Bear Down Wildcats

Yates is starting his 3rd year as Arizona's defensive coordinator and will also coach linebackers. Last year we ranked 118th in the NCAA in total defense giving up 6.03 yds/play, 471.2 yds/game and 59 TDs. In 2016 we were ranked 114th with 5.93 yds/play, 466.8 yds/game, and 60 TDs. Frankly, if we don't see a big jump in our defense this year we will need to find a new defensive coordinator.

I could only find 2 defensive stats where we rated in the top half of the conference. We led the PAC in interceptions with 19 and 16.8 yds/return and 2 TDs. Also, we were 4th in turn over margin at +3, but still well behind Stanford (+16) and Washington (+13). Where did we really struggle? We were last in allowing first downs giving up the most total (321) and the most through the air (164). We were also last in pass defense giving up both the most completions (307) and the most yards (3,719). Finally, we were the worst in the league at 3rd down conversions giving up 92 of 197 attempts.

So, where is the hope for an improved defense? First, we won't have to fill our defense with walk-ons, Freshman, and undersized D-lineman. We may have struggled during the last 2 years, but we have recruited to correct our deficiencies and this should be the year it pays dividends. We now have size and depth on the D-line. Also, a proven core to build around with potential all-conference players at every level of the defense. Yates will also have a freer hand to run the defense this year now that Rich Rod was shown the door.



93 is Bobby Wade's Arizona record for receptions in a season set in 2002 over 12 games.

worst in the league at 3rd down conversions

I don't know if there is a stat for 3rd and long defense, but UA had to be the worst. Seemed like 3rd and long was more like 3rd and 1. Rush 3, sit back in the prevent defense and let the QB have 4 or 5 seconds to find an open receiver.

During the coaching search, I said that the players wanted Yates because it was safe, and it would mean they would keep their spots, instead of bringing in more talent and actually improving the defense.

Well this defense looks like a D-2 defense. Congrats guys, at least you're on the field.

Can we Kiffin Yates on the tarmac tonight?

Yates should be gone today. No excuse.

I normally would be fine waiting to the end of the year to fire a coordinator but Yates knew his players that know what he wants. Yates needs to be let go immediately....

This is going to be re-affirmed later today when Cal holds BYU to 3 points. BYU is not good guys, any remotely capable defense should hold them under 20.

prh wrote:During the coaching search, I said that the players wanted Yates because it was safe, and it would mean they would keep their spots, instead of bringing in more talent and actually improving the defense.

Well this defense looks like a D-2 defense. Congrats guys, at least you're on the field.

Can we Kiffin Yates on the tarmac tonight?

Just think the players actually wanted him as the head coach over Ken N. God I hate twitter. You don't cowtow to the players. If they don't like the hire let them transfer and build the program in the image of the coach you actually want to hire.

Fire him

The good news is, either he turns it around or we get a new coordinator. It isn’t like Sumlin is married to him.

ChooChooCat wrote:

prh wrote:During the coaching search, I said that the players wanted Yates because it was safe, and it would mean they would keep their spots, instead of bringing in more talent and actually improving the defense.

Well this defense looks like a D-2 defense. Congrats guys, at least you're on the field.

Can we Kiffin Yates on the tarmac tonight?

Just think the players actually wanted him as the head coach over Ken N. God I hate twitter. You don't cowtow to the players. If they don't like the hire let them transfer and build the program in the image of the coach you actually want to hire.

Coaches love built in excuses.

Players throw a fit saying they want their guy. You can make yourself look like a players coach by siding with them. Then when the shit hits the fan, you fire him after a year. Your excuse for that year is built in; it was the DC that the players wanted fault.

And hope springs anew, eternally, as a new DC is hired.

After that very last UH TD drive where UH just wanted to run out the clock, and UA couldn't even do that, the only way to get the fans out of the doldrums is to make some major changes, the first being getting rid of Yates.

Merkin wrote:After that very last UH TD drive where UH just wanted to run out the clock, and UA couldn't even do that, the only way to get the fans out of the doldrums is to make some major changes, the first being getting rid of Yates.

