Breakdown Sports

Originally posted at Maize n Brew on 8/30/13  We've went over a brief primer to discuss some of the possible blocking calls that will be made during a Power O run. This time we are going to focus I specific examples of how an offensive line will adjust and make various block calls to face any defense. Power O Basics

Originally published at Maize n Brew on 8/29/13 This post will work as a primer for blocking the Power O run scheme. In the next post, we'll look at how the play is run against specific fronts.

Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images Michigan Offense: Mostly 12 personnel, mixed with 11 personnel. Mostly zone blocking scheme with Power O mixed in. Simple route concepts in pass game. Michigan Defense: Mix of Cover 1 and Cover 4 mostly Minnesota Offense: Mostly 12 and 22 personnel. Zone based team. More under center than normal. PA heavy in pass game. Minnesota Defense: Mix of Cover 1 and Cover 4 Author's note Other "Coaching Points" posts will be later this week and more detailed. I'm also sorry for Minnesota fans in advance that they won't get the focus they normally would. I came down with the flu Friday night, forgot to set my DVR, fought my way to the game despite me feeling like it was 40 degrees outside on a beautiful 80 degree day, and did not manage to get as much detail as I had hoped. What's below is some of what I was able to take away based on one live viewing during a game I was generally dehydrated and feeling like crap. My apologies....

As a philosophy, I think an optimal offense needs to be able to threaten to run from every pass look (draw, screen, etc) and pass from every run look. This doesn’t just mean be able to do both from any formation, but be able to give an initial look while attacking with the other. Play action is a fundamental piece to almost every offense, even the most pass heavy, but particularly the more run heavy. However, it’s not enough to simply call play action, it is essential that the correct protection is paired with the run action look given the situation. Likewise, the correct type of fake should be employed  by the QB.

Had my first radio appearance today over at 1620 The Zone for "Unsportsmanlike Contact" out of Lincoln, Nebraska. You can check it out here. LINK

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports Offense: Mostly 12 or 22 personnel, zone stretch run scheme Defense: 4-3 Over (Under mixed in) mostly 2-high safeties as it's always been.

I’m a huge proponent of bunch sets and stack sets. They overload zones, they provide nature rubs against man coverage, they attack vertically but are also utilized in space, they force the defense to make concessions to their coverage in the way of post snap adjustments (like in-out adjustments) which force defenses to have consistent eye discipline and great post-snap communication and feel. On top of that, they help to define the coverage so that, as an offense, you can see how to take advantage of a defense. So this is a powerful advantage. Against Miami, Nebraska utilized a bunch set from the #2 and #3 receivers and combined it with a familiar passing concept to leverage Miami and get a wide-open touchdown.

AP Photo/Nati Harnik (The Associated Press) Offense: Mostly 11 and 12 personnel. Mostly zone blocked schemes from pistol and gun. Defense: Nickel Cover 1 with sprinkled in Cover 4 (less after first drive).

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Offense: 12 and 11 personnel. Mix of under center, pistol, and gun. Defense: Mostly Cover 1, mixed in some zones. Base 4-3 Over on normal down and distance.

Over at the PAC 12 Website, Rich Neuheisal had a very cool segment with regards to how Oregon found and exploited a flaw in MSU's scheme. Take a look:

Daniel Mears / Detroit News Under Doug Nussmeier, Michigan has switched to a predominately zone scheme. There are two typical types of zone runs: Inside Zone and Outside Zone. But that’s not all Michigan runs. They also utilize several gap and man blocking schemes to counter the standard zone schemes. Furthermore, they utilize several pin and pull adjustments to their zone stretch scheme to attack the edge. One thing I'd like you to do when looking at the diagrams is to split them in half through the center. Notice the playside and the backside throughout this post. What that will show you is what the defenders to that side of the field are seeing, and why it is difficult to defend all these concepts. The diagrams below are all from an I-formation with a FB. But it's important to note that these plays can all be run from a pistol set or a shotgun set, with a FB, or H-back, or even at times simply a TE, making them diverse throughout multiple formations.

