Texas A&M Football: Nicholls St win confirms three major issues

3. John Chavis has forgotten how to coach

I don’t really believe this and it’s obviously just tongue-in-cheek hyperbole. But something has happened between the first half of the UCLA game and right this second. Chavis’ defenses at LSU were known for speed, blitzing, aggression and keeping Les Miles employed.

After giving up 30 points in a half to the Bruins and getting Josh Rosen’s mojo back on track (five touchdown passes Saturday in a route against Hawaii) he allowed 14 points to an FCS school and 264 passing yards to Chase Fourcade. Fourcade threw 174 of those yards to Damion Jeanpiere Jr. at an insane 34.8 yards per catch.

Chavis likes to blitz and play man behind it, and we saw how that pressure got to Rosen and UCLA while the defense was still rested. But once the offense stalled it became harder and harder to get a pass rush out of the Aggies linebackers. The defenders started putting their hands on their knees and when you’re tired you lack the burst for delayed blitzes and to chase quarterbacks.

Chavis is used to a defense full of players trained by the staff of Tommy Moffitt back in his time at LSU. Moffitt came to Baton Rouge, LA from Miami and LSU began to win immediately. He’s known all over the country for his athletic performance prowess and having New Orleans and Baton Rouge talent with his strength and conditioning made for dominant defenses in Death Valley.

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With the defenders looking so gassed in the second half at Texas A&M I would bet Chavis is a bit baffled and the importance of strength and conditioning can’t be lost on anyone- it’s the difference between national championships (Mickey Marotti at Florida and Ohio State) and mediocrity (Andreu Swasey at Miami and FIU).