Defense: Win on 3rd down and get off the field:Seth's Explosive play by position on the field Post

If you could name one situation which must improve for your beloved Raiders it's the 3rd down (stop) non conversion. Force them to put the punt team or field goal unit on the field. Tech was defensively 107th in halting an opponents 3rd down try. Across all 12 games they allowed a 48.41% conversion rate from third down to first down. They allowed their opponents to convert 58% of their 4th down trys.

This is the reason why the JUCO’s players have to produce, its where the defensive coordinator must earn his pay check, where the front 7 can’t lose this fight. What’s the formula? Who has to produce and what does it mean in effectiveness and removing a favorite play from the opponent's kit bag. I’d have to say its three things which bear on the problem.

Bonus non-worry: Gametime management of the defense by Defensive Coordinator Art Kaufman

I'd have to vote that Coach Kaufman is going to be light years ahead of Coach Glasgow on setting, anticipating and communicating defensive packages and situational understanding. He has the T-Shirt folks.

#1. A Tech down linemen must emerge as a rock. It’s just this simple. The Nose tackle and defensive tackle must win 50% of the fights per game across the season. That’s half of 80 snaps or 40 plays wherein a Tech down lineman gets to beat the opposing offensive linemen. Do that and things will remain interesting from September thru November.

#2. The middle linebacker should (has to) be the leading tackler..It’s how the 4-3 defense is designed and the safeties have no business cleaning up the leakers from the front 7. Espcially 6.5yards downfield. I don’t want a Tech Safety to be the leading tackler in 2012. Love Cody Davis to death.. but Terrence Bullitt or Will Smith or Sam Equavon is the guy or position designed to tackle the RB or receiver or QB.. every play. En punto.

#3. There is no substitute for an off the edge pass rusher.. Pete Robertson or Dartwan Bush, Mike Starks (the freshman) or some Defensive End has to suck up that RB chip block to force some of these 9 conference QB’s to be uncomfortable.. Just think about this any combination of a Tech DE player contributing 10 sacks, 5 pass break ups or tipped passes or 10 screens disrupted equals - my math - 20 to 35 more 3rd down situations imposed on the opposing offense in 2012 by a Raider defense. That’s a huge plus for new defensive boss Coach Kaufman and his assistant coaches.

TTU Team stats page

Offense: QB efficiency over the stretch:

Seth Doege completed over 68% of his passes in 2011. Coach Brown says he’s going to be really good. If he completes /or gets somewhere near a 73 %(+/-) completion rate then no one will or should be surprised if they win 8 games before the bowl appearance and one or more of the primary targets Eric Ward, Darrin Moore or Alex Torres is very likely going to break out over 100 receptions and 1000 receiving yards. That’s a big boost for this team because it speaks to explosive plays and red zone efficiency and adding that all important extra TD per outing (goes to erasing a score for the opponent by the defense).

Special teams:

Kick coverage: Any construct which lowers the opponents to fewer than 15 yards a return is a win.

Punt returns: If the either or in tandem the McRoy brothers can break 6 kicks for a score or even an average of plus 40 yard return per half over the course of the season - then the Raiders will win 7 games in 2012. Note we want a lot of these because its indicative of Tech defensive success.

Kick returns: I hate to say this but the Tech defense lack of effectiveness i.e. surrendering scores allowed or enabled Ben McRoy to return kick offs for over 800 yards. It was a simple formula number of returns meant more total yards gained on kick returns. I don’t want the return men to set any total return yardage records because of # of returns. Read the opponnent scored so they kicked off to Tech. Now let the McRoy brothers generate Explosive returns in a small aggregate of kicks then hell yes.. but Not 6 - 7 returns in a game for 35 yards a pop because the Raiders trail thru 50 % of the season.

Note:Austin Zouzalic returned 3 Kicks as well for 68 yards

McRoy's stats below:

Punt coverage: We need two coverage gunners to tackle people on the first go every time. IE within 5 - or less yards of the punt reception. Do that and the whole field position game becomes a net plus. Do it not and you have people starting from the 30, 40 or 50 yard line and thats not helping the light weight Tech front 4 down linemen in the Big 12. Not bitching but it’s a fact we don’t have bunch of Defensive tackles on this roster.

Rules Change post by tturef

OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH A KICK
6-4-1

The Must get onsides recover or gamble to get the last possession and win it. A la the Insight Bowl or KSU last year.

The "dig" Halo rule what the new rule means:

Per my referee friend he says this is what it means in practical terms. All kick receiving team guys have a 1 yard halo including those hands and O lineman are allowed to field the ball without being nailed by the kicking team tacklers before the ball arrives on the down stroke. The preferred set or technique for an on sides kick is the one hoppers aimed toward sidelines. With the new rule a single bounce off the ground into the air creates a fair catch scenario for the recieving team. A double strike (or bounce) by the ball on the ground and its back to being a live ball past the 10 yard mark. Confused? See extract below:

OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH A KICK
6-4-1

• The return of the "halo", sort of.

• Designed to create a more objective guideline to follow in kick catch interference situations

• Language (New para a)

"a. It is an interference foul if, before the receiver touches the ball, a Team A player enters the area defined by the width of the receiver’s shoulders and extending one yard in front of him. When in question it is a foul. "

What say you? Are there other things to worry about to get the Raiders Bowl eligible in 2012 ?