From the Perch: FIU

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Roman Marciante

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My. Oh. My. Was there a changing of the guard at the quarterback position? Like a thief in the night red-shirt freshman N'Kosi Perry was inserted into the game and didn't steal the art, he was a work of it. A 17-25 performance with three passing touchdowns. Grab you paint brushes Picaso's. InSight is going to frame this edition of "From the Perch" Perry edition in a museum.

Perry's arm talent is on full display here. This is 3x1 from 11 set personnel. Lawrence Cager is at the X and will run a bang 8. (post) Travis Homer will run a flat route. This combo will be featured many more times and is typically a Mark Richt Staple to beat the blitz. The Trips side will run Y/slot outs with a Z go. The aspect that immedietely jumps out is Perry's arm strength here. This is a straight bullet.

The footwork rhythm is not perfect here. I would consider this slightly off platform but the actual passing rhythm is perfect for me. When the OLB flashes and runs with Homer in the flat, the bang 8 is open "now." Perry quickly and accurately delivers the ball which allows yards after the catch potential. Cager takes care of the rest. Live my seats are 3 rows up in this end zone. Once Perry made that throw I said "wow."



Touch Money. Perry shows some immaculate touch on this Tight end dump. The actual route concept is the same in the boundary as the play we listed before. Brevin is in line and runs the seam while the Z/slot run ins. Once again you will see Perry not really in ideal footwork mechanic rhythm. He throws the ball off his back foot here. But the ball is out in perfect throwing rhythm. This shows me that the instinct to get the ball out on time is greater than the instinct to have perfect feet.

Now while off platforming accurate throws is something I believe elite quarterbacks must possess as they achieve higher levels, note something else on this play. It is cover zero and immediately pre-snap Jordan is the pretty obvious candidate for the ball. Perry opens up center and looks off the Mike backer. You'll note the Mike actually runs away from the play. Zero in on Brevin and the Mike potentially makes a play on this ball. Perry doesn't lock in on the play, he shows great touch and it is six.



Well documented the week before that a bubble screen leading the WR behind the LOS was a recipe for an unsuccessful play. Perry doesn't place the ball in the bread basket here sure, but it is up field with velocity. This keeps Jordan's momentum forward on this Lead/Bubble RPO and went for a successful first down. This play is in the boundary and defenders are in close proximity but the velocity, quicker release and up field nature of the throw make it work.



Back to a 3x1 gun look with the the same post/flat look to the boundary. This is NOT a designed quarterback run. This is actually the same concept that Cager scored on his first touchdown of the game. The HB flat is WIDE open here. Perry is a much more dynamic runner which is so obviously on display here but this is a result oriented positive. If Perry doesn't net the gain he does here, this could be a situation that makes your OC hot.

During the rewind series Perry did show a propensity for this type of play. Perry will take off if he sees an obvious running lane and essentially cut off the passing option of the play. You cannot argue the result of this play nor do you want to curtail the instinct if it's right. This is something to watch moving forward. Richt has always preached a read, read, then run approach.



This is the gunslinger in Perry. This is the same play that Jordan scores on in the red zone but with Will Mallory instead flexed in the slot. 11 set personnel. Perry surveys the defense and opens up center. FIU does a good job defending this play. I appreciate the way Perry hangs in the pocket but I believe this ball should have went to Hightower running the in from the Z. The DB had inside leverage on Harley and that is why he effected the play as he did.

Perry has the arm confidence but you have to give more credit here to Harley who displays good body control and concentration for the reception. This ball could have easily been tipped up in the air for an interception. You like the confidence in Perry to make tight window throws. Just anticipate this type of throw in the future might come at a cost.



Do not turn a bad play into a catastrophe. Perry will learn from this. Next time become check down charlie early in this progression and live to see another day.

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This next play is not a completion but I appreciate the quarterbacking on it. No HB and All receivers going out for a pass here essentially make this empty for the quarterback. The quarterback needs to account for the free rush and keep the internal clock a little short here. This concept will simply not be open. It is all stops inside with outside receivers running go's.

