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Posted by Scipio Tex on July 24th, 2009 under Uncategorized
If you accept the premise that our DL will be the weakest component of our defense - and I suppose that depends whether you define Sergio Kindle as a traditional DE or a multi-positional pre-snap human mindfuck hybrid LB - and if you further believe, like me, that the DL and secondary are the two most crucial components in playing dominant defense, what precedent do the 2009 Texas Longhorns have that they can play National Championship level elite defense without a DL chock full of junior and senior NFL draft picks?
If you examine the best defenses over the past few decades, and certainly the best Longhorn defenses of All-Time, a dominant DL seems a prerequisite for great defense. But there are a handful of exceptions. Last year’s Florida team might be one of them. Here’s another:

I present to you the 2000 Oklahoma Sooners.
Before you fly into a seething rage with flecks of spittle hanging from your jowls for suggesting that this is so, I’d ask that you appreciate that though I’m not exactly a fan of the Sooners, I can recognize an analog when I see it.
As Chris Applewhite instructed, having a strong back 7 can free up your DL to play simple assignments that they can handle and prosper in. That’s exactly what OU did on their way to the MNC.
Without dominant DL play, you must learn to define your defense not by every down dominance - and that OU defense was not every down dominant - but in terms of situational dominance. As long as you can stone someone on 3rd and short, deliver the goods on 3rd and long, and force turnovers, you can play damn good defense.
First, the 2000 Sooner DL. Can you name any of these guys off of the top of your head? Probably not. Barry Holleyman, Corey Callens, Cory Heinecke, Ryan Fisher…these were solid players who played with tremendous effort and determination, but they were mostly marginal, undersized athletes who got by on leverage, technique and heart. They made just enough plays and they were all battlers, but the NFL ignored them for good reason.
The Sooner back 7 was another story. These guys were physical, played fast (even though some of them weren’t), and lived and died by the turnover and big hit. Their ability to stuff the run or cover the pass as the situation dictated is what made them special. And they were beautifully coached by Mike Stoops.
The LBs: Calmus (tackle magnet), Torrance Marshall (bruiser and big play artiste MLB) and the forgotten, underrated Brandon Moore comprised a very good, pure LBing group. These guys could read, diagnose, and were completely reliable. They also caught balls that landed in their hands, scooped up fumbles like a Hoover, delivered big hits, and made loads of heady plays.
The secondary was big, athletic, physical, and versatile. Derrick Strait, JT Thatcher, Roy Williams, Ontei Jones and a white kid nickelback whose name escapes me. Mayhew? Strait was just a freshman, but already pretty good and Williams and Thatcher were an awesome safety pair - tough and always forcing turnovers. They were also demons on special teams. Ontei Jones was solid but undersized. Most crucially, all of them played with a chip on their shoulder and looked to punish whenever possible. Some of that was just their mentality, but much of it was physical confidence that they would win that exchange. This is a key development in our own group that we must have.
I’m not interested in making direct comparisons or arguing if AJ Williams is better than Derrick Strait or if Roderick Muckelroy can be our Calmus. It misses my point completely. We have a wealth of riches at DB and LB and though they are different riches from the ‘00 OU package (we don’t have giant safeties that could run, or purist LBs) they sure as hell didn’t have Sergio Kindle or our secondary’s quickness. The point is that the same precepts that made OU good will apply also to us.
There are three of them:
1. Physical play. The weaker your DL, the more crucial this is. Michael Huff had a soft mentality until he gained 15 pounds of muscle. Then he became a bully. Same for Stanley Richard. Another year in the weight room, physical maturity, and a killer’s mentality will be key for our LBs and our secondary group - particularly as we rely on nickel. Earl Thomas, Christian Scott, AJ Williams will all stick their head in with reckless abandon while still possessing enough pure coverage ability and athleticism to make plays in space. Gideon is a reliable tackler who played most of last year at 184. Fifteen pounds may do a lot for him as a turnover force. And a lack of physicality is exactly why former starter Deon Beasley will become a dime back. The ability to be physical, to relish contact and seek it out, is what defined OU’s 2000 back 7.
