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DC Jim Knowles (Official Thread)

Gave up 23 points, can't complain all that much. But it was the way the 2nd half points came does raise a problem.

I'll also say that Knowles didn't have players get out of gaps or bif downhill tackles. The LB play has been declining since week 2. I suspect a lot of that has to do with the way teams attack Steele and Tommy. There are weaknesses in their games that are awfully difficult to cover up. LB's are the glue, and if they struggle, likely so does the entire defense.
They literally don't have a linebacker coach.
 
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Everytime we face a high power offense we struggle on D when it matters most. I agree with your point about the offense though, that side of the ball also needs improvements.
Welcome to 2023. EVERY defense struggles against high powered offenses. Did you forget that we scored 41 on UGA?

Anyone who wants Knowles gone has the IQ of a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup.
 
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Calling for Knowles to be fired this year is a stupid overreaction by the fans. But if we go 4 years in a row of underperforming against ttun, who btw has an average offense or maybe above-average but not great (East Carolina held them to 30, PSU held them to 24and Maryland to 31), then we are having a real discussion about Knowles regardless of the other games leading up to The Game.

I've said the blame goes all the way around, but I thought the defense would hold them to 20 points or less. The McCord INT in the first half definitely hurt that outcome, but in the second half the defense took a horrible dive when we needed them. I guess my point is that it is foolish to want to fire Knowles after the improvements he has made, but this shit cannot happen every year against ttun. That's why I said him and Day are in the same boat, you can't win 10-11 games a year if *ichigan is not one of those wins at least 50% of the time. Fair or unfair, that is what you sign up for being a coach at OSU.

That was the narrative to begin the year, but their OL got better each week by a lot and ended up probably the best in CFB (or damn near it). But that is where I am at, the last two years were the years to do it and we failed miserably both times. Anything can happen of course but I will not go in thinking a win is likely as I did the past two years. But circling back to Knowles, we can get it done if he just calls the same defense he did before The Game imo.
The defense took a horrible dive because the offense and special teams sucked at their jobs. The way to beat those blue bastards is to get them out of their comfort zone and make them throw. They are not built to come from behind.

I watched damn near every one of their games this year. They can run the ball, but their passing game is from the 1970s. They get takeaways on defense and don't beat themselves. You CANNOT gift wrap them a TD. Rutgers did it. Penn State did it. Maryland did it. Purdue did it. We did it. That's how they win, and they CAN'T win if they have to throw.
 
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The defense took a horrible dive because the offense and special teams sucked at their jobs. The way to beat those blue bastards is to get them out of their comfort zone and make them throw. They are not built to come from behind.

I watched damn near every one of their games this year. They can run the ball, but their passing game is from the 1970s. They get takeaways on defense and don't beat themselves. You CANNOT gift wrap them a TD. Rutgers did it. Penn State did it. Maryland did it. Purdue did it. We did it. That's how they win, and they CAN'T win if they have to throw.
Yep.

I said this leading up to the game as well.

You have to start well vs them. You have to make no mistakes and you have to start fast. Strike first and then force them out of their strengths.

If you make mistakes and don’t capitalize on your opportunities they’ll run their offense and limit your possessions.
 
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Agree with the D in the second half. First half was great. Dunno what happened. On the JL as a coach, believe it will happen this off-season. And yes, JL has been working with the LBs every practice. Hopefully with the 2's/3's, as Eich and Chambers are gone. PS, how much more teaching can be done with the two starters? They've been there 4-5 years? tune-ups certainly, film sessions surely....
 
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2nd half Michigan dominance still stings but I’d actually like some continuity at some point. Feels like it’s been a revolving door at DC for the last decade.

12-13: Fickell/Withers
14-15: Fickell/Ash
16: Fickell/Schiano
17-18: Schiano
19: Hafley
20-21: Coombs
22-23: Knowles

7 DC combos in 12 seasons. Still some players/areas to improve but I like the way this unit is trending at least.

They actually won the Bucks games this year- at least held serve until the offense could untangle themselves. I haven’t trusted them to do that in a long time.
 
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