GTmorris1970
04-15-2007, 07:48 AM
Defense offers tantalizing signs of a big step forward
By RON MORRIS - rmorris@thestate.com
WHEN YOU ARE the defensive coordinator for a Steve Spurrier-coached team, your goal is pretty basic. Ask Tyrone Nix, the secretary of South Carolina’s defense.
“Our goal is to give coach as many plays as he can to call against the other team’s defense,” Nix says. “If we can get off the field, we have the best play-caller in college football on our side. To just give him the chance to call plays over and over again is exciting.”
Nix spoke following the annual spring game, one in which his two defensive units made the afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium miserable for Spurrier’s offensive squads. Spurrier described the defensive squads as being “dominant” up front, which has been the case throughout most of spring drills.
The defensive secondary of each squad had its way with Spurrier’s offenses as well, limiting the two quarterbacks to 23 completions on 61 attempts. Emanuel Cook, Darian Stewart and Doug Peterson each had interceptions.
You might think, well, this was only the spring game. No doubt, a strong defensive showing in an exhibition proves little.
But there are a couple of givens when you analyze Spurrier-coached squads. One is that his team will pile up yardage and score points. Even an offense that was more anemic than prolific a season ago, managed to roll up more than 400 yards in each of the final four games.
The other is that if the defense can be stout, Spurrier is much more likely to field a championship contender. Nearly every one of his SEC championship squads at Florida had a defense that could stymie opponents.
Neither of Spurrier’s first two USC squads could count on the defense to win games. The 2005 squad suffered from serious third-downitis, a condition that prevented it from stopping opponents on third down. A season ago, the illness shifted to an inability to get opponents off the field in three downs (41 times in 2005, 31 in 2006).
There was one huge area of improvement from 2005 to 2006, the first season in which Nix had sole control of the defense. On average, USC ran 21 offensive plays fewer than its opponents in 2005. A season ago, the Gamecocks ran two more plays per game than their opponents.
So, there was progress with a unit that hardly knew one another at the start of last season, and certainly had little knowledge of Nix’s defensive schemes.
“There is no doubt that we have better personnel right now than we’ve had the past couple springs, overall as a defense,” Nix says. “That makes it a little bit more fun to let the guys go out and actually compete instead of finding players. The competition actually makes individuals better, and we’ve seen those results throughout the spring.”
With 10 starters returning from a season ago and with at least one freshman (defensive end Travian Robertson) expected to contribute immediately, Nix has every reason to beam, as he did following Saturday’s scrimmage.
In addition to the infusion of more talent, Nix says he sees recognition in his players’ faces that they understand how defenses are played. He says the defensive line should be able to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks because players such as Robertson know how to fight off blocks and make a play.
Nix says the secondary has a better understanding of basic coverages, and he points to his head coach as the reason the defensive backs and linebackers have elevated their play this spring.
Where Spurrier in the past spoke in the spring to the defensive coaches and players about coverages, this spring he studied film with them and joined in the teaching phase of all schemes.
“Coach Spurrier has helped us defensively understand, or teaching us, what the quarterback is looking for,” Nix says, “and it’s paid off this spring.”
Neither Spurrier nor Nix is ready to decree this defense as fit for top-level SEC status, but they both admit the prospects are promising.
“We’ve got a ways to go. We’re not there yet. We haven’t beaten anybody,” Nix says. “But we’re heading in the right direction. ... We are closer. We’re closer from the standpoint of the schemes, the knowledge and the kids playing with good fundamentals.”
Spurrier is more succinct.
“We’re a lot better on defense, but until we beat somebody in a real game I don’t need to be talking,” he says.
Spurrier will save that talk for when this defense consistently gets the ball back in the hands of his offense. The chance to do that excites Nix.
By RON MORRIS - rmorris@thestate.com
WHEN YOU ARE the defensive coordinator for a Steve Spurrier-coached team, your goal is pretty basic. Ask Tyrone Nix, the secretary of South Carolina’s defense.
“Our goal is to give coach as many plays as he can to call against the other team’s defense,” Nix says. “If we can get off the field, we have the best play-caller in college football on our side. To just give him the chance to call plays over and over again is exciting.”
Nix spoke following the annual spring game, one in which his two defensive units made the afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium miserable for Spurrier’s offensive squads. Spurrier described the defensive squads as being “dominant” up front, which has been the case throughout most of spring drills.
The defensive secondary of each squad had its way with Spurrier’s offenses as well, limiting the two quarterbacks to 23 completions on 61 attempts. Emanuel Cook, Darian Stewart and Doug Peterson each had interceptions.
You might think, well, this was only the spring game. No doubt, a strong defensive showing in an exhibition proves little.
But there are a couple of givens when you analyze Spurrier-coached squads. One is that his team will pile up yardage and score points. Even an offense that was more anemic than prolific a season ago, managed to roll up more than 400 yards in each of the final four games.
The other is that if the defense can be stout, Spurrier is much more likely to field a championship contender. Nearly every one of his SEC championship squads at Florida had a defense that could stymie opponents.
Neither of Spurrier’s first two USC squads could count on the defense to win games. The 2005 squad suffered from serious third-downitis, a condition that prevented it from stopping opponents on third down. A season ago, the illness shifted to an inability to get opponents off the field in three downs (41 times in 2005, 31 in 2006).
There was one huge area of improvement from 2005 to 2006, the first season in which Nix had sole control of the defense. On average, USC ran 21 offensive plays fewer than its opponents in 2005. A season ago, the Gamecocks ran two more plays per game than their opponents.
So, there was progress with a unit that hardly knew one another at the start of last season, and certainly had little knowledge of Nix’s defensive schemes.
“There is no doubt that we have better personnel right now than we’ve had the past couple springs, overall as a defense,” Nix says. “That makes it a little bit more fun to let the guys go out and actually compete instead of finding players. The competition actually makes individuals better, and we’ve seen those results throughout the spring.”
With 10 starters returning from a season ago and with at least one freshman (defensive end Travian Robertson) expected to contribute immediately, Nix has every reason to beam, as he did following Saturday’s scrimmage.
In addition to the infusion of more talent, Nix says he sees recognition in his players’ faces that they understand how defenses are played. He says the defensive line should be able to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks because players such as Robertson know how to fight off blocks and make a play.
Nix says the secondary has a better understanding of basic coverages, and he points to his head coach as the reason the defensive backs and linebackers have elevated their play this spring.
Where Spurrier in the past spoke in the spring to the defensive coaches and players about coverages, this spring he studied film with them and joined in the teaching phase of all schemes.
“Coach Spurrier has helped us defensively understand, or teaching us, what the quarterback is looking for,” Nix says, “and it’s paid off this spring.”
Neither Spurrier nor Nix is ready to decree this defense as fit for top-level SEC status, but they both admit the prospects are promising.
“We’ve got a ways to go. We’re not there yet. We haven’t beaten anybody,” Nix says. “But we’re heading in the right direction. ... We are closer. We’re closer from the standpoint of the schemes, the knowledge and the kids playing with good fundamentals.”
Spurrier is more succinct.
“We’re a lot better on defense, but until we beat somebody in a real game I don’t need to be talking,” he says.
Spurrier will save that talk for when this defense consistently gets the ball back in the hands of his offense. The chance to do that excites Nix.