Shawn Watson Serves Longhorn Veal

Longhorns fans are upset. It’s understandable. Many began the season expectant of a new spread offense, but what it appeared fans were treated to instead was a more narrowly focused version of an already defunct offense the staff installed last season. So, what’s changed? Well, it is now run primarily from the shotgun, a welcome change. Gone are the multiple formations involving tight ends, H-backs, and fullbacks. In those formations’ place are combinations of 3 and 4 wide receiver sets operating mostly out of a one running back environment. So, let’s take a look at some things run last Saturday.

It all starts up front with the “big uglies”, the offensive line. Joe Wickline’s charges were handily whipped by a talented Notre Dame front comprised of future draft picks and in a couple cases, two whole years or more of added maturity. This unit has to be right and it’s current state makes you wonder if they’d be an average FCS unit, let alone an average FBS unit. It’s here where we will begin.

Below are images of what appears to be an overmatched offensive line. One of the things I was looking for was good combination blocks by the guards and center. In the first shot you see left guard Sed Flowers and center Taylor Doyle pairing to help the guard gain control of the defensive tackle. In short, they fail and Flowers is unable to at least maintain his position and gives up penetration. Right guard Patrick Vahe isn't doing too well himself, allowing the defensive tackle to turn him. This was the story of the day. The offensive line remains a pointed weakness.

Up next, is what looks like a line, running back, and quarterback confused about their assignments. It's tough to tell who's wrong in this case, but the play looks to be going left based on the offensive line and quarterback, but the running back is headed straight. Perhaps this was a missed option left call. So, above is an offensive line failing to stand their ground physically and below is an offense as a whole or the running back failing in assignment, a delightfully toxic football cocktail. FIX THIS!!!

The above images stand as examples of run blocking gone awry. Now, we get a glimpse of what the quarterback and the pass game was faced with. The time between the two shots below is about 1 second. The assignments are taken care of, but as you can see, the offensive line allows the pocket to compress, forcing the quarterback to scramble and throw the ball away, a smart decision. You'll also note, the call kept the back in and the only quick-breaking route is being covered by two men, my gosh. What is a quarterback to do? Many times it's best to release a back to afford the quarterback an immediate option against pressure. 

For the most part, many teams run the same concepts. It’s how they’re taught and woven into the offensive framework that may differ. Let’s take a gander at some of the concepts run against a very stingy (currently) Notre 

Dame defense.

Here is Swoopes' first zone read play of the game. The read defender is the weak side linebacker. The tight end is "kicking out" the   force player on the edge by making him cover him. Swoopes makes the correct read as the weak side linebacker cheats inside to stop the interior run. The offensive line does a fair job, at least standing their ground and occupying the defensive line. Also, there is a "POP" pass option to throw to the tight end should the force player blitz on the play.

The jet sweep play should be familiar. It was a part of the "old" offense. You know, the awful one Texas ran last season. The blocking on this play starts okay, but notice the ensuing carnage a mere second later. The offensive line needs to stand their ground and sustain their blocks at least a half second longer. Contrast this with the similar sweep play Notre Dame scored on in the 1st half, you'll probably notice a difference. 

Another zone read that is doomed as the right guard is driven back 3 yards and the H-back whiffs on the edge defender.

And another on a 3rd and 1, notice AGAIN how the offensive line is driven backward by the Notre Dame front, frustrating.

The next shots were a rare occurrence during the game, a clean pocket. However, the route concept left the quarterback without a viable throw. A question, if the packaged play is meant to clarify what the middle linebacker is doing, and if he vacates, why doesn't the opposite side have a route or sight-adjustment planned to break into that void? Make the read player wrong! That is a missed opportunity in game planning in my opinion. Also, keep the vacated middle in mind, it comes up again later.

Swoopes' day was not easy. The call here is a running back slow screen and it's identified and destroyed by the defense. The very idea that Texas remains inept attacking defenses vertically boggles the mind, something I've counted against Watson for some time. Then again, I just spent time showing you terrible pass protection, what gives?

Lastly, Swoopes' bad day included unforced errors as well. Here, he sails a pass over a wide open single-covered Armanti Foreman on a hitch route, bottom of the screen. The quarterback MUST execute when a clean window and throw presents itself, especially when things aren't going well.

Now, on to some shots of Texas' current backup quarterback, Jerrod Heard.

Behold, a well-blocked zone run, for the most part. This time, they block all the defensive linemen and constrain the linebacker on the backside with a bubble screen, simple yet effective.

Another zone play with a read on the backside alley defender. Gray manages to make the best of a pileup at the line of scrimmage to keep the chains moving. 

Read-option here, the offensive line blocks zone and a bubble screen is tagged to the field. Heard makes what appears to be the correct decision to throw the bubble screen as the middle linebacker in the alley is out-leveraged.

The following play is a bit complicated, for different reasons. I believe this is the play wide receiver Marcus Johnson pulls up lame and it made me wonder if Heard noticed and didn't throw to Marcus in the flat because of it. If he didn't notice, the ball should have definitely been thrown on-time. Heard was forced to scramble into the alley and was hit very hard while attempting to slide. As mentioned above, note the 4 pass defenders to 3 receivers to the field, the 2 pass defenders to 1 receiver to the boundary, and the vacated middle. If and when the quarterback recognizes that, especially Heard, he should be coached to tuck and run through a lane in the pass protection, a possible untapped source for explosive gains. 

The last shots of Heard feature the shotgun "bootleg" concept. The blocking is decent minus the left guard, but the ball doesn't come out. It's hard to tell if it should have gone to the hitch being run by Armanti Foreman at the bottom of the image. If so, the ball would have been terribly late, maybe a good thing he decided not to throw it. Nevertheless, if the holds, he needs to get on the move quickly and take as many yards as possible toward the sideline.

