How Do You Defend the Spread Offense?

[Brutus1]

USC runs the spread?

 

[osugrad21]

You defeat the spread option with a disciplined, attacking defense.

Too many times against Illinois, you saw assignment players "slow play" the option look. Maybe that was the plan...dunno, wasn't in the meetings and maybe that is too simplistic. However, every option play has a "read" player...he is usually completely unblocked and the QB is reading his reaction to decide pitch or keep. When you slow play as that read man, you leave the options open...which simply is the entire point of the scheme. I'd love to see a quick commitment from the player assigned QB and a helmet under the chin...force the quick pitch or cut into the DL...and the pitch-man annihilated a few times with or without the ball.

On the Zone reads, hit both of them on every play early...piss on reading the mesh point.

Deliver the hurt early and often. Pressure forces mistakes and pain slows folks down a step...like the body punches in a boxing match. The backside players must squeeze down flat but not get caught watching the flow like against Illinois...Larry Grant was consistently in position to make the play, but was caught watching the action on the opposite side for a milisecond too long. He got a hand on Juice and missed the tackles, against WVU, he wouldn't even down White in a game of touch football.

That is a simplistic, idealistic approach to stopping the option, but its not at all simple. Good option coaches have plenty of false reads for the LBs, misdirection for better blocking angles, and a nasty playaction game that is enough to require your attention and enough to kill you if you get caught with "sleepy" DBs.

Don't make any mistake about it, WVU is a scary team...and Rich Rodriguez is a great offensive mind.

 

[cincibuck]

hit both of them on every play early...piss on reading the mesh point.

Deliver the hurt early and often. Pressure forces mistakes and pain slows folks down a step...

Especially in today's world of QBs and half backs packing about half the padding they used to. It was a shot from a helmet right on the knee that put Dixon and the Ducks down for the season.

I don't like to say this, but a good part of defense is to go after key players and try and take them out of the game.

 

[AKAK]

I agree: someone mentioned this earlier.

Gholston played very smart vs. Illinois. He was in great position and cut off Juice from his pitch-man.

But he never stuck it to Juice if Juice pitched it, and by the time Juice DID pitch it, Gholston was out of the play.

Why not just smack Juice? He's a runner at that point, so just knock him on his ass. He wasn't going to make the tackle on the runningback, so just hit the quarterback. H&G said it, so has everyone else. HIT HIM.

Hmmm... I did notice this a couple times... (Gholston not hitting him) Dunno if I was watching closely enough to notice if this happened all day or not.... but... yeah... rule one, if you get a shot at him running a good old fashioned option to the outside... smoke him every time you get a chance.

Not to contradict Josh's post about White weighing 10 lbs less than Robiskie... because, honestly, I'm not sure what Robiskie weighs... but... Yeah... White probably goes about 185, I think... dunno what he's listed as but he's a skinny kid.

If you want to compare to Illinois, keep in mind we did take Mendenhall out of the game pretty much... and... then turned the ball over way too many times... so... I'm going to assume that the plan will be similar, and those of you saying the best way to stop White is to keep him off the field, I imagine that's gonna be the plan more or less... whether that be Beanie or whatever the offensive gameplan is. (On the flip side, I think we can be relatively certain that WVU would be looking closely at Illinois defensive scheme as well, and, we need to be ready for that, and while I think we should dictate the play, especially on the ground, we need to be "more prepared" to take some of what they give us as far as underneath passing if they look to take Robo away deep.)

As for spies, there is a time to spy and a time not to spy, IMO. Hopefully we don't get in this situtation, but, in the Illinois game... on the last couple (At least latst for sure) there was no way in hell they were putting the ball in the air and risk a pick... that was probably a good time to get an extra guy in Juice's face. As for "other times"-- and this is tricky, because you saw Illinois use some guys you might not expect... I think in WVU's case... you need to take a good long look at that big hilljack fullback they've got... kid lines up all over the place and they like to use him in a lot of ways (I've even seen him punt once ). But, once you feel good about defending him... and whatever TE's they've got (I don't really remember them being much of a factor in WVU games I've watched, but I might be very wrong) then you can get an idea of what kind of situations you can get another guy in White's mug.

At any rate... back to the Gholston thing... just in my head... he's a key guy that needs to be "coached up" since that leo/viper whatever position has to be more on the DE side of things against this kind of offense, he and the other 3 DL's have to eat blockers and the LB's need to be the ones delivering blows... and... not have Guards out on them.

 

[Coqui]

Remember, we have no problem stopping the spread offense (Purdue, Washington). We just have issues stopping the spread option. As said, we need to attack. Hit both the RB and the QB every play if it's a designed running play. Treat the QB as a blocker and lay the wood because there's no doubt he'll be blocking if he gets the chance. Vice versa is the QB runs.

