With depth intact, Reffett and defense aim for breakthrough season

Skipper · August 8, 2018

Matthew Brune | Senior staff writer Defensive coordinator Troy Reffett was optimistic leaving practice on Tuesday. It is now his second season as the lone defensive coordinator, and his defense

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Venson · August 9, 2018

Good article. I do hope the defense is improved this year.

FirefightnRick · August 9, 2018

Reffett knows how to build a top 10 defense. I think we're a year awa for that to happen. But once he does this program will take off like we've never seen before.

Rick

meanrob · August 9, 2018

It's hard for a defense to consistently be greater than the sum of its parts. We need a few players to step up and be all conference performers. Especially in the front seven.

greenminer · August 10, 2018

I’m cautiously optimistic that Reffet will show us something special before he is done here.

Harry · August 10, 2018

It would be interesting to see how the success of the offense and passing game has impacted the amount of time the defense is required to be on the field. Back in the Dickey and some of the Mac days, we had stout defenses but they did not have to be on the field near as much.

NorthTexasWeLove · August 10, 2018

2 hours ago, Harry said:

It would be interesting to see how the success of the offense and passing game has impacted the amount of time the defense is required to be on the field. Back in the Dickey and some of the Mac days, we had stout defenses but they did not have to be on the field near as much.

I think the coaches do need to dictate pace more, like a anonymous CUSA coach said. Let's see a 2 or 3 10-12 play drives a game this year. Or even 9 play 36 yard drives that chew into the clock pending favorable situations for us. Some effective and sporadic tempo that dictates what we are going to be doing.

Coach Andy Mac · August 12, 2018

Reffett is going to have to produce this season or he is gone. Defense played much more inspired under Ek.

Edited August 12, 2018 by Coach Andy Mac

greenminer · August 12, 2018

11 hours ago, Coach Andy Mac said:

Reffett is going to have to produce this season or he is gone. Defense played much more inspired under Ek.

Disagree 100%.

Off the top of my head, I think DCs are usually afforded a ton of wiggle room when coupled with a coach in the Air Raid tree.

I think we see some improvement this season anyways.

Edited August 12, 2018 by greenminer

NorthTexasWeLove · August 13, 2018

On 8/12/2018 at 12:37 AM, greenminer said:

Disagree 100%.

Off the top of my head, I think DCs are usually afforded a ton of wiggle room when coupled with a coach in the Air Raid tree.

I think we see some improvement this season anyways.

35ppg does not afford wiggle room. We looked at times we had no pulse on D....Like stationary tackle dummies sitting there.

greenminer · August 13, 2018

26 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

35ppg does not afford wiggle room. We looked at times we had no pulse on D....Like stationary tackle dummies sitting there.

I didn’t say we were good.

I haven’t felt any “do better or be fired” vibes. I think most people are assuming we will be better.

If we don’t improve? Maybe y’all are right and he’s gone.

Mean Green 93-98 · August 13, 2018

A lot of people here on the board were calling for Reffett's head after last season.

UNTLifer · August 13, 2018

11 minutes ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

A lot of people here on the board were calling for Reffett's head after last season.

True, but did, or has, anyone received the same impression from the head ball coach?

Mean Green 93-98 · August 13, 2018

3 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

True, but did, or has, anyone received the same impression from the head ball coach?

No. Not sure if that means anything more than "he's getting one more chance," though.

AustinFromUNT · August 13, 2018

I think there are only 2 situations where Reffett gets the boot after this season. 1) we give up more than 30 PPG 2) we lose 6 or more games.

FirefightnRick · August 13, 2018

On 8/12/2018 at 12:37 AM, greenminer said:

Disagree 100%.

Off the top of my head, I think DCs are usually afforded a ton of wiggle room when coupled with a coach in the Air Raid tree.

I think we see some improvement this season anyways.

I said top 10, not just improvement. 34 points a game is improvement. I want to see top 10 rankings in some of the defensive categories like what he built at lowly ULM. If he can do it there...he can do it here...and it's gonna be amazing when he does.

Rick

Edited August 13, 2018 by FirefightnRick

greenminer · August 13, 2018

18 minutes ago, FirefightnRick said:

I said top 10, not just improvement. 34 points a game is improvement. I want to see top 10 rankings in some of the defensive categories like what he built at lowly ULM. If he can do it there...he can do it here...and it's gonna be amazing when he does.

Rick

I'd like to see it tomorrow but I can believe what you said about it being a year away. Maybe this season we see a 10 ppg improvement?

I have a DVD from the NO Bowl era with Dickey talking defense during one of the segments. Paraphrasing: in order to have a great defense, you don't have just one or two playmakers, you need a playmaker on every part of the field. That era I think we had all-conference guys at every position, DL, LB, S and CB?

How great would this team be if we could make that claim again? Personally, I find having a guy or two consistently terrorizing the opponents backfield makes the game much, much more exciting.

FirefightnRick · August 13, 2018

20 minutes ago, greenminer said:

I'd like to see it tomorrow but I can believe what you said about it being a year away. Maybe this season we see a 10 ppg improvement?

I have a DVD from the NO Bowl era with Dickey talking defense during one of the segments. Paraphrasing: in order to have a great defense, you don't have just one or two playmakers, you need a playmaker on every part of the field. That era I think we had all-conference guys at every position, DL, LB, S and CB?

How great would this team be if we could make that claim again? Personally, I find having a guy or two consistently terrorizing the opponents backfield makes the game much, much more exciting.

Agree.

Rick

UNTLifer · August 13, 2018

49 minutes ago, greenminer said:

Personally, I find having a guy or two consistently terrorizing the opponents backfield makes the game much, much more exciting.

Fingers crossed on a front of Hambone, English and Young with Joe Joe O being moved around.

MeanGreenTexan · August 14, 2018

5 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

Fingers crossed on a front of Hambone, English and Young with Joe Joe O being moved around.

English will have a tough time leapfrogging Tauaalo. Littrell/Reff/Yell know & trust him. They have little to go on from English. But yeah, just having Young outside is going to be awesome. Then spell those 3 with Novil, English & Combes/McMillan & we’ve got us some quality depth!

FirefightnRick · September 2, 2018

On 8/9/2018 at 5:10 PM, FirefightnRick said:

Reffett knows how to build a top 10 defense. I think we're a year awa for that to happen. But once he does this program will take off like we've never seen before.

Rick