What's wrong with the Bobcat defense?

Through five games in the 2008 season, the Texas State football team is looking like it did last season. The offense can put up points in bushels, but the defense allows them right back.

Case in point, the Bobcats traveled to Northern Colorado for the third game of the season and many expected a blowout. Texas State allowed an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, but the offense piled on 21-unanswered points. Even a casual Bobcat fan would know what happened next; the defense collapsed.

Texas State allowed the Bears to tack on 21-straight points to tie the game at 28-all going into halftime. The bleeding continued against Southern Utah and then against Texas Southern, it all came to a head.

The Bobcats allowed the Tigers to gain 623 yards of total offense, including 481 through the air. Texas State was without starting cornerbacks Will Thompson and Morris Crosby, yet, it wouldn't have mattered. Defensive coordinator Fred Bleil said he was at a loss for the way his defense played.

"I was very disappointed, but not in the run defense," Bleil said. "It has been adequate all year, but our pass defense is way behind schedule. I mean we were without two starters, but who's on the field is who plays and you need to play with what's dealt to you. The reason why they got 600 yards isn't because of them, it's because of us."

The Bobcats have been bothered all season long by the underneath routes. Teams constantly find holes in the Texas State zone and pick up 10 to 11 yards per pass.

Third downs have been hazardous to the Bobcat defense since they are victimized by the crossing routes. Texas State may force a team into third-and-9, but when the opposition gets 10 yards on the next play, it's all negated.

"We need to straighten up our zone coverage," Bleil said. "We've been playing a lot of zone coverage and haven't been playing much man-to-man. We need to fix the holes. On third-and-9, they're getting 10 and we need to make that seven.

"We're that much off from fixing it. In zone, it's all angles. It's between one and two receivers when they hit them and we gotta hang with the route angle, as opposed to the coverage angle."

The Bobcats will have their work cut out for them when they travel to McNeese State this Saturday. The Cowboys average 40.7 points per game.