9th in country in total defense and 31st in scoring defense . Not bad but perhaps /likely Elko has his eye on someone he thinks is better .

Durkin was crippled because we didn't have nearly enough good cover guys in the secondary

Mike Elko's defense allowed 30+ points just 8 times (2 times in 2018, 3 times in 2019, 2 times in 2020, and once in 2021) in 4 years.

1. 9/12/2018: 45-23 loss at Alabama

2. 11/24/2018: 74-72 7-OT win over LSU at Kyle Field; 31 allowed in regulation

3. 10/12/2019: 47-29 loss to Alabama at Kyle Field; 40 allowed by defense and 7 from a blocked punt return

4. 10/26/2019: 49-30 win over Mississippi State at Kyle Field

5. 11/30/2019: 50-7 loss at LSU; 48 allowed and 2 from a safety

6. 10/3/2020: 52-24 loss at Alabama; 45 allowed and 7 from an interception return

7. 10/10/2020: 41-38 win over Florida at Kyle Field

8. 10/9/2021: 41-38 win over Alabama at Kyle Field; 31 allowed by defense and 7 from a blocked punt return

In contrast, DJ Durkin allowed 30+ points 7 times in just 2 years.

1. 10/1/2022: 42-24 loss at Mississippi State; 28 allowed by defense, 7 from a blocked field goal return, and 7 more from an interception return

2. 10/22/2022: 30-24 loss at South Carolina: 23 allowed by defense and 7 from a 100-yard kickoff return

3. 10/29/2022: 31-28 loss to Ole Miss at Kyle Field

4. 11/5/2022: 41-24 loss to Florida at Kyle Field

5. 9/9/2023: 48-33 loss at Miami: 41 allowed by defense and 7 from a 98-yard kickoff return

6. 11/4/2023: 38-35 loss at Ole Miss

7. 11/25/2023: 42-30 loss at LSU.

In fairness, we allowed plenty of opposing special teams or defensive touchdowns over the last two years, especially this year. We allowed 21 non-offensive points in 2022 and 37-non-offensive points in 2023, dragging our scoring defense down a bit.

10/1/2022: Mississippi State scored 14 from a blocked field goal return and an interception return.

10/22/2022: South Carolina scored 7 from a kickoff return.

9/9/2023: Miami scored 7 from a kickoff return.

9/23/2023: Auburn scored 7 from a fumble return.

9/30/2023: Arkansas scored 7 from an interception return.

10/7/2023: Alabama scored 2 points from a safety.

10/14/2023: Tennessee scored 7 from a punt return.

11/11/2023: Mississippi State scored 7 from a kickoff return.

Yes, we ranked 31st in scoring defense (21.33 points allowed per game), but we struggled against top 35 scoring offenses (No. 1 LSU, No. 19 Ole Miss, and No. 35 Miami) this year. Our defense played well in the other 6 SEC games because of our great defensive linemen, not because of DJ Durkin's defensive schemes.

I really just want to wash the stench of jimbo out of this program

#1 in total defense. #3 in DFEI.

The Zoo is full of uneducated parrots.

Some of the best D talent in Aggie history. And LSU had 9 possessions (excl end of half/game kneel downs) and they scored 6 TDs.

Why we were so lucky to have him...NOT!

He was terrible. Every top 50 offense scored 30+ on us.

vander54 said:

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#1 in total defense. #3 in DFEI.

The Zoo is full of uneducated parrots.

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I usually like you but you are clueless with Urkin.

6 TDs on 9 possessions against LSU....oh man that guy Durkin was so good.

Can you imagine what he would do with NFL pro bowlers?

No I'm not. He's actually a very good DC. We held every team but 2 below their season averages. The 2 we didn't one was Ole Miss and they were only slightly above their average. The other was Miami and that was a true WTF game.

vander54 said:

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No I'm not. He's actually a very good DC. We held every team but 2 below their season averages. The 2 we didn't one was Ole Miss and they were only slightly above their average. The other was Miami and that was a true WTF game.

