Defense
To state that the defense struggled for the majority of the season would be an understatement. They had some terrible games. The Hornet defense struggled against the top offenses in the Big Sky and sometimes looked completely unprepared. It wasn’t all bad though. The defense did have an outstanding game in the upset of then 23rd ranked NAU as well as a dominating performance at PSU. The standout players were DT Christian Clark and SS Zach Schrader.
I felt that the defensive line had to be the anchor of this defense. There were a lot of question marks surrounding this defense, and with the players that were returning at defensive line, they would have to have dominating performances to have an effective defensive unit. I thought the DL played well at times, and didn’t in others. DT Clark was able to accumulate 10 sacks and DT Bill Sherman proved to be a presence as well. The defensive line was asked to pick up the slack for an inexperienced group of linebackers and they played well and lived up to the challenge. The problem was that the Hornets faced many high powered offenses and they didn’t play too well against them. Clark had an exceptional season and was concluded with being snubbed come time for the All Big Sky Team selections.
The linebacking corps had a huge void to fill entering the season with the loss of Cyrus Mulitalo and Mike Brannon. The lack of experienced players at the linebacker position was evident at the start of the season. The linebackers improved as the season progressed, however there is still plenty of room for improvement. I would have to say that LB Peter Buck stood out the most as he was moved from SS to LB this season. His play improved as the season progressed and he should have a major role and impact for 2010. The linebackers struggled to stop the run against teams with capable running attacks. Also I saw many missed tackles by the LB’s. This was very frustrating as missed tackles by the LB’s tend to lead to big plays by the opposing offense. Jarred Pereira went down midway through the season and the 3 star recruits’ impact was minimized. I do believe that the LB’s will improve dramatically from the 2009 season and make some plays next season. The LB’s will need to be more effective when they blitz. There were many times this season where one or two LB’s would blitz and fail to put pressure on the QB. This will need to change come next season.
The secondary also played many young players this season as well. SS Schrader was added to the team when Western Washington’s football program folded and he had an immediate impact. How he didn’t land an FCS scholarship out of high school is beyond me. Schrader was the leading tackler for the Hornets. As good as that is for him, it’s terrible for the Hornets. The strong safety shouldn’t be the leading tackler on a defense. This means that the LB’s aren’t shedding blockers and getting to the ball or they are just flat out missing their assignments. Regardless, it’s good to know that the sure tackler Schrader is there to make a play. Deionte Gordon was moved from CB to FS heading into the season and it took some time for him to adjust. I thought he adjusted quite well as the season progressed and will continue to improve as he gains experience. As far as the CB go, they were either hit or miss. It is hard for me to come down hard on them as I don’t believe the play calling was conducted in such a way to play into their strengths. The CB’s, and all the DB’s for that matter, were constantly dropping back into a zone and playing on their heels. This led to constant success by opponents with a capable QB and WR’s. The CB’s did make some plays this season and there were bright spots. Most notable was the ISU game where the secondary had two pick six’s. The secondary also had solid games in the NAU upset as well as the PSU game.
Fortunately the defense will have a lot of key players returning for the 2010 campaign. Virtually all the LB’s return as well as 3 of the 4 starters in the secondary. I would like to see the LB’s step up, be more aggressive and make some plays in 2010. I feel like the LB’s on the roster have the capability to do this. The DL will return 2 starters and will have a few starting spots up for grabs. I want to see a dramatic improvement in play calling. This is something I will discuss further at the conclusion of my defensive recap.
To state that the defense struggled for the majority of the season would be an understatement. They had some terrible games. The Hornet defense struggled against the top offenses in the Big Sky and sometimes looked completely unprepared. It wasn’t all bad though. The defense did have an outstanding game in the upset of then 23rd ranked NAU as well as a dominating performance at PSU. The standout players were DT Christian Clark and SS Zach Schrader.
I felt that the defensive line had to be the anchor of this defense. There were a lot of question marks surrounding this defense, and with the players that were returning at defensive line, they would have to have dominating performances to have an effective defensive unit. I thought the DL played well at times, and didn’t in others. DT Clark was able to accumulate 10 sacks and DT Bill Sherman proved to be a presence as well. The defensive line was asked to pick up the slack for an inexperienced group of linebackers and they played well and lived up to the challenge. The problem was that the Hornets faced many high powered offenses and they didn’t play too well against them. Clark had an exceptional season and was concluded with being snubbed come time for the All Big Sky Team selections.
The linebacking corps had a huge void to fill entering the season with the loss of Cyrus Mulitalo and Mike Brannon. The lack of experienced players at the linebacker position was evident at the start of the season. The linebackers improved as the season progressed, however there is still plenty of room for improvement. I would have to say that LB Peter Buck stood out the most as he was moved from SS to LB this season. His play improved as the season progressed and he should have a major role and impact for 2010. The linebackers struggled to stop the run against teams with capable running attacks. Also I saw many missed tackles by the LB’s. This was very frustrating as missed tackles by the LB’s tend to lead to big plays by the opposing offense. Jarred Pereira went down midway through the season and the 3 star recruits’ impact was minimized. I do believe that the LB’s will improve dramatically from the 2009 season and make some plays next season. The LB’s will need to be more effective when they blitz. There were many times this season where one or two LB’s would blitz and fail to put pressure on the QB. This will need to change come next season.
The secondary also played many young players this season as well. SS Schrader was added to the team when Western Washington’s football program folded and he had an immediate impact. How he didn’t land an FCS scholarship out of high school is beyond me. Schrader was the leading tackler for the Hornets. As good as that is for him, it’s terrible for the Hornets. The strong safety shouldn’t be the leading tackler on a defense. This means that the LB’s aren’t shedding blockers and getting to the ball or they are just flat out missing their assignments. Regardless, it’s good to know that the sure tackler Schrader is there to make a play. Deionte Gordon was moved from CB to FS heading into the season and it took some time for him to adjust. I thought he adjusted quite well as the season progressed and will continue to improve as he gains experience. As far as the CB go, they were either hit or miss. It is hard for me to come down hard on them as I don’t believe the play calling was conducted in such a way to play into their strengths. The CB’s, and all the DB’s for that matter, were constantly dropping back into a zone and playing on their heels. This led to constant success by opponents with a capable QB and WR’s. The CB’s did make some plays this season and there were bright spots. Most notable was the ISU game where the secondary had two pick six’s. The secondary also had solid games in the NAU upset as well as the PSU game.
Fortunately the defense will have a lot of key players returning for the 2010 campaign. Virtually all the LB’s return as well as 3 of the 4 starters in the secondary. I would like to see the LB’s step up, be more aggressive and make some plays in 2010. I feel like the LB’s on the roster have the capability to do this. The DL will return 2 starters and will have a few starting spots up for grabs. I want to see a dramatic improvement in play calling. This is something I will discuss further at the conclusion of my defensive recap.
