I spoke with Joe Lee Dunn the other day. Very intriguing personality and someone who has a great deal of belief in his defense and what he wants the Aggies to do this year on that side of the football.
Dunn said that a few players have caught his eye. He likes Nick Paden at middle linebacker, thinks Derrick Richardson is a solid player and really likes Brennan Baiamonte. Baiamonte didn't play at all last season, but Dunn said that he believes the kid has major skills and will make an impact in the D-coordinator's secondary.
We talked pass rush as a problem last season and something that needs to be rectified. He said that he likes Justin Alford, who was playing nose guard this spring. Dunn said that he could line Alford up at nose guard as well as at linebacker. There's versatility there. Still, NMSU needs to find a way to get a push up front and get to the quarterback if they want to see the defense take the next step.
One hole on the Aggie defense heading into the season will be at cornerback. Davon House will get the starting nod and Chris Woods would if he were healthy, but he is not. Woods hurt his shoulder and is expected to be out until the conference schedule rolls around. The team will have to cut and paste at that position and hope that someone emerges to fill the void. Frankly, cornerback was a sore spot last season and nothing was really added here to make me feel much better about it.
Dunn really just talked about attitude. He is going to work these kids extremely hard when summer practice is here and going into the season. They will run, work and Dunn will find out who wants to be out on the field and who is just showing up and going through the motions. Dunn is not going to play a lot of kids this year if he feels that they aren't ready for action. He will roll with who he feels is ready for college football. And he will find that out by working them. He's old school.
This is clearly the area the Aggies need to improve in if they want to become a factor. I know some aren't in love with the "Air-Raid," and it has flaws that affect the team defensively as well. But guess what? The Aggies are going to score points this year. That's a fact. They need to play defense. And when I say that I mean get after the QB and get turnovers. They will give up points, I have no doubt. But you counteract that by being active and making big plays, momentum-changing plays. That's what NMSU is going to need to do in order to win.
12 comments:
So JLD isn't going to play as many on defense as prior years,is going to work the players very hard at practices at real game speed,is "old school" defense paired with the "air raid" flag football offensive scheme,and he could only mention 3 players who caught his attention so far and knows he doesn't have defensive depth.Sounds like a thin defensive unit that's going to become quickly depleted through exhaustion which feeds the injury bug.If the games only lasted 30 instead of 60 minutes this unit might have a chance to compete in the WAC.
He's got a tough call.
Unm's defense is day and night better better than us.
I'm also hearing that Utep's defense is ahead of the learning.
NMSU's D is still behind the learning curve!
What you want him to name the entire roster; which he did praise. He just pinpointed some bright spots on the defensive squad. What is it with some Aggie fans. They expect the world, without a shred of common sense.
DUDE! Another person with the "Glass is Half Empty" attitude is NOT what we need around here anymore!
How about posting something that is positive and supportive of our coaches and players.
This program has to get an "old school" frame of mind and hook it up more in practice so they can carry it over to games.
Coach Dunn, not JLD, has great experience and brings an enthusiastic approach to a program very close to making great strides. In sports on the D1 level, timing is everything. Coach Dunn is here at the right time.
I can't wait for the season.
And for all you haters, get over it!
...And,if and when I see those "big strides",I'll believe-as long as it's not in the other direction-everyone's a bowl team in preseason...
the loobs defense is day and night better than us? Then how come we keep dropping a load of points on them. Two years ago at AMS they were bailed out by 5 turnovers. Last year, they had one key defensive play that turned the tide in their favor. I hardly call that day and night better.
Also where do you hear UTEP is ahead of the learning curve? And what makes you assume the same can't be true for NMSU. Or maybe they both are behind the learning curve. Who knows? I am pretty darn sure you don't.
anon 9:13 -- Love your post. Love the attitude. We need more fans like you.
Okay, Ano. 11:13.
When I said that Unm's D is "day and night ahead of us."
They've only been running the 3-3-5for 10 years. We haven't run a down in this defense!
I went to the Utep and NMSU practices in the Spring. Utep is getting a BIG push from their line and NMSU isn't. I saw both D's with my own 20/20 vision.
Look, I want NMSU to be succesfull and get to a bowl game but, don't expect too much in it's first year.
I will say this, it's an aggresive system and should give us a better chance than with Woody's Weak 3-4!
UTEP is going to have a weak OL, and that will prove this season when UTEP has no running game. UTEP is not better than NMSU. NMSU has a lot of good talent on defense. Anderson is the only returner on the defense of line, but we have Fakalata who will start at the noise tackle who has a lot of experience, and we should be solid at linebacker. We are deep at linebacker. I think our defense will be better than UTEP, and that Chase, and our offese will put up 56 points on UTEP in EL Paso, and our defense will hold them to under 35 points. UTEP is in trouble, because this Aggie team is going to surprise a lot of people. If you can't be positive then you shouldn't be an Aggie fan. Why don't you just go share for UTEP, because we don't need shity ass fans like you supporting NMSU.
Try to keep positive Frank.
A whole month TF, and no post?
Hey Mr. F., nice profile. What does condusive mean?
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