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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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  3.  <title>Football Study Hall -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>Because some nerds don't love baseball.</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50273/fsh-fav.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2019-06-27T16:11:47-04:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.footballstudyhall.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2019-06-27T16:11:47-04:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2019-06-27T16:11:47-04:00</updated>
  12.    <title>Power ranking college football’s recruiting monopolies</title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Football: Wisconsin at Minnesota" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lY2rwNfMr0jxyDaLNHDrfsJAdIE=/0x0:4404x2936/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64143304/usa_today_10437214.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;Some major football powers are built upon their ability to monopolize in-state recruiting.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="8Pz6fs"&gt;Over at SB Nation I have a piece &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2019/6/27/18637654/mack-brown-unc-coach"&gt;examining Mack Brown’s early moves at UNC to try and build out the Tar Heel football program&lt;/a&gt; to be remotely as competitive as their basketball team. It’s pretty obvious that the major impediment to UNC being great at football is the fact that they seem pretty content as a basketball power. The school is very well situated to be better than we’ve seen on the gridiron.&lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;p id="ILDnvB"&gt;While researching for that article I looked up North Carolina’s overall population (10.3 million), how many blue chip recruits they’ve produced per 247’s composite rankings from 2015-2019, and then how many of those recruits ended up attending UNC. Having found that data, I looked for similarly sized states to compare them against...the results became so fascinating that I ended up collecting that data on almost every state in the nation.&lt;/p&gt;
  22. &lt;p id="F7Iw96"&gt;North Carolina produced an average of 10 blue chip players per year over that recent five year stretch and 1.8 of them per year went to UNC. That sounds pretty bad and there’s obvious potential here for Mack Brown to improve their standing, so far he’s already made major headway in keeping a bigger share of the state’s top talents from going elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;
  23. &lt;p id="3qvXV2"&gt;For comparison’s sake, the state of Michigan has a population of 9.9 million people and yielded 7.6 blue chips per year over that same period of time. Despite competing with Michigan State and Big 10 poachers, the Wolverines signed 14 in-state blue chips for an average of 2.8 per year, which is obviously not overwhelming but still significantly better than UNC has done on their own turf. Michigan also has some regular haunts they like to frequent for talent out of the state, protecting their own turf has never been as significant a part of their strategy.&lt;/p&gt;
  24. &lt;p id="AHCR90"&gt;After surveying the various states within the major conferences I came across the following schools that are situated super favorably for football dominance for the way they can monopolize in-state recruiting. Here they are, ranked in descending order.&lt;/p&gt;
  25. &lt;h3 id="OsaBlY"&gt;
  26. &lt;strong&gt;Honorable mention: The &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.arkansasfight.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arkansas Razorbacks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  27. &lt;/h3&gt;
  28. &lt;p id="7xig0o"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State population: 3 million people&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  29. &lt;p id="omSpqs"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arkansan blue chips per year over 2015-2019: 3.8&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  30. &lt;p id="QMSWQ6"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arkansan blue chips signed by AR over 2015-2019: 3&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  31. &lt;p id="E84GSO"&gt;The Razorbacks don’t let many in-state players slip away. Like the other schools on this list, they are the only major football power within the state and thus have the clout and the local buy-in to dominate in-state recruiting when they have a mind to. The challenge for Arkansas is that they’re unfavorably situated in terms of recruiting outside of the state, Fayetteville is up in the Ozarks and not a nearby or particularly relevant option for any of the surrounding metroplexes with major talent. One of their traditional methods was to go into DFW and East Texas, which is now trickier due to their SEC affiliation than in say the Big 12, although they are well compensated for that affiliation.&lt;/p&gt;
  32. &lt;h3 id="tdmmnV"&gt;
  33. &lt;strong&gt;No. 5: The &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.crimsonandcreammachine.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Oklahoma Sooners&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  34. &lt;/h3&gt;
  35. &lt;p id="98tOdd"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State population: 3.9 million people&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  36. &lt;p id="ndaTfd"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Oklahoman blue chips per year over 2015-2019: 5&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  37. &lt;p id="UZqVg6"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Oklahoman blue chips signed by OU over 2015-2019: 2.2&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  38. &lt;p id="DV4fBc"&gt;An important factor to remember is that if a state is producing a certain volume of blue chip prospects that means it’s share of quality three-star players is also likely to be pretty high. The state of Oklahoma punches well above its weight in terms of producing good football players per capita and many of the Sooners’ better teams over the years have included in-state players. Ironically, they took a knockout blow in the playoffs last year from a 3-star Oklahoman that Alabama poached from the state, &lt;span&gt;Josh Jacobs&lt;/span&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
  39. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  40.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tPWnBRQcbkJm_-4b2v4OooXxYIk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16681162/Bama_knocks_out_Barnes.gif"&gt;
  41.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  42. &lt;p id="CCWPBV"&gt;The Sooners have always filled out their roster with Texas kids as well, as the Lone Star state is loaded and produced 49.4 blue chips per year over the 2015-2019 window, and they’ve also done well to reach out into neighboring southern states or to poach from California or Arizona. Oklahoma is fairly well known for having a national recruiting brand and strategy, but what is often missed is the fact that they can generally count on bolstering those classes every year with local players. Oklahoma State recruits the state hard as well, but when big brother wants a recruit the Cowboys generally have to grit their teeth and move on to the next player on the board.&lt;/p&gt;
  43. &lt;p id="zkhfet"&gt;Having the first pick of in-state players is the biggest advantage a school can have and it’s a bigger advantage for the Sooners than many realize. Add that to their ability to recruit Texas and then the subsequent national clout they gain for their success and you have a nice formula.&lt;/p&gt;
  44. &lt;h3 id="rbUrVq"&gt;
  45. &lt;strong&gt;No. 4: The &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wisconsin Badgers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  46. &lt;/h3&gt;
  47. &lt;p id="ZfIF8f"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State population: 5.8 million people&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  48. &lt;p id="FaxCgu"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wisconsinite blue chips per year over 2015-2019: .6&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  49. &lt;p id="KZpeJD"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wisconsinite blue chips signed by UW over 2015-2019: .2&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  50. &lt;p id="z45E2e"&gt;I include the Badgers here because while their in-state players are never ranked highly, that often ends up looking rather off. What’s more, not only do they typically lock down their state but they &lt;a href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2017/3/8/14842594/wisconsins-walk-on-led-defense-leonhard-watt-cichy-connelly"&gt;regularly obtain in-state prospects via walk-on&lt;/a&gt;, saving scholarships for out of state recruits. &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2019/6/25/18691708/big-ten-west-2019"&gt;Wisconsin has DOMINATED the B1G West since the division was established&lt;/a&gt; and their in-state recruiting base is clearly a major reason for that success.&lt;/p&gt;
  51. &lt;p id="oh2Ygh"&gt;Over the 2015-2019 period, the Badgers had eight players drafted by the NFL that were originally Wisconsinites (two from the Watt family), two of which were from their walk-on program (&lt;span&gt;Joe Schobert&lt;/span&gt;, &lt;span&gt;Jack Cichy&lt;/span&gt;). It seems fair to say that their state is under evaluated, feel free to revisit this if they do indeed start a Wisconsin kid at all five OL positions this year and &lt;span&gt;Jonathan Taylor&lt;/span&gt; runs for another 1500+ yards.&lt;/p&gt;
  52. &lt;p id="E9obnS"&gt;The Badgers program strategy is built around the OL, TEs, and LBs that their state practically grows on the dairy farms that litter the state. The fact that they get so much quality from those ranks AND are able to save scholarships for out of state players makes for a potent 1-2 recruiting punch.&lt;/p&gt;
  53. &lt;h3 id="t4hZ0V"&gt;
  54. &lt;strong&gt;No. 3: The &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.blackshoediaries.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Penn State Nittany Lions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  55. &lt;/h3&gt;
  56. &lt;p id="hTwCW1"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State population: 12.8 million&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  57. &lt;p id="XkJHDE"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pennsylvanian blue chips per year over 2015-2019: 8.6 per year&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  58. &lt;p id="Kex5Ra"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pennsylvanian blue chips signed by PSU over 2015-2019: 5 per year&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  59. &lt;p id="BVqwHx"&gt;The Nittany Lions were defined for so long by Joe Paterno that it’s often very difficult to divorce perceptions about the program’s natural position in the region from the achievements of their longtime head coach. When over half your program’s wins, all of its national titles, and three of its four conference titles came under the same guy because he was present for an entire half-century it becomes tricky to suss out what is attributable to the coach and what’s normal for the program.&lt;/p&gt;
  60. &lt;p id="77Uxyk"&gt;Similarly, James Franklin now has a great reputation as a recruiter for what he’s achieved at Penn State, but this program has all kinds of advantages working in its favor. Today we’re talking about in-state but it should also be noted that Penn State is the strongest nearby major football power for New Jersey (7.8 blue chips per year), the D.C./Baltimore area (8.6 blue chips per year), and Virginia (10.4 blue chips per year). They know it, too and tend to rely on those areas to fill out their nationally ranked classes.&lt;/p&gt;
  61. &lt;p id="dk9edt"&gt;The state of Pennsylvania can be carved up into two major spheres, the Mid-Atlantic (Philladelphia) and then Northern Appalachia (Pittsburgh and most everything in between):&lt;/p&gt;
  62. &lt;div id="EezZG8"&gt;
  63. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  64. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Yet another map exploring the “Cultural Regions” of the United States. I love these maps and the discussions around them. Shows how blurry cultural boundaries really are. Source: &lt;a href="https://t.co/ozBu8m2PC8"&gt;https://t.co/ozBu8m2PC8&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/D1IHNscHYi"&gt;pic.twitter.com/D1IHNscHYi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/simongerman600/status/1142901648379039745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 23, 2019&lt;/a&gt;
  65. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  66. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  67. &lt;/div&gt;
  68. &lt;p id="7Cvau0"&gt;State College is located smack dab between Pittsburgh and Philly so it’s easy for the school to present itself as the local option for a pretty wide recruiting turf that spans the state, lacks another major power, as well as the local option for the surrounding regions to the south and east. Whenever Franklin’s time is up in State College don’t be shocked if the next head coach is able to have similar success in recruiting talented rosters.&lt;/p&gt;
  69. &lt;h3 id="OjJHjo"&gt;
  70. &lt;strong&gt;No. 2: The &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ohio State Buckeyes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  71. &lt;/h3&gt;
  72. &lt;p id="S936vA"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State population: 11.7 million&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  73. &lt;p id="cDwcdC"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ohioan blue chips per year over 2015-2019: 14.4 per year&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  74. &lt;p id="OxLsDA"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ohioan blue chips signed by tOSU over 2015-2019: 5.8 per year&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  75. &lt;p id="q1hlPt"&gt;The Buckeyes ceded some of their local turf in recent seasons, particularly 2018 when the state yielded 12 blue chip prospects and the Buckeyes claimed only four while building the nation’s no. 2 rated class by raiding Florida (five players) and the greater South (seven players). Recently new head coach &lt;a href="https://www.12up.com/posts/ryan-day-changing-ohio-state-s-recruiting-strategy-is-good-news-for-the-program-01db0ybf01y5"&gt;Ryan Day emphasized that staying home for Ohioans will be a greater priority under his regime&lt;/a&gt; and it’s notable that Jim Tressell rebuilt the program by getting back to locking down the state. Urban Meyer took the program national in his latter seasons but the 2014 national champions included 15 Ohioans amongst the 22 starters in the starting lineup for the postseason. You have to wonder if teams lose a certain &lt;em&gt;esprit de corps&lt;/em&gt; when they rely on national recruiting to fill out the roster and then ask blue chips from around the country to band together and sacrifice for a tradition they didn’t grow up revering.&lt;/p&gt;
  76. &lt;p id="tr7da8"&gt;Like everywhere else, the fairly large number of blue chip talents in Ohio also indicates a large number of promising three-star talents that can really bolster a roster if the staff takes advantage of their proximity to scout and prioritize the right ones. That was a big reason for Meyer’s early success in Columbus, picking off some three-star in-state talents that proved fantastic players.&lt;/p&gt;
  77. &lt;p id="MupwFu"&gt;The main advantage for Ohio State is that they are THE P5 program within the state of Ohio and they enjoy tremendous advantages on the recruiting trail as a result with most of the state pulling for them in every recruiting battle with every advantage that can bring. To be the clear no. 1 choice for in-state kids in a state as talented as Ohio is a big advantage and arguably the no. 1 reason for their dominance over Michigan since Tressell locked down the borders.&lt;/p&gt;
  78. &lt;h3 id="LdctBG"&gt;
  79. &lt;strong&gt;No. 1: The &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.andthevalleyshook.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LSU Tigers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  80. &lt;/h3&gt;
  81. &lt;p id="PF3zeB"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State population: 4.2 million&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  82. &lt;p id="EU5rx0"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Louisianan blue chips per year over 2015-2019: 14.2 per year&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  83. &lt;p id="elX96P"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Louisianan blue chips signed by LSU over 2015-2019: 8.4 per year&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  84. &lt;p id="TWAdO8"&gt;Oklahoma punches above its weight in terms of talent output per capita but Louisiana is miles ahead of the rest of the country in this regard. From 2015 to 2019 this state produced more blue chips per year than every other state in the US except Texas (28.7 million people), Georgia (10.5 million people), Florida (21.2 million people), California (39.6 million people), and Ohio (11.7 million people).&lt;/p&gt;
  85. &lt;p id="Lgm4sp"&gt;Neighboring states Mississippi and Alabama also did well, and Tennessee did okay as well, but those states all have multiple P5 programs with a major football emphasis on football fighting over the recruits. Louisiana has zero competition from within the state and they fight hard and well to keep away rival poachers. It also helps that New Orleans has a unique culture, &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;⁄&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; of the state’s population, and is cut off from the other SEC powers by Baton Rouge. While Ohio still has to fight at times to fend off Michigan, whom they’ve scarcely lost to this century, LSU loses to Alabama nearly every year yet still locks down a sizable majority of their in-state blue chips.&lt;/p&gt;
  86. &lt;p id="p1L9bY"&gt;Whereas other state schools have to fight reasonably close powers to hold onto their talent, it’s very difficult for LSU to recruit poorly given their hold on the state of Louisiana. Their biggest concerns from year to year are more often things like, “did we pick the right three-star kids that are going to end up being NFL players?” because the state doesn’t lack for those either.&lt;/p&gt;
  87. &lt;p id="PQNllt"&gt;There are other schools with favorable geography or demographics but few are set up to monopolize smaller in-state talent pools and build from there like these programs.&lt;/p&gt;
  88.  
