UVA's 2004 defensive playbook (when Al was DC)

[4000TMNT]

If the Defense still does bad this year and Golden considering changing the Defense, they should get something like LSU Defense.

I must say, LSU's defense looks pretty darn good. Watched footage of their games against South Carolina and Clemson last year and truly believe the look they way they do because of EXECUTION & TALENT. When people talk about "swag", I tell them look how fast their LB's & DE's take to get to the QB. Look at how violent those guys are. Those guys play with such an intensity, confidence and fury that those guys reek of swagger. They play like they are enjoying life. They celebrate like they went to town on the opposing QBs girlfriend. Miami use to have that, but now it's a whole lot of thinking and slow movement.

Due to our guys being partly confused and out of place, it's been hard under Coach D's installation of the system for our guys to play with the same level of Confidence, Intensity and Fury. Can't tell you the last time a Miami defender laid a hit on the opposition so hard and fast that my eyes popped out and made me slap my girlfriend like "Dang, did he just did that!?" Last time I remember a Cane displaying elite level speed and violence was Vilma at the Rose Bowl. Dude was a heat-seeking missle, even on missed assignments he looked good!

That's why it makes me feel real good to hear about the fury and intensity Figueroa, Perryman and Gaines are playing with. Those dudes get the system and are about to bring the wood! What we need now is for Porter and Pierre to be fast off the snap, disruptive and simply HURT SOMEBODY!


I'll tell you this, if during the FAU game Golden isn't forced to call off the dogs by the early, (I'm talking early 3rd Quarter), know that Miami will not be ready for Florida.

I think these guys get the system and the older guys they've brought in know enough of the system that now they are 2-Deep (which tells me some of our guys are really not up to par, but that's a story for another day).

All I'll say is this.....MIAMI NEEDS TO BRING THE WOOD!!!

I hope so too, but Golden's defense is a react defense, they don't play aggressive and risk football. That is why we might see the same problems like last year.

 

[CANE]

If executed properly, gaps will close and RBs will be forced to run wide; in the passing game there will be a lot of batted balls and turnovers.

 

[Newkirk]

Did Groh get fired recently cause the kids couldn't pick up his scheme?

Yes ...

(from ESPN): Head Coach Paul Johnson praised Groh's defensive knowledge, but said he was never able to pass it on to his players.
"Al is a very smart man. He understands what's inside his head," Johnson said. "The problem is we weren't seeing it on the field. For whatever reason, it wasn't transcending." ... (after firing Groh) My big goal is to simplify and see if we can't get lined up and play faster, play harder," Johnson said. "I don't think you've got to trick people. You've got to line up and know what you're doing and play fast." ...Groh installed the 3-4 when he got to Georgia Tech, but it was clear the players never fully picked up the scheme.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8478979/georgia-tech-yellow-jackets-al-groh-fired-defensive-coordinator

Looks like more of the same here

 

[Coach Macho]

If i think the alignment is wrong?...Did u see the stills of the games when we were severely outnumbered against a **** running qb @ K-State....but had Eddie Johnson and Jimmy Gaines @ times covering over slot wr's.

How do you suggest we line up in 3 and 4 wide? Crowd the box and leave the seams uncovered?

Play press man and have the WRs run our DBs out of the play?

At some point, someone has to win a matchup on the D-line. If you're getting killed up front, you're in trouble.

Who says putting 8 in the box leaves the seams open?

 

[Dynasty]

If i think the alignment is wrong?...Did u see the stills of the games when we were severely outnumbered against a **** running qb @ K-State....but had Eddie Johnson and Jimmy Gaines @ times covering over slot wr's.

How do you suggest we line up in 3 and 4 wide? Crowd the box and leave the seams uncovered?

Play press man and have the WRs run our DBs out of the play?

At some point, someone has to win a matchup on the D-line. If you're getting killed up front, you're in trouble.

Who says putting 8 in the box leaves the seams open?

