It only took one game against a Power 5 opponent and the Spartans Pass Defense melted down yet again yielding nearly 400 Yards including 4 TDs resulting in an embarrassing 39-28 prime time beat down in Seattle.
It wasn’t simply a bad day at the office because melting down has become a trend!
Let’s remember, the Spartans Pass Defense yielded an average of 325 Yards per game last season including 27 TD’s, and if you are keeping track, that was dead last in the country.
More shockingly, the Spartan Pass Defense got worse as the season progressed given the fact it yielded nearly 1700 Yards to 4 teams during the month of November and the Spartans lost 2 of 4 games.
So, it’s noble that Mel Tucker is taking accountability for the Passing massacre that occurred in Seattle last weekend, labeling himself a “horseshit” coach (his description)…so I guess he wanted to defuse the issue ahead of the swell of national criticism.
Yet criticism rightfully persists.
Of course, Mel Tucker appointed himself Cornerback Coach during the offseason to specifically “fix” a dysfunctional Pass Defense which ranked “dead ass last” in the country last season (another reference from Mel Tucker) when measured against 130 D-1/FBS Schools, but good intentions and words don’t fix problems!
Accountability is a noble gesture, but nothing is fixed:
For all of Coach Tucker’s noble accountability, nothing is fixed.
Washington Husky’s “first year” Quarterback (by way of Indiana), and Washington’s “first year” Head Coach (by way of Fresno State), “shredded” Mel Tucker’s Pass Defense.
Washington completed 60% of its passes for 397 Yards at 17 Yards per completion including 4 TD’s. Meanwhile, Washington QB, Michael Penix Jr. stayed “clean”, got little pressure from the Spartans Defense…and was never Sacked.
Overall, the entire Spartan team looked sadly unprepared, so we have to ask: “what in the world was the Spartan coaching staff doing during the off season”?
Unfortunately, I have heard excuses regarding the travails of West Coast travel but let’s call that what it is…an excuse! Unpreparedness is a better description.
Let’s remember, the Pass Defense was deplorable across the entire Big Ten landscape last season yielding 536 yards and 3 TDs to Purdue, and 449 Yards and 6 TDs to Ohio State (both losses) so it is no surprise the Spartans commenced competition on the West Coast with Passing stats rivaling the worst of last season.
But let’s give credit where credit is due, because Washington was properly prepared and started fast, meanwhile the Spartans demonstrated all the urgency of embarking upon a late summer vacation.
Where was coaching preparedness?
Of course, there are plenty of Spartan Beat Writers who will kindly “spin” the west coast meltdown in a positive direction, but I’m not that gracious because the numbers, stats, and/or key indicators (call it what you like) don’t lie.
If a team wants respect, then they need to play like they deserve respect, play like they deserve to be in the Championship conversation and yet the first 3 games of 2022 indicate the Spartans are poised for a dreadful finish in the Big Ten.
Want evidence?
Just 3 games into the 2022 season and given a “non-conference” schedule consistent with other Big Ten teams the Spartans Offense ranks #11 Big Ten, while the Defense ranks #9 Big Ten.
What does that mean?
It means Harlon Barnett, Scottie Hazelton and Chris Kapilovic (to name just 3 assistant coaches) can all get on the “Shame Train” with Head Coach, Mel Tucker.
The Shame Train (Tucker, Hazelton, Barnett and Kapilovic are all onboard):
If you are unfamiliar with all these names then here is an overview:
Mel Tucker is Head Football Coach as well as Cornerback Coach; Scottie Hazelton is Defensive Coordinator; Harlon Barnett oversees the Defensive Secondary; while Chris Kapilovic is Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator and together they are all prominently culpable for the embarrassment in Seattle.
Of course, if those coaches don’t like the characterization of being on the Shame Train (and I hope they don’t), then they need to fix the problems they were hired to fix.
