Longhorns Kansas State vs. Texas Film Review (Oct. 24, 2015)

[Ryan Bridges]

Tyrone Swoopes' touchdowns aren't as interesting as this one, so we'll start here. 

 

 

What I like: It's Cover 0. I think the second-biggest reason the defense has been better the past two games is the move toward more man coverage. (The biggest reason for the improvement is the better play of the defensive line, some of which has to do with the scheme shift but there also seems to have been an attitude change.) Playing man lets Texas get the freshmen on the field — the fact that that's a good thing says a lot.

 

What I don't like: When the receivers are close together like this, the DBs can't align at the same depth. It makes it too easy to get a rub, just like this. With this alignment, it wouldn't matter who Texas had in at safety.

[Ryan Bridges]

Swoopes' first TD. 

 

 

You can really see how K-State defended the 18 Wheeler package: They rushed like hell off the edges. The plays Texas has used from this formation are pretty slow developing, so the penetration can make things tough. 

 

But Caleb Bluiett and Kent Perkins do a nice job washing the defense inside, and Alex De La Torre pops another guy in the mouth. Also, Swoopes is running like a grown man this year.

 

One note — and obviously Texas didn't need it — but K-State basically paid zero attention to the eligible receivers. I'm pretty sure Andrew Beck could have walked into the flat and no one in white would have noticed. 

[Ryan Bridges]

Texas actually left a man unblocked at the point of attack on the second touchdown.

 

 

The previous play was Power; this one's Counter. Watch Patrick Vahe — if you can make them out, the blue line is where he should have gone, the red line is where he did go. At least he ends up blocking somebody (more on that later). 

 

And check out the other blocks. Sedrick Flowers' is very good, Connor Williams' is savage.

[Ryan Bridges]

John Burt made some nice blocks later that I'll try to remember to point out, but this was bad. It's even more frustrating because I feel like this play also featured Daje Johnson's first block ever. 

 

 

The play is inside zone read. The OL gets a good push, especially right tackle Perkins, whose displacement of the end helps D'Onta Foreman get outside. (KSU's #9 also missed the tackle — I've noticed him several times and never for good things.) This would have been a long gain if Burt had even gotten in the way of the corner.

[Ryan Bridges]

I like this because it gives a glimpse into just how simple the rushing attack was. The formation on these next two plays is identical but they attack different spots in very different ways.

 

 

Take note: Fullback and tailback on the same side, jet motion to that side. The safety has to come up and play force, and Marcus Johnson lights him up. I don't even care about #10; this was going to be a touchdown if Daje hadn't slipped. 

 

Now here's the counter.

 

 

Same formation, same motion, but it comes back the other way. Really nice blocks by Perkins, Flowers and DLT. This is also one of the plays where the receivers put in work.

[Ryan Bridges]

Remove the motion and put the tailback and "fullback" on opposite sides and the play becomes QB Counter, which you may remember as the gotta-have-it play from the Oklahoma game.

 

I circled #9 because he screwed up again and let Beck kick him out. Notice how Vahe and Beck play this: Because the end crashes down, Vahe seals him inside instead of kicking him out, and then Beck responds by wrapping around that block instead of cutting inside and leading through the hole. I mention this because we screwed it up a few times.

 

Oh, WR blocking alert: Marcus Johnson on the bottom of the screen.

[Ryan Bridges]

One other thing that's probably obvious but interesting enough to mention just in case: This is the same play from a different formation that Texas runs with Swoopes at the goal line. I think they've only run Heard on QB Power like once all year, but both of them run Counter.

[Ryan Bridges]

It's hard to run an offense when the DL is doing stuff like Hassan Ridgeway here.

 

 

 

[Ryan Bridges]

K-State ran this concept at least a couple of times, and it's not a coincidence they're targeting the same guy everyone else (or at least Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma) went after.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

I think I've mentioned before that Texas should add a third option to this read concept. 

 

 

On a related note, remember the awesome triple option play Texas whipped out against Cal? Whatever happened to it? I haven't seen it since the long completion to Bluiett was called back for an illegal forward pass; that's a terrible reason to wipe it from the playbook. 

[Ryan Bridges]

I lied. Texas also ran Power from that formation from earlier (fullback and tailback on the same side), but this is the only time I've seen it so far. 

 

 

You can get a sense of how much Texas missed Perkins on this one. Flowers had a nice block as well, and the run speaks for itself.