2. Situational dominance & multiple scheme. Some teams will run against us. Whoopty do. A 12 yard run on 2nd and 7 means a new down and is no different in the grand scheme of things than a 12 yard completion. Yet fans - and I’m guilty of this - go apeshit when a team can run the ball on us. The key is being able to stop the run situationally on 3rd and 2, inside the 10 yard line, and to prevent long runs. Say it with me: yardage is yardage is yardage. That you must stop the run at all costs is a football cliche chanted by morons and Gene Chizik. You must stop the run in certain game situations at all costs. If a back runs for 120 yards against us while their QB goes 13 of 33 for 155 yards, I’m happy as a clam.
The second part of situational dominance is 3rd and long. You have to get off of the field and this is where we can use scheme, speed, and versatility to manufacture pressure with our back 7 while not necessarily having to expose ourselves with overwhelming blitz numbers. And 3rd and long is where you’re also most likely to force…
3. Turnovers/Scoring opportunities. We did a lousy job of forcing turnovers last year and that’s a pity because it’s the most crucial component for a back 7 heavy defense to control a game. Defensive scores are the most demoralizing thing you can do to an offense and the quickest way to get inside a QBs head. If you doubt that, please reflect on our experience in the RRR from ‘00-’04. Ouch. Sorry for that. Shake it off….
Last year, we had an anemic 16 turnovers (6 ints, 10 fumbles). Earl Thomas created six of them. Gideon one. Christian Scott matched that total in one quarter of play. If we want to play real defense, our number of turnovers has to go to 25+ and our starting safeties have to create at least a dozen of those. In Scipio’s simple world, LBs and safeties exist to create turnovers. Those that don’t must find pine.
JT Thatcher was believed to be clinically retarded by the OU coaching staff and they’d periodically bench him for his bizarre miscues, but the kid was a turnover and TD magnet that they couldn’t keep off of the field. I’m all for heady play, but it also needs to result in something tangible.
If you want to see the recipe for what a good defense in 2009 will look like, the 2000 Sooners are a solid aspiration.
What say you?
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scally said:
July 24th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
I say that Close to Jumping is going to have something highly negative to say about Blake Gideon and probably your ethnic heritage.
lowery said:
July 24th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Sounds good to me.
Scipio Tex said:
July 24th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
scally -
I already addressed CloseToJumping specifically in my post:
Before you fly into a seething rage with flecks of spittle hanging from your jowls for suggesting that this is so….
Bartholemew Switzer said:
July 24th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Does 15 pounds of muscle turn Leander choirboy Blake Gideon into Ronnie Lott? Some kids just ain’t that mean.
Scipio Tex said:
July 24th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Gideon’s problem isn’t want-to. He’s plenty tough.
91_Alum said:
July 24th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Nor is his problem straight line speed. No, his problem is hip twist and change of direction. But John Lynch made a living having neither but getting big, staying fast, and hitting people hard.
ponderos said:
July 24th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
The LBs: Calmus (tackle magnet), Torrance Marshall (bruiser and big play artiste MLB) and the forgotten, underrated Brandon Moore comprised a very good, pure LBing group.
What’s amazing is that Brandon Moore had the longest NFL career out of all three of those guys. Being luckier with injuries and eschewing the cheeba probably helped.
Atlantasooner said:
July 24th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Roger Steffen not Brandon Moore was the 3rd LB OU used in 2000 if they used a 3rd LB. We played nickel almost exclusively.
The OU secondary in Nickel formation in 2000 was
Roy
Strait
Ontei Jones
JT Thatcher or Brandon Everage (Everage was the dimeback)
Michael Thompson (car accident basically ended his career)
The safety you are thinking of was Matt McCoy who didn’t play in 2000.