It depends on which coverage you're running. If you're loading up the box with an extra defender and running cover three there are two ways to attack that type of coverage. The first being the flats as it places stress on the outside 'backers to buzz to the flats. Now, you could use an exchange coverage where the strong safety covers the flats and the Sam squeezes the seam while looking for the hook/curl/vertical. Butch Davis and Chuck Pagano used this type of exchange coverage a lot during their tenure at UM. Their philosophy was to use a safety as an eighth man in the box to help create favorable down and distance situations in the running game. Butch's theory was that everything depended on run fits for the strong safety, although he used the free safety (ABlades) as the eighth man in the box. Cover three was their preferred coverage even though they based out of a split safety look. To be honest here, it really depends on how efficient the quarterback and receivers are. Against above average passing teams we had trouble defending seam routes when playing cover three. The below average passing teams the results were much better.

 

[CanesAreAble]

If i think the alignment is wrong?...Did u see the stills of the games when we were severely outnumbered against a **** running qb @ K-State....but had Eddie Johnson and Jimmy Gaines @ times covering over slot wr's.

How do you suggest we line up in 3 and 4 wide? Crowd the box and leave the seams uncovered?

Play press man and have the WRs run our DBs out of the play?

At some point, someone has to win a matchup on the D-line. If you're getting killed up front, you're in trouble.

Who says putting 8 in the box leaves the seams open?

Who's covering the seams?

Several different coverages can work in theory. But in practice, we were getting killed all over the line of scrimmage. I just don't know how you scheme around that, especially with an an inexperienced back 7.

 

[CanesAreAble]

BTW I thought it was interesting to see Chad Thomas lining up all over the line. He even played a little zero-technique.

 

[Coach Macho]

If i think the alignment is wrong?...Did u see the stills of the games when we were severely outnumbered against a **** running qb @ K-State....but had Eddie Johnson and Jimmy Gaines @ times covering over slot wr's.

How do you suggest we line up in 3 and 4 wide? Crowd the box and leave the seams uncovered?

Play press man and have the WRs run our DBs out of the play?

At some point, someone has to win a matchup on the D-line. If you're getting killed up front, you're in trouble.

Who says putting 8 in the box leaves the seams open?

It depends on which coverage you're running. If you're loading up the box with an extra defender and running cover three there are two ways to attack that type of coverage. The first being the flats as it places stress on the outside 'backers to buzz to the flats. Now, you could use an exchange coverage where the strong safety covers the flats and the Sam squeezes the seam while looking for the hook/curl/vertical. Butch Davis and Chuck Pagano used this type of exchange coverage a lot during their tenure at UM. Their philosophy was to use a safety as an eighth man in the box to help create favorable down and distance situations in the running game. Butch's theory was that everything depended on run fits for the strong safety, although he used the free safety (ABlades) as the eighth man in the box. Cover three was their preferred coverage even though they based out of a split safety look. To be honest here, it really depends on how efficient the quarterback and receivers are. Against above average passing teams we had trouble defending seam routes when playing cover three. The below average passing teams the results were much better.

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This is how I do it. (the dashes represent the two different reads) I run the 3-4 but I drew it up in the 4-3.

Your flat defender reads the #2 receiver. If #2 releases VERTICAL or OUT then he runs with him. This protects the vertical seam route from #2, which is a hole in the Cover-3, and it protects the flat route from #2.

I would usually drop my Safety down on the field side, so that I have a better athlete in all that space. Also, when I do that I can keep my OLB tighter in the box on the boundary side. Offenses don't throw the flat route to #2 on the boundary.

If #2 on the RB side runs vertical then the Inside LB must "expand" with the RB if he releases on a route.

The only thing you give up with this version of Cover-3 is the flat route from #1, which would be covered by the OLB or Safety in a standard Cover-3. However, I'm willing to give that up because that's a much harder throw than the vertical seams. When I had a good CB, I put him to the field side and dared the offense to make that throw to #1.

