After four games, CMU’s defense from worst to first

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What a difference a year can make.

Last year, the football team’s defense was in shambles. It ranked last in the Mid-American Conference in total defense (423.8 yards per game) and eighth out of 13 teams in points allowed per game (30.2).

But through four games on the 2009 schedule, the numbers tell a different story. CMU is ranked first in scoring defense, giving up five points fewer than any team in the conference per game (16.8). As far as yardage, the Chippewas have made the leap from last to first, giving up 274 yards per game. The closest contender in the MAC is Ohio, giving up 60 more yards per game.

And the shutout against Alcorn State was CMU’s first since it beat Akron 42-0 in 1996.

Senior defensive end Frank Zombo said experience and team chemistry made the difference.

“We got a lot of guys who have played a lot of football. A lot of seniors,” he said after last week’s win against Akron. “This is the closest group I’ve been around, especially defensively. It really is like a brotherhood on our defense. Guys really care about each other and, (when) we play, we don’t want to let the person next to us down.”

The defense took pride in holding Akron to negative yardage in the first quarter against Akron, Zombo said.

A core group

Coach Butch Jones said depth chart stability has played a huge role in the defense’s success.

“Last year, we were disrupted from game to game with different starters,” he said. “This year, we’ve been able to establish some continuity.”

One particular statistic that has vastly improved is the pass defense. Last year, the MAC’s worst unit gave up an average of 287.2 passing yards per game. But in the first third of 2009, CMU ranks fourth in the conference, giving up just 161 yards passing per game.

CMU has maintained atop its perch in the rushing defense category.

Zombo said the defense, particularly the defensive line, has a renewed demeanor.

“It’s just a mentality. If you notice, our defense is just swarming,” he said. “Coach (Butch) Jones really put a lot of pressure on our (defensive) line. If we play our game, we can destroy an offense.”

Junior middle linebacker Matt Berning leads the team in tackles (32), just three ahead of junior outside linebacker Nick Bellore.

Regarding the upcoming game against Buffalo and the rest of the year, Berning said spectators will see the same philosophy from the defense.

“We’re going to come out swinging in the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, same thing (as Saturday),” he said. “There is not any secrets to what we’re doing. As long as you’re playing fast and violent football, there’s really not a whole lot you can scheme up to that.”

Getting off the field

Arguably the most telling statistic in the Chippewas’ favor is their performance on third downs.

Last year, opponents converted on third downs 43.3 percent of the time. This year, that number is down to 28.6 percent, first in the conference.

“The formula is the same since I came here,” said defensive coordinator Tim Banks. “Number one, we want to stop the run. Number two, we want to pressure the quarterback. And number three, we want to get off the field. I think the formula is working at a rapid pace this year.”

In CMU’s only loss of the year against Arizona, the Chippewas held the Wildcats to one touchdown. Despite threatening to score touchdowns, Arizona was forced to kick four field goals.

Jones said third down success will become more important as the season goes on.

“I think we’ve been able to stay ahead of the chains and create third-and-long situations.”

Defending Banks

Banks, entering his third year at the position, was under scrutiny coming into the season regarding his unit.

Even with the statistics favoring the defense this year, Zombo said his coordinator was never the problem.

“Coach Banks has really never been the problem,” he said. “It really was execution. We’d watch film and it’d be one guy messing up. Coach Banks did take a lot but, really, truly when we watch film, it was us.”

Berning said the defense has an incredible amount of respect for Banks.

“He’s been under fire a lot, and his loyalty to us is unbelievable,” Berning said. “We’re now starting to reap the fruits of our labor. The calls are always right. We have a lot of confidence in our defensive coordinator.”

Banks said he and the players are accountable together.

“We’re a family, first and foremost. It’s never just them. It’s never just me,” he said. “We’re all in this thing together. But at the end of the day, my job is to put the kids in the right positions, and its their job to execute, and they’ve done that.”