  89. </content>
  90.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/6/27/18761101/power-ranking-college-footballs-recruiting-monopolies-ohio-state-lsu-wisconsin-penn-state-oklahoma"/>
  91.    <id>https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/6/27/18761101/power-ranking-college-footballs-recruiting-monopolies-ohio-state-lsu-wisconsin-penn-state-oklahoma</id>
  92.    <author>
  93.      <name>Ian Boyd</name>
  94.    </author>
  95.  </entry>
  96.  <entry>
  97.    <published>2019-06-21T09:46:42-04:00</published>
  98.    <updated>2019-06-21T09:46:42-04:00</updated>
  99.    <title>The pass-first, triple option zone-read</title>
  100.    <content type="html">  
  101.  
  102.    &lt;figure&gt;
  103.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Football: Alamo Bowl-Iowa State vs Washington State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wDKcn3YimWiWmalnKNVMWvwWGaQ=/0x0:4824x3216/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64057428/usa_today_11911521.0.jpg" /&gt;
  104.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  105.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  106.  
  107.  &lt;p id="rXGnhT"&gt;The zone-read play has come a long ways since it was originally developed as a way to run the ball from the shotgun spread and gave that formation legitimacy in the college game. Once teams realized they could run the option from the shotgun spread and use the spacing of the receivers to create space in the alley, then teams begin to build run-centric systems from the zone-read play.&lt;/p&gt;
  108. &lt;p id="hEipdz"&gt;Like with other major tactics within the spread offense, &lt;a href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/1/2/18163338/the-end-of-bell-cow-running-backs-travis-etienne-earl-campbell-spread-offense"&gt;the zone-read inevitably had the effect of pushing the game out to the perimeter and the passing game&lt;/a&gt;. The passing game is how you score points and win games, the run game is most effective as a tool for manipulating the defense into giving you chances to pass efficiently. The best spread teams throw to set up the run, forcing teams to concede space and angles underneath that will allow the offense to bully them and control the ball not as a primary strategy but as an accepted concession from the defense.&lt;/p&gt;
  109. &lt;p id="rdli6v"&gt;It’s been over a decade now since the zone-read was mainlined as an offensive tactic across the game and even in the NFL it’s been adopted and made a major component for multiple teams. There are preferred ways for defenses to counter it and the normal adjustments, which have led to the development of pass-first, triple-option styles to teams that run the zone-read today.&lt;/p&gt;
  110. &lt;h2 id="sCWKu9"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The preferred way to stop the zone-read&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  111. &lt;p id="SvYliZ"&gt;For a variety of reasons, most teams like to contain the ball on zone-read and turn it into a normal inside zone play. Offenses can attach lots of threats on the backside and start to outnumber a defense if they encourage the QB to pull the ball, which then forces the defense to get aggressive and then ultimately you’re conceding space and matchups outside to a spread offense in an effort to handle their run game concepts, which is playing into their hands. Another problem is that teaching ILBs to play the QB can hurt them if the offense mixes in variety, such motion and RPOs that can confuse the assignments.&lt;/p&gt;
  112. &lt;p id="VoCnaP"&gt;But also, if the team has an athletic contain player on the edge that's being left unblocked on the option they can often create a 2-for-1. Such teams will prefer to play the scheme like this:&lt;/p&gt;
  113. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  114.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zIkoRqsD8kpdqS5j93vYAH6tQPo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16389179/Best_practice_zone_read_D.jpg"&gt;
  115.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  116. &lt;p id="9m9RPM"&gt;There are a few key and common features to this style of zone-read defense. The first step is to set the 3-technique to the same side as the RB. When the 3-technique is in that B-gap, the cutback lane is diminished for the RB and he has to cut back to the C if he wants to hit a crease that way. Additionally, with the B-gap protected then the DE/OLB to the RB’s side next to him can focus on containing the QB and not stepping down to fill the B-gap after the run. He’ll stay square so he can first contain the QB and prevent him from keeping the ball around a soft edge, then he’ll step inside and ensure that there’s no room for a cutback if the offense double teams the 3-technique off the line.&lt;/p&gt;
  117. &lt;p id="swNde6"&gt;The upside from being able to defend the play in this manner is to help to cover the bubble screens that teams will attach to the zone-read so that offenses can’t get free yards playing pitch and catch on the perimeter. The middle linebacker here can defend the bubble screen, he’s not needed in the run fit because all of the backside options that make this play deadly are outnumbered and out-leveraged with this approach.&lt;/p&gt;
  118. &lt;p id="DW6ThR"&gt;From here it’s a matter of figuring how to stop frontside runs by the RB. Usually that’s handled either by involving the CB or S in the run fit or two-gapping the B/C gaps with the DE or the A/B gaps with the NT. The two-gapping effect is achieved with a “heavy” technique where the DL will shove an OL into the next one so that he’s in one gap and the other is closed by the OL’s own bodies. Theoretically, even if the RB manages to find some running room through that mess the defense still has a CB and S sitting on top who now have time to close on the ball and limit the damage. The goal isn’t necessarily to totally shut down the zone-read but to limit it and prevent teams from using it to create the space they want on the perimeter to really burn the defense.&lt;/p&gt;
  119. &lt;p id="GYvphS"&gt;If the free safety can play the quick RPO shot to the X receiver and still arrive to fill a gap, or a DL can two-gap, then the defense gets a 2-for-1. Then they get another one on the other side by having the DE contain the QB and still play the cutback by the RB.&lt;/p&gt;
  120. &lt;p id="SI9sqG"&gt;Not just every defense can execute these tactics effectively, but at least they are out there as established best practices and good defenses can practice and master them. Teams used to like the scrape exchange, having the DE chase the RB and the OLB scrape wide to tackle the QB when he pulled the ball but offenses added lead blockers for the QB or bubble screens to attack the LB, and blew that up. Defenses also liked, and still like, to overload the play with a fire zone blitz and have the DE crash inside to the B-gap, a LB blitz the edge and chase the RB, and then a DB (perhaps the nickel) come wide to tackle the QB when he pulled the ball. But you don’t want to have to call that blitz as your base zone-read stopper because you can’t call the blitz every snap. Go watch any spread offenses’ highlights and you’ll find them torching the zone blitz regularly.&lt;/p&gt;
  121. &lt;p id="4nib5f"&gt;Some teams still try to outnumber the play by dropping someone down but that’s an increasingly iffy tactic these days unless the DBs left behind are exceptional.&lt;/p&gt;
  122. &lt;h2 id="11kx8V"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The pass first, triple option zone-read&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  123. &lt;p id="7yuktF"&gt;The next wave of zone-read counters is to give the QB a pass option, often one that sets up the rest of the play. Many defenses think, “if we can work out how to play the run soundly from a two-high coverage, then we’re golden!” But this is not the case. For instance, here’s Nebraska struggling with Minnesota running an RPO against a two-deep coverage off zone-read:&lt;/p&gt;
  124. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  125.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zWTn-gMzV4wDM5w0lm1eyFvrdhU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16389544/Minnesota_4V_RPO_off_ZR.gif"&gt;
  126.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  127. &lt;p id="U5AFup"&gt;The problem defenses will always encounter is that once a spread offense knows what they’re getting, they’re going to draw up players to attack it with their best player in space, often via the passing game. The Cornhuskers are executing their own version of a “let’s force a zone run and defend it with five in the box” strategy like I explained above from the tite front. Their middle LB is the QB contain player, but the problem is that he’s also the underneath bracket player on the slot, &lt;span&gt;Tyler Johnson&lt;/span&gt;, who’s aligned out on the hash.&lt;/p&gt;
  128. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  129.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nmJ6Sz7uRX7RXMXoEpz8-3SZlF8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16389539/Gopher_4V_choice_off_ZR.jpg"&gt;
  130.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  131. &lt;p id="FOzPbR"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Johnson&lt;/span&gt; is able to cut underneath the safety and the MLB just isn’t in position to affect the throw. The Huskers try to scrape the other LB over to help on the QB but now they’re stuck in this situation where a traditionally run first player (the MLB) has to ignore every instinct he’s ever had and get depth and eyes on the WR to stop the pass while he also needs to be mindful of the QB running an option play behind a Nebraska OL firing downhill. Even if a player’s mind tells him that the pass is the greater threat, his body will always tell him that those big bodies coming at him are the more serious priority.&lt;/p&gt;
  132. &lt;p id="3TP4js"&gt;Minnesota is an aggressive a team as there is today with the RPO plays, they should probably be more often than they are for having OL downfield run blocking when the QB is throwing the ball, but these plays can be run within the rules.&lt;/p&gt;
  133. &lt;p id="ExQ8UO"&gt;Another version of this is the play that Iowa State’s QB, &lt;span&gt;Brock Purdy&lt;/span&gt;, seems to have invented himself ala Brett Favre with the alleged first RPO in history.&lt;/p&gt;
  134. &lt;div id="sZXedk"&gt;
  135. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  136. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Here's Favre telling Gruden how he came up with RPOs in GB because he was bored in practice and how he ran them in a game before telling Mike Sherman because he wanted to prove that they would work before being told not to. &lt;a href="https://t.co/QehChLkWrO"&gt;pic.twitter.com/QehChLkWrO&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AaronNagler/status/1005927382358913025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 10, 2018&lt;/a&gt;
  137. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  138. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  139. &lt;/div&gt;
  140. &lt;p id="k0eicu"&gt;Like the Gophers, the Cyclones ran a lot of vertical RPOs in their offense and even did so from some double TE sets (which will likely be their main gambit in 2019) that made it easier to isolate their outside WRs on CBs in off coverage when the TEs would force safeties’ attention to the box. Here’s a play where they ran what probably wasn’t intended to be a zone-read play but instead a split zone run with a quick out option:&lt;/p&gt;
  141. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  142.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6PIpThX1rBuNpswLVGt_Qvko_v8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16389586/PFPurdy_RPO.gif"&gt;
  143.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  144. &lt;p id="ipRHNt"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Purdy&lt;/span&gt; was good at getting the ball out in such instances and in the face of pressure, but he had another trick that he’s becoming pretty famous for when teams would rush him rather than play contain on the edge. Many teams will do that, either to force an offense to come to grips with their QB taking hits or as an intimidation tactic to disrupt the QB’s reads and rhythm. But against “pump fake &lt;span&gt;Purdy&lt;/span&gt;...”&lt;/p&gt;
  145. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  146.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XWgzjw1tTZTfknbYDQT-MHlaN-c=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16445793/Pump_fake_Purdy.gif"&gt;
  147.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  148. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  149.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AGbJGs8TcTWeFmad_HGGuylWaKE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16445804/Pump_fake_Purdy_2.gif"&gt;
  150.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  151. &lt;p id="cPVpPX"&gt;Technically speaking, this is triple option football. The reads are inconsistent though, whereas the original triple option went “dive, keep, pitch” there are pre and post snap reads and influences here. In the first example the decision to throw was probably made before the snap, but with his famous pump fake, Purdy was able to create a late keep option for himself when the contain player rushed him rather than trying to sit in the cutback lane.&lt;/p&gt;
  152. &lt;p id="kd5gLi"&gt;In the second example the Mountaineers blitzed the edge and Purdy used the pump fake to the bubble screen to create a lane to keep the ball and hit the alley.&lt;/p&gt;
  153. &lt;p id="UHdWut"&gt;It’s always been hard to stop options teams with QBs that have great short area quickness, can execute ball fakes, and make smart reads and decisions when facing live bullets. But when you add vertical passing to the mix it becomes unfair, because the pass has to be taken away or else the ball is going out to a skill player in space, and then you’re giving that QB space unless you have some clever schemes to try and address the problem.&lt;/p&gt;
  154. &lt;p id="z9VBVv"&gt;There are other versions of the play that also involve the QB getting a pass option amidst the flow of the play, Joe Moorhead runs a few schemes like that at Mississippi State and &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2019/6/7/18644437/tommy-stevens-mississippi-state-joe-moorhead"&gt;will likely show some new ones this coming year with Tommy Stevens&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  155. &lt;p id="duZonY"&gt;RPOs really came into the public consciousness when Auburn caught Alabama with that famous play back in the 2013 Iron Bowl. Since then, RPOs have been more about having a QB execute a pass standing in the pocket as an option, but skilled and athletic QBs like pump fake Purdy and more aggressive RPO schemes are leading to further advances. The hard thing for defenses these days isn’t so much the evolution in tactics, but the increase of skill in modern players that make these kinds of counters possible.&lt;/p&gt;
  156.  
