Jump to content

Football is Chess: Offensive Aptitude in the Cotton Bowl


Katfid54

Recommended Posts

3 minutes ago, ClubWhatever said:

Isn’t the sketched play what OU ran on their 77 yard td to brown?

Not quite, but it's a similar concept.  Brown definitely runs a wheel, but the actual play call is probably "closer" to the mesh sit than it is the post/wheel attached to a mesh.

OU has a weird wrinkle on the play, though, because they line up with quad receivers to the field side (and a RB in the backfield).  One of the WRs lined up is inelligible, and he pretends to run a bubble screen.  I would like to say our defense bites on that fake, but it really doesn't.  Instead, our defenders are generally lost on how to align themselves against this set, and OU takes advantage of that getting off a quick snap. 

OU also knows that we're in man coverage, because Boyd runs all the way across the field to try to get lined up against this set.  So the sit route runs to where he knows he can force two DBs to run into each other (knowing that they're both playing man), which frees Brown up the sideline.

shM9Kb.gif

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Katfid54 said:

Not quite, but it's a similar concept.  Brown definitely runs a wheel, but the actual play call is probably "closer" to the mesh sit than it is the post/wheel attached to a mesh.

OU has a weird wrinkle on the play, though, because they line up with quad receivers to the field side (and a RB in the backfield).  One of the WRs lined up is inelligible, and he pretends to run a bubble screen.  I would like to say our defense bites on that fake, but it really doesn't.  Instead, our defenders are generally lost on how to align themselves against this set, and OU takes advantage of that getting off a quick snap. 

OU also knows that we're in man coverage, because Boyd runs all the way across the field to try to get lined up against this set.  So the sit route runs to where he knows he can force two DBs to run into each other (knowing that they're both playing man), which frees Brown up the sideline.

shM9Kb.gif

That quad set befuddled our defense. OU converted a fourth down, I think, simply because they threw numbers to the field side in that formation and we didn't respond in kind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nicely illustrated.  Either the bubble screen or QB sweep would have worked against OU on that play.  They were desperately running the overhang defender from the field side into the box, leaving 2 to cover 3 with half the field to work with.  They STILL couldn't stop Sam after the outside zone blocking got done with them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn’t mesh a concept with two shallow crosses run in opposition to one another? Or does the “in” route on the whiteboard continue across to meet with the shallow cross front the trips side?

Nice work. Tempoing the defense after a conversion to create mismatches isn’t rocket science, but damn is it effective. Surprised OU left a DE out over a slot instead of using a TO. 

With regard to QB power I think we converted a 4th and 2 on the +30 or so where OU overloaded against the lead to the right, and we just ran power to the left with the RB crossing in front of the QB behind the pulling guard. OU didn’t look like they were aligned right either, but the announcers didn’t say a word, and I haven’t seen a replay. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

Isn’t mesh a concept with two shallow crosses run in opposition to one another? Or does the “in” route on the whiteboard continue across to meet with the shallow cross front the trips side?

Yeah. The sketch is way too spread out, so it's hard to see. But that in would cross over the drag to create the mesh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

Surprised OU left a DE out over a slot instead of using a TO. 

One thing I noticed was that Riley was a witch about using timeouts when we tried to use tempo in high-leverage situations where we had an obvious advantage. Good coaching.

He couldn't catch them all though.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Machinator said:

One thing I noticed was that Riley was a witch about using timeouts when we tried to use tempo in high-leverage situations where we had an obvious advantage. Good coaching.

He couldn't catch them all though.

He’s a damn good coach. I hope he doesn’t hire a good DC. 

I didn’t realize the busted coverage with Boyd trying to get across the formation and Locke buckling his chin strap while getting picked for a TD was 4 to one side. 

Was that a mirror of the 4th down conversion earlier where OU called a TO and then completed a short pass to the 4 WR side in a hole in the zone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

Nice work. Tempoing the defense after a conversion to create mismatches isn’t rocket science, but damn is it effective. Surprised OU left a DE out over a slot instead of using a TO.

OU used a timeout to get INTO 3-4.  I wonder if even contemplated using another one to get BACK into nickel.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, Machinator said:

One thing I noticed was that Riley was a witch about using timeouts when we tried to use tempo in high-leverage situations where we had an obvious advantage. Good coaching.

He couldn't catch them all though.

We just ran outta time(outs).

  • Like 3
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, Machinator said:

One thing I noticed was that Riley was a witch about using timeouts when we tried to use tempo in high-leverage situations where we had an obvious advantage. Good coaching.

He couldn't catch them all though.

