Why is the Defense In Such a Better Place Than the Offense

[Longhorn]

Perhaps Im wrong, but almost everything about the defense seems to be on so much better/stronger footing than the offense.

1. More stars performing well
2. Better overall performance
3. Better recruiting
4. Better quality depth
5. Better coaching
6. Better game planning

I don't think its just the old adage that defense ramps up earlier/quicker than offense. I think there is something deeper, but Im not sure.

Would love to hear your thoughts (not your insults for daring to have an honest conversation)

Thx

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I would add more experienced depth across the board. Lots of young players trying to grow up on offense right now. But I think the rest of the factors you identified are also accurate.

[Assistant Regional Manager]

Defense- 8 returning starters (Simmons, Guilbeau, Muhammad, McDonald, Taaffe, Lefau, Hill, Burke, Moore).

Offense- 3 returning starters, two of which aren't even playing this weekend (Wisner, Moore). DJ Campbell is the only starter this weekend who also started the Ohio State game last January.

It's been two games. Let it play out.

[JKSmith]

I believe that the defense swaps way more personnel in and out compared to the offense. Just takes offense more legit game time to catch up. 

Edited 3 hours ago by JKSmith

[harveycmd]

The defense is more experienced and there's been more investment in the defense over the last couple of years.

[harveycmd]

Better enjoy this defense. We're losing seven to eight starter level guys: Brevard, Shaw, Burke, Hill, Gilbeau, Taaffe, Muhammed, and maybe McDonald.

[Dread-headed Texan]

15 minutes ago, harveycmd said:

Better enjoy this defense. We're losing seven to eight starter level guys: Brevard, Shaw, Burke, Hill, Gilbeau, Taaffe, Muhammed, and maybe McDonald.

Winner winner chicken dinner!!! Next year with all but maybe two offensive lineman, 2 of 3 recievers, all but one TE, and the QB returning it'll be the offense shinning and the defense with questions and inconsistency. 

[Roysterr]

18 minutes ago, harveycmd said:

Better enjoy this defense. We're losing seven to eight starter level guys: Brevard, Shaw, Burke, Hill, Gilbeau, Taaffe, Muhammed, and maybe McDonald.

True, but our depth is special. We could have a top 10 defense next year as well.  Think Saban's Alabama defenses from year to year

[harveycmd]

Just now, Roysterr said:

True, but our depth is special. We could have a top 10 defense next year as well.  Think Saban's Alabama defenses from year to year

That goes to the investment part. Recruited more high level defensive players. 

Forgot about Trey Moore. He'll be drafted too.

[Dread-headed Texan]

3 minutes ago, Roysterr said:

True, but our depth is special. We could have a top 10 defense next year as well.  Think Saban's Alabama defenses from year to year

They are still going to need time to develop and gel as a unit. Just because you replace a high rated player with another high rated player that doesn't mean you'll get the previous result especially if you're replacing so many. 

[LiongatheLB]

The offense is nearing the point of a being a letdown in the Sark era. Stoked our defense is what it has become, but I was amped when Sark was hired thinking we'd have the same offensive success Bama had when he ran their offense. My guess is our personnel just isn't there yet. However, I know it's stupid to expect 4 first-round receivers and a first-round RB on the same team. 

[Dread-headed Texan]

3 minutes ago, LiongatheLB said:

The offense is nearing the point of a being a letdown in the Sark era. Stoked our defense is what it has become, but I was amped when Sark was hired thinking we'd have the same offensive success Bama had when he ran their offense. My guess is our personnel just isn't there yet. However, I know it's stupid to expect 4 first-round receivers and a first-round RB on the same team. 

Do you remember the offense of the 5-7 team? Then the 8-5 team, then both playoff teams. The personnel didn't change in either one of the playoff teams. The offensive line was more finesse than power, they didn't have a power back, and weren't good in the redzone. I wouldn't say they are a let down, just that they were maxed out and wasn't good or had the players needed to push it over the top. They're a disappointment in the sense they couldn't get it done, but IMHO I think Sark got the most of that variation of the offense. 