Perry covers up his OC here. The instinct to run is absolutely right and in time. Perry escapes the pocket, conducts traffic and throws an absolute laser on the roll. Jordan, the intended target, was only stopped because the FIU defender had to make a great play on the ball. Whereas some plays the result was better than the means, here lies the inverse. This play was incomplete but it completely paints Perry's skill set and his ability to create plays.

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Donaldson gets beat early and easily by a stunting defensive tackle here. Number 55 should really thank his quarterback. Perry instinctively feels the rush, evades it, keeps his head up and finds Cager for his second receiving TD of the game. That is the same post flat combo that Cager scored on earlier in the game except this is a byproduct of a scramble drill after the play breaks down.

Mallory is running a stutter go on the play and would have been the open guy. But I just don't think Perry has the time to hit that by the time the pocket begins to collapse.

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The last clip of the week will feature a kid from St. Thomas. (Just because) Bad snap. Don't panic. Just see the safeties splitting on the cover 2 and throw an absolute 25 yard in the air dime to Mike Harley. The linebacker is driving in on Harley trying to disrupt his route but all for not. He has no chance once Perry delivers this ball. Perry puts the ball in stride and Harley has yards after the catch potential because of it.

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Perry starts. That is my opinion after compiling this film. He is not this perfectly tuned entity that is mistake free. InSight will always be objective and highlight both good and the not so good. But Perry just adds a dimension to the offense that Rosier simply cannot. His ability to throw with more authority and more accuracy allowed for several yards after the catch potentials this week. That was something I always felt consistently lacked in this offense.

Perry will throw some balls into harms way. Yes. Perry is going to run when he probably shouldn't have. Yes. But Perry is going to make plays outside the framework and erase other players and the OC's mistakes at times too. That is his upside. That is what you will need to beat higher echelon teams. The opposing defense has a job to do too. They will have the perfect play calls at times. Sure they will.

So go with the guy you picked number one overall on your board. InSight did not say that. Mark Richt, you did. This week Perry just showed you resoundingly why that instinct to put him there was the right one. The only one.
 
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You have mike harleys play up there twice. Its mixed up with a different play breakdown. Great write up once again.
 
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You have mike harleys play up there twice. Its mixed up with a different play breakdown. Great write up once again.

I absolutely did. Sorry about that guys. I updated it to the correct clip. Nice catch. Almost as nice as Mike harley's :)
 
Kosi was a low interception guy in HS so, freelancing aside, let's see if his ball-protection instincts transfer and prevail. He will be fine once he gets comfortable and the WRs learn to find spots when he scrambles, but until then, I only worry about him not checking down, throwing it away, or taking a sack when he should to avoid making a bad play a catastrophe.

His footwork won't be Malik's or Cade's, but it's a part of his game that's well compensated for by his arm-talent, and as OP stated he keeps the rhythm. I only worry the footwork will hurt him like it did on that interception where he's under duress and doesn't have the benefit of a strong base to help make difficult passes he has the confidence to attempt.

Lastly, much credit to Richt for setting the table. He was able to get 2nd and 3rd teamers enough experience to start ACC play knowing exactly what he has depth-wise on offense. The guy is able to do it all...in the community with camps, recruiting, coordinating, coaching, game-planning, calling plays, leading... He does a little of everything to his liking and i'm happy he's found that balance and competitive energy again. I'm very excited to see where this offense goes with Kosi and expect him to do very well.
 
Good stuff. Did I miss it or did you analyze the pass to Harley over the top of the Lb and under the safety. He was tackled immediately. To my untrained eye, that looked like a dangerous pass, even though it was a reception.
 
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Good stuff. Did I miss it or did you analyze the pass to Harley over the top of the Lb and under the safety. He was tackled immediately. To my untrained eye, that looked like a dangerous pass, even though it was a reception.

Did not add that clip. But I did chart that in the "harms way" category. He's lucky he had a St. Thomas kid there to come down with the grab.
 
And his 1 INT was a bad decision but it also went 40 yards down field the same or more than a punt would have gone so from a field position perspective it worked out.
 
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