What's sweeter, revenge or Dave Doeren tears? Both.
I've made a real habit of starting with the first play of the game. Pause this clip immediately. Notice they're head-up on all our WRs with a two-high look. Notice Payton Wilson over top of Davis Allen. When we motion to empty, Drake Thomas runs with Shipley which confirms they're in man coverage. Wilson shuffles back towards the box. This creates three matchups I feel good about. 1 vs a LB, 84 vs a LB who is giving him a speed out, and a 4 man box. We take the latter. A week after commending Putnam for working to the second level and springing Shipley's big run, he sleep walks to the Mike and prevents a run that probably moves the chains.
DJ has played so well but there are little things, particularly pre-snap, he has to get better at. We've got a single-high look with an OLB showing edge pressure. Antonio is pointing it out because there's two guys stacked over him. I don't know what kind of leash DJ has at the line, but surely he's got enough not to get his own head taken off. How many times did we see DW or TL identify and adjust? How many times did they put their hand down and walk up to the line to start barking? That's the next step for DJ. Post snap I'm baffled. You might be thinking to yourself, "Why on earth would you ever pull guys in pass pro?" and the short answer is because we run so many traps and powers in the run game that to truly execute play-action you still need those elements. Just look at the guy covering Allen. He sees the pull coming his way, and he nearly falls down trying to shed a block that was never there. But I digress. DJ knows Parks is pulling and that Miller isn't kicking out into a pass set, so Drake Thomas is free. I can't see DJ's eyes, but he never turns his head out there so I don't think he had a clue. Absolutely has to identify this and slide the protection to the right. We've got 1v1 across the board and against a zone team you have to take advantage of those looks.
I'd like to officially trademark 3rd-and-Zero. Check out Shipley and the OL pick up all the stunts in pass pro. Bunch formations, especially condensed, create so many spacing issues for a defense. We go back to this formation later in the game and get the same single-high look, but luckily it's not picked off. Next drive, same formation, same look from the defense, but totally different route combos. 3rd-and-Zero with some YAC. Thank you sir! May I have another? Sure, but this time they adjust into two-high look and get a little pressure to get us off the field.
For scheme purposes only, look at this 12 personnel formation with Allen alone up top and Briningstool at H. Went to it on back-to-back plays to open the third quarter before finishing the drive by letting Briningstool dunk on #6. Our TEs are finally legit, featured weapons as they combined for 8 catches for 75 yards and a TD. Their versatility will continue to pay dividends for us offensively.
NC State had no run game so they got into a ton of obvious passing downs and time after time after time we played such soft coverage that we let them either get back on schedule or convert. That being said, Devin Leary is no slouch so he deserves some credit.
Two plays after that second clip above (speed out to Lesane on Pride), they flipped the formation and ran it again. Wiggins does a nice job closing but we just gave them what should've been a first down. Nate had a little dance party over there as if he did something, Kirk Herbstreit called him out, and on the next play he misses a pick-six. He's got all the ability in the world but he's still very green. While we're talking about corners, anybody seen Fred? Better yet, did anybody miss him?
Barrett Carter is really special. He knows exactly what's happening here and even though he's getting held (yes, we'll have that conversation) almost makes the TFL. How in the world did Leary even hang onto the ball here?
This felt like the first time we saw the running game center around DJ. Felt very much Tajh Boyd-esque in terms of how often we ran powers and got the RBs out in front as lead blockers. Obviously he hit this long one, but here's one from earlier in the game. Finished as the leading rusher - 14 for 73 and 2 TDs.
KJ Henry is a dog. The switch got flipped towards the end of last year (those of you on TikTok might know the correlation) and he's a different player. He showed up so many times in this game. Reading and reacting. Making himself a nuisance. Beating double-teams.
