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Kool-Aid Drinker's Guide to the 2009 Defense


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Let's face it, Mickey Andrews did not retire and he is not suddenly going to have a defensive strategy revelation between now and August. Actually, at this point, either one of those situations would hurt our team.

I have decided that's is time to start drinking the Kool-Aid. When the season is over, it will be time to start drooling over potential defensive coordinator and linebacker's coach candidates, but until then I will pulling full-on for our current coaches. We are all aware of the inherent weaknesses in our defensive scheme. While most of us will admit it is not ideal, it does have strengths and we will win some games as a result of it. So get out your frosted mug and pour yourself a half-full glass of that sugary sweet ignorance. We are going to take at the reasons we can expect a better defense in 2009.

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Mickey Andrews is not an idiot. He may be stubborn and past his prime, but at one time he was one of the great innovators of the college game. The defense has dominated practice since JB took over the offense and the team has paid for it at game time. This past spring practice, the defense was dominated by Jimbo's spread offense. It showed us that the pendulum has made it back to the offensive side. Our defense did not suddenly become bad this year. They were just exposed. We can only expect this to continue in the summer and fall. While I don't expect him to change his scheme, I think Mickey will learn from it and make adjustments. The players will also learn from it and make adjustments of their own. Iron sharpens iron, and until last season, the offense only provided Chinese pot metal.

Speaking of our improved offense, this will pay dividends for the defense in games as well. This point is pretty self-explanatory. Jimbo's offense should be on the field longer and score more points. If the Seminoles have the lead, the opposing team won't be repeatedly gashing it through the middle, wasting clock. Our defense will get more rest and play better.

We have a ton of fresh talent on defense, especially in the secondary. It is too early to hail "Addition by Subtraction", even for Kool-Aid drinkers, but there is a lot to be excited about. We will be more talented in several positions and we can't do worse than last year in the secondary. Replacing EB will be impossible, but guys like Nigel Bradham, Markus White, and Patrick Robinson should be able help this year's squad surpass last year's performance.

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We aren't there yet, but we are getting bigger. Moses McCray, Jaccobi McDaniel, Vince Williams, and Justin Mincey will help plug some of the gaping holes up the middle. Keeping Demonte McAllister at DE is more evidence of a bigger is better strategy prevailing. Size has not come at the expense of athleticism however, which should help us progress without abandoning what made us great in the nineties.

I am drinking he Kool-Aid and I invite you to join me. I will be screaming for more intensity, tenacity, and discipline. I want our defense to be hungry and aggressive. We are what we are and I will relish it. It will be impossible to ignore our weaknesses when teams run the ball down our throat or we fail to cover the tight end, but I will revel in the glory of linebackers chasing the quarterback with reckless abandon and defensive ends blowing up suckas in the backfield. In all likelihood we only have one year left of the Mickey Andrews' era. Forget our staff's incompetencies and embrace the chaos!

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