For any offense, there must be a unifying idea behind it. What is that for this season's Texas offense? There needs to be something the offense can “hang their hat on”. Texas needs to find that and base everything they do from it, even if it means teaching only one base blocking and protection scheme. Also, I’m a proponent of the best players seeing the field and Texas running the spread would mean the most dynamic athletes should see playing time. Some names that come to mind are Daje Johnson, John Burt, Jonathan Gray, Marcus Johnson, Jacorey Warrick, other freshmen, and dare I say, Jerrod Heard. In that context, I’ve concluded that Tyrone Swoopes would no longer fulfill the prerequisite for inclusion as a starter in the current offense. It pains me to say that, but the current state of the offense simply cannot take advantage of Swoopes’ best traits, that of a strong-armed passer with only decent mobility. Adding to that, it’s time for Coach Strong to notify both Shawn Watson he's on a very short leash. This cannot persist. I realize this post doesn't cover the entire scope of the Texas' staff and players' problems, but I invite you to discuss them here.

When The Stitt Goes Down...

Below are some screen shots and a final drive video from Bob Stitt's Montana Griz head coaching debut. Let's take a look below at some of the concepts captured. It won't be clear what the reads are exactly, but I'll do my best to make educated guesses. Bob Stitt's offense is predicated on abusing zone defenses, forcing many defenses, in many cases, to play more man-coverage than they may be accustomed to playing. This tends to have two effects. One, it's not that easy to play a lot of man-coverage throughout a game and two, many of Stitt's spread football innovations lie in beating man-coverage. The latter aspect is why many vaunted spread practitioners nationwide have sought the help of Coach Stitt. So, let's take a look.

Many spread quarterbacks are taught to read alignment, leverage, and numbers before the snap. Some initial reads may even comprise taking advantage of whether the defense has 1 or 2 high safeties. In the above example, two safeties are outside the hash marks, a clear indicator of a 2-high safety coverage. So, the quarterback chooses to read the side that will have a greater number of receivers, the boundary side. Here, Stitt employs a spacing concept with the slot receiver. Also of note, the middle linebacker is bailing to the middle of the field in coverage (Tampa-2). Now this is where it's hard to decipher whether the receiver runs a short curl "spacing" concept or whether it's a drag route read, where the receiver can stay on his path if the linebacker stays. Either way, he's able to sit right in the zone vacated by the middle linebacker for an easy pitch and catch. Special note, Tampa-2 coverage is a North Dakota State specialty and it's beat early-on with ease. Keep that in mind when you watch the final drive video below.

Next we see what may be the drag concept again. This time the linebackers stay underneath in coverage and the receiver continues his path to cross the face of the linebacker in his zone. You'll note the boundary receiver runs a deep route and the back releases to the flat creating a stretch between the two linebackers underneath. Most offenses will take those matchups all day.

Here's a gander at the run and receiver screen game. Stitt became famous for the fly-sweep he helped Dana Holgorson abuse Clemson with, so it's no wonder that the motif remains in the offense. The offensive line blocks zone (note the double teams) and the sweeper continues past the defensive end who the quarterback may or may not be reading. In my mind, this could be a read on the linebacker between the hashes who stays in to defend the inside run. Where the constraint for the free rusher comes is in the fly-sweeper continuing his path to the flat to receive a quick pass-lateral from the quarterback. A very important aspect to this play is the block that comes from the slot receiver on the outside linebacker. What a great way to create a significant leverage advantage!

Here, the quarterback chooses to read the single receiver side, why, if it's still a 2 high safety defense? If I had to guess, it's because the defense aligned it's outside linebacker to the field outside the box and over the slot receiver. So, the space and leverage advantage is to the boundary in this case and another short curl, spacing, is run to beat the underneath coverage, simple.

Now we get to one of my favorite plays of the game. I'm not sure whether to call this a delayed running back screen or merely a tagged running back route. Nevertheless, the result is a very difficult assignment for the middle linebacker, having to pursue and tackle a running back in the open field. That's not it though, in the last shot you can see the receiver, probably after running a curl route stem, come back to block that middle linebacker! The scheming of that block alone causes me to lean toward calling this a delayed screen. Well done Bob.

Lastly, we see the beloved drag concept again. Why more teams don't abuse the drag route is beyond me. Above, the underneath coverage is beaten again. It must have been maddening for those defenders all game.

That's it for the screen shots. Below is the final drive and I'd like you to pay special attention to the coverage on the first play. I hope you recognize it. That's all I have time for, but I'd like to add a little tidbit. I had the pleasure of speaking with Bob Stitt when he was at his last coaching job. One thing that stood out from that conversation was him explaining that if teams choose to play zone against his offense, the outcome would be heavily tilted in his favor. Now I see why.

A Very Brief Look at Swoopes And The Spread Quick Game

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!

Texas Ball Control

I wanted to upload some more of my screen shots of Texas' 2014 season on offense. This time I wanted to focus on the ball control aspects of the offense and with that in mind provide a general overview. What is central to Texas' ball control oriented attack is the run and quick passing game. I didn't include many straight-ahead run plays because the base run schemes are so well-integrated with the other concepts. Below you may be able to note zone and power run schemes at the heart of the bootleg, read-option, and play-action schemes, minus of course the straight-ahead quick and drop back passing game.

The first series of pictures are some of Texas' bootleg plays. I've grown to really love this concept. It serves to punish the defense's initial response in run defense, fitting gaps and pursuit. You see eyes and hips turned as well as steps taken by the defense towards what will quickly become the back side of the play. That's winning initiative! These schemes typically involve a receiver coming across formation behind the OL. This can serve two purposes, he can block the edge defender if needed or continue his path and release into the flat. There is usually a play side out-breaking route and a back side intermediate crossing route serving as a high-low (or low-high) read and the QB still has the option to pull the ball down and run. As for the toss-sweep I included, below it is a bootleg off the same run-action, creating an "easy" gain after having gashed the Sooner front. Looking ahead, as Texas' OL-play improves and gaining 3 to 4 yards on base run schemes becomes a near-certainty, these bootleg concepts will be like stealing. Also needed is quicker recognition and decision making from the QB position.

