Devlyn Cousin transferring

I don't think those numbers are that much out of line with most schools.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=7525479



And



Here is an article from 4 days ago talking about the 8 players Iowa has lost since January.

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/iowas-attrition-level-set-at-nagging-20150824



Great article about Oklahoma losing players.

https://thefootballbrainiacs.com/ou-oklahoma-sooners-football-recruiting-transfer-attrition-problem

Iowa State is not Oklahoma though. They just bring in another 25 4* and 5* guys and move on. Programs like ours struggle. Paul himself has said that it's worse to bring in a guy who can't cut it than to miss on a guy.
 
Tucker is a nose guard who can be successful in a 3-4 (really a 3-3 with a nickel). We always seem to have depth problems on the defensive line. We have a couple linebackers in Peters and Jay Jones who can come off the end well. A 3-3 matches up well personnel wise against spread teams, so most of the teams in the Big 12. Depending on how often you blitz and where it can be hard to run against.

There's a few reasons, five to be exact.

They just need to say 3-3-5 and it would make much more sense. I don't think switching things up is a choice, I think the coaching staff sees it as the only option.This defense would minimize the importance of our weakest position (LB) and help us use our undersized LB's to our advantage. Jones as a hybrid type of guy is the worst possible OLB you could have for a true 3-4 defense (ideally you need DE type of bodies) but he's perfect for the 3-3-5. We are a program perfectly suited for the 3-3-5, when you look at our recruiting, its usually easier for us to recruit DB/ATHs than DL or LB. Not to mention its creates better matchups against the spread.

While I don't think the coaching staff honestly wants to move towards a hybrid defense, I think they are playing the hand their dealt and I like the move. It seems better than asking guys like Drake Ferch to cover Baylors slot WR's
 
Here's some good reasons.....Our defense has been horrid the past 2 years, horrid. Even when we had decent talent in CPR first few years we still weren't that great, especially stopping the run. Now u may ask...Well why switch to only 3 down lineman if we can't stop the run? Good question actually. One word...Steelers. Probably the greatest run D in the history of the game on average over the past 20 years. All they run is a 3-4. Now don't get me wrong I fully know we aren't the steelers. And there are teams that run a 3-4 that still stink vs the run. It's a defense that is a more blitzing defense and a defense that is much harder to prepare for as you have 4 Lbs who are all over the place. You can blitz a couple Lbs from the outside and still have 2 Lbs back in the middle to protect vs the run or pass. There are lots of diff options with the 3-4. With a 4-3 if you blitz 2 Lbs you better get to the rb or qb or you will pay as has been the case a lot vs ISU. The other reason is we've been one of the worst teams in all FBS in getting sacks. Same would prob apply this year. So why not have a Dline that just needs to hold the middle and allow those 4 LBs to make plays. Ideally that's what u get. Will we be better on D? Who knows but I do trust Wally to know if he has the personnel to run a 3-4 effectively. What I do know is we've run a 4-3 forever and our defense has been not great for a very long time. Why not.

As a colts fan I can attest to the fact the 3-4 only works when you have the right athletes including dominate linemen.

My question is if this is a complete scheme change for Wally and if he is comfortable running something different. He has said many times in the past he wants to keep the plays in front of the defense and not blitz much. I don't think he has ever promoted an attacking defense but it COULD just be he has never had the athletes to do it. This seems like a sea change but maybe the changes are less dramatic?
 
Hope you have a spouse that is a mirror image of yourself and is constantly telling you about your flaws and "shortcomings".

Your negativity is at a whole new level. Do you EVER quit ********?

I won't defend 3True's negativity as a whole, but you have to agree those "Forever" commercials were terrible.
 
anybody that says we dont have tradition is wrong. we have a great tradition of losing valuable football players right before the season.
 
I enjoy people who are criticizing the 3-4 without even seeing what type of 3-4 were going to implement out on the field or its success/failure. Classic CF.
 
Iowa State is not Oklahoma though. They just bring in another 25 4* and 5* guys and move on. Programs like ours struggle. Paul himself has said that it's worse to bring in a guy who can't cut it than to miss on a guy.

Sure. But that wasn't my point. OP was stating that we suck because we lose players. Kicked off, quit the sport, transfer, etc.