UT’s back 7 looks good but do you really think you have
1 Butkus winner (Calmus) although Marshall was probably playing at that level 2nd half of the year
2 Thorpe winners Strait and Williams
2 Bednarik winners Williams and Strait
Capt. Insano said:
July 24th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Gideon had shoulder surgery right after spring training, so maybe that will help/hurt his confidence. Who knows?
I got to think another 15-20 pounds is enough to make him a mean motherfucker.
dick said:
July 24th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
“UT’s back 7 looks good but do you really think you have
1 Butkus winner (Calmus) although Marshall was probably playing at that level 2nd half of the year
2 Thorpe winners Strait and Williams
2 Bednarik winners Williams and Strait”
We fielded defenses with those things this decade but actually had good DL, it didn’t make a shit and it is not the point the Scipio is trying to make.
Those awards were a result of exactly what Scipio is talking about, not the other way around.
Atlantasooner said:
July 24th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
If you have average DL, you need an awesome back 7.
And OU’s in 2000 had arguably
2 of the best defenders in OU history
An all time top 5 LB at OU.
So we’re not talking good but greatness.
I don’t see anyone at LB in Derrick Johnson’s class or anyone at DB in Huff’s class.
Parlin Hall said:
July 24th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
“Being luckier with injuries and eschewing the cheeba probably helped”
Soon “Eschew the Cheeba” will be like “Begin the Beguine”.
Save for a future tag?
CloseToJumping said:
July 24th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Atlantasooner-
Do we think we could have 2 Thorpe winners and possibly 2 Bednarik winners? Well, yes. Obviously it doesn’t happen in the same year, but feasibly Kindle and any two of several DBs could end up winning those. We have award winners on defense almost every year, if that really matters. I am not sure winning the award does matter, so much as having a number of guys mentioned that could. We’ll have that, and it doesn’t matter if that’s the case to start the year. Thomas, Aaron Williams, and Chykie Brown will all be 1st round draft picks when they come out, unless I am insane, which is arguable.
Scipio-
I really enjoyed the post. Objective discussions about the good side of opponents is something I do regularly and enjoy, you gasbag. I admire that 2000 OU defense a ton. My opinion has always been that the stud on that team was Marshall. He seemed like the Captain, so to speak, every time I watched them play.
In regard to addressing me, I actually think you addressed more of my concerns in the area where you artfully avoid naming names when it comes to making plays at some point, as opposed to always just being “heady”. You are a wordsmithing wizard, there’s never been any doubt.
The reality of the situation is that there are names to be named, however, so I’ll do the dirty work. If Blake Buckner can show up this season and make an actual play that isn’t an ankle tackle 15 yards down the field, he deserves to be out there at times, mixing it up, especially if Scott isn’t giving us something better. It shouldn’t be ordained that he’s the starter, though. If Blake Oilers can’t produce turnovers early and change offensive drives early in games against juggernauts like The University of Louisiana at Monroe and Wyoming, then he needs to be off the field. Feel good stories are for freshmen. Christian Scott showed more in one quarter than Blake Norwood showed for the entirety of the season. I want to see an absolute street fight for that starting spot when the summer drills commence.
You’re right in that turnovers have to improve, and I’m not sure how they do without an overall vast improvement with the ball skills from every player in the secondary besides Williams. Unlike adding weight, knowledge, or even a little speed, catching the ball which is thrown at you is more talent than skill by the time you’re 18. I am hoping that these guys have more to show and that we see many more picks this season from each of them, even if I don’t believe that we will.
scally-
I was honestly hoping that you had met your demise in a hang gliding or luge accident or that a judge had bludgeoned you to death with a gavel in a case of justifiable homicide during a trial. It is a pity to see your return from the Internet hinterlands.
Scipio Tex said:
July 24th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
You just called him Blake Buckner, Blake Oilers & Blake Norwood. That’s so harsh, so inappropriate, and so funny.
This thread will spiral down quickly.
