2012 Recap Part 4 of 4 – Defense
The Hornet defense entered the 2012 season with a lot of voids to fill up front and a few to fill in the secondary but a lot of key players were returning. The defense looked to build off of a solid 2011 season in which their aggressive and resilient play kept the Hornets in a lot of games. Fortunately that style of play instilled by Defensive Coordinator Parker has ingrained itself within this program and the Hornets improved against the run quite handily. Sadly, this season was overshadowed by the tragic passing of (#43) John Bloomfield which brought this program together emotionally. The Hornets rallied around this emotional loss and were able to keep their focus and have a respectable season.
The defensive line only had one returning starter in (#62) Matt Lawrence and the line was in need of some players stepping up. Fortunately (#97) Nathan Castro, (#92) Trevor Kelly, and (#98) Edmund Faimalo stepped up and provided stout opposition on the interior. On the ends (#90) Ben Cowger, (#94) Trent Eskew, (#51) Avery White, and the emergence of (#35) Jayce Totty provided the Hornets with solid play all season long. The coaches rotated in a lot of players on the line and this kept the players fresh and it provided for some much needed experience. The line did well both against the run and at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
The linebackers had a good year against the run and pressuring opposing quarterbacks, but they were lacking in pass defense. (#11) Jeff Badger and (#91) Todd Davis both returned and had great seasons. Davis earned BSC 2nd team honors and led the defense in tackles. The Hornet front 6 were one of the better units in the BSC and their aggressive play really kept opponents on edge.
The secondary had a terrible season. There were some holes that needed to be filled coming into this season and this unit struggled to adjust. This unit got exposed early and often by any team with a respectable passing game. (#1) Osagie Odiase returned at corner and had an okay season. A lot more was expected of him and he had quite a few lapses during the season, however he still proved to be the best cover corner on the roster and will no doubt finish his career strong. (#7) Joshua Armstrong stepped up and claimed the other starting corner spot. He should only improve as the he gains more experience. (#6) Ryan McMahon held down the strong safety spot again. He was the Hornets heavy hitter and excelled at defending the run. (#31) Markell Williams had an okay season at nickel back. He seemed to struggle at times in pass coverage but was one of the better tacklers in the secondary. (#29) Robert Beale and (#3) Dijon Washington split time at free safety. Beale missed time due to injury and his absence was noticeable. Washington struggled with both pass coverage and tackling. When it was all said and done this, statistically this unit was one of the worst in the BSC and a lot of improvement in pass coverage is needed.
Overall the Hornet defense had a respectable season and kept this team in almost every game. The run defense was stout and a lot of the blitzes hit home but the Hornets did not force many turnovers. If the secondary can get it together and improve the pass defense; this Hornet defense will be one of the toughest in the BSC. There are some voids to fill but a lot of players are returning so the defense should see improvement in all facets.
Team Rankings
Players Leaving
Defensive Line
Defensive Line
Individual Stats
Defensive Line
Immediate Needs
There are some big voids to fill this offseason.
The Hornets aren’t hit hard by graduation but there are a few voids to fill. The defensive line loses Lawrence but there are plenty of capably players to fill his shoes. I especially enjoyed the rotation on the defensive line. I think that was one of the reasons why the run defense was much improved and the coaches will no doubt continue with that philosophy. With all but Lawrence returning, this unit should continue to excel next season.
At linebacker, the Hornets will need to fill the void left by Badger but there are players on the roster who stepped up this season and proved they can have an impact. I don’t think there will be much of a drop off here as Davis has proved to be a formidable force against the run and on the blitz. The coaches need to find a way to get improved pass coverage from this unit or troubles against the pass will haunt the defense again. I think a lot of it is being more conscious regarding personnel on down and distance situations. If the Hornets have linebackers that are more capable of providing ample pass coverage, then the coaches need to get them on the field in the right situations. Badger’s graduation will leave a big void to be filled here but Davis will return and should no doubt continue to provide excellent run support and pressure on the blitz.
The secondary will need to play better. The core of Odiase, Armstrong, Beale, and Williams return and the only void needing to be filled is at strong safety due to McMahon’s departure. There is plenty of talent on the roster and this unit needs to settle down and make plays. There needs to be wholesale improvement in both pass coverage and tackling in order for the Hornet defense to be considered as one of the elite defenses in the BSC.
Unlike last season, there are not many question marks heading into the 2013 season. It’s a matter of better execution, making plays, and forcing turnovers. This defense should improve and continue to be a solid unit if the players continue to improve and if the coaches improve their in-game adjustments.
GO HORNETS!!!
