Vs. USC (Offense Overview)
USC runs an Air-Raid scheme that gets modified to the QB strengths.
- Heavy Guard-Tackle counter run game
- Dart is another staple for a tendency breaker
- Air-Raid principles are constantly seeing additions/modifications
- 11-personnel is base, but lots of empty (10-personnel)
- Will also go to 12-personnel in what Riley calls “Bison” which is really just Six OL as an extra TE
- This is a “NASCAR” team with condensed splits
- Goal with the splits is to create space to run their screen game
- Similar QB run element as Illinois and look to get Glance/RPO game/Bubble screens
- Mesh/Shallow Cross/Y-Cross/Four-Verts are the typical Air-Raid staples that throw in counters like Stick-Nod
- Tempo is extreme after explosive plays
- Riley says “We are fast until we’re not”
- Mesh/Wheel against Man-Free (Cover-1)
- Orbit Motion screens are a staple against Tite fronts to force Nickel/ILB to run and cover against Branch
- Riley wants to match your size with running in space or your smaller cover guys to make them take on blocks and tackle
Riley scripted plays at the start of the game to exploit a 4i alignment from the ends and force the ILB/Nickel to go wide and run with Jet Sweeps and OZ runs. In the pass game, outside of the screens, Riley used Smash routes vs. Quarters to stress the weak-side Safety who likes to roll into Creepers (as we’ve written repeatedly in this article). Hetherman countered after the first quarter and really got the better of Riley in this one.
Comes out in empty. Minnesota has their front wider with the ILB mugged into the B-gap.
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Hetherman knows that USC tends to use their screen game out of 10 and flips the ILB from mugging the B to outside the Edge and extending their reach to outside the C. I won’t pretend to know their rules or their “call” on this play and they may have just tried to balance leverage without the threat of a run. ILB immediately jumps the Glance to the #1 WR. Throw goes to the 2 on the field side (passing strength) for a gain of five.
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3rd down, send the nickel, drop the Edge into the Slant/Glance passing strength side. What you’re trying to do is break their pass protection rules and get the RT to block no one and have 4-on-3 to the left side of the line with a RB having to make a decision in pass protection.
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USC’s QB feels it and rolls to his right. Edge is out in space covering grass and the outside WR has room from the CB who was in off coverage. Great play call and design, as you see that RT they had hoped would block no one, ends up blocking their blitzing nickel.
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This play right here is designed to punish Bear or Tite fronts because of the angles available in the G/T counter. T can down block and then get to ILB (remember, Hetherman thrives on keeping ILB’s clean). The wrapper (G) can kick out the Jack with the Y-TE getting to the backside LB.
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In order to squeeze the B’s against the run, Minnesota has their ILB’s stacked in the hashes. The extreme space of USC’s alignment creates a long way for a defender to have to go to get to the bubbles.
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man pressures, Creepers, Tite fronts. What that also means is you better be physical on the outside if you want to play. DB’s are not just force players, they are also in the fits. This is their nickel throwing a WR to the ground who has 50 pounds on him. Look at him control the wrist of the blocker and get into his chest! Do these guys sit in on the DL meetings? Outside CB comes up and sticks him (though he does get the 1st). Two DB’s had to completely go 1-on-1 and win their matchups outside without any front-7 player support.
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Pin-and-Pull is another play design you’ll see against Hetherman’s defense this year. With the 4i alignment of a DE, and a focus on sealing and covering that B-gap, it’s pretty easy to pin a defender inside (not to be confused with the NT wanting to pin the A-gap by getting across the face of the C in a 0-technique). The Creeper is going to get taken by the nub TE on the end.
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USC runs Split with a Slicer into the mid-line to get the ILB (have to keep the ILB clean in this defense). Riley script dicing up Hetherman.
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DB’s have to take the bubble with authority. Ethan Robinson (signed with Phins as a UDFA if any Phins fans reading) has been very physical in this one. He blasts Branch here, but again you see the space that a front-7 would have to go against this spacing.
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Your Edge is covering a lot of grass against this script (he’s trying to take the front-side Glance, which is a staple of this offense on RPO’s). Creeper inserts to be the 4th pressure man. Branch on your backside ILB on the Glance is a great matchup for the offense. Branch drops another one or it’s a big conversion (safeties split, might walk in). USC loves to run the wheel in these spots so Hetherman has his boundary CB flat-footed watching that Wheel with a S over the top.
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Doink. I know USC fans didn’t like Miller Moss, but he’s good and he will be a problem at Louisville. USC’s receiving core really didn’t play that well when I evaluated them (Branch was a possible Miami target so I watched him). USC misses the FG. Better to be lucky than good.
