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Defending Tech

Posted by Scipio Tex on October 28th, 2008 under Uncategorized

My intent is go a bit beyond “tackle well!” and “get pressure!” and “hit hard!” as the remedies for stopping Tech. Those three things are all absolutely true, but I’m going to assume them as a given.

One of the things I appreciate about Muschamp is his practicality in addressing an opponent’s offense. Many coordinators invest their ego in statistics or a certain philosophy (hi Gene!) and that doesn’t serve you well in a league that attacks you in as many different ways as the Big 12 does. Will Muschamp is very multiple and our defense and his wife appreciate it.

I’ve argued that Muschamp is at his best with this defense when he can take an opponent’s offense and distill defending it into simple assignments and packages for young safeties and a specialized LBing corps. When our talent and experience improves at LB and S, we’ll be able to defend much more instinctively and leave open-ended scenarios to the players, but until then Will Muschamp is giving our personnel at our hinge positions a Choose Your Own Adventure book with only two or three options at the conclusion of each page:

1. Do you follow Mr. Crabtree into the darkened cave? He has something he wants to show you! (turn to page 86)

2. Do you say,”No thanks!” and tell the others what you’ve found? You’re worried about leaving the evil Baron at the lighthouse! (turn to page 44)

3. You demand to know where Mr Harrell went! He’ll surely know where the stolen douche is kept! (turn to page 38)


Harrell’s Introductory Guide To Clubbing

So how can Will keep our choices limited but of quality?

Test Leach’s Patience

First and foremost, we must test Tech’s commitment to the running game. The best way to do that is to roll out dime personnel – 4 cornerbacks and 2 safeties – a 3 man DL, Kindle & Muckelroy. If that package can legitimately stop Baron Batch and Shannon Woods from murdering us 7-10 yards at a time, or even better, we can get Leach to abandon the run even when it’s working to serve his pass-happy trigger finger, we’ll have won a great victory. We’ll have reduced the game to covering, pressuring, tackling. That is a good thing.

Kindle Dooooon’t Be A Hero

Roy Miller is the foundation of this dime defense and he must demand the double team. Houston, Orakpo, Lewis & Melton can keep legs fresh at the other two DL spots. They need to blitz the gaps like James Randi at a seance. Kindle is my hero blitzer – he can line up anywhere on the LOS and his job is to take a gap, disrupt, and make hustle plays. He’s very good at all three. Lining him up on Orakpo’s ass while both stunt through contiguous gaps would be fun. Harrell can’t run so contain isn’t a major concern. I like Acho in the hero blitzer role as well if Sergio needs a rest. Muckelroy draws the toughest assignment of all – he is the clean up guy from tackle to tackle who has to get Batch or Woods on the ground if they squirt through. If he can do that consistently and hold them to five yard gains instead of popping for twenty five, we’re well on our way. Getting pressure on Harrell with only three or four is imperative.

Stranger Than Friction

We’re also placing a tremendous burden on our DL for screen and shovel recognition. They’re going to need to sniff them out, bat balls, and still hit Harrell. The best way to defend Tech isn’t just competent X’s and O’s – it’s introducing frictions. Clausewitz wrote that everything is very simple to execute, but the simplest things are very hard. For Tech’s offense those frictions are a batted ball, a slightly disrupted timing, A DL sensing a screen, an unexpected late look from your front, Harrell getting a helmet in his chin, a hustle play from a trailing Kindle who pops the ball out. You try to play Tech on the back of a cocktail napkin and you’re done. Leach has thought through the counters to the counters to your counters. The question is whether he can physically do them. Really good athletes playing hard and smart introduce a lot of friction into what Tech is doing.

Don’t Let A Point Guard Cover A Power Forward


This Should End Well

In the secondary, I like cover two medium depth safeties and man under with four corners. We can zone if we must to give a different look, but it better be with pattern reading and recognition. Meaning, you run zone but with man principles – if a WR takes off straight up the field, you have to turn and run with him. Otherwise, Tech will run four deep and overwhelm our safeties. We have five viable cornerbacks: the Browns, Palmer, Beasley, Williams. That depth will serve us well. Earl Thomas can run with a Tech receiver. Blake Gideon can’t. Protecting both of them in a cover two shell makes sense, but I don’t mind playing with Gideon nearer the LOS occasionally. We need Gideon to be a traffic cop and this gives Earl some potential to jump routes over the medium middle. Split the deep halves and keep everything in front.