  157. </content>
  158.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/6/21/18693166/the-pass-first-triple-option-zone-read-pump-fake-purdy-rpo"/>
  159.    <id>https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/6/21/18693166/the-pass-first-triple-option-zone-read-pump-fake-purdy-rpo</id>
  160.    <author>
  161.      <name>Ian Boyd</name>
  162.    </author>
  163.  </entry>
  164.  <entry>
  165.    <published>2019-06-18T10:35:07-04:00</published>
  166.    <updated>2019-06-18T10:35:07-04:00</updated>
  167.    <title>The tight end of the modern defense</title>
  168.    <content type="html">  
  169.  
  170.    &lt;figure&gt;
  171.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Football: College Football Playoff National Championship-Clemson vs Alabama" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CgOmn4Ti77PATbD3ocUK4nYtM34=/0x0:3136x2091/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64023055/usa_today_12000670.0.jpg" /&gt;
  172.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  173.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  174.  
  175.  &lt;p&gt;Cutting edge defensive coordinators like Brent Venables have been building their defenses around mobile hybrids that can relocate to wherever offenses try to create space and run/pass conflicts with hybrid tight ends.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="5VZMsn"&gt;The defining feature of a given offense tends to be what they do at the inside receiver positions. Everyone plays skill athletes on the perimeter that are aiming to beat cornerbacks 1-on-1 in space when they get the opportunity, even if different players go about beating those cornerbacks in different fashions. Everyone also plays five OL, that’s a universal trait with zero exceptions to date, save for Stanford who occasionally uses six or seven.&lt;/p&gt;
  176. &lt;p id="U02Hp1"&gt;In &lt;a href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/4/5/18295457/positionless-offense-and-the-21-spread-hybrids-spread-i"&gt;the RPO spread era, the most popular personnel grouping is an 11/20 personnel hybrid set-up &lt;/a&gt;with a QB, RB, two outside receivers, a slot receiver, and then a guy that is primarily a blocker who can ideally line up off the ball as an H-back or fullback and then on the ball as an in-line TE. They also often flex that player out, even if only to run distracto-routes designed to hold the attention of skilled defenders while more talented targets work in space or against favorable matchups. Using a defenses’ alignment rules against them to get a corner covering a flexed out fullback while a linebacker is left on a receiver is a favorite trick these days and &lt;a href="http://sportstreatise.com/2019/02/how-belichik-crushed-mcvay-and-other-super-bowl-lii-notes/"&gt;won the Super Bowl for the Patriots&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  177. &lt;p id="HuyFXb"&gt;The more that hybrid player can do the better off his offense will be, but in the RPO era teams love to have a guy there that is particularly effective blocking for the run game since that creates the 1-on-1 opportunities outside for their receivers in the RPO or play-action passing game. &lt;/p&gt;
  178. &lt;p id="IOPXxU"&gt;Defense is all about stopping what the offense is trying to do, so defensive personnel and schemes always just reflect what’s going on on the other side of the ball. One of the best ways to understand an offense is to observe the personnel packages and schemes that defenses are using to try and stop them. While the hybrid TE player is often at the focal point of the offenses’ strategies, he’s starting to have a counterpart on the defense.&lt;/p&gt;
  179. &lt;h2 id="9Wj3Eb"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The nickel linebacker&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  180. &lt;p id="4AK7Ow"&gt;Brent Venables has had this figured out for as long as most anyone in the game. Confronted with Florida State’s singleback offense in the 2000 national championship game they famously moved safety Roy Williams to nickel rather than using a linebacker and matched him on the slot, helping them shut down Heisman winner Chris Weinke in a 13-2 victory.&lt;/p&gt;
  181. &lt;p id="0OkDi0"&gt;The Sooners had to make another similar adjustment years later. They lost the 2008 Red River Shootout after Texas surprised them with a four-receiver set that replaced the TE with star receiver &lt;span&gt;Jordan Shipley&lt;/span&gt; and played him just off the line in trips formations that made mincemeat of their middle linebacker while the nickel linebacker was outside covering another slot.&lt;/p&gt;
  182. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  183.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Tt9IQGbr0jTjL6xJMsBV1DRi3rA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16345211/Shipley_y_stick_vs_deadpool_1.gif"&gt;
  184.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  185. &lt;p id="ib3KRE"&gt;In 2009 the Sooners were much better prepared and had a package designed to take away what had been a way for Texas to undo their defensive structure in 2008. When Texas went four-wide, and at times even when they played in 11 personnel with a TE, the Sooners kept middle linebacker &lt;span&gt;Ryan Reynolds&lt;/span&gt; on the bench and bumped their nickel &lt;span&gt;Keenan Clayton&lt;/span&gt; inside to middle linebacker while a freshman DB named &lt;span&gt;Joseph Ibiloye&lt;/span&gt; played the nickel linebacker spot.&lt;/p&gt;
  186. &lt;p id="dMpzdA"&gt;With Clayton playing in the nickel and at depth, they could defend the y-stick option routes that had torched them in 2008 without giving up the ability to play a cover 2 bracket over the boundary outside receiver, where Texas had taken to deploying Jordan Shipley.&lt;/p&gt;
  187. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  188.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-OERp4TSrOhHLOksT0psK6IlEy0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16345268/OU_nickel_robs_Texas_y_stick.gif"&gt;
  189.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  190. &lt;p id="oBCuTN"&gt;Incidentally, Texas would barely scratch out a win in that game after mixing some downhill run game and even more spread spacing designed to allow them to attack somewhere else with other receivers.&lt;/p&gt;
  191. &lt;p id="rscmrH"&gt;Ten years later Brent Venables still regularly has one of his best players playing the nickel linebacker position and he’ll move them inside as needed if the offense tries to go small to attack a traditional inside linebacker. The 2017 Clemson defense was often led by &lt;span&gt;Dorian O’Daniel&lt;/span&gt; and then he was replaced in 2018 by the remarkable &lt;span&gt;Isaiah Simmons&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  192. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  193.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/G3HISGUcfYIc423vk3oauiu-hvo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16345274/Clemson_vs_Bammer_RPO.gif"&gt;
  194.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  195. &lt;p id="wXQdyb"&gt;The personnel challenge teams face is the need to have someone on the field against the 11/20 personnel RPO spread systems everyone is running who can hold up in coverage against an inside slot receiver underneath and then still be able to arrive as an extra man against the run game.&lt;/p&gt;
  196. &lt;h2 id="APGCgo"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The plus one in the run&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  197. &lt;p id="bCOqsd"&gt;Against the hybrid two-back rushing attacks of today’s offenses, the nickel’s standard down job is often to serve as a plus one in the run game, depending on how teams divvy tasks. Sky quarters teams like Auburn have the nickel stay with the receiver if he does something like running a bubble screen on the perimeter of a power run scheme, cloud quarters teams (like the ones that play with the tite front) have him come off the edge to force the ball in or make the tackle if the RB is spilled.&lt;/p&gt;
  198. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  199.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bxC-bql-848WX63pZUGbTN4O2hA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16345402/Cloud_nickel_vs_bubble.jpg"&gt;
  200.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  201. &lt;p id="aeMKwB"&gt;If teams want to employ that style of coverage at all then the nickel needs to be a physical presence in the run game and may need to take on blocks by that hybrid TE/FB in the box. If they want to keep him outside he’ll still likely have to bring a physical presence on the perimeter when the offense sends their TE/FB out there to run rubs or blocks for their skill players to get loose in space. &lt;/p&gt;
  202. &lt;p id="ZpkFeJ"&gt;The trick is that offenses are looking for that “plus one in the run fit” player and attacking him by making him play coverage. A great nickel LB deployed in that role can generate a 2-for-1 for the defense, moving around to confuse the offense about whether he’ll be inserting himself on the perimeter or on the edge or even splitting the difference after the snap and trusting his quickness and diagnostic skills to arrive where needed.&lt;/p&gt;
  203. &lt;p id="2GXKs9"&gt;If that happens, offenses can move on to the next phase like Texas did against Oklahoma where they spread the defense further and move the focal point. They can even do that from 11/20 personnel sets if that hybrid blocker is capable of running half-decent routes from a variety of slots. The Y-back below is the TE/FB hybrid:&lt;/p&gt;
  204. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  205.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uXZppRrn0ya1UFts86t850VvP2Q=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16347556/Nub_trips_removes_nickel.jpg"&gt;
  206.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  207. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  208.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0bVvL9RWLmzF16p8ooEn07rLJ9g=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16347557/Y_F2_removes_nickel.jpg"&gt;
  209.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  210. &lt;p id="bO0LjQ"&gt;You see formations like this regularly now, wide varieties of trips formations (three receivers to one side) because they can often move the nickel away from the action and basically transform the middle linebacker into a de-facto nickel linebacker by putting him in space and creating run/pass conflicts for him by alignment.&lt;/p&gt;
  211. &lt;p id="vM7gzz"&gt;There are varying tricks for defenses to adjust to that approach but they all involve having a second player on the field that can serve as a sort of nickel linebacker. There are three main options.&lt;/p&gt;
  212. &lt;p id="rVPTFM"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2018/2/22/17041246/the-return-of-the-box-safety-part-ii-north-dakota-st-bison-wyoming-cowboys-iowa-st-cyclones-robber"&gt;One is for the free safety needs to be able to balance his coverage responsibility with the ability to drop down and defend an interior gap&lt;/a&gt;. Like how the nickel can create a 2-for-1 if he can sit on the bubble screen and still close and make a tackle on the edge on a run, a free safety can have a similar effect if he can sit on the “glance” pass option to the solo-side receiver before closing and fitting the run in the box.&lt;/p&gt;
  213. &lt;p id="pK2shw"&gt;Another option is for the nickel to be able to do what Keenan Clayton did for Oklahoma or what Isaiah Simmons sometimes does for Clemson and slide inside to the middle linebacker spot. If defenses are regularly spreading the nickel out wide then he becomes more a pure coverage player like another cornerback and defenses might as well sub a cornerback in while the nickel moves to a spot that can actually impact the play in the box.&lt;/p&gt;
  214. &lt;p id="FqO87H"&gt;One other choice is for teams to play nickel linebackers at multiple positions, like TCU essentially does under Gary Patterson. Every spring Patterson moves a safety or two down to linebacker to fill out his rotation there. Last year’s starting LBs for the Frogs at the year’s start were &lt;span&gt;Ty Summers&lt;/span&gt;, who recently ran a 4.5 at the combine, and then the even faster Garrett Wallow who was a converted safety. No matter which way you try to spread out the Horned Frogs you just find more players that have the athleticism to balance run/pass conflicts. Washington employs this approach as well and &lt;span&gt;Ben Burr-Kirven&lt;/span&gt; was one of the quicker middle linebackers in the country, teams tried to spread him out and he had an unreal 176 tackles.&lt;/p&gt;
  215. &lt;h2 id="jWwFSz"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A match for the mobile tight end&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  216. &lt;p id="zoWhAa"&gt;The name of the game amongst many a spread offense now is to rely on these hybrid blockers to move the focal point around from the same personnel grouping and hunt matchups for their run game or better skill targets. Defenses need hybrids to match and the nickel LB/DB with the diagnostic skills and speed to play the pass-first before closing and being a good tackler in the run game is one of the most precious commodities a unit can put on the field.&lt;/p&gt;
  217. &lt;p id="eP6aWH"&gt;Teams need this player to either be capable of playing multiple positions to handle the way that offenses can move their own pieces around to create conflict or else to field multiple versions of this player throughout the middle of their defense.&lt;/p&gt;
  218. &lt;p id="5sq9AV"&gt;A hybrid player that gives the defense a 2-for-1 by handling the run/pass conflicts created by RPO spread teams can erase the easy leverage and yardage those teams create for their offenses and can save a defense from yielding the 1-on-1 matchups outside or lighter boxes that lead to explosive plays. Venables and Clemson have it figured out, other teams will need to do so as well to keep up. Those FB/TE hybrids seem harmless enough, but if a defense can’t adjust to the balance they create for the offense with their own hybrids then they’ll start pulling jenga blocks out from the structure.&lt;/p&gt;
  219.  
  220. </content>
  221.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/6/18/18679387/the-tight-end-of-the-defense-brent-venables-isaiah-simmons-rpo-spread"/>
  222.    <id>https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/6/18/18679387/the-tight-end-of-the-defense-brent-venables-isaiah-simmons-rpo-spread</id>
  223.    <author>
  224.      <name>Ian Boyd</name>
  225.    </author>
  226.  </entry>
  227.  <entry>
  228.    <published>2019-06-04T14:26:05-04:00</published>
  229.    <updated>2019-06-04T14:26:05-04:00</updated>
  230.    <title>Stopping players, not formations: Part II, matchup quarters</title>
  231.    <content type="html">  
  232.  
  233.    &lt;figure&gt;
  234.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Football: Big 12 Championship-Texas vs Oklahoma" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eGKjGxj98f9tU6ZSvZcHwd_VNSM=/5x0:2923x1945/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63947817/usa_today_11765694.0.jpg" /&gt;
  235.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  236.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  237.  