Scipio Tex said:
July 24th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
CloseToJumping:
I’m a huge Torrance Marshall fan and thought he was more important to their D than Calmus. Just a physical, physical dude.
I actually think our turnovers can improve now that we’re not just content to play two deep. I’m all for keeping things in front of you, but you need to make a play on the ball or deliver some bodily harm to the intended target.
I also think that our corners will be a lot more active breaking on the ball.
ponderos said:
July 24th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
FYI …
1. I’m 100% sure that (your) Roy Williams never scored against OU.
2. That pic of him is versus Arkansas.
Scipio Tex said:
July 24th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Atlanta Sooner:
Thanks for the corrections. I aged McCoy a couple of years - I think he was a frosh when you won it all.
As for comparing players, I’d caution you that Michael Huff wasn’t Michael Huff until a few games into his senior season. Before it, he was just another pretty good guy with a lot of potential.
Earl Thomas, Chykie Brown, AJ Williams are all real high quality players.
Nor would I try to compare our LBs head-to-head to Marshall/Calmus just as I wouldn’t try to compare Heinecke to Sergio Kindle.
As I mentioned above, part of my post is aspirational. I’m just showing how it can be done.
Gonz said:
July 24th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
that pic of him isnt even him. Its Aaron Williams returning an INT
Huckleberry said:
July 24th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Atlantasooner -
I don’t think any defensive back in recent college football history has screamed “product of his teammates and system” more than Derrick Strait. Nice kid, really good college player, but best defensive player in the country (Bednarik)? Crazy.
I have no doubt that we have at least one corner better than 2000 Derrick Strait.
Scipio Tex said:
July 24th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
ponderos:
Yes. That’s Aaron Williams. He plays DB for us.
burnt orange dog said:
July 24th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Scipio,
Stellar analysis as usual.
I am excited about Christian Scott allegedly passing Gideon on the depth chart. And this is not because I want Gideon on the bench, but because I think Gideon is a player, and if Scott passed him, it means he understands the better. It is going to be ugly for crossing receivers.
I also think Gideeon will still see the field, and make some plays.
ponderos said:
July 24th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Oh, well then that’s different. Deltree.
Scipio Tex said:
July 24th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Gideon will see a lot of the field. He sets the defense and until Muschamp trusts someone else to do it, you’re going to see a a lot of Blake.
HenryJames said:
July 24th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Unless you’re an opposing ballcarrier.
RansomStoddard said:
July 24th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I showed Bary Holleyman this post. He doesn’t disagree with your analysis of his skills.
Newy25 said:
July 24th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
The Blake Gideon bashing has gotten stale. A true freshman forced into the starting lineup because the 3 previous classes of safeties grew up watching Boyz N Da Hood too many times and all he can catch is vitriol.
I wonder how dominant Earl Thomas would have looked starting an entire year earlier.
Newy25 said:
July 24th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
And the Blake Buckner reference which I guess is in reference to his dropped interception.
Earl Thomas made a drop EQUALLY AS BAD the play before that no one mentions it.
Vasherized said:
July 24th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Welcome back, Scipio. Great stuff.
Other than an anchor defensive tackle in the Hampton/Miller mold, chef Muschamp has all the ingredients a defensive coordinator needs to cook up a nasty, dominant defense.
Christian Scott said:
July 24th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Just get me on the field.
Atlantasooner said:
July 24th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Huckleberry,
Strait’s pro problem are a different story.
In college, he was a dominant player. You can rewrite it anyway you want, won’t change the truth.
Trips Right said:
July 24th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Great stuff, especially after a 4 day bender in Milwaukee. Which is Algonquin for, “the good land”.
I actually think our defensive line is much better than that of the ou squad. Lamar Houston and Acho are playmakers. Eddie Jones is a candidate to be a 5 star Maurice Gordon. The best young defensive end we’ve had on the 40 since Tony Brackens waits in the wings. Throw in the fact that Muschamp has had these cats long enough to take the training wheels off, and I’m quite sure we’re going to wreck shit. Turnovers will trend upward because I’m a big believer in that gambling fallacy, the due factor. Plus I drank about two cases of PBR this week. We need to recruit some Wisconsin chicks to play Dtackle.
ponderos said:
July 24th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
I actually think our defensive line is much better than that of the ou squad.