Everyone loses players. It isn't unique to us. Or Oklahoma. Or Purdue. Or Wake Forest. Some schools are better equipped to handle those departures, sure. See Oklahoma.

But a good coach is able to overcome that. Through JUCOs, better HS recruits, built up depth.

People on this board were too concerned with that problem. Attrition. They think the solution is getting kids who don't leave. How do you keep from losing players? You can't. Whether you win 10+ games a year or limp to 2+ games a year, you lose players for a variety of reasons. The real solution is overcoming the attrition you do take on.
 
I'm actually a big proponent of switching to the 3-4. I'm a little skeptical of the staff doing a wholesale switch, I just don't think it's gonna happen.
 
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I enjoy people who are criticizing the 3-4 without even seeing what type of 3-4 were going to implement out on the field or its success/failure. Classic CF.

After watching last year's defense, I'm open to try anything.

However, I just found it kind of strange that we would go to a 3-4 this year when LB is probably our weakest and thinnest position on the team, with the exception of RB.

I'm a little concerned that teams will be able to just run it down our throat with a 3 man front and mostly undersized and inexperienced LBs. But teams ran it down our throat last year with our 4-3, so maybe it doesn't matter what we run?
 
"But teams ran it down our throat last year with our 4-3, so maybe it doesn't matter what we run?"
It does not matter, we will have a great stadium, poor team and a crap coach.
 
After watching last year's defense, I'm open to try anything.

However, I just found it kind of strange that we would go to a 3-4 this year when LB is probably our weakest and thinnest position on the team, with the exception of RB.

I'm a little concerned that teams will be able to just run it down our throat with a 3 man front and mostly undersized and inexperienced LBs. But teams ran it down our throat last year with our 4-3, so maybe it doesn't matter what we run?


I really dont get whaht people are saying about our LBs being weaker this year? I'd say our Lbs will be much better and more depth than last year. Last year Knott, Meeks and Mills were playing a lot along with Ferch at Nickel. Meeks wasn't a big 12 Lb, Knott is now 2nd string, Mills is 2nd string. They've been replaced by at the very least more athletic, faster, LBs and more of them. Our depth this year is mostly who started last year. This is not a bad thing IMO.
 
Here's some good reasons.....Our defense has been horrid the past 2 years, horrid. Even when we had decent talent in CPR first few years we still weren't that great, especially stopping the run. Now u may ask...Well why switch to only 3 down lineman if we can't stop the run? Good question actually. One word...Steelers. Probably the greatest run D in the history of the game on average over the past 20 years. All they run is a 3-4. Now don't get me wrong I fully know we aren't the steelers. And there are teams that run a 3-4 that still stink vs the run. It's a defense that is a more blitzing defense and a defense that is much harder to prepare for as you have 4 Lbs who are all over the place. You can blitz a couple Lbs from the outside and still have 2 Lbs back in the middle to protect vs the run or pass. There are lots of diff options with the 3-4. With a 4-3 if you blitz 2 Lbs you better get to the rb or qb or you will pay as has been the case a lot vs ISU. The other reason is we've been one of the worst teams in all FBS in getting sacks. Same would prob apply this year. So why not have a Dline that just needs to hold the middle and allow those 4 LBs to make plays. Ideally that's what u get. Will we be better on D? Who knows but I do trust Wally to know if he has the personnel to run a 3-4 effectively. What I do know is we've run a 4-3 forever and our defense has been not great for a very long time. Why not.

The thing is those teams have 3-4 players. Our DL is one they would put out there for 3rd and Long. We only have one 3-4 OLB, and we are using him at DE. The most important position is the NT, and we don't have your prototypical NT either.

Wally most be banking on our team being relentless, and getting to the QB A LOT.

We actually finally had good personnel for the 4-3. Don't get me wrong I love the 3-4 and prefer it, but what we are running isn't a 3-4... It's a gimmick.
 
Does anyone know any P5 schools that run the 3-4? Is this a unique defense and thus harder to prepare for or is it not all that unique and not difficult to prepare for?
 
Here's what I imagine the starters will be once the season has been going Thomas, Tucker, Piersen. Taylor, Aka, Leath all capable back ups. That's a decent 3-4 d-line. Size, strength, and a big motor. Still have guys like Trent, Garcia, developing. It's not great depth, but if we have the speed and athleticism at LB I'm all for it.