I'm a db coach at a d3 school and a former high school dc/db coach so a lot of this focuses on the back end of the defense.
-The corners and safeties were a lot more aggressive in the spring game. A lot more press and a lot more cover 1 and cover 3. if this is any indication of where the defense is heading I like it. Even in zones they're pressing and they're shifting to zones late so it's hard for a quarterback to get a pre snap read of what the defense is trying to do. Even in cov. 4 (quarters) the corners were pressed like Michigan St. I liked it.
-Both safeties are coming to the box or becoming the deep middle safety. This goes along with making it harder for the quarterback in pre snap. You need 2 really good safeties cause both have to be great tacklers, diagnose runs/pass keys fast, and be able break from numbers to numbers. I thought they did a pretty good job doing this and there were hardly any miscommunications, which is what you want in the spring.
-Love Artie Burns and Tracy Howard pressing! You got a track star that can make up ground if he's beat and former 5 star who's a great field corner and led the team in picks. (Would have liked to see him high point the ball on that last pick instead of waiting on it!) I say go mano y mano against the wide receivers in the ACC, outside of FSU I don't think there's a team that can match up those two. I think that caused the qbs to have those bad completion percentages. Fades are the lowest percentage throws and when your going against press man you gotta win those one on ones on the outside.
- I'd love to see Gunter at nickle with that big frame. I think he's physical enough to bring it on runs, can cover slot guys one on one, and play good underneath zone coverage. I wasn't impressed with Tracy at that spot. I don't know if he wasn't comfortable there because he's so used to being outside, but he just wasn't very physical there.
-Saw a lot more "40" fronts and nickle on early downs which I liked. One problem we saw last year was the defense sent out personnel for downs and distance instead of matching the offenses personnel. Switching defensive personnel for Down and distance is fine if you play a team that goes 21 and 12 personnel(backs and tight end) on 1st down and 2 and med and switch to 10 and 11 personnel (more receivers) on 3rd and med to long. But when you play spread teams who go 10,11,00 personnel on all downs you gotta match db to receiver. If not you'll have Shavon Green on a slot receiver on 1st down.
-I thought the D lost focus once the offense start going fast and couldn't get lined up. If you remember last year that was a problem. If they can get this solved it will go along way in beating teams like North Carolina and Louisville who go no huddle and go fast.
-Will go back and look at some front stuff
-The corners and safeties were a lot more aggressive in the spring game. A lot more press and a lot more cover 1 and cover 3. if this is any indication of where the defense is heading I like it. Even in zones they're pressing and they're shifting to zones late so it's hard for a quarterback to get a pre snap read of what the defense is trying to do. Even in cov. 4 (quarters) the corners were pressed like Michigan St. I liked it.
-Both safeties are coming to the box or becoming the deep middle safety. This goes along with making it harder for the quarterback in pre snap. You need 2 really good safeties cause both have to be great tacklers, diagnose runs/pass keys fast, and be able break from numbers to numbers. I thought they did a pretty good job doing this and there were hardly any miscommunications, which is what you want in the spring.
-Love Artie Burns and Tracy Howard pressing! You got a track star that can make up ground if he's beat and former 5 star who's a great field corner and led the team in picks. (Would have liked to see him high point the ball on that last pick instead of waiting on it!) I say go mano y mano against the wide receivers in the ACC, outside of FSU I don't think there's a team that can match up those two. I think that caused the qbs to have those bad completion percentages. Fades are the lowest percentage throws and when your going against press man you gotta win those one on ones on the outside.
- I'd love to see Gunter at nickle with that big frame. I think he's physical enough to bring it on runs, can cover slot guys one on one, and play good underneath zone coverage. I wasn't impressed with Tracy at that spot. I don't know if he wasn't comfortable there because he's so used to being outside, but he just wasn't very physical there.
-Saw a lot more "40" fronts and nickle on early downs which I liked. One problem we saw last year was the defense sent out personnel for downs and distance instead of matching the offenses personnel. Switching defensive personnel for Down and distance is fine if you play a team that goes 21 and 12 personnel(backs and tight end) on 1st down and 2 and med and switch to 10 and 11 personnel (more receivers) on 3rd and med to long. But when you play spread teams who go 10,11,00 personnel on all downs you gotta match db to receiver. If not you'll have Shavon Green on a slot receiver on 1st down.
-I thought the D lost focus once the offense start going fast and couldn't get lined up. If you remember last year that was a problem. If they can get this solved it will go along way in beating teams like North Carolina and Louisville who go no huddle and go fast.
-Will go back and look at some front stuff
