Wow. Wasn't able to watch, so I need some insight into the defense. Have injuries decimated them? Was our D simply outcoached? What was it? Is this something we can fix and shut down MAC offenses? I'd hate to waste the special opportunity we have this year b/c of a porous defense.

Happy to get out of there with a win.

I think injuries have hurt the secondary and opened up the pass game for our opponents. I'm sure UMASS's scouting report covered that, and they knew they would be coming into this game passing. Props to them for a toughly fought game!

I started counting missed tackles per play.  By 3 I was pretty loud. By 8 I was screaming at the TV.  One play I remember a UMass guy was dancing around at the near sideline and two defenders whiffed, fell to the ground, got up, and missed tackles again.  I wonder if they count that as 2 or 4 broken tackles.

There was also a QB scramble where our coverage (not sure if LB dropping or a secondary player) came up to make the tackle straight on.  Instead of wrapping him up, he threw himself at the QB's legs but with his whole body horizontal and facing our goal line.  I'm surprised the QB didn't hurdle him or simply side step and continue running.

Frustrating and aggravating win.  That cat is out of the bag though.  Everyone is going to throw on us.  Even if we cover deep, I can see swing or screen passes being a major pain for us with our tackling.  But can you practice tackling with the secondary being so beaten already up?

Lets not panic but I was watching and thinking that they were giving future opponents a template to beat us.  You can take advantage of the inexperience at DB by putting 4 and 5 WR on the field.

I agree that this was a very sloppy game by the defense. I felt that they didn't come out of the box and take control. Late in the game the defensive line was actually playing well. U.Mass's running game was shut down, and Ohio was getting some pressure, particularly from Huynh and Hastings. The problem is that by then the U.Mass offense was some confidence, and was playing well. If you don't take a home team out early, and let them hang close, it often becomes a real battle, as this was.

Watching the Kent vs BSU game and following the Miami vs Akron game where each team displayed total defensive meltdowns comparable to Foxboro, I see one slight difference.  In these other games the offenses were torching the the defenses on 1st, 2nd or third down and having receivers behind all defenders.  In OUr game, without doing a play-by-play it seemed the damage was mainly done on 3rd downs and little up top.  So is this a function of something regarding the defense, schemes, substitutions, no substitutions, getting tired or what that it would mainly be third down inefficiency?