In the three years Kevin Sumlin has been in College Station, he’s become something of a evil genius when it comes to offense.
However, the defense hasn’t been nearly as revered.
But on Tuesday, Sumlin stepped to the SEC Media Days podium and proclaimed times were changing with the addition of defensive coordinator John Chavis, who Sumlin said has already had a profound effect on the program.
“His style, we've studied it so much over the course of the last three years in the off-season to try to get better,” Sumlin said. “Like I told him, ‘I know this thing like the back of my hand. I just need to know what you call it because I can tell you what it is.’ I've been looking at it in the off-season trying to figure out a way to score more points than we've scored. But transition for he and his family have been great. The buy in, as I said, for our players has been exceptional.”
Sumlin aimed high when he sought out Chavis during the offseason. He knew that Chavis was the mastermind behind one of the few defenses able to stop A&M’s powerhouse offense. In three seasons, A&M has averaged 41.3 points per game, but just 15.3 in games against LSU.
Chavis was Tennessee’s defensive coordinator when the Volunteers won the national championship at the end of the 1998 season. When he got to LSU in 2009, the Tigers’ defense went from 32nd to 26th in total defense and 56th and 11th in scoring defense during the first year. Chavis’ last five LSU teams finished in the top 12 in total defense.
That’s why A&M had no issue signing Chavis to a three-year deal worth $1.67 million annually, which was more than the $1.33 million extension offered by LSU.
“We've studied the defense. We get it. We struggled. It's a great fit for us and a great fit for him,” Sumlin said. “He was ready for a new challenge. We were in the market, obviously, and here's a guy who's got a tremendous track record in the SEC and recently in the SEC West. So his knowledge of opponents, his knowledge of the league helps me as a head coach, but it also helps our team and brings confidence right away to a defense that really needed it.”
Last season, the Aggies ranked 102nd in total defense and allowed at least 34 points in four of their five losses. If Chavis is able to execute the type of defense he had with LSU at A&M, the Aggies might be the unexpected favorites of the SEC West.
But that’s getting a little ahead of ourselves.
Chavis plays a base 4-3 scheme with an extra pass rusher, which leaves his cornerbacks in man-to-man coverage. The Aggies have the players up front — led by sophomore defensive end Myles Garret, who set a SEC freshman record with 11.5 sacks last season — but it’s yet to be seen whether the Aggies have the defensive backs to execute the system. The passing defense allowed 234.8 yards per game last year, which ranked 80th in the country and last in the conference.
But Sumlin is confident that this is the year that things turn around.
“All I can do is tell you that John coming to us really has helped our intensity level as a defense and our confidence level as a defense,” Sumlin said. “Are we going to be the '82 Bears? I don't know. But I know that our confidence level is better. Where we are, we're playing faster, we're playing harder, and we're being more physical, and that's what we needed.”
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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