Are defenses finally catching up?

[HooahVol]

Interesting article on CBS Sports: Is college football's offensive revolution over? It certainly slowed down in 2017 - CBSSports.com

The main point of the article is since 2007 total offense has been going nuts in college football. Since then, the national scoring record was set three times, peaking last season. A lot of this is attributed to so many fast pace changes on offense. The Spread morphed into RPO which is often times no huddle. This season it all slowed down. Average total offense was down to 403.6 yards per game. That's the lowest nationally since 2011 (392.4). Average touchdowns per team declined to 3.65, the lowest since a 2011 average of 3.59. Several coaching sources said defenses are beginning to catch up. More teams are recruiting more versatile secondary players. Today's defensive backs have to be big enough to stop the run, physical enough to tackle in space and fast enough to track receivers. Not surprisingly, three of the top 10 and four of the top 14 prospects in the a recent CBS Sports mock draft are defensive backs.

What say you? Do you think DC's have finally figured out how to stop RPO? It does seem like I saw less hurry up this season. Are we about to enter a stretch where defense is king?

 

[TUSKtimes]

Interesting article on CBS Sports: Is college football's offensive revolution over? It certainly slowed down in 2017 - CBSSports.com

The main point of the article is since 2007 total offense has been going nuts in college football. Since then, the national scoring record was set three times, peaking last season. A lot of this is attributed to so many fast pace changes on offense. The Spread morphed into RPO which is often times no huddle. This season it all slowed down. Average total offense was down to 403.6 yards per game. That's the lowest nationally since 2011 (392.4). Average touchdowns per team declined to 3.65, the lowest since a 2011 average of 3.59. Several coaching sources said defenses are beginning to catch up. More teams are recruiting more versatile secondary players. Today's defensive backs have to be big enough to stop the run, physical enough to tackle in space and fast enough to track receivers. Not surprisingly, three of the top 10 and four of the top 14 prospects in the a recent CBS Sports mock draft are defensive backs.

What say you? Do you think DC's have finally figured out how to stop RPO? It does seem like I saw less hurry up this season. Are we about to enter a stretch where defense is king?

Sure they have. And a lot of teams that were strictly pro set have morphed into spread/hurry up pistol and RPO as well. Practicing these sets against your own offense every day in practice is a great advantage on game day.

 

[HooahVol]

Good point. Practicing against it is huge.

The great news is I think Pruitt gets it. We are already seeing some signs he is all over Tennessee's defense. The recent announcement that Tyler Byrd is moving to DB is just the most recent example. Pruitt understands the need for more versatile, secondary players like mentioned in the article.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Good point. Practicing against it is huge.

The great news is I think Pruitt gets it. We are already seeing some signs he is all over Tennessee's defense. The recent announcement that Tyler Byrd is moving to DB is just the most recent example. Pruitt understands the need for more versatile, secondary players like mentioned in the article.

What Pruitt gets is the Saban philosophy of both sides of the football. Coach Saban doesn't do anything on one side of the ball that he doesn't understand very well effects the other side of the LOS.

Kirby Smart is mirroring this when he picked an offense that displays power sets, knowing this is setting up his defense to play physical, own time of possession and field position.

Pruitt wants to be a fast, dominant, physical defense. He will put a power offense out there to protect and encourage that physical approach.

It's the Saban way.

 

[Caleb59seal]

Interesting article on CBS Sports: Is college football's offensive revolution over? It certainly slowed down in 2017 - CBSSports.com

The main point of the article is since 2007 total offense has been going nuts in college football. Since then, the national scoring record was set three times, peaking last season. A lot of this is attributed to so many fast pace changes on offense. The Spread morphed into RPO which is often times no huddle. This season it all slowed down. Average total offense was down to 403.6 yards per game. That's the lowest nationally since 2011 (392.4). Average touchdowns per team declined to 3.65, the lowest since a 2011 average of 3.59. Several coaching sources said defenses are beginning to catch up. More teams are recruiting more versatile secondary players. Today's defensive backs have to be big enough to stop the run, physical enough to tackle in space and fast enough to track receivers. Not surprisingly, three of the top 10 and four of the top 14 prospects in the a recent CBS Sports mock draft are defensive backs.

What say you? Do you think DC's have finally figured out how to stop RPO? It does seem like I saw less hurry up this season. Are we about to enter a stretch where defense is king?

First, defense has ALWAYS been king. 😄
Also, RPO isn't an offense, it's just a play structure... So I am a little confused but I think I know your point. A lot of the change is with defensive structure, and how they go about pass/ run responsibility. The 4-2-5 started to roll back around, and defensive coaches started getting different type of players (height and weight) to defend those type teams.
A little history lesson... The first (spread offense) was back in the 1930's. Also, Sid Gillman was the one to make it "go". New England is the ones who runs that exact same philosophy.
Typically defense's are predicated on their "adjusters" usually the overhangs. How and where you play those overhangs dictates what defense you are.

Offenses speed it up and make defenses adjust quicker. Also, quarters coverage has gone a long way to neutralize the spread.

I'm glad you started this thread sir.

 

[sanefan]

First, defense has ALWAYS been king. 😄
Also, RPO isn't an offense, it's just a play structure... So I am a little confused but I think I know your point. A lot of the change is with defensive structure, and how they go about pass/ run responsibility. The 4-2-5 started to roll back around, and defensive coaches started getting different type of players (height and weight) to defend those type teams.
A little history lesson... The first (spread offense) was back in the 1930's. Also, Sid Gillman was the one to make it "go". New England is the ones who runs that exact same philosophy.
Typically defense's are predicated on their "adjusters" usually the overhangs. How and where you play those overhangs dictates what defense you are.