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This is yet another example of what I mean when I say Minnesota NT wants to get across the face of the C. He wants to split that G/C and create a vertical pin where the runner is going to bounce it into the pressure. You bring your Nickel and insert him into the fit as the C-gap defender. Your Edge ducks inside to stuff the B. It’s a beautifully simple concept that lures the offense into running the ball directly into the leverage of the defense.
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This is perfectly executed. NT gets across the face, Edge cuts into B and controls, Nickel plays contain and the C-gap. TFL.
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This is an example of your Edge playing this horribly. He loops way too far inside when he should’ve been more vertical on the hash and then squeezing this run. Gets washed inside. Backside S, who isn’t even in the screen, runs in and makes a tackle or this might’ve gone for a TD (he was the last defender with a chance before it got into a foot race). Great play, but he got hurt on it. If you play USC how many practice reps do you have to take against G/T pullers and Pin/Pull?
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Minnesota has been getting beaten up with the G/T or Pin/Pull counters in the run game (this is pretty standard play-calling against odd spacing). I talked earlier about how it’s difficult to evaluate a DC because to get hired they had to have been doing something correct. The mark of what decides their success will be in adjustments. Here’s an adjustment that Hetherman makes. The Jack is no longer lined up on the Edge. Instead, he kicks his Edges out from 4i’s out to 5-techs on both sides. He plants the Jack into the B-gap opposite the RB. Both ILB’s are kicked out further towards the RB. This gives the illusion that the B-gap opposite the Jack is open. Because the ILB’s are aligned to the RB, the Edge can crash into the B-gap, giving the defense two defenders on the wrapper in the event of a run.
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The coverage behind it is a Tampa-2 using the S rather than Mike as a pole-runner (think of a defender running down MOF into the pole if he kept running). Because the Edge crashes, it is a “Pull” sign for the QB in the RPO and he tries to throw the Smash route. Backside S crashes down and knocks it away. Non-Traditional-Tampa’s are kind of en vogue in defenses right now and it’s cool to see Hetherman use it against an offense that was gashing them early.
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Your nickel had better be able to pass rush to play in this defense. One of the movable pieces of a Hetherman defense. Your Nickel and your Jack better be physical players who can run, strike, play with violence, and rush the passer. Poor LT nearly falls on his face here trying to block him.
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To get the TD USC goes to another of their staple plays in the Red Zone. Out of a Bunch, they run Mesh-Wheel. This concept looks to beat cover-1 (man with single-high) as it will create a natural rub against man coverage. Mesh creates confusion, TD. S tried to cut (Rob) the Mesh.
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I obviously don’t know the call on this play, but with it being Cover-1, I would think #19 needs to sink normally. My guess is they had a cut call on that tries to Rob the Mesh route based on a tendency or instinct. On first watch, I thought #45 was supposed to sink, but he is supposed to carry that Mesh in Man. It’s the S, #19 that is in conflict here and doesn’t help on Post.
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Here’s a good look at the Minnesota cover-3. Use the RB horizontal to stretch the Nickel and open the window for the Glance route.
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We fast forward into the 4th quarter. USC has been shredding Minnesota on the ground. IZ/Counter runs have been keeping USC ahead of the chains and grinding this game along. Hetherman has moved to 5-Tech slide rather than holding a 4i front. He starts folding in the Nickel against OZ and changing the gap for the blockers and it really shuts the ground game down for USC.
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See how that Nickel “folds” into the B-gap while the Edge kicks out to the C. Now the defense has an extra defender in the fit and they can pursue that IZ/Counter run game. Oklahoma has gotten to the ILB in this game and that has really caused issues and this was a Hetherman adjustment that really paid off. (Ignore the hands-to-the-face penalty on #8 which gave them a 1st down)
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I made some snarky comments about covering grass, but this is why defensive coaches will drop their Jack or Edge into coverage (other than combating that quick RPO game). Defender gets the arm, ball falls right into #9’s arms for a pick.
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Cover-1 man behind it and USC wanted a Slot-Fade against single-high deep. It wasn’t really there, but it illustrates all that they ask of their slot CB in this defense. But your safeties also have to rush the passer, insert into the run fit, but also run the halves in deep coverage.
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One final adjustment I want to call out from Hetherman in this game. That G/T (or T/H-Sniffer) counter had really crushed Minnesota. So Hetherman started “Long-Sticking” his front. That Edge is now going to jump at least one gap and sometimes two gaps whenever he sees that T start to pull. The NT will crash into the B-gap (rather than trying to pin it vertically in the A-gap). Basically, that Edge is trying to “Chase” that T and meet in the gap to add a defender and take either the wrapper or the puller if he can get there first. The goal is to remove one of the blockers so that the runner doesn’t have two blockers in front.
