Re-watched the Notre Dame game

[Ottoble]

So the Defense design question. If we are forcing these screen passes then every once in awhile why not have the linebacker show blitz and sprint to the flat on the 2 WR side of the field to cut off the route and either get a TFL or Pick 6. If the WR goes out on a route he loops in towards the QB on a delayed rush.

 

[SWC75]

that might be skewed by being ahead by so much and milking clock. for it to be so close, you gotta assume that ND was faster for most of the game

Possibly, but they were certainly more efficient.

 

[SWC75]

We can't bring our safety up to cover the slot because our corners can't cover one on one. All those bubble screens by ND, the slot receiver was uncovered. It was a 7 yard gain before the safety could even get close to make a tackle, and our linebacker can't get out fast enough. Easy pitch and catch.

That's what we always used to say before we recruited Reddish, Morgan, Whigham, etc. Those guys were supposed to change that.

 

[CbusCuse]

I'm just speculating from watching the games I've seen. Many times we leave the opposing slot receiver "uncovered", except by a safety 12 yards off the ball, and the corner up in press coverage, or at least it appears to be press..it might be a zone. Regardless, only reason I can see as to why we would do this is that we are worried about getting beat deep. If you move a backer over, its a mismatch. If you bring the safety up, then you are one on one outside with no safety help. If its supposed to be zone, then I don't understand that alignment. So what does ND do? They read the safety off the slot, the receiver lined up wide locks up our corner. They pitch it out to the slot and he get 5 to 7 yards easy. Too easy in my opinion, but maybe that's all we can do. Our corners got scorched against ND. How many pass interference penalties did we get with Wigham holding on for dear life? I personally could live with less blitzes and straight up defense here and there.

I guess I just feel like if it is 3rd down and 5+ yards we can not blitz every single time, be under maned on the outside and let the team just screen or bubble us to death repeatedly. Either mix in plays without blitzing or if we do have a blitz on the corners should be able to occasionally play man with the idea not to get beat deep. Its not like they were throwing curls, outs or slants to beat us. They screened us every time and we couldn't get a stop. Maybe the safety needs to act like he is playing over the top and then come in before the snap. Well I guess that is kind of what Eskridge did on his interception but he was playing up a little more and then broke outside.

 

[UelSU]

I guess I just feel like if it is 3rd down and 5+ yards we can not blitz every single time, be under maned on the outside and let the team just screen or bubble us to death repeatedly. Either mix in plays without blitzing or if we do have a blitz on the corners should be able to occasionally play man with the idea not to get beat deep. Its not like they were throwing curls, outs or slants to beat us. They screened us every time and we couldn't get a stop. Maybe the safety needs to act like he is playing over the top and then come in before the snap. Well I guess that is kind of what Eskridge did on his interception but he was playing up a little more and then broke outside.

I guess our coaches feel the only way we win is with pressure, and that we are not capable of playing straight up defense. Maybe that has more to do with our D line than the corners, who knows. All I know is that I can't count the number of times we give up those bubble screens, or an underneath crossing pattern because we won't cover the slot in the mid to short range down and distances. It's frustrating.

 

[UelSU]

That's what we always used to say before we recruited Reddish, Morgan, Whigham, etc. Those guys were supposed to change that.

Some of this is on our D line. If they could get pressure on the QB without blitzes, then maybe our corners wouldn't have cover one on one so much. I mean, I get why we want to run the bubble screen stuff. It causes problems for defenses if you can make it work...we just aren't there yet.

 

[kuethstheman]

With regard to the non-spike fumble rule and replay in general.

If you are going to use replay, it should always be with the intent to get a play right. Regardless of what was called on the field and as this game showed, the calls on the field were 90% wrong.

If you can go back to look at actually what happened, get it right. If you can go back to the tape to change something as simple as the spot of the ball, doesn't it stand to reason that you should be able to go back and correct far more substantial things.

Why can't you go back and correct when a whistle was blown and shouldn't have been and give reasonable continuation of a play?

Two of the most important safety-related aspects of officiating:
You can't hesitate to blow the whistle.
You have to require and encourage that players stop when the whistle blows.

All these great suggestions for improving replay reviews will get a lot of players hurt. It sucks but the whistle is extremely important.

 

[kuethstheman]

I guess our coaches feel the only way we win is with pressure, and that we are not capable of playing straight up defense. Maybe that has more to do with our D line than the corners, who knows. All I know is that I can't count the number of times we give up those bubble screens, or an underneath crossing pattern because we won't cover the slot in the mid to short range down and distances. It's frustrating.

maybe they were hoping that ND was as bad at executing the bubble screens as we are.