Comparing top BSC Defenses

[Lord Vigo]

How do the defenses of MSU, UM, EW, UCD, and WEB stack up so far? Only including results against FCS competition.

Rush Yards Allowed per Game:

• UM: 78
• MSU: 102
• WEB: 115
• UCD: 149
• EW: 151

Rush Yards Allowed per Carry:

• UM: 2.3
• MSU: 2.9
• WEB: 3.5
• EW: 4.1
• UCD: 4.3

Passing Yards Allowed per Game:

• WEB: 129
• MSU: 158
• EW: 227
• UCD: 247
• UM: 275

Passing Yards Allowed per Attempt:

• WEB: 4.6
• MSU: 5.9
• UCD: 6.5
• UM: 6.6
• EW: 7.2

Points Allowed per Game:

• MSU: 9
• WEB: 15
• UCD: 16
• UM: 18
• EW: 29

Takeaways:

• UCD: 14
• MSU: 13
• UM: 12
• EW: 11
• WEB: 5

TFL per Game:

• UM: 8.2
• MSU: 7.6
• EW: 6.9
• WEB: 5.7
• UCD: 5.3

*Updated through week 7

[Catsrgrood]

Thanks for compiling. The stats nerd in me loves it.
It’s a small sample size and the competition isn’t apples to apples, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

It’ll be interesting to see again in a few weeks, or at the end of the season with a Big Sky conference game only look. That’s as close to an apples to apples comparison as we’re going to get with the unbalanced schedule.

[91catAlum]

Fun stuff to look at, but since um has played Eastern Wash and MSU has not, I'd say its tough to draw any real conclusions about whose defense is better.

[FYI]

Fun stuff to look at, but since um has played Eastern Wash and MSU has not, I'd say its tough to draw any real conclusions about whose defense is better.

um has played EWU and Washington. They are up there in every category. Pretty impressive it pains me to say.

[GoCats18]

If Washington and Wyoming played, it would be a close game. Washington was very overrated and it shows. They are heading towards not even having a winning record and no bowl game.

[Catsrgrood]

Fun stuff to look at, but since um has played Eastern Wash and MSU has not, I'd say its tough to draw any real conclusions about whose defense is better.

um has played EWU and Washington. They are up there in every category. Pretty impressive it pains me to say.

Washington stats aren’t included, FCS only.

You still have a point, they played the #1 offense in the FCS and we haven’t played anyone to speak of yet. But at the end of the season you’ll be able to compare numbers more fairly.

[91catAlum]

Fun stuff to look at, but since um has played Eastern Wash and MSU has not, I'd say its tough to draw any real conclusions about whose defense is better.

um has played EWU and Washington. They are up there in every category. Pretty impressive it pains me to say.

The post says the stats are from FCS games only. Their passing defensive stats aren't that great which is why I said it's not a good comparison since they've played eastern and we haven't.

[onceacat]

Fun stuff to look at, but since um has played Eastern Wash and MSU has not, I'd say its tough to draw any real conclusions about whose defense is better.

um has played EWU and Washington. They are up there in every category. Pretty impressive it pains me to say.

The post says the stats are from FCS games only. Their passing defensive stats aren't that great which is why I said it's not a good comparison since they've played eastern and we haven't.

Of course, UM gave up 5 yards per carry on actual rushes to EWU...Barriere & Merritt ran all over the Griz front 7. Its just that sack yards count as rushes.

No doubt, the Griz have had a more difficult FCS schedule than the Cats. But if EWU can run for 5 yards/carry agains the Griz, theres no doubt in my mind that the Griz front 7 are going to have a really hard time stopping Ifanse/Sumner/Elliot.

[Lord Vigo]

Fun stuff to look at, but since um has played Eastern Wash and MSU has not, I'd say its tough to draw any real conclusions about whose defense is better.

um has played EWU and Washington. They are up there in every category. Pretty impressive it pains me to say.

The Griz no doubt have an excellent defense but I didn’t include any non-FCS games, just FYI. The Washington game isn’t part of these stats.

[Lord Vigo]

Fun stuff to look at, but since um has played Eastern Wash and MSU has not, I'd say its tough to draw any real conclusions about whose defense is better.

um has played EWU and Washington. They are up there in every category. Pretty impressive it pains me to say.

The post says the stats are from FCS games only. Their passing defensive stats aren't that great which is why I said it's not a good comparison since they've played eastern and we haven't.

Of course, UM gave up 5 yards per carry on actual rushes to EWU...Barriere & Merritt ran all over the Griz front 7. Its just that sack yards count as rushes.