Next is the read-option run game. I personally like that Texas operates from both under center and shotgun, each have their advantages. Also, if rumors are true regarding Texas utilizing faster tempos, operating from both alignments could yield a great deal of defensive confusion. Nevertheless, below are a couple examples of the now ubiquitous zone-read option scheme and a speed option play. There is also a shovel option built into this offense as well. All are reads on an edge defender. Texas can read-option run with most of their base run schemes and also vary the read defender when pairing it with quick pass concepts, what are referred to as run-pass option (RPO) plays. 

     

As mentioned above, RPO schemes are integrated throughout the run and quick passing game. Texas will typically pair a zone or power scheme with quick passing game routes like stick, bubble, slant-flat, and out breaking routes against leverage. These reads are relatively simple. The first and last pictures are examples of a "read away from Mike" or RAM principle. The others, zone and power paired with the bubble, slant, or slant-flat are reads of the alley defender. The beauty of these reads are that they are already pass game reads for similar concepts in the quick game. So, they are "just like" concepts to enhance user friendliness for the QB. These concepts serve to keep an extra man out of the box on shotgun run concepts, in these cases the Mike and alley defenders are keyed. As execution of these plays improve, the offense will begin to realize a more explosive nature.

Now we get to some quick passing concepts. First are a couple sprint pass concepts. These are meant to use the threat of the QB run to spring a deep or quick route open to one side, usually the field side. The second example is of the QB's bad read and INT in the RRS. You'll see the speed-out by #8 is clearly the right throw, but the QB instead throws into trouble to #11 with poor ball placement to boot! Lastly, I included a corner route against cover-2, a "Spot" or spacing route against underneath zone, another speed-out against very soft CB coverage, and a deeper route concept that scored for Texas. Throughout the season, the QB-play was a mixed bag, but I give credit to Texas' young signal caller. There wasn't any relief coming from the sideline, a luxury often afforded struggling young passers. He had to stick with it every snap and he did that, no matter how bad it got, and it got very bad at times.

All in all, much of what plagued the offense was inconsistent play from both the OL and QB. In the OL's case, physical mismatches and missed assignments plagued many schemes. In the QB's case, slow and missed reads along with OL mishaps synergized to doom many possessions for Texas. Now imagine these schemes with a significant improvement in OL and QB-play. I for one am very optimistic about that. The team requires much work at this point, but I suspect there will be noticeable improvement by the time the 2015 season is underway. These things tend to take time.

4 Scores and 7 Downs Ago... A Quick Look At Lincoln

What's up y'all!? This post is intended to provide a quick and dirty look at the Sooners' new offensive coordinator. What you'll see below are embedded draftbreakdown.com videos of Justin Hardy vs USCe and UF, two semi-powerful SEC foes. I included these two games mainly because it showed how Lincoln's offense performed against defensive units that may have had more talented personnel than ECU's own. Of course, that's certainly up for debate as the ECU offense was able to move the ball very well against a schedule that included the above two, as well as Bud Foster's famed VT defensive unit. Also, if you're not familiar with this format, let me explain. I'm terrible at editing and embedding video and have limited time. Instead I like to take notes about what I'm seeing and then discuss them in general terms. You can watch the videos before and/or after the descriptions. Let's get started.

I became familiar with Lincoln Riley's offense last year, when he was rumored to Texas. Many Texas fans, including myself, had our fingers crossed for the potential hire. However, it never came to be. So now, we get to hate him instead, fun! Lincoln's offense strikes me as a coherent and integrative approach to combining classic "Air Raid" concepts to the run, play-action, and read-option game. The pass game integrates with the run game in that the base zone and power (gap) schemes are primarily utilized in the read-option, play-action, and quarterback movement game. This can be a headache for defensive players as the majority of standard down and distance plays will all appear the same, especially if keying on OL steps and/or movement. Adding to that, I was surprised how multiple the offense can be. I noted personnel that ranged from "20" (2 RB, 0 TE), empty, to "12" (1 RB, 2 TE). With regard to formations, it ranged from your typical 2 X 2 spread set to I-formation aligments with the QB under center. Base runs include zone (inside, outside, slice, and lead) and a Power-style gap scheme with the backside gaurd pulling around the center and leading into the A-gap. The beauty of those schemes are that they tend to be excellent for use in read-option and play-action. As far as the pass game is concerned, you may note shallow crossing routes (good vs man), deep crossing routes (think Y-Sail), a lot of flat combination routes (slant-flat, curl-flat), deep out routes, and of course 4-verticals some of which contain option routes like seam-read. So, let's watch some football.

What stands out most to me from the USCe video are the packaged plays. Many quick-game pass concepts will be paired with base run schemes with the read player being one of the linebackers, 2nd-level reads. What I really like about read integrated offenses is that the consistent alignment and quarterback-running back mesh gives the defense the same look without tipping a read or more traditional play-action concept. Of course these will tend to be quick-to-intermediate level passing concepts paired with base run schemes. When Riley wants to attack deep he'll change the mesh and the quarterback will take more steps on his drop. Also notable, I like that some traditional bootleg concepts are adapted to the shotgun alignment. These often help to manipulate the linebackers with run aciton one way while bringing a crossing route behind them the opposite way. A couple of plays that stood out in this video are the delayed wide receiver screen paired with run-action at 1:30 and the packaged double screen at 2:16, a wide receiver screen paired with a running back slow-screen. Also note the offensive line releases and blocking, well designed and coached. These constriaint plays need to be well-coached and executed with attention to detail. They serve to protect the offense's base concepts as well as punish defensive over-play. Let's move on to the Florida game.

