Execution

[iceeater1969]

Navy starting OL:
6'2" 295
6'5" 312
6'3" 295
6'2" 327
6'6" 300

Cheese, I remember that navy had some very tall and strong = almost like small fast tight end. They were effective blocking lb on the tight formations . Wonder how their size compares to ours.

 

[iceeater1969]

Proper positioning for a block is essential and speed is a huge factor changing blocking angles to your advantage. When you take an angle anticipating to block someone a couple yards downfield (e.g. an a-back running an arc as a lead blocker) but they are already in your backfield before you can turn up, the angles don't work as well and often the play is defeated. I played DE in high school against many wishbone teams and not allowing the blocking "a-back" to position himself properly against me was key. In the Clemson game, often the safety flew to the ball so quickly that it required the a-back to take them on earlier and at a bad angle.

Great post.
I would add that when the cb engages the wr quicker, the wr must hold the block longer. If the cb is with mercer, he is dominated by wr. If from Clemson- he has enough time & ability to be really break down the block.

Key to blocking in open field is to attack at the right time so runner can cut right off where the blocker was.
Nate Cottrell hs film showed he colud set up blocking.

 

[RamblinCharger]

Our pad level seems to be subpar on the OL from what I've seen. Our guys aren't going to be as fast or strong as big time defensive linemen, so they need to get lower than the DL and knock them back. Also quit diving at the knees of linebackers WAY before you get to them. All the linebackers have to do is take a couple of quick steps back and our OL are on their bellies and the LB runs to make the tackle. We have to get better at both things or we're going to continue to fail.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Great post.
I would add that when the cb engages the wr quicker, the wr must hold the block longer. If the cb is with mercer, he is dominated by wr. If from Clemson- he has enough time & ability to be really break down the block.

Key to blocking in open field is to attack at the right time so runner can cut right off where the blocker was.
Nate Cottrell hs film showed he colud set up blocking.

I said in another post how critical timing and spacing is in our offense and how these are things that are only perfected through repetition and experience. We're still a young squad. I know guys are tired of hearing it, but just look at the two deep and you see more frosh and sophs than you do jr's and sr's. Our upper classes have taken a huge hit to attrition and lack of panning out.

I think this lack of perfect spacing and timing also has to do with it's still early in the season. I think we'll start seeing improvement real soon, though. A game like the one we had is a real learning experience, plus we're now heading into game 5.

 

[Boomergump]

It is really hard to block a guy in space if you get there too soon, before they have to make a committed move towards the ball carrier. It seems to me that has been happening a fair amount. If they have time to give ground to defeat a block, they will beat it a lot more often. If I may, I will look at one play in isolation as an example. Mills' score in the BC game. That really should have been a walk in. Take a look at JJ Green trying to cut the defender at the goal line. He got there way too soon and you see what happened. It took a punishing run to score. The guy backed up a step, shed the block, and nearly had enough left to stop the play. JJ didn't need to be there that soon. There was no reason. He just hadn't developed that sense of timing yet. As a blocker, you know that guy is going to have to try and stop Mills short of the goal line. You can afford to make him commit first before you drive into his legs.

 

[elwoodgt]

It is really hard to block a guy in space if you get there too soon, before they have to make a committed move towards the ball carrier. It seems to me that has been happening a fair amount. If they have time to give ground to defeat a block, they will beat it a lot more often. If I may, I will look at one play in isolation as an example. Mills' score in the BC game. That really should have been a walk in. Take a look at JJ Green trying to cut the defender at the goal line. He got there way too soon and you see what happened. It took a punishing run to score. The guy backed up a step, shed the block, and nearly had enough left to stop the play. JJ didn't need to be there that soon. There was no reason. He just hadn't developed that sense of timing yet. As a blocker, you know that guy is going to have to try and stop Mills short of the goal line. You can afford to make him commit first before you drive into his legs.

I think this is right. I listened to the radio show last night, and Paul basically said, Yeah, Clemson has better athletes... but if we execute we can still compete. And we didn't execute.

I think we were playing tight, a little too jacked up, and did a lot of the little things not quite right.

Your comment about blocking timing is interesting. I have seen runners who outrun their blocks, when patience would have been rewarded. A runner who can patiently stay behind a blocker, wait for the defender to commit, then accelerate in the other direction once the blocker has engaged, can often make better yardage than one who just takes off around a slower blocker. That's hard to do as a runner, but it comes with experience.

I never considered that the same kind of patient discipline might be needed for a blocker. I bet it's not as common for young players to have developed that kind of skill before they get to a place like Tech.

 

[g0lftime]

It is pretty obvious that PJ can be very hard on players that make mistakes and has had a few ugly moments on the sidelines during games. I hope that he is at least no worse in team meetings. Sometimes kids can get so afraid of making a mistake that they play with hesitation. Everyone makes mistakes and I guarantee you that PJ does not make 100% of 5 foot putts or hits every fairway off the tee. My point is that everyone at the highest levels is not 100% perfect. I hope in private he is liked by this players and want to go to war with him or do they just fear his wrath.

