October 2, 2014 · 3:08 PM

Um… maybe this Pruitt guy’s not so bad, after all.

David Hale has a few interesting stats about FSU’s defense worth sharing with you.

Now, the ‘Noles lost a goodly chunk of talent to the NFL, so that’s a factor.  But they also lost a certain defensive coordinator.  I gotta think that’s a factor, too.

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34 responses to “Um… maybe this Pruitt guy’s not so bad, after all.”

  1. charlottedawg
    October 2, 2014 at 3:52 PM

    Unless we were way better or worse than last year I don’t get how anyone can have an opinion of Pruitt good or bad. I’m waiting until at the very earliest middle of 2015 before I can feel like I’d have a fact based assessment of the guy. That would be the absolute earliest you would see how the guy recruits and how the players have or haven’t developed under his staff’s tutelage. That being said the Grantham left a hot mess and Pruitt has a lot of work to do. I’d advise patience even if the defense isn’t that great come year end.

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    • Bulldawg165
      October 2, 2014 at 4:10 PM

      Very well said. I’d throw in that Pruitt wasn’t even at FSU long enough to form a solid opinion of him as a DC, either.

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    • CannonDawg
      October 2, 2014 at 4:13 PM

      You’re right, Charlotte. Results will ultimately be the yardstick by which Pruitt will be measured. And yes, that may take a while. But if the players are being coached up and developing better fundamentals, and if it’s clear they’re starting to buy what Pruitt is selling, and if a discernible toughness and junkyard mentality is starting to show up in their play, we’ll know we’re on the right track. And we should be able to see that before mid-2015.

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      • IveyLeaguer
        October 2, 2014 at 4:22 PM

        IMO, we’re seeing a bit of it already. Certain things like key stops, improved fundamentals, and making plays to help us win games. In four games, the defense has yet to fail to makes plays that help us win.

        Recruiting appears vastly improved.

        It’s just a start, and there are miles to go before we sleep, but to me it’s a very positive sign.
        ~~~

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  2. jabo052
    October 2, 2014 at 4:03 PM

    Well they’ve made plays that won one game and gave us a perfect opportunity in another so there’s that. They’re playing more disciplined and they’re ready for most every down so there’s that, too. I’d say that’s decent improvement.

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  3. Bryant Denny
    October 2, 2014 at 4:06 PM

    Hale looks a lot like Richard Petty.

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    • W Cobb Dawg
      October 3, 2014 at 9:27 AM

      Actually, he looks like a cartoon version of Petty. But seems like it would be tough to pick the real Petty if you put their pics side-by-side.

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  4. Bulldawg165
    October 2, 2014 at 4:08 PM

    Pruitt was also only the defensive coordinator for one season, so the “from 2010 to 2013” stats have to be taken with a grain of salt. I am excited about the future of our defense, but the devil’s advocate in me wants to say that a good chunk of the 2013 success was likely attributable to talent as well (which we should have in the future at Georgia). After all, whoever came before Pruitt managed to do just as well for the two years prior (except for possibly turnover margin as I think someone pointed out in a previous thread awhile back).

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    • Reverend Whitewall
      October 2, 2014 at 5:02 PM

      Yeah gotta admit, I had some devil’s advocate in me as I ready this too. The response of a lot of folks to that AJC troll piece about Grantham earlier this week was that Grantham is benefiting from having players who were well trained and well disciplined by the previous staff (and I’m not saying I disagree). But if you applied that same logic here, you could say Pruitt benefited from having well trained guys inherited from Stoops, but then must not have continued that development because now the players their current DC inherited from Pruitt are underperforming. And no, I’m not saying that’s what I believe, but the logic cuts both ways.

      It’s possible Grantham took some of the lessons he learned here and is honestly doing a better job at Louisville than he did here, especially last year. And it’s possible Pruitt did a great job of training and developing the younger FSU players last year, and the current DC just isn’t that good. But as you stated above, it’s too early to really have a definitive opinion on these topics either way.

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      • Bulldawg165
        October 2, 2014 at 5:14 PM

        “But if you applied that same logic here, you could say Pruitt benefited from having well trained guys inherited from Stoops, but then must not have continued that development because now the players their current DC inherited from Pruitt are underperforming”

        Woah. That’s a scary good point. Hopefully time will tell a good story of Pruitt and not a bad one. I agree that there are definitely reasons to be skeptical, but it seems we also both agree that there are more reasons to be optimistic.

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  5. Skeptic Dawg
    October 2, 2014 at 4:23 PM

    We may need to slow our role on making any type of judgements regarding Pruitt just yet. As Bulldawg165 stated above, Pruitt was the DC at FSU for 1 season. To date the Dawgs are giving up an average of 35 points per game vs SEC teams and an average of 22 points per game vs all opponents this season. Also, the Dawgs are giving up an average 338 yards this season. This defense is far from good. Pruitt may be the next Erk or he could be the next Grantham or Crazy Willie. Oh yeah, Pruitt, who has never coached a bad secondary, is making every opposing QB look like the next Dan Marino. Good job? Not yet.