[harveycmd]

Offensively, Sark is banking on Arch and future QBs playing really well. That's not a bad bet. When we add Arch to Wingo, and hopefully clean up some of the penalties, it should help open the run game more and make things more consistent. Our defense with a consistent offense that provides explosive plays will be very difficult to beat. That combo would have beaten OSU.

[LiongatheLB]

2 minutes ago, Dread-headed Texan said:

Do you remember the offense of the 5-7 team? Then the 8-5 team, then both playoff teams. The personnel didn't change in either one of the playoff teams. The offensive line was more finesse than power, they didn't have a power back, and weren't good in the redzone. I wouldn't say they are a let down, just that they were maxed out and wasn't good or had the players needed to push it over the top. They're a disappointment in the sense they couldn't get it done, but IMHO I think Sark got the most of that variation of the offense. 

Of course they've come a long way. My point is that the offense has not been nearly as reliable as the defense. In 2019 Bama put up 41 on that great LSU team and dropped 52 on OSU in the national championship game. I was expecting those kinds of numbers at Texas. 

[harveycmd]

5 minutes ago, LiongatheLB said:

Of course they've come a long way. My point is that the offense has not been nearly as reliable as the defense. In 2019 Bama put up 41 on that great LSU team and dropped 52 on OSU in the national championship game. I was expecting those kinds of numbers at Texas. 

Offense in college football doesn't dominate like it did from say 2014-2020. Defenses have caught up by disguising looks and basically playing pass first and run second. You simply don't have championship teams putting up offensive numbers like 2019 LSU or 2020 Bama.

Edited 2 hours ago by harveycmd

[Here for the Wins]

57 minutes ago, JKSmith said:

I believe that the defense swaps way more personnel in and out compared to the offense. Just takes offense more legit game time to catch up. 

This is the biggest item.  Offense has 6 guys that you don’t really rotate, particularly when going well.

As an example, Hill will be gone but Smith and Lefau will be plenty experienced.  Similar for Burkes replacement.

Sark had an aha moment years ago when Tech ran 100 plays.  That plays a part too.  It’s also different than offense because he can dictate tempo and player usage.

[Dread-headed Texan]

1 minute ago, LiongatheLB said:

Of course they've come a long way. My point is that the offense has not been nearly as reliable as the defense. In 2019 Bama put up 41 on that great LSU team and dropped 52 on OSU in the national championship game. I was expecting those kinds of numbers at Texas. 

A little different eras with NIL and the portal, but I get what you're saying. They also had a first round qb in Tua, that makes a big difference when the qb is the driver of the bus.

[LiongatheLB]

1 minute ago, Dread-headed Texan said:

A little different eras with NIL and the portal, but I get what you're saying. They also had a first round qb in Tua, that makes a big difference when the qb is the driver of the bus.

And, somehow, Mac Jones turned into a first-round pick too lol. I still think Sark has done a great job with the offense, but the inability to put teams away the last two years with the offense needs to improve, along with the offense's failures to score against UGA and OSU the last two years. I will drink a Modelo or six for good luck

[Dread-headed Texan]

1 minute ago, LiongatheLB said:

And, somehow, Mac Jones turned into a first-round pick too lol. I still think Sark has done a great job with the offense, but the inability to put teams away the last two years with the offense needs to improve, along with the offense's failures to score against UGA and OSU the last two years. I will drink a Modelo or six for good luck

I'm usually blitzed by the 3rd quarter, and if it isnt going our way sooner than that🤣🤣🤣

[drag worm]

We just haven't signed the same kinds of players (high school recruiting or portal) on the offensive side as the defensive. And when there have been holes on D, like the dreaded awful DT recruited position it was shored up big time with portal aquisitions.