Personnel matching is key and I want Chykie B (if healthy) or Curtis B on Crabtree no matter where he goes. Michael Crabtree is great because of his physicality, aggression, and ball skills. He’s Quan Cosby plus 5 inches and thirty pounds. Keep big on big. Playing dime allows you to do that. If Deon Beasley covers Crabtree, Michael will stiff arm him into the dirt on a two yard hitch, run for 55 yards, and then tinkle on Deon during the touchdown celebration. It will also introduce a physical confidence into Tech that will be outrageous to overcome. Eric Morris is same-same but different. There’s no value in having a 6′1 cornerback (or a LB) with a high center of gravity chasing a growth-hormone deprived gnome on five yard crossing routes. Match him with Palmer or Beasley. Give him a paper route. Ground him. Whatever. Hell, we may have even found a guy that Beasley would feel comfortable roughing up. My basic point is: big on big, small on small.

My Sanford And Son Defense


I’m comin’ Elizabeth!

On unlikely running downs, there would be some value in playing a five corner dime (it could work with Gideon, but a CB gives you more ball skills) with some zone/man blitz principles. Appear to man up across the board, put Earl 15 yards deep in Cover 1, and roll up the extra corner to give the appearance of bracketing Crabtree at the LOS. You roll him up late. Except he doesn’t have Crabtree. He has a shallow zone and he’s heading inside. On the other side of the formation, your DE drops back and stands in a zone. He’s looking for a hot route or screen too. You overload on the extra corner side and bring four. You now have an overloaded blitz on one side of the field (Orakpo, Miller, Muck, Kindle) that will bring great pressure and men attacking shallow hot routes. You haven’t sold out coverage to do it. A lot of what Harrell does is rote and if you can suggest lazy and obvious reads (Texas is selling out on a blitz, Crabtree is doubled, throw hot) but do something else entirely your athletes may be able to make a game-changing play on the ball. Or create the indecision that allows a sack or pressure. This defense is madness over the course of a game, but used a few times, it could cause some stress.

Of course, all of the above may be wrong and we may end up with:

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39 Responses

  1. Musburger said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 1:56 pm

    Great read as always.

  2. dedfischer said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 2:01 pm

    How do you think Muschamp’s will defend Leach’s “man buster” formations?

  3. dedfischer said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    http://barkingcarnival.fantake.com/dedfischer/texas-tech-post-mortem-smu-is-this-typical-tech

  4. Parlin Hall said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 2:06 pm

    Pelini found out by accident that it almost doesn’t matter what defense you call against Leech if your offense sustains 8:00 drives.

    After throwing Tech out of its rhythm by holding onto the ball, NU had to work hard to lose that game.

  5. Trips Right said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 2:07 pm

    Great read. Really fucking good.

    I would add that all we need to do is muck up 3 or 4 drives with a turnover or big loss of yardage to win a shootout. It’s really going to be a game of playstation where forcing a punt is more valuable than a touchdown.

    Also, Harrell hates to be hit. Who doesn’t? But seriously, I’ve never seen a kid whine about being hit as much as Graham. Pop in the Kansas tape. It’s fucking comical.

  6. Wulaw Horn said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    I just started a thread on HF about how Harrell hates contact. More so than his bitching and whining in the Kansas game I found the A&M game instructive.

    He threw an interception b/c a defensive tackle was coming at him (not even close when he just chucked the ball up to avoid contact) and I counted at least 5 plays that he gave up on and basically spiked the ball in the turf b/c a defender actually got within 5 yards of him.

    It was really weird to me- I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a college QB that looks like more of a pansy. Of course his OL enables him to keep a clean jersey most of the game, so it’s not generally a big issue.

    It was a little thing that might end up being a big deal. I don’t think we have to crush him or anything, just make it look like we might get to him and his decision making gets bad.

