Topic: Landon: Defense might not be enough...

[GreenSteve]

Marshall undoubtedly will have one of the better defensive units in Conference USA this football season.

There’s only one problem.

Defense doesn’t win games in C-USA.

This league is the most passing happy, scoring happy, offense happy conference this side of the Big 12.

Just look at the 2008 results.

Conference USA was one of only two FBS conferences — the other was the Big 12, of course — that averaged more than 400 yards total offense per game (401.8). C-USA also was second in the nation (again, behind the Big 12) in points per game at 28.8. C-USA also finished second behind the Big 12 in touchdown passes per game.

Those numbers don’t lie.

Check out the lowest scoring offenses in C-USA last season. The bottom five included No. 8 UAB (22.8 points per game), No. 9 SMU (21.3), No. 10 Marshall (20.5), No. 11 Tulane (16.7) and No. 12 UCF (16.6).

Those five schools combined for a 15-45 record.

So, no matter how good a C-USA team’s defense is, the bottom line is this league is dictated by offense.

Want more stats to prove that?

C-USA teams averaged 28.8 points per game last season. Of the seven teams that averaged less than that, only one managed a winning season.

Of course, that was C-USA champion East Carolina, but the Pirates were clearly an anomaly last season.

Take a look at the four league teams that posted eight or more wins last season. Tulsa averaged 47.2 points while going 11-3. Rice averaged 41.3 points and was 10-3. East Carolina was 9-5 despite averaging only 23.4 points. And Houston was 8-5 while averaging 40.6 points.

Simply put, in C-USA you’ve got to score to win.

Even the most defensive-oriented coach in the league — UCF’s George O’Leary — has come to grips with that fact of C-USA life.

“You have to play good defense, but in our conference you have to score points,” said O’Leary, during the C-USA Media Day teleconference last week.

“That’s something we have to get done this year if we want to be successful, as far as the conference championship is concerned.”

The same applies to Marshall.

The Herd is in the midst of a deadly spiral offensively, as MU’s scoring average has declined for consecutive seasons. In 2006, Marshall averaged 25.9 points. In ’07, it dropped to 24.8 points. And, then, last season it plummeted to 20.5 points.

So, an improved defense is all well and good, but it isn’t going to produce a winning season.
Not here. Not anywhere in Conference USA.

Marshall’s record will be as good — or as bad — as its offense performs.

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x1915896680/Chuck-Landon-Defense-might-not-be-enough

[marcbuff]

Hope this isn't a sad reality ::)