The problem is only partly the scheme. You also need talented players with the athleticism, intelligence, and will to make plays.

Switching the type of defense won’t matter if we still have minimal talent aAnd depth.

Chicat wrote:

Merkin wrote:After that very last UH TD drive where UH just wanted to run out the clock, and UA couldn't even do that, the only way to get the fans out of the doldrums is to make some major changes, the first being getting rid of Yates.

The problem is only partly the scheme. You also need talented players with the athleticism, intelligence, and will to make plays.

Switching the type of defense won’t matter if we still have minimal talent aAnd depth.

Except Arizona this year is more “talented” this year than last year with bigger bodies on the D-line and more experience. Te Defense has had multiple years in this scheme while both BYU and Houston have first year offensive coordinators. BYU QB couldn’t throw more than twenty yards.

Making a change would put players on notice also.

Yates has had bottom 20 defenses the prior 2 years, and looks to be going for a third straight here in the 100's.

I've seen enough.

Not all that thrilled with Mazzone either.

Yates should not be on the plane back to Tucson

So everyone here is willing to lose Recruiting advantage he give UA in SoCal or Everyone should relive on Sumlin Recruiting Advantage? Go ahead it easy right.

cordera89 wrote:So everyone here is willing to lose Recruiting advantage he give UA in SoCal or Everyone should relive on Sumlin Recruiting Advantage? Go ahead it easy right.

Oh god....

cordera89 wrote:So everyone here is willing to lose Recruiting advantage he give UA in SoCal or Everyone should relive on Sumlin Recruiting Advantage? Go ahead it easy right.

Recruiting advantage? Do you really want to use the word advantage and recruiting together?

prh wrote:This is going to be re-affirmed later today when Cal holds BYU to 3 points. BYU is not good guys, any remotely capable defense should hold them under 20.

Cal defense held BYU offense to 3 until the last possession, when they went into prevent D. With ~4 minutes left in the game, BYU had 216 total yards of offense, and 3 points.

Cal looked atrocious btw. BYU is a bad bad team.

DrWildcat wrote:

cordera89 wrote:So everyone here is willing to lose Recruiting advantage he give UA in SoCal or Everyone should relive on Sumlin Recruiting Advantage? Go ahead it easy right.

Recruiting advantage? Do you really want to use the word advantage and recruiting together?

Let see, When did Arizona ever became or become a recruiting power for top recruits? Dont try to be smart.

Go Ahead, Talk about Firing Yates since he came to UA only to boost Recruiting. If i want to smart about it, Demote him and hired DC that can do that damn job.

cordera89 wrote:

DrWildcat wrote:

cordera89 wrote:So everyone here is willing to lose Recruiting advantage he give UA in SoCal or Everyone should relive on Sumlin Recruiting Advantage? Go ahead it easy right.

Recruiting advantage? Do you really want to use the word advantage and recruiting together?

Let see, When did Arizona ever became or become a recruiting power for top recruits? Dont try to be smart.

Go Ahead, Talk about Firing Yates since he came to UA only to boost Recruiting. If i want to smart about it, Demote him and hired DC that can do that damn job.

Has he boosted recruiting?

DrWildcat wrote:

cordera89 wrote:

DrWildcat wrote:

cordera89 wrote:So everyone here is willing to lose Recruiting advantage he give UA in SoCal or Everyone should relive on Sumlin Recruiting Advantage? Go ahead it easy right.

Recruiting advantage? Do you really want to use the word advantage and recruiting together?

Let see, When did Arizona ever became or become a recruiting power for top recruits? Dont try to be smart.

Go Ahead, Talk about Firing Yates since he came to UA only to boost Recruiting. If i want to smart about it, Demote him and hired DC that can do that damn job.

Has he boosted recruiting?

Arizona is not even a top 100 defense. There is no reason for Arizona not to be a top 100 dense and for fcs to be pushing Arizona defense around. Sumlin needs to hold people accountable for how bad this is. This can easily be the worse defense in Arizona history.

