Roof's D Style: Perfect Spread Option Compliment?

[Northeast Stinger]

I agree with your basic sentiment but I question a couple of things.

Next, the players also were had to learn a whole new defensive scheme than they had been playing over the past several seasons, so they were playing "slow" initially because they were often-times spending a lot of time thinking about where they needed to be more than reacting quickly naturally because it was more second-nature as they had practiced and knew their assignments so well.

Actually, I think Groh's system was a "heavy on the thinking" type of defense in general and CTR's system allowed certain players from the very beginning to begin to react rather than think. But it is also true that the longer they were in the system the better their reaction time was.

This also gave TR a comfort level that allowed him to become more aggressive in his play calling, such as throwing in more blitz packages, which led to more turnovers the second half of the season

What is your evidence for this statement? I do not remember most of our turnovers being related to our blitz packages. But certainly, once again, our reaction time improved over the season which allowed defenders to get a better break on the ball.

But I certainly agree that CTR is doing a good job and will only improve as he gets more and more of "his type of defenders."

 

[GlennW]

I agree with your basic sentiment but I question a couple of things.

Actually, I think Groh's system was a "heavy on the thinking" type of defense in general and CTR's system allowed certain players from the very beginning to begin to react rather than think. But it is also true that the longer they were in the system the better their reaction time was.

What is your evidence for this statement? I do not remember most of our turnovers being related to our blitz packages. But certainly, once again, our reaction time improved over the season which allowed defenders to get a better break on the ball.

But I certainly agree that CTR is doing a good job and will only improve as he gets more and more of "his type of defenders."

Did you watch our defense play last season? The second half we began to run more stunts and blitz packages which resulted in more turnovers and stops than the first half, where we were playing much more of a "passive" defense. I think this was, in part, because our two safeties (Johnson and Golden) began to get back into form, and he felt more comfortable running plays that included THEM playing closer to the Line of Scrimmage to support the run, blitz, and or cover one-one-one on a receiver when a corner or LB blitzed.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I just did not see us being that successful getting pressure on the quarterback. I appreciated that we were trying to do everything we could to be more aggressive, like not playing as far off of receivers and jamming the line in key situations but I just didn't associate that with blitz packages. Corners came up hard on run plays and there was a lot of confidence gained in recognizing plays (the Clemson game is an outstanding example of turnovers related to play recognition) but it looked to me like the defense was just learning to play faster. The turnovers in the Georgia game were due more to pure hustle than to a particular blitz package, in my opinion.

 

[GlennW]

I just did not see us being that successful getting pressure on the quarterback. I appreciated that we were trying to do everything we could to be more aggressive, like not playing as far off of receivers and jamming the line in key situations but I just didn't associate that with blitz packages. Corners came up hard on run plays and there was a lot of confidence gained in recognizing plays (the Clemson game is an outstanding example of turnovers related to play recognition) but it looked to me like the defense was just learning to play faster. The turnovers in the Georgia game were due more to pure hustle than to a particular blitz package, in my opinion.

There are two types of blitz packages; one designed to stop the run, the other designed to stop the pass. Originally (early in the season), when our safeties were still trying to get back in the game, so to speak, we were playing more of a "safe" defense - trying not to give up "big" plays by having safties playing deeper (we weren't sure about their closing abilities or their abilities to make hits on receivers. As the season went on, and TR became more comfortable that they were back to 100%, or close to it, he began to play them closer to the LoS and much more aggressively, including with the Nickleback who was rotating in when offenses were running spread sets. Tighter coverages meant more opportunities for interceptions and sacks because receivers weren't open.

While it is true our sacks weren't great, looking back at games, like UGA, we were playing in the backfield, tackling RB's behind the LoS and hurrying the QB more than earlier in the season. Continued aggressive defensive play, coupled with our offensive style, which eats up clock while scoring points, puts pressure on opposing offenses, and helps our defense even more.

 

[UgaBlows]

Isaiah was really knocking the hell out of people the 2nd half of the season