The Hornet defense entered the 2012 season with a lot of voids to fill up front and a few to fill in the secondary but a lot of key players were returning. The defense looked to build off of a solid 2011 season in which their aggressive and resilient play kept the Hornets in a lot of games. Fortunately that style of play instilled by Defensive Coordinator Parker has ingrained itself within this program and the Hornets improved against the run quite handily. Sadly, this season was overshadowed by the tragic passing of (#43) John Bloomfield which brought this program together emotionally. The Hornets rallied around this emotional loss and were able to keep their focus and have a respectable season.
The defensive line only had one returning starter in (#62) Matt Lawrence and the line was in need of some players stepping up. Fortunately (#97) Nathan Castro, (#92) Trevor Kelly, and (#98) Edmund Faimalo stepped up and provided stout opposition on the interior. On the ends (#90) Ben Cowger, (#94) Trent Eskew, (#51) Avery White, and the emergence of (#35) Jayce Totty provided the Hornets with solid play all season long. The coaches rotated in a lot of players on the line and this kept the players fresh and it provided for some much needed experience. The line did well both against the run and at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
The linebackers had a good year against the run and pressuring opposing quarterbacks, but they were lacking in pass defense. (#11) Jeff Badger and (#91) Todd Davis both returned and had great seasons. Davis earned BSC 2nd team honors and led the defense in tackles. The Hornet front 6 were one of the better units in the BSC and their aggressive play really kept opponents on edge.
The secondary had a terrible season. There were some holes that needed to be filled coming into this season and this unit struggled to adjust. This unit got exposed early and often by any team with a respectable passing game. (#1) Osagie Odiase returned at corner and had an okay season. A lot more was expected of him and he had quite a few lapses during the season, however he still proved to be the best cover corner on the roster and will no doubt finish his career strong. (#7) Joshua Armstrong stepped up and claimed the other starting corner spot. He should only improve as the he gains more experience. (#6) Ryan McMahon held down the strong safety spot again. He was the Hornets heavy hitter and excelled at defending the run. (#31) Markell Williams had an okay season at nickel back. He seemed to struggle at times in pass coverage but was one of the better tacklers in the secondary. (#29) Robert Beale and (#3) Dijon Washington split time at free safety. Beale missed time due to injury and his absence was noticeable. Washington struggled with both pass coverage and tackling. When it was all said and done this, statistically this unit was one of the worst in the BSC and a lot of improvement in pass coverage is needed.
Overall the Hornet defense had a respectable season and kept this team in almost every game. The run defense was stout and a lot of the blitzes hit home but the Hornets did not force many turnovers. If the secondary can get it together and improve the pass defense; this Hornet defense will be one of the toughest in the BSC. There are some voids to fill but a lot of players are returning so the defense should see improvement in all facets.
Team Rankings
- • Rushing Defense: 6th in BSC (49th FCS) allowed an average of 145.1 ypg.
• Passing Defense: 8th in BSC (100th FCS) allowed an average of 248.6 ypg.
• Total Defense: 6th in BSC (79th FCS) allowed an average of 393.6 ypg.
• Scoring Defense: 6th in BSC (69th FCS) allowed an average of 28.2 ppg.
• Sacks: 3rd in BSC (9th FCS) forced 33 sacks for a loss of 200 yards.
• Tackles For Loss: 3rd in BSC (T-21st FCS) with an average of 7.0 TFL per game.
• Turnovers forced: 11th in BSC, 14 turnovers (4 fum, 10 INT’s).
• Turnover Margin: 12th in BSC (109th FCS) at -0.91.
Players Leaving
Defensive Line
- • (#43) John Bloomfield went down in week 1 with a punctured/collapsed lung and sadly passed later on during the season from complications during surgery. He was the emotional and inspiration leader for this team and a leader within his community who will be greatly missed but never be forgotten. RIP. Bloomfield was named Team MVP.
