Online Now 664

Fighton247 Board

The home for discussion on USC athletics

On this Board 304
Record: 3523 (11/24/2012)

Online now 612
Record: 4850 (6/6/2012)

Boards ▾

Fighton247 Board

The home for discussion on USC athletics

Off Topic Board

FightOn247 message board for off topic posts

Trojan News on the Net

Latest USC headlines from around the net

Reply

How Do You See Our Pass Rush Shaping Up This Year...

  • I think it is a huge question this year given the loss of impact Nick Perry. Clearly the young guys are going to need to step up. Wildcards are Kevin Greene and Breslin. There really is no one guy the defense needs to worry about. We are strong at DT, but we don't have a clear cut "Frostee Rucker/BKU" type that would come rushing off the edges. At the same time, we have guys like Townsend who have been in the system now and have some talent. Williams will need to be force fed here to see if he can make an immediate impact. He has size, but he will need to time to develop. Our LBers are small but fast, so maybe we see more Deion Bailey blitzing this year? Again, in this area we don't have a Cushing/Matthews type who can come flying in. Do you think we will have a lot of sacks this year? Kennard may be the key this year and finally may be able to become the sack master we envisioned him to be out of HS.

    signature image signature image signature image

    scgabe

  • scgabe said...

    I think it is a huge question this year given the loss of impact Nick Perry. Clearly the young guys are going to need to step up. Wildcards are Kevin Greene and Breslin. There really is no one guy the defense needs to worry about. We are strong at DT, but we don't have a clear cut "Frostee Rucker/BKU" type that would come rushing off the edges. At the same time, we have guys like Townsend who have been in the system now and have some talent. Williams will need to be force fed here to see if he can make an immediate impact. He has size, but he will need to time to develop. Our LBers are small but fast, so maybe we see more Deion Bailey blitzing this year? Again, in this area we don't have a Cushing/Matthews type who can come flying in. Do you think we will have a lot of sacks this year? Kennard may be the key this year and finally may be able to become the sack master we envisioned him to be out of HS.

    Uko should be an upgrade on the interior pash rush. Kennard needs to make the transition from starter to elite - which I think he can.

    Cry Havoc; and let slip the dogs of war!

    phear_SC

  • scgabe said...

    I think it is a huge question this year given the loss of impact Nick Perry. Clearly the young guys are going to need to step up. Wildcards are Kevin Greene and Breslin. There really is no one guy the defense needs to worry about. We are strong at DT, but we don't have a clear cut "Frostee Rucker/BKU" type that would come rushing off the edges. At the same time, we have guys like Townsend who have been in the system now and have some talent. Williams will need to be force fed here to see if he can make an immediate impact. He has size, but he will need to time to develop. Our LBers are small but fast, so maybe we see more Deion Bailey blitzing this year? Again, in this area we don't have a Cushing/Matthews type who can come flying in. Do you think we will have a lot of sacks this year? Kennard may be the key this year and finally may be able to become the sack master we envisioned him to be out of HS.

    I'm hoping for Kennard to be that pass rushing force that Perry was. I also think Breslin can provide a pass rush as well. Townsend, Horton, and Williams will be more run stoppers. They'll be critical against Oregon.

    me9rob

  • Kennard is playing for draft position, so he needs to really make a move and become and impact player that you notice on game day not just an afterthought. He is a very good football player who needs to maximize his potential.

    signature image signature image signature image

    scgabe

  • This post is for members of FightOn247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial

    Chris Swanson

  • DE KENNARD needs to become that guy off the edge, but you would expect Horton to improve and also b a force on the edge, Tavai on passing downs could surprise from the DT spot, With the secondary being a top unit I would hope Monte would be a little more aggressive and blitz more, Monte did blitz more as the season progressed last year and I think it played a big part in how the defense played better n more aggressive

    SaCramentrojan

  • SaCramentrojan said...

    DE KENNARD needs to become that guy off the edge, but you would expect Horton to improve and also b a force on the edge, Tavai on passing downs could surprise from the DT spot, With the secondary being a top unit I would hope Monte would be a little more aggressive and blitz more, Monte did blitz more as the season progressed last year and I think it played a big part in how the defense played better n more aggressive

    I just heard that Tavai has Kiffin salivating at the moment... Apparently in his first practice he was personally responsible for 4-5 guys having to leave the field. He plays light at 275 and might not have a big NFL career but he's going to be unstoppable for the next 3 seasons.

    brem22

  • I think Horton will have a great year. He's been playing a lot for what seems like a very long time. Feels like he's been in the system forever.

    DF1982 ●

  • Kinda surprised you didnt mention Horton, he made 2nd team All Pac 12 at SDE, has the most sacks of any returning player, and if spring is any indication, his move to WDE is a more natural fit. He's got the height and arm length to give problems in the pass rush.

