This is an extremely brief glimpse of "Texas Fan Enemy #1", Tyrone Swoopes in the spring game. Below are merely 4 quick passing game plays, but I wanted to note some good and bad things executing them.
In the first example there is a 1-high safety look, inside the hashes. Based on alignment and leverage of the corner backs, a pretty clear zone defensive look. After the snap, the quarterback looks like he is reading the middle linebacker. This would be a R.A.M. read (Read Away from Mike). The play looks like a run-pass option, RPO, based on whether the middle linebacker stays put on run or expands to defend the pass. The quarterback keeps the ball, rolls right and throws the curl route on time. The quarterback exhibits good footwork and timing on the throw. In the parlance of Dan Gonzalez' work, the "Advantage Principle" here is R.A.M. and the concept is curl-flat to the field side, meant to conflict the flat defender, the defensive back in the alley in this case.
The next play the defense shows a 2-high safety look, but if you look closer, the boundary side corner back is "pressed up" on the receiver. What I call a "force clue", meaning he may have responsibility to contain the run on the boundary side. Given that and the alignment of the field corner back, it is another fairly clear zone defensive look. The quarterback may note the pressed corner and the soft coverage on the first receiver to the field and elects to keep the ball and execute a throw against said soft coverage. The problem is, the quarterback's movement to the left is less efficient and forces him to take what looks like an extra step, thus making the throw late. Also, the receiver could have come back to the ball some more to help the quarterback's throw. The quarterback must quicken his feet and get his shoulders turned earlier in order to better time his release on an otherwise easy throw and catch.
Below is another 2-high safety look, but with one outside the hash to the boundary and the other right between the hashes, indicating a 1-high safety look. Again, there is a cornerback pressed-up to the boundary, a force clue. Now, the middle linebacker is walked out over the third receiver in from the field side, leaving five in the box, a look most teams would typically choose to run against. However, it's the spring game and it's 2nd down and 10 yards to go. This play is an in-flat (similar to slant-flat) to the boundary, and I suspect it's thrown to the boundary because of the above aforementioned alignments. This time, the QB takes a drop and throws behind the weak side linebacker tracking the running back to the flat, an excellent well-timed throw.
The last play, there is another 2-high safety look with one safety on the boundary hash and the other inside the field hash. Neither corner back is pressed on receivers, but both linebackers are threatening to blitz, showing a 6-man pressure. If the linebackers blitz, the running back needs to pick up the linebacker to his side and the quarterback needs to recognize the blitz as well, he's part of the protection. The pass protection here is excellent and the boundary side receiver looks to run an in-breaking route below the corner back that is bailing over top of him. However, not only is his break inside a bit sloppy, but the quarterback's throw is late as well, allowing ample time for the corner back to break on the ball and break up the pass. This ball must come out quick because of the 6-man pressure.
Now, the above are an extremely small subset of plays, meant to illustrate some of the timing involved in Texas' quick passing game and some of what the quarterbacks are tasked with checking and reading. The question that will be answered this fall is, which quarterback manages these tasks and executes similar concepts the best for this offense? Also, where is the "fulcrum" that will decide how much the staff gives each quarterback to work with for the season opener at Notre Dame. One thing is certain. I can't wait to find out!
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