Last night I watch the replay of LSU's 1997 win over #1 Florida. DiNardo's defense employed the "bend but don't break" philosophy. The whole game it looked like the Gators were dominating on offense but LSU came up with enough turnovers to win the game. Obviously it was the right strategy for the game since LSU won but I like Saban's "Don't Bend" strategy better. Occasionally Saban's defense breaks like in the 93 yard TD in the Georgia game but Saban's defense never bends. Saban's D gets a lot of 3 and outs. DiNardo's D was on the field a lot longer and Florida had a lot longer time of possession.
An argument that DiNardo is better than Saban. DiNardo actually beat Saban in an Independence Bowl. That doesn't mean that it would happen again. Perhaps if that LSU team could play that Fla team again, the result would also be different. You are right that CNS is a better defensive coach than DiNardo. That's an easy one, because Dinardo is an offensive coach . . . or rather, has more coaching experience on the offensive side of the ball. Overall, CNS is a significantly stronger HC than Dinardo. Nobody knew it for sure at the time, but CNS has improved LSU and LSU has improved CNS . . . he is now considered to be one of the top HCs in any sport at any level. I predict that history will record that CNS is right up there with Vince Lombardi, who we all know is the greatest coach of all time.
It wasn't Dinardo's defense it was the coordinator Carl Reese that Dinardo replaced with the great Lou Tepper. Dinardo Had to have really good coordinators to succeed and it showed when they left and were replaced by unqualified assistants from inside the program. However I really like Sabans defense over Reese's but Saban also has much more talent to work with. :geaux: :lsug: :champs:
I also watched the replay. Although it may have been his best game as a Tiger, Herb Tyler solidified his place as one of my all time favorite LSU players.
I agree. Carl Reese was the architech of that defense, not Dinardo. It was definitely a read-and-react kind of defense. Nicks defense is more of a pro-style. Nick likes outstanding cover corners and leaves them all alone sometimes and can bring up to eight or nine on the blitz. Nicks defense is designed to confuse the offense. He's more agressive and takes more chances, like dropping 300-pound defensive linemen into pass coverage. But when you have the athletes, you have to go for it.
I Don't like a bend but don't break defense....... You give thier offense to many chances plus if you go with Sabans Defense you will have more time with the ball on offense which equals more scoring chances for yourself. I disagree that it was the right defense at the right time just because we won a game. Saban did lose to Dinardo but I would argue that the players were just better or maybe better seasoned, experienced at the time. I think its a lot harder for your defense to play the whole game than your offense....
teams now fear Saban's attack defense. Our defensive players are getting more publicity...which opens the eyes of the NFL. I don't remember anyone worrying about LSU's 'bend, don't break' defense. Overall...Saban's defense for the players
Remember, the Texas fans are excited that Carl Reese is no longer their defensive coordinator. They didn't take kindly to getting lit up for half a hundred by Jason White and crew in the last Red River Shootout. Tepper, however, was in a class by himself. My all-time favorite Sam King column was after the '98 Ole Miss game (we ended up losing in overtime, I think.) His opening line was something like, "Ole Miss won the toss to start the game and elected to SCORE." He then followed up with, "Lou Tepper has said it will take three years to install his defense at LSU. Let's hope that Year Two includes TACKLING." That says it all about Tepper's tenure here.
I've come to learn (mainly from listening to guys like Curley Hallman and Lou Tepper talk) that when a coach says it's going to take X-number of years to do this or Y-number of years to do that, it's code for "I don't have the first clue as to what I'm doing, but I'm going to throw that out there to buy myself some time and cover my backside."
