What Just Happened? – The Fearless Youth Learns a Lesson
Posted on: October 29, 2013
Sanchez is an excellent talent who has played incredibly well all year. He’s played so well that it’s easy to forget he’s still young (just a RS Freshman). He made a few mistakes the other night against Tech but you always have to ask whether those mistakes are fixable? If the mistake is due to something like a lack of athleticism or fluidity then you’re in trouble moving forward. Zack has all the athleticism in the world. In this case the errors were just simple disciplinary things that can easily be cleaned up. We’ll take a look at the deep ball that Oklahoma got beat on.
1st and 10 Texas Tech is on the own 25, 3rd QTR 9:37
Texas Tech is in a Pro Formation with a Pistol right. Presnap Oklahoma is lined up a 2 man under (man coverage on the outside with 2 safeties – I’ve circled the two safeties in the image below), however both Cornerbacks end up backing out just before the snap and Gabe Lynn is going to come down and play a similar coverage to a robber in a Cover 1. Let me stop and take a second to say that Oklahoma has been disguising their coverages a lot this year which is great to see.
Sanchez and Colvin are both playing man free which looks a lot like a cover 3. Mike is probably thinking that Tech will run this on first down so he pulls Lynn down and he has outside linebackers set the edge instead of rushing the passer. Hayes is going to drop and remain over the top of Texas Tech’s All-Conference TE Jace Amaro.
Eric Ward, a former Oklahoma Sooner commit, is being covered by Sanchez and he’s going to beat us with an out and go. As I mentioned above Oklahoma is trying to disguise the coverage but Sanchez turns his hips inside perhaps a little early before the snap so he tips his hand. This lets Tech know that we aren’t really playing cover 2 with help over the top so they know that they’ve got Ward one-on-one with Sanchez and they’re going to take it.
In the image below you can see the path that the ball would have taken if Ward was actually running an out. Tech’s QB would have had to throw the ball through an oncoming defender (circled in blue down by the LOS) and you can see Gabe Lynn in decent position to, at least, break towards the ball and make the QB fit it. Tech’s WR is circled in red (he’s hidden by the Fox symbol). He’s turning out and you can see Sanchez coming into the screen driving hard on the ball.
Sanchez, gets caught looking inside as soon as Ward gets into his break and gets a little too aggressive, hoping to get an interception. When you play man most Division 1 coaches don’t want you looking inside because once you do you’ve lost site of the focal point which is the receiver’s hips. The hips tell the CB the story. They help the CB anticipate a double move like the one Ward is running. With Lynn there to help break on any hook to curl routes or play the “passing lane” on deeper outs Sanchez can focus on making sure he doesn’t let anything get deep. As soon as Sanchez starts to break on the ball Ward is up the sideline.
The encouraging thing, again, is that this mistake can be remedied. Its just a case of a young gun who is a little overzealous. A corner has to play with that edge and that confidence and Zack has that. The control and the discipline is a process. If you ask me, I would rather have a young man like Zack, who is athletic and aggressive that a coach can tame than a kid who is timid and unsure of himself. So even in the error of his youth there is much for Sooner fans to be very excited about. I fully expect Zack to have a great game against Baylor. Baylor might find out that basketball on grass doesn’t work as well against corners like Colvin and Sanchez. And I think the lessons young Sanchez learned in this game will be on display against Baylor.
The Football Brainiacs note to the reader: This play analysis is meant solely as an attempt to bring our readers closer to what’s happening on the field. This is not intended to demean or deprecate any player or the coaches. We all made mistakes and we all made plays just like any one of these fine young men. It’s part of the game and it is part of life and we wish them nothing but the best on the field and off.
8 Comments
Thanks for sharing. This helps many of us learn about disguising coverages and how OU does it. I think Zach is going to be a great corner next year. He’s already very very good.
We think so too. We’re all high on him. He’s just young, and agressive.
The fact that most don’t realize he’s still a frosh says it all to me. This Baylor game will be a huge test..HUGE. I don’t expect too much either as Baylor is sooo fast and quick on the outside and they can run. This will be about team and not just indiv match ups.
I love the way he plays. He’s a fearless corner that fits great in Mikes scheme. Will be the next all-conference corner out of the Stoops factory. I love his aggressive nature and his ability man up and be on an island will be imperative for the blitzes and the future.
Nice write up Ace. Hopefully this was just an aberration and he’s lock down against Baylor. Zach has been solid all year for the most part. The only beef I have with him is the four drops he’s had. He needs to pull some of those in…and he will…future looks solid. I like what Mike’s doing with this D
Totally agree JD! Its hard for me to understand how Sooner fan’s cant be excited about the direction of the D. They are going to give up yards and points this year because of youth and the lack of depth. But when you look closer at the technique they are playing, the scheme and identity they are developing and the recruiting – it’s exciting stuff.
This is the perfect thread for nearly the whole D. They are soooo young and very aggressive. We recruited speed last year. It’s showing up already. I stopped posting on Rivals because the posters there just don’t get it. They wanted to run Kish out this past summer even though he has had only two months recruiting last year. Looks what he’s done with the kids on campus. Someone is making them better each snap! Zach, Evans or Alexander…it doesn’t matter. Striker too. They are all making the wrong reads at times and missing. Heck, Colvin doesn’t look as good as Zach this year. Sorry, but that’s how I feel. I think we’ve been a bit lucky, but these kid are putting themselves in that position since they are taking chances and getting into heads. Throw Tap in there too I guess. These are growing pains and we’ll still have more this year. It happens when you gamble, but darn are they fun to watch. Bend don’t break? Baylor will TEST this young group. I don’t know if we can slow them down without the O being able to hold the ball for 5 minutes at a chunk. Our O has been our best D this year and that’s how it needs to be right now.
Colvin slips at the end of the game and thank goodness the wr doesn’t get the ball or it could be tied and going into OT. That’s what happens on islands and we need to get used to it, but when Zach get ups and rips the balls out of hands or tips that fade in the EZ denying the TD, then we all will go nuts and it will jack up everyone else. This really is a team. You can’t talk about one without mentioning the others. That’s why I thought this year would be a 4 loss team give or take and it still may be, but boy are they fun to watch grow up. Thanks guys.
I agree. Colvin has struggled since his tooth/concussion (?) vs TCU.