  7. Wulaw Horn said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 2:37 pm

    Above comment was in response to Trips obviously.

    Great write up Scip, absolutely nothing I could add to it.

  8. DJ said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 3:53 pm

    I think Aaron Williams may be a big key as the dime back because he can cover the slot, but is big enough and physical enough to mix it up in run defense as well. Dude loves to hit. Unlike some others (cough, cough, beasley).

  9. Gene Claude said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 4:40 pm

    Dude, you are setting the blogging bar ridiculously high. Can you write something boring and nonsensical at least once a week?

  10. NM99 said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 5:34 pm

    You’re right that a man-cverage nickel/dime package is probably the best option for defending against the our receivers if the pressure gets there fast enough. If nothing else it will sucker Harrell into trying to throw the fade to the sideline, which works well when he’s on, but poorly about 50% of the time. I still contend that the height of the Tech receivers will cause match up problems – especially if you have to abandon the dime for pressure and/or run.

    It’s generally Harrell who makes the call on run v. pass based on what he reads from the defense, not Leach.

    The personnel match-ps in the secondary intrigue me. Really interested to see how this one plays out.

  11. RansomStoddard said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 5:52 pm

    This is the one week I wish we had a real tailback.

  12. Scipio Tex said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 5:54 pm

    We do. His name is Fozzy Vondrell Ogbonnaya.

  13. Scipio Tex said:

    October 28th, 2008 at 8:34 pm

    ded:

    That’s really interesting. Assuming we’ve seen and prepared for that, I would hope we could substitute DL and LB personnel appropriately upon seeing James and your LB go in.

    If we’re caught in a dime, maybe you walk up your extra DBs into a 3-5-3. You outnumber the run but still have some guys with coverage depth. It would be an interesting look to throw at us.

    Trips:

    Figure Tech gets 10 possessions. Two turnovers and four legit stops probably mean a win. I have a feeling that this game is going to have a lot of going for it on 4th down as well. If we hold, those are as good as turnovers.

    DJ:

    Aaron will see a lot of time on the field, IMO. I love his physicality.

    Gene Claude:

    Thanks for the nice words. You guys are doing great stuff over there. Are you linking up @ opponent boards? People always want to read objective takes from the opposition.

    NM99 –

    When you mention height, I certainly see that with Crabtree, but who else am I missing? Agreed on the dime. If Batch consistently punishes us, we’re left with a dilemma.

  14. beowulf said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 2:56 am

    It was about mid-1st quarter of the OU game when I realized I was watching GDGD employ basically the offenive alignment and attack that you had perceived on this blog prior to the game. I won’t be surprised at all to see Mus and the defense in the alignments and scheme you just outlined. Now all we need is for the good guys to play hard and hit hard.”>)

    I think I read somewhere that Muschamp was on the Ky staff with Mumme and the Pirate when Tech’s current offense was malevolently conceived with genetically incompatible mixtures of ape/human/dog/Henry James ova in various contaminated petri dishes. Mus has been preparing for this Saturday since his earliest days in coaching.

    If Tech follows their A&M script and snaps the ball with 5 seconds or less on the clock, then Mus should be able to substitute with impunity. That will be interesting to watch.

    Colt and our our precision short pass game need to continue their magic and sustain drives and eat clock. With the percentage of passes that both Harrell and Colt are completing, plus the new clock rules, this probably won’t be a 4 hour marathon that several Tech gams in the past were. I think that works in our favor.

    Great stuff, Scip.

  15. dedfischer said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 4:09 am

    “That’s really interesting. Assuming we’ve seen and prepared for that, I would hope we could substitute DL and LB personnel appropriately upon seeing James and your LB go in.”

    CA is helping me with some play diagramming with magic dots, and I’m writing a feature on the Tech PA game as we speak. I think you’ll find some interesting things in there that Texas fans might not be aware of. After Kansas, I’m guessing Muschamp is.

  16. callkevin said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 4:17 am

    Muschamp was never at Kentucky, nor on staff with Leach. He was at Valdosta State in 2000, where Mumme and Leach were before moving to Kentucky, but they were long gone.