  238.  &lt;p id="sb5GQ8"&gt;A reoccurring theme in the &lt;a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-playoffs"&gt;NBA playoffs&lt;/a&gt; these days is the selective non-guarding of specific players. Ever since the San Antonio Spurs picked on Dwayne Wade in back to back &lt;a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-finals"&gt;NBA Finals&lt;/a&gt;, offensive players that can’t shoot have become a resource for defenses trying to figure out how to stop superstars like Steph Curry, LeBron James, or James Harden with help defense.&lt;/p&gt;
  239. &lt;p id="0agLmZ"&gt;Spread out defenses in football have similar options to turn to in order to try and handle the tactics of the best spread offenses. What seems like “junk” defense is going to become increasingly common in big games and postseason matchups. &lt;a href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/1/25/18194869/stopping-players-not-formations-the-next-shift-in-defensive-strategy-pattern-matching-belichick"&gt;In part one of this series&lt;/a&gt; I mentioned the need for teams to be able to devote their best defenders to the specific role of matching up on the star players for opposing offenses. Here in part two we’ll be be diving into the NBA style of simply leaving people “unguarded.”&lt;/p&gt;
  240. &lt;h2 id="1VMrJu"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The big rematch of 2018&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  241. &lt;p id="5KeBW8"&gt;The 2018 season was the first in college football history in which we got a rematch of the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma. With the addition of a conference championship game despite the league only having one division, we’ll probably see these two programs rematch a lot in the coming years. On the one hand, it’s a little cheap to turn what’s perhaps college football’s best rivalry game which already takes place at a neutral site and make it potentially irrelevant to the question of who wins the Big 12. But on the other hand, rematches offer the opportunity for really precise adjustments and tuneups by the coaching staffs that can make for some really entertaining games. That was certainly the case in 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
  242. &lt;p id="07AMTv"&gt;The Red River Shootout, or round one, was a true classic thanks to a 4th quarter surge by the Oklahoma offense that tied the game up before the Longhorns pulled it out with a game-ending FG drive. Before that surge, it was very nearly a total beatdown as the nationally underrated Texas team completely blasted a flawed Oklahoma defense while thwarting the Sooners’ explosive offense with their dime package on defense.&lt;/p&gt;
  243. &lt;p id="ds01VB"&gt;What really burned Oklahoma was how easily Texas was able to run the ball. Their two main RBs combining for 105 yards on 19 carries at 5.5 ypc while QB &lt;span&gt;Sam Ehlinger&lt;/span&gt; added another 18 carries for 84 more yards at 4.7 ypc with three rushing TDs and a few short-yardage pick-ups. From there, star receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey added nine catches for 133 yards and a score (and he threw another one as well) and Texas got up by as much as 45-24 before &lt;span&gt;Kyler Murray&lt;/span&gt; initiated the comeback. After that loss Oklahoma fired DC Mike Stoops and promoted Ruffin McNeil to try and salvage the season. McNeil struggled through much of the rest of the year before putting together a plan that allowed Oklahoma to come out ahead in the rematch and win the B12 championship.&lt;/p&gt;
  244. &lt;p id="qND5AF"&gt;The principal challenge against Texas was stopping their three-pronged standard down attack, which included the run game behind first team “fullback” &lt;span&gt;Andrew Beck&lt;/span&gt;, the 6-4/220 pound flex tight end Lil’Jordan Humphrey, and then 6-6/220 pound outside receiver &lt;span&gt;Collin Johnson&lt;/span&gt;. Texas was also effective on third down and medium or more isolating Humphrey and on third and short powering the ball to &lt;span&gt;Ehlinger&lt;/span&gt; but Oklahoma really just needed a better plan on standard downs to give their own potent offense a chance to outscore the Horns. McNeil’s solution, borrowed partly from the Oklahoma State staff from their upset win over Texas, was to choose to leave some of the Longhorns “unguarded.”&lt;/p&gt;
  245. &lt;p id="fqmTg4"&gt;Not literally of course. You can’t leave players wide open before the snap against spread teams or else they’ll pass it to them for free yardage. However, there is a sense in which defenses can change up their schemes to de-emphasize the “non-shooters” which are best understood in football terms as the guys that aren’t transformed into touchdown threats if you play them in man coverage. Modern defenses are designed to give the various defenders rules to follow so that they can always outnumber whatever the offense wants to do. &lt;a href="https://matchquarters.com"&gt;The 4-2-5 “match quarters” defense&lt;/a&gt; is designed to help a unit always be “plus one” in the run and the pass. Some defenders are turned into half defenders against both the run and the pass and they have to make quick decisions and good reads to ensure that they can arrive where help is needed.&lt;/p&gt;
  246. &lt;p id="P8wEtb"&gt;But the Sooners couldn’t count on halfway present defenders to stop Texas’ run game, they were too weak up front and inconsistent at LB. They also couldn’t count on halfway present defenders to stop up Humphrey, he was simply too overpowering. So McNeil did the math and determined to always be plus one against the run (seven defenders for six blockers) and to always be plus one against Humphrey (two defenders for one receiver). That left two defenders for the remaining two receivers and they didn’t get safety help.&lt;/p&gt;
  247. &lt;p id="NWNspP"&gt;In the rematch Humphrey caught seven balls for 51 yards and a score, the Texas RBs had 13 carries for 46 yards, and while &lt;span&gt;Collin Johnson&lt;/span&gt; punished the man coverage with eight catches for 177 yards and two TDs while Ehlinger still ran 12 times for 66 yards at 5.5 ypc with two scores, they had to work left handed throughout the game and only managed 27 points. In particular, Oklahoma was able to create enough hesitation to inflict three sacks, one of which was a fourth quarter safety that killed Texas’ chance at taking the lead (it was 32-27, OU) and gave the Sooners a possession they used to mount a 6:27 TD drive that iced the game.&lt;/p&gt;
  248. &lt;p id="vdiPnv"&gt;Ehlinger and &lt;span&gt;Johnson&lt;/span&gt; were both beat up going into the game and while each put forward some game efforts, Texas just wasn’t ready to efficiently match the Sooner offensive machine without their run game and Humphrey all humming.&lt;/p&gt;
  249. &lt;h2 id="TF4RER"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Matchup” quarters&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  250. &lt;p id="LR0FkM"&gt;One of the beauties of a quarters defense is that it can afford a team flexibility in where they distribute their numbers. The goal is to be flexible after the snap, but it can offer flexibility before the snap to a team that is willing to embrace the extremes of spread strategy with the way they allocate their resources against different teams.&lt;/p&gt;
  251. &lt;p id="17IRg8"&gt;Oklahoma opted for a “load the middle” strategy against Texas’ offense, which was strongest between the hash marks thanks to their sturdy run game with senior “y-back” (TE/FB) &lt;span&gt;Andrew Beck&lt;/span&gt; and then Humphrey. OU played from a base 4-3 defense with junior “sam” linebacker &lt;span&gt;Caleb Kelly&lt;/span&gt; on the field. They’d been burned a lot in league play trying to get away with that set but they moved cornerback &lt;span&gt;Tre Norwood&lt;/span&gt; to strong safety behind him to replace the rotation of freshmen who’d been getting roasted in that spot in previous weeks.&lt;/p&gt;
  252. &lt;p id="qqr3ET"&gt;Their goal was to always be plus one against Humphrey and plus one against the run, so they typically vacillated between the following coverages:&lt;/p&gt;
  253. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  254.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/d8mbitjbt8p0GVZ_25DvHASGCZY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16316230/OU_cover_3_vs_Texas.jpg"&gt;
  255.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  256. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  257.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jRmraADBxOGZ35Tx-B886zube9w=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16316234/OU_sky_quarters_vs_Texas.jpg"&gt;
  258.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  259. &lt;p id="sBtett"&gt;Sam linebacker &lt;span&gt;Caleb Kelly&lt;/span&gt; was about 6-3, 230 while free safety was manned by the 6-2/210 &lt;span&gt;Robert Barnes&lt;/span&gt; so the Sooners were always bringing a bigger guy into the run fit to help outnumber the Longhorns. That worked well and regularly bailed them out of multiple spots where the Texas OL was shoving the Sooner front around only for the RB to find a tackler before he could make a big gain.&lt;/p&gt;
  260. &lt;p id="2Ezi47"&gt;Meanwhile they had to pull every formational trick in the book out to find Humphrey some space against the constant bracket coverages he’d find.&lt;/p&gt;
  261. &lt;p id="Cq8NTH"&gt;Against other spread teams the concerning point might not be the run game and the potential of play-action to the slot but instead perhaps the run game and then shots to that solo-side X receiver. In that event, when the stakes get high enough you’ll often see a team embrace either extreme to either side of the formation:&lt;/p&gt;
  262. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  263.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NQ4F2_M5keQpGLYpohMe5MVSYPI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16316252/Solo_side_blueprint.jpg"&gt;
  264.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  265. &lt;p id="qB7plB"&gt;Mixing cover 2 with what often amounts to cover zero is essentially an embrace of the extreme stress that spread teams can put on a defense. Good defensive teams normally like to drill their team in good base defense, teaching them a few fronts and coverages and how to address common offensive concepts from those few defenses. But when an opponent has players that you can’t stop with good fundamentals and they have them isolated in space due to spread tactics, it’s not a good idea to try and cover everything. &lt;/p&gt;
  266. &lt;p id="3SCNUY"&gt;This cover 2/cover zero showed up some back in 2015 when the &lt;a href="https://www.ourdailybears.com/"&gt;Baylor Bears&lt;/a&gt; were torching teams by throwing to &lt;span&gt;Corey Coleman&lt;/span&gt; as a solo-side WR (1363 receiving yards and 20 TDs) or running the ball (two RBs ran for 1k yards for them that season) when teams split their defenders too wide trying to cover it all up.&lt;/p&gt;
  267. &lt;p id="up72MY"&gt;Eventually K-State figured out that they were better off playing man coverage on every receiver not named &lt;span&gt;Corey Coleman&lt;/span&gt;, and erasing him from the Baylor arsenal with a consistent cover 2 bracket. It was normal for those Baylor offenses to have a receiver facing a cover 2 bracket like that not even bother to run a route but instead save his legs since the ball was going elsewhere. It made sense, but it also allowed K-State to choose to remove him from the game.&lt;/p&gt;
  268. &lt;p id="yWQuLD"&gt;That meant they then gained an extra man up front to prevent the normal gaping holes that Baylor was accustomed to sending runners through. K-State went to this strategy late and lost 31-24 but Oklahoma borrowed from it in a road win the next week in Waco. Texas installed the Baylor offense in 2016 and often saw this same blueprint as an answer to their version of the scheme.&lt;/p&gt;
  269. &lt;p id="3tZaVL"&gt;One of the toughest challenges for defenses is from teams with a pair of outside receivers that can win over the top AND are paired with a QB that can accurately hit the one lined up on the far hash with a fade or comeback. It’s fairly common for teams to respond to trips formations by leaving the outside receiver to the wide side of the field “unguarded” either by having the CB over him quickly helping off him from an deep zone or by playing him in man coverage and yielding a 1-on-1 matchup in order to get a plus one elsewhere. Leaving a slot “unguarded” is much trickier because of his proximity to the QB and the greater ease there is in hitting him on any manner of option or vertical routes.&lt;/p&gt;
  270. &lt;p id="rL55he"&gt;Faced with a dilemma like this in 2017 against an OSU team boasting Marcel Ateman and &lt;span&gt;James Washington&lt;/span&gt; as their outside receivers, TCU mixed in this robber coverage:&lt;/p&gt;
  271. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  272.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tavtU07kRYnzAkyOxhQ7dmYg2Y0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16316699/Cover_2_robber_vs_good_Z.jpg"&gt;
  273.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  274. &lt;p id="LmfYwq"&gt;Instead of asking the safety to try and play over the top of the Z receiver, the corner played a sort of deep &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;⁄&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; technique shaded to the Z while the strong safety and nickel played underneath. That way the QB couldn’t beat them over the top with a go or a post easily against the corner while there was still help underneath on the hitch-in, slant, or comeback.&lt;/p&gt;
  275. &lt;p id="zwMO54"&gt;There’s a lot of ways to move the pieces around, the key is to get a 2-over-1, 3-over-2, or 4-over-3 where there’s a particularly dangerous receiver to ensure that he can’t easily find space to work in. Aiming to be matchup proof at every spot is nice but it’s just not feasible against the caliber of skill talent present in the game these days.&lt;/p&gt;
  276. &lt;p id="1X8Rd5"&gt;With a multiple package of quarters coverages, a 4-2-5 team can be reasonably capable of always playing with a plus one advantage over up to two threats, one of which can be a RB. Anything more than two threats and you run out of numbers without switching to a three-down structure that allows lots of “drop eight” options in coverage. What’s more, to really get this approach right a team needs everyone to be capable of holding up with virtually zero help if they’re facing an offensive player deemed as a no. 3 or no. 4 threat. This can’t work if the no. 3 offensive threat can consistently whip the defender playing him without help, just as NBA teams can’t help off great shooters.&lt;/p&gt;
  277. &lt;p id="CfPUVf"&gt;Some teams will shade help partway to the major threats but at the highest levels, that’s often not enough anymore. You need to devote true double teams to the stars and force a team to prove they’re ready, willing, and able to beat you with their left hand. You see these sorts of tactics most often in postseason battles or season-defining contests like rivalry games, it may become the new norm as teams work out ways to slow down HUNH spread offenses.&lt;/p&gt;
  278.  
  279. </content>
  280.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/6/4/18649511/stopping-players-not-formations-part-ii-matchup-quarters-tcu-4-2-5-ruffin-mcneil-texas-oklahoma"/>
  281.    <id>https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/6/4/18649511/stopping-players-not-formations-part-ii-matchup-quarters-tcu-4-2-5-ruffin-mcneil-texas-oklahoma</id>
  282.    <author>
  283.      <name>Ian Boyd</name>
  284.    </author>
  285.  </entry>
  286.  <entry>
  287.    <published>2019-05-31T15:33:51-04:00</published>
  288.    <updated>2019-05-31T15:33:51-04:00</updated>
  289.    <title>TCU’s next offensive adjustment</title>
  290.    <content type="html">  
  291.  
