Defense

PBR549

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837
Lol. Dude. Give it up. Paul asked for changes on how we play D and give credit to roof for adapting. We are running FAR less quarters than the prior years and many more x stunts and blitzes off de and tackle combos. We rarely ran that prior. We still dont do much zone dogs but at least our stunt and blitz combos make sense.

Those are small scheme changes we have been asking for. The players haven't changed dude. We are calling more aggressive plays, lining up tighter in spots, mixing in more 3 deep with man disguise; and better stunt blitz combos. We are gap shooting vs read and react. Those are changes
Hey "Dude." You're right Ted is doing what his year older and more experienced, coached up players are allowing him to do. I just watched the Pitt game for the second time. Essentially there's very little difference in what we're doing this year and what we've done in the past. Pitt's offense wasn't good. Maybe our defense is better. I hope so. Ted and the staff is doing a great job.

As far as Paul mandating more aggression? Yeah I hear him. I also know how arrogant he is and how much he loves to take credit for any successes. That's alright he can do that he's the head coach and a very successful one. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I guarantee you one thing. He knows how valuable Ted is to this staff and is not arrogant enough to let him go.
 

dressedcheeseside

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Hey "Dude." You're right Ted is doing what his year older and more experienced, coached up players are allowing him to do. I just watched the Pitt game for the second time. Essentially there's very little difference in what we're doing this year and what we've done in the past. Pitt's offense wasn't good. Maybe our defense is better. I hope so. Ted and the staff is doing a great job.

As far as Paul mandating more aggression? Yeah I hear him. I also know how arrogant he is and how much he loves to take credit for any successes. That's alright he can do that he's the head coach and a very successful one. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I guarantee you one thing. He knows how valuable Ted is to this staff and is not arrogant enough to let him go.
I disagree with this. I heard him say in the post game presser that the defensive coaches put together a great plan and the kids executed it well. I don't call that taking credit for the defensive success.
 

PBR549

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837
I disagree with this. I heard him say in the post game presser that the defensive coaches put together a great plan and the kids executed it well. I don't call that taking credit for the defensive success.
Like he told them too! It's alright, he probably did but they weren't much different. Most of the time we still rushed 4. We blitzed and played tighter coverage on the corners some but were still 4deep zone most of the time. We got pressure with our DEs.
 

AE 87

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Like he told them too! It's alright, he probably did but they weren't much different. Most of the time we still rushed 4. We blitzed and played tighter coverage on the corners some but were still 4deep zone most of the time. We got pressure with our DEs.

Right on the rushing 4. The point was that our front four didn't read and react, they stunted and attacked.

Again, I say that simply as repeating my understanding of what CPJ has said has changed.
 

dressedcheeseside

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Like he told them too! It's alright, he probably did but they weren't much different. Most of the time we still rushed 4. We blitzed and played tighter coverage on the corners some but were still 4deep zone most of the time. We got pressure with our DEs.
I'm listening to his press conference from yesterday right now. He just said after the first (GT) turnover, "we started blitzin' and stuntin' a lot more, too."

Listen to the question and answer starting at the 13:00 mark.

https://secure-hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/3...06523502&hwt=3f6ca47706539c2480d6bd6c6d3fff85
 

tech_wreck47

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Right on the rushing 4. The point was that our front four didn't read and react, they stunted and attacked.

Again, I say that simply as repeating my understanding of what CPJ has said has changed.
Yep, getting more aggressive doesn't always mean more blitz and sending more than 4, doing that is a way of being more aggressive. What we did by stunting and shooting gaps more with the front 4 is definitely more aggressive. I also think we brought the safeties downhill more and played tighter coverage, all these things are being more aggressive. Like you said we weren't read and react, we were playing downhill aggressive type D. Turning on the film makes it obvious imo
 

PBR549

Ramblin' Wreck
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837

PBR549

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
837
At this point, I think we just need to accept that no amount of data will be enough. Even if Roof came out and said his old approach was not as good as the new, @PBR549 would say CPJ forced him.
It's nothing that wasn't already in the playbook that we have used since he got here. Maybe we have been some more aggressive in 3 games but not much. Let's just wait and see what happens in the next two games and we'll see how agressive we continue to be. I hope we can be more aggressive but we'll see.
 

deeeznutz

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Like he told them too! It's alright, he probably did but they weren't much different. Most of the time we still rushed 4. We blitzed and played tighter coverage on the corners some but were still 4deep zone most of the time. We got pressure with our DEs.

