Another week, another win, another chance to look back at the tape. *Housekeeping note: I used a couple different YouTube videos here so some links are clips and others are just timestamped. Hang in there with me.*
We'll start on the opening snap. Got to love a little misdirection early. Blake Miller tackles his man so I can't quite explain how this wasn't called back for holding but look at McFadden downfield. Watch how our OL engages for a few seconds and then in unison release out to get in front of Spector. We've shown this sort of concept before, with some success.
I noted a few plays last week against Furman where DJ could and should have called his own number on RPO/read option calls. Must've been a point of emphasis in prep because on the third snap of the game he pulls this one down and picks up 19. Makes the correct read again here early in the 2nd possession for a 13 yard gain. Does a fantastic job of riding it and forcing the edge defender to commit. Defenses have shown no respect to his feet and continue to leave lots of empty grass. Nice to see him take it - finished with 62 yards on 9 carries.
Holy Payton Page. We went back to the odd front all night because we were down so many guys up front. This is poor pocket awareness by the QB, but Payton single-handedly took them off the field on 3rd down. Right before halftime he torpedo's a QB sneak. He flashed. Really nice to see him take advantage of an opportunity Saturday night.
This right here is an example of us scheming something a little different. DJ makes a nice throw to Beaux and I don't want to totally take away from it, but this play is about what he doesn't do. Briningstool is flexed out and #51 bails head up on him, but everything pre-snap says zone here. Watch Briningstool's release and Ngata working back underneath then jumping to show a fake screen and how it effects the deep safety as he charges towards it. We got their guy to bite, but I'd like to see the QB at least put eyes on the screen. A QB who moves his facemask moves defenses - period. Now the reason we're looking at this play is because of Antonio Williams and the fact that he's hitting his head on the goalpost. DJ doesn't help sell the screen, he doesn't read man coverage post-snap, and he doesn't get to throw a TD.
Special, special stuff right here from Ngata on the very next snap. I mentioned #13 Myles Brooks for LA Tech as a player I really liked and in fairness he does everything right here. He's in phase, he's got his head around tracking the ball, but this is a video game throw and catch. Never had a chance at the football. This is a Mike Williams-esque grab. We need to take more ownership of the ball in the air like Ngata does on this play.
Ruke appreciation post. Here and here he lets #59 know what it's like when the guy nose-to-nose with you is bigger, stronger, and faster than you. What a revelation he's been in the last 18 months. Monster.
Really nice blitz look here from LA Tech. I'll leave the finer points to my man @dbjork6317 but the subtlety here of #10 flipping his hips to show Marcus Tate his back and then delay blitzing is really cool. Obviously with double A gap pressure and the safety running down, it's got to be a 7 on 7 max protect call here from Putnam or DJ, right? For all the talk of adjusting post-snap, Davis Allen has to understand him leaking out is now the hot route. DJ appears to be trying to get the ball in his direction, but 84 is too busy trying to get upfield.
Remember when I brought up spacing to the field side in my film prep as a concern? This is why. Looks like a cover 2 here which means that outside corner (Fred Davis) is sitting in the flat. Look how far away Phillips is from the boundary. Cover 2 has a natural hole where the corner and safety zones overlap. Often times this sort of throw is called a rail shot. Fred has to understand that he's got to backpedal with this guy a little further. I don't care if the quick out goes for 6 or 7 underneath you, we absolutely can't let the top off. With Jones, Wiggins, and Mukuba out, Fred Davis was the lone DB they had seen on tape and they chose to go after him all night long. Lukus and Pride were targeted, but it was constantly #2 getting picked on. He reminds me a lot of Mario Goodrich not so long ago. Physical tools are all there, but he has to put it together. In Mike Reed I trust.
This is actually the snap before the long pass play I just picked out. Watch 2 things: 1. Mascoll & Swint are your DEs and notice how much quicker Page & Ruke get off on the snap than they do. Mascoll does a nice job setting the edge, but 2. Simpson does a poor job filling. Don't want to make too much of a mole hill, but through three games he's had his fair share of these. You have to know your gap, get in it, and make yourself wide. He's so eager to make a play that he doesn't do his job. Playing SAM is much more in space and he's still adjusting the the finer points of being in the box all the time at WILL.
This is a cover 1 disguise LA Tech ran ALL NIGHT. Backers in the A gap, safeties walking down into the box outside the ends at LB depth before bailing hard. Ngata is too busy dancing to ever release to the top of your screen while Antonio is getting up the field and forcing the DB to come attack him. Great throw, but this is all about #0. He needs to touch the ball as often as is feasible.
I want to know what's being said at halftime because the past two weeks we come out and get a pick defensively and then Will Shipley runs possessed. Another good read by DJ and Shipley shows good vision and a little patience to chop his feet. Beaux Collins getting active blocking downfield makes my heart happy. First play of the next drive is the wrong read by DJ, but Shipley is still running with the ghost of Christian McCaffery in him.
Here we go again. Spacing, angles, tackling - we got everything wrong here. I have to assume Barrett is supposed to be coming on this play, but man does it look like he went rogue. Either that or Maguire is supposed to replace him in coverage but it looks like the run action and OL blocking sucks him in.
