I still think it's too early to tell, but I feel like Mullen was more impactful in the way he was used last year. He rarely blitzes and he is one of the best athletes on the team, part of what made the Hoosiers defense fun to watch last year was all of the unique blitz packages they would bring. I don't think he is playing any worse this year, but he is definitely playing a more traditional CB role than he did last year, he's been beaten twice for TD's, but both of them were outstanding plays by guys that had at least 4 inches on Mullen, so they don't worry me too much.
I just feel like sometimes you don't even realize he's out there, not that it's a bad thing, if he is mostly just dropping back into coverage it means he isn't being targeted, but I feel like he is so effective because of his versatility. I think with the defensive line being a significant upgrade from a year ago it makes sense that our blitz packages are a little bit more conventional this season, but I would like to see Mullen blitz every once in a while.
I am not in support of, or against the way Mullen is being used in our defense, or really any of the changes made by Charlton Warren as of right now. We haven't really had a good game to judge, against Iowa the Hawkeyes offense stopped trying after the two pick 6's, but only put up 20 against our defense, 14 against Idaho isn't great, but I feel like that was more just the defense stopped trying than anything else. Cincy is similar to Iowa, the defense only gave up 24 conventional points against Cincy(7 after the pick to set up Cincy at the 10 yard line and the kick return TD), which is pretty good, but they only have one pick through three games. Part of the reason for those picks(apart from great coverage and awareness by our secondary last year) was the fact that the QB wouldn't know what he blitz he was seeing, panic and launch the ball to blanketed receiver.
I believe Warren's defense can be just as effective as Wommack's, I do think that for Warren's defense to be effective we are going to need to keep giving him talented players because if we used his schemes with the 2020 defensive line, that defense would've been really mediocre, not nearly as many TO's as last year fs, heck when we were forced put in a mediocre to bad MLB versus an All American, the defense fell apart, just one player albeit an important one and we collapsed. It makes me question the sustainability of this defense once injuries start piling up.
What do you guys think of the new look for IU's defense under Warren?
I just feel like sometimes you don't even realize he's out there, not that it's a bad thing, if he is mostly just dropping back into coverage it means he isn't being targeted, but I feel like he is so effective because of his versatility. I think with the defensive line being a significant upgrade from a year ago it makes sense that our blitz packages are a little bit more conventional this season, but I would like to see Mullen blitz every once in a while.
I am not in support of, or against the way Mullen is being used in our defense, or really any of the changes made by Charlton Warren as of right now. We haven't really had a good game to judge, against Iowa the Hawkeyes offense stopped trying after the two pick 6's, but only put up 20 against our defense, 14 against Idaho isn't great, but I feel like that was more just the defense stopped trying than anything else. Cincy is similar to Iowa, the defense only gave up 24 conventional points against Cincy(7 after the pick to set up Cincy at the 10 yard line and the kick return TD), which is pretty good, but they only have one pick through three games. Part of the reason for those picks(apart from great coverage and awareness by our secondary last year) was the fact that the QB wouldn't know what he blitz he was seeing, panic and launch the ball to blanketed receiver.
I believe Warren's defense can be just as effective as Wommack's, I do think that for Warren's defense to be effective we are going to need to keep giving him talented players because if we used his schemes with the 2020 defensive line, that defense would've been really mediocre, not nearly as many TO's as last year fs, heck when we were forced put in a mediocre to bad MLB versus an All American, the defense fell apart, just one player albeit an important one and we collapsed. It makes me question the sustainability of this defense once injuries start piling up.
What do you guys think of the new look for IU's defense under Warren?
