Are we missing Sitake? I don't think we are.

Up to tonight, OSU defense ranked 31st, Utah’s 35. Utah is in middle of PAC12 defense rankings ytd. I think people believe Utah’s defense is stronger than the current record indicates.

We’re 25% through the season. We shall see.

Utah’s defense is pretty great I don’t think the Utes are missing Sitake at all. Pease is much more gap sound against the rush. I would say Marcus-Williams has got caught with his pants down a few times in coverages. Zone coverage has been terrible but that is pretty typical for Utah.

I think the best thing about Utah’s defense is that adjustments get made and the team executes. I said this before but it is very true statement. Utah st was scoreless in the 3rd quarter. Fresno St was pretty pathetic for 3 quarters of Football. Michigan played max pro and that Rudoch(sp?) guy threw some INT’s. He had like 5 all of last season I think for whatever school he played with before. He had 3 in a single game? That is pressure and an INT is better than a sack.

How many first-year players are starting/playing for OSU? Announcers said 17 freshmen. I don’t know the O/D mix. Although I was not a big fan of Sitake, I think it’s way too early. On another note, I’ll take OSU’s freshman QB and the WR Villamin.

Additionally do we remember 2012? Live ball blocked FG by Utah, Falslevel(SP?) recovers when Utah’s guy gives up on the play. A few other scramble over.

A great defensive touchdown!

Why is it great? Because Tu’ikolovatu runs to the ball and picks it up. Doesn’t hear the whistle and knows the play is live. Hell I have seen in the NFL where guys give up on plays like that. Play to the whistle and that is coaching. In the post game Tu’ikolovatu credits Pease because he was told to move to the ball. Great coaching.

Agree it’s too early to fairly assess, however from what I’ve seen so far it seems like coach Pease’s defensive philosophy is a little different than Sitakes. Evidence of this seen from the interceptions we’re getting. Also, last year our 4 man front was regularly creating pressure situations for the QB which we haven’t seen this year. I still think our defensive front is good, but just not getting the sack number we saw last year. Personally, I choose an interceptions over a sacks – flips the field faster than getting a punt back.

Can’t say that I am sad so far. Utah was not very good agaisnt the run. I will concede that Utah is not as good statistically at this point as OSU, but the level of competition has been vastly different over the weeks. For OOC our worst opponent was Fresno State, two lapses in the backfield aside, we stuffed them 8 ways to Sunday. Their worst OOC opponent was Weber State, I rest my case. Their third opponent was SJSU, a MWC team. Our MWC team was a good one in Utah State. We shut them out in the 3d Quarter and did well in the 4th. Aside from a bad 2d quarter we would have crushed them as well. Even with that 2d quarter we won comfortably. OSU let SJSU hang 20+ on them and was close until pretty deep into the 2d half. Next, we turn Michigan, we stuffed their offense, stuffed it hard. Oregon State did not. Stanford ran for 300+ tonight. Stanford, in a down year. Look, Sitake’s defense is exotic and exciting to watch, but it’s not really assignment sound. It’s disruptive and aggressive yes, but that aggression comes at a cost. Sitake’s cost is getting gashed in the run game.

I think we are missing Nate Orchard way more than Sitake.

Sitake is dead to me. I hope his defense gets torched in every game.

It’s always been Whit’s defense and I never expected any effect defensively from his leaving. However, I’ve heard he was a very good recruiter and have concern that is where he may be missed. However, I agree, he’s dead to me too.

TO be fair Sitake is installing a new system & had 2 returning starters to work with…