Film Study - Defense vs UVA

[33jacket]

JHDays, Gamble, Kallon, Gotsis, Whitehead, Freeman, Simmons, and Merriweather are your key DL players. What is your starting lineup next year giving a year of weight gain.

Put your best 4 on the field at one time? JHDays, Gotsis, Gamble, Freeman? I think coaches would play around with moving around JHDays, Gotsis, and gamble at SDE/DT to see what works the best.

Gotsis would make a great DE. The question is does he help more at DE or at DT given our current roster.

I agree with this. U got to get your best 4 on. Alot depends on kallon. Next year is the year for him to jump up. If he does that is HUGE. it allows gotsis or gamble to end. Or even days on run downs. Or heavy zone teams.

 

[Mack]

This was a pretty fun game to review for me because we tried a lot of different stuff during the game. It was refreshing to see us pressing a lot more in coverage and blitzing more too. Our back field guys showed they could indeed cover a little bit, especially when the guys up front disrupted the QB rhythm a little. I feel like we executed our blitz packages better this game than we had all year. We did it more often, but more importantly, we did it better. The timing of the delays and the stunts was really effective. We still have trouble getting pressure with 4 across, but at least with Gamble at DE we got a little push and at least gave the impression the pocket was evaporating.

In obvious passing situations we gave a different look to the front, pushing Gotsis out to DE ( in a 3 man front) with Freeman on the other side. Then we came with a variety of LB blitz packages that mixed things up a good bit. Sometimes we would come with 6, sometimes with 5, and on occasion, only 3. Gotsis is ineffective on the interior as a pass rusher, but on the edge he really looks the part. Freeman has a knack for getting angles on people and using his hands to get free. He is quick and he understands leverage. I just wish he was bigger and stronger. He makes a lot of plays and he influences a lot of plays. If he was big enough to bull rush, he would be the entire package.

On the interior, Green was getting the most doubles. He just battles and battles. Gamble made us better against the run with his size. He is 50 pounds bigger than the guys who have been playing. It is a noticeable difference.

We definitely played our best game, IMO, but we were lucky too. There were a lot of drops that could have sustained drives for them or even scored TDs. Maybe I am spoiled because our WRs tend to block with a lot of effort, but when I watched the UVA wideouts, they just went through the motions in that regard. They didn't deserve to run the ball any better, or get YACs with that kind of blocking effort outside. It is pretty safe to say UVA wasn't feeling it Saturday. They had the look of a disinterested or defeated offense. I have no idea what is going on in the huddle or the locker room with that team but I guarantee you it can't be good. So to summarize, we should be encouraged, but also not overly optimistic that we have made a quantum leap. In reality, we took some baby steps forward and we got some help too, from UVA and mother nature (wind). Still, this performance is something to build on. We simply will not have a dominating defense this year, but at least we gave the impression we are creating some cohesion and putting guys in positions that they have a chance to be more effective.

Loved the rush defense....they never got outside all night long but man......we got to get folks in the offensive backfield somehow.Yeah we got some breaks with sloppy pass cataching by Va butat times we were even in correct position to stop the pass....what has been a key is .......we get ahead quickly and then it seems the opp force(military opponents) go away from their game plan and we stuff them.BOOM we are ahead by ten and then the opp force starts playing but its too late......we are coming but against the Clemson s and Pups we will see what we can really do.

 

[Eric]

We've been afraid to play Gamble at DE due to exactly what happened...we have zero depth at DT now...if Green is out who backs up Kallon and Gotsis...Scary thought.

Next year DE depth and talent gets better...DT gets worse IMO.

Days is tough to project...just don't think he gets big enough to play DT.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

We've been afraid to play Gamble at DE due to exactly what happened...we have zero depth at DT now...if Green is out who backs up Kallon and Gotsis...Scary thought.

Next year DE depth and talent gets better...DT gets worse IMO.

Days is tough to project...just don't think he gets big enough to play DT.

How's Jabari doing in the classroom?

 

[Eric]

Jabari is fine...he's not a dumb kid. He "fell in love" awhile back and stopped going to classes which put him where he's at now...now that he's actually trying he will be fine.

 

[B Lifsey]

In Scouting, we called those distractions for young men working on their Eagle rank the "fumes"...perfumes and car fumes They are dangerous!!!

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

One thing that helped, we held UVA on first down. They faced 2nd and long and 3rd and long all day. Our rushing defense was very good.

 

[alaguy]

I think they were without at least one WR which for a team struggling on OFF REALLY hurts (see us without Smelter). But we have made almost every team look good on Off and to offer even some resistance with only 10 pts is encouraging.(but now we lose gamble).
it was VERY nice not to have a TD by us followed by a TD by them .