We've got to be the only staff in the country with a 6'5 235 QB to go shotgun on 4th & 1. If we don't convert, this is a play we'd look back on as a coaching/playcalling failure.
Couple of things I want to talk about on this play. This won't count as a middle of the field throw, but it's up the seam and I believe it's worth acknowledging that this is kind of an inside throw. Do we run it from the other hash, or is the formation flipped for Davis to still be along the outside of the seam? It's impossible to say. Does this one from Cade count? The concern over our neglect of the middle of the field is 100% warranted but there have been a few open WRs/TEs running routes across DJ's face. He just hasn't pulled the trigger much. While we're here, look at Beaux and Antonio to the top of the screen. It looks like were running a fade outside and a corner from the slot.
I noted the Collins/Williams routes in the previous play because here they are again in the same place at the same time. The bubble screen action by Briningstool and DJs little pump fake get a couple LA Tech defenders moving downhill and luckily both guys are open downfield. All is well that ends well.
In my LA Tech preview, I noted that they didn't run a ton of FIB and against us it wasn't all that common, but here it is and we get hurt. This is a stock 4 verts against what I think is a cover 4. Keep watching for the replay from behind the QB and you'll see Venables turns his focus to the guy Phillips was lined up over presnap. I don't know if Venables or Trotter was wrong but we gave up too many throws up the seam in zone like this. Kind of unnerving that Sam Hartman is watching what we're watching.
This right here is insane. DJ is flat footed at the 24 and drops this ball in the bucket on the pylon. You don't see many opposite hash fades because this is such a low percentage throw. You don't realize that ball travels probably 40 yards in the air. He just flicked his wrist. We take for granted the arm talent because it often hasn't been accompanied with much precision but through 3 games we've seen this young man make a number of throws that most college QBs simply can't.
Honestly I was pleased with how we played. Offense got stuck in 1st gear early on but answered the bell in the 3rd quarter to pull away then came right back when they scored late on a reserve laden defense. We ran for 280 and the OL did a nice job of opening things up. Still can't understand how Pace is the odd man out but if there was ever any doubt, Shipley asserted himself as the lead back. I was proud of the defense too. This scheme would've challenged us at full strength and with so many guys out it only compounded things. The effort was there and if not for a handful of big gains, their offensive numbers would've looked awful. Plenty to coach and correct, but we had 12 passes defended and forced 4 turnovers. Can't recall ever seeing such active hands at the line of scrimmage. In the back end Barrett Carter and Toriano Pride had 3 deflections apiece. Yes, these guys are green, but there are so many positives to take away. Schedule heats up this weekend. Time to put up or shut up.
We'll start on the opening snap. Got to love a little misdirection early. Blake Miller tackles his man so I can't quite explain how this wasn't called back for holding but look at McFadden downfield. Watch how our OL engages for a few seconds and then in unison release out to get in front of Spector. We've shown this sort of concept before, with some success.
I noted a few plays last week against Furman where DJ could and should have called his own number on RPO/read option calls. Must've been a point of emphasis in prep because on the third snap of the game he pulls this one down and picks up 19. Makes the correct read again here early in the 2nd possession for a 13 yard gain. Does a fantastic job of riding it and forcing the edge defender to commit. Defenses have shown no respect to his feet and continue to leave lots of empty grass. Nice to see him take it - finished with 62 yards on 9 carries.
Holy Payton Page. We went back to the odd front all night because we were down so many guys up front. This is poor pocket awareness by the QB, but Payton single-handedly took them off the field on 3rd down. Right before halftime he torpedo's a QB sneak. He flashed. Really nice to see him take advantage of an opportunity Saturday night.
This right here is an example of us scheming something a little different. DJ makes a nice throw to Beaux and I don't want to totally take away from it, but this play is about what he doesn't do. Briningstool is flexed out and #51 bails head up on him, but everything pre-snap says zone here. Watch Briningstool's release and Ngata working back underneath then jumping to show a fake screen and how it effects the deep safety as he charges towards it. We got their guy to bite, but I'd like to see the QB at least put eyes on the screen. A QB who moves his facemask moves defenses - period. Now the reason we're looking at this play is because of Antonio Williams and the fact that he's hitting his head on the goalpost. DJ doesn't help sell the screen, he doesn't read man coverage post-snap, and he doesn't get to throw a TD.
Special, special stuff right here from Ngata on the very next snap. I mentioned #13 Myles Brooks for LA Tech as a player I really liked and in fairness he does everything right here. He's in phase, he's got his head around tracking the ball, but this is a video game throw and catch. Never had a chance at the football. This is a Mike Williams-esque grab. We need to take more ownership of the ball in the air like Ngata does on this play.
Ruke appreciation post. Here and here he lets #59 know what it's like when the guy nose-to-nose with you is bigger, stronger, and faster than you. What a revelation he's been in the last 18 months. Monster.