I haven't really discussed what I believe to be DJs greatest advancement - layering the ball. Let's start on this throw. Very reminiscent of last year when everything was a fastball. Juxtapose it with this throw, or this throw and you'll see what I mean. We've seen him drive the ball (yes, he fumbled), we've seen him throw the fade, we've seen him make every throw in the bag. It's hard to do when the bullets are flying. I'll be the first to admit that despite his weight loss, improved footwork, and supposed newfound confidence, the ability to throw the right pass in the right situation with accuracy was the one thing I doubted most coming into the season. Excuse me while I take another bite of crow.
A theory I've always had is that you don't run trick plays unless you feel like you have to. It's an admission of inferiority. There's a time and place but there's such a large risk-to-reward ratio that good teams just assume to beat you six seconds at a time.
Kevin Swint and Keith Maguire made a nice play on a screen from a similar look earlier in the game. NC State goes back to it here, but I just cant quite figure out what Myles is doing. I know he's not used to playing in space but he's got plenty of time to set the edge and doesn't. I know it's nit-picky considering it was their longest run of the game but sometimes I just feel like he lacks killer instinct. That being said, when 98 wants to hit your QB it doesn't matter if you hold him because he's going to hit your QB. Overall I though he played very well again.
NC State didn't take many deep shots. They took one per quarter in the second half - both overthrown to Devin Carter working on Pride. I didn't think they'd make it a habit but I was somewhat surprised not to see them test it earlier in the ball game. Another surprise was the lack of switch routes. They threw a million of them to Emeka Emezie last year. In the fourth quarter they broke them out a handful of times as we played more off coverage and had success. Not that what worked in the past is guaranteed to work again, but you'd think they'd have made both more a priority.
One other thing that I felt the need to point out was that we ran a couple of perfectly executed draw plays. Both behind McFadden dropping into a pass set. This one on the two-minute drill before halftime and again here where Mafah showed why he's such a valuable complementary piece of the offense. I love the concept we've used for years showing a rollout before giving it. Look at how the movement by DJ occupies the LBs, especially late in the game when they'd gotten a heavy dose of QB run.
I remember back in the spring Streeter mentioned something along the lines of fewer plays but out of more formations and there was talk of being under center more as a product of that philosophy. We haven't shown much of anything under center so far, but this is a really interesting wrinkle to ice the game. On the 5th Quarter Show, Jake Briningstool was interviewed and said Dabo drew that one up on the sidelines. Not sure if it was something they practiced or not, but boy DJ ran it perfectly. That slight hesitation as he turns on the fake is all it took.
Hopefully this will be the first and last time I talk about penalties, but I told you earlier that we'd talk about it. Over the course of a season you're going to get as many good breaks as you are bad ones when it comes to subjective flags. This DPI was a hot topic, but when Mickens wraps that arm around the WR it's an indicator. Do I think it's kind of soft? Yeah, but that's the rule. I can't believe Myles Murphy and KJ Henry's jerseys weren't tattered and torn to shreds the way NC State held onto them all night. With that said, the zebras reviewed the play where Shipley pretty clearly fumbled and still didn't see it. That was far more impactful than anything else that was or wasn't called.
There's one team in the country with a pair of wins against teams still currently ranked in the AP poll. It's Clemson. This felt like the most complete game we've played and it came against arguably the most complete team on our schedule. The defense gave up a couple of long drives to start and finish, but what a bounce-back performance. The DL deserves a ton of credit. There wasn't a flurry of sacks or TFLs, but there was constant disruption and they helped cover up the secondary more effectively. Leary played as well as he could've, but we never let him really get into a rhythm. In big games we run our QBs and DJ was effective as a runner most of the night. This OL isn't a unit of road graders but they make it work on the ground. Pass pro was very solid (again) against a good, veteran front six. I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the environment. Wow. There's a reason we don't lose in that building. After seeing ND struggle early, I think we all circled the past two games as the most important of the season and, justifiably, there might be an audible exhale after winning both. Between that and much improved FSU and Syracuse clubs looming, this weeks business trip to Boston might very well be labeled a "trap game". Just have a feeling we're about to flex a little playoff muscle.