  17. beowulf said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 4:24 am

    I’ll have to find that reference, CallKev. Thanks for the correction. It was from a post on OB, IT, or BON.

    But I stand firm with petri dish comments.

  18. kevwun said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 4:27 am

    According to someone on OB’s, Mack said that Kindle has been put back on special teams to help with coverage. Is this true?

  19. beowulf said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 4:32 am

    It was this blurb from Chip Brown on his “Wire.”

    “…..Muschamp started in college coaching at Valdosta State where Hall Mumme and Leach cooked up much of what Tech’s offense is based on. So nothing Tech does will surprise him.”

    Invoking Mumme made me come up with Kentucky.

  20. NM99 said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 4:37 am

    Scip:

    “Height…Who else am I missing ”

    Primarily Swindall (6-3), Britton (6-0, 4th in 100M national in HS), Leong (6-1, crazy jumper)

    Lewis is another target at 6-0, but not overly fast. He’s got a slight height adv. over most of your DBs I think, but nothing to write home about.

    Rashad Hawk (6-4, RS FR) will see some time. He is green but has shown the ability to make some plays.

    Adam James (6-3), another FR, is listed as a TE, but will line up in the H-back spot instead of Morris. ded also had a post on another set he is used in that gives us options. Not a guy you want to cover with a corner or DB in dime.

  21. Turn the page, Fred said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 4:56 am

    beowulf,

    “I think I read somewhere that Muschamp was on the Ky staff with Mumme and the Pirate when Tech’s current offense was malevolently conceived with genetically incompatible mixtures of ape/human/dog/Henry James ova in various contaminated petri dishes. Mus has been preparing for this Saturday since his earliest days in coaching.”

    Not true (…the ‘on the same coaching staff’ part….the HJ ova mixture part is correct, though.)

  22. commish said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 5:05 am

    I think you might be underestimating Harrell’s running ability. It’s not so much that he can’t run, it’s just that he usually doesn’t. In fact, he moves quite well, and I think he actually had a 10 yard scramble or two against Kansas last week. (note: scramble out of bounds or ending in a slide, he definitely won’t put his head down like Colt does)

    Don’t get me wrong, I generally agree with what your saying. That is, Texas shouldn’t worry too much about Harrell as a run/scramble threat. But it’s not like he’s got stone legs or runs a 7.5 sec 40, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him scramble on a couple plays on Saturday.

  23. NM99 said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 5:30 am

    Agree with you commish. I think he was listed as having a 4.5 40 in the scouting report out of HS. At the same time, if Harrell is scrambling for yards, Tech is in trouble. That is definitely not their game plan. If he plans on running, he better put his big girl panties on and snap both straps on his helmet, because I have no doubt that Muschamp has the Texas D licking their chops for that chance. In fact, he better do that anyway.

  24. callkevin said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 6:35 am

    Chip’s comment is misleading, ‘wulf. Mumme and Leach left Valdosta State after the 1996 season. Chris Hatcher was head coach at Valdosta in 2000, when Muschamp was there–it was Hatcher’s first season. Hatcher’s a guy I think will keep moving up. Hatcher came to Valdosta State from a few years at Kentucky as a GA and then QB/WR coach on Mumme/Leach’s staff, so it’s not like the association is ridiculous–just not totally accurate.

  25. beowulf said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 6:54 am

    You’re the scariest man on teh internets, Kevin.

  26. Vasherized said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 7:07 am

    I got really nervous the few times Beasley was Covering Bryant. Hopefully Crabtree’s responsibility is limited to the Browns. What they can do for us > Palmer/Beasley.

    Akina seems to feel comfortable with leaving any of his corners on an island against the opponent’s stud WR …. maybe its his Hawaiian heritage. Maybe its the mustache. I’m far less comfortable leaving that job to just anybody.

  27. dedfischer said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 7:24 am

    “That’s really interesting.”