Gotta get rid of Yates. No power 5 team should have a defense that sucks this bad. If he was supposed to boost recruiting, he is a huge failure and needs to go immediately.

blackjacker wrote:Gotta get rid of Yates. No power 5 team should have a defense that sucks this bad. If he was supposed to boost recruiting, he is a huge failure and needs to go immediately.

I would definitely have to agree with that assessment. Our defensive line may have gotten bigger but they didn't get any better.

prh wrote:

prh wrote:This is going to be re-affirmed later today when Cal holds BYU to 3 points. BYU is not good guys, any remotely capable defense should hold them under 20.

Cal defense held BYU offense to 3 until the last possession, when they went into prevent D. With ~4 minutes left in the game, BYU had 216 total yards of offense, and 3 points.

Cal looked atrocious btw. BYU is a bad bad team.

Aged like fine cheese.

ghostwhitehorse wrote:

prh wrote:

prh wrote:This is going to be re-affirmed later today when Cal holds BYU to 3 points. BYU is not good guys, any remotely capable defense should hold them under 20.

Cal defense held BYU offense to 3 until the last possession, when they went into prevent D. With ~4 minutes left in the game, BYU had 216 total yards of offense, and 3 points.

Cal looked atrocious btw. BYU is a bad bad team.

Aged like fine cheese.

I'll still reserve judgement. We see upsets in college all the time, but I don't think anyone would now fear that Stanford team that was +41 to USC. So far BYU scored on the worst P5 defense in the country, couldn't score against Cal, and beat Wisky. If they continue to improve then I'll agree but I'm not going to overreact to one game.

BYU just proved they aren't terrible, but that's it. They could still finish 5-7 for all we know.

ASUHATER! wrote:BYU just proved they aren't terrible, but that's it. They could still finish 5-7 for all we know.

Very possible. They still play McNeese St, UMass, NM State, all of which are bad enough that we could beat them. McNeese is a decent FCS program at least.

I didn't watch the game...how did we give up 31pts? Seriously

whatisee wrote:I didn't watch the game...how did we give up 31pts? Seriously

I only watched the first half, and the UA defense made a winless FCS team look like a Power 5 team. I think the time of possession the first half was like 22 to 8.

But like all FCS schools, the players are smaller, and just couldn't keep up. I work at a FCS school (Cal Poly) with my office right next to the football stadium and walk by the players all the time. Just really small, unlike the UA players I used to see on campus.

whatisee wrote:I didn't watch the game...how did we give up 31pts? Seriously

17 points in the first half when they controlled the ball and ran it down our throats. Offense didn't help by scoring too quickly. In addition to being bad the D was gassed.

The D tightened it up in the second half. Then last 14 was in garbage time after it was 48-17.

UAEebs86 wrote:

whatisee wrote:I didn't watch the game...how did we give up 31pts? Seriously

17 points in the first half when they controlled the ball and ran it down our throats. Offense didn't help by scoring too quickly. In addition to being bad the D was gassed.

The D tightened it up in the second half. Then last 14 was in garbage time after it was 48-17.

Copy that....I just don't understand how our line continues to be as terrible as they have been. Lack of technique is very apparent. With 4 games to red shirt you would think you would at least try guys for a seriues or two. You can't tell me having David Watson sitting on the sideline is helping anything. Heard he was a good DT with a mean streak. The only player we have that plays pissed IMO is Scottie Young. Him and Whitaker are hopefully ready for PAC play because this defense has zero attitude and no identity


ASDB could put 40 on these guys

Even playing a winless FCS team can't even get into double digits.

Ranked 111th in FBS.

Merkin wrote:Even playing a winless FCS team can't even get into double digits.

Dont worry about them playing another pac12 team and barely losing the other game they played. How many tickets does your dad want by the way?

Yates seems personable and a nice guy, and the kids like him, so he has that going for him. And we can debate whether our players stack up vs. other teams in terms of ability and size, but what I see most is just nobody is in the right spots at the right time. That's schemes. Even if a kid is a little undersized, he can still make a tackle if he is where he supposed to be. I root for Yates to turn it around at some point.