• (#62) Matt Lawrence will be graduating. He was the anchor of the much improved defensive line this season and had a motor that never stopped. Lawrence earned BSC Honorable Mention accolades and team Outstanding Defensive Lineman. (42 career appearances, 30 career starts)
• (#51) Avery White will be graduating. He made an amazing comeback from a horrific knee injury a few seasons ago and the fact that he saw significant playing time despite that injury is an amazing accomplishment. I believe he could be granted a 6th year due to medical hardship. White earned BSC Honorable Mention accolades. (27 career appearances, 5 career starts)
• (#46) Marcus Sannadan will be graduating. Not sure where he came from but he is listed on the roster. (7 appearances)
- • (#11) Jeff Badger will be graduating. He was the on the field leader of this defense and had a knack for getting to the football and making tackles. Badger earned BSC Honorable Mention accolades and the Ray Clemons Award. His departure leaves a big void to fill. (44 career appearances, 33 career starts)
- • (#6) Ryan McMahon will be graduating. He held down the strong safety spot for the past 2 seasons and was arguably the hardest hitter on defense. He was great defending the run and his aggressive style of play fit perfectly into DC Parker’s system. McMahon earned BSC Honorable Mention accolades and team Outstanding Defensive Back. (22 career starts)
• (#40) Manasa Kikau will be graduating. He saw limited action this season. (12 career appearances)
Defensive Line
- • (#90) Ben Cowger will return for his RJR season. He made an impact from the defensive end position and will be a favorite to land a starting spot next season. (21 career appearances, 6 career starts)
• (#35) Jayce Totty will return for his JR season. He improved his play at end as the season progressed and made an impact. He will be looking to land one of the starting spots at end next season. (10 appearances and 4 starts)
• (#94) Trent Eskew will return for his SR season. He rotated with Totty at end and saw plenty of action this season. (31 career appearances, 6 career starts)
• (#97) Nathan Castro will return for his JR season. He saw a lot of action in the interior and stepped up his game this season. He will be a big component of the defensive line in the next few seasons. (20 career appearances, 6 career starts)
• (#92) Trevor Kelly will return for his RSO season. He rotated with Castro on the interior and will be looking to build off of a promising season. (11 career appearances, 5 career starts)
• (#98) Edmund Faimalo will return for his SO season. He was another player that shored up the interior and will look to see more action next season. (11 appearances)
• (#49) Nicholas Mazza will be returning for his RSO season. He saw limited action at end and will most likely be worked into a rotation more often next season. (7 appearances)
• (#59) Josh Latham will return for his RSO season. He did not see any action this season.
• (#68) Patrick Scroggins, (#93) Noah Johnson, (#95) Nehemiah Mitchell, and (#99) Nick Kristofors will return for their RFR season assuming they redshirted.
- • (#91) Todd Davis will return for his SR season. He continued to be a solid run stopper and tackler and provides a solid pass rush as well. Davis earned BSC Honorable Mention accolades and Defensive MVP. He will be the defensive leader next season. (33 career appearances, 22 career starts)
• (#48) Henry Fernandez will return for his SR season. He had a huge game at Colorado and is the favorite to replace Badger in the middle. (30 career appearances)
• (#42) Cody Allen will return for his RSR season. He will some action this season and will be vying for the open spot left by Badger. (30 career appearances, 1 career start)
• (#44) Darnell Sankey will return for his SO season. He saw limited action but became known amongst Hornet fans for his crushing hit during a kickoff in the SUU game. As far as I’m concerned the void left by Badger is up for grabs and Sankey will be in the running for it. (10 appearances)
• (#50) Bryce Henderson will return for his RFR season assuming he redshirted.
- • (#1) Osagie Odiase will return for his RSR season. He didn’t quite get to the level we were all hoping for but he is hands down the best cover corner on the roster and he displays a great deal of athleticism every game. Odiase earned 2nd Team BSC Honors. (29 career appearances, 26 career starts)
• (#31) Markell Williams will return for his RSR season. He stepped up and had a solid season at nickel back and will look to carry that over into next season. Williams was named Most Inspirational Player. (33 career appearances, 13 career starts)
• (#29) Robert Beale will return for his RSR season. He earned the starting spot at free safety before being sidelined by injury and missing a considerable amount of the season. His absence was noticeable and the Hornets will need him healthy for next season. (9 career appearances, 7 career starts)
• (#7) Joshua Armstrong will return for his RSO season. He stepped up and earned the starting spot at corner opposite Odiase in week 2. His play improved as the season progressed and hopefully he will continue to develop as he gains more experience. (10 starts)
• (#3) Dijon Washington will return for his SR season. He transferred in from Nebraska and the hope was that he would shore up a secondary that had voids entering the season. He saw quite a bit of action at free safety when Beale went down with injury. He will no doubt see plenty of action next season as well. (11 appearances, 4 starts)
• (#20) Nicholas Payne will return for his RSO season. He was a starter at corner to open the season but lost the job to Armstrong. He saw some action this season and will be one of the first corners off of the bench when needed. (9 appearances, 1 start)
• (#22) Corey Vanderbeek will return for his RSR season. He saw some playing but it was primarily on special teams. (33 appearacnes)
• (#28) Dexter Alcala will be returning for his RJR season. He was listed as the backup nickel back on the depth chart and saw limited action. (13 career appearances)
• (#27) Eddie Gillies will return for his JR season. He was named team Outstanding Defensive Scout Team Player this season. (3 appearances)
• (#5) Christopher Lopes will return for his SR season. He transferred in from UConn but didn’t see much playing time. (1 appearance)
• (#23) Randey Peterson will return for his SR season. He didn’t see much action this season but he has seen time as a Hornet at linebacker and on special teams. It’s possible he was redshirted this season to be groomed as a strong safety, just a guess on my part. (20 career appearances)
• (#00) Jacoby Carter will return for his RSO season. He wasn’t assigned a number. He missed all of 2011 due to injury and may still be recovering.