Really nice blitz look here from LA Tech. I'll leave the finer points to my man @dbjork6317 but the subtlety here of #10 flipping his hips to show Marcus Tate his back and then delay blitzing is really cool. Obviously with double A gap pressure and the safety running down, it's got to be a 7 on 7 max protect call here from Putnam or DJ, right? For all the talk of adjusting post-snap, Davis Allen has to understand him leaking out is now the hot route. DJ appears to be trying to get the ball in his direction, but 84 is too busy trying to get upfield.
Remember when I brought up spacing to the field side in my film prep as a concern? This is why. Looks like a cover 2 here which means that outside corner (Fred Davis) is sitting in the flat. Look how far away Phillips is from the boundary. Cover 2 has a natural hole where the corner and safety zones overlap. Often times this sort of throw is called a rail shot. Fred has to understand that he's got to backpedal with this guy a little further. I don't care if the quick out goes for 6 or 7 underneath you, we absolutely can't let the top off. With Jones, Wiggins, and Mukuba out, Fred Davis was the lone DB they had seen on tape and they chose to go after him all night long. Lukus and Pride were targeted, but it was constantly #2 getting picked on. He reminds me a lot of Mario Goodrich not so long ago. Physical tools are all there, but he has to put it together. In Mike Reed I trust.
This is actually the snap before the long pass play I just picked out. Watch 2 things: 1. Mascoll & Swint are your DEs and notice how much quicker Page & Ruke get off on the snap than they do. Mascoll does a nice job setting the edge, but 2. Simpson does a poor job filling. Don't want to make too much of a mole hill, but through three games he's had his fair share of these. You have to know your gap, get in it, and make yourself wide. He's so eager to make a play that he doesn't do his job. Playing SAM is much more in space and he's still adjusting the the finer points of being in the box all the time at WILL.
This is a cover 1 disguise LA Tech ran ALL NIGHT. Backers in the A gap, safeties walking down into the box outside the ends at LB depth before bailing hard. Ngata is too busy dancing to ever release to the top of your screen while Antonio is getting up the field and forcing the DB to come attack him. Great throw, but this is all about #0. He needs to touch the ball as often as is feasible.
I want to know what's being said at halftime because the past two weeks we come out and get a pick defensively and then Will Shipley runs possessed. Another good read by DJ and Shipley shows good vision and a little patience to chop his feet. Beaux Collins getting active blocking downfield makes my heart happy. First play of the next drive is the wrong read by DJ, but Shipley is still running with the ghost of Christian McCaffery in him.
Here we go again. Spacing, angles, tackling - we got everything wrong here. I have to assume Barrett is supposed to be coming on this play, but man does it look like he went rogue. Either that or Maguire is supposed to replace him in coverage but it looks like the run action and OL blocking sucks him in.
We've got to be the only staff in the country with a 6'5 235 QB to go shotgun on 4th & 1. If we don't convert, this is a play we'd look back on as a coaching/playcalling failure.
Couple of things I want to talk about on this play. This won't count as a middle of the field throw, but it's up the seam and I believe it's worth acknowledging that this is kind of an inside throw. Do we run it from the other hash, or is the formation flipped for Davis to still be along the outside of the seam? It's impossible to say. Does this one from Cade count? The concern over our neglect of the middle of the field is 100% warranted but there have been a few open WRs/TEs running routes across DJ's face. He just hasn't pulled the trigger much. While we're here, look at Beaux and Antonio to the top of the screen. It looks like were running a fade outside and a corner from the slot.
I noted the Collins/Williams routes in the previous play because here they are again in the same place at the same time. The bubble screen action by Briningstool and DJs little pump fake get a couple LA Tech defenders moving downhill and luckily both guys are open downfield. All is well that ends well.
In my LA Tech preview, I noted that they didn't run a ton of FIB and against us it wasn't all that common, but here it is and we get hurt. This is a stock 4 verts against what I think is a cover 4. Keep watching for the replay from behind the QB and you'll see Venables turns his focus to the guy Phillips was lined up over presnap. I don't know if Venables or Trotter was wrong but we gave up too many throws up the seam in zone like this. Kind of unnerving that Sam Hartman is watching what we're watching.
This right here is insane. DJ is flat footed at the 24 and drops this ball in the bucket on the pylon. You don't see many opposite hash fades because this is such a low percentage throw. You don't realize that ball travels probably 40 yards in the air. He just flicked his wrist. We take for granted the arm talent because it often hasn't been accompanied with much precision but through 3 games we've seen this young man make a number of throws that most college QBs simply can't.
Honestly I was pleased with how we played. Offense got stuck in 1st gear early on but answered the bell in the 3rd quarter to pull away then came right back when they scored late on a reserve laden defense. We ran for 280 and the OL did a nice job of opening things up. Still can't understand how Pace is the odd man out but if there was ever any doubt, Shipley asserted himself as the lead back. I was proud of the defense too. This scheme would've challenged us at full strength and with so many guys out it only compounded things. The effort was there and if not for a handful of big gains, their offensive numbers would've looked awful. Plenty to coach and correct, but we had 12 passes defended and forced 4 turnovers. Can't recall ever seeing such active hands at the line of scrimmage. In the back end Barrett Carter and Toriano Pride had 3 deflections apiece. Yes, these guys are green, but there are so many positives to take away. Schedule heats up this weekend. Time to put up or shut up.
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