Defensive changes energizing Aggies
Veteran coordinator Chavis working to instill a new attitude.
COLLEGE STATION — John Cha-vis was pumped. But, the 58-year-old who is starting his fifirst season as Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator didn’t yell at anyone, slap a high- fifive or chest bump a cornerback.
Rather, he answered a benign question earlier this week during a press conference about his excitement level for Saturday’s season opener against 15th-ranked Arizona State. He thought his response about butterflflies in the belly was so perfect that he didn’t need to say anything more.
So Chavis smiled and abruptly left the podium.
“It’s going to be, in my opinion, outstanding,” Chavis said of his fifirst offiffic ial game as an Aggie coach. “That’s the way I feel about coaching. I get asked, ‘How long can you do this? You’ve done it for 37 years.’ I’ll do it as long as someone will have me or until the butterflflies aren’t
there anymore. And if you’re asking me if I still have butterflies, I do still have butterflies. It’s game week. I’m excited to be a part of the Aggie football team going down there on Saturday.
“Is that a good one? That’s a good one.”
Chavis has coached in the SEC for two decades, his time split between Tennessee and LSU. His defenses usually are tremendous. They terrorize quarterbacks with speed and athleticism and use a nasty press coverage to intimidate receivers.
Saturday’s game, at Houston’s NRG Stadium, will be a different sort of experience for Chavis. It will require a different approach, with depth issues becoming a core part of his strategy.
Concern about Arizona State’s offense is a given. But in past seasons, Chavis had the luxury of knowing his team’s offense would go on methodical drives and give his defense a respite on the bench. That probably won’t be the case now, considering the no-huddle Aggies pride themselves on their quickstrike offenses.
Plus, Arizona State, with coach Todd Graham, uses the same sort of hurried approach. When A&M coach Kevin Sumlin was at Houston and Graham coached at Tulsa, the two used to play marathons against each other.
“It seemed like all those games took four hours or five hours,” Sumlin said.
The up-tempo offenses sometimes can be a drag on their defenses. Baylor, who led the nation in total plays and offense last season, sported a defense that ranked 51st in the country. Oregon, with Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, dazzled on offense but ranked 89th on defense. The exception to the national rule a year ago was TCU, which boasted the fifth-ranked offense and 19th-ranked defense.
Sumlin fired defensive coordinator Mark Snyder the day after last Thanksgiving. He’d been at A&M for three seasons. Last year’s defense ranked just 104th in the country.
Sumlin has conceded that he hired Chavis, in part, because Chavis’ LSU defenses were so effective. The Tigers shut down A&M Heisman winner Johnny Manziel in 2012 and 2013 and didn’t have many problems corralling Kyle Allen last year.
So Chavis’ concern will be depth. He doesn’t have any at linebacker. Tackle could be a concern. Defensive end will be a strength.
It remains to be seen how happy Chavis will be late Saturday.