[Ryan Bridges]

It's hard to run an offense when the DL is doing stuff like Poona Ford here.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

This play really bugs me. 

 

 

First, Williams gets beaten, which is just weird. Then you can see how much the pressure affects Heard — hopping and turning your back to the rush is not a recipe for success. Both receivers on that side are wide open and it's like he just decided to split the difference. I think he was targeting Marcus, though.

[Ryan Bridges]

I think maybe I think Burt is a better receiver than Heard does. This time he just didn't see the corner blitz (he never does). I'm also at the part of the breakdown where I'm getting frustrated by the plays that were missed — and it's almost 5 a.m. — so I'm complaining about stupid stuff.

 

 

The complaint is a little more legitimate here. 

 

[Ryan Bridges]

OK, I'm calling it a night after this one. On one of the counter runs earlier we looked at how the pulling guard sealed the end inside and the H-back wrapped around. Beck didn't do it this time, opting to whisper in Flowers' ear instead. 

 

 

Taylor Doyle wasn't able to reach the 3-technique either, but that's not an easy block.

 

And I almost forgot: Note the formation and the play. Nothing fancy.

[J.B. TexasEx]

Tyrone Swoopes' touchdowns aren't as interesting as this one, so we'll start here. 

 

 

What I like: It's Cover 0. I think the second-biggest reason the defense has been better the past two games is the move toward more man coverage. (The biggest reason for the improvement is the better play of the defensive line, some of which has to do with the scheme shift but there also seems to have been an attitude change.) Playing man lets Texas get the freshmen on the field — the fact that that's a good thing says a lot.

 

What I don't like: When the receivers are close together like this, the DBs can't align at the same depth. It makes it too easy to get a rub, just like this. With this alignment, it wouldn't matter who Texas had in at safety.

 

Exactly

 

If you're gonna play Cover 0, the DB's gotta crowd the line and press harder. To take it a step further - should Haines even be on the field in this situation? Maybe another CB is a better option?

[J.B. TexasEx]

I think maybe I think Burt is a better receiver than Heard does. This time he just didn't see the corner blitz (he never does). I'm also at the part of the breakdown where I'm getting frustrated by the plays that were missed — and it's almost 5 a.m. — so I'm complaining about stupid stuff.

 

 

The complaint is a little more legitimate here. 

 

 

Baylor throws a fade or go to the bottom receiver in this situation. Heard's gotta get better at reading defenses.

[Ryan Bridges]

Here's Counter again (same formation, y'all). I just like showing these because you can see all the different ways a play can fail. In this case, Perkins doesn't make his block on the second level — everything else is terrific. 

 

 

You can also get a good sense of how the motion affects the defense. 

[Ryan Bridges]

Same formation, sweep to the field.

 

 

Daje made this play work. Burt's out there blocking on the edge, at least. 

[Ryan Bridges]

Tailback and H-back are on different sides. What's coming? 

 

 

When the blocks are this good I'm allowed to complain about the cuts — but in Heard's defense, at first it looks like Bluiett is going to kick the linebacker out. 

[Ryan Bridges]

QB Counter again but the stunt confuses Flowers. The end slants inside and a linebacker comes off the edge. I drew up what should have happened.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

Naashon Hughes came pretty far upfield and Anthony Wheeler just lost sight of the ball on this one. Oh yeah, and Haines missed a tackle.

 

 

Positives: Ridgeway is the one who punches the center two yards into the backfield, and great effort by Bryce Cottrell to run the ball down.

[Ryan Bridges]

I'd be interested to know what tendency K-State saw from Texas because this was a good playcall on one of the first plays where Texas went away from man coverage.

 

 

The play-action pulls Jason Hall up, then he and Wheeler have to sort through two vertical threats. Still, it looks like he could have intercepted this and visited PickSix-istan if he'd played the ball instead of the receiver. 

[Ryan Bridges]

Here's another pick play — expect these as long as Texas is playing predominantly man coverage. 

 

 

Notice that the DBs align at different levels this time, which helps avoid the pick. 

[Ryan Bridges]

One play after KSU was gifted a first down on 3rd & 3, they smartly took this shot downfield. Texas is still playing Cover 1.

 

 

The problem is Holton Hill peaks in the backfield at the break. The receiver is still running away from you after the break. Now the receiver has separation and you're looking for the ball, but the quarterback isn't throwing to you. The result is Hill is surprised when the receiver cuts back and he grabs him.