Offenses speed it up and make defenses adjust quicker. Also, quarters coverage has gone a long way to neutralize the spread.

I'm glad you started this thread sir.

Interesting topic. Since the proliferation of spread wide formations with RPO plays, defenses have shifted to smaller, more agile defenders in the middle.

Interior DL are now 310-320 (except freaks) that are quicker and more agile.

Middle LB are 230-245 instead of 260 plus. Now they can cover more than just a tight end.

Safeties are now about 10-15 lbs smaller with CB cover skills.

Even the typical CB is now 3-4 inches taller to compete with the tall WR that were just catching jump balls downfield.

Spreads were able to take advantage of unintended consequences due to clock changes between plays, but defensive substitutions have caught up.

Where do offenses go next?

 

[GAVol]

Just look at Pruitt's recruiting and the focus on DBs. It wasn't all that long ago that DBs were perceived as fast guys with bad hands.

 

[GAVol]

Where do offenses go next?

Get ready to hear "Smash and Gun" a lot.

 

[Caleb59seal]

Get ready to hear "Smash and Gun" a lot.

Yes sir. I also think there will be a lot more "specialist's" on offense. I really like the potential of a hybrid type guy that the packers had in Ty Montgomery. I just think with all the camps and originizations that help with prepping kids for football, it just seems that where the game is going.

 

[QuickSmurf]

Oklahoma had no problems scoring many points against Georgia. If Clemson's Bryant was as good as Watson they would have scored more too. Bryant just doesn't have the passing game.

 

[n_huffhines]

There are more total yards and points because there are more plays per game. Teams averaged 66 plays per game in 2007, 74 last year, and this year they averaged 72.

/thread

 

[LouderVol]

There are more total yards and points because there are more plays per game. Teams averaged 66 plays per game in 2007, 74 last year, and this year they averaged 72.

/thread

yes, but why are they running fewer plays this year? what adjustments have defenses made? Is it bad clock management? More emphasis on the run vs the pass?

 

[HooahVol]

Maybe this year was just an anomaly so I will look forward to next year to see but I rarely saw hurry up offenses this year. If i did it was only for a brief time, not the whole game. I think that shows DC's have adjusted and are at least calling in the plays more efficiently. I think one thing teams with hurry up offenses were finding is they were leaving their defenses on the field too long and wearing them out. A nice, long sustained drive is good for your defense.

 

[GAVol]

yes, but why are they running fewer plays this year? what adjustments have defenses made? Is it bad clock management? More emphasis on the run vs the pass?

I think as No Huddle offenses evolve, OCs are looking for the most efficient mix of Hurry Up and Muddle Huddle. Not as many are going fast just for the sake of going fast. Also, the rule where the umpire is stepping in to allow the defense to match personnel changes on offense probably costs the offense a few snaps per game.

 

[LouderVol]

I think as No Huddle offenses evolve, OCs are looking for the most efficient mix of Hurry Up and Muddle Huddle. Not as many are going fast just for the sake of going fast. Also, the rule where the umpire is stepping in to allow the defense to match personnel changes on offense probably costs the offense a few snaps per game.

yes but I believe that has been around for at least two seasons including 2016 which I think was the record year.

 

[Caleb59seal]

The No Huddle Hurry Up is two fold. First, it helps cause confusion for the defense because of checks they make from offensive shifts, motions, etc. Second, it made defense's stay in a very vanilla defense, so that you don't have near as many disguises or intract calls. However, the BTF or Blitz The Formation evolved and now you have "if they get in this formation, we will do this." As always there is an eb and flow.

 

[Caleb59seal]

Well, this was a good thread.

 

[GAVol]

Well, this was a good thread.

...and it shall be again.

What do you think of the possibility of somebody getting away from raw speed on offense and lining up TEs in weird places to mask eligible receivers? Seems like that's about the only place to go formation-wise.

 

[HooahVol]

...and it shall be again.

What do you think of the possibility of somebody getting away from raw speed on offense and lining up TEs in weird places to mask eligible receivers? Seems like that's about the only place to go formation-wise.

I personally think the TE's are the most underutilized player on the field. Up until now they have mainly been used to force the defense to declare strength to the side of the Tight End. This gives the play caller a much better feel of where the defenders will line up and allows him to make a play call that will be successful against that alignment. Using the TE as a pawn to draw out the other players knight is good but it has lulled defenses to sleep. I think the TE can slip out into the flats unnoticed now and at the very least be a safety valve for a blown play.

 

[Caleb59seal]

...and it shall be again.

What do you think of the possibility of somebody getting away from raw speed on offense and lining up TEs in weird places to mask eligible receivers? Seems like that's about the only place to go formation-wise.

I will answer both responses. First, we have to define what TE you prefer. TE's are very much the adjusters of your offense (very similar to your overhang players on defense) you can have them manipulate defensive structures. So defining the TE is the way you answer that question... Do you want a blocking TE or a Y TE or do you want to put him in as an H back or a U wing type player. If answer that question then you can start answering where the formations can start to evolve to. Also, if you watch NE or ATL last year they would do that same concept with going five wide motioning a TE or a back out wide with a Slot/ WR stack with a tighter split. Whenever you are talking about manipulating the defense it is identifying there free player and getting him far away from the play. I apologize for the long answer.

 

[Caleb59seal]

I personally think the TE's are the most underutilized player on the field. Up until now they have mainly been used to force the defense to declare strength to the side of the Tight End. This gives the play caller a much better feel of where the defenders will line up and allows him to make a play call that will be successful against that alignment. Using the TE as a pawn to draw out the other players knight is good but it has lulled defenses to sleep. I think the TE can slip out into the flats unnoticed now and at the very least be a safety valve for a blown play.

you should look up Sid Gillman on TE's or the Sid Gillman offense