2011 Recap Part 4 of 4 – Defense
The Hornet defense entered its second year under DC Parker and had a few voids to fill at each level of the defense (Clark @ DL, Buck @ LB, & Schrader @ SS) but had an experienced group of returning players (Nash & Coleman @ DE, Badger @ LB, Odiase, Monson, & Larche @ DB to name a few) who were looking to build off of a solid 2010 season. The defense was the only consistent unit this season and had the impossible task of covering for an inept offense in the latter half of the season. The defense held taut for much of the season but wore down towards the end of games as they were on the field for far too long. All in all, this unit put forth their best effort week in and week out and kept this Hornet team in many games that otherwise should have been blowouts. The Hornet defense was in the middle of the BSC in many of the categories and slipped a bit from last season, however they did make it difficult for opponents to score points. There were vast improvements from multiple returning players as well as an emergence of some players who will look to continue their efforts next season.
The DL had a solid season. They struggled at times against the run and this is most likely due to the amount of time this unit was on the field. Nash set the Hornet career sack’s record with 29.5 sacks and drew a lot of attention from opposing OL’s. Coleman put up some solid numbers and the DT play of Lawrence and Agaiava was consistent but not necessarily game changing.
The LB’s also did well this season and the emergence of Davis alongside Badger proved to be a sure tackling and consistent group. Davis had an immediate impact and made up for the loss of Buck. Others also saw action here and this is a young group of LB’s who will be looking to improve their game heading into next season. This group was exposed in the open field against quick and agile RB’s and had some issues with pass coverage that will need to be worked on.
The secondary had its ups and downs. Odiase is on the cusp of being considered a shutdown CB and FBS transfer McMahon filled the void at SS quite well. Monson saw much improvement this season and had an amazing season that resulted in being atop the BSC in passes defended as well as a couple of pick six’s. Larche had a solid season at FS and Wilkins had another consistent season at NB. The secondary could have played better and had its struggles at times, but overall they performed well.
The Hornet defense had a solid job and was the backbone of the team this season. Had this unit struggled, this season would have been even worse than it turned out to be. One thing that needs to be worked on is blitzing. Far too often the blitzing LB’s couldn’t hit home and the blitzing DB’s out ran the play rendering the blitz completely useless. Parker and the coaches will need to come up with ways to make blitzing more effective, especially considering this unit will lose its all-time leading sack master Nash.
Team Rankings
Players Leaving
DL
Players Returning
DL
Individual Stats
DL
2012 Outlook
The Hornets lose a lot to graduation, especially up front where 3 of 4 starting DL will be gone. Reloading at this area will be crucial for next season. There are a lot of young DE’s on the roster and a couple of them will need to step up and stake their claim on the starting roles. Some depth on the interior of the DL also needs to be added. Lawrence returns and there were a few others that saw action at DT but unless some depth is added, a couple of injuries here can create a big hole in the middle of this defense.
The LB’s return everyone and I expect an outstanding season from them next year. Their tackling is excellent but I will be looking to see their improvement in the pass defense. Davis will be looking to lead the team in tackles again and Badger will look to continue being his consistent self. It’ll be interesting to see how the younger LB’s develop and if any new blitz packages will be implemented.
The secondary has some voids to fill as well but if Odiase can stay healthy, I believe he has the potential to be the best CB in the BSC. The coaches need to lock him up on the opponents best WR every game, by doing this Odiase can essentially take away half of the field thus improving the play of the rest of the secondary. There is a lot of youth on the roster and the competition for the open DB spots should be something to keep an eye on in spring and fall camp. McMahon will also be essential in improving the rush defense from the SS spot as he had an excellent season. With a year of experience under his belt, he should improve his game as well.
There will be quite a bit of question marks heading into the offseason but this defense has some talent and has proven over the past few seasons to fill voids. The top 3 tacklers will all be returning but a lot of starting spots are up for grabs and there is a lot of youth on the roster. This unit also needs to continue to work on its pass coverage schemes and blitz packages. There is plenty of room for improvement but I expect this unit to have another solid season in 2012.
As always my recaps are up for discussion so feel free to comment and point out any errors I may have made. Merry Christmas all!
GO HORNETS!!!
The Hornet defense entered its second year under DC Parker and had a few voids to fill at each level of the defense (Clark @ DL, Buck @ LB, & Schrader @ SS) but had an experienced group of returning players (Nash & Coleman @ DE, Badger @ LB, Odiase, Monson, & Larche @ DB to name a few) who were looking to build off of a solid 2010 season. The defense was the only consistent unit this season and had the impossible task of covering for an inept offense in the latter half of the season. The defense held taut for much of the season but wore down towards the end of games as they were on the field for far too long. All in all, this unit put forth their best effort week in and week out and kept this Hornet team in many games that otherwise should have been blowouts. The Hornet defense was in the middle of the BSC in many of the categories and slipped a bit from last season, however they did make it difficult for opponents to score points. There were vast improvements from multiple returning players as well as an emergence of some players who will look to continue their efforts next season.
