Lu, How do we attack F$U on offense and defense?

[Cans4life]

Here's something that is difficult to see on TV, but watching live games is fairly apparent: poorly disguised coverages.

View attachment 23951


We often to show our Cover 3 look way too early. You literally see one Safety roll down and one Safety (like the one pictured above), flash to play Centerfield. In this play above, it was done far too early. The QB saw it (can see him look up before the ball is snapped) and realized the Safety wouldn't be able to get to R. Scott's 9 route on the wide side of the field. It resulted in a long pass and catch. This is something to look out for from Winston/Benjamin. If we roll to the middle far too early and show someone like Benjamin in 1 on 1 out wide, I obviously expect them to take their shots.

Ok, here's my problem with this picture.

Clearly it's Cover-3, which means we're rolling one of the Safeties down and the other one up.

Why would you roll your Safety down to the boundary instead of the field? Now you have a LB covering all that space to the field instead of a more athletic Safety. Plus, if you roll that Safety (the guy you circled) down to the field instead, you can put that OLB back in the box instead of having him wayyyy out there. (notice we only have 6 in the box)

This picture would give me wood if I was an OC. It's like stealing candy from a baby. I can run a seam route or a slant with that slot WR to the field. If that OLB on the slot WR sits on the slant or seam I can throw the hitch or dig to #1. I can run double-slants up there also. That'll be open. I can hand the ball off to the RB...LT kicks out the DE, Center blocks the NT, LG chips on the NT and moves to the LB. Easy 8 yards or so right up the left B-gap. SMH

Kansas State, Notre Dame and a few other teams agree with your analysis.

As for the coverage part, wait till FSU comes out with the standard 3WR, 2RB or 3WR 1RB 1H-back (O'Leary) sets. 2 WRs are lined up to the field side ala this picture. If we keep 3 LBs in the game...

I guess here's a question: do we think D'Ono will have Gunter at Safety and play more Nickel w/ Artie/Crawford/Howard?

I noticed Gunter playing a lot of safety in the second half against Wake Forest. Wouldn't surprise me to see this look against FSU at all. Anything that keeps 30 and 22 off the field against an offense as talented as FSU.

 

[fincane]

Don't know if coverages and disguises have changed drastically from last year but that is the spring game from 2012. Are we the same defense this year that the 2012 spring game was a preview of in 2012?

 

[LuCane]

Don't know if coverages and disguises have changed drastically from last year but that is the spring game from 2012. Are we the same defense this year that the 2012 spring game was a preview of in 2012?

I saw us do it earlier this year a number of times, but couldn't find it on video anywhere. I've basically looked at and used any video available on the Canes in order to show some of this stuff. To answer your question directly, yes, we use many of the same coverages. Cover 3 is a staple here.

 

[Dynasty]

Finally have a chance to chime in on this thread. Granted I have only seen 2 games of FSU this year but here are my thoughts

Defense

1. Don't Over Complicate Things - FSU's Offense is so good because they have excellent players running a small package that the execute extremely well. There are no exotic concepts or ****'em plays. To counter in a game like this we need to run the coverage and blitzes we have executed best since training camp to play as fast and as hard as possible. FSU has a talent edge over us, we need our guys out their reacting full speed, not thinking.

2. More Match Up Zone Than Spot Dropping - Zone coverage does not have to be soft. We need to do a great job matching routes because as Lu has posted FSU does a great job of finding holes in zones. Out of their reduced sets they like to run a switch release double stick concept (quick flat and 5 yard out route on either side of formation). Rashad Greene took one of these for 80 yards on Clemson. Match up zone allows the inside zone defenders to lock on to any in breaking routes and the outside zone defenders to take whatever comes to them and hopefully reduces holes in coverage. I'd prefer when we do blitz to play Man Coverage as well for the same reasons.

3. Make Jamies Nickle and Dime the Field - Jameis despite his amazing number has made some poor decisions. I take away the deep ball at all costs. Let them pile up yards underneath and tackle. Eliminate Explosive Plays and lets see if the Freshman can stay patient.


