Looks like a lot better defensive stats and much poorer offensive stats. Strange considering we returned most of a solid running OL and RB and substantially upgraded passing talent with Peters, Navarro, and more experience in OL and Dan Barker at TE. Justice Williams has been solid as a TE receiver as well.
Here's a theory on "why".
Lovie is back where he was before the "Peter Principle" caught up with him as a HC. An excellent DC and position coach. He designed a D that focused on turnovers rather than yards (bend but don't break) and once the players got better at knowing their assignments it was pretty effective along with his teaching of fumble creating technique. I suspect he's spending a lot of time with the LBs, his best area of coaching in the pros, to cover for his inexperienced son. I think he's having a challenge teaching concentration and fundamentals to college kids compared to the pros, and well as reading keys, taking the right angles to tackle, and pass coverage by LBs. Long way to go there, but a lot of progress has been made and with Hansen, Eifler, Cooper with a year of weight training and coaching and Tohlson getting more experience and strength, it could be even better next year.
I'm sure he's had positive impact on the DL ( especially Oliver and Milan) but the DEs really need better coaching, and Lovie can't do it all even though he thinks he can. We could really use a deeply experienced college DL coach to better develop these guys for next year. Secondary? I think that Hudson brought along the CBs pretty well in Adams , Hobbs and Witherspoon. Not so much Martin who showed flashes last year but seems to have dropped off the earth. I suspect Lovie is leaving CBs to Hudson. Safety with Byrd is another matter. Brown is fine after he got healthy and Green has played like we expected him too for his career, but development of Joseph and the other guys just doesn't seem to happening. Byrd can probably teach and scheme, but he just can't recruit. Without the players, he's pretty much dead in the water unless some other assistant can get him players. He's also our passing game coord, and that hasn't exactly been stellar either.
Offense? It's still an open question whether Rod Smith can develop a pro style QB. Peters has the tools, but needs to be coached to make better decisions. I don't know if Rod is up to that here unless he has a Khalil Tate type talent, and he hasn't been able to recruit QBs to that level.
I think the biggest problem with our O is the Line. It's not that they're not big and strong enough, but this is perhaps the most mistake prone and confused group we've had outside of the times we were starting true Frosh. Butkus hated recruiting and was better suited for the pro game, but he sure was a good motivator and pretty good at teaching technique and had good discipline and focus in his players.
It would be interesting to see how the OL graded out last year compared to this year, and how many of our penalties were from the OL. I'd expect it was an overwhelming majority of the offensive penalties. I know that's the case on most Offenses, but it would be interesting to see if we're above average in the OL in penalties. Perhaps it's time we gave McClain his old job back and get a top OL coach in from the outstanding staffs that will probably be breaking up after the season.
On defense I think we'll improve next year at LB despite the loss of Harding (Hansen move to MLB?), and CB should be solid. Brown needs help at safety, and unless someone can recruit for Byrd for transfers that could be a killer.
We need to see if Peters can get better on his decisions next year. I suspect he can given what he's accomplished coming in in August. That would make a HUGE difference. RB is OK, and receivers and TEs can be outstanding. The only ???? is the OL performance, and getting in a top college OL guy could really make this offense something special and competitive with most teams in the league.