The Football Brainiacs

I wanted to show what the box looked like, and how Tulsa had to “play us honest.”  What’s nice is that we have balance.  We can run it, and we can throw it.  Tulsa respected our pass game, so they couldn’t afford to load the box.  In this case, you have seven up front for us vs seven in the box.  Depending on the side you run to if you so choose, it puts your back one on one with the safety.

We did choose to run and it’s a hat on a hat.  The safety started where the ump is standing now.  I circled him in red, and since we blocked it cleanly, Ford is one on one with the safety.  In these cases I like our chances because with Ford and Perine especially, we’re going to get good yards one on one unless we’re playing a special player at the safety spot.  So really it boils down to how you can isolate players and dictate match-ups.

I’m calling this one the “Wendy’s Formation.”  Double stacks to the left and right!  But how Tulsa has to play it is in respecting those receivers on both sides.  If we were to widen this out a bit, you could open up running lanes by a lot since you’re only running against five guys in the box.

Now on the same play we see Keith Ford almost looking at us.  He needs to take that blocking path shown with the red line up to the linebacker.  But like I’ve said before blocking begins with the eyes.  He can’t see that guy, but the backer definitely sees his QB starting to run.

So now because Keith’s eyes weren’t in the right spot, Trevor’s forced to throw it, and completes a nice pass to Sterling in the flat.  But had Keith blocked correctly and looked to the correct gap, Trevor may be able to take off and get a big gain.  There’s no one in the screen to stop him if Keith looks back inside.

After Sterling’s catch, there was some extracurricular stuff that happened on the sideline.  Bell immediately got in Celistan’s face, and I wanted to get a good shot of it.  Bell’s walking away at this point, and one of the TU coaches and refs had to grab the Tulsa player.  What’s nice is that Blake has always had this mentality, and that’s why his teammates love him.  He didn’t all of a sudden change positions and become nasty.  The nasty has always been there.  Blake’s like the honey badger…he just dgaf.  You gotta have that on your team.

On the ensuing snap we go play action, and at the very bottom of the line you can see Flowers getting a clean release from the tight end position.

This was definitely one of the nicer plays we had and one of Trevor’s sharpest passes.  On a line, he gets a laser out to Flowers for the 1st.  K’s been talking about how much more fluid he is than Millard was and it’s true.  Trey was an all-time great at the position, and Flower’s has a long way to go, so I don’t want to compare them that much.  Still for a true freshman, he’s a really good player and is just going to get better.

Even though the line is curved in this shot, Keith went straight.  I just needed to show you the opening he saw as Nila drove his guy by the hole.   

Keith doesn’t get enough credit for how fast he is, because as that thing opened up, he almost broke it.

He stumbled a little bit after #1 got a hand on ’em.  But look how far downfield he gets from shot to shot.  As he gets more looks and this line has more time to gel, the big plays will come.

I counted the back in this to show on the very next play how we have ’em outnumbered seven to sxi.  That linebacker at the top who is touched by the edge of the box is shading toward the hash to defend that play outside.  So if you come back right there’s nobody home and you’re outnumbering the defense.

As the ball is handed to Ford, you can see the corner #37 try to get in and offer run support, but there’s just too much ground to cover.  Also, the blue straight arrow shows where the backer had to come from, and being smart and going right gave him too much space to close.  The Bedenbaugh Effect is in display here too with Tyrus block I showed with the curved blue arrow and small red line.  Tyrus takes an inside out technique where he doesn’t have to get a lot on that guy, just enough to make him go around him.

And the result was one of the more cleanly blocked plays I’ve seen us execute.  Last week against La. Tech, Ross’ touchdown down close to the goal line was another, and Ford is off to the races.

While Keith is known as a power back, his speed really was on display here.  He goes untouched north and south for a 23-yard score.  He’s really a lot faster than people give him credit for, so you can see what Coach Stoops means.

Seven in the box again, with them having to play us straight up…

After Ford’s touchdown though, the safety comes flying up, and as Trevor fakes this read, his eyes are checking the safety all the way.

The result is the best deep ball he threw all day to Sterling on the outside.  Sterling has a habit of jumping for almost every catch.  I wondered if he stayed on his feet if he could have not gone down.

I’ve really started noticing people honoring our motions.  Both the linebacker and the safety move outside with the motion.

Look at this funky action off of the fake for the Jet sweep.  It draws the D-End and linebacker outside.

But with that you can see how much that little bit opened up the lane, and gave Daryl #79 the ability to get a good angle on the linebacker.

So like earlier, the isolation is there with the safety but it’s eight yards downfield.  Running and understanding the run game is a science.  #BedenbaughEffect

The bottom arrow is K.J. Young’s route.  Trevor’s reading to see who has the one-on-one match-up.

When K.J. draws two defenders it shows Trevor that Sterling is one-on-one.  Durron was breaking open at the last minute over the middle and cutting the field in half for Trevor gives him three options while looking only at one side of the field.  Durron would be his checkdown if Sterling or K.J. aren’t open.

Dr. Evil Said it best…I want a fricking laser!

Cody Thomas in at QB here.  Screen to Samaje with Nila and Tyler out blocking.

I’d love to have seen Samaje cut back on that inside shoulder of #53 and take him for a ride.  His weight’s all outside, so use that left arm and give him a stiff arm or buck him.

Samaje tries to outrun ’em, and I gotta believe since 53 was playing ’em up high, he breaks his tackle cutting back, and it’s a big play.