Tuiaki is a polarizing figure (no duh). But I think I know what side I'm on now. I think I've decided to switch teams and become a pro-Tuiaki guy. I am finally able to admit that Tuiaki is a good coach who has done a pretty dang excellent job this year. Given the injuries our defense has sustained, you've got to give the guy credit. I was particularly impressed by the USC game--a bunch of walk-ons and third-teamers going up against the heralded recruiting classes of USC.

Here's the hard pill we've all got to swallow: His defenses are not exciting for the fans. At best they're boring, and most the time they drive us crazy. But I've come to realize that's on us. We want havoc and pressure and chaos, but that's just not what Tuiaki's defenses are designed for. Things started to change for me when he gave that interview and discussed the concept of "mental pressure." I buy that concept. And even though it might be painful to watch a QB sit back with all day to throw, the truth is it's going to work against the other team more often than not. It has again and again and again this season against some pretty potent offenses and good teams.

Even now I think to myself, "If I were a QB facing BYU's defense, I would be really patient. I'd look for the TE over the middle, because lots of other teams have had success with that route; I'd take an extra breath and not let my internal clock determine my decisions. I'd adjust to the lack of pressure because BYU's not going to come after me like most schools I'm used to." Jaxon Dart said something similar in a pre-game interview. But even by forcing a QB to say or think those things, we've already begun to win the battle. Because in the heat of the moment, even the best QBs will find it difficult to slow down and take an extra beat. The last play against USC, for example. Dart didn't have to throw that ball. He could have waited until someone passed the first down line.

Tuiaki has a vision for the defense: He wants the defensive line to pressure the QBs, not the linebackers. We fans are definitely not comfortable with, nor used to that concept yet, but I fully believe that there will be a day in the not-so-distant future that recruiting will improve enough that we'll have stud DLs who can pressure the QB on their own, leaving our D the ability to drop seven or eight in coverage and still get pressure. And that's when we'll see the true power of Tuiaki's defense.

So in conclusion, I'm going to try hard to be on Tuiaki's side from now on. His defenses have been really, really hard to watch at times this season and past seasons, and his brand of defense is definitely not viewer-friendly, but I think I can see where he's going with this. And I'm on board for it. He's a very good coach, and he's put together a very good defense. Numbers don't lie.

(Please note: This doesn't mean I'll never complain about defense ever again. But please feel free to link back to this post when I do so I can get some perspective back.)