Series:
Welcome to our first edition of Upon Further Review for the 2018 season. I wish it was after a better result, but it was not meant to be. A reminder that this post will be long so it may not be for everyone. I won’t review every play, as my good friend Roman has already written a great piece highlighting the play of QB Malik Rosier. You should go read it if you haven’t. Seriously, stop everything you’re doing and bang that link.
Kickoff is fair caught for a touchback. On first down we motion Homer from the Pistol to alongside Rosier. Play is inside give and you can see immediately that our OL was bullied on this play. Donaldson is being controlled exactly the way a two-gapping DE wants to control the T with arms locked out and no power. Gauthier is getting mauled by the NT and has already been pushed so far back it forces Homer to widen his run arc and the pursuit is already crashing hard. Mahoney tries to push the DE on his way to the LB but he doesn’t have the power to impact him and is late to the LB who is already plugging the C gap.
The next play is a mid-read option, but just allowing the man to charge upfield from this angle just kills the play. St. Louis is too slow and doesn’t block the LB who fills the C gap and #90 just charges the mesh point and it allows him to play both guys. I’d kind of like to see us run the play at another point, but be quicker with the decision. If he pulls this immediately and heads to the edge, the play is setup nicely. Brevin takes the slot CB and the receivers get downfield. Brevin needs to work on keeping his head up to see what he’s blocking, but the next screen shot shows him looking at the turf and St. Louis blocking no one.
Next play was a slip screen where St. Louis just couldn’t get out and make the block on Devin White. If St. Louis gets this block, Homer picks up the first down because it’s setup. St. Louis has to stay outside the hash marks here and keep his angle. White has to come to you to make the tackle, not the other way around. I hope they use this as a teaching moment for St. Louis.
On the punt this is a total bust. This man runs straight through the OL, then both protectors split on this play and neither one blocks him. Truly, on this play, Bethel has to take the free rusher up-the-middle. Bethel being a punt protector for the first time almost cost us dearly here. I actually give Feagles a pass on this punt because it is amazing he got the punt off at all. This man literally runs free straight to the punter.
First play on defense and LSU confused us with their motion. They ran a slot from one side to the next and it forced the boundary CB to pick him up. LSU has a strongside TE and Pinckney really needs to slide to that side and Shaq has to go as well to maintain leverage. In this screenshot you can see that Pinckney is straddling the hash marks, but the offset RB is two steps to the boundary side of the hash marks. This makes it a very far run for the LB to get to. In this alignment, Pinckney has to take the TE early and then the SS picks him up if he runs the seam. He stops and effectively picks Pinckney, while Shaq is held by the backside WR running the square-in. If the LB’s slid to maintain leverage on the outside, this is probably no-gain. You’d like for Garvin to see this release by the RB and the quick setup by the QB and get his hands up, but he’s focused on pass rush only.
Next play and their RG steals Bethel’s lunch money and completely turns him out of the hole. Look at their OL as compared to what you saw above. Jackson is getting blown off the ball. #73 is taking Garvin for an Uber ride. #68 is destroying Willis with a slide block from #79 who is going to release onto the LB. Shaq does an excellent job of being physical on the C and delivering the boom. If the C gets him out of the hole, this is probably a TD.
DT is going to be a question for me until they prove otherwise. Bethel is making his first start and this isn’t going to work. That is Bethel on his back right by the 50. Redwine does a great job of firing his gun and getting up field immediately on this play. OL gets out to both LB’s, but they both beat the blocks and assist in hitting the RB.
Kickoff is fair caught for a touchback. On first down we motion Homer from the Pistol to alongside Rosier. Play is inside give and you can see immediately that our OL was bullied on this play. Donaldson is being controlled exactly the way a two-gapping DE wants to control the T with arms locked out and no power. Gauthier is getting mauled by the NT and has already been pushed so far back it forces Homer to widen his run arc and the pursuit is already crashing hard. Mahoney tries to push the DE on his way to the LB but he doesn’t have the power to impact him and is late to the LB who is already plugging the C gap.
The next play is a mid-read option, but just allowing the man to charge upfield from this angle just kills the play. St. Louis is too slow and doesn’t block the LB who fills the C gap and #90 just charges the mesh point and it allows him to play both guys. I’d kind of like to see us run the play at another point, but be quicker with the decision. If he pulls this immediately and heads to the edge, the play is setup nicely. Brevin takes the slot CB and the receivers get downfield. Brevin needs to work on keeping his head up to see what he’s blocking, but the next screen shot shows him looking at the turf and St. Louis blocking no one.
Next play was a slip screen where St. Louis just couldn’t get out and make the block on Devin White. If St. Louis gets this block, Homer picks up the first down because it’s setup. St. Louis has to stay outside the hash marks here and keep his angle. White has to come to you to make the tackle, not the other way around. I hope they use this as a teaching moment for St. Louis.
On the punt this is a total bust. This man runs straight through the OL, then both protectors split on this play and neither one blocks him. Truly, on this play, Bethel has to take the free rusher up-the-middle. Bethel being a punt protector for the first time almost cost us dearly here. I actually give Feagles a pass on this punt because it is amazing he got the punt off at all. This man literally runs free straight to the punter.
First play on defense and LSU confused us with their motion. They ran a slot from one side to the next and it forced the boundary CB to pick him up. LSU has a strongside TE and Pinckney really needs to slide to that side and Shaq has to go as well to maintain leverage. In this screenshot you can see that Pinckney is straddling the hash marks, but the offset RB is two steps to the boundary side of the hash marks. This makes it a very far run for the LB to get to. In this alignment, Pinckney has to take the TE early and then the SS picks him up if he runs the seam. He stops and effectively picks Pinckney, while Shaq is held by the backside WR running the square-in. If the LB’s slid to maintain leverage on the outside, this is probably no-gain. You’d like for Garvin to see this release by the RB and the quick setup by the QB and get his hands up, but he’s focused on pass rush only.
Next play and their RG steals Bethel’s lunch money and completely turns him out of the hole. Look at their OL as compared to what you saw above. Jackson is getting blown off the ball. #73 is taking Garvin for an Uber ride. #68 is destroying Willis with a slide block from #79 who is going to release onto the LB. Shaq does an excellent job of being physical on the C and delivering the boom. If the C gets him out of the hole, this is probably a TD.
DT is going to be a question for me until they prove otherwise. Bethel is making his first start and this isn’t going to work. That is Bethel on his back right by the 50. Redwine does a great job of firing his gun and getting up field immediately on this play. OL gets out to both LB’s, but they both beat the blocks and assist in hitting the RB.
