Think about the Defense NEXT year.....

Donate To GopherHole
S

sonnygarcia

Active member
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Messages
1,715
Reaction score
0
Points
36
I know, I know..... why the hell am I think about next year when this year hasn't even started, I've struggled with that too as I wrote this post, but I had to anyways.

D Line: Edwards, Kirksey, Jacobs as Srs. should be flat out one of the best interior units in the BT, plus some EXTREMELY talented guys (Wilhite, Hageman, Garin, KGM) with experience. These guys should be a flat out dominant unit at this point.

LBs: We've seen glimpes of what Cooper and Tinsley can do, and from what we hear Rallis is going to be something special, throw in Beal and a full year of game experience.

DBs: Carter should be a top 2-3 CB in the BTen. we will cycle out a couple of decent safties after this year and bring in guys with very high cielings (Manuel, Watkins, Lewis) who will gain plenty of experience this year the way I see things playing out.

Should be fun to watch these guys progress this year into what I think will be one heckuva unit to watch next year, I fully expect to go to games and know they will dominate.
 


I think the defense has the potential to be very good next year. I just think this year people are getting too excited about the defense. We replace 9 starters and maybe even more and Gopher fans think we'll be better this year. We know the talent is better on defense but it takes time in becoming a good defense. I hope I'm wrong but I think people are going to be suprised how much we struggle on defense this year. Maybe we'll turn out to be one of the best defense in the Big Ten but right now I still think we'll be near the bottom.

If Cosgrove can get the defense to perform to the high level posters here want them too, then he will definetly be the best hire Brewster has made. I hope the defense performs well and if they do then the Cosgrove hire will be a lot better then anyone ever imagined it would be.
 

I think

We could surprise this year
 

gold04 said:
I think the defense has the potential to be very good next year. I just think this year people are getting too excited about the defense. We replace 9 starters and maybe even more and Gopher fans think we'll be better this year. We know the talent is better on defense but it takes time in becoming a good defense. I hope I'm wrong but I think people are going to be suprised how much we struggle on defense this year. Maybe we'll turn out to be one of the best defense in the Big Ten but right now I still think we'll be near the bottom.

If Cosgrove can get the defense to perform to the high level posters here want them too, then he will definetly be the best hire Brewster has made. I hope the defense performs well and if they do then the Cosgrove hire will be a lot better then anyone ever imagined it would be.
Click to expand...

Too excited??? Do you stay in your seat and only cheer at 0:00 of the 4th?

I guess I can't win. We should all be "realists" and all say "the Gophers suck (sucked, will always suck)" together.

Bunk. The d-line can perform well almost immediately with their size, strength, and athletic ability. The LB corps are quick, hard hitting, and athletic. The most experience we have is at DB.

By my count, the returning defensive group that will see time played in 189 games last season. It's not like these guys stood on the sideline and played patty-cake...
 


I project last year's non starters to be Pro Football Hall of Fame. Minimum. In three years.
 

highwayman said:
Too excited??? Do you stay in your seat and only cheer at 0:00 of the 4th?

I guess I can't win. We should all be "realists" and all say "the Gophers suck (sucked, will always suck)" together.

Bunk. The d-line can perform well almost immediately with their size, strength, and athletic ability. The LB corps are quick, hard hitting, and athletic. The most experience we have is at DB.

By my count, the returning defensive group that will see time played in 189 games last season. It's not like these guys stood on the sideline and played patty-cake...
Click to expand...

This no experience meme needs to end. The Gophers have exactly 2 defensive starters currently who didn't play last year. We have the most experienced non-returning starters LBs in the Big Ten. The D-line is very experienced. 3 senior starters in the back 4. This team is plenty experienced.

And they are going to play like it. With any offensive help this unit will rank between 4th-6th in the Big Ten--which is very respectable in the greatest conference in CFB.
 

Now, I am one who is very excited about this defensive group...but that doesn't mean we won't experience some growing pains. Coming in from time to time where the situation/defensive call fits your skills perfectly is far different than being an every down player. That being said, we should be much more athletic than last year and assuming the new starters can hack it as every down players I would anticipate us being in the middle of pack statistically in the Big 10. I agree, though, that next year (2011) this defense can be 'game-changingly (new word)' good.
 

I like the defense too.

So we lost all 7 of our front 7 starters. I think Kirksey and Edwards will be better in their JR/SR seasons than Small and Brown were. I think are DE's will be better and I think a few (you know who) have a chance to be REALLY good. Our linebackers as a unit will be as good as last year and have a chance to be better. More speed in the middle and Cooper (talk about having a chance to be REALLY good) on the field for all plays.

DB's are of course the concern, but I see a few areas where they can improve, like having better tackling corners.

It's all speculation and potential, but I think they will be good this year. Time will tell.
 