I listened to all the press conferences too, and not once did he try to "take credit" for the increased defensive aggression. It's a no-win situation with his comments. If he says he lets the defensive coaches determine the game plan and calls, he gets criticized for being too hands off (i.e. the complaints "he's the head coach for the whole team, not just the offense"). If he talks about giving them input to attack more, he gets accused of taking credit for it. Which is it?
 

Jmonty71

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One change I saw.. 3rd and long... we did not rush 3 and play so soft, every fan grumbled. We rushed 4 and played decently tight. There was a few plays were we had busted coverage and Pitt's QB didn't notice it. But, the aggressiveness was at least there. We'll need to shore up the issue on busted overages. Against a quality QB those are big plays, if not TDs.

My only concern is the amount of times that our LBs got caught up in the blocking fray. They need to learn to move without getting caught up. Little things like that can lead to big plays, for the D.
 

Milwaukee

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One change I saw.. 3rd and long... we did not rush 3 and play so soft, every fan grumbled. We rushed 4 and played decently tight.

That was the biggest change I saw. In the TN game replay even the announcers were saying "That's what they do on 3rd downs, rush 3 and drop 8. That's what Ted Roof likes to do". If analysts know it then opposing coaches know it and can simply prepare for it to be a constant. Mixing has been key imo.
 

Boomergump

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I have watched precious little slow motion replay this year, but this is my take on the defensive improvement / change in tactics:

1. We aren't getting pushed out of the middle as much this season on the interior. Branch is quicker. Henderson is better than last year. Adams is bigger and more physical.

2. The safeties are a much bigger part of the action, closer to the LOS.

3. DEs are a little better getting off the ball and getting angles. Somebody put something in Frenchy's breakfast food (I don't mean this in a negative or illegal way).

4. Tackling has been better for the most part. Some bad angles in the TENN game, but I digress...

5. Even though we have not brought more numbers on the the blitz that often, we have run more stunts. I sit in the north EZ. It is obvious from there.

FWIW I listed #1-5 in order of my perceived importance relative to the conversation.
 

PBR549

Ramblin' Wreck
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837
I have watched precious little slow motion replay this year, but this is my take on the defensive improvement / change in tactics:

1. We aren't getting pushed out of the middle as much this season on the interior. Branch is quicker. Henderson is better than last year. Adams is bigger and more physical.

2. The safeties are a much bigger part of the action, closer to the LOS.

3. DEs are a little better getting off the ball and getting angles. Somebody put something in Frenchy's breakfast food (I don't mean this in a negative or illegal way).

4. Tackling has been better for the most part. Some bad angles in the TENN game, but I digress...

5. Even though we have not brought more numbers on the the blitz that often, we have run more stunts. I sit in the north EZ. It is obvious from there.

FWIW I listed #1-5 in order of my perceived importance relative to the conversation.
Tackling has been a big. We have made more stops for short gains etc. by the first defender.
 

Skeptic

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I disagree with this. I heard him say in the post game presser that the defensive coaches put together a great plan and the kids executed it well. I don't call that taking credit for the defensive success.
Interesting because apparently when Morris left Clemson for SMU he got credit for "the offense". Swinney, who liked and likes Morris a whole lot and would him back in a minute, considered it "my offense". That's what being the head ball coach is.
 

YJMD

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Tackling has been a big. We have made more stops for short gains etc. by the first defender.

This to me is part of the aggression. We aren't playing too far off and waiting for defenders to come to us and either make a move past us or power through us for extra yards. That really cost us against Tennessee late in the game. If receivers make a catch in the flats or across the middle of the field and have a defender in the strike zone before they can make a move, tackling will be sure. If we can do that, it makes us a bad pass, tipped ball, QB pressure + bad decision away from causing a turnover or spooking guys from throwing over top the zone. We saw that against Pitt where there were a ton of dump-offs and screens which were basically always tackled quickly, especially on 3rd down short of the sticks.
 
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