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Once Hetherman switched to a Long-Stick call on any time they saw a Puller, USC went from averaging 6.7 yards per carry on the counter to holding them to 14 yards on the last six carries in G/T Counter.
By the Numbers:
PFF defines a blitz as any pass play on which the defense sends one more rusher than the formation already tells the offense to expect. I.E. 4-man front and only the four DL in the front rush the passer, it’s not a blitz. If any other defenders rush the passer (even if one of the DL drop or doesn’t rush and the rush remains as four rushing the passer) it is charted as a blitz.
Note: Data is courtesy of PFF charting
- Minnesota sent a blitz on 44.0% of pass plays, which ranked 9th among P4 schools (P4 average was 36.0%)
- Last year, Miami blitzed 36.8%, which was 31st among P4 schools
- DL stunts were sent on 22.5% of pass plays, which ranked 55th among 70 P4 schools (P4 average was 28.1%)
- Miami sent a stunt on 39.3% of pass plays, which was 7th among P4 schools
- Sim pressure was used on 17.0% of snaps, 31st in P4 (P4 average was 17.3%)
- Miami used sim pressure on 9.7%, 47th in P4
- Run blitzes were used by Hetherman on 28.5% of run snaps, 28th in P4 (P4 average was 26.5%)
- Guidry ran them only 11.8% of the time, 69th out of 70 teams
- Run stunts were ran on 7.6% of run plays, 51st in P4 (average of 11.6%)
- Miami once again liked to run stunts at 20.3%, 5th in P4
Coverage data I have adjusted to account for the “technique” the coverage is running, rather than using pure PFF data. PFF charts only true 4-deep, 2-under static C4 as “Quarters.” Any match variant that spins to a single-high picture gets bucketed as C3 or C1. Since Hetherman likes to run “Stubby” or “Poach” vs. Trips, 3-Buzz or 3-Seam Creepers, or cover-0 drop 4 deep and all of these coverages finish as Middle-of-Field-Closed (MOFC), PFF charts them as either C3 or C1. That’s not a true picture of what Hetherman does, where he builds off of press-quarters rules that rotate late. When the weak safety buzzes down (such as 3-Buzz Robber), PFF logs it as C3 even though the CB’s are still playing MEG or MOD Quarters technique.
- 2x2 looks: Start in a two-high shell; if the QB is under center or the back is opposite the nickel, they stayed in true Quarters
- 3x1 or motion into trips: Hetherman would call Stubby (Quarters rules to trips) or Poach (solo on the X, 3-match away). Post-snap it lands in a one-high picture which would get logged into C3, even though it’s match Quarters rules
- Creeper & Sim Pressures: Weak ILB or Nickel insert leads to Safety spins. Once again, that gets charted as C3/ C1, but the CBs and safeties are still using Quarters footwork until the rotation triggers
With all of that leadup taken care of:
- Minnesota ran Quarters coverage 44.0%, 5th in P4 (P4 average 21.6%)
- Miami ran Quarters on 21.5% of snaps, 35th in P4
- C3 came in at 22.0%, which ranked 55th (P4 average 28.6%)
- Miami checked in at 10.6%, 67th of 70 P4 schools
- Minnesota ran C1 on 19.0% of coverage snaps, 43rd in P4 (Average 22.4%)
- Guidry liked C1 and ran it 41.5%, good for 5th in P4
- C2 shells came in at 10.5%, which was 22nd in P4 (Average 9.5%)
- Miami was at 2.9%, 66th of 70
- Overall, Hetherman ran Zone 64.4% (39th), and Man at 28.8% (35th)
- Miami was Zone 49.0% (66th), and Man 47.4% (5th)
Sacks, throwaways, unclear coverage are why the totals do not go to 100% on Zone/Man percentages.
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- Quarters-match (2-Read, MOD, Stubby, Poach, 3-Buzz, 3-Seam) 44% of snaps
- About 19 % stayed ****; the other 25 % spun late to MOFC but corners/safeties were still executing Quarters rules
- Pure Cover 3 (bail/zone-drop, no match) 13% of snaps
- Mostly early-down base vs. heavier personnel or long-yardage prevent
- Cover 1 / 1-Robber (true man-free) 19% of snaps
- Includes six-man and creeper pressures that finished in straight man
- Cover 2 / Trap-2 (Cloud/Palms) 11% of snaps
- Corner squat/Cloud, plus Palms vs. 2x2 RPO looks
- Cover 6 (¼-¼-½ that stayed split-field) 2% of snaps
- Only the snaps that didn’t spin the boundary safety to the middle
- Cover 0 (zero blitz) 2% of snaps
- Mostly red-zone and 3rd-and-short pressures
- Bracket, zero-rob, prevent 8% of snaps
- The handful of exotic third-down calls and end-of-half prevent
Overall:
If you’re like many and just skipped down to the recap or the overall, here is a Too Long, Didn't Read summary.
