For reference: I watched some UGA highlights and Their USC & NC State games
Their defense would make Mark D’Nofrio proud. They rarely rush more than 4 give a ton of cushion and on 3rd downs they will use a 3 man rush. They like to crowd the line on obvious passing situations and most defenders will bail. In the games I watched the Olines picked it up well but it did rattle USC QB a couple of times he paniced when it was only a 3 man rush. Rosiers has got to be patient and take the underneath throws. Our playmakers have to make plays this week in space there will be plenty of it. This is not an insult to ND and what they’ve accomplished after watching them this is the type of team Al Golden was trying to build. They rely heavily on their opponent to beat themselves and To make uncharacteristic mistakes. For example USC they muffed a punt on their 5. Had a Missed chip shot FG and had costly ints and fumbles from their QB. In the NcState game NCSt had 11 penalities at half time. They had 15 total in their previous 3 games. That game was blown open at 21-14 when Finnly threw his first pick of the season and it was returned for an INT. Now if you watch the full highlight of that play ND’s NT appears to clearly be offsides and is not flagged for it. The NcState Oline doesn’t move the center snaps it their entire offense believes it a free play and it’s not. Needless to say limiting mistakes are going to be key. I see a defense that more opportunistic than elite.
Now on to the offense.
Where they excel their RB doesn’t need a big hole. He does a good job of squeezing threw small alleys. He will keep his feet moving after first contact. They rely heavily on misdirection. Assignment football is key. everyone has got to know their man and not fall asleep becuase they think they are on the backside of the play. Vs NC State they were a lot more vanilla. Vs USC you could tell the entire playbook was open they were running double screens and a lot of 2 lineman pulling. whatever they could to keep them off balance. I expect the same pull out all the stops approach this week.
Their QB is not Newton/Tebow/Jackson he will make plays when the Dline is not disciplined. He presses to make things happen in the run game. He has a tendency to lose his own footing when trying to juke defenders as he approaches the LOS and into the second level. He’s most dangerous running on designed pass plays when he can pickup 5-7 yards before he sees a defender. He is not a physical guy. Early in the game he will try to run over a DB to send a message and he will leave himself open to kill shots as a runner trying to pick up yards. He is a novice passer everything is a deep fade or crosser. In the games I watched he got a ton of time back there. In the NC State game there were plays when he had time but got impatient and took off even with great protection. You get the sense that he feeds into the “Star Qb” hype and he will hold the ball to make a play. Our blitz will confuse him but we have to make sure it’s not on one of their double screens. There was an intresting play in the USC game where USC is in clearly bringing the heat. He goes to the line, checks out of the play and still holds the ball allowing the free rusher to get to him.
A note on physicality. I don’t see it. I watched their Oline specifically looking for pancake blocks, rag dolling LBs, crushing DBs, Playing threw and beyond the whistle, just general nastiness. And honestly I didn’t see it. They are a very very good group who execute their assignments effectily but when I think of a physical oline Group i wouldn’t classify them as that.
Point being is this. They are a good football team. Not an overly dominate team and they need to play with a 2 score lead. That is when they get aggressive. We cannot beat ourselves and we must avoid critical errors. Their offense and defense is not designed for them to win 1 v 1 battles (aside from deep fades). It’s designed for their oppoenent to make a mistake and allow their guys to make easy plays.
Their defense would make Mark D’Nofrio proud. They rarely rush more than 4 give a ton of cushion and on 3rd downs they will use a 3 man rush. They like to crowd the line on obvious passing situations and most defenders will bail. In the games I watched the Olines picked it up well but it did rattle USC QB a couple of times he paniced when it was only a 3 man rush. Rosiers has got to be patient and take the underneath throws. Our playmakers have to make plays this week in space there will be plenty of it. This is not an insult to ND and what they’ve accomplished after watching them this is the type of team Al Golden was trying to build. They rely heavily on their opponent to beat themselves and To make uncharacteristic mistakes. For example USC they muffed a punt on their 5. Had a Missed chip shot FG and had costly ints and fumbles from their QB. In the NcState game NCSt had 11 penalities at half time. They had 15 total in their previous 3 games. That game was blown open at 21-14 when Finnly threw his first pick of the season and it was returned for an INT. Now if you watch the full highlight of that play ND’s NT appears to clearly be offsides and is not flagged for it. The NcState Oline doesn’t move the center snaps it their entire offense believes it a free play and it’s not. Needless to say limiting mistakes are going to be key. I see a defense that more opportunistic than elite.
Now on to the offense.
Where they excel their RB doesn’t need a big hole. He does a good job of squeezing threw small alleys. He will keep his feet moving after first contact. They rely heavily on misdirection. Assignment football is key. everyone has got to know their man and not fall asleep becuase they think they are on the backside of the play. Vs NC State they were a lot more vanilla. Vs USC you could tell the entire playbook was open they were running double screens and a lot of 2 lineman pulling. whatever they could to keep them off balance. I expect the same pull out all the stops approach this week.
Their QB is not Newton/Tebow/Jackson he will make plays when the Dline is not disciplined. He presses to make things happen in the run game. He has a tendency to lose his own footing when trying to juke defenders as he approaches the LOS and into the second level. He’s most dangerous running on designed pass plays when he can pickup 5-7 yards before he sees a defender. He is not a physical guy. Early in the game he will try to run over a DB to send a message and he will leave himself open to kill shots as a runner trying to pick up yards. He is a novice passer everything is a deep fade or crosser. In the games I watched he got a ton of time back there. In the NC State game there were plays when he had time but got impatient and took off even with great protection. You get the sense that he feeds into the “Star Qb” hype and he will hold the ball to make a play. Our blitz will confuse him but we have to make sure it’s not on one of their double screens. There was an intresting play in the USC game where USC is in clearly bringing the heat. He goes to the line, checks out of the play and still holds the ball allowing the free rusher to get to him.
A note on physicality. I don’t see it. I watched their Oline specifically looking for pancake blocks, rag dolling LBs, crushing DBs, Playing threw and beyond the whistle, just general nastiness. And honestly I didn’t see it. They are a very very good group who execute their assignments effectily but when I think of a physical oline Group i wouldn’t classify them as that.
Point being is this. They are a good football team. Not an overly dominate team and they need to play with a 2 score lead. That is when they get aggressive. We cannot beat ourselves and we must avoid critical errors. Their offense and defense is not designed for them to win 1 v 1 battles (aside from deep fades). It’s designed for their oppoenent to make a mistake and allow their guys to make easy plays.
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