    I’ve got Part 1 on the 2 back stuff we do up. Might be some interesting things in here:

    http://www.tortillaretort.com/dedfischer/the-texas-tech-playaction-game-2-back-set/

  28. jonestopten said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 7:43 am

    On Beasley and Palmer…when fans are critical of them (and we are), the critique is fairly consistent:

    Beasley has regressed and is not physical enough to play for Will Muschamp.

    Palmer is a midget who is a liability in coverage.

    But let’s look at the positives:

    1. Both of them can cover, especially Beasley, whose ball skills are very underrated. I would like to look at some tape of him one-on-one with Bryant last week. I’m guessing he did a creditable job. We certainly don’t win the 2007 Okie State game without him, nor do we win the 2007 Tech game. He hasn’t regressed THAT much.

    2. Palmer is very fast–even for a Texas defensive back. Is he an all-conference player? Not even close, but he is very experienced and is a huge asset against the Texas Tech’s of the world. If he was a commodity (hey buddy, Tech coming to town, need a fourth cornerback?), it would be a seller’s market for his services in today’s college game, especially in the B-12.

    Athlete-on-athlete, Tech’s advantages start to diminish the further down the depth chart you get. It’s partially because of former starters like Beasley and Palmer that we have that luxury. Hell, Brandon Foster has been valuable to us in this series (cue the 2006 tape…)

    Just trying to appreciate a little more of what we have.

  29. Art Vandelay said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 8:08 am

    Great stuff Scipio. Nothing to add to your analysis other than to say “tackle well!” and “get pressure!” and “hit hard!” are areas previous Longhorn teams didn’t excel in.

    In honor of Rollo I have included some “skin flicks” below:

    Nathan Vasher destroys Carlos Francis:

    Tony Brackens hit on Texas Tech Kicker:

  30. Hippie Killer said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 8:30 am

    Is Graham Harrell a bigger douchebag than Rudy Carpenter?

  31. Vasherized said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 9:09 am

    jones,

    I hear you and they certainly bring some needed depth. I just prefer what the Browns and Aaron Williams can do for us right now based on what I’ve seen over the last few games.

    Beasley simply hasn’t made near as many plays on the ball as he did last year. His regression is perplexing.

    At least Palmer is good in run support but Beasley clearly has shied away from contact. If you watch his film against Bryant he got turned around pretty bad a few times, particularly on the long completion down the sideline.

    I’m damn glad to have 5 reliable DBs we can throw out there against Tech, I just want a select few of them covering Crabtree.

    Hippie killer,

    I’d have to say he’s gaining on Carpenter quickly, more for the shit he does on the field than the comments Rudy became infamous for off of it.

  32. jonestopten said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 10:02 am

    All true points…

    “His regression is perplexing.”

    I’ll say. When the season started, he was one of our few all-conference candidates. What a difference half a season makes.

  33. dedfischer said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 1:14 pm

    After a little research, does it change anyone’s opinion about Tech, if I told you that Batch/Woods are averaging 181 yards per conference game compared to Hunter/Toston’s 175?

  34. HenryJames said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pm

    You’ve played 3 of the 4 worst rushing defenses in the conference.

  35. dedfischer said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    So, the playaction game of Tech is not of concern?

  36. dedfischer said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 1:23 pm

    OSU has played A&M and Baylor, btw. Mizzou is not exactly the Great Wall of the Forty Acres either.

  37. Shockthenation said:

    October 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pm

    I have no idea what will happen on Saturday night but Tech fans I know seem to have a lot of confidence eventhough their team was scratching and clawing their way to an overtime win less than three weeks ago against Nebraska. A win over Kansas has definitely changed the tune. I say bring it and trust in the all white unis at night.

  38. Action said:

    October 30th, 2008 at 4:44 pm

    Hair on Fire!, Hair on Fire!

    Somebody give a Techster a Aloe enema.

    It’s THE GAME OF THE CENTURY for crying out loud! AAAAAAHHHHHH! Ahhhhyeeeee!

    Techsters feel the freneitic beat. Yes…..Oh Yes.

    Boom Faflafa. Boom Fafalafa BOOM!

  39. e gold invest said:

    November 12th, 2008 at 12:16 pm

    e gold invest

    Good post. I am looking into these issues on my blog.

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