You lost me.
Scipio Tex said:
July 24th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Trips:
Do you mean OU ‘00 or OU ‘09?
Trips Right said:
July 24th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
2000. Sorry.
Captain Obvious said:
July 24th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Newy,
I don’t have anything against Gideon and I agree that while he did drop the interception against Tech, Thomas made a mistake as well, and let’s not forget Curtis Brown’s attempt to tackle Crabtree that looked eerily similar to a Skip Bayless- Jay Mariotti slap fight over the make-up chair at ESPN.
What I have a concern about is that if Christian Scott will get a chance to win the position or if we get a replay of what we have seen in the past (i.e. Tyrone Jones starting instead of D.J.).
Vasherized said:
July 24th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Full disclosure: I lost a bet with Sailor Ripley and have to use a cooking metaphor in every post for the next month.
I apologize in advance.
STM said:
July 24th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
To add to your point: Earl Thomas had three goal line pass break ups against OU, OSU, and one other that could have eaisily been ints. In each case, the opposition wound up scoring. Add a year of seasoning and he is your ball hawking TO magnet.
NorthDallasSooner said:
July 24th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Even though I’m of the age that I was watching games from the student section in Norman from ‘85-’89, and the ‘86 defense was the best I’ve ever seen (allowed 20 points in conference play, 17 of which were Nebraska and pitched five conference shutouts and six overall), Derrick Strait is probably my favorite player we’ve ever had.
He is because he wasn’t recruited high and had been homeless in Austin during high school. But mostly because he made all his biggest plays in all the biggest games. He always made a game changing play in the big ones. Several key interceptions against you guys, especially memorable the first quarter pick of Mock in ‘03 (that was Mock, wasn’t it?). Even in the MNC loss to LSU he caused a fumble, recovered a fumble and blocked a punt.
Call it coaching or system but the best players make the difference in the biggest games, and he did.
BTW, on the ‘00 LB’s, Marshall saved the season in College Station, so I guess he wins that argument for that year.
Burnt Orange Dog said:
July 24th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Well said Newy.
Stuck in MN said:
July 24th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
“all he can catch is vitriol”
I see what you did there, newy. Well played.
CloseToJumping said:
July 24th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
The Blake Munson bashing never gets old, really. It was an all-time choke. 5 year olds make that catch and he’ll go down in Longhorn lore as the guy that muffed a shot for a title game. If he does something amazing in the next 3 years to replace that as his legacy, then good for him. I have nothing personal against Blake Curry, I just don’t think he’s the best guy at the spot. If I know Brown by now, Blake Van de Velde has it all locked up. That’s what irritates me the most, I guess.
Rockin' 40 Acres said:
July 24th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
#21 INTs Timmy Tebo late in Q4, sealing the 2009 MNC for UT. Yep, Life is an endless circle@#1.
Remember, who ran down BU RGriffin from way way way behind preventing the score? And so on & so on & so on. LOOK Ya’ll…
Blake earns his spot every play.
Every rep.
Every practice.
Every game.
Every day.
***#21*** The name is Gideon* Gideon* Gideon* got it?!?! BOOMER MF! ! !
It’s not Craig Curry, not Jitter Fields, not Chris Sims…… 2009 IS OURS TO TAKE IT.
There is just something special about the 3/ stars playing at UT….Blake*** & Colt***
To: Newy25-
Thanks a whole lot for your views. Your right on.
BONer
Rockin' 40 Acres said:
July 24th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
BTW
THE PIC IS #4 Aaron Williams vs. ARKIE in AUSTIN “08
Sweet Jesus said:
July 25th, 2009 at 12:04 am
Sheesh, ponderos. If you want to hang out here, bring your A game.