 

[Yoda]

Cheese, I remember that navy had some very tall and strong = almost like small fast tight end. They were effective blocking lb on the tight formations . Wonder how their size compares to ours.

Edgar Allen Poe

 

[GTG768B]

They don't lack size but the whole point a lot of tech fans want to state is that our 3*s are outmanned by 4*s and 5*s. I'm not going to look into what the star rating for Navys offensive line is but they have 2-Sr 2-Jr and 1-So. While we are starting 1-Sr, 2-Jr, and 2-So. So not much difference in experience. Technique is where I am seeing the largest difference. Some of our best OL had to use technique to defeat someone who was more athletic. Look at what Sean Bedford was for us. Not a big guy at all but a true technician.

I know everybody loves to say how crisp and wonderful Navy's offense is, but they are beating Tulane like 21-14, not beating Clemson.

 

[ATL1]

Here's my thing. In the second half the bback opened up and GT got back in the game. Mills didn't get enough touches in the first half and Marshal barely got touches at all. I thought CPJ was all about being physical and punching them in the mouth. Well it seemed to my that those belly shots were starting the wear the defense down and the running game was getting traction. Then there would be a pitch or a pass attempt and derail the drive. Just seems CPJ didn't establish the dive initially and when he did he went away from it. I hope I won't see that Saturday. If it's working make them stop it.

 

[jeffgt14]

Here's my thing. In the second half the bback opened up and GT got back in the game. Mills didn't get enough touches in the first half and Marshal barely got touches at all. I thought CPJ was all about being physical and punching them in the mouth. Well it seemed to my that those belly shots were starting the wear the defense down and the running game was getting traction. Then there would be a pitch or a pass attempt and derail the drive. Just seems CPJ didn't establish the dive initially and when he did he went away from it. I hope I won't see that Saturday. If it's working make them stop it.

I think CPJ gets impatient/Doesn’t trust his defense. Clemson scores quick and all of a sudden we’re too afraid to start establishing the dive.

 

[alentrekin]

Here's my thing. In the second half the bback opened up and GT got back in the game. Mills didn't get enough touches in the first half and Marshal barely got touches at all. I thought CPJ was all about being physical and punching them in the mouth. Well it seemed to my that those belly shots were starting the wear the defense down and the running game was getting traction. Then there would be a pitch or a pass attempt and derail the drive. Just seems CPJ didn't establish the dive initially and when he did he went away from it. I hope I won't see that Saturday. If it's working make them stop it.

If the first play is any indication, CPJ thought they might take away the dive. The BB was to load watkins. It should be more than an easy block; watkins should crush the BB. Instead, Watkins plays it right and flies to the mesh, dodges the BB load and crushes JT. Obvious red flag here is putting a 220 lb freshman between a 300 lb upperclassman and your QB. Otherwise, it's smart to get the DL and LBs thinking down the play chart (load from BB vs TO/Midline) and if it had worked, there was an alley for Qua.

CPJ started working BB plays late in Q2 with some belly action. Then Q3 was a mix of midline, belly and TO "dive".

 

[stingyoa$$]

BB and QB aren't reading and seeing the same things. I'm not sure that everyone realizes that both positions have to read the same thing to "play fast". You can chalk it up to inexperience at the BB position.

 

[Jmonty71]

See.... I see the poor execution and poor play calling on the other side of the ball. I thought playing off Clemson's WR's to start the game was idiotic. After Clemson scored 14 easy points on us, Roof got smart and played the DB's up. I see our LB's running straight up the back of our D lineman. Instead of looking for an opening, he ran into his own player. Again, why??? Bad coaching? Bad playing? I really can't tell. I see 11 people on defense, all acting as if they were on their own team. Very little teamwork going on. Added to that... Roof's "bend but don't break" way of playing has broke us in too many games. How many 3 and outs did Clemson have? I'll save you guys the trouble.. 1... That's it... 1.. After that, it was they gained a first down or two or scored. We can't maintain the ball with the offense and we can't force punts quickly, taking our defense off the field. The combination will win very little games. Especially against teams with better talent. IE; Clemson and soon to be Miami. I do see the issues on offense. However; I cannot say I know enough about CPJ's offense to break it down. I do, however; know defense. Taught it, played it and learned it. Roof plays a soft zone that was adopted in the 80's to prevent west coast offenses from going crazy. It was the transition of the run heavy teams to the short pass heavy teams. However; modern offenses are way too complex for this defense to work. Which is why you see the TOP no longer as it used to be. Which is why GT gives up so many yards. Count us lucky, those yards haven't equated into a bunch of points. But, don't let things fool you. We played 2 FBS schools with inept offenses, 1 FCS school and a team that had a coach nice enough to let off the gas. Sorry, Clemson could of put 40+ points on us. Dabo dialed back the play calling and saved things for Louisville. However; Miami has yet to really play anyone. Are they really the #2 defense in the nation? Doubt it. I think we'll run for 200+ yards. However; I don't foresee our defense doing much to stop them. Unless Roof can stop his lackadaisical style and put some aggression into those kids, we'll give up a good bit of points. Right now. I have Miami beating us. 38-24. I think we score and move the ball, but Miami takes advantage our soft zone and keeps the ball for most of the game. I really hope I'm wrong. However; if the offense tanks... Expect this score to be worse. Like the 44-10 range.