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    • I Wanna Red Cup
      October 2, 2014 at 10:31 PM

      Your role is to not look at any evidence that does not support you eyeore view. If you cannot see sounder fundamentals, taking proper angles, better tackling, more 3rd down stops, etc, then you are not looking or refusing to look. It is clear there are stretches we are making great strides, and at times we make mistakes. Inconsistency for sure. But, no doubt we are sounder. And your refusal to admit it is disappointing
      but typical of many GA “fans” who have an agenda for whatever reason.

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      • IveyLeaguer
        October 2, 2014 at 10:35 PM

        …sounder fundamentals, taking proper angles, better tackling, more 3rd down stops … It’s clear there are stretches we are making great strides, and at times we make mistakes. Inconsistency for sure. But, no doubt we are sounder.

        I have to agree, Cup.
        ~~~

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  6. uglydawg
    October 2, 2014 at 4:36 PM

    Keep in mind, also, that FSU plays in the ACC but has SEC caliber talent.’
    Georgia plays in the SEC against SEC caliber talent (duh). But it may be a factor.

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  7. AusDawg85
    October 2, 2014 at 4:49 PM

    UGA steals D coordinators. FSU steals crab legs.

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    • 81Dog
      October 2, 2014 at 7:56 PM

      to quote former All Pro WR Rod Tidwell, FSU has some guys guilty of shoplifting, ummm, something besides crab legs, allegedly.

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  8. Dawg19
    October 2, 2014 at 5:05 PM

    Florida Sate has been in the Top Ten in recruiting since 2010, so it’s not like the cupboard was bare when Pruitt left.

    http://sports.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/teamrank/2011/all/all

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  9. jabo052
    October 2, 2014 at 10:07 PM

    Sure he’s not been a DC long but he’s been highly successful none the less. Being at the programs he’s been at helped, too, but we aren’t that far off. Just gotta get more talent in the backfield and accept that we’re gonna be young back there for a couple years. Obviously, he has a little more of a challenge here.

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    • IveyLeaguer
      October 2, 2014 at 10:28 PM

      Just gotta get more talent in the backfield and accept that we’re gonna be young back there for a couple years.

      Yeah, I think so.

      Unless I miss my guess, in 2017 I’d be surprised if any of our secondary guys who are playing now will be playing much, if at all. Certainly not starting (we have at least one, Parrish, who isn’t playing now but has a chance).

      They’ll be guys from the 2015 and 2016 classes (Pruitt’s first two). So we’ll still be young, which means we’ll be young ’til at least 2018.

      But these coming years will be far better than anything we’ve had the last 9 years, IMHO. Heck, this year could be as good as most of those years. I mean, there’s still a chance, if they keep getting better, even with the personnel losses of late.
      ~~~

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  10. jabo052
    October 2, 2014 at 10:14 PM

    Crazy thing is that he still has more big boy DC experience than anyone else Richt has hired since he came here. Think about that. Lol!

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    • siskey
      October 3, 2014 at 5:47 AM

      While the results may not be there yet, the defense, seems to at least be able to get off the field when it needs to. The South Carolina game still hurts but the interception by Swann and the possession after when they got the first down show improved effort and better fundamentals.
      We have yet to see 3rd & 15 turn into the equivalent of 1st & goal or the play before the other teams extra point team comes on the field too. So if we can continue to improve (especially in light of the attrition at DB) and can somehow figure out how to not leave Wilson and/or Herrera in coverage, I will call the 2014 Defense a success.

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  11. Gaskilldawg
    October 3, 2014 at 6:44 AM

    UGA after one-third of 2014 games has a statistically better defense than number one FSU after one-third of 2014 games:

    Scoring defense:

    FSU. 25.3 points/game
    UGA 22.8 points/game

    Advantage UGA

    Rushing defense:

    FSU 168.25 yards/game

    UGA 107 yards/game

    Advantage UGA by a huge margin

    Passing defense:

    FSU. 235 yards/game
    UGA 231.8 yards/game

    Advantage UGA

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  12. Spike
    October 3, 2014 at 7:01 AM

    I’m the Foreman of the jury who is still out on him. However, he is better than what we had.

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  13. eethomaswfnc
    October 3, 2014 at 7:45 AM

    When Pruitt gets the cupboard stocked, he’s going to do a good job. The question is whether theBulldog Nation will be patient with him while he fixes the mess he was given. Lakatos was a disaster as a secondary coach and recruiter, and Grantham just didn’t know how to scheme against the spread offense while he was here.

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