  292.    &lt;figure&gt;
  293.      &lt;img alt="TCU v Baylor" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EUEb9RStA1cOkSFVCKsiC207JLw=/0x0:3852x2568/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63930025/457065950.jpg.0.jpg" /&gt;
  294.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  295.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  296.  
  297.  &lt;p&gt;This offseason Gary Patterson has quietly been assembling the staff and players to infuse his program with the one offensive tactic that has always given him fits.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="MXzvQE"&gt;The greatest rivalry of the early 2010s in the Big 12 was the one between Gary Patterson’s TCU and Art Briles’ Baylor. It was an annual showdown between the state’s brightest offensive and defensive minds, played out through a pair of private schools largely considered as afterthoughts in the Texas college football scene and consequently equipped with massive chips on their shoulders. Those two teams have played every year of this decade and the Patterson v Briles scorecard read as follows:&lt;/p&gt;
  298. &lt;p id="UbN6Xr"&gt;2010: TCU 45-10&lt;/p&gt;
  299. &lt;p id="VKdwqx"&gt;2011: Baylor 50-48&lt;/p&gt;
  300. &lt;p id="hE2Nmb"&gt;2012: TCU 49-21&lt;/p&gt;
  301. &lt;p id="7oQ6Em"&gt;2013: Baylor 41-38&lt;/p&gt;
  302. &lt;p id="lJId1d"&gt;2014: Baylor 61-58&lt;/p&gt;
  303. &lt;p id="qwJ0qb"&gt;2015: TCU 28-21&lt;/p&gt;
  304. &lt;p id="7TQnW2"&gt;Those 2011 and 2014 games really left their mark on Patterson and TCU. The former launched Baylor’s magical breakthrough season in which RG3 won the Heisman trophy while the latter spoiled an otherwise perfect season and kept the Frogs out of the playoffs. As a defensive coach, taking losses where he watched his team yield 50+ points was exceptionally grating for Patterson and then there were &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr2ZEVmOKJY"&gt;some other issues&lt;/a&gt; dating back a ways that ensured those two would never see eye to eye.&lt;/p&gt;
  305. &lt;p id="dATWHB"&gt;Baylor’s ability to light up even potent defenses such as the 2014 TCU squad was really eye opening and encouraged other spread teams around the country (and especially in the Big 12) to open up their offenses more with aggressive vertical passing. The TCU Frogs had a tough few years there on defense after 2014 before putting it all back together in recent seasons. And now? Gary Patterson has aimed to even the score.&lt;/p&gt;
  306. &lt;h2 id="NRTdfH"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;An innocuous assistant hire&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  307. &lt;p id="E3WzT0"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGVzRbc8-No"&gt;In a media availability recorded by Frogs O War&lt;/a&gt;, Gary Patterson slipped in some quotes about something TCU has in the works for the coming season. First he inserted a note when discussing the challenges faced by his younger defensive additions in spring ball:&lt;/p&gt;
  308. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="TDuOtD"&gt;“...we’ve changed some things in our passing game, that I think have helped us, and we’re utilizing our speed which makes it harder on our secondary.” &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  309. &lt;p id="s0RllM"&gt;Eventually he slipped in another hint.&lt;/p&gt;
  310. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="cpRRWi"&gt;“The guy that’s looked the best out of everybody has been &lt;span&gt;Taye Barber&lt;/span&gt;, on the inside. &lt;span&gt;Taye Barber&lt;/span&gt;. The new offensive, some of the new passing stuff we’re doing has really helped him use his speed...” &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  311. &lt;p id="6VrW7W"&gt;Finally he got a follow up question asking what the Frogs we’re up to for the coming season and he responded:&lt;/p&gt;
  312. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="QczwtY"&gt;“The new WR coach, one of the reasons why we hired him is having some thought process from when he was at Houston and he was at Arkansas State, some of the things...both of those do a good job of throwing the football so...”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  313. &lt;p id="ChlZKB"&gt;Patterson didn’t want to reveal too much more than that, even throwing in the Arkansas State reference which I don’t think is even accurate, perhaps to try and obscure his meaning. If you watch the presser you can see some restrained giddiness in Patterson’s features when he’s discussing these changes, he’s clearly excited about them without wanting to give away the game. The WR coach he’s referring to is &lt;span&gt;Malcolm Kelly&lt;/span&gt;, who on the surface didn’t appear to be a major addition to the TCU staff.&lt;/p&gt;
  314. &lt;p id="PeDJql"&gt;Kelly was a standout performer for the Sooners and their leading receiver in 2006 and 2007 before heading out early for the NFL (second round pick) and unfortunately missing out on participating in one of the deadliest offenses in college football history in 2008. In 2017 and 2018 he started to get his coaching career going by serving as a grad assistant at Houston.&lt;/p&gt;
  315. &lt;p id="A7hgMV"&gt;In that time he worked under the son of Gary Patterson’s old foe, Kendal Briles, when the former Baylor OC was the Houston OC in 2018. The “veer and shoot” offense that Briles learned from his dad is heavy on utilizing downfield passing, particularly with the slot receiver, in a manner that is hard exceptionally productive and can really unleash a speedy WR corps with athletes like Taye Barber (4.53 40 in high school) and &lt;span&gt;Jalen Reagor&lt;/span&gt; (10.9 sprinter in high school, 1k receiving yards in 2018).&lt;/p&gt;
  316. &lt;p id="q56AY0"&gt;It seems that TCU has finally incorporated some of the spread-iso offensive tricks that gave them so much trouble earlier this decade.&lt;/p&gt;
  317. &lt;h2 id="g2HpyM"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Another transfer quarterback?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  318. &lt;p id="uIqHU7"&gt;TCU’s quarterback roster has been bewildering to track over the last couple of seasons. In 2018 they added highly promising prospect &lt;span&gt;Justin Rogers&lt;/span&gt; from Louisiana, but &lt;span&gt;Rogers&lt;/span&gt; missed his senior season in high school and freshman season at TCU dealing with a grievous injury that caused nerve damage and “drop foot” for his freshman year. As a dual-threat with a strong arm, &lt;span&gt;Rogers&lt;/span&gt; fits what TCU has tried to do at QB since &lt;span&gt;Trevone Boykin&lt;/span&gt; but whether he’ll ever pick up the pace he had as a junior in high school is less clear.&lt;/p&gt;
  319. &lt;p id="bibBIm"&gt;They also took in Penn transfer &lt;span&gt;Michael Collins&lt;/span&gt; that year, a tall pocket passer who ended up starting multiple games in 2018 after sophomore &lt;span&gt;Shawn Robinson&lt;/span&gt; went down with a shoulder injury. Then for 2019, Robinson transferred to Missouri, they added another promising dual-threat freshman named Max Duggan as an early enrollee, and then they took in grad transfer &lt;span&gt;Alex Delton&lt;/span&gt; from Kansas State. Delton had been headed to UTEP to be reunited with former OC Dana Dimel in a QB run-heavy offense similar to what K-State ran under Bill Snyder but opted instead for the opportunity at TCU. Delton has never been much of a passer and his fit in either the Air Raid offense that OC Sonny Cumbie brought to Ft Worth or the vertical option passing Kelly is bringing along is pretty iffy.&lt;/p&gt;
  320. &lt;p id="a8yDTz"&gt;Finally, after spring practices concluded with former 5-star &lt;span&gt;Justin Fields&lt;/span&gt; clearly groomed for the QB1 job at Ohio State, RS freshman &lt;span&gt;Matthew Baldwin&lt;/span&gt; determined to transfer and landed on coming back to the state of Texas to compete for the job at TCU.&lt;/p&gt;
  321. &lt;p id="6Jz4Rr"&gt;Up till now the TCU offense has been a largely four-wide attack oriented around normal Air Raid passing plays with a heavy infusion of spread-option run game (zone-read, speed option, RPOs) and play-action passing to emphasize the run game more than other Air Raids tend to do and in order to make the most of dual-threat QBs. To go from that approach to something closer to the veer and shoot is a natural evolution for the Frogs, who have already prized physical OL play, play-action, RPOs, and general run/pass balance. But none of their QBs were obvious frontrunners to execute this new style in the fall of 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
  322. &lt;p id="oAdlm0"&gt;Rogers has had his injury issues hampering his development, Duggan will be a true freshman coming from Iowa ball, &lt;span&gt;Collins&lt;/span&gt; missed the spring with an injury, and Delton has a low ceiling as a passer. That made for both a crowded room but also an opening for Baldwin to win the job should he be granted a waiver from the NCAA. Patterson in the same press availability linked above spoke strongly against the granting of waivers to transferring players, but it seems unlikely that he’d pass if the NCAA granted Baldwin a waiver.&lt;/p&gt;
  323. &lt;h2 id="DgLVQ7"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Putting it all together in 2019&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  324. &lt;p id="I5R39J"&gt;The last time the Frogs made a major adjustment to their offense was in 2014 when Patterson hired Cumbie and Doug Meacham to install the Air Raid offense. Their young offensive line came together, struggling young athletic QB &lt;span&gt;Trevone Boykin&lt;/span&gt; started to figure things out in a stronger system, and WR &lt;span&gt;Josh Doctson&lt;/span&gt; emerged as a dynamic playmaker. The Frogs went 23-3 over the next two seasons as a result of that move.&lt;/p&gt;
  325. &lt;p id="vR6Pzr"&gt;The circumstances are actually similar for 2019. The prospective OL took some lumps in 2018 retooling after losing multiple seniors but now heads into the coming year with some real talent, experience, and depth:&lt;/p&gt;
  326. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  327.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PFtmXM4PHWGOWI_JKsaLlpsmYZI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16311724/TCU_2019_OL.jpg"&gt;
  328.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  329. &lt;p id="ijSjoS"&gt;At the skill positions they have the aforementioned Barber and Reagor at WR and then RB &lt;span&gt;Darius Anderson&lt;/span&gt; is back as well. The pieces are in place to be able to run the ball, protect the passer, and create opportunities to chuck the ball down the field. It’s simply a matter of finding a QB that can tie everything together, a task for which &lt;span&gt;Matthew Baldwin&lt;/span&gt; is probably best suited.&lt;/p&gt;
  330. &lt;p id="D1S568"&gt;We haven’t seen Baldwin in the college game much save for an Ohio State spring game appearance, the last we saw of him in a highly competitive environment was during Lake Travis HS’s state run in 2017. Baldwin threw for 3842 yards at 10.5 ypa with 44 TDs and six INT. He also ran for 425 yards and nine TDs but doesn’t have the sort of quickness that would make TCU’s zone-read game hum like it did for &lt;span&gt;Shawn Robinson&lt;/span&gt;, &lt;span&gt;Kenny Hill&lt;/span&gt;, or Trevone Boykin. However, at 6-3/220 pounds with experience running a variety of option schemes he might be effective in the power-read.&lt;/p&gt;
  331. &lt;p id="khMHkd"&gt;The name of the game for that Lake Travis team was Baldwin chucking the ball around on double moves and adjustable routes to 5-star WR and recent Ohio State teammate &lt;span&gt;Garrett Wilson&lt;/span&gt; and 4-star Texas commit (at QB) Hudson Card.&lt;/p&gt;
  332. &lt;p id="7Xr9xr"&gt;His command of the RPO game...&lt;/p&gt;
  333. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  334.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4ehCwPc1tEV4FMi3en1ox9BYhg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16311906/Baldwin_RPO_slant.gif"&gt;
  335.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  336. &lt;p id="8fUHLA"&gt;...and vertical passing attack....&lt;/p&gt;
  337. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  338.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ivOTRecSuXJGPb7kJQXljyQp60g=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16311912/Baldwin_rollout_bomb.gif"&gt;
  339.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  340. &lt;p id="W5neg2"&gt;...probably make him the favorite to win the job in the fall before considering that he evidently felt confident enough in the situation to transfer in the first place. Baldwin injured his knee in the semifinal and attempted to play in the championship but went down on the first play, &lt;a href="http://sportstreatise.com/2018/01/breaking-down-the-2017-texas-hs-state-championship/"&gt;leading to Hudson Card beginning his QB career&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  341. &lt;p id="RBsfcp"&gt;The way this all works together best is by the Horned Frogs finding a solid blocking TE somewhere on their roster to allow them to mimic the &lt;a href="https://rileykolstefootball.com/2018/02/18/baylors-vertical-passing-game/"&gt;Baylor deep choice route game&lt;/a&gt; with play-action. This offense can work from a four-wide set but it’s easier to protect the QB and really work over the safeties with play-action if there’s a blocking TE/FB ancillary on the field to spice up the run game, help block nickel fronts without involving QB run options, and trigger run support fills from the secondary that opens up 1-on-1s down the field.&lt;/p&gt;
  342. &lt;p id="auk4GS"&gt;Assuming that &lt;span&gt;Jalen Reagor&lt;/span&gt; as a single side receiver would tend to be able to draw bracket coverage, the Frogs could run slot choice routes all day to spring standout Taye Barber, using play-action to create space for him before Baldwin simply threw him open down the field as he raced by safeties into open grass.&lt;/p&gt;
  343. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  344.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ffIq-zazpJ6-BwUY2EC9J-OAWYU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16311931/TCU_slot_choice_to_Barber.jpg"&gt;
  345.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  346. &lt;p id="6feNXU"&gt;While quarterback has been tricky due to all of the transfers and turnover, the Horned Frogs otherwise figure to be in an up cycle on offense thanks to their experience and talent level across the OL combined with the presence of a true game-changer on the roster in Jalen Reagor. Had they managed to find a reliable distributor this offseason to play QB that likely would have been enough, but adding a talent downfield passer to run a veer and shoot style passing attack is another matter entirely.&lt;/p&gt;
  347. &lt;p id="b10akh"&gt;If the Frogs can pull this off than their 2019 season will be similar to their breakthrough in 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
  348.  