No doubt, the Griz have had a more difficult FCS schedule than the Cats. But if EWU can run for 5 yards/carry agains the Griz, theres no doubt in my mind that the Griz front 7 are going to have a really hard time stopping Ifanse/Sumner/Elliot.

Hauck is also employing the 3-3-5 that he learned from Rocky Long at SDSU. Being out of the ordinary, some of their success could just be schematic. It could lose some of its effectiveness as the season wears on and teams get tape on it.

[Lord Vigo]

I’ll say this— if the Cats’ defense can be roughly as good as the Griz against EW, I think that the Cats will win that game. The Eagles’ defense has shown so far that they can downright terrible. Western Illinois scored 56 points on them!

[catatac]

I’ll say this— if the Cats’ defense can be roughly as good as the Griz against EW, I think that the Cats will win that game. The Eagles’ defense has shown so far that they can downright terrible. Western Illinois scored 56 points on them!

I agree - and if the Bobcat defense that I've been watching allows the Eags to put up 450 yards through the air, or whatever they got against UM..... I'll be incredibly surprised.

[onceacat]

I’ll say this— if the Cats’ defense can be roughly as good as the Griz against EW, I think that the Cats will win that game. The Eagles’ defense has shown so far that they can downright terrible. Western Illinois scored 56 points on them!

My guess (and I didn't watch any of EWUs earlier games) is that the EWU D isn't so much bad as that they take a bunch of plays off. In that WIU game, they were up by 30 or 35, and they were sitting the offensive starters...pretty sure the D starters were sitting too.

But yes, if the Cats can hold EWU to 21 offensive points, I think the Cats win by at least 2, maybe 3 scores. The Cats should have no problem putting up 35 points on this EWU team.

[rivercat]

I’ll say this— if the Cats’ defense can be roughly as good as the Griz against EW, I think that the Cats will win that game. The Eagles’ defense has shown so far that they can downright terrible. Western Illinois scored 56 points on them!

My guess (and I didn't watch any of EWUs earlier games) is that the EWU D isn't so much bad as that they take a bunch of plays off. In that WIU game, they were up by 30 or 35, and they were sitting the offensive starters...pretty sure the D starters were sitting too.

But yes, if the Cats can hold EWU to 21 offensive points, I think the Cats win by at least 2, maybe 3 scores. The Cats should have no problem putting up 35 points on this EWU team.

I just don't know how any team can defend some of the passes EB3 makes. 50 yds to a receiver on a fly route and place perfectly over the receivers shoulder. To make things harder, EB3 is willing to hang in the pocket looking for the big play and take a sack or hit just to have the chance to make a great play. From what I saw watching um vs EWU, the griz as a team are better than EWU. EB3 is so much better than everyone that he won the game.

[Lord Vigo]

I’ll say this— if the Cats’ defense can be roughly as good as the Griz against EW, I think that the Cats will win that game. The Eagles’ defense has shown so far that they can downright terrible. Western Illinois scored 56 points on them!

My guess (and I didn't watch any of EWUs earlier games) is that the EWU D isn't so much bad as that they take a bunch of plays off. In that WIU game, they were up by 30 or 35, and they were sitting the offensive starters...pretty sure the D starters were sitting too.

But yes, if the Cats can hold EWU to 21 offensive points, I think the Cats win by at least 2, maybe 3 scores. The Cats should have no problem putting up 35 points on this EWU team.

I don't think it was just their defense taking plays off when things were out of hand.

WIU scored threes times in the first quarter, all while it was a one score game.

There was clearly some garbage time scoring too, but WIU's offense was effective basically from start to finish.

[coloradocat]

Fun stuff to look at, but since um has played Eastern Wash and MSU has not, I'd say its tough to draw any real conclusions about whose defense is better.

um has played EWU and Washington. They are up there in every category. Pretty impressive it pains me to say.

The post says the stats are from FCS games only. Their passing defensive stats aren't that great which is why I said it's not a good comparison since they've played eastern and we haven't.

Of course, UM gave up 5 yards per carry on actual rushes to EWU...Barriere & Merritt ran all over the Griz front 7. Its just that sack yards count as rushes.

No doubt, the Griz have had a more difficult FCS schedule than the Cats. But if EWU can run for 5 yards/carry agains the Griz, theres no doubt in my mind that the Griz front 7 are going to have a really hard time stopping Ifanse/Sumner/Elliot.

Hauck is also employing the 3-3-5 that he learned from Rocky Long at SDSU. Being out of the ordinary, some of their success could just be schematic. It could lose some of its effectiveness as the season wears on and teams get tape on it.