PREVIEW FROM ORIGINAL POST AT THE CHAMPAIGN ROOM Wes Lunt transferred to Illinois from Oklahoma State. (USATSI) Early in the first quarter, Illinois had success running crossing routes against Washington's man-to-man cover 1. They ran routes concepts like the drag and follow (drive and chase), mesh concept, and a Cadillac (levels) concept. These are concepts that are all-coverage beaters, but when Washington switched from a Cover one/Man Under to Cover two/four, Lunt struggled to read the underneath coverage quick enough. *     *     *     *     *     *     * How To Make Life Easier for Lunt So, first of all, Lunt needs pass protection. The example above wasn't the only time Heitz got whooped. In fact, several of the other concepts I got to diagram weren't allowed to develop before the pressure got in off the right side of the line. What that means is that the RT needs some help. You can give him help in several ways...

In this post we will look at some of the standard route concepts run from a TE/Flanker alignment. Obviously, these can be paired with other routes (some I'll show including a RB), but this is to get the fundamental understanding of the routes. I'll try to explain the concept briefly, as well as provide names for what you'll hear the concept called elsewhere at times (these things get lots of names, some people use the same names but have different meanings too, so it can get confusing). If a number is visible near the end of a route, that is the nominal yardage the route will be run to. For more information on specific routes, we took a look at the route tree earlier .

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Offense: 21 and 12 personnel. Run based. Defense: Cover 1 with Cover 3 change-up.

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren Offense: 11 and 20 personnel. Zone based run scheme. Mostly simple spread passing concepts, but will get into heavy personnel fairly regularly. Very multiple. Defense: 3-3-5 Over - Mixed Cover 4, Cover 1, and Cover 3 Robber

Upchurch - MGoBlog Offense: Mostly 12 personnel from what I remember, though FB/TE split out a lot Defense: Mostly Cover 4 from base 4-3 Over

Source: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images North America Offense: 11 Spread Option Defense: 4-3 Over Cover 4, Cover 3 behind blitz package Disclaimer: I watched the 4th quarter live after a full day of watching football that had just seen Michigan get curbstomped and MSU fade late. So my 4th quarter recollection is more of a haze outside high level stuff. I did DVR it, and went back and watched the DVR, but the broadcast was intended to be "3 hours", which basically was the first three quarters.

Offense: Mix of 21 and 11 personnel. Mostly zone blocking. Defense: 4-3 Over Cover 4, 3-3-5 on passing downs.

Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports Offense: Mostly 11 and 12 personnel. Defense: Over/Even Nickel

This post is intended to look at the fundamental route trees for WRs, TEs, and RBs. These show and give a brief description for receivers in most every system. WR Route Tree

(Photo: Kevin W. Fowler | for the Lansing State Journal) Disclaimer: I watched the first half of the MSU vs JSU game Offense: Lots of 12 personnel, single back Power O with Inside Zone constraint Defense: 4-3 Over, Double A gap blitz heavy early. 3-3-5 Nickel

Steve Flynn/USA TODAY Sports  Offense: Mostly 12 personnel, single back offense. Pass Heavy Defense: 4-3

Originally posted at Maize n Brew August 27, 2013 Note One of the primary strengths of utilizing an H-back (U-back) is the versatility they give to the pass game. They can split wide, play the wing, play in-line TE, or play FB. In this way, offenses can put them in different positions, in different formations that have a variety of strengths, yet continue to run the same plays. Likewise, an H-back can always flex into a position to become a vertical threat. This post is quick look at the versatility an H-back gives to the pass game when combined with the run game  using an H-back. Introduction While each of these formations have their own strengths and weaknesses, as we've discussed, they also have a lot in common. The pass game is no different. While clearly you can move around a U-back, put him on the other side of the formation or something else to take advantage of different pass concepts, you can also run what are essentially the same plays with different initial looks....

Bryan Fuller - MGoBlog Offense: Single back 11 Personnel early; more 12 personnel as game went on. Split lots of TEs wide. Defense: Blitz heavy Over/Even Nickel Cover 1; 3-3-5 on passing downs