    ChorizoV

  • Let's look at what we lost on the D-Line:
    Nick Perry: 54 tackles; 13 tackles-for-loss; 9.5 sacks
    DaJohn Harris: 22 tackles; 7 TFL; 1.5 sacks
    Christian Tupou: 16 tackles; 0 TFL; 0 sacks

    Total: 92 tackles; 20 TFL; 11 sacks

    Returning Players (and their 2011 stats):
    Wes Horton: 22 tackles; 4.5 TFL; 4 sacks
    Devon Kennard: 29 tackles; 4 TFL; 2 sacks
    Kevin Greene: 1 tackle; 0 TFL; 0 sacks
    J.R. Tavai: 4 tackles; 1 TFL; 0 sacks
    George Uko: 29 tackles; 1.5 TFL; 1.5 sacks

    Total: 85 tackles; 11 TFL; 7.5 sacks

    New guys to get into rotation:
    Morgan Breslin
    Charles Burks
    Greg Townsend Jr.
    Leonard Williams
    Christian Heyward
    Cody Temple
    Antwaun Woods
    DeVante Wilson (May be red-shirted in 2012)

    Comparing returning to lost, we lost about 55% of our production and the majority of it was due to Nick Perry. If we cannot get one person (Horton? Kennard?) to step up, then the overall group has to make up for that lost production. Considering we lost 3 players on the DL and will be adding 7 players to the rotation, I think our overall DL production will be much better. We have the potential to rotate 12 guys in the DL (where's that lack of depth that everyone keeps throwing in our face?). This should keep everyone fresher and able to make an impact on the game, especially in the 4th quarter.

    I set the TFL line at 35 and the Sack line at 20 for the DL as a whole!

    This post was edited by JCakus on 7/12/2012 at 3:23 PM

    JCakus ●

  • We really, really need Kennard to have that breakout type of year where he is just a terror off the edge. He has the tools and showed glimpses last year, but having that full season under his belt without getting moved around has to help him going into his senior season. Kennard really needs to be that AA type with 9-12 sacks, for our defense to be an elite unit.

    Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken

    MJRuffalo

  • The DT position is where I think we will see an increase in stats, Harris, Tupou were good but not dominant as starters. Looking at the stats above UKO had the same stats as Harris and UKO was a rotation guy. I believe the DL will be better all around this season with a better rotation and quite honestly better talent at the DT position. Which like many USC fans I laugh at the analysts who say DL depth is a problem at USC

    SaCramentrojan

  • SaCramentrojan said...

    The DT position is where I think we will see an increase in stats, Harris, Tupou were good but not dominant as starters. Looking at the stats above UKO had the same stats as Harris and UKO was a rotation guy. I believe the DL will be better all around this season with a better rotation and quite honestly better talent at the DT position. Which like many USC fans I laugh at the analysts who say DL depth is a problem at USC

    Based on his production last year, I really want Uko to become a dominant force in the middle. If he can build upon his play from last year and Horton/Kennard can improve (at least) slightly, then it doesn't matter who the other DT is. I hope Coach O gets a good rotation flowing, so that we come at teams in waves and waves of unrelenting pass rush/run stopping. If we can clog the middle and force teams outside, then our LBs & CB's will run everything down. I think people are sleeping on our D-Line. And we really need them to be solid if we want to play in Miami come January....

    JCakus ●

  • JCakus said...

    Based on his production last year, I really want Uko to become a dominant force in the middle. If he can build upon his play from last year and Horton/Kennard can improve (at least) slightly, then it doesn't matter who the other DT is. I hope Coach O gets a good rotation flowing, so that we come at teams in waves and waves of unrelenting pass rush/run stopping. If we can clog the middle and force teams outside, then our LBs & CB's will run everything down. I think people are sleeping on our D-Line. And we really need them to be solid if we want to play in Miami come January....

    Kennard is not prototypical in size for an NFL DE, so he may see time both with a hand in the ground AND standing up coming off the edge. He has superior athletic talent that needs to be utilized this year to create havoc. His instincts need to catch up to his body.

    signature image signature image signature image

    scgabe

  • Heyward and Woods are going to be beasts - add to what I've heard about Tavai (the secret weapon) and Dawson behind them and I think you guys will be more than fine... Drooling with anticipation, even.

    brem22

  • I feel good about the Uko and the DE situation, and I'm looking forward to seeing Woods this fall after his weight loss. I hope blem is right about Tavai, that would make the interior pretty set, just need some backup DE's to step up.

    ChorizoV

  • scgabe said...

    Kennard is not prototypical in size for an NFL DE, so he may see time both with a hand in the ground AND standing up coming off the edge. He has superior athletic talent that needs to be utilized this year to create havoc. His instincts need to catch up to his body.

    I can agree with that and with LB experience KENNARD could be used to drop back in coverage for zone blitzing schemes. The lack of this so called depth is more like lack of starter experience. This years DL is loaded with talent just need to prove it on the field

    SaCramentrojan

USC
247Sports
Features
Resources
Connect

247Sports In partnership with CBS Sports