Welcome back to Upon Further Review, where we will examine the Florida offense and what we can expect to see from them in Orlando on Saturday night. Sit back, relax, and get to know thy enemy.
Florida’s run game is predicated on getting their interior OL onto your LB’s and using speed and misdirection to slow your interior DT’s pursuit. Here, the C tries to release downfield and the DT uses his quickness to split the gap and get upfield. If he stops and tries to read the QB here he won’t have the speed to get into the gap and tackle the RB. If the edge player doesn’t set the edge here, the QB just keeps the ball and runs around the edge for a nice gain. Eye discipline on the edge and quickness from the interior is going to be key to stopping this running game. The other key is going to be tackling because Franks is 6-6, 240 pounds and is tough to get down. Not just in the running game, but also in the pocket where he can break away from sacks and extend plays.
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In just a small sample size you can already tell that where Franks does not like to be pressured is up-the-middle. The DT again gets inside the OL and rushes into the face of Franks, who panics a bit and throws before he needs to on this play. Coach Baker needs to devise a plan to get pressure up-the-middle early on and prevent Franks from getting settled.
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It is absolutely imperative that our edge players play smart in this game because a Dan Mullen offense wants you to lose eye discipline and contain. Here, three defenders run to the RB and Franks has a free run around the end here for a big gain. If the outside defender rushes straight upfield this is probably a give for a short gain, or if Franks keeps it, a big loss.
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Florida likes to line up in 4-wide and then motion the slot into an offset look (essentially the slot WR turns into a blocker). Then at the snap the slot comes across the formation and cut blocks the edge player to the opposite side. Edge defenders need to stay composed, use their hands to protect their legs, and stay disciplined. This power-run game of Florida is crafty and uses QB-power as an equalizer or a numbers advantage.
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Corners on the edges will need to be physical and make tackles in the open field. In this game, Florida used their RB’s in the short passing game and made plays. Here, on a 3rd down they throw a tunnel screen to the RB after flexing him out wide in a no-back look. The WR is able to block two Michigan guys, which just can’t happen here.
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Here is an example where Florida simply outschemed Michigan. Dom Brown is a heck of a DC, but he cannot continue to play a 4-3 against their spread looks. Here he has the SS come down and show a press look on Van Jefferson, who is Florida’s best WR. A single-high S with this alignment is simply not a good idea.
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Florida then puts the FS in a place he cannot win by running both seams vertically. You can see the SS takes a false step in and is already beaten. The slot WR running a seam against a LB holds the other side and the S cannot commit to either side immediately. Michigan is playing heavy because of Florida’s power run game, but they cannot cover if they don’t get immediate pressure. This play goes to the 3-yard line.
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I’ll be honest that Franks is an impressive player when he is given time. When he has a clean pocket he can make plays in the passing game. When he has a clean rush without much of a decision to be made, he is really good running the ball. Where Franks struggles mightily is if you get any pressure on him whatsoever. Here, he has a play-action rollout and the design gets exactly what they want. Confusion from the LB’s, two of them step up, when only the SAM edge should step up and this Florida WR is wide-open right in the vision of the play (a roll-out). Franks immediately drops his eyes to pressure and never does try to look up and throw the ball, it is a tuck-and-run immediately under pressure.
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Could be nothing, but I’ve noticed that at the goal line Florida likes to go tight on the LOS. 1st down was a QB power run. 2nd down was a roll-out off play-action. 3rd down is a stand-up fade to the wide side of the field. All three plays the WR’s were all right at the hashes or inside them.
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This is one of those instances where it looks great in the box score, but in reality was not a good play by Franks. The Michigan secondary was supposed to pass this route off to one another and it was a coverage bust. The WR has to stop and essentially field this pass like a punt. Franks was pressured and once again everything falls apart when he’s pressured.
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If you read my Enos offense preview, you know that I noticed that in his Arkansas days, Enos had a “tell” of the play type by the way the slot WR lined up. It was nearly 100% a run play if the WR lined up way off the hash marks in 11-personnel and nearly 100% a pass play if the slot WR lined up nearly on the hash marks. I’ve started to see a similar tell with Florida. This WR lined up well off the hash the play after lining up nearly on the hash and it’s a run play. Will be interesting to track the rest of this game and as I review their Spring game. Additionally, Franks moved the WR to the other side of him and ran a counter back to the side he was originally on. It’s possible that is also a tell on if they are wanting to run to strong or weak side.
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Florida really keys off of the Mike LB and how the defense stacks their numbers. They will line their RB on one side of the QB and when they see the numbers they will audible or move the RB to the other side of the QB to give protections or to give numbers against a defense. They will also use Franks as a blocker if they leave the edge unblocked and decide to run a counter back to that side. It’s a clever rushing attack, especially. (Not pictured)
Four snaps inside the red zone, four snaps with the formation bunched.
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They take that above look and play-action to the RB, who slips to the top of the screen and is wide open for a big play. Franks gets pressure in his face as the play really calls for, and he sails the pass high. Get. Pressure. On. Franks.
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Red zone formation that isn’t tight. I said to myself “screen or draw.” It was a draw. Michigan wasn’t fooled. The S play in this game is going to be absolutely critical.
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If I’m coaching my defense against this scheme and I see 11-personnel with the WR well outside the hash mark I am attacking my run fills with reckless abandon. It’s been a run every time thus far.
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Rinse. Repeat. Run play up-the-middle out of 11-personnel with the slot well outside the hash. We can't let them establish this or it'll open up their gimmicks off of it.