In this game we see a bit more multiplicity. For instance, the use of the I-formation in short yardage. It's good to see a spread football coordinator carry this set in his overall approach, a contingency often lacking in spread offenses. At 0:43 you'll see "Spot" paired with a quarterback sweep. This is another 2nd-level read on the linebacker who opens to take away the quick-game pass concept, so the quarterback pulls it down and follows his pulling lineman on the backside, well-conceived. A  lot of this is made possible by Lincoln's understanding of basic defensive assignments as well as how formations distort defensive structures. At 4:01 you'll see a play I don't even know what to call, out of a split back shotgun formation, the left gaurd and tackle pull and lead around the center through the A-gap while the "fullback" arc blocks the unblocked defensive end. What I suspect here is the end is the read man and if he attacks the running back, he will be bypassed by the arc blocker and the quarterback will keep and have a lead blocker on the backside of the play, another well-conceived play. What do you call it!? Speaking of the split back shotgun formation, Lincoln will utilize this, as opposed to the diamond formation, to create favorable match-ups outside or in the box. Depending on the safety look, 1-high or 2-high, the quarterback can easily check into a read-run or pass. Another motif I liked is the movement of the TE, motioning him out wide. Again, it's all about distortion and creating numbers advantages from sideline to sideline, forcing the defense to pick it's poison. Lastly, I've been impressed with the way Lincoln will attack in the red zone, he will be aggressive. As seen on the first touchdown, he calls a back shoulder seam. Lincoln is a former wide receivers coach, so it doesn't surprise me that this goup excelled at ECU. Also, it may be part of the reason Stoops let go of Norvell, though I can't be sure. Another example is at 6:47, look at the receiver releases, fake blocks, and the rub on the corner-flat, dropped! 

Well, there are my thoughts in a nut shell. Given the Sooners penchant for finding wide receiver talent, not to mention tight end and running back, Lincoln stands to field an aggressive offense, one able to attack from sideline to sideline as well as all three zones of coverage. One thing I didn't get into much is the quarterback position, but from what I see, there are plenty of easy reads in this offense and often times there is only one player the quarterback is reading. The offense is coherent with all the "bells and whistles" of a modern spread-option attack. I hope you enjoyed. Please share your thoughts.

The Watson Propagandist.., Why We Don't Have A Bad OC.

There's been a lot said about the 2014 "Watsline" Texas offense, much of it criticism of the Assistant Head Coach of Offense and Quarterbacks Coach, Shawn Watson. So, I decided to play devil's advocate and explain why I think much of the criticism has been hyperbolic. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the scheme, it was the players. When I first set out to do this I planned on creating cut-ups of Texas' offensive snaps in a couple of games, but that wasn't working out. Instead, draftbreakdown.com happens to have a great video of Paul Dawson terrorizing what I contend to be a poorly executed Texas offense. Below I have characterized the first 20 plays of the video. I'm not sure how well this format will work, but feel free to review the video or play descriptions first. Then we're set to begin the scheme-personnel kerfuffle.



The rest of this post will be generally bland. I will place a number for the play it is in the video in sequence (1st 20). Also, I'll try to mainly highlight crucial factors in the plays, so don't be overly critical if my untrained eyes miss something.

1) Lead Zone-Bubble packaged play is run w/ the HB missing a critical block. I for one liked what the bubble screen offered and w/ QB under center, can throw it out there pretty fast. 2) Lead Zone-Slant, another packaged play. The ball seems to come out a bit slow, maybe slightly tipped, but behind the WR. "Watsline" clearly asking QB to make quick post-snap decision in order to get the ball out early. 3) The QB makes a late high-low read on Mike, ball is late to released RB, tackled short. 4) Double-Screen run here, releasing OL fails to block Mike, Daje down! 5) Power-Bubble-Hitch, another packaged play, though QB doesn't appear to have a read on the "Cloud" CB. DL beats OL here, ugh! 6) 3rd & 14 vs obvious Cover-2, don't like route grouping, but checkdown is obvious play here once the underneath coverage vacated. QB, let the RB make the play. You are not Vince Young! 7) Split-Zone w/ reverse, the RB misses cutback lane on a play blocked at a mediocre level. 8) Sprint pass throwaway that ended badly for the QB. This didn't seem effective at all, but the QB made correct play. 9) First INT, ball out late, it needed to come out at or slightly before the break. If not, progress to the release player, on QB. 10) Lead Iso w/ decent blocking, but LT fails to seal his block outside and the RT fails to reach Mike, as if! 11) Bunch set w/ a better read from QB, Mike holds, RB makes great play. 12) Power out of spread set, RT cannot hold up, busted. 13) Spot concept from empty, great job of splitting the field to gain #s in the passing game. 14) Split-Zone + quick game, the speed-out wins w/ leverage on the safety. 15) I can't make out the concept, but QB is late, needs to progress to "3rd Fix". Also, checkdowns tend to be low-risk high-reward vs Cover-2. 16) This play would make for a great "Snuff-GIF". OL (G) fails to get in front of blitzing LB, let alone seemingly being unable to check out of this play. Also note, the QB may have had a "hot" read, the slot running a hitch. 17) Power+Quick, read Will, he stays out equals a "give" read for the QB, great concept from a spread formation. 18) QB holds ball too long on concept, eyes go down, but behold! The 3rd Fix is open! QB needs more composure in the pocket (eyes up progressing and moving to his help). 19) Pistol read-option, a killer! The DE bites and something funny, the strong safety doesn't want to tackle big Ty, lol! 20) RB flare protects QB from LB blitz, simplicity at it's finest. Also note the decent pass-pro and the Spot concept again.

