Late bye week not a concern for Saluki defense
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois will be one of the last conference teams to have its bye week, but the Saluki defense doesn’t feel worn down and isn’t concerned about playing nine-consecutive weeks without a break.
“Our guys love football,” said defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske. “They are ultra-competitive players.”
The Salukis (3-5, 1-3) host Northern Iowa on Saturday, and then get a two-week before playing at Indiana State on Nov. 7. The game versus the No. 21-ranked Panthers (3-3, 2-1) will be SIU’s fourth-straight ranked opponent, and Pronschinske said, “that in itself is enough to keep you fresh.”
“Yes, there’s the physical nature of playing smash-mouth football in the Valley, but in the same breath, you're seeing really good offensive schemes and really good players each week,” he said. “I think mentally that keeps guys locked-in and sharp, even with a late bye week.”
Three-straight losses have not dampened the defenses’s confidence, and the latest grades from PFF show the defense continuing to play well.
“I think we're seeing the culture that we've cultivated, sharpened and refined over the last 22 months on full display right now,” Pronschinske said. “The win-loss numbers aren’t where we want it to be, but the culture, the attitude, is showing up. There are no moral victories, but there's a great sense of pride that's being showcased.”
Coordinator’s Corner: StrongDawgs conversation with defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske
SD: Were you surprised to see Illinois State settle on a quarterback and did that cause the defense any issues?
LP: No, it was something we were anticipating with them coming off the bye week. Schematically, those two guys are very similar players, so none of that dictated how we called it or played the game.
SD: The first two touchdown drives had to be frustrating, because you had them in multiple third and fourth downs, and just couldn’t come up with the stop.
LP: Actually, we would lump those first three touchdown drives all together. There were seven difference-making plays that we left out there that we needed to capitalize on to flip momentum, and make that jump from good to great. I can go through them.
On the first 4th-and-1, we did a really good job of fitting it up, and it comes down to where the ball gets spotted and you can't lose sleep over that. The 3rd-and-6 play, Vinny (Pierre Jr.) would obviously want back, but Vinny played really well all day. He did a great job on coverage and tackling in space, but just allowed too much access on that play. The 4th-and-1 from the 1, Beamer (Andrew Behm) and (Chris) Presto were in position and both will tell you that they got to make that tackle at the goal line. That play is the difference between going from good to great.
On the second drive, we called the timeout on third down, and we got exactly the look we wanted, and Gavin (Shepard) would tell you that he very easily could have turned that play into a pick-six or a tackle short of the sticks. We got a pass interference on the next third down, which happens in the game of football, and you'll never be mad at guys for playing hard. On the touchdown, if Amir (Dwight) doesn’t get tripped, he's getting a sack. Finally, after the first fumble, we forced them into 3rd-and-8 and allowed a catch at the sticks by Naz (Hill) where we could have forced a field goal.
SD: Vinny had 12 tackles in the game, never left the field, and seems to be playing his best football right now.
LP: I think it’s been four-straight weeks that we've done our Sunday recap and pointed out that Vinny's played his best football yet. He took on a good challenge last week defending Dylan Lord, and did a really good job on one of the league’s best slot wide receivers. He made plays in man coverage situations and open-space where he tackled them short of the sticks. He’s seen a lot of football and really studies tape, and it shows up in his ability to diagnose pre-snap and post-snap pictures.
SD: What did you see from safety Clayton Lakatos in his first appearance? He looked like a potential impact player in the spring and then has been out with the leg injury since training camp.
LP: It's been a long time coming to get him out there. To have an injury like that in fall camp, I’m proud of how Clayton handled the adversity when the timeline didn’t work the way he'd want it to work. That's hard on a player. I was excited to see him out there and move around the way he did and make a couple tackles. I think he can be a big piece of what we do defensively moving forward.
SD: Coach Hill pointed out that the offense is not giving the defense a lead to work with. When you're playing from behind versus having a lead, how does that affect the way you call a game?
LP: Defensively, we look at those situations as opportunities, because we control our own destiny when we're out there. Saturday was the first week all season we didn't have a takeaway. There were a couple opportunities on those first three drives for momentum-changing plays.
To your original question, when an offense plays from ahead, it generally has its full envelope of calls and can afford to play with house money a little bit, maybe take some shots. From a defensive call standpoint, you might be making a call to defend X, Y and Z, and then boom, something completely different shows up. If it's a close game or the offense is behind, offenses tend to follow the book a little bit more.
SD: Northern Iowa has been the surprise team of the league with the wins already over Illinois State and North Dakota. What's your impression of quarterback Jaxon Daily, who seems to have elevated his game this year?
LP: He's the catalyst for their offense and probably the catalyst of their program right now. He came in against us last year to start the second half and threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and hasn't looked back since.
He has an aura and a vibe about himself, and you can tell that guys gravitate toward him. He's just a gritty, hard-nosed player. He's going to lower his shoulder and get the extra yards. He’s really developed as a passer with some throws outside the numbers, especially in Valley play with some back-shoulder balls and leading guys open. He’s taken control now and it’s fully his team.
SD: You’re playing your ninth-straight week without a break since training camp. Any concerns about fatigue?
LP: Our guys love football. They are ultra-competitive players. Playing in the Missouri Valley is enough to keep you fresh. Yes, there’s the physical nature of playing smash-mouth football in the Valley, but in the same breath, you're seeing really good offensive schemes and really good players each week. I think mentally that keeps guys locked-in and sharp, even with a late bye week.
SD: The defense’s overall grade on PFF from last Saturday was quite good. Even though you’re not getting the bottom-line results in the win column, you have to be pleased with how well the defense is playing.
LP: I think we're seeing the culture that we've cultivated, sharpened and refined over the last 22 months on full display right now. The win-loss numbers aren’t where we want it to be, but the culture, the attitude, is showing up. There are no moral victories, but there's a great sense of pride that's being showcased.
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