Let’s remember, we expected the Spartans to be better in 2022 than 2021 given more experience and familiarity between coaches and players, and players to coaches. We also expected them to be better than last November when they yielded nearly 1700 Yards Passing in just 4 games.
Yet last Saturdays beat down was not only an embarrassment, it was also shameful. In fact, it was impossible to see improvement within any position group, so there was nothing good for Spartan fans to feel good about.
Yet here we are 3 weeks into the 2022 season, and the issues that should have been fixed during Spring practice…weren’t fixed.
We know the Spartans Offense ranks #11 Big Ten overall, while the Defense ranks #9 Big Ten, but here are more troubling indicators:
- Spartans Rushing Offense ranks #10 Big Ten
- Spartans Pass Defense ranks #10 Big Ten
- Spartans Pass Offense ranks #8 Big Ten.
Those are all bottom tier rankings and there isn’t anything about those rankings that suggest better results by way of a few minor tweaks.
Now comes the new and improved Minnesota Golden Gophers:
And here are a few words of caution: Look out…
The plodding Minnesota Gophers of old, are now the highly efficient, high scoring Golden Gophers.
To the chagrin of Spartan Defensive Coaches, Minnesota is averaging 555 Yards per game including 313 Yards Rushing, 242 Yards Passing while scoring 50 PPG and ranked #2 Big Ten.
Meanwhile, the Gophers Rushing Defense ranks #2 Big Ten and let’s remember, Spartan Running Backs only compiled 31 Net Yards Rushing vs Washington.
It would be fair to say, the preceding stats favor Minnesota all day long and it’s notable, Minnesota Defense is yielding just 6 Points per game as well.
In full disclosure, I mischaracterized Minnesota Passing Offense in my previous article whereby I referenced that Minnesota posted 618 Passing Yards and 4 TDs vs Colorado and that was totally incorrect…my apologies.
Yet, Minnesota is highly efficient with the football, completing 68% of its passes including 4 TD’s offset by just 1 Interception, and they have plenty of video to study so they will selectively choose where and when they want to pass the football around Spartan Stadium.
Of course, Minnesota won’t throw the football all over the lot, but their offense will be reasonably balanced (56% Rushing/44% Passing), and the Spartan Defense has proven an inability to defend Power 5 teams in its only matchup of the season.
At the bottom line (Spartan coaches get a one game reprieve):
Not that they need a pardon from me, but Mel Tucker and his coaching staff get a one game reprieve as it relates to last weekend’s beat down, and that means they have a chance to redeem themselves vs Minnesota.
Across the board, the matchups don’t favor the Spartans yet they have a chance if Minnesota opts for a ground game.
While Minnesota is averaging a whopping 313 Rushing Yards per game including 16 TD’s, on the other hand, the Spartans Rushing Defense is only yielding 90 Rushing Yards per game and just 2 TD’s. So, something will give, and let’s hope the Spartans can bring Minnesota and its Rushing Offense to a halt.
But if the Spartans get embarrassed at Spartan Stadium by Minnesota, then all of the criticism that can be mustered will be levied at Mel Tucker and his entire coaching staff.
It also means the best Pass Offenses in the Big Ten including Ohio State, Maryland, Indiana, and Penn State will be queued up to take a fair shot at the Spartans in weeks to come.
And if the Spartans get embarrassed by Minnesota, it also means the best Rushing Defenses in the Big Ten including Rutgers (yes Rutgers, yielding just 32 Rushing YPG), Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio State will be queued up to shut down the Spartans as well.
Mel Tucker understands the stakes, this is Big Boy football, and talk stops at the Weekly Press Conferences. It’s time to play Championship caliber football…
Yet we must ask ourselves; although the Spartans compiled a record of 11-2 last season, did Mel Tucker simply catch lightning in a bottle?
Is he capable of turning this around?
Time will tell starting with Minnesota because reality lives on the football field.
Thank you for reading and I always welcome your comments and opinions.