Great post, Scipio.
Your Pschiatrist said:
July 25th, 2009 at 3:23 am
CloseToJumping: go ahead and jump. The world needs fewer internet assholes.
Beaten Dead Horse said:
July 25th, 2009 at 3:46 am
CTJ did Gideon get a little something, something off your girlfriend or perhaps more appropriately your mother? Go punch a wall, you’ll feel better. Please post wall and hand damage afterward? Mmmmm k?
Newy25 said:
July 25th, 2009 at 3:52 am
“5 year olds make that catch and he’ll go down in Longhorn lore as the guy that muffed a shot for a title game”
No, he won’t. The lasting image of Crabtree walking into the endzone will forever mark Curtis Brown and Earl Thomas to some degree but that game had so many turning points that we could blame any number of 100 mistakes.
Think about it this way - without Blake Gideon (and we did not have a choice) we might not have been in a position to win that game and be undefeated. Ben Wells was totally lost and Scott was banged up early in the season. I guess we could played Nolan Brewster but how would that have gone down in Dallas?
You have something personal with Gideon, IMO.
Will said:
July 25th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Gotta agree with Newy here. It’s easy to pick on Gideon because his screw-up was so glaring near the end of the game, but the team was just all around terrible that night. Tons of things went wrong.
Quan gets hurt on like the first play of the game. Receivers, including Shipley, can’t catch passes to save their life in the first half. Colt throws a pick six. Rak has a Tech O-lineman bearhug him and twist his knee all up. Our O-line decided they’d rather not show up until sometime in the second half. Mack and GD somehow forget that Tech still has a T.O. and they don’t tell Colt to stay the hell in bounds on our last drive of the game. Etc. and so forth.
For being a true freshman and only recently removed from smiling in his high school year book photos, Blake did a decent job. Especially considering the conference we play in and the amount of passing talent it possessed and relied upon last season.
TaylorTRoom said:
July 25th, 2009 at 7:58 am
To get this topic back on course…it seems to me that two things Texas will be facing on defense this year are:
1. More teams with tactical use of I-formation power running. As B12 teams design their defenses to handle the spread, you can expect a lot of teams to use a fullback and under-center I-formation in short yardage. Let’s see how Muschamp is “multiple” in preparation for that.
2. More no-huddle spread offenses. Why? Because OU set offensive records with it last year, and Texas installed it to great effect for use in the bowl game. Texas had fiddled with no-huddle in the past, but OU showed how devastating the strategy can be for a full game and season. I fully expect several B12 offenses to have no-huddle packages this year, and for scoring to go up accordingly. If defenses can’t substitute in a series, more substitutions by possession will be needed. Does Texas (or any B12 team) have the depth on defense?
Les Grossman said:
July 25th, 2009 at 9:54 am
First, all of you bashing Blake Four Leaf Tayback take a big step back…and, literally FUCK YOUR OWN FACE!!!!
honkskillet said:
July 25th, 2009 at 10:28 am
I would have liked to see this supposedly dominant defense line up against the best team in the country that year, Maimi.
Scipio Tex said:
July 25th, 2009 at 10:59 am
honkskillet:
Miami was the best team in the country, but they shit their bed early against Washington. And the BCS screwed them. It happens.
WB_Heaven said:
July 25th, 2009 at 11:05 am
The 2000 Oklahoma DL was ragtag, but it played a lot of guys.
Kory Klein, Ramon Richardson and Jimmy Wilkerson made it a fairly capable rotation of 4 DTs and 3 DEs by the second half of the year. The interchangeability was key. And no one got hurt.
Steve Nebraska said:
July 25th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Yeah, but Les, it remains to be seen if Gideon, like Four Leaf, actually does have hands.
Vasherized said:
July 25th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
f wilkerson.
RolloTamasi said:
July 26th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
well played Les…playaaa.
djmagno said:
July 28th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
C. Scott will definitely make plays and turn heads!