It's smart coaching for that moment, but if your opponent is driving to kick a go ahead fg in the 4th and only leave you 9 seconds on the clock, you sure will miss those opportunistic TOs. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Bill Lumbergh said:

It's smart coaching for that moment, but if your opponent is driving to kick a go ahead fg in the 4th and only leave you 9 seconds on the clock, you sure will miss those opportunistic TOs. 

I'm about to embark on my first rewatch of the game, but if I recall correctly he was more aggressive about it in the first half.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Bill Lumbergh said:

It's smart coaching for that moment, but if your opponent is driving to kick a go ahead fg in the 4th and only leave you 9 seconds on the clock, you sure will miss those opportunistic TOs. 

I don’t think he ever imagined he’d be down 21 points with that offense  at his fingertips. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Machinator said:

That quad set befuddled our defense. OU converted a fourth down, I think, simply because they threw numbers to the field side in that formation and we didn't respond in kind.

We actually played that quad better than they played ours.  One of the 4 is covered up and thus can't catch a pass beyond the LOS, we didn't actually wast a defender on him, though as he backed up someone came up to contain.  That play got blown for several other reasons.

I remember 1 play when we had quads, sooner had 2 guys covering our receiver who was covered up.  Mike stoops defense at its finest.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

How similar is that qb sweep to the good old 18 wheeler?   

The 18 Wheeler used  a QB counter with the backside guard and either a pulling tackle or back as the lead blockers.  This is straight zone blocking, usually with a double team on the contain man and a kick out block by the back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Bill Lumbergh said:

It's smart coaching for that moment, but if your opponent is driving to kick a go ahead fg in the 4th and only leave you 9 seconds on the clock, you sure will miss those opportunistic TOs. 

Both timeouts by OU saved likely TDs for Texas. It's on the defense for not getting lined up, but burning a timeout was better than the alternative.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, sushihorn said:

The 18 Wheeler used  a QB counter with the backside guard and either a pulling tackle or back as the lead blockers.  This is straight zone blocking, usually with a double team on the contain man and a kick out block by the back.

I just realized that we used some of those down blocks with a backside guard pulling on a QB run.  It was on 4th and 2 in the 3rd quarter around the 12:00 mark. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the 2014 playbook, Herman’s last year there, but obviously they run it.  Cool play, and probably something the coaches saw during the week thinking “hey, let’s run this if we happen to catch them in a short yardage defense after a conversion.”

60-1 Mesh is the closest thing in that playbook to mesh sit. But I’m sure it’s morphed quite a bit over the years. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The two crossers from one side look like a very effective moving pick for the single crosser from the other side in man. In the 60-1 mesh key breakdown you can see that the QB reads the free safety to determine the coverage and then his first progression is the flat defender. Actually, the free safety generally gives away the coverage per anyway, but you can see Sam look downfield for a moment and then quickly swivel to the wheel. He was either holding the S knowing where he wanted to go or making that read.  Or so it would seem. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

The two crossers from one side look like a very effective moving pick for the single crosser from the other side in man. In the 60-1 mesh key breakdown you can see that the QB reads the free safety to determine the coverage and then his first progression is the flat defender. Actually, the free safety generally gives away the coverage per anyway, but you can see Sam look downfield for a moment and then quickly swivel to the wheel. He was either holding the S knowing where he wanted to go or making that read.  Or so it would seem. 

I think he's trying to do both.  If the safety bails to the sideline, then Sam knows he can't go to the wheel route.  If the safety stays in the center of the field, Sam knows that--at worst--he's got 1-on-1 coverage to the wheel route (with that coverage almost certainly being from Jackson or an inside linebacker trying to keep up with Watson).  In either of those events, the defender is going to get roasted.  The only other possibility is that the D is playing some sort of pattern-matching defense, where the cornerback jumps the RB's route when he comes out (these are the kinds of concepts that TCU is really good at).  But OU has traditionally relied on man coverage, so Texas can be pretty confident that they're not going to get a pattern-match look on this play (especially on first down).

Edited by Katfid54
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 observations about how much we have improved:

1) the first play on the wheel route out of the backfield. It’s impressive we can pull this off this year because you are losing one player from pass protection. The 5 lineman are responsible for the pass rush. We would have struggled last year without an insert from the rb. When your players are better it opens up things you can do.

2) the outside zone qb keep we have used to such great effect this year is the same thing we got crushed on last year. The board would explode with “beck sucks” and mensamoron comments. It actually works schematically and we aren’t losing one on one battles this year. Having a healthy blocking tight end has made this play and others work now when they didn’t in the past.

nice to see us able to add wrinkles and able to take advantage of outnumbering the defense. And now that we don’t suck....voila it works!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...