SD Defense Presents A Huge Challenge For Hawaii
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2020 8:14 am
SD Defense Presents A Huge Challenge For Hawaii
SD defense is king of the mountain for good reason, and it will be interesting in this Saturday's game if Hawaii has what it takes to reach the top and knock the giants down.
For Hawaii this will be a tall task.
Because in SD last 15 games no opposing team has rushed for over 200 yards in a game. In 10 of those games SD defense has held opposing rushing offenses to less than a 100 yards. Of those last 15 games SD pass defense has allowed 1 QB (Wilson/BYU) to pass for over 300 yards, and only 3 points.
SD runs a 3-3-5 defense and returns 7 starters from last season.
Phil Steele named Keshawn Banks (DL), Cameron Thomas (DL/first team last season as a freshmen), Tariq Thompson (DB), Darren Hall (DB) to his Preseason All-MWC first team. Jay Lenard (DB-out) to his second team. And Caden McDonald (LB), Dwayne Johnson (DB) to his third team.
SD defense is loaded with talent, speed, size. With every player (I see) evaluated 3 stars out of HS, 3 of those players in the secondary, Tariq Thompson, Darren Hall, Trenton (Thompson) mentioned as SD NFL prospects. In the first game of the season #54 LB Caden McDonald was All-MWC Defensive Player Of The Week. In that game SD held UNLV 1-15 on 3rd down conversions.
On the season SD defense is forcing opponents 7.7 punts a game.
In SD last game, a 28-17 loss to SJ, SD offense turned the ball over 3 times in the fourth quarter. So I would think SD will come out fuming against Hawaii, mad, and having a chip on their shoulder with the path to the MWC Championship
still at play, with the loser pretty much out of the chase.
In the SD-SJ game I was hoping to see SJ star QB, who threw for nearly 500 yards against NM, against SD secondary but the SJ star QB left the game in the first series. That would have given me a clearer picture of how good SD defense is.
There's no doubt, though, Hawaii offense will have an uphill climb against SD defense . Even with Cordeiro and Mardner coming off career days against NM and with other firepower/weapons to deploy.
In last seasons game SD defense held Hawaii to 14 points and 300 something yards on 66 plays, mostly on short passes to Sharsh (10 receptions-all underneath type passes), and limiting Byrd to 4/29 yards.
For Hawaii offense to breakthrough against SD defense this Saturday it will come down to the offense being able to move the ball, open it's playbook more (imo) and find the weak spots. If Cordeiro has a huge day, happy faces. If HE doesn't it will be a long day for Shack. This is the type of matchup that will be a huge test for Hawaii offense because SD defense is the juggernaut and if Hawaii offense (and team) wants to be the king atop the mountain it starts with games like this.
SD defense is king of the mountain for good reason, and it will be interesting in this Saturday's game if Hawaii has what it takes to reach the top and knock the giants down.
For Hawaii this will be a tall task.
Because in SD last 15 games no opposing team has rushed for over 200 yards in a game. In 10 of those games SD defense has held opposing rushing offenses to less than a 100 yards. Of those last 15 games SD pass defense has allowed 1 QB (Wilson/BYU) to pass for over 300 yards, and only 3 points.
SD runs a 3-3-5 defense and returns 7 starters from last season.
Phil Steele named Keshawn Banks (DL), Cameron Thomas (DL/first team last season as a freshmen), Tariq Thompson (DB), Darren Hall (DB) to his Preseason All-MWC first team. Jay Lenard (DB-out) to his second team. And Caden McDonald (LB), Dwayne Johnson (DB) to his third team.
SD defense is loaded with talent, speed, size. With every player (I see) evaluated 3 stars out of HS, 3 of those players in the secondary, Tariq Thompson, Darren Hall, Trenton (Thompson) mentioned as SD NFL prospects. In the first game of the season #54 LB Caden McDonald was All-MWC Defensive Player Of The Week. In that game SD held UNLV 1-15 on 3rd down conversions.
On the season SD defense is forcing opponents 7.7 punts a game.
In SD last game, a 28-17 loss to SJ, SD offense turned the ball over 3 times in the fourth quarter. So I would think SD will come out fuming against Hawaii, mad, and having a chip on their shoulder with the path to the MWC Championship
still at play, with the loser pretty much out of the chase.
In the SD-SJ game I was hoping to see SJ star QB, who threw for nearly 500 yards against NM, against SD secondary but the SJ star QB left the game in the first series. That would have given me a clearer picture of how good SD defense is.
There's no doubt, though, Hawaii offense will have an uphill climb against SD defense . Even with Cordeiro and Mardner coming off career days against NM and with other firepower/weapons to deploy.
In last seasons game SD defense held Hawaii to 14 points and 300 something yards on 66 plays, mostly on short passes to Sharsh (10 receptions-all underneath type passes), and limiting Byrd to 4/29 yards.
For Hawaii offense to breakthrough against SD defense this Saturday it will come down to the offense being able to move the ball, open it's playbook more (imo) and find the weak spots. If Cordeiro has a huge day, happy faces. If HE doesn't it will be a long day for Shack. This is the type of matchup that will be a huge test for Hawaii offense because SD defense is the juggernaut and if Hawaii offense (and team) wants to be the king atop the mountain it starts with games like this.
