John Chavis opinions wanted...

by Zandor435 on Nov 30, 2009 3:57 PM EST Comment 8 comments

LSU fan here. After a full year w/ the Chavis D, I have mixed feelings. Our D this year was significantly better than last year b/c we had a simpler scheme. Our LB's are much better this year w/ only one year under him. However, we have been out-gained almost every game this year. And we seem to give up a lot of 3rd and longs b/c we only rush 3. Was this typical when he was at UT? From your perspective, what kind of things should LSU fans expect of his philosophy? Do you guys like Monte Kiffin more than Chavis? Do you think Chavis fits his D to his players, or rather forces his players into his scheme? Any comments are welcome.

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3rd and Chavis!

He had some great defenses here at UT, but his Achilles heel was always 3rd and long. The defense would play great on 1st and 2nd but then just sit back and get picked apart on 3rd. Lots of 15 yard slants on 3rd and 12 where the WR had a 5 yard cushion. This also became a problem at the end of games. We had a tendency to use the prevent defense in a way that got us killed (see: Jabar Gaffney game in ’00 vs. UF, Hobnail Boot game in ’01 vs. UGA).

In short, he did some great work, but I wasn’t too sad to see him go. He was great with his back against the wall, but his defenses didn’t play well in favorable situations (e.g. 3rd and long, protecting a late lead). I do like Monte better, although he doesn’t blitz quite as much and we have given up a lot of screen passes this year. He’s had to handle a lot of injuries, and he’s been great at putting guys where they fit.

by Incipient_Senescence on Nov 30, 2009 4:03 PM EST reply actions

I love Chavis

But 3rd down and Chavis has been a frustrating problem for a long, long time. He makes some awesome linebackers — Jerod Mayo was NFL rookie of the year a few seasons ago — and I’m sure you’ve seen the stats about how good he is. If he could ever correct that durned 3rd down and long issue I think he’d be one of the greatest defensive coordinators of all time.

Do I like Monte more? Ask me in a season or two. Outlook: positive.

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by bobo_the_vol on Nov 30, 2009 4:31 PM EST reply actions

some thoughts...

some lsu buddies of mine have come up w/ a hypothesis. Love to hear if it matches or doesn’t match your experiences.

It seems that a Chavis D will make the offense execute perfectly or near perfectly in order to move the ball. He almost seems to have a “bend but don’t break” philosophy at times.

That style would contrast w/ a more aggressive and risky attacking D like what Saban is known for. The aggressive D (saban D) seems to hope to force the QB into quick decisions by applying pressure w/ extra rushers (lbs or secondary).

I say Chavis is more like the “bend but don’t break” philosophy than the aggressive one. He does blitz at times, but by and large we get very little pressure on the QB. We have finished the year w/ 20 sacks. This to me is by design more than not having the players to do it.

by Zandor435 on Nov 30, 2009 4:43 PM EST reply actions

That sounds about right.

It results in statistical oddities like 3rd and Chavis (but you get more than your share of 3rd and short stops, I think). He certainly knows how to coach LBs, although he seems to make sure they have a great understanding of positioning. I was always more impressed with his secondary work; enjoy having Patrick Petersen be able to cover half the field on his own next season.

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by Graysnail on Nov 30, 2009 7:50 PM EST up reply actions

Improvement, even if not perfect

LSU is 12th nationally in scoring defense this year (16 points per game). Last year they were 56th (24.2 points per game). He’s among the best at putting the best players in the best positions to make a play.

But yeah…if you’re running that mustang package on 3rd down with three down linemen and six DBs, giving up third and long comes with the territory because of little pressure. By contrast, the Vols have been killed on screen passes on 3rd down this year because we’ve been more agressive with Monte.

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by Will on Nov 30, 2009 11:11 PM EST reply actions

Chavis's most glaring weakness is that he refuses to recruit...

granted, at a place like LSU with a distinct geographical recruiting advantage, this probably isn’t much of an issue. From an X’s and O’s standpoint, Chavis does some things very well. He’s a premier linebacker coach and his defenses play incredibly hard. He generally schemes very well initial gameplanning and makes excellent halftime adjustments, especially against the run. His scheme places a lot of pressure on the back 7 in my opinion, and I think he has a tendency to drop his linebackers too deep into coverage. Chavis has been criticized by those with greater football iq’s than I for not varying up his blitz schemes enough, especially on third downs, and instead sitting more in base packages.

by VikingVol on Dec 1, 2009 3:02 PM EST reply actions

Chavis's biggest problem is perception.

His defenses are strong in the things you don’t see (e.g. shutting down running lanes, smart linebacker play) but have their weaknesses in things you do see and remember (e.g.3rd downs). So you’ll notice the negatives a lot easier than the positives.

by Hooper on Dec 1, 2009 3:09 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

thanks for the comments....

I personally would take Monte over Chavis b/c I respect Kiffin’s ability that much. I think Monte Kiffin will tweak his schemes to fit the college game better next year and you guys will be better for it.

I personally prefer a pressure defense in the college game b/c I think the odds of forcing qb errors are greater than the odds of getting burned. I think these odds even go up when you have better than average players on D as LSU I think has b/c of our last couple of years of recruiting.

If recruiting keeps going the way it has at UT, I think you guys will reap the rewards of MK’s defensive philosophy.

by Zandor435 on Dec 2, 2009 11:06 AM EST reply actions