 

[Dan E. Dangerously]

Oh ****, we got plays drawn up in this thread now. It's all going over my head but I'm into it anyway.

 

[Dynasty]

If i think the alignment is wrong?...Did u see the stills of the games when we were severely outnumbered against a **** running qb @ K-State....but had Eddie Johnson and Jimmy Gaines @ times covering over slot wr's.

How do you suggest we line up in 3 and 4 wide? Crowd the box and leave the seams uncovered?

Play press man and have the WRs run our DBs out of the play?

At some point, someone has to win a matchup on the D-line. If you're getting killed up front, you're in trouble.

Who says putting 8 in the box leaves the seams open?

It depends on which coverage you're running. If you're loading up the box with an extra defender and running cover three there are two ways to attack that type of coverage. The first being the flats as it places stress on the outside 'backers to buzz to the flats. Now, you could use an exchange coverage where the strong safety covers the flats and the Sam squeezes the seam while looking for the hook/curl/vertical. Butch Davis and Chuck Pagano used this type of exchange coverage a lot during their tenure at UM. Their philosophy was to use a safety as an eighth man in the box to help create favorable down and distance situations in the running game. Butch's theory was that everything depended on run fits for the strong safety, although he used the free safety (ABlades) as the eighth man in the box. Cover three was their preferred coverage even though they based out of a split safety look. To be honest here, it really depends on how efficient the quarterback and receivers are. Against above average passing teams we had trouble defending seam routes when playing cover three. The below average passing teams the results were much better.

[/URL][/IMG]


This is how I do it. (the dashes represent the two different reads) I run the 3-4 but I drew it up in the 4-3.

Your flat defender reads the #2 receiver. If #2 releases VERTICAL or OUT then he runs with him. This protects the vertical seam route from #2, which is a hole in the Cover-3, and it protects the flat route from #2.

I would usually drop my Safety down on the field side, so that I have a better athlete in all that space. Also, when I do that I can keep my OLB tighter in the box on the boundary side. Offenses don't throw the flat route to #2 on the boundary.

If #2 on the RB side runs vertical then the Inside LB must "expand" with the RB if he releases on a route.

The only thing you give up with this version of Cover-3 is the flat route from #1, which would be covered by the OLB or Safety in a standard Cover-3. However, I'm willing to give that up because that's a much harder throw than the vertical seams. When I had a good CB, I put him to the field side and dared the offense to make that throw to #1.

Good stuff, dude. Pattern reading out of cover three. Nice. I still believe it ultimately boils down to leverage. Quick, double moves against cover three can be dangerous providing pressure doesn't get to the QB. Give the QB time, seam receivers will create space/windows even with pattern reading. Nevertheless, excellent post.

BTW, do you exchange coverage assignments between Sam and SS based on formations? If so, which formations?

 

[Coach Macho]

How do you suggest we line up in 3 and 4 wide? Crowd the box and leave the seams uncovered?

Play press man and have the WRs run our DBs out of the play?

At some point, someone has to win a matchup on the D-line. If you're getting killed up front, you're in trouble.

Who says putting 8 in the box leaves the seams open?

It depends on which coverage you're running. If you're loading up the box with an extra defender and running cover three there are two ways to attack that type of coverage. The first being the flats as it places stress on the outside 'backers to buzz to the flats. Now, you could use an exchange coverage where the strong safety covers the flats and the Sam squeezes the seam while looking for the hook/curl/vertical. Butch Davis and Chuck Pagano used this type of exchange coverage a lot during their tenure at UM. Their philosophy was to use a safety as an eighth man in the box to help create favorable down and distance situations in the running game. Butch's theory was that everything depended on run fits for the strong safety, although he used the free safety (ABlades) as the eighth man in the box. Cover three was their preferred coverage even though they based out of a split safety look. To be honest here, it really depends on how efficient the quarterback and receivers are. Against above average passing teams we had trouble defending seam routes when playing cover three. The below average passing teams the results were much better.

