Trojans head coach pinpointed the need for an elite interior defensive lineman like the Georgia transfer
USC defensive lineman Bear Alexander meets with reporters during the team’s preseason media day on Thursday, July 27, 2023. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
By LUCA EVANS | levans@scng.com |
PUBLISHED: September 7, 2023 at 3:42 p.m. | UPDATED: September 7, 2023 at 3:42 p.m.
USC’s Bear Alexander delivers exactly what Lincoln Riley wanted – Orange County Register (ocregister.com)
“The bout was over before their hands even touched, because Nevada’s Josh Castro was simply in no position to mess with a Bear.
What’s excited USC coaches about Georgia transfer Bear Alexander, what’s stood out so plainly from his practice reps and lining up during drills, is not just his size but the burst. At his best, he’s out of his block a half-second quicker than anyone on the line, a 300-pound canary on his feet hurtling toward opposing centers like an asteroid entering orbit.
And on one first-quarter snap Saturday, Alexander exploded from his stance, barreling a backpedaling Castro into the backfield before running back Ashton Hayes had even taken a handoff. While simultaneously fighting off Castro with his right arm, Alexander extended with his left, helping wrap up Hayes to completely and single-handedly destroy a Nevada run.
“He’s a very, very explosive young man,” USC defensive line coach Shaun Nua said.”…
…”This, Riley said Thursday, is a thicker football team. A stronger football team. And that’s stood out most on the defensive line. Returning 250-pound end Solomon Byrd has taken a leap. Georgia Southern transfer Jamil Muhammad has seven pressures. Freshman Braylan Shelby, with his Kawhi Leonard-esque wingspan, is “close,” Riley said Thursday, to earning increased opportunity.
And does Alexander, himself, see any difference between USC and Georgia, the program Riley so explicitly painted as the gold standard for physicality?
“It’s the same – I mean, Lincoln and Kirby (Smart) are very similar,” Alexander said in reference to Georgia’s head coach. “They both got the same goals, and same expectations.”
First, There is some value to watching game tape to see what SJSU did; SC had only old tape to see. Second, SC focused on rotating, testing and evaluating many freshmen more than locking-down. The blown coverage on the first SJSU play was much of their offense stats. And finally, teams often bring their best against SC to make names for themselves. No teams bring their best against OSU, particularly one that left it all on the field versus SC the week before. The transitive rule in CFB is not tautalogical in CFB. All that having been said OSU's performance is concerning.
Do you feel better now? Good