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Defensive Scheme: We provide the MONEY ZONE
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NVA CANE
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We're hearing a lot of "D'Onofrio sucks," but we're not hearing "why."
In this thread, we show evidence of why his scheme doesn't work and why it is flawed. This post will be pretty general, but I encourage everyone to post videos and pictures throughout the thread.
The main point here is that he and Al Golden (yes, this falls at his feet), have implemented a particular mentality into the defense.
- The mentality is reactive.
- We not only show the same looks pre and post snap, but we allow the offensive formation to completely dictate what we're willing to do on defense.
- We're playing gap control along the defensive line, but without any LBs shooting behind them or consistent launching points for defensive backs. Want to know what that's like in other terms? You ever watch those Civil War movies and wonder why the **** armies used to line up and fight each other in such a ridiculous way?
- Finally, we're sitting in zone areas without matching up.
- Every opposing team should only need 5 plays to beat Miami: (1) A power run, (2) A play action pass with streaks across the field, including two seam routes, (3) A spread look attacking the slant areas, (4) A flood combination pattern, (5) A counter run out of the spread.
Here's what would be my go-to play if I were coaching offense against us. From this play, if you can't hit a seam, you'll still easily have a fantastic matchup underneath route out of the backfield.
View attachment 13578
To build a good and consistent defensive scheme, you have to find the right area of the field, identify how you can use certain players or numbers to create.
- We routinely allow teams to spread us out only to smash us inside.
- Because we are clearly fearful of allowing big plays, we stay in a coverage and get gashed for consistent big plays.
- Apparently, Golden and his staff thinks this is the best way to reach their objective.
I think we have the wrong objective. At the University of Miami, no matter how far we've fallen, the objective should never be to "keep the game close." The objective is to win. If you lose big, you lose big. We played to keep it close today, and yet we still lost big.
Things will get worse before they get better.
Thank you for this explanation. Your post was the answer to my question (is it the players or the coach question) Ive been looking for over the past 2 games.
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I acknowledged these are tough comparisons. But, seriously, sandbagging or not, it raises an eyebrow. KState may have sandbagged the previous week, but it's not like they ran more than 7-8 plays against us. ****, they had such little respect for us that they tried a ridiculous trick play at the 1 yard line.
ECC609
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I've noticed this too. He's playing base 4-3 against 3-wide, 4-wide, and sometimes empty sets. I did notice the nickel twice today, but it was after the game had gotten away. He's routinely putting our outside backers on WR's, which is a definite death sentence when you have no pass rush.
NVA CANE
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Maybe the bend don't break worked in the MAC but its not working against the level of competition Miami has to play.
I don't know what it is about our coordinators but they run the same plays over and over. How many times did we lose yardage on the same pass play? How many times did we send James outside instead of a power run. How many times on offense did we just not do something straight forward instead of getting cute. Pound the ball and keep it to prevent our defense from taking the field. We never did that. Pass after pass one poor play call after another kept getting us in the hole not allowing us to get into a groove. And it forced our defense on the field far too quick and too often. Use our massive offensive line to pound the ball and keep possession. How is that difficult to understand?
What can be said about the defense that hasn't been said. D'No must be clueless. Why golden hasn't gotten in his face to tell him to start mixing things up, play to the strength of the players I have no idea. Now that I think about it, maybe we could have won more games last year if we didn't implement the bend don't break BS. It's the worst philosophy in football.
This is the first time golden is being questioned for his coaching. This keeps going and I've said in another post he is going to have a hard time convincing recruits he is the real deal when his defense is giving up 500 yards a game and allowing 30+ and 50+ per game. Change the defensive philosophy now or we are screwed.
I don't know what it is about our coordinators but they run the same plays over and over. How many times did we lose yardage on the same pass play? How many times did we send James outside instead of a power run. How many times on offense did we just not do something straight forward instead of getting cute. Pound the ball and keep it to prevent our defense from taking the field. We never did that. Pass after pass one poor play call after another kept getting us in the hole not allowing us to get into a groove. And it forced our defense on the field far too quick and too often. Use our massive offensive line to pound the ball and keep possession. How is that difficult to understand?
What can be said about the defense that hasn't been said. D'No must be clueless. Why golden hasn't gotten in his face to tell him to start mixing things up, play to the strength of the players I have no idea. Now that I think about it, maybe we could have won more games last year if we didn't implement the bend don't break BS. It's the worst philosophy in football.
This is the first time golden is being questioned for his coaching. This keeps going and I've said in another post he is going to have a hard time convincing recruits he is the real deal when his defense is giving up 500 yards a game and allowing 30+ and 50+ per game. Change the defensive philosophy now or we are screwed.