Most glaring thing I see is he's not getting his coaches to enforce an edge to the line. Literally every time the opposition runs an outside running play the guy is wide open. Jet sweeps, nobody is there. By now after 3 years you'd think our technique would be better in terms of holding the edge. It's one of the hardest thing to watch being an Arizona fan, week after week how poorly we contain the edge, it's like we give it 0 thought. Running backs run for 5 yards before ever encountering a defender. Maybe they teach and practice it, but we never see it in games.

And I don't like our blitz packages. You keep hearing we need to get pressure we need to get pressure, and I agree with that 100%. We haven't shown any ability to rush 3 and then play the 8 drop back people effectively, we play a really crappy zone defense. But there are different packages of blitzing, or how you do it. If you watch closely when our linebackers blitz, they aren't very good at it. They just kind of slam into the line, no gap integrity, and get picked up by the offensive guard or center who's already blocking one of our 3 down lineman. That then vacates the entire middle of the field, so receivers can just sit in the middle of the field at the first down marker on third down with nobody around.

It isn't immediately clear how or why Sumlin would fire Yates after this season if this keeps up, but we have to see better technique and strategy. Coaching on D makes a huge defense. For an NFL analogy, Wade Phillips has been around forever. He has made a living going to any disorganized rag tag defensive unit last in the NFL defense, and the next year with the same guys they among the best in the NFL. He gets his guys in the right spot. There's a million ways to do it, Yates needs to find a better way than what he is trying.

When RR hired Yates as the DC for UA? Did RR hired him to rebuild his Defense or Did RR hired him for Recruiting purposes?

The question that should be ask is? Has Yates ever rebuild a Defense from the ground up.

I bet someone could do it better of what Casteel and Yates can't do. Coach your fucking defense.

Have to give him a lot of credit for coaching the defense up after the ooc games. Lots of turnovers and not many touchdowns scored. Keep it up defense

The defense is starting to get to where I had hoped they would be, considering they were returning 9 starters. Anyone know where the D is ranked after this weekend?

BBQ wildcat wrote:The defense is starting to get to where I had hoped they would be, considering they were returning 9 starters. Anyone know where the D is ranked after this weekend?

83rd in scoring defense (28.4 ppg)
98th in total defense (418.8 ypg)

Not being in triple digits halfway through the season is amazing!

Vs PAC12 opponents

Oregon State-least amount of points scored all year was vs UA
USC-held under season average in points vs UA
Cal-least amount of points scored all year was vs UA

The defense is better. However, they are frustrating to watch on 3rd and long.

I would also like to see a bit more pressure without the use of the blitz.

No doubt the defense has surprised in the conference. This week it will be interesting to see if we can hold down a quality opponent on the road

azgreg wrote:The defense is better. However, they are frustrating to watch on 3rd and long.

I would also like to see a bit more pressure without the use of the blitz.

It is amazing huh? Fourth and goal from the two and we can stuff them. Third and seventeen, oh heck no. lol. I have to leave the room everytime I see them defending third and long.

Looks like we have moved towards frequently having 4 down lineman. Someone figured out that rushing 3 and playing a soft zone doesn't work.

Wait until next week. Yates will revert back to the 3 man D-line until it's proven it doesn't work. I have no problem with a 3 man DL if you are playing a 3-4 defense. You have 4 LB's close to the line of scrimmage to help defend against the run or to pass rush. It seems like we are often playing in what looks like a 3-2-6 defense to counter the 3 and 4 WR sets. I like it when we play 4-2-5. I think Richrod was always scared to death of long pass plays. Yates has got to get over that. You can't play defense scared. If i'm an opposing QB and i walk up to the line and i see a 3 man line and 2 LB's playing 3-5 yards deep, i'm as cool as a cucumber. We want the opposing QB to have jitters as they approach the line.

DrWildcat wrote:Looks like we have moved towards frequently having 4 down lineman. Someone figured out that rushing 3 and playing a soft zone doesn't work.

NO DOUBT!

It felt like we were playing a prevent defense at times. And when it's the middle of the first quarter and you're down by 7 that's a pretty weird feeling.

after thew past couple performances the defense has moved up to #83 in the country. while not good the D is trending in the right direction. This is year 3 for Yates correct?

Stoops former D at OK is ranked #80.