Ill try to post something about offense later

I agree completely on number 2. The problem is that we don't run a matchup zone or look for work within the zone areas. If there's one element I wish UM would change defensively this is it.

 

[marshallrc13]

We need to do on offense what the Dolphins did last night. A successful power running game and clock management. Long drives that take over 6-7 mins are awesome whether you get points or not. Keeps the ball away from the other team. Also, need to create turnovers when the opportunities come about. Like it was stated in another thread Winston throws a handful of balls up for grabs a game since he has a 6'5" WR. Our DBs need to have their eyes looking for the ball. I would have Gunter on Benjamin all night long as they match up from a physical stand point. We need to mix coverages a lot so the young QB doesn't know what's coming and hit him as early and as often as we get a chance.

 

[RiDLer80]

I made a thread before with screenshots from the Kansas State game of our defense pre-snap. I mostly focused on how walking a LB out over the slot gave us a numbers disadvantage in the run game. My football knowledge isn't as good as Wildcat's and I wasn't able to get into the different options in the passing game or the advantages/disadvantages of walking the LB out to the field side vs the short side of the field that he did in his post. Good stuff.

That's my main problem with D. I feel like his philosophy leads to the offense being able to dictate what the defense does by a simple formation. It's been discussed here several times how simple message board posters like us would attack the defense using 3-WR formations.

Unfortunately, I don't see D changing his philosophy and I can see us being extremely frustrated time and time again watching a LB in space try to cover a WR or the opposing offense gash us in the run game because they have a numbers advantage with the LB walked out.

 

[marshallrc13]

I made a thread before with screenshots from the Kansas State game of our defense pre-snap. I mostly focused on how walking a LB out over the slot gave us a numbers disadvantage in the run game. My football knowledge isn't as good as Wildcat's and I wasn't able to get into the different options in the passing game or the advantages/disadvantages of walking the LB out to the field side vs the short side of the field that he did in his post. Good stuff.

That's my main problem with D. I feel like his philosophy leads to the offense being able to dictate what the defense does by a simple formation. It's been discussed here several times how simple message board posters like us would attack the defense using 3-WR formations.

Unfortunately, I don't see D changing his philosophy and I can see us being extremely frustrated time and time again watching a LB in space try to cover a WR or the opposing offense gash us in the run game because they have a numbers advantage with the LB walked out.

****es me off to no end! Every time I see it I want to vomit...

 

[Canesfan1899]

I would like to see us break tendency and bring pressure up the middle and wouldnt mind seeing Gunter at S more with Crawford, Howard and Burns at CB.

 

[NotoriousJJE]

I don't think Gunter is playing any more safety this game if 22 is back healthy. We need his height at CB against their WR's.

If 22 is still mangled, then maybe we see Gunter at S. Bush needs to be Bush this game. Needs to read, react, and get to the football quick.

 

[Pentagon Cane]

I think Coley just needs to keep things simple for Morris. Morris is what he is. He's not going to become something he isn't before Saturday night. Locate the safeties and possible blitzing slotback presnap, and work the underneath stuff against their linebackers. I believe we can get favorable matchups with Warlord, Duke and Dallas. However, we can't work against a congested intermediate passing area. We've gotta find a way to clear out traffic in order to get those one on one matchups. I'm an advocate of using deep vertical routes to accomplish this. Let Duke, Dallas and Warlord use double moves to create separation underneath. I'm also of the belief that fsu isn't going to allow Duke to be a major factor on the ground early on, so the alternative is to get him the ball in the short to intermediate passing game. The same applies to Dallas. In short, take a few shots down field vertically by using double moves on the outside, clear out the middle of field, and get the ball to Coley, Duke/Dallas and Warlord underneath. When Fsu adjusts, hopefully Morris is in sync and he can connect on a few deep throws. And, we can get the ground game going.

I just want this game to be close going into the fourth quarter. We've been under pressure. Fsu has't faced any pressure at all. The tighter this game is heading down the stretch, the more pressure fsu will feel. If it is close I expect to see another choke at Doak.

Go Canes!!

You nailed it.

