Sun Tzu, Chinese Fire Drill and Todd Orlando's Defense

[sushihorn 3233]

 

“If I determine the enemy's disposition of forces while I have no perceptible form, I can concentrate my forces while the enemy is fragmented. The pinnacle of military deployment approaches the formless: if it is formless, then even the deepest spy cannot discern it nor the wise make plans against it.”

― Sun Tzu, 5^th Century BC

 

Just as Texas’ first offensive series disoriented Georgia’s defense, so the Horns’ first defensive series set the tone by confusing the offense’s reads.  Georgia had no tape on the heavy fronts since they really weren’t used during the season.  In addition, the slanting, stunts, blitzes, bluffs and zone drops left Fromm unsure whether to shit or go blind.  In many cases he just went ahead and did both.

On the first play, UGa comes out in 11 personnel but flexes out the TE for a 4 wide, single back look.  Texas is in a 4-2 nickel with both ends standing up.  Brandon Jones is the overhang man defending the slot.  Texas 6 in the box vs 5 OL.  Jones comes down as a run supporter to the C gap which allows the DL to slant to the right, straight into the inside zone run.  No gain.  If Fromm knew he had 7 in the box he should check to a pass play but he can’t know if the pre-snap move is a bluff.

2^nd play is a checkdown behind the LOS.  RB gains 4 yds.  3^rd play Georgia aligns in a tight 4 wide and Texas answers with a radar look.  Roach at NT is the only guy with his hand on the ground.  2 rushing DL slant right, Shark is the added rusher from the LB spot.  Johnson comes delayed on a looping stunt and Graham takes the running back.  Georgia picks it up and Fromm is able to hit a short sideline pass In front of the coverage to convert.

On the 4^th play of the drive (1^st & 10) Georgia is in 20 personnel and Texas again aligns 4-2 with Locke the overhang man and Boyd in press coverage on the opposite side.  Locke bluffs run support and drops.  Boyd releases the WR and comes up as the force man to TFL Swift.  Again Texas ends up with 7 to stop the run.  Loss of 2.

On the 5^th play Georgia goes empty which is nuts IMO since the there is no run threat.  Texas has a heavy 3 man front (Omenihu, Nelson, Roach) with Johnson coming as the added rusher and dropping 7.  Fromm can’t find anyone and takes off, tackled by GJ for a short gain.

The next play is 3^rd and 9 with UGa in 4 wide.  Texas goes 3-2 dime with both LBs up in the A gaps and BJ Foster coming up as a 2^nd level defender – effectively a 5-1 front.  Foster is an added rusher, Shark drops as a robber and Johnson has coverage on the RB.  Fromm gets heavy pressure, can’t find anyone and chucks it OOB.  I don’t think he even knew what the coverage was, much less where the weak spots should be.

I’m sure the coverage looked like a Chinese fire drill to Fromm.  In some cases I had to watch it 3 or 4 times to figure out what was happening.  And the quick pressures definitely reset the clock in his head.  The first 2 running plays put the pressure to move the offense squarely on Fromm’s shoulders.  And except for the 3^rd down conversion, Fromm had no clue what the coverage was.  There, he was able to ID a wide open man in single coverage once his line bought him time.  Todd Orlando’s defense sure looked Formless to Jake Fromm.  That old Chinese guy sure knew what he was talking about.

[Mikey4 2476]

Awesome breakdown, thanks.

 
3^rd play Georgia aligns in a tight 4 wide and Texas answers with a radar look. 

Can someone explain what a radar look is?

[runthebone 7933]

Poor Fromm.  He is used to playing against those weak secsecsec defenses. 

[sushihorn 3233]

13 minutes ago, Mikey4 said:

Can someone explain what a radar look is?

All or most of the DL are standing up at the LOS.  Usually combined with movement and LBs crowding the line to make it hard to figure out who's coming and from where.

[USNALonghorn 5024]

25 minutes ago, sushihorn said:

All or most of the DL are standing up at the LOS.  Usually combined with movement and LBs crowding the line to make it hard to figure out who's coming and from where.

Saw that look a lot when _iaz was our DC.

[YChang 3432]

This is great... any knowledgeable volunteers that can screen cap and mark up the image based on Sushi's description? 

[Post Oak 20188]

Good work fish

[Vertigo 20273]

Solid work sushi. That first third down play they had the camera behind Fromm at the snap. Even though Fromm found the open guy and converted, the coverage action was insane with guys running across formation and all over the field to zones.

[XYZ 2154]

I hope next season Orlando can be as successful against Big 12 offenses

[henrygandorf 29182]

so can someone oversimplify this for me, or at least confirm that i understand what's going on?

did we notice from film that fromm excelled at checking the pre-snap coverage and calling/changing the play based on what he saw?  and therefore, did we adjust the defensive alignment to the point where he could never really tell who was dropping/rushing/in the box?  are sec defenses that prone to tipping their hands and showing their formations before the play and letting above average qbs just change the play and (usually) guess right?

i guess we've been dealing with what seems like a never-ending barrage of upper-classman qbs running complicated offenses, so maybe this just isn't as effective in the b12?  i would also think running a straight ahead offense like georgia does with their athletes is enough to win you 10-11 games a year against inferior* talent in the sec.

 

*i'm not saying the sec has inferior talent, i'm saying georgia is more talented than practically anyone they could ever play 

[YChang 3432]

18 minutes ago, XYZ said:

I hope next season Orlando can be as successful against Big 12 offenses

 

Lol, that's true. Sushi did call out how Georgia's offense was tailor made for Orlando to stop in another thread. 

[texaslong 678]

There’s not a whole lot of great offensive minds in the SEC. They mostly try and line up and out athlete each other. It’s really an unimaginative league. 

[MrPhlegm 3413]

Good work fish

Rice, not fish.

[MrPhlegm 3413]

There’s not a whole lot of great offensive minds in the SEC. They mostly try and line up and out athlete each other. It’s really an unimaginative league. 

Well that's because of the rampant pellagra which is caused by shitty bbq. Poooooooor sec sec sec.

[sushihorn 3233]

12 hours ago, USNALonghorn said:

Saw that look a lot when _iaz was our DC.

Manny's problem wasn't using radar looks.  It was poor tackling, gap discipline and run fits, especially on the back end.  A draw or quick hitter has about a 10% chance of success against Orlando.  It was more like 40-50% with _iaz.

Edited January 6, 2019 by sushihorn

[USNALonghorn 5024]

29 minutes ago, sushihorn said:

Manny's problem wasn't using radar looks.  It was poor tackling, gap discipline and run fits, especially on the back end.  A draw or quick hitter has about a 10% chance of success against Orlando.  It was more like 40-50% with _iaz.

Yeah I agree completely. _iaz had the fundamentals issue to contend with combined with zero gap disciplinne that rendered that look useless in 2012.

[Pato del Muerto 52365]

13 hours ago, runthebone said:

Poor Fromm.  He is used to playing against those weak secsecsec defenses. 

Not weak, but predictable. 

[LTtxfan 49014]

Great article on the Chess match between Defenses vs Offenses.....

Belichick vs McVay

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2019/1/31/18204996/nfl-super-bowl-2019-bill-belichick-patriots-rams-biggest-strength-jared-goff

 

[MrPhlegm 3413]

Not weak, but predictable. 

Predictable IS weak.