Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

Improved defense boosts Coastal

CONWAY -- Despite the team's all-around struggles in 2008, Coastal Carolina's defensive line became the most popular target for the critics - inside and outside the program.

Coaches, teammates, fans and the media blamed the unit for the team's inability to stand strong at the point of attack, one reasons the Chanticleers struggled mightily against the run. A year later, Coastal's defensive line is much improved, helping the entire defense make strides toward rectifying its image.

Although Clemson gained 400 total yards and 252 on the ground last week, Coastal's front four might have played its best game of the season. The Tigers' offensive line was much bigger but never thoroughly bullied or dominated the Chants in the trenches as many would have expected.

"I think it's a big improvement," defensive line coach Antoine Rivens said, comparing 2008 to 2009. "We're still working with them, but they understand what we need for them to do in terms of assignments and gaps. Last year, a lot of them were still learning on the run. Now that they are comfortable with what we're doing, they're just trying to go out and execute.

"We're still not where we need to be, but we're making strides to where we need to go."

Considering the depth returning at linebacker and in the secondary, it stood to reason in the preseason that the play of Coastal's defensive line might control the team's fate. Coastal's offensive struggles have rendered that point moot, but much of the defense's improvement - despite playing two FBS opponents, the Chants are giving up 17 fewer yards per game this season - can be attributed to its play up front.

"I think we've played much better and it shows," defensive tackle Rob Balkunas said. "I don't think we're all the way there yet. Our record, 3-5, is not what we're shooting for whatsoever, so I don't know how much it's helped. But I do feel in comparison to last year, we are much better."

The play of Balkunas and fellow tackles Chad McField, Dexter Holman and Jeremy Harden, has been a big reason why the Chants have improved. None of has more than 22 tackles, but they've taken on blocks and allowed the linebackers to make plays.

A year ago, Balkunas, a junior college transfer, was in his first season at Coastal, and McField, Holman and Harden were just freshmen. Their struggles allowed opponents to run at will at times in 2008. Now a year smarter and tighter, the status quo has changed.

Rivens believes their form was boosted by the arrival of true freshmen Donnie Owens and Matt Johnson, who is now out for the season with a broken arm. The program has traditionally turned big defensive ends into tackles, but specifically recruited that duo for their ability to play inside.

"It pushed them to another level," Rivens said. "Matt and Donnie weren't ready from day one, but they saw they were big, strong guys that could do some things. The other guys, Chad, Dexter and Rob, stepped it up even more. I think they would have anyway, but they knew last year when they looked over their shoulder there wasn't anybody to replace them at all. Now we have some depth."

Coastal's pass rush has been buoyed by the return of senior defensive end Phillip Oboh, whose 4.5 sacks leads the Big South. Redshirt freshman Quinton Davis, who plays a hybrid end/outside linebacker position, has three sacks off the other edge and has been solid despite the varying roles he's asked to fill.

"I think everybody this year," Oboh said, "really knows more of the material."