Great defense. Play their best the closer their opponent is to the goal line.
They started the year off giving up 0 TDs in their first 8 non-garbage time red zone drives. Finished up giving up 4 TDs in 16 chances, so they got a bit leaky as the year went on. We need to score TDs when we get in the red zone.
They don't do much exotic pressure wise, though they will blitz on some obvious passing downs. Curry is the biggest worry as a pass rusher, but I think CiCi should be able to handle him. Am not worried about their pass rush unless we get really off schedule regularly (in which case we are screwed).
I think we can run on them in the B-gaps, especially on the right side. TEs will have to win their blocks. Gonna be tough sledding in the A-gaps but if we can do ok there we are in great shape. Toney decoy motion when we plan to run inside the tackles is a must. Pistol with Fletcher too. I would like to see some Pony sets with Fletcher and Pringle, and try to get Pringle on the edge. Haven't seen anyone try that in the 3 games - Texas, UW, and Illinois - that I rewatched so far. Illinois hit an explosive run with trips to the right then ran to the left side B-gap. Nice play.
They came out in a bear front against UW and UW had a couple of nice runs to the right side where #8 (Reese?) was lined up wide. I think they will do the same against us.
They are leaky down the seams when they're in 3 deep. TEs should have chances down the field against them. I would like to see us get Toney vertical from the slot when they're in zone. When they're in man we gotta take shots outside and win/get a PI flag. CJ/Marion/JoJo/Moore have to win outside. Run mesh and the whip route with Toney when they're in man too. How well Beck reads their defense presnap gonna be huge.
We aren't going to trick their defense with the flea flickers or double reverse passes, so we shouldn't try them. I hope we trash the WR screen game against them. Illinois tried that a bunch in the first half, along with pulling OL when running read option with a QB who wasn't a threat to run the ball, and got down 20-0 and the game was over. Illinois also ran a bunch of RPO slants when OSU was in man which doesn't work - why bring your outside WRs closer to their safeties and risk tip INTs?
Forget which team (either Texas or UW) hit a nice TE screen against them. Might be time to dust off that middle TE screen to Lofton that we just missed on earlier in the year.
If we are able to run between the tackles, Marion should get a chance or two on a reverse. Texas, who ran pretty well against OSU, hit a nice one with Wingo.
Think there is zero reason for Toney to throw the ball in this game IMO (except on crazy goal to go or 2pt play). When we use the MaliCat, run read option and pull Bell/McCoy from the left to try to get Jackson to crash down.
They are really, really good on defense. If we run block anything like we did against A&M, I think we can have sustained success running the ball against them, which is the key to beating them. It's going to be a heck of a challenge. Pray our OC got his bed****ting for the year out of his system at College Station.
Sorry for the long poast. Merry Christmas. Beat Taint