The DL had a solid season. They struggled at times against the run and this is most likely due to the amount of time this unit was on the field. Nash set the Hornet career sack’s record with 29.5 sacks and drew a lot of attention from opposing OL’s. Coleman put up some solid numbers and the DT play of Lawrence and Agaiava was consistent but not necessarily game changing.
The LB’s also did well this season and the emergence of Davis alongside Badger proved to be a sure tackling and consistent group. Davis had an immediate impact and made up for the loss of Buck. Others also saw action here and this is a young group of LB’s who will be looking to improve their game heading into next season. This group was exposed in the open field against quick and agile RB’s and had some issues with pass coverage that will need to be worked on.
The secondary had its ups and downs. Odiase is on the cusp of being considered a shutdown CB and FBS transfer McMahon filled the void at SS quite well. Monson saw much improvement this season and had an amazing season that resulted in being atop the BSC in passes defended as well as a couple of pick six’s. Larche had a solid season at FS and Wilkins had another consistent season at NB. The secondary could have played better and had its struggles at times, but overall they performed well.
The Hornet defense had a solid job and was the backbone of the team this season. Had this unit struggled, this season would have been even worse than it turned out to be. One thing that needs to be worked on is blitzing. Far too often the blitzing LB’s couldn’t hit home and the blitzing DB’s out ran the play rendering the blitz completely useless. Parker and the coaches will need to come up with ways to make blitzing more effective, especially considering this unit will lose its all-time leading sack master Nash.
Team Rankings
- • Rushing Defense: 5th in BSC (78th FCS) allowed an average of 167.0 ypg.
• Passing Defense: 5th in BSC (65th FCS) allowed an average of 209.6 ypg.
• Total Defense: 4th in BSC (77th FCS) allowed an average of 376.6 ypg.
• Scoring Defense: 4th in BSC (70th FCS) allowed an average of 27.4 ppg.
• Sacks: 6th in BSC (T-43rd FCS) forced 24 sacks for a loss of 147 yards.
• Tackles For Loss: 6th in BSC (T-58th FCS) with an average of 6.3 TFL per game.
• Turnovers forced: 6th in BSC, 18 turnovers (9 INT’s, 9 fumbles recovered).
• Turnover Margin: 3rd in BSC (52nd FCS) at 0.00.
Players Leaving
DL
- • Zack Nash will be lost to graduation. Nash had an outstanding Hornet career and finished as the all-time career sack leader with 29.5 at DE, all-time forced fumble leader with 10 and finished 5th in Hornet history with 40.5 TFL. He also finished atop the BSC in sacks for the second straight season brining further meaning to “Sack” State. This season’s performance resulted in an Associated Press 1st team All-American FCS selection as well as 1st team All-BSC and team MVP and numerous other accolades. He started all 11 games this season and finished his career with 23 straight starts and tallied 42 career starts.
• David Coleman will be lost to graduation. He had a solid season opposite Nash and was able to take advantage of the attention Nash received on the other side of the DL from the DE position. He earned the team most outstanding DL award. He started all 11 games this season and the final 22 games of his career. He had 25 career starts.
• Matt Agaiava will be graduating. The 280 pound DT had a solid season and started all 11 games this season and had 14 career starts.
• Maika Maumau will be graduating. Maumau bounced around between OL and DL the past couple of seasons. He saw action in 9 games this season.
- • Kyle Monson will be lost to graduation. He had a great season at CB and really improved his game from a season ago. He was always picked on by opposing QB’s due to his height but he was atop the BSC in passes defended and had two pick six’s which earned him 2nd team All-BSC and team most outstanding DB. He started all 11 games this season and had 21 career starts.
• Joe Larche will be lost to graduation. He was a consistent player at FS and solid tackler which earned him All-BSC honorable mention and team defensive MVP. He started all 11 games and 14 in his career.
• Evander Wilkins will be graduating. He was a consistent player from his NB spot and played at multiple positions during his Hornet career. He was a versatile player which earned him team most inspirational player award, his loss will be tough to replace. He started 10 games and played in all 11. He had 26 career starts.
• Marquese Smith will be graduating. He filled in for Odiase when he went down with an injury. He saw considerable playing time and started 4 games of the 11 he played in. He had 19 career starts.
Players Returning
DL
- • Matt Lawrence will return for his SR season. The 265 pound NT started all 11 games this season and will be the only returning starter in 2012. He will anchor the DL next season.
• John Bloomfield will return for his SR season. The 230 pound DE played in all 11 games and will be a leading candidate for a starting DE spot next season.
• Nathan Castro will return for his SO season. The 325 pound DT played in 8 games this season and will be battling for a starting spot.
• Alesana Laban will return for his SR season. The 290 pound DT played in 4 games this season and will be looking to earn the starting DT spot.
• Ben Cowger will return for his SO season. The 240 pound DE played in 10 games this season and will have his eyes on one of the open starting spots.
• Trent Eskew will return for his JR season. The 235 pound DE played in all 11 games.
• Marques White will return for his SO season. The 255 pounder played in all 11 games.
• Andrew Roots will return for his SO season. The 220 pound DE didn’t see any action this season.
• Trevor Kelly, Josh Latham, John Taylor, and Doyin Sule most likely redshirted this season and may return for their FR season. Sule was voted team most outstanding scout team player.