[/URL][/IMG]


This is how I do it. (the dashes represent the two different reads) I run the 3-4 but I drew it up in the 4-3.

Your flat defender reads the #2 receiver. If #2 releases VERTICAL or OUT then he runs with him. This protects the vertical seam route from #2, which is a hole in the Cover-3, and it protects the flat route from #2.

I would usually drop my Safety down on the field side, so that I have a better athlete in all that space. Also, when I do that I can keep my OLB tighter in the box on the boundary side. Offenses don't throw the flat route to #2 on the boundary.

If #2 on the RB side runs vertical then the Inside LB must "expand" with the RB if he releases on a route.

The only thing you give up with this version of Cover-3 is the flat route from #1, which would be covered by the OLB or Safety in a standard Cover-3. However, I'm willing to give that up because that's a much harder throw than the vertical seams. When I had a good CB, I put him to the field side and dared the offense to make that throw to #1.

Good stuff, dude. Pattern reading out of cover three. Nice. I still believe it ultimately boils down to leverage. Quick, double moves against cover three can be dangerous providing pressure doesn't get to the QB. Give the QB time, seam receivers will create space/windows even with pattern reading. Nevertheless, excellent post.

Let's imagine, the offense walks up to the line...

They see Cover-3.
They're probably not gonna run the ball.
They're not gonna throw to #2 in the flats. That's not very rewarding against Cover-3.
Most likely they're gonna check to a pass play where they can hit #2 down the seam.
The ball is snapped.
The QB looks at his first read, #2 running down the seam...
Instead of buzzing to the flats, the Safety is running with #2 down the seam.

Now...

He's either gonna look to his second read or he's gonna force the ball to the seam route.

*If he resets and looks to his second read, that buys us an extra second to get at the QB. If his second read is the flat route from #1, then our CB is sitting on it by now. If the second read is a slant or dig (or any inside route) from #1, our LB is sitting on it.

*If he chooses to force the ball to the seam route of #2, he must LOFT the ball in order to get it over the top of the trailing Safety. He can no longer throw it on a line like a normal seam route would be thrown. The fact that he has to loft the ball buys my middle 3rd defender (Free Safety) time to converge on the ball. Either that pass is picked off or the medical staff will be brining a stretcher on the field for the WR.

With all that said, most offenses won't even throw that seam route once they see that a defender is running with it. They'll look to their second read rather than sit in the pocket and wait for him to come open, which would never happen anyways because the seam route against Cover-3 is a "now" throw. The longer you wait to throw that seam route, the less it's open. Just like a hook route from #1 against Cover-3. It's a timing throw.

 

[MIATL513]

How does your team adjust their coverage to motion or trips? Seems like motion will get you outnumbered on pass.

Also, looks like read options would be an issue, as there would only be a need to block 6 of the 8, as you could leave both ends free.

I'm guessing your front works better as a 3-4, as the 4th rusher isn't an automatic pre-snap read. That's why I prefer the 3-4 ... Adds confusion to the mix. It also allows for more coverage options when dropping the safety into the box. I think 3-5 is better against the pass than 4-4, and still gives you the same run support.

If i think the alignment is wrong?...Did u see the stills of the games when we were severely outnumbered against a **** running qb @ K-State....but had Eddie Johnson and Jimmy Gaines @ times covering over slot wr's.

How do you suggest we line up in 3 and 4 wide? Crowd the box and leave the seams uncovered?

Play press man and have the WRs run our DBs out of the play?

At some point, someone has to win a matchup on the D-line. If you're getting killed up front, you're in trouble.

Who says putting 8 in the box leaves the seams open?