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Yes, I heard it all before. Holding LSU to 42 was so great. 6 TDs on 9 possessions!

What would you consider as bad that game???? 9 TDS on 9 possessions????

Top 50 offenses pretty much destroyed us. Why did we do so well in other games? Because of our great talent NOT URKIN!

rsf0626 said:

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I really just want to wash the stench of jimbo out of this program

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Hate to say it...but, you got a point there.

vander54 said:

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P.U.T.U said:

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$1.6 million salary, sucked at second half adjustment, ran a different base than Elko, got outcoached several times by much younger coaches.

He may be a good LB coach but as a DC with some of the highest rated players he did not impress me. Plus when you have the highest rated DL recruiting class ever and only play 3 I don't trust you are putting the players on the field that give you the best chance to win

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Doesn't run a different base. Not sure the second half crap was all him. Our offense didn't really ever help us in the second half.

The 3 man front argument is mainly a fallacy.

I wouldn't mind keeping him but I'm fine with replacing him as well.

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Way to take a stand.

He lied to our DL recruits when he took over saying he was going to to use a 4 man front

vander54 said:

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No I'm not. He's actually a very good DC. We held every team but 2 below their season averages. The 2 we didn't one was Ole Miss and they were only slightly above their average. The other was Miami and that was a true WTF game.

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It was a true WTF game BECAUSE of Durkin.

He did the same stupid **** he did the year before against Miss State, and AGAIN against Ole Miss.

He deferred pressure to coverage which NEVER works, but he just kept doing it.

Saying we had one of the best defenses in the country is a very strange take. Heard it more than once. Everyone is wrong and I am right. Screw smiley Durkin

No way, don't want to keep Durkin. Until he was seemingly forced to after the Miami game he didn't believe in pressuring the QB. Way too many 3 man fronts. I understand that as this season went on after the Miami game we had quite a few looks that looked like a 3 man front but it wasn't, we had 4 DL on the field and 2 LBs, but that doesn't change the fact that MANY times he did use a true 3 man DL and/or 3 man rush in 2022 and 2023, despite DL being the best and deepest position group on the team.

Furthermore, his D rankings are a mirage. Due to lack of pressure, our turnover #s are terrible, his defense rarely got turnovers in the biggest games.

Most importantly, unless the aTm DL had an overwhelming talent advantage, his defense rarely made stops when it mattered and or couldn't play a complete game. Vs. Bama this season we dominated the running game….. and got torched through the air. 2022 Durkin was the DC that gave up FOUR HUNDRED rushing yards to Ole Miss in Kyle Field….. that one game alone should have gotten him fired; absolutely inexcusable, Elko as DC using HS players could have schemed up better than to give up 400 yards rushing.

Lastly, I can't think of one game, one instance where the game was put on the defense and they delivered, maybe Miami and Pig 2022, though that is largely offset by not being able to get stops vs. App. State. I can think of many times the defense could not hold a lead or could not keep us in the game. Ole Miss scored with ease on their first two drives and we were in a 14-0 hole, and of course the D was poor and couldn't hold the lead immediately after we took the lead in 4Q. Offense played great in red stick and Durkin's D in the 2nd half was non-existent.

Any offense we played that had a half-way competent QB, Durkin's D just could not stop the offense and gave up chunk play after chunk play, loads of yards and points. See Miami, Bama, Ole Miss, lsu…….. we don't need the best DC in the world being paid almost $2 mill. per year to be able to stop and dominate State, Pig, USC, we need him to be able to do it in the most important games as well.

I think he is probably a very good LB coach, just not a good DC.

vander54 said:

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No I'm not. He's actually a very good DC. We held every team but 2 below their season averages. The 2 we didn't one was Ole Miss and they were only slightly above their average. The other was Miami and that was a true WTF game.

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That is a lame argument. Look at the drive charts for lsu in 2H.

Lack of QB pressure, lack of turnovers, inability to hold a lead, inability to play a complete game (always getting dominated by one phase of the offense), any half-way competent QB can move the ball on his defense fairly easily....