There were 13 new coordinators making their debuts in their roles across the SEC on opening weekend but none had a bigger immediate impact than Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis.
"The Chief," directed perhaps the most impressive defensive effort the Aggies displayed against a Power 5 conference opponent since they joined the SEC, holding No. 15 Arizona State to 17 points, 291 yards and sacking Sun Devils quarterback Mike Bercovici nine times.
Did Kevin Sumlin believe his new defensive boss would make such a quick imprint?
"Yeah, we wouldn't have been so aggressive in our pursuit [if I didn't]," Sumlin said Saturday. "As I said before, he's a guy that I've always had respect for as a coach playing against his defenses and ... philosophically how he does things. ... I think it was a good fit for us and a good fit for him too."
On Saturday, the Aggies looked like a real SEC defense, something that wasn't always the case in their first three years in the league. Talent-wise, Sumlin's highly-ranked recruiting classes are bearing fruit. The unit looked fast, played fast and executed well. The defensive line accounted for seven of the team's nine sacks with defensive end tandem Myles Garrett (2.5) and Daeshon Hall (four) gathering most of them.
The Aggies were aggressive, too. Under Chavis, they blitzed (brought five or more pass-rushers) on 56 percent of Arizona State's dropbacks, according to ESPN Stats and Information. That's a 31 percent increase from Texas A&M's 2014 blitz rate. The Sun Devils averaged a miniscule 1.9 yards per play and completed only 54.5 percent of their passes in those scenarios, compared to 5.1 yards per play and a 76.5 percent completion rate when the Aggies only rushed four.
The 291 yards allowed were the fewest the Aggies yielded to a Power 5 opponent in the Sumlin era. Their SEC debut vs. Florida in 2012 (307 yards) is the next fewest. The 17 points allowed is the fewest A&M allowed to a Power 5 since the start of the 2013 season.
"He just changed the demeanor around here," Garrett said of Chavis. "You've got to have effort, physicality, and we showed that [Saturday night]."
Chavis wasn't the only one with a strong debut with his new team this weekend. New Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike DeBord oversaw a 604 yard offensive effort in the Volunteers 59-30 win over Bowling Green. The 59 points Tennessee scored were the most in a game for the Vols in six years.
Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos flipped the script on UTEP, showing how much of a passing threat the Razorbacks could potentially be as quarterback Brandon Allen threw for a career-high 308 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-13 win. Paired with 1,000-yard rusher Alex Collins and the stout Hogs offensive line, it opens up some intriguing possibilities.
New Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier's unit produced 606 yards and was 10-of-15 on third down attempts en route to a 61-13 win over New Mexico State. Georgia's Brian Schottenheimer (435 yards, 243 rushing, 51 points) had a productive unit in a weather-shortened win over Louisiana-Monroe and Kentucky's Shannon Dawson's offense (435 yards, 40 points) had a 24-point first-half but had to score late to pull out a 40-33 win over Louisiana-Lafayette. The Wildcats were 5-of-14 on third down chances, a number Dawson would certainly like to see improved.
On the defensive side, Florida's Geoff Collins and Missouri's Barry Odom had impressive debuts. Collins' Gator defense allowed only 200 yards, 13 points and one third down conversion (out of 12 tries) to New Mexico State. Odom and the Tigers held Southeast Missouri State to 191 yards, three points and a 22 percent third-down conversion rate.
As for Manny Diaz (Mississippi State), Jon Hoke (South Carolina) and Will Muschamp (Auburn) it was a bit of a mixed bag. Each oversaw a defense that allowed 400-plus yards. Mississippi State held Southern Miss to 16 points and 4-of-17 on third downs, but yielded 311 passing yards. South Carolina gave up 440 yards but came up with three key interceptions, helping limit North Carolina to just 13 points despite allowing 208 rushing yards. Auburn gave up a lot on the ground (238 rushing yards) and 405 overall but came up with two turnovers in a win over Louisville. The Tigers seemed to have a good first half but weren't as good in the second half.
At Vanderbilt, head coach Derek Mason's defense allowed just 246 yards, 1.6 yards per rush (23 carries, 37 yards) and two third down conversions on 12 attempts. The offense, however, under new coordinator Andy Ludwig, committed three turnovers and came up with only 12 points despite moving the ball (385 yards, including 168 rushing).
The 14th new coordinator, LSU defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, will make his debut this week after the Tigers opener was canceled.
It's difficult to get a true gauge on many of the new faces in new places with only one game in the books (and in several instances, inferior opposition) but we'll learn more as these coaches and teams enter SEC play.