SIU football Football fall camp starts looking for improved 'D'

In 1984, Hall of Fame College head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant was fond of saying "defense wins championships." And actually, sports psychologist Mark Otten scientifically supported that old saw in a recent thecon versation.com article.

"We ran a regression analysis on that for NFL teams a few months back," Otten said. "And the fewer regular season yards a team allows, the more play-off wins they gain that season."

SIU's fall camp started this week with the hope that the Salukis' defense will at least win more games in 2019 than 2018, when they were 2-9.

Last season SIU finished 10th out of 10 teams in the MVFC in rushing defense, passing defense and total defense. So they would have been on the lower end of Otten's bell curve as far as winning any games, let alone championships.

SIU's 2019 returnees accounted for 515 of the team's 770 tackles in 2018. So that's the good news. Returning inside linebacker Bryce Notree (6-foot-4, 245 pounds) led the way last year with 78 total tackles. Safety Jeremy Chinn, coming back from a 2018 injury, had 55 tackles, and outside linebacker Luke Geigling had 52.

Along the defensive line are veteran Saluki defensive ends Anthony Knighton (45 tackles) and Jordan Berner (33), who will again lead the way. But the bad news is that certain positions have little depth to counter any future injuries. Inside linebacker only lists three players - and two are needed to complete a defensive team at that position. Tim Johns (6-foot-2, 223 pounds), the aforementioned Notree and sophomore Bryson Strong (5-foot-10, 241 pounds) are good, but if one gets hurt, then what?

One could use a listed outside linebacker to plug the gap, like Nick Terrena. The red-shirt freshman was great in spring ball and has a nose for ball carriers. Also a possibility is Makel Calhoun or even former starter Cody Crider. Crider has been recovering from a knee injury incurred last fall.

The next neediest position on the Saluki defense is cornerback. Veteran Madre Harper (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) is back in 2019 after picking up 46 tackles last season. That's quite a few for a cornerback, but he needs help. Thus, Coach Nick Hill signed two early summer prospects last May using Harper's frame as a guide.

University of Utah transfer Tre' Strong (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) and Christian Maddox (6-foot-3, 192 pounds) are both big, strong and fast. SIU's safety position is in good shape with All-American candidate Chinn (6-3, 212 pounds), Mike Ebert and Justin Strong.

Also, look for Jakari Patterson (6-foot-2, 196 pounds), a true freshman from Cincinnati, to possibly battle for playing time.