How Did the _efense Get To This Point?

[note: this was all written prior to the La-Monroe game]

We all know that the defense in 2012 was better than 2011 but still "eh" and then took a huge step backwards last season - simply put, they are the sole reason Johnny didn't win a national championship here.

So how did we get to this point?  Let's take a look....

Historically

         RushD        PassD          TotalD          ScoreD          3DC
      ========================================================    ========  
2003  225.1 (112)*  206.42 (40)     431.50 (96)*    38.8 (115)+   2003 44%
2004  142.5 (55)    244.25 (93)*    386.75 (63)*    23.3 (47)     2004 44%
2005  139.2 (38)    304.64 (117)+   443.82 (108)*   31.2 (96)*    2005 48%
2006  132.1 (44)    190.54 (44)     322.62 (46)     20.5 (44)     2006 29%
2007  160.9 (65)    254.85 (92)*    415.77 (83)*    25.9 (50)     2007 46% 
2008  219.3 (114)*  242.67 (93)     461.92 (113)+   37.4 (114)*   2008 55%
2009  171.6 (90)    254.69 (106)*   426.31 (105)    33.5 (105)*   2009 38%
2011  101.8         276.3*          378.2           28.2          2011 40%
2013  222.3 (110)*  253.5 (95)      475.8 (109)+    32.2 (95)     2013 41%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014  190.2 (94)    232.4 (68)      422.6 (78)      27.1 (70)     2014 37%

Last season's defense was right in line with the worst defenses that we've ever fielded and as bad as it has seemed this year, the number indicate we have "improved".  Just not enough.

Attrition

We've been hit particularly hard on this side of the ball in terms of attrition.

A good defense, particularly in the SEC, is anchored by upper classmen with a sprinkling of youth but as you can see we are pretty much the exact opposite of that.

 DE J.Obioha                
    Q.Cunningham/J.Johnson
 NG A.Williams               
    H.Walker/Z.Henderson    
 DT I.Robinson               
    J.Arnold                  
 DE M.Garrett                 
    D.Hall                   
OLB D.Baggs                 
    O.Alaka                  
MLB J.Mastrogiovanni        
    J.Bass/J.Walker
OLB J.Bass
    S.Washington/T.Sanders 
 CB V.Davis                  
    D.Harris/N.Harvey       
 CB D.Everett                
    T.Garner                 
 SS H.Matthews             
    D.Wilson/C.Honeycutt   
 FS F.Raven                
    A.Watts/C.Honeycutt    
 CB D.Burns                
    S.Moeller

Please note that Justin Bass and Sam Moeller are both walk-ons.

Defense (* = in 2-deep; CAPS = starter; strikethrough = not on team)

     Player   
2010 (5th Yr Seniors)    Pre-2014  2014
     C.Honeycutt (QB)..... 16/4     7/0
     N.Askew (WR)......... 43/2
     N.Hicks (DE).........  TE    
     T.Hurd (DB).......... 51/17 
     B.Jackson (DT)....... 13/1 
     J.Mathis (DT)........ 29/10 
     T.Micken (DB)........  0/0 
     D.Moore (DE)......... 38/23 
     D.Patterson (LB).....  8/0
     I.ROBINSON (DT)...... 24/5     5/4
     G.Stansbury (DE)..... 34/10

2011 (Seniors/RS-Jr)     Pre-2014  2014 
     B.Alexander (DE)..... 12/0      TE
     D.BAGGS (LB)......... 33/7     8/2
     D.BURNS (DB).........  9/0     8/6
     D.EVERETT (DB)....... 37/22    8/8
     J.Franklin (DB)...... 11/0
     S.Jenkins (LB)....... 36/27
     H.MATTHEWS (DB)...... 38/20    8/8
     F.RAVEN (DB)......... 33/5     8/2
     L.Strahan (DT).......  -/-
     T.Taylor (LB)........ 23/2     2/0
     S.Ward (LB).......... 17/0
     D.Washington (LB)..... -/-

2012 (Juniors/RS-Soph)   Pre-2014  2014
     D.Harris (DB)........ 23/18    5/2
     T.Jacobs (DB)........ 26/9 
     P.Manukainiu (DE)....  -/-   
     K.Marshall (DB)......  -/-
     J.OBIOHA (DE)........ 24/23    8/8
     E.Ray (DT)...........  -/-
     M.Richardson (DE)....  -/-
     J.Richmond (LB)......  -/-
     T.Taylor (DE)........ 21/1     0/0
     A.WILLIAMS (DE)...... 18/9     8/8

2013 (Sophmores/RS-Fr)   Pre-2014  2014
     J.Arnold (DE)........  9/1     8/1
     R.Chevis (LB)........  -/-     1/0
     D.Claiborne (LB)..... 12/9
     V.DAVIS (DB).........  -/-     8/5
     N.Ellis (DB).........  8/0     -/-
     T.Garner (DB)........  7/0     4/0
     I.Golden (DT)........ 12/7
     D.Hall (DE).......... 13/1     8/4
     J.Manning (DT).......  -/-     3/0
     J.MASTROGIOVANNI (LB) 13/2     7/7
     K.Miles (DB).........  -/-
     J.Points (DE)........  -/-     -/-
     T.Sanders (LB)....... 11/2     6/0
     A.Sezer (ATH)........ 13/2     7/0
     B.Wade (LB)..........  -/-     2/0
     H.Walker (DT)........  9/1     8/3
     S.Washington (ATH)... 12/0     5/0
     J.Wiggins (DB).......  9/0     3/0

2014 (True Freshmen)     Pre-2014  2014
     O.Alaka (LB).........  -/-     7/0
     C.Collins (DB).......  -/-
     Q.Cunningham (LB)....  -/-     8/0
     M.GARRETT (DE).......  -/-     8/4
     N.Harvey (DB)........  -/-     8/1
     Z.Henderson (DT) ....  -/-     7/0
     J.Johnson (DE).......  -/-     0/0
     J.Walker (LB)........  -/-     7/1
     D.Washington (DT)....  -/-     0/0
     A.Watts (DB).........  -/-     8/6
     D.Wilson (DB)........  -/-     6/0
         
Man, that 2012 class killed us as did the guys we lost from the 2013 class (Claiborne, Golden, & Miles - all three were projected to start).

We've had 18 starts made by freshmen compared to just 26 from fourth and fifth year guys.  Of our 3rd year guys - we have two contributing.

The thing that is most staggering is two deep

• Every single defense player from our 2014 signing class is already in our 2-deep.  
• There are 17 guys in the 2-deep who had fewer than 2 career starts coming into the season.  
• There are 10 guys who have already made more starts in 2014 than they had coming into the season (and two more guys will be added to the list after this week's game).

As a fan base, you don't want to hear "youth" as an excuse for consecutive seasons but the fact of the matter is that "youth" is a huge reason why we're not competing on the defensive side of the ball like Alabama and Ole Miss are.  LSU, however, is a great example of reloading - they lost a TON of guys over the last two seasons and their defense is getting stronger each week.

I don't think "youth" is the only reason we're struggling but it is certainly one of the reasons.