 

[unionfutura]

The simplistic version to stop the spread

you need two very good DE's who can get upfield in a hurry, and physical defensive backs who can play in a wideouts face. You disrupt the timing of the offense, meanwhile forcing the QB to make a quick different decision you can force mistakes. However make one mistake, and a big happens.

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

You defeat the spread option with a disciplined, attacking defense.

Too many times against Illinois, you saw assignment players "slow play" the option look. Maybe that was the plan...dunno, wasn't in the meetings and maybe that is too simplistic. However, every option play has a "read" player...he is usually completely unblocked and the QB is reading his reaction to decide pitch or keep. When you slow play as that read man, you leave the options open...which simply is the entire point of the scheme. I'd love to see a quick commitment from the player assigned QB and a helmet under the chin...force the quick pitch or cut into the DL...and the pitch-man annihilated a few times with or without the ball.

On the Zone reads, hit both of them on every play early...piss on reading the mesh point.

Deliver the hurt early and often. Pressure forces mistakes and pain slows folks down a step...like the body punches in a boxing match. The backside players must squeeze down flat but not get caught watching the flow like against Illinois...Larry Grant was consistently in position to make the play, but was caught watching the action on the opposite side for a milisecond too long. He got a hand on Juice and missed the tackles, against WVU, he wouldn't even down White in a game of touch football.

That is a simplistic, idealistic approach to stopping the option, but its not at all simple. Good option coaches have plenty of false reads for the LBs, misdirection for better blocking angles, and a nasty playaction game that is enough to require your attention and enough to kill you if you get caught with "sleepy" DBs.

Don't make any mistake about it, WVU is a scary team...and Rich Rodriguez is a great offensive mind.

Or as my dad has said too many times over the years to count. "They run the option, hit the QB till he doesn't want to run the option anymore." Never pass up a free hit on the QB.

 

[jenkinswoody]

You defeat the spread option with a disciplined, attacking defense.

Too many times against Illinois, you saw assignment players "slow play" the option look. Maybe that was the plan...dunno, wasn't in the meetings and maybe that is too simplistic. However, every option play has a "read" player...he is usually completely unblocked and the QB is reading his reaction to decide pitch or keep. When you slow play as that read man, you leave the options open...which simply is the entire point of the scheme. I'd love to see a quick commitment from the player assigned QB and a helmet under the chin...force the quick pitch or cut into the DL...and the pitch-man annihilated a few times with or without the ball.

Yeah....Having played d end many years, I totally agree. Drilling the QB was what I was told to do most of the time. "Feathering" a play out and then trying to play the pitch are way too risky and seldom work IMO.

 

[cincibuck]

Or as my dad has said too many times over the years to count. "They run the option, hit the QB till he doesn't want to run the option anymore." Never pass up a free hit on the QB.

Having folks who can deliver a "message" is necessary. OSU has several, not the least of which is Marcus Freeman.

 

[NightmaresDad]

you need two very good DE's who can get upfield in a hurry, and physical defensive backs who can play in a wideouts face. You disrupt the timing of the offense, meanwhile forcing the QB to make a quick different decision you can force mistakes. However make one mistake, and a big happens.

But against IL, we only had one DE on the field.
How do you stop a read option running game with a nickel defense?
Either A - you can't, or B we weren't playing fast or aggressive enough.

Personally, I think the nickel we were in vs IL made it almost impossible for us to stop them on that last drive.
What makes WV borderline unfair is that damn fullback they've got. He gives them so mnay more options and ways to hurt you. He's the guy that makes it so hard to stop White, because he keeps the LBs honest.

I sure hope we get another chance to prove our defense against that type of offense, though. If we do, I sure hope we are more aggressive than against IL.

 

[MaizeandBlue]

you just gotta hope the QB gets hurt before you have to play them


(oregon is a prime example of this)

 

[osugrad21]

But against IL, we only had one DE on the field.

"DE" in this instance does not refer solely to those players on the roster designated as Defensive Ends.

If Grant was in a 3-point stance, he is the DE.

The scheme was fine, the execution was very poor. However, I know that is not what you want to hear or believe.

 

[Oneshot]

you just gotta hope the QB gets hurt before you have to play them


(oregon is a prime example of this)

Shocking, coming from a vulvarine.

I would never hope any player gets injured.

Dixon's future is jeopardized, he will have difficulty jogging for the rest of his life.

I wouldn't wish that on anyone for anything, much less a football game.

 

[spotpass]

"DE" in this instance does not refer solely to those players on the roster designated as Defensive Ends.

If Grant was in a 3-point stance, he is the DE.

The scheme was fine, the execution was very poor. However, I know that is not what you want to hear or believe.

Actually, that's quite encouraging - execution just requires lots of hard work - not sure of what we want to do, would worry me.

 

[osugrad21]

Actually, that's quite encouraging - execution just requires lots of hard work - not sure of what we want to do, would worry me.

Missed tackles, indecision in space, and DBs caught napping made Heacock look like the idiot. However, its always easier to say a coach is clueless...