- • Jeff Badger will return for his SR season. He continued to improve and will no doubt be starting next season to anchor the LB’s. He started all 11 games and has a streak of 22 straight starts.
• Todd Davis will return for his JR season. He burst onto the scene this season and had an outstanding and consistent performance. He earned All-BSC honorable mention and started all 11 games this season.
• Cody Allen will return for his JR season. He will need to continue to improve his game and will no doubt see some action next season. He played in all 11 games including 1 start.
• Henry Fernandez will return for his JR season. He played in all 11 games.
• Ronny Camacho, Tyler Gomagda, and Diante Lee most probably redshirted and may return for their FR seasons.
- • Osagie Odiase will return for his JR season at CB. He continued to improve his game and was only slowed by injury. He is emerging as a shutdown corner and has a knack for finding the ball. He will need to continue to make his presence felt at CB. He stared all 7 games that he played in.
• Ryan McMahon transferred in from USC and will return for his SR season. He filled the void at SS quite well and will be looking to have another solid performance next season. He started all 11 games.
• Markell Williams will return for his JR season. He made his presence felt on the ST unit this season but will no doubt be looking to fill one of the open DB spots. He is listed as the backup NB on the depth chart. He played in all 11 games including 1 start.
• Corey Vanderbeek will return for his JR season. He saw some playing and could challenge for a starting CB spot next season. He was listed as a backup CB on the depth chart and played in 10 games.
• Randey Peterson will return for his JR season. He was listed at LB a season ago and may be used at the NB or SS spot. He played in 10 games.
• Dexter Alcala will be returning for his SO season. He was listed as the backup FS on the depth chart and could have the inside track on the starting FS spot. He saw action in 7 games.
• Corey Sims, Robert Beale, and Manasa Kikau will return for their SO, JR, and SR seasons, respectfully. Sims and Kikau saw action in 4 games and Beale in 2.
• Jacoby Carter, Antoine Pickett, Josh Armstrong, and Nicholas Payne probably redshirted as neither of them saw any playing time. Carter will be coming off of an offseason injury.
Individual Stats
DL
- • Nash: 51 tackles, 15 TFL; 10.5 sacks
• Coleman: 47 tackles, 6 TFL; 1.5 sacks, 1 TD
• Lawrence: 32 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 sack
• Bloomfield: 28 tackles, 2.5 TFL
• Agaiava: 27 tackles, 1 TFL
• Eskew: 11 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks
• White: 10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack
• Castro: 8 tackles, 3 TFL
• Cowger: 7 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 TD
• Maumau: 6 tackles
• Laban: 2 tackles, 1 TFL
• White: 1 tackle
- • Davis: 96 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT
• Badger: 85 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks
• Fernandez: 33 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack
• Allen: 13 tackles, 1 TFL
- • McMahon: 86 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 sack
• Larche: 70 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 2 INT’s
• Monson: 43 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INT’s, 2 TD’s
• Wilkins: 42 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT
• Odiase: 41 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2 INT’s
• Smith: 32 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sack
• Williams: 9 tackles, 1 TFL. 1 sack
• Vanderbeek, Alcala, Peterson: 3 tackles each
• Sims, Kikau: 1 tackle each
- • Diniz: 10 tackles
• Croxdale: 8 tackles
• McCowan: 2 tackles
• Bobak, Edwards, Deadder, Martin, S. Heath, Reed, Hendershott: 1 tackle each
2012 Outlook
The Hornets lose a lot to graduation, especially up front where 3 of 4 starting DL will be gone. Reloading at this area will be crucial for next season. There are a lot of young DE’s on the roster and a couple of them will need to step up and stake their claim on the starting roles. Some depth on the interior of the DL also needs to be added. Lawrence returns and there were a few others that saw action at DT but unless some depth is added, a couple of injuries here can create a big hole in the middle of this defense.
The LB’s return everyone and I expect an outstanding season from them next year. Their tackling is excellent but I will be looking to see their improvement in the pass defense. Davis will be looking to lead the team in tackles again and Badger will look to continue being his consistent self. It’ll be interesting to see how the younger LB’s develop and if any new blitz packages will be implemented.
The secondary has some voids to fill as well but if Odiase can stay healthy, I believe he has the potential to be the best CB in the BSC. The coaches need to lock him up on the opponents best WR every game, by doing this Odiase can essentially take away half of the field thus improving the play of the rest of the secondary. There is a lot of youth on the roster and the competition for the open DB spots should be something to keep an eye on in spring and fall camp. McMahon will also be essential in improving the rush defense from the SS spot as he had an excellent season. With a year of experience under his belt, he should improve his game as well.
There will be quite a bit of question marks heading into the offseason but this defense has some talent and has proven over the past few seasons to fill voids. The top 3 tacklers will all be returning but a lot of starting spots are up for grabs and there is a lot of youth on the roster. This unit also needs to continue to work on its pass coverage schemes and blitz packages. There is plenty of room for improvement but I expect this unit to have another solid season in 2012.
As always my recaps are up for discussion so feel free to comment and point out any errors I may have made. Merry Christmas all!
GO HORNETS!!!