There it is. This offense is comprised of many modern elements, read-option and packaged plays. It's my contention that it only needs improved execution to succeed, by the OL and especially the QB. I think, for the most part, the tape shows well-conceived concepts vs the defense and personnel presented to it. The staff appears to have put the players in a position to succeed. From there, it's up to them to execute and finish. This group simply could not. That's my case. I hope the formatting of this post wasn't too strange. Now, let's argue!!!

Putting The Hog-D On A Spit...

The Arkansas defense is an over-shifted 4-3/4-2 defense that plays with 2 high safeties. They are a physical and disciplined unit capable of making life miserable for 1-dimensional teams. The strength of the Hogs defense is run defense. They are very disruptive and effective without having to "game" their fronts very often. This is due to a powerful and athletic defensive line. The Hogs pass defense is respectable, but as we'll see, there will be opportunities to aggressively attack their coverages, which tend to be a mix of cover-2, quarters, cover-1, and cover-3. They are not as aggressive with their safeties as Longhorns fans are accustomed to (TCU, BU), but they are well-disciplined in their reads and run fits. Let's take a look at how Auburn attacked them with an inexperienced QB. If I recall, Texas has one of those too.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4354445

Here, they are in a 2-high S (safety) look vs "20" personnel (RB, HB offset). Notice the FS (to the field) come down as soon as he reads run via the receiver to his side blocking or the HB arcing across formation to block instead of attack the flat. That S would also be responsible for pursuit to the field if the QB keeps on the read play.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4359675

This is a peculiar blitz. You'll note the boundary side DE drop into the short middle zone while on the field side, the Mike and SS blitz. What began as a 2-high safety coverage shell has morphed into a cover-1 look. A key to attacking this defense is quickly recognizing the S rotation in order to make quick decisions with the ball and avoid pressure. The QB receives good protection and does a great job of reading the above route concept.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4360590

2-high S coverage is shown above and it's taken advantage of with a post route. Again, note the quick recognition of the S's as well as the timely ball delivery, an area Texas has struggled. Auburn created explosive plays with the same route concept multiple times against 2-high S coverage. Expect Texas to attack downfield in a similar fashion.

The Hog defense is very formidable against the run. In order for Texas to approach the kind of efficiency needed to win on offense, the passing game must force the Hog defense into more of these 2-high coverages. This will improve Texas' chances running the ball against a very good defensive front. Given Texas' recent struggles at the QB position, this seems like a lot to ask. We will see if there has been any real growth from both the QB and the beleaguered OL come the 29th. On to some more of what Auburn did.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4360092

I chopped this play to illustrate how simple concepts can be included in the game plan. There is nothing special here, just a well thought out RB screen. I liked it because it punishes the leverage tendency of the defense against bubble screens. It's simple, yet effective.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4360162

Now, Auburn lines up heavy to the field and runs split-zone with a read on the boundary CB. They catch the defense with a "Cloud" call to the boundary, meaning the CB is the force player in the boundary alley. The "POP" pass proves effective here and results in a TD after the S misses the tackle. This is a key I'd expect other teams to attack, whether it's pulling and leading blockers to the "Cloud" CB or keying him as the flat and force defender in the pass game.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4366325

Here's a scheme that will give the Texas offense a chance to control the ball and succeed in setting up play-action opportunities, Power. This set and motion are things the Texas offensive brain trust can easily scheme into the game plan along with building a few other concepts from it. Make no mistake, Texas wants to be a zone running team, but timely use of gap schemes and lead plays are meant to punish defenses overplaying zone schemes. Auburn, of course, is very good at this. Whether Texas will be is a good question, the OL needs to step up!

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4366427

I really loved the above pass play. Auburn utilized the slant to the field and grants a receiver a free release to the boundary to run the drag vs a 1-high S coverage with man underneath. Notice if somehow the slant is taken away via leverage or quicker bracketing by the S, the drag is open with plenty of grass in front. Again, much of the pass concepts I'm seeing are easy reads for the QB. Also, like Auburn, Texas has the ability to be very effective from "11" personnel and the receivers to take advantage of shabby coverages like the ones above.

The above examples represent minor parts of Auburn's plan to attack the Hogs' defense. However, they illustrate what type of concepts may be effective in creating explosive plays for Texas. Texas (Watson) must begin creating simple plans to get the ball into playmakers' hands in space. Think back to the abysmal TCU game, the one truly explosive play of the night was a well-blocked WR bubble screen. Sometimes it's that simple. For whatever reason, the staff has seemed to fall short in this department. I'm curious, given the team's recent performance, what plan the staff puts into practice. What think you?

Fronting Heavy-Set Arkansas

A hat-tip to @WarRoomEagle on Twitter for editing the Arkansas-Auburn game. It sparked some interest in the Arkansas offense. So, I put together some clips to see what Texas' defense is faced with defending. This will all be centered around what Arkansas likes to do and how that tends to unfold in the trenches. I wanted to focus on OL and run schemes, so I don't really pay too much attention as to what's happening on the back end. For starters, let's take a look at how Auburn started the game against Arkansas.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4346267

Auburn aligns in an under front. Arky double-teams the 3-technique, the FB trap blocks the NT, and the OL release quickly to the 2nd level. Aggressive DL play set up by the Arky zone run game can make things difficult since they look to "screen-off" penetration with huge men, Bielema not included.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4346315

Here's toss sweep vs an under front, the TE blocks down on weak side DE, the RT "folds" around the down block. Now you have an OT and HB leading in the alley, buckle your chinstraps! Again, much of this is set up by Arky's zone run scheme. It's almost as if they prefer defensive fronts hell-bent on stopping zone runs via backfield penetration. This enables them to call their favored gap run schemes as counter punches. Also notice how quick the C reaches the 2nd level. Arky's gap scheme wrinkles are what enables Bielema's philosophy to shine. I'll address that some more in a bit.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4346405