• (#30) Anthony Payne, (#39) Jacob Bowman, (#37) Tyler Charrette, (#26) Andy Gramajo, (#38) Brendan Royal will return for their RFR season assuming they redshirted.
Individual Stats
Defensive Line
- • Cowger: 32 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FF
• Kelly: 30 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 BU, 1 PD
• Totty: 29 tackles, 6 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 FF
• Lawrence: 25 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3 sack
• Eskew: 23 tackles, 4 TFL, 4 sacks
• White: 23 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 1 FF
• Castro: 22 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 sack
• Mazza: 9 tackles
• Faimalo: 8 tackles, 1 TFL
• Sannadan: 5 tackles
• Bloomfield: 3 tackles, 0.5 TFL
- • Davis: 103 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 BU’s, 2 PD’s
• Badger: 79 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 INT’s, 5 BU’s, 7 PD’s, 3 FF
• Fernandez: 37 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks
• Sankey: 13 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks
• Allen: 7 tackles
- • McMahon: 97 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT, 6 BU’s, 7 PD’s, 2 FF
• Williams: 69 tackles, 5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 2 INT’s, 2 BU’s, 4 PD’s
• Odiase: 65 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 3 INT’s, 8 BU’s, 11 PD’s
• Washington: 51 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 4 BU’s, 4 PD’s
• Beale: 35 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 1 BU, 2 PD’s
• Armstrong: 33 tackles, 1 TFL, 6 BU’s, 6 PD’s
• Payne: 11 tackles, 1 BU, 1 PD
• Kikau: 6 tackles, 1 TFL
• Gillies, Vanderbeek, : 2 tackles each
- • McCowan: 6 tackles
• Coleman: 4 tackles
• Harrison: 3 tackles
• D. Carter, Bobak, Cornish, Ruhnke, Safron, Norrise: 2 tackles each
• Broadnax, Milanovic, Weldon, Magleby: 1 tackle each
Immediate Needs
There are some big voids to fill this offseason.
- 1. Strong Safety – The Hornets need to find someone to fill the void left by McMahon. Peterson and Bowman are the only defensive backs on the roster that have the size to play this physical role.
2. Free Safety - The secondary was terrible all season long and the free safety spot bounced between Beale and Washington. If Beale can stay healthy the Hornets might be fine here, otherwise the coaches might need to address this position.
3. Linebacker – Somebody will need to step up and fill the void left by Badger. I think there are capable players currently on the roster in Fernandez and Sankey but it wouldn’t hurt to have this opened up for competition in spring and fall camp. Improvement defending the pass is a must and there will be a big hit here due to graduation following next season.
4. Defensive Line – The Hornets are stacked at defensive end with Cowger and Totty the probable starters for next season. A weak interior from the previous season was shored up with the emergence of Castro, Kelly, and Faimalo. The need here is depth, specifically with big bodies in the interior.
5. Defensive Backs – A lot of experience is set to graduate after next season. The coaches will need to have the next group of players ready to step in and take charge.
The Hornets aren’t hit hard by graduation but there are a few voids to fill. The defensive line loses Lawrence but there are plenty of capably players to fill his shoes. I especially enjoyed the rotation on the defensive line. I think that was one of the reasons why the run defense was much improved and the coaches will no doubt continue with that philosophy. With all but Lawrence returning, this unit should continue to excel next season.
At linebacker, the Hornets will need to fill the void left by Badger but there are players on the roster who stepped up this season and proved they can have an impact. I don’t think there will be much of a drop off here as Davis has proved to be a formidable force against the run and on the blitz. The coaches need to find a way to get improved pass coverage from this unit or troubles against the pass will haunt the defense again. I think a lot of it is being more conscious regarding personnel on down and distance situations. If the Hornets have linebackers that are more capable of providing ample pass coverage, then the coaches need to get them on the field in the right situations. Badger’s graduation will leave a big void to be filled here but Davis will return and should no doubt continue to provide excellent run support and pressure on the blitz.
The secondary will need to play better. The core of Odiase, Armstrong, Beale, and Williams return and the only void needing to be filled is at strong safety due to McMahon’s departure. There is plenty of talent on the roster and this unit needs to settle down and make plays. There needs to be wholesale improvement in both pass coverage and tackling in order for the Hornet defense to be considered as one of the elite defenses in the BSC.
Unlike last season, there are not many question marks heading into the 2013 season. It’s a matter of better execution, making plays, and forcing turnovers. This defense should improve and continue to be a solid unit if the players continue to improve and if the coaches improve their in-game adjustments.
GO HORNETS!!!