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We both bend and break.
Just watching the cushion our DBs were giving them per play was painful.
NVA CANE
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The problem with the bend don't break philosophy is that it will eventually break you even if you don't give up a touchdown. It's similar to a boxer who is afraid if his opponents power punch so he allows himself to get jabbed to death. By the later rounds he is so exhausted, deflated and defeated he has lost the will to win. We have the same exact problem. We allow five or ten yards and never get off the field. We may not allow a TD like against bc but we sure are broken by the time we are on the field. We either have two coaches that are too blind to change it or too hard headed. Either way that is a dangerous combination
CanesAreAble
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I agree with this. Generally I don't have a problem with the scheme because it's been game-appropriate.
But today it just didn't work at all. We couldn't force punts or FGs, and the offense laid an egg as well.
But I still think the DL personnel is the biggest problem. It's just horrific right now.
cane33
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I am starting to think that Golden is a great leader, but he's more of a CEO type and is lacking in the X's and O's department. The way he has run the program so far has been top notch, but the on field results just aren't translating.
Starting to believe he is going to need some really great assistants and coordinators to be successful here. He pretty much has run the program like a CEO since he has been here, and he has done it well.
And maybe it's just time that I realize that he's not some X and O guru or strategic mastermind. He's a CEO type who is great at managing and motivating players/coaches and getting the best out of them, but not necessarily strong as far as the gameday and in-game strategy and play-calling. He's not a Saban, or a Kelly. He's going to have to have a program running the way he wants it and then have great assistants who are creative and intelligent strategically to do the work for him.
This isn't a shot at Golden, it's a good thing and that's the reason why we hired him and why I still believe he can return us to respectability again. I just don't think he is as sophisticated strategically as other top coaches around the country. And he may not need to be if he's as good of a CEO as I think he can be.
Starting to believe he is going to need some really great assistants and coordinators to be successful here. He pretty much has run the program like a CEO since he has been here, and he has done it well.
And maybe it's just time that I realize that he's not some X and O guru or strategic mastermind. He's a CEO type who is great at managing and motivating players/coaches and getting the best out of them, but not necessarily strong as far as the gameday and in-game strategy and play-calling. He's not a Saban, or a Kelly. He's going to have to have a program running the way he wants it and then have great assistants who are creative and intelligent strategically to do the work for him.
This isn't a shot at Golden, it's a good thing and that's the reason why we hired him and why I still believe he can return us to respectability again. I just don't think he is as sophisticated strategically as other top coaches around the country. And he may not need to be if he's as good of a CEO as I think he can be.
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CanesAreAble
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Not saying he's a mastermind or anything, but he coordinated some solid defenses at UVA and learned from a guy who called plays for Parcells.
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This is a fantastic post. I've been saying this stuff re: the CEO dynamic for a long time.
As you know, strategic masterminds are really ******* hard to find and we're not in position to get one as a head coach. However, my dream is to get these type of guys as DCs and OCs. Freak film guys. They exist. You just have to take a risk with them.
CanesAreAble
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I think the jury's still out.
Saban wasn't considered a defensive mastermind until he won the national title at LSU.
Again, not saying Golden is an X's & O's genius by ANY STRETCH, but we may need to see more.
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Klamalama
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We're hearing a lot of "D'Onofrio sucks," but we're not hearing "why."
In this thread, we show evidence of why his scheme doesn't work and why it is flawed. This post will be pretty general, but I encourage everyone to post videos and pictures throughout the thread.
The main point here is that he and Al Golden (yes, this falls at his feet), have implemented a particular mentality into the defense.
- The mentality is reactive.
- We not only show the same looks pre and post snap, but we allow the offensive formation to completely dictate what we're willing to do on defense.
- We're playing gap control along the defensive line, but without any LBs shooting behind them or consistent launching points for defensive backs. Want to know what that's like in other terms? You ever watch those Civil War movies and wonder why the **** armies used to line up and fight each other in such a ridiculous way?
- Finally, we're sitting in zone areas without matching up.
- Every opposing team should only need 5 plays to beat Miami: (1) A power run, (2) A play action pass with streaks across the field, including two seam routes, (3) A spread look attacking the slant areas, (4) A flood combination pattern, (5) A counter run out of the spread.
Here's what would be my go-to play if I were coaching offense against us. From this play, if you can't hit a seam, you'll still easily have a fantastic matchup underneath route out of the backfield.
View attachment 13578
To build a good and consistent defensive scheme, you have to find the right area of the field, identify how you can use certain players or numbers to create.