  349. </content>
  350.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/5/31/18647463/tcus-next-offensive-adjustment-veer-and-shoot-matthew-baldwin-gary-patterson"/>
  351.    <id>https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/5/31/18647463/tcus-next-offensive-adjustment-veer-and-shoot-matthew-baldwin-gary-patterson</id>
  352.    <author>
  353.      <name>Ian Boyd</name>
  354.    </author>
  355.  </entry>
  356.  <entry>
  357.    <published>2019-05-23T15:44:54-04:00</published>
  358.    <updated>2019-05-23T15:44:54-04:00</updated>
  359.    <title>Master class chess games of 2018: Moorhead vs Steele</title>
  360.    <content type="html">  
  361.  
  362.    &lt;figure&gt;
  363.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Football: Auburn at Mississippi State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YW9E0r7Y0O1ijtDkuOlYgfziGuc=/0x0:4882x3255/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63888434/usa_today_11392886.0.jpg" /&gt;
  364.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  365.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  366.  
  367.  &lt;p&gt;Kevin Steele broke against type and tried to utilize a few different tricks, including one borrowed from Bill Belichik, to bust up Joe Moorhead’s option offense at Mississippi State. Instead Nick Fitzgerald ran wild and the option guru came out ahead.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="vpvwdy"&gt;When Joe Moorhead first arrived at Penn State in 2016 after a nice four-year run at Fordham at the FCS level, the big breakthrough he brought to the Lions was in the vertical passing game. Penn State loved going deep early and often with sophomore QB &lt;span&gt;Trace McSorley&lt;/span&gt; throwing to &lt;span&gt;Chris Godwin&lt;/span&gt; in particular and the Big 10 wasn’t prepared for the shock of it. When he left for the 2018 season to take the HC vacancy at Mississippi State left by Dan Mullen, he did not find a squad with the personnel to shock the SEC with a barrage of deep shots. What he did find was a talented RB room and a QB in &lt;span&gt;Nick Fitzgerald&lt;/span&gt; on track to finish as the leading rusher for his position in SEC history.&lt;/p&gt;
  368. &lt;p id="nkWGyU"&gt;Amongst the many stout defenses on the schedule from the SEC West were the &lt;a href="https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/"&gt;Auburn Tigers&lt;/a&gt;, who have been on a defensive tear over the same period since Gus Malzahn hired Kevin Steele to coordinate the unit. In year one (2016) they finished &lt;a href="https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaadef2016"&gt;16th in defensive S&amp;amp;P+&lt;/a&gt;, then third in 2017 and sixth in 2018. Beyond simply fielding excellent players, Steele focused on simplifying the playbook in a fashion similar to the Pat Narduzzi Spartans. The Tigers have focused on playing aggressive, base defense and forcing opponents to beat them down the field.&lt;/p&gt;
  369. &lt;p id="2F9N9N"&gt;Round one of this matchup proved to be a contest of Moorhead trying to work out ways to create rushing lanes against that defense without the aid of a &lt;span&gt;McSorley&lt;/span&gt;/&lt;span&gt;Godwin&lt;/span&gt; pressure release valve. Interestingly, he had tremendous success.&lt;/p&gt;
  370. &lt;h2 id="WPXcgp"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strength on strength&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  371. &lt;p id="Q1Tx92"&gt;Auburn has a really stout defensive front, for two overlapping reasons. The first is the talent level of their defensive linemen. The state of Alabama produces a fair number of talented, big DL and of course Auburn is less than two hours from Atlanta which does the same. Auburn fielded a rotation of about six or seven DL across their four-man front against Mississippi State, led by five-star DT &lt;span&gt;Derrick Brown&lt;/span&gt; (Atlanta suburb) and four-star DE/DT &lt;span&gt;Marlon Davidson&lt;/span&gt; (small town Alabama).&lt;/p&gt;
  372. &lt;p id="SkGKUl"&gt;Their defensive backfield is often less heralded and indeed the unit that took the field against the Bulldogs featured three-star recruits at middle linebacker, strong safety, and free safety. The Auburn base defense is generally a press-quarters strategy that looks to match up in coverage on a team’s three WRs with a trio of good cornerbacks and then try to force the ball inside where the safeties are playing downhill on the hash marks and their well-coached LBs are waiting.&lt;/p&gt;
  373. &lt;p id="jf3M4M"&gt;For instance against LSU playing a “nub trips” formation:&lt;/p&gt;
  374. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  375.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vxLoOpIAUVREl_BqVt5tnMYXM04=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16294878/Auburn_vs_LSU_trips.jpg"&gt;
  376.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  377. &lt;p id="CISb1D"&gt;The cornerback on bottom is left to his lonesome in man coverage, the nickel (next Auburn DB up from the bottom) is playing outside-shade on his assignment, and then the middle linebacker is splitting the difference between his run gap and the third receiver while the safety helps him over the top. Both safeties are within 10 yards and often sneak up to eight or so. Because the Tigers defer some coverage to their corners and nickel the safeties can play fairly aggressively against the run once they’ve guaranteed help inside in coverage.&lt;/p&gt;
  378. &lt;p id="wiBG5o"&gt;Auburn doesn’t blitz very often but rely on their DL to get pressure and the close proximity of the safeties allows the LBs to play pretty fast, putting extra pressure on the OL to block guys like &lt;span&gt;Brown&lt;/span&gt; before those backers fly in and wreck the play. In that regard they’re similar to the Spartans but they are less aggressive with their nickel against the run.&lt;/p&gt;
  379. &lt;p id="oforjW"&gt;The strength of the 2018 Mississippi State offense was the revolving trio of QB &lt;span&gt;Nick Fitzgerald&lt;/span&gt;, TE/FB &lt;span&gt;Farrod Green&lt;/span&gt; (sometimes &lt;span&gt;Justin Johnson&lt;/span&gt;), and RB Aeris Williams-or-Kylin Hill. Fitzgerald had 196 carries for 1299 yards on the year at 6.6 ypc with 13 TDs, Williams and Hill combined for 202 carries and 1258 yards at 6.2 ypc with seven more TDs. The TEs focused largely on blocking although &lt;span&gt;Justin Johnson&lt;/span&gt; got involved on some RPOs and in the passing game from time to time.&lt;/p&gt;
  380. &lt;p id="WrZYst"&gt;The focal point of the game here was whether Moorhead could find leverage for his two-headed option run game to find places to punch through against Auburn’s notoriously sound and stout front.&lt;/p&gt;
  381. &lt;h2 id="3nYqbP"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Opening maneuvers: Moorhead goes around the Maginot line&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  382. &lt;p id="pHsl1K"&gt;Obviously the plan for Moorhead and the Bulldogs wasn’t just to trot out conventional formations and try to mash their heads up against the Tiger fronts harder than other opponents had done. They looked to leverage the abilities of their QB as a passer, humble as they might be, to try and spread out and confuse the Tigers.&lt;/p&gt;
  383. &lt;p id="l54yVF"&gt;Early on they had some success with this approach:&lt;/p&gt;
  384. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  385.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-9ht_UU7VOxQrqb54Jx93pwBfnk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16295403/Clanga_R_swing_QB_draw.gif"&gt;
  386.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  387. &lt;p id="baKVcS"&gt;They start in a 3x1 set with the TE flexed out and have the RB swing wide while Fitzgerald reads the middle linebacker to see if he chases the RB and abandons his post in the box or stays home. The MLB abandons his post so Fitz opts for the QB draw.&lt;/p&gt;
  388. &lt;p id="KVQdrg"&gt;Then another problem arises for the Tigers, the movement to a 4x1 set drew the attention of the free safety, who needs to help to the field to avoid getting outnumbered on deep throws (hypothetically). But now there’s only five defenders in the box for five blockers and six gaps.&lt;/p&gt;
  389. &lt;p id="XEiFeO"&gt;Later that drive the Dogs started in 4x1 and came back to 3x1:&lt;/p&gt;
  390. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  391.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HlvZkQm4AEftq7sc_Q4Qn1f3Lc4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16295446/Clanga_4x1_to_3x1_PR.gif"&gt;
  392.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  393. &lt;p id="iC1ZhI"&gt;This time the Tigers motion back but get caught over compensating for the late adjustment whereas against the draw they weren’t ready to leave someone behind.&lt;/p&gt;
  394. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  395.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dyglEtQZDFE9ERhgwNd1Z9W2xy8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16295518/Clanga_4x1_to_3x1_PR_vs_Auburn.jpg"&gt;
  396.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  397. &lt;p id="TimCcE"&gt;Interestingly enough, Auburn was playing a tite front on this snap. They mixed in the tite front pretty heavily in this game along with their normal 4-2 over and under fronts but they didn’t play by the tite front rules very well in this contest. With this play in particular, the DE is free to play the RB and force the ball inside because he has a DT inside of him in the B-gap, he does so. But the weak side linebacker lost track of his assignment and also chased the RB wide, and with the MLB playing the C-gap first and coming late in response to motion that left no one at all in the box to stop the QB run.&lt;/p&gt;
  398. &lt;h2 id="G4xoP2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Auburn’s unsuccessful gambit&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  399. &lt;p id="n2l0MB"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl"&gt;Super Bowl&lt;/a&gt; XLIX was an influential one for anti-spread defense because everyone got to watch defensive mastermind Bill Belichik try to solve the zone-read against the Seattle Seahawks. His solution was to play with double 3-techniques, double 9-tech OLB/DEs playing contain, and then send an ILB downhill through the A-gap to create a 46 defense after the snap.&lt;/p&gt;
  400. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  401.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JopxQiORJaUYVB_j5FDG8IuwGsc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16295624/Patriot_zone_read_stop_scheme.gif"&gt;
  402.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  403. &lt;p id="f4xS2y"&gt;The DE/OLBs would give the QB the read to handoff while clogging the B-gaps with 3-techniques and then an A-gap with an ILB would create 1-on-1 matchups across the line and blow up the zone blocking schemes. It worked out quite well, Lynch had a workmanlike 103 yards on 24 carries and Wilson 39 yards on three carries. With their zone game schemed up the Seahawks famously chose to pass rather than run in a crucial moment and handed the Patriots a win. Since then, this approach has been influential at the college level for teams trying to handle that scheme.&lt;/p&gt;
  404. &lt;p id="O6WWhE"&gt;But there are three big problems with that approach. One is that the Patriots are well known for their culture, attention to detail, and emphasis on multiplicity and versatility. Their base defense is whatever it needs to be in order to stop your offense. What’s more, the Patriots committed to that front for the game, they didn’t mix it in along with a handful of other fronts that they had to stay option-sound in. Auburn broke against Steele’s normal KISS philosophy and they were punished with a number of occasions in this game where they missed assignments and gave away yardage.&lt;/p&gt;
  405. &lt;p id="IcEjla"&gt;Another problem is multiplicity on the offensive side, the Seahawks didn’t have as many ways to attack this front as Moorhead does.&lt;/p&gt;
  406. &lt;p id="z4Z4Cl"&gt;Finally, there’s the problem that this front was designed to stop the inside/outside zone-read game of the Seahawks, not the power-read game.&lt;/p&gt;
  407. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  408.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n1vZGN8WM7nYN2hCA7sFK2dJpxY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16295694/Clanga_PR_busts_Auburn_46.gif"&gt;
  409.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  410. &lt;p id="R4XliQ"&gt;You can see that Auburn is playing a more traditional 46 front with a nose in the A-gap rather than a blitzing LB and then the MLB as one of the 9-techniques. The MLB contains the  RB sweep and then almost closes and tackles Fitzgerald as well, but not quite. The power game is trouble for this front, provided they don’t give up penetration on the backside, because they add a blocker who picks up the LB and then the defense has no one left for the QB. &lt;/p&gt;
  411. &lt;p id="0tKTuD"&gt;The Tigers are playing man coverage, you almost have to or you risk getting badly outnumbered in the box with no one behind the five guys on the line. But the Dogs have the TE flexed out so there’s only one LB to react to where the play actually goes and no safety to help him clean up anything save for the deep man, who’s rendered useless playing that far back.&lt;/p&gt;
  412. &lt;p id="YcEWOH"&gt;The Tigers would have been better off playing without a deep safety in this game, at least when they were in the 46 fronts. &lt;span&gt;Nick Fitzgerald&lt;/span&gt; completed 9-17 passes in this game for 69 yards at 4.1 ypa with zero TDs and one INT, a third down crosser thrown to a safety playing LB in an Auburn dime package. He didn’t present a real threat in the passing game to consistently beat the Tigers’ man coverage defenders, not like he did to beat their LBs with his legs.&lt;/p&gt;
  413. &lt;p id="dYVzNg"&gt;Eventually the Tigers did get desperate enough to go in that direction, but they still mucked up their assignments and their front was too word down so the upshot was that a short-yardage conversion with QB power turned into a finishing TD.&lt;/p&gt;
  414. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  415.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7RtCvhaQwWx5zZjhzlQuo2IwCk4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16295769/Clanga_QB_power_finisher.gif"&gt;
  416.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  417. &lt;h2 id="kaxXv6"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The scorecard&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  418. &lt;p id="H1XSo0"&gt;Nick Fitzgerald had 28 carries for 195 yards in this game at 7.0 ypc with two rushing TDs. That wasn’t a total anomaly for the SEC’s all-time leader in rushing yards at QB either but a fairly typical workload for him. When the QB is that involved in the run game, it changes all the calculus up front and allows the offense to manipulate which defenders fit where in the box if the defense insists on playing by normal rules.&lt;/p&gt;
  419. &lt;p id="Ft3Ek0"&gt;Auburn had a Mississippi State-specific gameplay with their occasional utilization of the 46 defense, but they didn’t commit all in with it like they needed to in order to execute the plan. They didn’t make the 46 their main front for this game to make sure their defenders knew how to stop the various option looks in that specific defense and they didn’t bring up the deep safety to guarantee they didn’t get creased. When Virginia Tech famously shut down Ohio State back in 2014 it was with the 46 front backed by cover zero with no deep safety. When the other team is basically using a RB at QB and commits fully, if you don’t accept those terms you’re choosing to play at a disadvantage.&lt;/p&gt;
  420. &lt;p id="rrWgHk"&gt;Steele broke his normal rules around keeping things simple so Auburn’s talent up front could dominate while their backfield swarmed the ball and he brought a stick to a rock fight. Consequently, Moorhead won this round decisively.&lt;/p&gt;
  421.  