I've made a real habit of starting with the first play of the game. Pause this clip immediately. Notice they're head-up on all our WRs with a two-high look. Notice Payton Wilson over top of Davis Allen. When we motion to empty, Drake Thomas runs with Shipley which confirms they're in man coverage. Wilson shuffles back towards the box. This creates three matchups I feel good about. 1 vs a LB, 84 vs a LB who is giving him a speed out, and a 4 man box. We take the latter. A week after commending Putnam for working to the second level and springing Shipley's big run, he sleep walks to the Mike and prevents a run that probably moves the chains.
DJ has played so well but there are little things, particularly pre-snap, he has to get better at. We've got a single-high look with an OLB showing edge pressure. Antonio is pointing it out because there's two guys stacked over him. I don't know what kind of leash DJ has at the line, but surely he's got enough not to get his own head taken off. How many times did we see DW or TL identify and adjust? How many times did they put their hand down and walk up to the line to start barking? That's the next step for DJ. Post snap I'm baffled. You might be thinking to yourself, "Why on earth would you ever pull guys in pass pro?" and the short answer is because we run so many traps and powers in the run game that to truly execute play-action you still need those elements. Just look at the guy covering Allen. He sees the pull coming his way, and he nearly falls down trying to shed a block that was never there. But I digress. DJ knows Parks is pulling and that Miller isn't kicking out into a pass set, so Drake Thomas is free. I can't see DJ's eyes, but he never turns his head out there so I don't think he had a clue. Absolutely has to identify this and slide the protection to the right. We've got 1v1 across the board and against a zone team you have to take advantage of those looks.
I'd like to officially trademark 3rd-and-Zero. Check out Shipley and the OL pick up all the stunts in pass pro. Bunch formations, especially condensed, create so many spacing issues for a defense. We go back to this formation later in the game and get the same single-high look, but luckily it's not picked off. Next drive, same formation, same look from the defense, but totally different route combos. 3rd-and-Zero with some YAC. Thank you sir! May I have another? Sure, but this time they adjust into two-high look and get a little pressure to get us off the field.
For scheme purposes only, look at this 12 personnel formation with Allen alone up top and Briningstool at H. Went to it on back-to-back plays to open the third quarter before finishing the drive by letting Briningstool dunk on #6. Our TEs are finally legit, featured weapons as they combined for 8 catches for 75 yards and a TD. Their versatility will continue to pay dividends for us offensively.
NC State had no run game so they got into a ton of obvious passing downs and time after time after time we played such soft coverage that we let them either get back on schedule or convert. That being said, Devin Leary is no slouch so he deserves some credit.
Two plays after that second clip above (speed out to Lesane on Pride), they flipped the formation and ran it again. Wiggins does a nice job closing but we just gave them what should've been a first down. Nate had a little dance party over there as if he did something, Kirk Herbstreit called him out, and on the next play he misses a pick-six. He's got all the ability in the world but he's still very green. While we're talking about corners, anybody seen Fred? Better yet, did anybody miss him?
Barrett Carter is really special. He knows exactly what's happening here and even though he's getting held (yes, we'll have that conversation) almost makes the TFL. How in the world did Leary even hang onto the ball here?
This felt like the first time we saw the running game center around DJ. Felt very much Tajh Boyd-esque in terms of how often we ran powers and got the RBs out in front as lead blockers. Obviously he hit this long one, but here's one from earlier in the game. Finished as the leading rusher - 14 for 73 and 2 TDs.
KJ Henry is a dog. The switch got flipped towards the end of last year (those of you on TikTok might know the correlation) and he's a different player. He showed up so many times in this game. Reading and reacting. Making himself a nuisance. Beating double-teams.