- We routinely allow teams to spread us out only to smash us inside.
- Because we are clearly fearful of allowing big plays, we stay in a coverage and get gashed for consistent big plays.
- Apparently, Golden and his staff thinks this is the best way to reach their objective.
I think we have the wrong objective. At the University of Miami, no matter how far we've fallen, the objective should never be to "keep the game close." The objective is to win. If you lose big, you lose big. We played to keep it close today, and yet we still lost big.
Things will get worse before they get better.
+ 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
DeadPoets
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No - and when Cornelius got beat around the edge by a WR... I asked my dad... "do we ever put nickel package or dimae packages on the field?"
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last year I called Al Golden a "Buy the Book" coach. These type of coaches rarely stray away from established coaching guidelines.Paterno was a by the book type of coach. These types of coaches won't beat you with innovation or creativity. There mind set is their superior execution will beat you more often than not. The problem with these coaches is that it takes time to get a program to that point.
Beamer is another by the book coach. It's something that could work at a place like Miami with the talent and skill but it will take time and longer than a more innovative coach would get Miami winning.
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DeadPoets
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This is a really strong post and how I feel.
Jedd Fisch was a great hire and in time he will really have this thing rolling (at one point I saw 3 true freshmen WRs & a true freshman RB in the game)
What Fisch has shown me that D'Onofrio hasn't... is the ability to TRULY understand what your opponent does and then having a gameplan.
We did absolutely nothing different this week than last week. Nothing diferent this year than last year.
Yes they need time. But 1st impressions are usually a good indicator of what's to come.
That's why I like Golden & Fisch.
D'Onofrio's resume is weak weak weak. 5 years as DC at Temple? That's it? gtfoh
Let's bring in an NFL guy ala Michigan (pipe dreams)
CaneDaddy
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I think these three posts are really good.
Maybe not by the average CFB fan, but he was known as a defensive mastermind in football circles long before 2003.
UMFarArcher
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Coach D can do fine at Temple where his talent level requires a 'bend' mindset.
But he clearly does NOT understand what he's supposed to be demanding, and ENABLING.
"Always attack. Even in defense, attack. The attacking arm possesses the initiative and thus commands the action. To attack makes men brave; to defend makes them timorous. If I learn that an officer of mine has assumed a defensive posture in the field, that officer will never hold command under me again." Alexander
We're requiring our players to endure defensive *** whippings, when you know damned good and well they'd love to be taking it to the offense.
"What we show, we will not do. What we do not show, we will do. Alexander
For God's sake, disguise everything. Shifts, faked blitzes, all-out blitzes, multiple concealed blitzes. A defense shifting and jumping around a bit is hard to nail down sometimes, especially when you're bringing a safety blitz. NEVER AGAIN set up and pose like we've been doing.
Given the same amount of intelligence, timidity will do a thousand times more damage than audacity. Clausewitz
Whether in attacking, counterattacking, or defensive tactics, the idea of attacking should remain central, to always keep the initiative. Giap
To defend everything is to defend nothing. Cut the candyass mindset, and let these boys go after them.
We need a defensive coordinator who attacks offensives, and can take advantage of our speed.
"Use swiftness to wear them out." Cao Cao
We could win eight games, but we MUST come off this candy *** BEND mindset.
But he clearly does NOT understand what he's supposed to be demanding, and ENABLING.
"Always attack. Even in defense, attack. The attacking arm possesses the initiative and thus commands the action. To attack makes men brave; to defend makes them timorous. If I learn that an officer of mine has assumed a defensive posture in the field, that officer will never hold command under me again." Alexander
We're requiring our players to endure defensive *** whippings, when you know damned good and well they'd love to be taking it to the offense.
"What we show, we will not do. What we do not show, we will do. Alexander
For God's sake, disguise everything. Shifts, faked blitzes, all-out blitzes, multiple concealed blitzes. A defense shifting and jumping around a bit is hard to nail down sometimes, especially when you're bringing a safety blitz. NEVER AGAIN set up and pose like we've been doing.
Given the same amount of intelligence, timidity will do a thousand times more damage than audacity. Clausewitz
Whether in attacking, counterattacking, or defensive tactics, the idea of attacking should remain central, to always keep the initiative. Giap
To defend everything is to defend nothing. Cut the candyass mindset, and let these boys go after them.
We need a defensive coordinator who attacks offensives, and can take advantage of our speed.
"Use swiftness to wear them out." Cao Cao
We could win eight games, but we MUST come off this candy *** BEND mindset.
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