  422. </content>
  423.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/5/23/18564309/master-class-chess-games-of-2018-moorhead-vs-steele-mississippi-state-auburn-nick-fitzgerald"/>
  424.    <id>https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/5/23/18564309/master-class-chess-games-of-2018-moorhead-vs-steele-mississippi-state-auburn-nick-fitzgerald</id>
  425.    <author>
  426.      <name>Ian Boyd</name>
  427.    </author>
  428.  </entry>
  429.  <entry>
  430.    <published>2019-05-16T16:19:16-04:00</published>
  431.    <updated>2019-05-16T16:19:16-04:00</updated>
  432.    <title>Master class chess games of 2018: Leach vs Lake/Kwiatkowski</title>
  433.    <content type="html">  
  434.  
  435.    &lt;figure&gt;
  436.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Football: Washington at Washington State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3n7U8GpQlw17R52H5BEdZhbNmHs=/0x8:1947x1306/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63847766/usa_today_11720905.0.jpg" /&gt;
  437.        &lt;figcaption&gt;James Snook-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  438.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  439.  
  440.  &lt;p&gt;The Washington Huskies have had their rival’s number over the last few years in the Apple Cup. In 2018 they had a showdown against Mike Leach and Gardner Minshew in the snow and came out ahead once more.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="9kFiNz"&gt;The 2018 Apple Cup was often treated as a sort of “that’s what you get for trying to throw all the time, Leach,” game by many commentators. Washington’s DB coach and co-defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake played that angle up with some of his quotes after the game as well...&lt;/p&gt;
  441. &lt;div id="7EXdqN"&gt;
  442. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  443. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;.&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/UW_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@UW_Football&lt;/a&gt; co-DC Jimmy Lake after shutting down Mike Leach and the Air Raid for a fifth straight season: &lt;a href="https://t.co/qoOODW1Ejs"&gt;pic.twitter.com/qoOODW1Ejs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/A_Jude/status/1066205773561126913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;November 24, 2018&lt;/a&gt;
  444. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  445. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  446. &lt;/div&gt;
  447. &lt;p id="rY217v"&gt;It snowed heavily during the game of course, and the juxtaposition of styles was rather jarring and suggested the supremacy of traditional smash mouth football for winning in a cold weather game. &lt;/p&gt;
  448. &lt;p id="orr0Wi"&gt;The Huskies ran the ball 44x for 258 yards and three scores while Leach’s Cougars ran the ball 24x for 85 yards and two scores. Additionally, the last two possessions by the Husky offense won this game. The first produced an 80-yard scoring run by &lt;span&gt;Myles Gaskin&lt;/span&gt; from a 22 personnel set and then the next drive (also involving that personnel group) began with 8:54 left on the clock in the fourth quarter and ended with &lt;span&gt;Jake Browning&lt;/span&gt; kneeling out the game.&lt;/p&gt;
  449. &lt;p id="QlQvcf"&gt;So the narrative after the game was definitively that the Huskies’ superior physicality and their embrace of traditional football tactics allowed them to decisively win a classic bad weather game. The actual chess games were a little more involved and interesting.&lt;/p&gt;
  450. &lt;h2 id="Tk9oUS"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Check down city: Gardner Minshew and the 2018 Cougar offense&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  451. &lt;p id="qPxVNA"&gt;If you watched the Gardner Minshew offense in 2018 it often wasn’t as glorious as you’d guess from the Air Raid reputation and his fifth place finish in the Heisman voting. The Cougar’s no. 1 receiver was RB &lt;span&gt;James Williams&lt;/span&gt;, with 83 catches for 613 yards and four TDs at 7.4 yards per catch. Their no. 4 receiver was RB &lt;span&gt;Max Borghi&lt;/span&gt;, with 53 catches for 374 yards and four TDs at 7.1 yards per catch. Washington State in 2018 was check down city.&lt;/p&gt;
  452. &lt;p id="nsnAHK"&gt;What made Minshew and their offensive particularly effective in 2018 was how consistent Minshew was about quickly checking down to recent Kansas City Chief acquisition &lt;span&gt;James Williams&lt;/span&gt; (UDFA) in a ton of open space in the flat. Even if you covered up their vertical passes the shallow crossers and check downs could eat up yardage as efficiently as any run game in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
  453. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  454.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EvEHS9ZAJ64dJP_z0zjYwtEX-fY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16281571/Check_down_city_1.gif"&gt;
  455.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  456. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  457.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yLIzy7Qva_Xke24T4b9Wac7DqQQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16281595/Check_down_city_2.gif"&gt;
  458.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  459. &lt;p id="GFQgS4"&gt;Observe both the rhythm with which Minshew hits those check downs as well as &lt;span&gt;Williams&lt;/span&gt;’ ability to transform back into a RB after the catch and go fight for extra yardage.&lt;/p&gt;
  460. &lt;p id="upQyto"&gt;Essentially the 2018 Cougars were comparable to a Tom Brady Patriots team, efficient and consistent enough taking the free candy in the flats to actually work their way down the field and beat you. They scored 37.5 points per game and went up against an underrated slate of great defenses beating Wyoming (&lt;a href="https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaadef"&gt;41st in S&amp;amp;P+&lt;/a&gt;) 41-19, Utah (19th) 28-24, Cal (13th) 19-13, and then finishing against Washington (4th) who beat them 28-15 and Iowa State (28th) whom they beat 28-26.&lt;/p&gt;
  461. &lt;p id="BtlLZ3"&gt;The Cougars were consistently fielding five true receiving threats (generally 10 personnel or 20 personnel with &lt;span&gt;Borghi&lt;/span&gt; joining Williams in the backfield) and then buying the already mobile and scramble-savvy Minshew time with a LT in &lt;span&gt;Andre Dillard&lt;/span&gt; who just went in the first round of the &lt;a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL draft&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  462. &lt;h2 id="xUsykS"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Huskies’ counter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  463. &lt;p id="ETosm3"&gt;To their great credit, Jimmy Lake and Pete Kwiatkowski both seemed to understand the name of the game from the old Pirate’s approach. They drew up their personnel packages for this game with the aim of A) avoiding any sieves in their defensive backfield and B) maintaining an energetic pass-rush without needing to bring more than four.&lt;/p&gt;
  464. &lt;p id="CwTb9Y"&gt;This was their starting lineup:&lt;/p&gt;
  465. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  466.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zCS0N6s1byQCcHit9rXDLL4iVpw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16281642/Husky_2018_dime.jpg"&gt;
  467.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  468. &lt;p id="zcpkEw"&gt;That’s dime personnel with the Huskies essentially trading a DT for an extra nickel, but then playing the nickel in the OLB spot and spinning the OLB down to the DL. They played a few different fronts and stunted throughout the game but typically lined up in the tite front with two 4i-technique DEs and then a zero nose.&lt;/p&gt;
  469. &lt;p id="rJEvkU"&gt;The beauty of that set-up, captured here in a screenshot...&lt;/p&gt;
  470. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  471.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WhxJ1F6fRTTesPIjy-70sjrtkWs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16281685/Husky_tite_dime_vs_Cougars.jpg"&gt;
  472.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  473. &lt;p id="JIASLI"&gt;...was that they were balanced across their defensive formation. When the Cougars lined up in their favorite 2x2 spread sets there was a nickel DB lined up across from each slot receiver. That left the LBs and/or a down safety responsible for covering up the RBs or a no. 3 receiver in a trips formation. Of course, the Huskies had one of the most rangy LBs in the country with &lt;span&gt;Ben Burr-Kirven&lt;/span&gt; who had an obscene 176 tackles in 2018, and both their ILBs and both safeties were all 210-220 pound guys that were comfortable in space. There weren’t many weak spots to aim for, even for the nearly five-wide Cougar lineup.&lt;/p&gt;
  474. &lt;p id="VRqGed"&gt;The Huskies also rotated liberally, particularly their sled dogs up front on the DL, and were rewarded with a pass-rush that came through late despite regularly sending only three or four rushers every snap.&lt;/p&gt;
  475. &lt;h2 id="9FyeB6"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The battle in the middle of the chessboard&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  476. &lt;p id="FzTM1P"&gt;Mike Leach ultimately fell into the same trap as every other eventual chew toy that found itself in the Huskies’ jaws in 2018. He looked across that setup and determined that their best bet was to attack the middle linebacker.&lt;/p&gt;
  477. &lt;p id="I2etqd"&gt;But the Cougars had a few ways of doing that and did experience varying degrees of success. One method was to swing their RB to the trips side of a formation after the snap to overload with numbers to the field.&lt;/p&gt;
  478. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  479.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xHziDNiP0Nfiu0SAx-iXQc-ayiM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16281900/Wazzu_swing_stick.gif"&gt;
  480.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  481. &lt;p id="rmCte4"&gt;On this one they’re running a stick route with clear out switch verticals outside and then the RB swinging to the same side. Minshew is reading BBK at the snap and how he widens determines the throw, BBK doesn’t move out of the box with any urgency so Minshew quick triggers the stick route in for an easy eight or so.&lt;/p&gt;
  482. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  483.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MmXbkykBcVWQkSqWymz2I9gSaz0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16281927/Wazzu_trips_snag.gif"&gt;
  484.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  485. &lt;p id="ypzbdL"&gt;On this play they're running the snag combo to the trips side with the fourth receiver running a clear out. Again, four targets to the field means 1-on-1s against the corner, nickel, strong safety, and then BBK IF he gets wide quickly enough. This time the stress is released in the flat where the nickel has to mind the slot and the snag route before closing on the RB swing pass and he misses the tackle in space leading to a big gain.&lt;/p&gt;
  486. &lt;p id="mRcw90"&gt;The Cougars were landing some shots early, but overall the Huskies did well to play with good depth. They leaned on the tite front to allow them to play BBK wider (he could defend the C-gap against trips) and then his fantastic range allowed the Huskies to keep the ball in front on all of Washington State’s crossers and check downs. Minshew was 14-17 early on for 87 yards, which made for a paltry 5.1 ypa, and things got worse down the stretch as the slushy turf limited their ability to pick up yards after the catch.&lt;/p&gt;
  487. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  488.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4an1pwxo7nbVx2nK1STZj60jAn8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16281976/Slush_kills_check_down_city.gif"&gt;
  489.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  490. &lt;p id="7L2gtD"&gt;Again, clear out routes and then a rhythm check down to the back in wide open spaces, but check down city didn’t have enough salt and trucks to clear the roads.&lt;/p&gt;
  491. &lt;p id="i3RRuH"&gt;The run game was a mixed bag, when they were able to win an inside gap against the Husky DL then it went well...&lt;/p&gt;
  492. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  493.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XiKT1wcFMlTEAC_-3bBPb5LXGGs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16281992/Wazzu_zone_wins_A_gap.gif"&gt;
  494.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  495. &lt;p id="O1C2Bn"&gt;...when the ball was spilled then the dime personnel secondary would just run things down for no gain:&lt;/p&gt;
  496. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  497.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MFJqvHn6XPUua5kCrAw59EeAtRM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16281997/Wazzu_zone_spilled.gif"&gt;
  498.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  499. &lt;p id="HIYuvT"&gt;Late in the game their attempts to repeatedly target BBK with their inside overloads, mesh concepts, and occasional zone or draw handoffs inside finally went terribly wrong. A three man stunt finally got home on Minshew and he tried to flip it out to a crosser who was sitting underneath the linebackers. The ball sailed and BBK was in position to close and pick it off.&lt;/p&gt;
  500. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  501.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tDPX17yQkmhBtHXgeZ_zSGFAkYA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16282011/BBK_INT.gif"&gt;
  502.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  503. &lt;p id="9ABgar"&gt;It often drives fans nuts to see a team give up throws underneath deep dropping defenders over and over again, but when the LBs play with better depth it allows them to force long drives and to pounce on mistakes. That used to be the trick to Bob Stoops’ Oklahoma teams consistent victories over the Mike Leach Red Raiders in the 2000s. The Cougar RBs led the team in receptions but combined for 14 catches that yielded only 79 total yards.&lt;/p&gt;
  504. &lt;h2 id="BMEEeC"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The scorecard&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  505. &lt;p id="6t4se0"&gt;Washington’s big play in this game was just to get personnel on the field that wouldn’t give up anything easy in the passing game and to force check down city to prove they could score enough against the superior tacklers on the Husky defense. Beyond that, they shifted between two-deep coverages and their preferred single-high and brought a lot of games and bodies up front to keep up pressure on Minshew.&lt;/p&gt;
  506. &lt;p id="unUVJc"&gt;Credit to Lake and Kwiatkowski for understanding the nature of the fight and aiming to flip the script on Leach’s Cougars. Beyond playing dime personnel they played pass-rushers on the DL over run-stuffers and looked to try and move the focal point of the game back to the box, refusing to believe that Washington State could or would aim to win by running the ball.&lt;/p&gt;
  507. &lt;p id="AUk09a"&gt;However, Leach had plenty of calls on his short sheet that succeeded in getting his RBs and inside receivers in space, even against &lt;span&gt;Ben Burr-Kirven&lt;/span&gt;. There might have been enough there were it not for the dreadful conditions that eliminated their ability to get the kind of yards after catch they normally picked up. That wasn’t likely a problem of style either, Washington fumbled three times (lost two) and threw an INT while the Cougars turned it over twice. The Husky run game went 43-178 at 4.1 ypc other than the 80-yard run that made the difference in this contest.&lt;/p&gt;
  508. &lt;p id="byu6bC"&gt;Other than losing YAC, what burned Leach’s squad in this game was that they didn’t have a deep threat at WR that could land a bigger punch on the Huskies’ NFL-laden secondary. That and their defense couldn't stop the run in the fourth quarter. I don’t think this was as decisive a win for the Lake/Kwiatkowski combo as the popular narratives suggest and it’ll be interesting to see the rematches in 2019 and 2020 if Leach can find a Wes Welker or &lt;span&gt;Michael Crabtree&lt;/span&gt; at WR that can really get after the next iteration of the Washington secondary.&lt;/p&gt;
  509. &lt;p id="e3bj5E"&gt;The strength of the 2018 Cougars was in their check down targets and Minshew’s ability and willingness to flip it out to them. The strength of the Husky team was that their middle linebacker runs like a safety, they had a deep bench of DBs that can tackle, and their staff understands that it’s better to eliminate glaring holes before seeking pass-rush opportunities. Bad matchup for Leach’s squad and a narrow win on the scorecard for Lake and Kwiatkowski.&lt;/p&gt;
  510.  