 

[Ibeeballin]

I see it as the opposite, when you are outmatched you would result back to technique and assignment. You awareness should be super high in that case. That is why it is baffling to see both, if you are getting beat while in position then that would result in a jimmies and joes convo. What drives me crazy is the passing defenders up to hit no one. I would we have our Oline to hit someone and miss assignment then pass up a defender who more than likely will get a TFL

 

[AE 87]

See.... I see the poor execution and poor play calling on the other side of the ball. I thought playing off Clemson's WR's to start the game was idiotic. After Clemson scored 14 easy points on us, Roof got smart and played the DB's up. I see our LB's running straight up the back of our D lineman. Instead of looking for an opening, he ran into his own player. Again, why??? Bad coaching? Bad playing? I really can't tell. I see 11 people on defense, all acting as if they were on their own team. Very little teamwork going on. Added to that... Roof's "bend but don't break" way of playing has broke us in too many games. How many 3 and outs did Clemson have? I'll save you guys the trouble.. 1... That's it... 1.. After that, it was they gained a first down or two or scored. We can't maintain the ball with the offense and we can't force punts quickly, taking our defense off the field. The combination will win very little games. Especially against teams with better talent. IE; Clemson and soon to be Miami. I do see the issues on offense. However; I cannot say I know enough about CPJ's offense to break it down. I do, however; know defense. Taught it, played it and learned it. Roof plays a soft zone that was adopted in the 80's to prevent west coast offenses from going crazy. It was the transition of the run heavy teams to the short pass heavy teams. However; modern offenses are way too complex for this defense to work. Which is why you see the TOP no longer as it used to be. Which is why GT gives up so many yards. Count us lucky, those yards haven't equated into a bunch of points. But, don't let things fool you. We played 2 FBS schools with inept offenses, 1 FCS school and a team that had a coach nice enough to let off the gas. Sorry, Clemson could of put 40+ points on us. Dabo dialed back the play calling and saved things for Louisville. However; Miami has yet to really play anyone. Are they really the #2 defense in the nation? Doubt it. I think we'll run for 200+ yards. However; I don't foresee our defense doing much to stop them. Unless Roof can stop his lackadaisical style and put some aggression into those kids, we'll give up a good bit of points. Right now. I have Miami beating us. 38-24. I think we score and move the ball, but Miami takes advantage our soft zone and keeps the ball for most of the game. I really hope I'm wrong. However; if the offense tanks... Expect this score to be worse. Like the 44-10 range.

I really appreciate this post. I may, or may not, agree with everything, but I like that you not only stated your opinion but also explained what observations/perceptions were the basis of this opinion. (if you break up your post into smaller paragraphs/chunks so it's easier for my old eyes to read, you may become one of my favorite contributors).

I'm a big fan of Kaaya's skill and am still a bit doubtful of Roof as DC, but I also think the defenses which Miami has faced are as relevant as the offenses. I'm not convinced that they can put up a consistent offensive threat, but I said the same thing last week (which may or may not be true depending on how much you accept the foot of the gas interpretation).

 

[Boomergump]

I see it as the opposite, when you are outmatched you would result back to technique and assignment. You awareness should be super high in that case. That is why it is baffling to see both, if you are getting beat while in position then that would result in a jimmies and joes convo. What drives me crazy is the passing defenders up to hit no one. I would we have our Oline to hit someone and miss assignment then pass up a defender who more than likely will get a TFL

This

 

[chewybaka]

Wow - almost forgot about One eyed Jacks. Brings back memories of drunken chants at Spiro's of "I wants to see..... Eddie Lee (Ivery)"

Drinking age was 18 with 5 cent beers...thinking back on that boy that was crazy!....but fun as far as I can now remember

 

[InsideLB]

I really appreciate this post. I may, or may not, agree with everything, but I like that you not only stated your opinion but also explained what observations/perceptions were the basis of this opinion. (if you break up your post into smaller paragraphs/chunks so it's easier for my old eyes to read, you may become one of my favorite contributors).

Wow AE you posted exactly what i thought too. I like how jmonty went about his business.

Paragraphs also sharpen the message. Great content though and hope jmonty posts more!

 

[MWBATL]

Wow AE you posted exactly what i thought too. I like how jmonty went about his business.

Paragraphs also sharpen the message. Great content though and hope jmonty posts more!

I also agree with jmonty's post, and am very disturbed and frustrated by that defensive strategy. If it SO apparent to all of us, why isn't it clear to Roof? I feel like this a a repeat of 2014 (without the great offense), where Roof started out with this passive defense until the two straight losses to Duke & UNC, and then someone (CPJ? Roof?) decided to go to an agressive defense, and we started getting turnovers. Dude, learn from this!!!