It wasn't hard to see the lack of depth or starting experience on Offense coming out of last season. Especially at WR, RB and OL. Not many OL other than Goosby were making a name for themselves in practices last year and we couldn't run the ball against great teams last season. Yet we stuck with the same OL, the same RBs, and chose to only add one WR. (It doesn't help that he hasn't taken a single snap yet)

A few of us kept wondering why we were finally entering the much anticipated "Arch Era" and we didn't put the effort or resources into a stronger OL for him, an elite RB transfer to take pressure off the pass coverage, or a WR1 to stretch the D like Quinn had with Worthy/AD/Golden/Bond, etc. 

At this point it is what it is. The only three elite traits we might reach on offense are Sark's play design, Arch's upside if we just go Hero Ball with him, or maybe Endries racks up elite TE yards as he continues to be the one steady outlet for Arch as we rely more on 12 personnel going forward. Is that going to be enough to reach the lofty goals people like Taaffe set by coming back to the program for one last try and a championship? Sure hope so.

The good news is that I've never seen a season schedule that allowed the coaches to figure out their roster with so many warm up games before we get into the meat of the schedule like this one. We're still four weeks away from the Swamp, and I have hopes and dreams that Sark is going to be able to cobble together the best of what he's seen so far to rebuild the offense around our strengths going into SEC play.

Beat Florida and OU and we are cooking with gas at 5-1 heading into the rest of October. 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by drag worm

[DanielOnorato]

1 hour ago, Dread-headed Texan said:

I'm usually blitzed by the 3rd quarter, and if it isnt going our way sooner than that🤣🤣🤣

With a mid day start tomorrow instead of 11am the message boards may get ugly earlier 😂 

[TexasMDcoach]

I think it is partly “relative” inexperience but also coaching. Getting a scheme together that maximizes the success of the players you have on hand and their ability to consistently execute that scheme at a high level.  
 

I think our defensive staff has been able to accomplish that better than the offense.  Sark at times has tried to force a square peg into a round hole. They still have been good but not consistently great. Arch better suits what he wants to do but his development is still a work in progress. 
 

Lets see where we are in 4 or 5 games from now. The key to this season is can the defense keep us winning games long enough to allow our offense to come to full stride? 

Edited 1 hour ago by TexasMDcoach

[Dread-headed Texan]

28 minutes ago, DanielOnorato said:

With a mid day start tomorrow instead of 11am the message boards may get ugly earlier 😂 

The first punt gonna start WW3

[Hashtag]

2 hours ago, Dread-headed Texan said:

Do you remember the offense of the 5-7 team? Then the 8-5 team, then both playoff teams. The personnel didn't change in either one of the playoff teams. The offensive line was more finesse than power, they didn't have a power back, and weren't good in the redzone. I wouldn't say they are a let down, just that they were maxed out and wasn't good or had the players needed to push it over the top. They're a disappointment in the sense they couldn't get it done, but IMHO I think Sark got the most of that variation of the offense. 

The 8-5 team offense ranked around what the semi final offenses and the 2025 offense currently rank according to FEI. This team was carried by defense both the semi finals teams that not even debatable. 

 

actually it’s kind of funny the 8-5 offense was better than the semi final teams and if i remember correctly the 8-5 offense was a top 25 redzone offense lol

Edited 35 minutes ago by Hashtag

[Hashtag]

27 minutes ago, TexasMDcoach said:

I think it is partly “relative” inexperience but also coaching. Getting a scheme together that maximizes the success of the players you have on hand and their ability to consistently execute that scheme at a high level.  
 

I think our defensive staff has been able to accomplish that better than the offense.  Sark at times has tried to force a square peg into a round hole. They still have been good but not consistently great. Arch better suits what he wants to do but his development is still a work in progress. 
 

Let’s see where we are in 4 or 5 games from now. The key to this season is can the defense keep us winning games long enough to allow our offense to come to full stride? 

The past two years even with all the experience we have the offense wasn’t good enough to win a national title.