Is that the same defense Cal Poly plays? I know I've heard 3-3-5 come out of somebody's mouth (I think Vigen's) recently.

[Bobcat4Ever]

Here are the Massey computer defensive power ratings, based on the big matrix of who all played who, comparative scores, home-road etc. It’s probably a pretty objective look. And it looks like indeed, playing defense is what the better teams are doing this year.

Defensive Power Ratings (Top 10, Big Sky, Bobcat opponents)

1 N Dakota State
2 Northern Iowa
3 S Dakota State
4 Montana
5 South Dakota
6 North Dakota
7 Weber State
8 Missouri State
9 James Madison
10 Montana State
12 UC Davis
23 Northern Colorado
26 CS Sacramento
29 Northern Arizona
32 Idaho
40 Eastern Washington
44 Portland State
55 Idaho State
58 Southern Utah
85 Cal Poly
93 Drake
113 San Diego

[onceacat]

I’ll say this— if the Cats’ defense can be roughly as good as the Griz against EW, I think that the Cats will win that game. The Eagles’ defense has shown so far that they can downright terrible. Western Illinois scored 56 points on them!

My guess (and I didn't watch any of EWUs earlier games) is that the EWU D isn't so much bad as that they take a bunch of plays off. In that WIU game, they were up by 30 or 35, and they were sitting the offensive starters...pretty sure the D starters were sitting too.

But yes, if the Cats can hold EWU to 21 offensive points, I think the Cats win by at least 2, maybe 3 scores. The Cats should have no problem putting up 35 points on this EWU team.

I don't think it was just their defense taking plays off when things were out of hand.

WIU scored threes times in the first quarter, all while it was a one score game.

There was clearly some garbage time scoring too, but WIU's offense was effective basically from start to finish.

Maybe. But according to your other post, the Griz avaerage 36 and EWU held them to 21. Small sample size at this point, but I saw a D that was fast, opportunistic, and physical.

[VimSince03]

Fun stuff to look at, but since um has played Eastern Wash and MSU has not, I'd say its tough to draw any real conclusions about whose defense is better.

um has played EWU and Washington. They are up there in every category. Pretty impressive it pains me to say.

The post says the stats are from FCS games only. Their passing defensive stats aren't that great which is why I said it's not a good comparison since they've played eastern and we haven't.

Of course, UM gave up 5 yards per carry on actual rushes to EWU...Barriere & Merritt ran all over the Griz front 7. Its just that sack yards count as rushes.

No doubt, the Griz have had a more difficult FCS schedule than the Cats. But if EWU can run for 5 yards/carry agains the Griz, theres no doubt in my mind that the Griz front 7 are going to have a really hard time stopping Ifanse/Sumner/Elliot.

Hauck is also employing the 3-3-5 that he learned from Rocky Long at SDSU. Being out of the ordinary, some of their success could just be schematic. It could lose some of its effectiveness as the season wears on and teams get tape on it.

Is that the same defense Cal Poly plays? I know I've heard 3-3-5 come out of somebody's mouth (I think Vigen's) recently.

UNC ran a 3-3 Stack and MSU ran through it effectively. If you have a solid interior run game, the 3-3 Stack's #1 weakness is a well-blocked inside zone. The double teams are clear for offensive lineman and TFLs rarely happen. If you watch back the 2019 Cat-Griz game, we hammered UM's front with simple inside zone runs. I'm still very surprised UW had trouble running against the Griz and it's a testament to how hard UM played that night.

[VimSince03]

I’ll say this— if the Cats’ defense can be roughly as good as the Griz against EW, I think that the Cats will win that game. The Eagles’ defense has shown so far that they can downright terrible. Western Illinois scored 56 points on them!

My guess (and I didn't watch any of EWUs earlier games) is that the EWU D isn't so much bad as that they take a bunch of plays off. In that WIU game, they were up by 30 or 35, and they were sitting the offensive starters...pretty sure the D starters were sitting too.

But yes, if the Cats can hold EWU to 21 offensive points, I think the Cats win by at least 2, maybe 3 scores. The Cats should have no problem putting up 35 points on this EWU team.

I don't think it was just their defense taking plays off when things were out of hand.

WIU scored threes times in the first quarter, all while it was a one score game.

There was clearly some garbage time scoring too, but WIU's offense was effective basically from start to finish.

Maybe. But according to your other post, the Griz avaerage 36 and EWU held them to 21. Small sample size at this point, but I saw a D that was fast, opportunistic, and physical.

Yet EWU gave up 56 to a Western Illinois team that couldn't even score an offensive point against the Griz.