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You make the call. Slot lined up tighter to the hash, this is a pass play. (It was) Earlier in the game Michigan was really hurting Florida by slanting their defensive line into the A-gap. Florida adjusted and now Michigan is stunting, which Florida’s OL has done a nice job with. Imperative that Miami get pressure on Franks no matter what.
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So skittish when pressured. Flat-footed, ball out away from his body. He has a cannon for an arm and just flips this one 55-yards downfield. Problem is his wide-open receiver was only 50-yards downfield (he really had two). You have to hit this pass.
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For me, the play formation that Miami is going to have to really take away from Florida is this play here. The Gators like to run so many different things off of this look that if you allow them to gain chunk plays out of this look you are eventually going to get gashed. We’ve seen this formation several times already and the familiar wide split from the slot is once again a running play (they’re running it out of this look about 80% of the time thus far).
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This time, instead of a standard read-option with a QB decision, they turn this into QB power with a lead blocker and an option to handoff on the counter if the defense crashes. OL are all flowing to the field (wide) side of the formation and the offset receiver comes across and is now a lead blocker on the edge. The unblocked edge crashes down the LOS and now the lead blocker can take the S coming downhill. Franks takes this for 31 yards. For an aggressive defense like Miami runs, this is going to be the type of wrinkle we see in this game.
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Putting their TE on the line has led to an inside run on 3-of-3 tries.
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You knew this was an automatic pass pretty much any time they get Van Jefferson lined up outside with a single-high S. Lined up this far from the boundary is another formational tell that this will be a pass.
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They got me on this formation. They motioned their H-back across and offset him on the weak-side of the formation. It’s an inside counter around the edge and he gets the 1st down easily. I thought this was a passing formation with the slot leaving so much space up top, but watch for that late motion to lead you to the football. It’s obvious Florida saves their tendency breakers for key 3rd down situations.
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I have no idea what Franks is looking for here. He absolutely has the swing pass to his RB immediately. Float that on the wheel and it’s a big play. Instead, he pumps it and pulls it down and gets sacked. He’s already pumped it here so it’s not like he didn’t see it.
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This was an easy read. They motioned everyone out and had the MOF wide open. Franks does a QB draw and scores easily. This offense is pretty simple, but they force the defense to commit resources and then just make the read where the numbers are in their favor with the QB run game. Shaq is going to have to show up in this game because they will put Miami in this position on a key 3rd down at some point and he will need to get Franks on the ground on that play.
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The game plan against this Felipe Franks is clear: hit him in the run game and make him feel every run he keeps the ball, then get pressure on him in the passing game because he doesn’t like pressure but he can hit passes with a clean pocket. Pressured here and misses a wide open WR. This ball in the second shot lands out of the screen.
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Now I’m going to jump into their Spring game and see what type of changes the loss of some key personnel has on the look of their offense and also to see if Franks has any progression taking place.
It’s just something to remember that Toney (WR) used to be a QB. A double reverse and they throw it deep to Franks who catches it.
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I’ve paid quite a bit of attention to their RT thus far and he’s a little heavy-legged. I wonder if it’s a case of him being pretty good, or the Florida pass rush being mediocre. I haven’t seen any defensive linemen look explosive yet, so it’s probably a combination of both. (Not pictured)
The Spring game broadcast was a bit too much to take. Basically, a sales pitch for Florida football more than any real recognizance.
Florida runs a pretty good version of a power-spread offense. Felipe Franks is huge and can move around. He also does a good job of handling the football and carrying out fakes etc.
Why Miami wins
- Miami runs a style defensively that puts a lot of pressure on the QB and causes havoc to get an offense behind-the-chains. Florida’s offense is predicated almost entirely on getting into efficient offensive play calls and working a numbers advantage. If Miami forces Florida into at least ten negative plays on offense, they will win the game.
- Miami starts two freshmen at the tackle positions, but Florida has a mediocre pass rush this year. Zuniga has most returning sacks (6.5) but got 2.5 against Colorado State. Jonathan Greenard is a transfer from Louisville who can play, but is coming off injury and late addition to team. If the Miami OL can keep Jarren Williams upright and away from pressure, Miami will win the game.
- The pass rush for Miami is one of the best in the nation and they are going against a Florida OL with only 22 career starts- zero of which come on the right side of the line. If Miami can generate pressure without blitzing, it will free up their LB’s to make plays and Miami will win the game.
- The Florida LB’s listed atop the depth chart have a combined zero starts. Their depth chart on defense is quite unsettled. If Miami’s offensive scheme, which includes lots of motion and eye candy, confuses the Florida LB core and eats over the MOF, Miami will win the game.
Why Miami loses
- If Florida consistently gets four and five yards on 1st down, Miami will lose the game.
- If Florida controls Miami’s mediocre OL up front, Miami will lose the game.
- If Florida’s talented defensive backfield forces at least two turnovers, Miami will lose the game.
- If Florida blocks Miami and gives Felipe Franks time to throw, Miami will lose the game.
Overall
It’s been a long spring and summer. You’ve seen a lot of change in your Miami Hurricanes football program. The torch was passed from Coach Manny Diaz to two in-house assistants to run the defense, then Coach Richt retired and Coach Diaz was back in the fold. Then came the change to both assistants and change was in the air.
But now, the wait is finally over. Miami has a head man in charge who is putting winning above feelings. Miami has a head man in charge who will rip the DC tag off the doors of the two assistants he has groomed to fill that role. Miami has a head man in charge who will bring back a game changer in Jeff Thomas from the exile of Champaign, Illinois (may as well be the London Tower). Miami has a head man who has all Canes fans believing something is coming in the air on Saturday night. I’ve been waiting for this moment…
