ISU's defense was built to stop spread teams. Speed was favored over size at some positions. As a result the front seven is relatively small. At times 3-4 of the front seven last year were 220 pounds or less. The defense struggled against power running teams. Teams like KSU and Iowa (UNI?) controlled the ball on long drives and built good leads. I do not expect much of a change for this fall. The front seven while it may have a bit more size, it will be younger with less experience. Expect to see a lot of fullbacks and multiple tight ends on some opposing teams next fall.
Defense
- Thread starter cyborg
- Start date
Last year: 2 seniors, 5 juniors
Average year of eligibility: 3.29
DE: Senior, junior
DT: Junior, junior
LB: junior, senior, junior
This year: 4 seniors, 1 junior, 2 sophomores
Average year of eligibility: 3.29
DE: Senior, sophomore
DT: senior, sophomore
LB: senior, junior, senior
Not sure if we are all that much younger or less experienced.
Average year of eligibility: 3.29
DE: Senior, junior
DT: Junior, junior
LB: junior, senior, junior
This year: 4 seniors, 1 junior, 2 sophomores
Average year of eligibility: 3.29
DE: Senior, sophomore
DT: senior, sophomore
LB: senior, junior, senior
Not sure if we are all that much younger or less experienced.
I think the front 7 this year can easily be better than last year, and should be IMO.
Our Defensive ends last year (yes i know Morrissey was one) were both about 6'4 245. This year the average of the two starters is 6'4 262 and Morrissey. Cory should be improved and Meyers ceiling is higher than Scott's was. The incoming JUCO's should help tremendously, and Burnham has said that he plans on having Darius White be 255-260 by fall camp.
I am a bit concerned with our guys inside, but the return of a big, experienced body in Brandon Jensen is promising. That will take the pressure off of guys like Garcia, Trent, Aka, and Ayeni if it is him who slides inside (which i think it is). Even though we lost Coe and Irving, it took Coe about 8 or 9 games to become a good player inside and Irving was so hit and miss. Cousins should be our best interior lineman. He looks like he will be a stud. Hopefully the young guys progress this summer.
Linebacker should be just as good as last year. There is tremendous depth here (though it is young). The amount of linebackers mentioned gives the coaches so many options. Miller, Knott, Seeley, Meeks, Harris, Brackens, Ferch, Mills, Peters. That is 9 guys that could potentially see time on the field. 3 of them have significant experience and hopefully out of other 6, somebody can emerge as a star.
Burnham also said in his recent interview that they left the spring feeling very good about the secondary. I understand that people think this ISU defense is just going to be horrid, which because of inexperience can be somewhat understandable. I dont think the defense is going to be amazing or anything, but i also dont think they are going to be as horrible as people are saying they will be.
Built to stop a sread, yet every single team we faced did pretty much whatever they wanted to on offense. That Baylor game is probably the most embarrassing ISU performance I have ever seen, easily one of the top 5 worst beat downs last year. Horrible. I expect little this year, but I will be expecting more next season. I just want to see improvement on offense, be more competitive in games, and will enjoy seeing a great crowd each saturday. However, I'm expecting 3-4 wins. Bowl game and I'd be more than ecstatic
A good offense would help immensely. Its not like the conference is full of defensive powers. I know its stating the obvious but our d last year was as much a product of an inept offense as anything.
Kind of hard to stop a team from scoring when you are on the field for ~50 of the 60 minutes.
Damn, last year must have been bad if it was "probably" worst of all time, yet only somewhere in the top 5 worst beat downs of last season. Haha