This! This is what looks like a double-trap play. The RG and FB "screen-out" the DT's and the other OL quickly climb to the 2nd-level, sheer gap terror! Again, Auburn's in an under front, one of Texas' base fronts. So, those expecting Texas to just line up in their base defense and have their way with the Arky OL are dreaming. What is needed is a sound plan to neutralize the initiative created by Arky's zone scheme and the myriad of gap scheme counter punches they can deploy to punish aggressive penetrative DL play.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4346490

Now, the coverage completely loses it's mind in the scoring zone. SHAKING MY HEAD! This Arky offense is all about baiting. Defenders must resist the urge to over-anticipate against this Arky offense or suffer the consequences. Texas has a Texas-sized tall order come the 29th!

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4346618

So, Auburn turns to the over front and widens the DE's a bit to help set the edge vs the run. Texas plays out of multiple fronts and will often utilize leverage to funnel the run game into a more finite space. I expect to see some of this philosophy come the 29th. Nevertheless, Arky gains their much desired 6 yards on 1st down. This allows them more freedom to use the pass and play-action, which still happens to include the Draw run game, great.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4346672

Have Texas DB's had trouble with double-moves this year, I don't remember? Duke better be ready to suck up his pride and not give up the big play. The Arky pass game isn't menacing, but how it fits into their overall approach is what makes it a threat. DON'T GET BEAT DEEP!!!

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4346715

Aaaand here comes the dreaded Draw play, on 1st down no less. That is just hog heaven right there. One motif that recurs in the Arky offense is the climbing of that pesky center. He needs to be taken out! Not in a bad way of course, but there needs to be a plan in place that causes the Arky OL point-man to start second-guessing his assignments and worrying about a rabid DT or Mike making his life miserable.

So, how in the hell does Texas defend all of this!? Well, for one, Texas must intermittently bring pressure vs the Arky run game early and often. The Arky offense seeks to consistently create manageable down and distance opportunities on 2nd and 3rd downs. So, the goal is to create as many 2nd or 3rd and long opportunities as possible to pit Texas' strength against Arky's weakness, the pass game. Since I doubt the Texas offense can build a lead that forces Arky into a more pass-heavy offense, there will need to be counter-measures employed on both sides of the ball. Texas does not need another TCU-like debacle on the offensive side of the ball. At certain points this season, it seemed better to just "sit on the ball" or punt on 3rd downs.., seriously!

So, how might we slow down the Arky OL? I pulled a bit from the Mizzou-Arky game to illustrate a few things. Granted, the Mizzou defense is different, but I wanted to view the front-play of a team that possesses quickness on the DL and is also a 1-gap defense.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4347007

Mizzou is aligned in an over front in the above video. What I find very instructive are the DT's play in the A-gaps. Both DT's attack the A-gaps, use the C as an "anchoring" point and turn their asses into both G's. This effectively occupies 3 OL with 2 DL, takes care of Arky's pesky C, and allows the Mizzou defense 2nd level a clear path to read and pursue the play. Also note, this is what I'd consider more "stand up" play form the DT's. This makes me curious as to whether these techniques are effective counter measures against trap plays similar to the ones above. Will Texas deploy similar techniques, I don't know, but I'd like to see something similar.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4347261

Now, Mizzou stunts their DT's. Very early on, Mizzou's plan is clear, occupy the G-C-G grouping of the Arky OL. I think this is sound, but as seen above, Arky can attack the perimeter rather well. That seems to be a motif, Arky will attack the edge and alley if the defensive front begins to pinch in on inside runs.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4347206

Here Mizzou shifts into a "Bear" front to deny the inside run, but Arky attacks the boundary perimeter. Arky will often send their "bigs" wherever the defense's edge and force support is. They truly believe and follow the "big people beat up little people" dictum. This was not a long gain, but notice the alley defenders fighting to get around blockers. This yields initiative. It made me question if it would be better to attack the blockers vertically with sound leverage rather than spending valuable time trying to outflank them.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4347463

Above is an interesting front that seems to be an over front, but with the NT shaded to the opposite side of the C. From here they DL will slant. Again, they want to control the "center of the board" by occupying the G-C-G. Also note how aggressively they set the edges on these run plays, very important to "funnel" plays and to buy time for pursuit.

That was just a little bit of what I noticed regarding what I would consider a sound defensive response to the Arkansas OL and run game. Notice how Auburn was continually gashed early-on. Texas cannot afford that as the offense will not be able to pace the team as Auburn's offense does. Texas' defense will have their hands full no doubt, but are one of the more talented units Arkansas will have faced all season. Given that Texas has faced shotgun spread offenses all season long, I'm curious as to how Strong and Bedford will match personnel and scheme with the Hogs. So, I pose the question to you. How often might we see Texas' hair-raising 3-3-5 "Flex Front" defense against a heavy-set run game and coach? Lol, I kid I kid. I hope you enjoyed, I'm more curious now than I was before.

The Next Great Texas QB Kerfuffle

I wanted to highlight a little of what the QB position at Texas entails and how the existing framework on offense may lend itself to the most heralded position on the Texas depth chart, the backup QB! I'm here to argue that this time it's different. Texas' backup QB is freshman Jerrod Heard, two-time state champion and known burner out of the backfield. To get a little bit of a grasp for what Heard will need to have mastered to become the starter or overtake Swoopes, I've included some examples of the QB play Texas received this season. By no means is this an indictment of current Texas starting QB Tyrone Swoopes, but instead a perusing of the issues the position is faced with as well as how those issues relate to Heard. So, please allow me to play devil's advocate and incite the next intensely debated Texas QB kerfuffle.