It depends on which coverage you're running. If you're loading up the box with an extra defender and running cover three there are two ways to attack that type of coverage. The first being the flats as it places stress on the outside 'backers to buzz to the flats. Now, you could use an exchange coverage where the strong safety covers the flats and the Sam squeezes the seam while looking for the hook/curl/vertical. Butch Davis and Chuck Pagano used this type of exchange coverage a lot during their tenure at UM. Their philosophy was to use a safety as an eighth man in the box to help create favorable down and distance situations in the running game. Butch's theory was that everything depended on run fits for the strong safety, although he used the free safety (ABlades) as the eighth man in the box. Cover three was their preferred coverage even though they based out of a split safety look. To be honest here, it really depends on how efficient the quarterback and receivers are. Against above average passing teams we had trouble defending seam routes when playing cover three. The below average passing teams the results were much better.

[/URL][/IMG]


This is how I do it. (the dashes represent the two different reads) I run the 3-4 but I drew it up in the 4-3.

Your flat defender reads the #2 receiver. If #2 releases VERTICAL or OUT then he runs with him. This protects the vertical seam route from #2, which is a hole in the Cover-3, and it protects the flat route from #2.

I would usually drop my Safety down on the field side, so that I have a better athlete in all that space. Also, when I do that I can keep my OLB tighter in the box on the boundary side. Offenses don't throw the flat route to #2 on the boundary.

If #2 on the RB side runs vertical then the Inside LB must "expand" with the RB if he releases on a route.

The only thing you give up with this version of Cover-3 is the flat route from #1, which would be covered by the OLB or Safety in a standard Cover-3. However, I'm willing to give that up because that's a much harder throw than the vertical seams. When I had a good CB, I put him to the field side and dared the offense to make that throw to #1.

 

[Coach Macho]

How does your team adjust their coverage to motion or trips? Seems like motion will get you outnumbered on pass.

Also, looks like read options would be an issue, as there would only be a need to block 6 of the 8, as you could leave both ends free.

I'm guessing your front works better as a 3-4, as the 4th rusher isn't an automatic pre-snap read. That's why I prefer the 3-4 ... Adds confusion to the mix. It also allows for more coverage options when dropping the safety into the box. I think 3-5 is better against the pass than 4-4, and still gives you the same run support.

How do you suggest we line up in 3 and 4 wide? Crowd the box and leave the seams uncovered?

Play press man and have the WRs run our DBs out of the play?

At some point, someone has to win a matchup on the D-line. If you're getting killed up front, you're in trouble.

Who says putting 8 in the box leaves the seams open?

It depends on which coverage you're running. If you're loading up the box with an extra defender and running cover three there are two ways to attack that type of coverage. The first being the flats as it places stress on the outside 'backers to buzz to the flats. Now, you could use an exchange coverage where the strong safety covers the flats and the Sam squeezes the seam while looking for the hook/curl/vertical. Butch Davis and Chuck Pagano used this type of exchange coverage a lot during their tenure at UM. Their philosophy was to use a safety as an eighth man in the box to help create favorable down and distance situations in the running game. Butch's theory was that everything depended on run fits for the strong safety, although he used the free safety (ABlades) as the eighth man in the box. Cover three was their preferred coverage even though they based out of a split safety look. To be honest here, it really depends on how efficient the quarterback and receivers are. Against above average passing teams we had trouble defending seam routes when playing cover three. The below average passing teams the results were much better.

[/URL][/IMG]


This is how I do it. (the dashes represent the two different reads) I run the 3-4 but I drew it up in the 4-3.

Your flat defender reads the #2 receiver. If #2 releases VERTICAL or OUT then he runs with him. This protects the vertical seam route from #2, which is a hole in the Cover-3, and it protects the flat route from #2.

I would usually drop my Safety down on the field side, so that I have a better athlete in all that space. Also, when I do that I can keep my OLB tighter in the box on the boundary side. Offenses don't throw the flat route to #2 on the boundary.

If #2 on the RB side runs vertical then the Inside LB must "expand" with the RB if he releases on a route.

