2017 Defense: Potentially best ever?

[thebigund]

2013 defensive stats to chew on:

1. Points allowed per game = 11.3

2. Rushing yards allowed per game = 91.3

3. Rushing TD's allowed = 7

4. Bison punted 52 times that year. Opponents: 101

5. Opponents' scoring per quarter: 1st - 34; 2nd - 71; 3rd - 51; 4th - 13

That entire was completely filthy.

[Herd]

Not a chance. Nobody on Marcus Williams' level. The only LB upgrade is DeLuca. The rest are major downgrades. DL has good players for sure but is Menard on the Emmanuel level? It's the offseason I know but this is a huge stretch.

Best Ever? That remains to be seen. Best ever full unit was 2013 . . .

2013: Sraters - (backups)
Front: Emanuel, Drevlow, Perry, Juric. (Lueke, Tang, Schatz, Hardie)
Middle: GO, LJ, Beck (PGT, Deluca, Stumpf)
Back: Marcus, CJ, Heagle, Duds, Shep (Champ, Trey)

2017: Starters - (backups)
Menard, Tang, Steidl, Tuszka (Jones, Morgan, Darnell, Karcz, Butler, Tuszka)
Board, Plank, Deluca (Jordheim, Marlette, Cox)
Wimbush, Allison, Dempsey, Grim, Davis (Hendrix, Bidges, Dixon, Fort, Brown)

2013 vs 2017:
Front: push - edge to 2013 starter, but 2017 depth.
Mid: Better unit 2013, but great talent in 2017; two Mikes remains to be seen; speed and gap integrity in 2013 was extraordinary.
Back: 2013 wow, can 2017 tackle like 2013? Need to prove it.

2013 with the edge imo.

[tony]

Which defense holds the current title? Is is the 2006 team with 3 upper-classmen who played in the NFL for multiple years, the 2013 team, or someone else?

2013 for DI and all-time (26% 3rd down conversion rate!)
2006 for transition
1986 for D2
1965 for Pre-D2 (gave up 113 yards per game!)

2013 for best all-time: Marcus Williams, Christian Dudzick, Colten Heagle, and CJ Smith were the starting DBs. Kyle Emanuel, Cole Jirik, Mike Hardie, etc at DE. Drevlow, Schaetz and Perry on the inside. Beck, Littlejohn, Thorton, and Grant Olson at LB.

If 2017 is going to challenge best all-time, there will have to be improvements everywhere. And these improvements are going to have to translate into a much lower opponent 3rd down conversion rate. Last year's 40% was the worst since 2009.

We're also going to need to see these guys make big impacts: Cole Karcz, Derreck Tuszka, Dom Davis, Jabril Cox, Dan Marlette... and the CBs are going to have to take the next step.

[Kujava23]

Alright---lets examine further

DT Nathan Tanguay---arguably the best DT in FCS
DE Greg Menard--was an All-American as a JR with 11 sacks
DT Aaron Steidl--returning starter---also add Grant Morgan--plus Cole Karcz who I've been excited since verbal--interested to see how fares being moved inside--Quinn Alo RFR get some reps too perhaps
DE Cole Butler--endless motor equals hurries and sacks--backups Stanley Jones, Derrek & Jared Tuszka--really good depth to keep guys fresh
MLB Matt Plank--really good run stuffer
WLB Nick DeLuca--arguably the best LB in the FCS--he will move inside on passing downs since is great in coverage
SLB Chris Board/Jabril Cox---two great athletes who have potential to be great
CB Jalen Allison two year starter--good coverage---had his moments that stuggled but bigger corner who would start on any FCS team--Marquise Bridges b/u
CB Jaylen Wimbush keeps improving--big corner--good vs run; Dom Davis b/u who will concentrate outside CB this year and could push Wimbush
FS Tre Dempsey---covers lots of space quickly--good ball skills--willing tackler---I feel has NFL potential; Jaxon Brown/Eric Bachmeier
SS Robbie Grimsley---felt he improved most last year on the Bison Defense---am excited to see what he can do this year--James Hendricks b/u now Coach Klieman talked about him a lot in Spring Ball
Nickel---Darren Kelly--big fast db that im intrigued to see play here

I told Coach Entz at NDSU Coaches Clinic that this group could be special---he said iFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF can stay healthy---which is fair when lose your two best players last year

I feel this defense can COMPETE with the '13 Defense if stay healthy and couple positions step up

[HerdBot]

LOL!!!! Front seven as a group are great with a few question marks LB. Secondary is no where near great.

Jalen Allison has the potential to be as good as any corner we've ever had. Tre Dempsey is a stud.

We need Grimsley to take his game to the next level and improve at the #2 and #3 corner.

If that happens we could be pretty darn good.

Love the front 7 though. Deeper than years past and feet talented. We need everyone to continue that upwards trajectory. Need one of the young linebackers to do well

[stevdock]

I know 2013 was arguably the best Bison team ever, but I believe it was Dudzik said on the radio in the last couple weeks that there were other defensive groups that had better stats than the 2013 group. I just don't remember which other two groups he said. One was either 2012 or 2014, and I want to say the other was somewhere around 2006, 2007, etc.

[DM05]

A few things I'm looking forward to on defense:
1. Jabril Cox: really hope he gets it and they let him play with DeLuca, just to see those two monsters on the field together.
2. Nascar package: late in the game passing situations, Menard, Karcz, Butler, and a Tuzska just pinning their ears back and getting pressure.

2013 defense had all played so many games, but there wasn't a ton of depth. Didn't really need it because they were hardly on the field with the way the offense played. 2017 secondary has to make major strides for the to get to best ever status. The offense staying on the field will be a big help.

Early schedule could help this team quite a bit this year: Mississippi Valley State, Robert Morris, Missouri State and Indiana State should be the 4 worst teams we play this year, should get some wrinkles ironed out and let some young guys get experience/prove they can play. Mix in a road trip test at Eastern Washington, and we can head into the meat of the conference season knowing what we have.

MVSU and Bob Morris ranked 118 and 122 in total offense, respectively, last season and combined for 400 yards per game. Should be lots of garbage time...

[Son of a Bison]

Performance of the defense also depends on the offense, special teams and also the coaches. New OC will affect the defense.

[NorthernBison]

Performance of the defense also depends on the offense, special teams and also the coaches. New OC will affect the defense.

The opposite is true also.


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[ZHerd]

Performance of the defense also depends on the offense, special teams and also the coaches. New OC will affect the defense.

Great defenses get off the field quickly irregardless of what the offense does