The Texas offense is oriented around a mix of ball-control quick-game passing concepts as well as the zone and power run game. Texas wants to execute in a fashion to minimize negative plays and create advantageous 2nd and 3rd down and distance opportunities. To do this, it needs a steady stream of 4 to 6 yard gains on 1st down. So, let's take a look at some of the things we saw this season and discuss how some of the concepts within the Texas offense relate to a talent like Heard.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4293405

A simple "Snag" concept with QB sprint-out is the type of quick-game staple Texas should continue to see. It can also be run without the QB sprint-out or from under center. This is "quick-game: 101" and should be something both Swoopes and Heard can execute in their sleep. Above, the ball comes out a bit late, something that has remained an issue throughout the season for the young QB. I don't know how many concepts Watson installed and practiced throughout the season, but it'd be wise to keep them to a "minimum effective dose" for both QB's on the roster.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4293485

Slant-flat is another staple from Shawn Watson's quick-game arsenal. This is straight run-action pass all the way as the QB's read key is the flat defender. Also, slant-flat mimics the WR stems of the bubble screen. Again, very simple read-key and something Texas should consistently run given the talent at WR. It's my opinion that concepts similar to this were a Swoopes strength in 2014. Sometimes it seemed calls like this were too few and far between. Nevertheless, this is a basic read and should be something both QB's do well.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4293548

Above is a drop-back off of play-action, probably of the 7-step variety that is meant to attack the deep zone of the defense. The QB takes the sack on this play, but the ball is supposed to come out on the last step or the hitch step (depends). A QB must know if it's there (the route) or not, and then must execute a throw-away to prevent the sack. Here, that doesn't happen.

I was and continue to be critical of Watson and less-so the QB regarding these type of deep drop-backs. I personally don't like the idea of a young QB, slow in his reads and footwork, turning his back to a defense on a pass play like this. That doesn't mean the scheme is bad, just that Texas doesn't have a great OL or a highly qualified passer at this point. Nevertheless, it's also on the QB to throw the route or away and not take a sack. Moving on...

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4293689

The sprint-out "waggle" is a staple and will continue to be featured by Texas QB's under Shawn Watson. Notice Swoopes' late read and shoulders "squaring-up" late to the throw. The ball should be out just before the WR's break. Moving forward, the Texas QB's will need quicker recognition of the read and pattern as well as better body control.

I understand that these are just "snap shots" of Texas' QB play within the offense, but what is desired from the position is consistent execution of QB fundamentals. Read keys, recognition, eyes/footwork-to-progression, body control, and ball security are the orders of the day. Texas was sorely lacking in the aforementioned early on as well as throughout the season. Also, the OL failed miserably on many occasions to provide adequate protection. So, what we've seen is a QB very inconsistent in fundamentals AND an inconsistent OL in blocking and protection. It's bad enough when it's only one, but when it's both, there is very real potential for sacks and TFL madness.

As we move forward I'd like to change the framing of this discussion a bit. How might soon to be redshirt freshman QB Jerrod Heard "fit" into the Texas offense given what we've seen? To answer that question, let's examine a bit more from the Texas offense. Some will be similar to the above, but I'll provide more of how I see Heard impacting some similar concepts and schemes. Let's take a look.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4277033

Here is a 2-TE twins set, Swoopes displays good "scramble timing" on this play. Whether his job is to step up in the pocket, then scramble or scramble right to scan the backside of the play is not known, but it's easy to see how a more athletic and much faster QB can further challenge a defense in off-schedule situations.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4277065

Here is a concept I like very much. It's a split-zone sprint-out concept. I can't be certain if a read is on here, but it looks like there is one on the usual suspect, the DE. This places him in a very disadvantageous position, there are two to his one, winning. Now, imagine having an speedster like Heard. Now you have two very dangerous players on their feet in the open field, good luck!

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4277174

Now this, a similar concept to the one above, but from under center and the backside WR is coming across formation. Notice how "lumbering" Swoopes is executing these concepts, he needs to improve his footwork and body control. Heard is likely to possess the needed quick feet and elite body-control to execute this concept a "click" or two faster, leading to more consistent accuracy and bigger 1st-down gains. Of course the jury will be out regarding Heard's recognition and ability to make accurate throws on time. That is, right before the receivers break-off their routes, a much needed improvement in the Texas passing game.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4277134

Now, here is Lead Draw. Let's imagine a scenario where the RB properly executes his 2nd-level block and instead of Swoopes on the draw play, it's Heard.., Touchdown Texas!!! Well, at the very least the play is transformed into an "explosive" gainer.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4277198

Where I suspect Heard, like Swoopes, needs to improve, is in tying footwork to the timing of a play. This also aids in accuracy by not "hurrying" throws. Notice the late read of the flat and corner route pattern, but also the sloppy footwork. It's bad enough having one thing go wrong, but two puts the concept in further jeopardy. This is also an area where Shawn Watson doesn't cut corners with regards to QB development. Since we are not a near 100% shotgun-spread offense, the QB is tasked with executing a greater number of drop-backs that all require footwork and timing in relation to the concepts. Nevertheless, from what I see, the Texas offense is QB-friendly, but as of now, may not have a suitable passing talent at the position. Whether that remains the case is what has many Texas fans both anxious and eager about the future.

Lastly, the run game is the most obvious area Heard will be able to impact the game. I don't need to belabor this idea, but suffice to say, there were schemes that left many Texas fans scratching their heads. The two that stand out the most, zone-read and the option.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4294147

I think it's safe to say Heard does not get "walked down" on a play like this. Given that Heard's high school offense centered around many read concepts similar to the one above, it's fair to say he will acclimate to the read-based run game quicker than Swoopes has this season.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4294273

Above is everyone's favorite 2014 most-dreaded play, the option. Again, I don't need to belabor the point here. Heard provides a much needed legitimate run threat in many of Texas' base schemes in both the run and pass game. Defenses will be forced to play the Texas backfield very honest and downright fear packages like the two above.

