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Can Clawson Ever Have a Quality D?

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80deacon

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It seems after all this time the sad answer is, "No". If we hadn't had Hartman and a prolific O we'd be a losing or at best 50/50 program. What ever the problem, whether players under-sized or just not big enough or talented, the end result is glaring.
 
We've won 11 straight home games, 3-0, ranked #16 in one poll but our coach is an abject failure with half his team. Alrighty then.
The same coach who has fired multiple defensive coaches and has called out piss-poor coaching in press conferences. Google it if you don't believe me.

We had ONE bad game against Liberty. Let's not start throwing babies and bathwater out at the same time.
 
Defense was the bright spot against Liberty. Offense just fucked them over again and again.

Did you watch the game?
 
Our D is a big reason for the 3-0 start and if not for a great 1st half last night we lose vs Liberty. our D effectively gave up only 3 in first half as Sam’s int put them in FG range, after a int by D our O went backwards to 2 yd line so easy punt block for safety. 2nd half wasn’t great but O was off and gave liberty short field with failed 4th down on our side of field. The D stopped the 2 pt attempt to win it, had pick 6 vs Vandy to jumpstart team, has 8 TOs over 3 games, getting pressure on QBs more so than last year. And honestly should have had another Turnover to win it but just a really bad break. This D might not be Clemsons but it feels better than last year. If our O plays like most of last year it would have never been close but Sam had multiple underthrow on wide open WRs, bad punting and kick off That need as much work if not more than our D. Just hope we can get healthy on D side for Sat.
 
we are about 30th in yards per play allowed.

It sucks that we gave up scores on two straight 4th downs due to a slip and another totally flukey play.
 
ChrisL68 said:
we are about 30th in yards per play allowed.

It sucks that we gave up scores on two straight 4th downs due to a slip and another totally flukey play.
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The answer is "yes." Hartman is a quality QB. Wolford was a quality QB. Griffis will be a quality QB - for our system.
 
And I forgot to add our D forced the fumble and returned the ball to Lib 3 yd line to completely change momentum (Sam was abysmal with 3 3 and outs to start 2nd half) and allowing Deacs to get lead again leading Deacs to win.
 
It’s a choice and he has chosen offense over defense. Both really isn’t an option. Wake had one of the best defenses in the country in his first two years. You can’t have a prolific defense with the offense he has chosen to run without Alabama/Georgia/Clemson level recruiting which will never happen at Wake.

The defense is much improved this year.
 
I think the defense is more athletic than ly and overall probably better. But you can't have our offense going 3 and outs in less than a minute or scoring in 2 minutes and putting the defense back on the field time after time. They'll get tired. Our offense going 3 and out is the worst thing for our defense. As far as offense I've said many times that the slow mesh is a "trick" that evens things up for our offensive line. You saw yesterday that we couldn't get a 1-2 yard run when we needed to. It's because our o-line isn't good enough to line up and blow people off the ball. Clawson and Ruggiero know it and that's why the slow mesh is brilliant coaching.
 
Yes.

I believe he has one this season. I’m not gonna overreact to yesterday. It was just a strange game in which the offense kept putting the defense in top spots
 
saltydeac said:
And I forgot to add our D forced the fumble and returned the ball to Lib 3 yd line to completely change momentum (Sam was abysmal with 3 3 and outs to start 2nd half) and allowing Deacs to get lead again leading Deacs to win.
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While Sam wasn't his best, neither was Perry, especially in the 2nd half. Perry looked bad on 2 plays early in the 3rd including a dropped pass that cost us a much needed 1st down. The very next series Lib scores a TD on 4 plays. He makes that catch (hit him square in the numbers) and the complexion of the game changes in our favor.
 
Were you under a rock when we were winning games 3-0?
 
we had a good defense with elko. we had shitty defenses with sawvel and hemphill. i think we'll be good with lambert.

my impression of clawson based on listening to him speak is that his personal focus is primarily on systems, culture, accountability, which means his coaching staff (and coordinators in particular) have a lot of leverage -- which is problematic if they aren't good at their jobs.
 
The guy has mostly been a head coach since 1999, at a certain point he has to take ownership of the defenses.
 
I think this defense has played pretty well this year. They wore down a little saturday, some guys got banged up, a few flukey things happened. Nothing to worry about.
 
guys getting banged up is exactly what I am worried about, because every single year we lose defensive players to injury and then the defensive performance suffers

pace of play doesn't help, of course, because quicker pace = more defensive plays = more opportunity for defensive injuries + more opportunity for lack of defensive depth to bite us

I do realize that the offense is going to play fast and that is just the way it is
 
Taking a longer-term view (over more than just this season), the offensive pace that the coaching staff has used keeps our Defense on the field for more than 50% of most games AND subjects them to some quick 3-and-out turnarounds on occasion. Could it be that scoring "too fast" ratchets up the pressure on our defense occasionally? Combine this with the fact that Wake (like most schools that aren't CLEM, tOSU, UGA or BAMA) lacks a 3-deep that will all sniff the NFL combine and there you have it.

All that being said, Lambert ran a very solid defensive scheme under Grobe and has had success (and quick success at that) at both Marshall and Purdue. I have no reason to believe that this year's Wake DEF (if healthy), will be the best Wake defense of the past 5 years.

Hold Clemson to 24 or less on Saturday and we have a real solid chance of picking up our first win vs. CLEM since 2008.
 
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