  511. </content>
  512.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/5/16/18627777/master-class-chess-games-of-2018-mike-leach-vs-jimmy-lake-pete-kwiatkowski-washington-state-air-raid"/>
  513.    <id>https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/5/16/18627777/master-class-chess-games-of-2018-mike-leach-vs-jimmy-lake-pete-kwiatkowski-washington-state-air-raid</id>
  514.    <author>
  515.      <name>Ian Boyd</name>
  516.    </author>
  517.  </entry>
  518.  <entry>
  519.    <published>2019-05-10T08:00:00-04:00</published>
  520.    <updated>2019-05-10T08:00:00-04:00</updated>
  521.    <title>Master class chess games of 2018: Mullen vs Aranda</title>
  522.    <content type="html">  
  523.  
  524.    &lt;figure&gt;
  525.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Football: Louisiana State at Florida" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zTOSY5sx6dlCP5PUg_afZuNl7Hw=/0x0:3949x2633/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63781128/usa_today_11388019.0.jpg" /&gt;
  526.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  527.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  528.  
  529.  &lt;p&gt;LSU proved to be one of Florida’s biggest wins for Dan Mullen in year one and made two in a row that he’s put over on defensive guru Dave Aranda.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="ol5UL3"&gt;The uniting of Dave Aranda’s defensive mind with LSU back in 2016 was always an intriguing and potentially devastating combo. He’d built a wildly effective defense up in Wisconsin that leaned on man coverage, which figured to translate nicely with LSU’s superior DBs, and then a versatile front built out of sturdy DL and then crafty linebackers for which the Badgers have never seemed in want. The Tigers have been inconsistent with LBs, fielding a few brilliant players like &lt;span&gt;Devin White&lt;/span&gt;, but have had all the other pieces for Aranda to build smothering units.&lt;/p&gt;
  530. &lt;p id="r2Szci"&gt;The 2018 defense was perhaps the best yet, &lt;a href="https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaadef"&gt;finishing fifth in defensive S&amp;amp;P+&lt;/a&gt; despite lacking a star pass-rusher at their OLB position thanks to &lt;span&gt;Devin White&lt;/span&gt;, DT &lt;span&gt;Rashard Lawrence&lt;/span&gt;, and then a loaded secondary led by SS &lt;span&gt;Grant Delpit&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  531. &lt;p id="0xu9Ab"&gt;Heading into year one with the &lt;a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/"&gt;Florida Gators&lt;/a&gt;, Dan Mullen has two years of experience dealing with Aranda’s defense from his time in the SEC West with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. In 2016 his Bulldogs were crushed by Aranda’s Tigers but then in 2017 dished out payback in a 37-7 stomping in which QB &lt;span&gt;Nick Fitzgerald&lt;/span&gt; ran the ball 14x for 88 yards and a pair of scores while RB &lt;span&gt;Aeris Williams&lt;/span&gt; had 23 for another 146. Mullen is a master of spread-option run schemes but heading into the first of his bouts with Aranda from his new seat in Gainesville, the Gators didn’t quite have the ideal spread-option personnel yet. Here’s how things went...&lt;/p&gt;
  532. &lt;h2 id="wv8C7e"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LSU’s smothering approach&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  533. &lt;p id="vRLnpa"&gt;The Tigers like to play man coverage, they’ve had a revolving door of NFL corners now and are on five years in a row now of having a CB selected in the &lt;a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL draft&lt;/a&gt;. The 2018 unit was led by Greedy &lt;span&gt;Williams&lt;/span&gt;, who had a pair of picks and nine break-ups, and then paired with a few different figures but in this contest &lt;span&gt;Kristian Fulton&lt;/span&gt; who added another pick and nine more break-ups on the year.&lt;/p&gt;
  534. &lt;p id="TZ4acN"&gt;Aranda’s preferred set-up was to play nickel personnel with a third corner, Kary Vincent, Jr, who’d match the slot and free up strong safety &lt;span&gt;Grant Delpit&lt;/span&gt; to hang out in the middle of the field, drawn here against one of Florida’s favorite offensive formations:&lt;/p&gt;
  535. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  536.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SliQ1-AEDD13yAUuVMsa7Kvu4bE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16217217/LSU_tite_1_vs_Gators_H_trips.jpg"&gt;
  537.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  538. &lt;p id="D6UyTk"&gt;From that strong safety spot ($) &lt;span&gt;Delpit&lt;/span&gt; could be a devastating weapon and he finished the year with 74 tackles, 9.5 TFL, five sacks, five picks, and nine pass break-ups.&lt;/p&gt;
  539. &lt;p id="Kcy9su"&gt;With &lt;span&gt;Delpit&lt;/span&gt; and &lt;span&gt;White&lt;/span&gt; (the R here as the LSU rover) blitzing and roaming around between the hash marks, the Tigers are daring you to try and take shots down the field while Aranda dials up some brutal four and five man blitzes. That’s difficult both because of those pressures and also because trying to attack them outside means you’re working against their trio of corners playing aggressive man coverage and then veteran safety &lt;span&gt;John Battle&lt;/span&gt; working over the top.&lt;/p&gt;
  540. &lt;p id="z0VARJ"&gt;The aggressive man coverage makes quick shots difficult so you’re left figuring out how to beat LSU’s corners down the field while consistently picking up their pressures. It’s tough sledding and Florida wasn’t really up for it, &lt;span&gt;Feleipe Franks&lt;/span&gt; was 12-27 passing on the day for 161 yards at 5.9 ypa with one TD pass and one INT.&lt;/p&gt;
  541. &lt;h2 id="iVSvhJ"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mullen’s strategy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  542. &lt;p id="3622Pq"&gt;If you glance at the diagram above and stare long enough you can start to see where an alternative vulnerable spot might be in the LSU structure. The Tigers’ love of matching up in man coverage typically means that their DBs will load up to the wide side of the field while they trust their OLB/DE (J on the diagram) to force the run on the short side of the field.&lt;/p&gt;
  543. &lt;p id="8d0FHi"&gt;Many of Mullen’s plays to run the ball consequently focused on attacking the boundary overhang for LSU, knowing that if they could beat that man the Tigers’ would be left without much cover.&lt;/p&gt;
  544. &lt;p id="x5mqCH"&gt;Their main approach would be to use 3x1 formations that would typically see the Tigers spin down their strong safety and ask their OLB to force the ball on the boundary, much like in the diagram above. Sometimes that would involve the TE flexed to the field, other times he’d line up to the boundary while all three receivers went to the field. When they were in a flex set they tried some dart plays but couldn’t block the Tiger front effectively.&lt;/p&gt;
  545. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  546.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/chISkYT2pMuh1pUmAIWjKwAmyAc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16222120/Gator_dart_fails_vs_tite.gif"&gt;
  547.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  548. &lt;p id="rIpjf2"&gt;Their 3x1, especially the nub trips set, also tended to draw a 46 front from the Tigers with the OLB on one edge and then one of the ILBs on the opposite edge. They caught the Gators trying to run a dart-read on that front, Franks pulled the ball only to be chased down by the OLB on the edge after a three yard gain.&lt;/p&gt;
  549. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  550.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_HKBQ6yzlvwG0DdD2GDabWL5xEw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16222113/Gator_dart_fails_vs_46.gif"&gt;
  551.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  552. &lt;p id="TM6wqN"&gt;What they found success on though was running the option at that sole OLB on the boundary, particularly against the 46 front which left the Tigers without a second level to their defense.&lt;/p&gt;
  553. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  554.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Pzr8yT1mm8jFLS21RA-_uMJwDyE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16222160/Gator_counter_O_beats_overhang_1.gif"&gt;
  555.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  556. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  557.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uM-7xPfj4-Q5vErszBqJJsU_-XM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16222174/Gator_counter_O_beats_overhang_2.gif"&gt;
  558.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  559. &lt;p id="0m0Rff"&gt;Those two gains were both crucial in Florida TD drives that secured the game. It’s a counter option play, that looks initially like zone before turning into a traditional pitch option against the flow of the blocking on the backside of the defense.&lt;/p&gt;
  560. &lt;p id="MEHDpn"&gt;The Gators’ other go-to run scheme was an ode to the departed Jim McElwain, a tight zone/duo play from under center that would overload the perimeter and invite the DBs down before running downhill at them.&lt;/p&gt;
  561. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  562.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7HPCBNm78XjueyJ8XOq64D45Vpg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16222235/Gator_duo.gif"&gt;
  563.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  564. &lt;p id="nlGc65"&gt;This play didn’t generate any huge gains but they were able to cover up everyone for LSU up front and their RBs were able to find running lanes and manipulate the ILBs to pick up some steady yardage.&lt;/p&gt;
  565. &lt;h2 id="fq7GH4"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mullen’s extra gear&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  566. &lt;p id="uz1E5z"&gt;The Gators had one other ploy they used to pick up a few chunks of yardage, the QB run game. You can always outnumber defense, even one in man coverage, by including the QB in the run game and really start to blow open holes if he’s the featured runner rather than an option man.&lt;/p&gt;
  567. &lt;p id="owiyV7"&gt;Besides a Franks scramble that picked up eight yards and the keeper on the dart play above that netted three, the Gators called five direct snap QB runs that produced 30 yards. Two of those runs involved back-up &lt;span&gt;Emory Jones&lt;/span&gt;, an athletic RS freshman who’s the future of Mullen’s Florida offense. But then another three featured Franks and one of those was a QB power run that picked up a third and seven on the drive that put the Gators on top.&lt;/p&gt;
  568. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  569.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/E0-gtkfKBu8YNYfeyBOm16BJ6rM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16222299/Franks_powers_over_LSU.gif"&gt;
  570.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  571. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  572.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dDYiy6VWVJCESzC9uUFvvIheeP0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16222321/Gator_QB_power_C.jpg"&gt;
  573.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  574. &lt;p id="EapcXC"&gt;This play combined the full weight of the Gator run game with the weakest point of the LSU defense. Florida had three receivers bunched wide to hold defenders in man coverage and then led into the outnumbered boundary side with the RB and LG both leading over there behind the TE. LSU was hopelessly outnumbered at that point and Franks lumbered for a relatively easy 12 yard gain. A TD would soon follow and Florida was up for good.&lt;/p&gt;
  575. &lt;p id="QVJtxD"&gt;Ultimately Mullen was able to win this battle with Aranda by hammering a weak spot in his defensive scheme and for turning LSU’s pressure against them. The Tigers’ ultra-aggressive defensive scheme has fewer failsafes than a structure designed to close on the ball. Their alignment assumes you won’t break free through the initial wall and if you do, there’s a price to be paid.&lt;/p&gt;
  576. &lt;p id="KpwN7M"&gt;Mullen also didn’t take the bait trying to beat LSU’s NFL cornerbacks with a middling passing attack while trying to block Aranda’s pressures. That’s the chokepoint that LSU channels opponents into, the obvious counter that they are built to withstand. Where LSU wasn’t able to hold up was against misdirection option schemes that took aggressive defenders out of position and QB run game concepts that gave the Gators the numbers to punch a hole in the wall against the Tiger front.&lt;/p&gt;
  577. &lt;p id="vTwbKa"&gt;The Tigers will get the Gators in Baton Rouge next season and we’ll see whether Aranda can shore up that weak spot in round three.&lt;/p&gt;
  578.  
  579. </content>
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  582.    <author>
  583.      <name>Ian Boyd</name>
  584.    </author>
  585.  </entry>
  586. </feed>
  587.  

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