 

[awbuzz]

Thanks for ya'lls input and perspective.

Liked seeing the DBs playing the WRs tighter before the snap AND the different Dline and LB rush packages.

Hope PG is able to come back this week. Pleasantly surprised he's practicing

 

[33jacket]

We've been afraid to play Gamble at DE due to exactly what happened...we have zero depth at DT now...if Green is out who backs up Kallon and Gotsis...Scary thought.

Next year DE depth and talent gets better...DT gets worse IMO.

Days is tough to project...just don't think he gets big enough to play DT.

If its true days is legit 280 and carrying it well....he is plenty big enough to be a 3tech in the ncaa. Imo. Hell green is playing the 1 and is 280 i think.

But if he is 265 u r right. Stick him at sde. Roll inside with gotsis gamble and kallon.

 

[Boomergump]

@Boomergump Who do think is our best corner? From watching the game live it looks like we have a lot of speed at the corner spots, but we seem to fail to read the receiver routes and get ourselves out of position.

You know what, it is really hard to answer that. TV coverage is not very good when it comes to watching the action in the defensive backfield. They are simply out of the screen shot until the ball arrives. By then the coverage skill stuff has already been decided. Sometimes you get replays with better angles, but you just can't get as good a read as you can with the front 7 who are pretty much always on screen. So on that basis I hate to speculate. I go to games and see the whole field, which is nice, but a lot of the time I am following the ball like an average fan. From what I have seen, I think DJ White will play in the NFL. He has the tools and he is progressing well. After that I don't know. I think Milton is a whale of an athlete, but I am not sure about being pure CB. Durham plays like a freshman, finding himself out of position some times. I think the Austin twins are athletic and aggressive, but they are raw too.

One thing I did see Saturday was a lot more press coverage. That made it look a lot more like the guys were doing a better job of being in position and covering. Man takes more athletic cover ability and speed. Zone takes more coordination between players, more thought, and better execution.

 

[Eric]

@33jacket

Hes at 271.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

You know what, it is really hard to answer that. TV coverage is not very good when it comes to watching the action in the defensive backfield. They are simply out of the screen shot until the ball arrives. .

So you're saying you don't have the coaches' film?

 

[Boomergump]

So you're saying you don't have the coaches' film?

Man I would love to have that.

 

[RamblinCharger]

Is JHD big enough to play DT? Going from LB to DT seems like a really big jump to me. I think he should try to keep some speed and he could be a good SDE at 265-270. If gamble adds 5-10 pounds and improves technique we would be okay inside with Gamble and Gotsis, and hopefully kallon improves enough to help inside as well.

 

[UgaBlows]

how hard is it to move from o-line to DT?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

how hard is it to move from o-line to DT?

Doesn't seem to happen very much.

 

[vamosjackets]

Is JHD big enough to play DT? Going from LB to DT seems like a really big jump to me. I think he should try to keep some speed and he could be a good SDE at 265-270. If gamble adds 5-10 pounds and improves technique we would be okay inside with Gamble and Gotsis, and hopefully kallon improves enough to help inside as well.

Tony Hargrove was a QB in high school and it was totally unknown what position he was going to play at GT ... he blew up to about 270 (in a good way, lean) and was still very fast. He could've played lots of different positions, DE was probably most natural ... BUT, he ended up playing DT in the NFL and started for the Saints in their Superbowl winning year. So, it isn't unheard of for a guy to go from a skill position to the trenches when they grow like that, and they can be great players.

 

[RamblinCharger]

Tony Hargrove was a QB in high school and it was totally unknown what position he was going to play at GT ... he blew up to about 270 (in a good way, lean) and was still very fast. He could've played lots of different positions, DE was probably most natural ... BUT, he ended up playing DT in the NFL and started for the Saints in their Superbowl winning year. So, it isn't unheard of for a guy to go from a skill position to the trenches when they grow like that, and they can be great players.

Blowing up from high school to college gives a lot more time than junior year to senior year to gain 20 pounds, on top of the 20-30 he's already gained in the last year, which I think he would need if he's 260-270 now.

 

[vamosjackets]

Blowing up from high school to college gives a lot more time than junior year to senior year to gain 20 pounds, on top of the 20-30 he's already gained in the last year, which I think he would need if he's 260-270 now.

Neither of our starting DT's this year are as big as you're saying. Gotsis is 282 this year, was in the 270 range last year. Greene is 276 this year. There have been many a year when we've had a starting DT in the 270 range.

I'm not saying he should play DT, just saying that it isn't his size that would make it impossible at this point.