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Stanford Offense v. Clemson Defense...Run Game Review

willydee1

Gold Member
May 9, 2024
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I got back from the game this morning and took a closer look at Stanford's run game and how they attacked us. I did not watch Stanford before last night, but judging by how we played them, we were bound and determined that we were not going to let them get their zone game going. For the most part, we succeeded. Stanford had a great plan to counter punch...they ran speed option at us and a play called BOUNCER with some success...but could not generate the explosives that they needed to actually beat us.

First, Stanford wants to live in the inside zone world. They have a great athlete at QB, a physical OL, and multiple tight ends. They want to wash everything down and cut the ball back through B gap...Here is an example:
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxnqsF9tBTmdJpsy4hcW4Lqeu2cN8e0XC5?si=hcBUVSaEVsHDdt1P
This is an abnormal situation as it is 3rd down and we get into one of our exotic fronts that Goodwin likes to use on 3rd down. We are in an odd front with the ends playing 5 techniques. Our LBs are mugged up over the guards. Stanford runs split zone...Denhoff gets way up field and gets kicked out. The back cuts it back through B gap for a big play. I believe there was a stunt here that Denhoff (probably) messed up...Woodaz winds up out in no mans land.

To combat this play, Clemson employed a tactic known as "Squeeze/Scrape." In a normal run fit, the defensive end would have C gap and an inside backer would have B gap. In a squeeze/scrape, they exchange responsibilities. The end crashes hard in B (which would make the QB pull the ball) and the linebacker wraps around to play the QB. This is REALLY TOUGH to run zone into without some adjustments. Rather than trying to force the issue, Stanford ran two plays to counter it that gave us some issues. These plays are Loaded/Speed Option and a Power scheme that I call Bouncer.

This is what Squeeze/Scrape looks like:

Stanford's first answer is to LOAD inside zone. Because they know that the DE is going to crash and force a pull, they use their H back to fake a block on the end then loop around for the scraping LB. The QB pulls the ball. Stanford has both the scraper and Safety accounted for.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxNEeb--6JjRqhwghT2WHwbYkchxguOqL_?si=VLghAX6H0zFwLErF

LOADED Speed Option
Clemson is in their ODD front with mugged up backers again. It's 3rd and 9 and we are anticipating pass. They run on us and get us completely out leveraged. Stanford runs speed option into the boundary. The OL blocks inside zone back to the left and the end goes to squeeze it. However, there is no back on a zone track. The OL climbs to the scraping backer and the second back loads it up and climbs to the safety. The QB simply attacks the inside shoulder of the end and pitches off of him.
https://www.youtube.com/clip/Ugkx32IQlF7qqUfb-SX4bNM8ujVPd_duHqOx

This is the same exact play and we defend it better this time. We match them with leverage, but Carter doesn't fit it perfectly. We have a pitch player to the outside. He has to take away the inside here. The QB keeps it for a nice gain.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxWKqyQ72T_u9ua8V5NKSgPGtoGuYjJjZS?si=Rq4axYoLl0rt9gQm

BOUNCER
Bouncer is a power scheme that it designed to take advantage of DEs who squeeze inside. Instead of pulling around for the linebacker, the pulling guard will attempt to LOG (or seal inside) the defensive end when he squeezes. The offense will crack the inside linebacker with a WR or TE. The back will take a jab step inside to bait it, then bounce outside. Here it is:


And here are two clips:
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxuuekBWhmYlEGiOXUVrVjSHQSrSc7cxyv?si=w0nAqQNMdNGE0K10


This last time, we are able to stop it with good recognition from Tyler Venables. He sees it immediately and fills. They have nobody to account for the safety.

This last play really annoyed me, but it was also a really good play call vs. our backers. It is 3rd and 19...We anticipated pass all the way and they ran sprint draw on us to convert the first down. The only reasons I included this one is because we constantly anticipated pass and they chose to run...and Tony Elliot used to run this multiple times a game.

 
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