AhliBobwa said:
This no experience meme needs to end. The Gophers have exactly 2 defensive starters currently who didn't play last year. We have the most experienced non-returning starters LBs in the Big Ten. The D-line is very experienced. 3 senior starters in the back 4. This team is plenty experienced.

And they are going to play like it. With any offensive help this unit will rank between 4th-6th in the Big Ten--which is very respectable in the greatest conference in CFB.
Click to expand...

My worry is some folks who are experienced might not actually play in time to make this defense as good as it can be. Tinsley and Royston are so important to this defense. I know Watkins or Lewis can cover for Royston, but who steps in at middle linebacker? This is a time for optimism. I want to be optimistic. However, I've followed this team for decades and they've never lived up to any of our lofty preseason desires. Still, our lofty goal is 6-6, so maybe they may do it for once. It sounds 'lame' and I know people don't want to hear it because we're hard wired to be champions and nothing else, but to be champions you got to start somewhere. Anyway, I endorse more tailgating and less searching on game day. Viva Goldy!
 

"Our lofty goal is 6-6,". No. If our lofty goal is 6-6 that means we would settle for 5-7. No.
 

Cooper will absolutely dominate. Massive man crush aside, if we have one end who can consistently get to and fluster the qb and we can cover the receivers long enough for that to happen, I expect nice, low averages for our defense. Not best in the country averages, but on par or better than last years.' We will be really tough against the run and the short pass because of our line and backers. We just need adequate pressure.
 

Be serious, 6-6 isn't a lofty goal. 12-0 is the goal, 6-6 is an expectation. But what in the world does it mean to talk about "settling" for 5-7? If we finish 5-7, do we come out with pitchforks and torches? Do we burn our Gopher shirts if we finish 5-7?
 



I will not burn my shirts but I would object to settling for a program that was 8-24 in the Big Ten over four years. I would also object to being 0-16 in games played for a trophy over those four years. I would think you would object as well.
 

Gopherhurrin said:
I will not burn my shirts but I would object to settling for a program that was 8-24 in the Big Ten over four years. I would also object to being 0-16 in games played for a trophy over those four years. I would think you would object as well.
Click to expand...

troll
 

Gopherhurrin's stats about the big 10 record and trophy games seem a little "loony" if you know what I mean...
 


Gopherhurrin said:
I will not burn my shirts but I would object to settling for a program that was 8-24 in the Big Ten over four years. I would also object to being 0-16 in games played for a trophy over those four years. I would think you would object as well.
Click to expand...

GDP post #2 for the current champ...
 

Damn right.

AhliBobwa said:
This no experience meme needs to end. The Gophers have exactly 2 defensive starters currently who didn't play last year. We have the most experienced non-returning starters LBs in the Big Ten. The D-line is very experienced. 3 senior starters in the back 4. This team is plenty experienced.

And they are going to play like it. With any offensive help this unit will rank between 4th-6th in the Big Ten--which is very respectable in the greatest conference in CFB.
Click to expand...

Damn right.
 

I guess when I hear people talking about the defense possibly being dominating in 2011, I am curious what their definition of dominating is? In 2011, I would expect that the gopher defense would finish no higher than 4th in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State, Nebraska, and atleast one of Iowa, Penn State, or Wisconsin.
 

When you start talking about some of the best at their positions in the Big Ten in so many different spots, I don't think we have to aim for fourth. We will be deep, talented, experienced and balanced. Defensively we should be comparable to any team in 2011.

I believe if our offense shows up and we don't wear out our defense early, I think we'll be very good at some point this year.

This is the most talented Gopher team we've had in a very long time. It's only a matter of gelling. How long will that take??
 

How do you know so much about a squad you have not seen play against any other team? You must have a great, great eye for "talent".
 

We've seen most of these kids play.

I don't know how good an eye I have for talent, but I have a great great eye for idiots.
 


GopherGod said:
In 2011, I would expect that the gopher defense would finish no higher than 4th in the Big Ten
Click to expand...

I would expect that someone with over 1,400 posts on a Gopher fan board would actually be a Gopher fan. But sometimes, things do not happen as we expect.
 

GopherGod said:
I guess when I hear people talking about the defense possibly being dominating in 2011, I am curious what their definition of dominating is? In 2011, I would expect that the gopher defense would finish no higher than 4th in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State, Nebraska, and atleast one of Iowa, Penn State, or Wisconsin.
Click to expand...

Troll #2 in the same thread!!
 

Gopherhurrin said:
How do you know so much about a squad you have not seen play against any other team? You must have a great, great eye for "talent".
Click to expand...

Schnoodler said:
We've seen most of these kids play.

I don't know how good an eye I have for talent, but I have a great great eye for idiots.
Click to expand...

Sportsfan24 said:
Lol........I'm not taking sides, but that was funny!
Click to expand...

I'll take a side: Gopherhurrin IS a idiot, and Schnoodler has eyed him with 20/20 gophervision...
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom