O-Line analysis is sorely needed

[TechPhi97]

The O-Line looked lie we got much better push in the middle this game. With the new guys in there, I'm hopefully that one of you football gurus will look at the film and tell us what you saw.

For my part, it was the first time this season (or in 1.5 seasons) where I feel like we were exploding off the ball and we had a surge down the field off the line. You know that things are clicking when it looks like a kick-return wedge - three guys just piling over people. I was encourage by what I saw from the youngsters yesterday.

 

[JorgeJonas]

Ran a lot of midline, which doesn't require blocking the play side tackle, which would enable the linemen to get to the next level. That's at least part of it.

 

[Fatmike91]

And, when we run a lot of mid-line we win.

/

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Ran a lot of midline, which doesn't require blocking the play side tackle, which would enable the linemen to get to the next level. That's at least part of it.

But we barely ran any midline. The qb keeper MJ was running all game was qb follow. I made the same mistake, too, and got corrected.

 

[takethepoints]

Yes. We ran a lot of quick hitters, mostly called dives and QB follows. After the first quarter, they were giving us the center of the field and we took it. I think we would have run more midline if Baron hadn't been so effective. Any hesitation in the middle meant he broke things up. We can only hope that when Serge-Henderson and Glanton are seniors that they develop similarly.

(I hope. I hope. I hope.)

 

[Boomergump]

I think our OL has usually been pretty physical. It has just been a comedy of errors that makes it look like we can't block well. Saturday we looked like a unit, first and foremost. I like our guys pad level. They came out fast and low, causing their good DL trouble. The rookies are quick and the game lights didn't bother them at all. They will be good in the years to come. VT tried to confuse us with a lot of shifts. It worked some and didn't work some. But I will say this too, we confused the crap out of them as the game wore on. We were doing some different stuff with traps and scissor blocking that had their heads on a swivel. It was the best execution against a BF defense I have seen.

 

[Boomergump]

I'll bet we ran a total of 3 or 4 midlines the whole game. I believe the only keep on a midline got stuffed for a loss. If I am not mistaken the rest of the midlines were give reads. Just trying to go from memory here. Lots of QB follow though.

 

[MGTfan]

I'll bet we ran a total of 3 or 4 midlines the whole game. I believe the only keep on a midline got stuffed for a loss. If I am not mistaken the rest of the midlines were give reads. Just trying to go from memory here. Lots of QB follow though.

Can someone explain to me the difference between the QB follow and the midline?

 

[Longestday]

Midline leaves the DT unblocked and the QB reads if he takes the BB or not. I believe there may be an DT alignment that forces the block. In this play you can read and option off really good defenders.

QB follow is like a dive play, but the BB becomes another blocker and the QB follows the BB. In this play you must block all defenders, even the really hard to block ones (but no reads required)

 

[Boomergump]

Plus, on a midline you will often see both the motion AB and play side AB slamming into the hole as blockers.

 

[33jacket]

Exactly. We ran qb follow drive and power blocking alot. This is a more physical playcall we dont run much with jt. So what i would caution is that this helps the line explode off better than some more complex stuff we run with jt. My point being is the line looked better imo in part due to the particular mix or plays called; and they executed it solidly.

There were still a bunch of misses in pass pro. Alot. Go back and watch. And even in the toss and option game it wasnt that good. But between the tackles it seemd alot better.

Imo cpj overthinks his O with jt. I wish he would run a tad more interior stuff with him. Now he is injured so you cant. But in general.

Some our best offenses here were slugging it out with follows, midlines and inside veer really working the Bb and qb combo.

 

[GTJake]

I'll disagree, I haven't thought our OL has been playing physical ... Saturday was a different story, as was said great push off the line.

 

[SteamWhistle]

Jahaziel Lee is probably one of my favorite players now. Go watch him after the long runs and TDs, he was getting so HYPE!!

 

[AE 87]

Plus, on a midline you will often see both the motion AB and play side AB slamming into the hole as blockers.

I think that technically this is a "midline blast" or something like that, but it seems to me that it's the most common form of the midline option that we run. I'm not sure that we ran it at all on Saturday, but I've only half watched thru the game once with distracted focus.

I think the quotes from Paul Johnson and Bud Foster about their chess match were really telling about the significance of coordinators and play-calling in the college game.

 

[steebu]

The thing that makes Bud's defense such a difficult matchup for us is

1. they're talented (glad #60 is a senior)
2. they're disciplined
3. Bud mixes up his defense
4. they do little things, like jump and yell "MOVE!" right before the snap to draw a false start (happened 4 times)

#3 is the most telling of his ability; when we run triple he'll sometimes defend it with a C-Stunt, sometimes with a cross charge, and sometimes with a mesh charge. They are all difficult to diagnose and that's how you can confuse a young option QB, particularly one who hasn't seen a lot of different looks. On the other hand, all that "finesse-ery" goes out the window when PJ calls "Heavy Right 28 Solid Rebel" (hope you're doing well Tim) and the line just smashes the guy in front of them. To 33's point, PJ definitely calls a different game with "Jordan Matthews" than with Justin.

BTW, that sideline reporter's end-game Q&A with Matthew was absolutely horrible; definitely one of the most unprofessional interviews I've ever heard. Forget that he had to look up Matthew's name, his questions were stuttering and just plain awful. Like Virginia Tech's defense.

 

[AE 87]

The thing that makes Bud's defense such a difficult matchup for us is

1. they're talented (glad #60 is a senior)
2. they're disciplined
3. Bud mixes up his defense
4. they do little things, like jump and yell "MOVE!" right before the snap to draw a false start (happened 4 times)

#3 is the most telling of his ability; when we run triple he'll sometimes defend it with a C-Stunt, sometimes with a cross charge, and sometimes with a mesh charge. They are all difficult to diagnose and that's how you can confuse a young option QB, particularly one who hasn't seen a lot of different looks. On the other hand, all that "finesse-ery" goes out the window when PJ calls "Heavy Right 28 Solid Rebel" (hope you're doing well Tim) and the line just smashes the guy in front of them. To 33's point, PJ definitely calls a different game with "Jordan Matthews" than with Justin.

BTW, that sideline reporter's end-game Q&A with Matthew was absolutely horrible; definitely one of the most unprofessional interviews I've ever heard. Forget that he had to look up Matthew's name, his questions were stuttering and just plain awful. Like Virginia Tech's defense.

Thanks.

Fwiw, I thought the press conference reporter who asked Matthew about Tech's defense, and then repeated the question by saying TECH louder a couple times was pretty funny. He clearly was clueless to the fact that a Tech player is going to think of his own team when he hears "Tech."

 

[bravejason]

...

There were still a bunch of misses in pass pro. Alot. Go back and watch. And even in the toss and option game it wasnt that good. But between the tackles it seemd alot better.

...
.

CPJ said the game plan was centered on going between the tackles due to changes in how VT was defending. So, at least some of the success inside was due to a defense prepared for something different. That said, it was refreshing to see a lot of good runs up the middle.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

4. they do little things, like jump and yell "HIKE!" right before the snap to draw a false start (happened 4 times)

fify.

 

[steebu]

It's against the rules to yell "hike" or "hut" or whatever.. I think we go on "hit", anyway.

But it wouldn't surprise me if Bud tells his guys to yell, "Hip!" and then tell the refs, "We're saying 'hip', like, 'move your hip', so it's legal yo."

 

[33jacket]

I think the quotes from Paul Johnson and Bud Foster about their chess match were really telling about the significance of coordinators and play-calling in the college game.

Coaching matters man. More than some like to think. Talent sure helps but coaching is yuge