The Football Brainiacs

A couple of years ago teams started crashing the backside of the counter, meaning the player with the blue arrow would just follow the pulling guard and tackle to the ball carrier.  When I played, teams weren’t as innovative as Riley is.  What we would do to combat this would be to have the fullback block back on him.  But when you do that you have to keep another guy in the backfield.  So what Riley does so he doesn’t have to lose any receivers out of the pattern is run a read option right at the would be crasher.  Ben Powers is coming around to kick out, and when Bobby Evans comes around the edge he needs to turn back inside and look towards those linebackers.

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As Ben Kicks his guy out, Bobby’s eyes need to be on the inside hip of Carson Meier.  You always have to work inside out.  The reason being is that it’s harder for your back to juke or avoid that inside out player than it is a guy he’s facing up.

 

 

 

Bobby’s got missile lock on the outside player.  Samia missed his guy, and that’s why you have to be the cleanup guy when you’re swabbing the hole.  Bobby needs to dip his inside(left) shoulder and face up that linebacker.  This will allow Brooks to put a move on that flat footed corner.

 

 

 

By the time Bobby hits his guy, that inside-out player is making the play on Brooks.  The player working from the inside out almost always makes the play.  Whether you’re leading on a return, counter or any other play, you have to look back inside. It’s a small thing, but that linebacker stripped Brooks on this play and caused the fumble.

 

 

 

Not much to say here other than look at the pad level of the four guys who have the arrows.  They’re all straight up and down.  Overton has beaten his man and is playing hard.  Effort and toughness could shore up a lot of the issues defensively.  Coming off low and simply playing hard.

 

 

 

Look at all of the players to the bottom that the formation demands.  You’re going tight right with a wing, and that demands defenders to line up that way.  I’m a huge fan of the weakside run.

 

 

 

Riley puts Hollywood in motion to further vacate the area.   It also reveals that you’re in man coverage in case you want to raise up and throw it out to Lamb.

 

 

 

As we get to this point, nothing on the right side matters.  Brooks and Murray are 2 on 1 on the defender. Hope you like my paint job.

 

 

 

Samia here is looking inside out, and Murray gave a little shoulder fake to the defender to open up the lane.

 

 

 

Here’s the same read option look this time with a simple off-tackle play.

 

 

 

That KU defender tried to slow play this and defend both Kyler and Brooks, but he couldn’t.  Brooks is through the hole before he can get there.  Had Kyler kept it, He has a ton of green grass as well.

 

 

 

I know Cody Ford catches a lot of flak for being so aggressive.  I want to illustrate how hard this guy plays.  He’s a great kid and comes from a great family.  He’s a guy you want on your team.

 

 

 

As he clears the hole look at how hard he’s running.  He’s strokin out the steps.

 

 

 

Big man is covering some ground and gives a nice right-hand jab to that defender as he runs past him trying to work up to the other one.

 

 

 

Then it’s all over but the cryin.  I wish somebody like Cody would go in and raise hell with the defense.  These O linemen play their hearts out every week, and to see the defensive Effort, not scheme, just effort bothers me a great deal.  If the Sooners are going to turn this thing around and make a postseason run, the locker room needs to step up and hold their teammates accountable.