by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
THE IMPORTANCE OF TURNOVERS
- During the LFCA Coaches Clinic from Tigers' Defensive Coordinator Daronte Jones, the former NFL & Louisiana high school assistant / coordinator focused on the power of turnovers for most of his allotted time....very good news for a returning LSU defense which suffered their worst ever season, finishing ranked 124th in the country.
Yes, while LSU's 2020 defense were godawful (9.98 yards per passing attempt), this unit actually forced a ton of turnovers:
Daronte Jones' potent mix of exuberant youth and experienced veterans return from 2020 forcing 10 fumbles, recovering 7 more, capturing 13 interceptions; additionally, this young Tigers unit achieved something LSU fans hadn't seen since 2014: more than 2 defensive touchdowns. Eli Ricks (x2), Jabril Cox (1 1/2) and Jay Ward punched in 4 defensive scores (Cox a centimeter from a 5th), supplying Daronte Jones with a strong platform to build his "get the ball" mentality.
From showing "punch out" drills and even a diagram of where to punch the ball, he explained the "rip" technique where you're "prying the ball out of the ball carrier's hands, or even the stumble bum:
"Down and hard...violently punching at the ball....violently attacking the ball, now it's all about the pry right there. You're just developing habits for guys, you're trying to separate the elbow from the ribs and punch that ball. Be aware of the ball. You want to make a sound tackle of course, but it's about the ball. It's all about the ball."
-Daronte wants 30 strip attempts per practice.
-He talked batting the ball at the line of scrimmage & different drills to aid in that production.
-Daronte had different verbage for practicing certain scenarios, such as a fumbling situation where a defender has the space and time to scoop the ball up and score...Daronte called that "country";
On the other side of the coin, when a defender only has time to hop on and secure the ball before an instant pile-up, Jones dubbed it "city".
"We want our guys to know the difference between city and country".....
It may seem to some like a bunch of weird, elitist football mumbo jumbo, but as a former player myself I have to say....this kinda stuff helps the mind lock in the information.
The best coaching is where a player is on the field, identifies the open space, takes into account the ball's bounce, and as he runs up to scoop and score, he's yelling "country! Country! Country!" inside the caverns of his own mind...or screaming "CITY!!!!" as he jumps on top of the ball as if it were a live grenade.
That's what great teaching is all about...tricks to help the mind ascertain and store information.
Right now, Defensive Coordinator Daronte Jones has a defensive unit who are ready for vengeance after 2020's disappointing embarrassment.
This defense has already been blowing up our offense in practices or scrimmages thus far, showcasing a savage defensive line, a deliriously pacy linebacking crew and the most talented secondary in college football.
Can they produce??
We'll investigate the 2021 defense even further this week.
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by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2021 Uninterrupted Writings Inc LLC
SHOUTOUTS: LFCA for putting these clinics on! Thank you! Don't charge so much!
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