-----
Notes, Quotes and Slants
-----
|
Pirate
Notebook No. 73
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist |
|
At Louisville,
defense wins championships
©2002 Bonesville.net
MEMPHIS — John L. Smith is all smiles these days. As well he should
be.
On Tuesday, the Louisville head coach mingled with the Conference USA
media in a pair of ostrich-skin boots, discussing the Cardinals'
back-to-back league titles and the prospects for a three-peat.
Often asked to reveal the secret of the U of L's success, the
free-spirited Smith never flinched at offering the most important ingredient
of a championship recipe:
Defense.
Prior to Smith's arrival, the Cardinals were known primarily for their
quarterbacks, headlined by names like Johnny Unitas, Browning Nagle, and
Chris Redman. That tradition has continued with Heisman hopeful Dave
Ragone, but it is the other side of the ball, insists Smith, where his team
has done the things which have made the difference between winning titles
and being a contender.
"Well, to win a championship, you have to do that (play defense)," Smith
said. "If you don't play defense, you're not going to win a championship.
"When we finally stepped up and won a championship is when we came
through defensively. Consequently, we've won two, and if we're good enough
defensively, we'll have a chance to win three. It's not going to happen if
you don't play defense. You might win some games, but you're not going to
win the league."
The Cardinals had one of their best seasons defensively in 2001, limiting
opponents to 17.8 points per game, tenth best in the nation. On six
occasions, the "Red and Black Attack" held opponents to ten points or less.
With ten starters returning, there's no reason to think the Cards won't
equal last season's production. If they don't, Louisville could be in for a
struggle while the offense breaks in new talent.
"We have to step up and do that again this year," Smith said. "We've put
a lot of pressure on our defense to say that 'You guys have to keep us in
the first half of the season. You guys have to win some games 17-10.'"
"Our offense needs to mature, so the defense has some pressure on it.
Hopefully, they'll answer the call this year. I think we're going to be
pretty darn good defensively."
One facet that should remain solid is the Cardinals' pass rush, led by
reigning defensive player of the year Dewayne White, whose 15 sacks last
season were second only to Syracuse's Dwight Freeney (18). Constant
pressure, coupled with a fast, physical secondary should make passing yards
tough to come by for opposing quarterbacks this season.
Possessing a handful of All-Star candidates, Louisville offers a
different defensive scheme than most of its C-USA brethren. Instead of
deploying that trendy 4-2-5 blitzing model, the Cards rely primarily on
their front four to apply pressure, which enables the secondary to play
press coverage on the corners.
"Big strides from a personnel standpoint have taken place in the
secondary," Smith said. "That allows us to do the things that we want to do
— attack, and go get guys.
"We're not going to become a wholesale, all-out blitz team. It's only a
four-man rush. Those guys have a lot of pressure on them up front, but
we've gotten a lot better to where we can do that."
In an era ruled by revolutionary defenses, it's hard to imagine the
Cardinals, who were among the nation's worst when Smith arrived, finding
success with such a traditional approach. Then again, what else would you
expect from a coach whose everyday attire is accessorized by a pair of
exotic cowboy boots.
Eagles craving for redemption
With Louisville anointed by C-USA coaches as the hunted, Southern Miss
has officially proclaimed itself the hunter. After five consecutive trips
to the postseason, the Golden Eagles saw that string snap last year after a
disappointing 6-5 campaign.
Now, they're as hungry as ever.
"That's (hungry) a good word to use," Southern Miss head coach Jeff Bower
said. "That was disappointing for us last year not to go to a bowl game and
not to have that kind of year.
"I think there's a lot of pride in our football team. It was a sad
locker room after that last game when you don't win and you don't go to a
bowl game. I think that has created an atmosphere where our players are
hungry."
Spending the holidays at home greatly increased the Eagles' championship
appetite, a sensation that carried them through spring practice and
offseason conditioning.
According to All-C-USA linebacker Rod Davis, USM has been focused on a
return to the top of the league standings since last season's finale, which
netted a disappointing loss of not only the game, but also a bowl bid,
to Texas Christian.
"We laid all the marbles on the line against TCU in the last game, and
they just flat-out beat us," Davis said. "It's just something that just
drives us this year to be a better team.
"After that game, the leaders stepped up and set goals for the 2002
year. We came together and united as a team and became a family — a bigger
family.
"I believe that was our downfall last year. We weren't a family. We
started, in the locker room, maybe pointing fingers at each other. But this
year, our family has just grown stronger."
Much of the reason for the Eagles' revised focus is the return of 18
starters, nine of whom made up one of the stingiest defenses in the nation
last season. Southern Miss surrendered just 17 points per game in '01,
including a league-best 14 in conference games.
Even though USM lacks the star power of past seasons, Bower believes his
blue-collar unit could be one of the best ever in Hattiesburg — providing
the group continues its steady improvement.
"It's got a chance," Bower said. "We were pretty good there last year,
but there are some things we could do better. We gave up too many big plays
last year, and we've got to eliminate mental mistakes.
"There's a lot of pride there. We've developed a reputation for playing
well defensively. I think if we can stay and develop depth at a position or
two, I think it's got a chance to be real good."
One position that shouldn't concern the Eagles' 12th-year head coach is
middle linebacker, where Davis has solidified himself as one of the nation's
best. At 6-3, 246 pounds, Davis has the physical attributes of a one-man
wrecking crew, not to mention the attitude of a legendary throwback.
When asked if his calendar was circled for Louisville's visit to the deep
south, Davis offered a smile and a stern reply:
"We'll hit him (Ragone) all day," Davis said. "Hit him early, start
early, and go long. It will be a long day for Ragone — a long day for
Louisville when they enter the 'Rock.'"
Nix healthy, eager to return
Aiding Bower's enthusiasm for the upcoming season is the much-awaited
return of Derrick Nix, who hasn't seen extensive action since 1999. The
senior running back suffered an ankle sprain early in 2000, then fell victim
to a kidney ailment as a result of medication, keeping him sidelined all of
last year.
After two years of watching, the 225-pound bruiser is back, and he's
feeling better than ever.
"I feel really good right now," Nix said. "I feel 100 percent. This is
the best I've felt in about two years. I'm just real anxious to get back on
the field.
"It was really hard to sit back and watch. There were times last season
when I felt I could go out there and help the team. But, I had to sit out."
Instead of dwelling on his misfortunes, Nix took advantage of his absence
from the field. Plenty of time was spent in the weight room, where he
fine-tuned his chiseled physique while trimming his 40-yard dash time.
"I never had a real redshirt year since I've been here," he said. "I
played as a true freshman, so this has kind of helped me. I got to go lift,
work out, and get stronger and faster. It's been nothing but a plus for
me."
Nix's return couldn't have come at a better time, according to Bower.
Last season, USM amassed just 96 yards rushing per contest, while gaining a
dismal 2.6 yards per attempt.
"We really missed him the past couple of years," Bower said. "He's an
outstanding player that (not only) brings us a lot on the field, but brings
us tremendous leadership.
"He's a good receiver and a good pass protector. I've always said the
strength of his game is he doesn't have a weakness. He does everything
really well."
Send an e-mail message to Denny O'Brien.
Click here to dig into Denny O'Brien's Bonesville
archives.
02/23/2007 01:46:06 AM
----- |