 

[Pentagon Cane]

Finally have a chance to chime in on this thread. Granted I have only seen 2 games of FSU this year but here are my thoughts

Defense

1. Don't Over Complicate Things - FSU's Offense is so good because they have excellent players running a small package that the execute extremely well. There are no exotic concepts or ****'em plays. To counter in a game like this we need to run the coverage and blitzes we have executed best since training camp to play as fast and as hard as possible. FSU has a talent edge over us, we need our guys out their reacting full speed, not thinking.

2. More Match Up Zone Than Spot Dropping - Zone coverage does not have to be soft. We need to do a great job matching routes because as Lu has posted FSU does a great job of finding holes in zones. Out of their reduced sets they like to run a switch release double stick concept (quick flat and 5 yard out route on either side of formation). Rashad Greene took one of these for 80 yards on Clemson. Match up zone allows the inside zone defenders to lock on to any in breaking routes and the outside zone defenders to take whatever comes to them and hopefully reduces holes in coverage. I'd prefer when we do blitz to play Man Coverage as well for the same reasons.

3. Make Jamies Nickle and Dime the Field - Jameis despite his amazing number has made some poor decisions. I take away the deep ball at all costs. Let them pile up yards underneath and tackle. Eliminate Explosive Plays and lets see if the Freshman can stay patient.


Ill try to post something about offense later

Is matchup zone in our coverage vernacular? Agree with #3.

 

[Coach Macho]

We don't really spot drop, do we? lol

 

[LuCane]

We don't really spot drop, do we? lol

In theory, this is what we're often supposed to look like:



In reality, because teams flood areas, motion players, QBs move our defenders with their eyes, our DL doesn't create pressure with 4 and our Safeties lack range, this (see edited red circles representing our players' range of coverage) is what we end up looking like:



Please see arrow for the spot Rashad Greene will try to build a home in.

 

[Dynasty]

We don't really spot drop, do we? lol

It has been discussed and questioned as to whether we spot drop and/or run a pattern reading scheme. I personally think we spot drop because I've never seen our underneath defenders redirect receivers with force (occasionally Perryman will do it, but he doesn't do it consistently). Additionally, when we drop into respective zone areas our defenders are always looking at the quarterback. You never see them looking for receivers running through their zone area. I've seen receivers repeatedly camp out in areas within three yards of a defender and we look completely lost in coverage. It's frustrating to say the least.

With respect to pattern reading, there was a discussion about Golden/D's philosophy as it related to Al Groh's defensive playbook. In it there was a reference to pattern reading. However, I don't think it referenced pattern distribution as taught by Satan and used by Pruitt.

 

[Notsince1985]

someone explain to me how Pruitt went from being on that MTV high school football show to being FSU's DC in like 5 years

 

[Coach Macho]

If we're spot dropping then we're NEVER gonna be good at stopping the intermediate passing game. EVER.

That crap is so prehistoric and easily exposed these days.

 

[LuCane]

If we're spot dropping then we're NEVER gonna be good at stopping the intermediate passing game. EVER.

That crap is so prehistoric and easily exposed these days.

Pretty obvious we go with "throw it, complete it, we'll tackle" approach.

 

[AUcane]

someone explain to me how Pruitt went from being on that MTV high school football show to being FSU's DC in like 5 years

Good pedigree/rep at bama, I guess

 

[Dynasty]

someone explain to me how Pruitt went from being on that MTV high school football show to being FSU's DC in like 5 years

Pruitt coached at Hoover, right? IIRC, I believe his predecessor was going to join Satan's staff before all **** broke loose in his personal life. Pruitt just rode the train up the coaching scale.

The bigger question, at least for me, is how is it that this guy has fsu's defense clicking as a first year coordinator? Apparently, Satan taught him well.

 

[Notsince1985]

someone explain to me how Pruitt went from being on that MTV high school football show to being FSU's DC in like 5 years

Pruitt coached at Hoover, right? IIRC, I believe his predecessor was going to join Satan's staff before all **** broke loose in his personal life. Pruitt just rode the train up the coaching scale.

The bigger question, at least for me, is how is it that this guy has fsu's defense clicking as a first year coordinator? Apparently, Satan taught him well.

Yes, he was on that show that covered Hoover