I haven't really discussed what I believe to be DJs greatest advancement - layering the ball. Let's start on this throw. Very reminiscent of last year when everything was a fastball. Juxtapose it with this throw, or this throw and you'll see what I mean. We've seen him drive the ball (yes, he fumbled), we've seen him throw the fade, we've seen him make every throw in the bag. It's hard to do when the bullets are flying. I'll be the first to admit that despite his weight loss, improved footwork, and supposed newfound confidence, the ability to throw the right pass in the right situation with accuracy was the one thing I doubted most coming into the season. Excuse me while I take another bite of crow.
A theory I've always had is that you don't run trick plays unless you feel like you have to. It's an admission of inferiority. There's a time and place but there's such a large risk-to-reward ratio that good teams just assume to beat you six seconds at a time.
Kevin Swint and Keith Maguire made a nice play on a screen from a similar look earlier in the game. NC State goes back to it here, but I just cant quite figure out what Myles is doing. I know he's not used to playing in space but he's got plenty of time to set the edge and doesn't. I know it's nit-picky considering it was their longest run of the game but sometimes I just feel like he lacks killer instinct. That being said, when 98 wants to hit your QB it doesn't matter if you hold him because he's going to hit your QB. Overall I though he played very well again.
NC State didn't take many deep shots. They took one per quarter in the second half - both overthrown to Devin Carter working on Pride. I didn't think they'd make it a habit but I was somewhat surprised not to see them test it earlier in the ball game. Another surprise was the lack of switch routes. They threw a million of them to Emeka Emezie last year. In the fourth quarter they broke them out a handful of times as we played more off coverage and had success. Not that what worked in the past is guaranteed to work again, but you'd think they'd have made both more a priority.
One other thing that I felt the need to point out was that we ran a couple of perfectly executed draw plays. Both behind McFadden dropping into a pass set. This one on the two-minute drill before halftime and again here where Mafah showed why he's such a valuable complementary piece of the offense. I love the concept we've used for years showing a rollout before giving it. Look at how the movement by DJ occupies the LBs, especially late in the game when they'd gotten a heavy dose of QB run.
I remember back in the spring Streeter mentioned something along the lines of fewer plays but out of more formations and there was talk of being under center more as a product of that philosophy. We haven't shown much of anything under center so far, but this is a really interesting wrinkle to ice the game. On the 5th Quarter Show, Jake Briningstool was interviewed and said Dabo drew that one up on the sidelines. Not sure if it was something they practiced or not, but boy DJ ran it perfectly. That slight hesitation as he turns on the fake is all it took.
Hopefully this will be the first and last time I talk about penalties, but I told you earlier that we'd talk about it. Over the course of a season you're going to get as many good breaks as you are bad ones when it comes to subjective flags. This DPI was a hot topic, but when Mickens wraps that arm around the WR it's an indicator. Do I think it's kind of soft? Yeah, but that's the rule. I can't believe Myles Murphy and KJ Henry's jerseys weren't tattered and torn to shreds the way NC State held onto them all night. With that said, the zebras reviewed the play where Shipley pretty clearly fumbled and still didn't see it. That was far more impactful than anything else that was or wasn't called.
There's one team in the country with a pair of wins against teams still currently ranked in the AP poll. It's Clemson. This felt like the most complete game we've played and it came against arguably the most complete team on our schedule. The defense gave up a couple of long drives to start and finish, but what a bounce-back performance. The DL deserves a ton of credit. There wasn't a flurry of sacks or TFLs, but there was constant disruption and they helped cover up the secondary more effectively. Leary played as well as he could've, but we never let him really get into a rhythm. In big games we run our QBs and DJ was effective as a runner most of the night. This OL isn't a unit of road graders but they make it work on the ground. Pass pro was very solid (again) against a good, veteran front six. I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the environment. Wow. There's a reason we don't lose in that building. After seeing ND struggle early, I think we all circled the past two games as the most important of the season and, justifiably, there might be an audible exhale after winning both. Between that and much improved FSU and Syracuse clubs looming, this weeks business trip to Boston might very well be labeled a "trap game". Just have a feeling we're about to flex a little playoff muscle.
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