The NT position:
- Vs. Zone, Hetherman runs a defense with many of the same principles of what you’d see from Georgia up front. The big exception to what Georgia runs is in their Tite fronts they often ask the NT to “two-gap” which is occupying both sides of the C/G in the A-gaps. Often times, Georgia wants that NT to “drop anchor” and shed once a runner declares their gap direction. With Minnesota, they run a similar base Tite/Mint front as Georgia, but the nose is almost always a lag-one-gap player who crosses the center’s face and “pins” the zone track, not a true two-gap anchor. He can be asked to two-gap in short-yardage or Bear/Cinco calls, but that’s the exception, not the rule. The lag nose is a hallmark of modern odd-spacing defenses (Tite, Mint, Peso, Penny). Instead of two-gapping, the nose steps with the center, rips across, and tries to be the first man vertical into whichever A-gap the center vacates. That vertical penetration is what you’re seeing on film when the runner is “pinned” back inside to the run leverage.
- Vs. Gap schemes (e.g., Counter), same 0-tech, but may work play-side A on a call like “Push”. Cross-face creates interior traffic for pullers and then the WILB folds behind.
- Short-yardage / Bear the NT is a true two-gap. Absorb the double, keep both A-gaps clean for downhill backers.
- Creeper / Sim-pressure checks the NT often lag to the opposite A so the blitzer can insert play-side. This replaces a fit when a Jack or DL drops.
The Nickel position:
- In most calls the Nickel is treated as a box-plus overhang: run game first (set or fold the C-gap), then match the slot in Quarters / rotate to flat in Cloud, and he’s the “bonus” fourth rusher on creeper pressures.
- Generally, this player is a 6’, 215lb. type who is able to fill gaps in the run game first but also survive as a man-match defender on slots until pressure can get home.
- Match-up sub: versus 10-personnel spread teams Hetherman will sub in a CB-style nickel so they can play more MOD/MEG man and mirror quick screens.
- “Peso” / Dime looks: 3rd-and-long the nickel may move into the box as a dime-backer and add a true corner at the slot, giving six DBs while keeping creeper rules intact.
- Heavy sets: Rather than using a SAM LB, the big nickel stays on the field and slides to 9-tech because the 0-4i-4i front already compresses the interior gaps.
Hetherman’s defense is built on an odd-spaced 0-4i-4i “Tite” front that closes both B-gaps pre-snap, anchoring the run with a lag nose while freeing inside linebackers to scrape clean. From that base he unleashes a library of creeper and simulated pressures—four-man rushes that exchange a dropping end for an inserting linebacker or nickel—so the offense sees blitz looks without losing coverage numbers. Coverage pairs press Quarters and Cover 1-Robber as the default shell, with occasional rotations into Cloud/Trap-2, Poach and Cover 6 to erase RPO glance routes and smash concepts. The edges tend to play a “surf” technique against option looks, while quick checks like 5-tech slide, nickel fold, and interior long-stick stunts set the perimeter and disrupt gap-scheme pulls (think of UNC running all over Miami a few years back). Because the same personnel can morph into Bear, Penny, or four-down fronts without substituting, the QB must decipher a constantly shifting picture. This hesitation allows the defense to generate negative plays and red-zone stops mostly without ever committing more than five rushers.
It's the ability to prove he has answers for changes by the offense and to the college landscape that has me believing that this guy won't suffer the same fate that Guidry faced. Guidry had success previously, but truly showed he ran out of answers once offenses adjusted to his scheme. Hetherman has already adjusted and shown his own style as he has morphed what Rutgers did and what Georgia does into his own style.
Originally, Miami was interested in Rutgers' DC Joe Harasymiak (who took the UMass job before Hetherman was hired. When Harasymiak advised his plans were to pursue a HC job, he mentioned Hetherman. At Rutgers, they played a "Tilt" front rather than a "Tite" front. The Tilt is just what it sounds like, where the NT is tilted against the C. Hetherman prefers the head-up style that Georgia uses in their Tite front (though they ask them to do different things as I mentioned above).
I’ll write up a
Part Two which will focus on our personnel and where they’ll fit within the above system, roles, rules etc. but I figure this is already long enough as it is to split it up some. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.
