It is the other side of the ball that needs to see the most improvement this week.
With the return of defensive contributors Ken Webster and Detric Bing-Dukes this week, and the overwhelming talent advantage the Rebels will again hold this week, the Rebels hope to see a more dominating defense performance to match their offensive firepower.
Do the Rebels have a clear talent advantage? Yes. Should Shea and the wideouts unleash their second round of aerial beat down? Again, yes. But the Rebels have kinks and they should focus on working those out.
Tackle somebody
The mighty Landshark defense needs to show up. Fly all over the field. Hit people in the mouth. And wrap up and tackle somebody, how about it? Bing-Dukes and Webster returning from suspension could help some. But there is a large size and talent gap between our D-line and their O-line. Lets hope it shows in a big way.
Another area that needs to tilt in the Rebels favor is the turnover margin. South Alabama won that in week one. Go out and get the ball by flying over the field and creating in general chaos.
Should we ever run the ball?
Listen, hear me out for a second. We ran the ball 39% of the time against South Alabama, a lot in garbage time. The results were mixed. We need to figure out if we can attempt some balance with some good results. If not, let the Air Raid loose. Averaging 3.5 yards per rush against 12 yards per pass attempt? Ideally, we need balance. But if we have one ultra successful area of our offense and one below average? Don’t chase balance for the sake of balance. This week will tell the tale on if we can achieve any balance.
Might I suggest more AJ and DK
Feed them the ball. Give it to them. They want it. They want the ball. Throw them the ball and good things will happen. It is known. DeMarkus and Van also request a healthy dose of targets. Shea should oblige.
Final Thoughts
If we win really big, we should. If we win a semi-competitive game, we learn nothing. Take this game as a good tune up for our upcoming games against Cal and Bama. Hopefully the defense shows up to show they are improved at taking the ball away and hitting people. Our offense should keep on keeping on.