Then of course remains the ubiquitous zone-read.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4294308

Above you see how the defensive front has expanded, thus opening a bigger running lane for the RB. Once an offense begins having success on the perimeter, the inside run game is often granted bigger running lanes, this goes both ways. Heard will provide the type of threat that forces the backside edge defender being read to expand, thus completely granting the "hat-on-hat" blocking the read-option seeks to achieve.

This coaching staff was both unlucky and lucky this season. Ash's injury and Swoopes' serviceability enabled them to protect Jerrod Heard from needing to play as a true freshman while also spending time developing Swoopes. Whether he remains the starter or becomes the back up, the QB depth chart is sure to be a strength due to the time afforded by Swoopes' 2014 campaign. A couple of welcome changes to the 2015 edition of the Texas offense are an upgrade in talent and experience on the OL and also added quickness and explosiveness to the RB position. We shall see what the future holds for this heralded position, but all fans can ask for is much needed improvement is what was seen in Swoopes and what was unseen in Heard. I hope you enjoyed and as always, feel free to take the red marker to the post. Hook'em!

Defeating TCU’s 4-2-5

The famed TCU 4-2-5 is coming to Austin yet again. I won't be going into detail about it, but if you'd like to delve deeper, google it. Most football geeks are  familiar with what originally made Patterson's defense unique, it's split-field coverage and a divorced coverage and front. Texas will need a simple plan to account for the front's different alignments (techniques) and the variety of slants and gap exchanges they can employ. They will also need to account for the aggressive filling of the strong and weak safeties in the run game. Also, the route combinations, especially in the quick pass game must account for man and the variety of zone coverages TCU plays, Cover-2 Robber, Blue, and Cover-5.

The generic answer to all of these considerations is to formulate a game plan that stresses the strong and weak safeties' assignments and responsibilities in both run and pass defense. I don't intend on that meaning the other defenders are no worry at all. If the TCU front alone can continually defeat Texas' run blocking and pass protection, it'll be a long night! I suspect that will not be the case. So, what might we see?

Let's take a look at the Frogs' defensive alignment vs a "pro set" and spread set.

In the first picture it seems as though TCU is in a 1-high safety alignment. This is due to the distortion caused by the offensive formation, requiring the SS on the line, FS to drop down (on DKR), and the WS to come over the top to account for the gaps to the run strength and or help with coverage over the top of the #2 receiver. It also shows the type of numbers TCU can place in the box (9 players!) to defend the run. The second picture is the polar opposite of the first, notice the 2-high safety alignment here. In this case the slot shifts into the backfield to create a 3 X 1 look in which case TCU will often make one of their Solo or Special coverage calls. In Solo, the weak side CB is in man while the WS comes over the top to help with the #3 receiver. In Special the strong side CB will be in man with the SS and FS in Blue coverage while the weak side CB, WS, and Mike have their own call. So, no matter the formation, TCU effectively divides the field into smaller parts, all the while allocating numbers to areas of the field that offer higher success rates for the offense.

It's important to note the area and or space shared by the strong side SS, Mike linebacker and FS as well as the weak side CB, WS, and Sam linebacker. Texas must attempt to distort and attack these "complexes" via a quick-hitting inside and perimeter run game, horizontal and vertical stretch concepts, and the use of both run and pass action fakes to keep these players "flat-footed".

What concepts may we see? For fun I pulled some pictures from the 2012 Harsin-Patterson match up. In them I'll highlight a few ideas.

In the above picture we see motion into a bunched WR set (important motif). The #1 WR runs a stop route with #3 running an out route right underneath. Notice how the stop route creates the space necessary to throw the out route, a good combo. I like the use of stack and bunch WR sets as they grant free releases, tend to trigger zone coverage, and create novel angles of attack, whether it be in the run game or in pass patterns.

In the above picture we see something many should be familiar with from this season. "21" personnel aligned strong with a 5 yard cushion on the #1 to the boundary. Run action and the cushion yield an easy pick up on the weak side with a quick out route. Did you notice the "complexes" I referred to?

 Here we have "ghost motion" with a quick draw called to the weak side. Again, note the distortion and space where the weak side #1 receiver vacates, catching them in a call where the CB is man-covering the weak side #1.

Now we have jet motion and inside run double play-action meant to single-up a WR on a deep route. Again, the combination serves to distort and stretch the SS, FS, and CB to the passing strength.

Here we run the jet sweep paired with an inside run. This flips the passing strength while also challenging the weak side safety and corner in open space against physical blockers, another theme I anticipate.

Here is a "21" personnel strong I-formation with a twins set. The FB takes the flat, helping clarify the read of the CB and FS over the twins receivers pushing vertical.

Another perimeter run play with a lead blocker and a puller, I-formation football y'all! Again, attacking the passing strength edge and challenging defenders in space with big physical blockers.

This one is a passing concept I liked from a spread 2 X 2 set. TCU looks to be in Cover-5 and the route combination to the boundary are a short in paired with a deep in. Here, the deep in comes open.

Lastly, we have what looks like a "Scissors" concept. This is great because the quarterback reads the deep safety's leverage and throws away from it (didn't happen above). Notice the corner route WIDE OPEN.

Anyhow, I hope I've provided a few examples of how Texas may again attack Patterson's defense. Through the quick game, stacked and bunch sets, quick-hitting inside and lead perimeter runs, play-action "both ways", and seeking to distort and stretch the above mentioned "complexes" with versatile route concepts, Texas may be able to ruin the Frogs' dreams of College Football Playoff glory. Hook'em y'all!