The only thing you give up with this version of Cover-3 is the flat route from #1, which would be covered by the OLB or Safety in a standard Cover-3. However, I'm willing to give that up because that's a much harder throw than the vertical seams. When I had a good CB, I put him to the field side and dared the offense to make that throw to #1.

We stay in Cover-3 if they motion to trips. We just adjust our reads a bit. I have several coverages against trips but this would be our easy adjustment if they motion from 2x2 to Trips and we're in Cover-3.

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*Our OLB bumps out in between #2 and #3. He gets depth on the release of #2 but ultimately he's a flat defender and will run to flats as soon as a WR goes into that zone. So basically, as he's getting to his drop he's eying #2 to #3 and if either one of them go to flats he breaks on the route. I don't want him to just run straight to flat on the snap cause I'm afraid they'll throw the seam to #2 right now. I want him to get some depth. We can rally to flats. He also has to get his hands on #2 if he runs vertical and force his route outside so that he's closer to the CB's 3rd.

*Our WILB now opens to the trips side and reads the release of #3. He basically has #3 if he runs INSIDE or VERTICAL. If #3 runs vertical then he's gotta get on his horse and run underneath it, kinda like a Tampa-2 technique. The Mike has to help him out though by forcing the #3 WR to run inside of him. While the MIKE is dropping he's gotta make some contact with #3's outside shoulder and force him to go inside. The WILB also has help over the top from the Free Safety.

*The SS who's rolling down to flats now has to bracket #1 (with the CB) and get underneath anything he runs. So if #1 runs a quick slant, the SS drives on it. If #1 runs a hook or curl, the SS gets underneath it. He's also gotta be aware of the RB leaking to the flats cause ultimately flats are his #1 responsibility. Now, if #1 runs vertical and he's out of the picture then the SS has to look back towards the Trips side and look for work. Alot of times offenses will run #1 vertical and have #3 drag all the way across to the single WR side. That's where our SS should be waiting. It should be a pick or a knock-out hit.

4:25 will show you the pattern matching by the LB's against verticals. On this play the offense is in Empty and the MIKE backer reads #3 and runs under the vertical, forcing a pick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MImhwN6hNSE


Against Read-Option I prefer the 3-4 defense.

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*On this particular play I'm blitzing the SAM OLB and slanting the opposite way. I tell my DE to tackle RB right now. They leave you unblocked, tackle the Back, right now, I don't care about anything else.

*My SAM OLB is blitzing and has QB, period. You hit him in his mouth right now.

Now...

If the ball is given to the RB and the SAM is blasting the QB right now, that opens up a cut-back lane right off the Offensive Tackle's ***. So here's what I do.

*My MIKE ILB...as soon as he sees this play he takes one "read step" towards the flow. Naturally that's what he's gonna do. That Offensive Tackle and/or Offensive Guard is most likely gonna try and reach block him. However, right after my MIKE takes his initial read step he changes his direction and rips through the backdoor of the C-gap, right behind the Offensive Tackle who's trying to reach block him. He backdoors the play, which closes the cutback lane for the RB. The OT can't block my DE and my MIKE. If he blocks down on my DE then the RB must cut back into my waiting MIKE. If the OT releases my DE and tries to reach my MIKE then the DE is unblocked and simply tackles the RB. The ILB doesn't have to worry about the A-gap because the Offensive Guard is releasing which allows the DE to sit in that A-gap. What kills defenses is when that ILB flows with the read option and the RB cuts it through the backdoor (C-gap). That doesn't happen against this technique.

*My WILL ILB crashes B-gap right now. If that LG releases to block him, the WILL rips through his outside shoulder. The Nose should be sitting in the A-gap.

*My RUSH OLB "folds" inside of the DE (who slants to outside contain) to help out with the B-gap. If the ball is handed off to the RB and he decided to rush through the B-gap, the RUSH and WILL backers should be there.


Read option has rarely been successful. The only time it's worked is when that MIKE screws up and forgets to backdoor the play.