When I wrote my Wake Forest preview, I knew that Saturday's noon kickoff against the Demon Deacons would be a slog. With a mobile defensive front-seven, a solid secondary and a blitzing scheme that used movement to create numerical advantages in pass rush, Wake Forest was a textbook matchup nightmare for a Virginia Tech offense that has struggled two consecutive seasons against active blitzing fronts.
Never in my wildest imagination did I think that the Hokies would go sixty minutes without scoring a point. While turnovers (a Brenden Motley fumble and a lateral that Bucky Hodges could not reign in) killed two promising drives, breakdowns in pass protection resulted in numerous negative plays that absolutely killed any momentum that the Hokies started to build on many of their drives. Those negative plays negated another strong game by J.C. Coleman and a regulation shutout by a dominant Hokies defensive front.
As the game progressed, a familiar pattern emerged. Sure, on occasion an individual Wake pass rusher would get the best of a Virginia Tech offensive lineman. However, more often it appeared that the Virginia Tech offensive line would slide to one side, and the defensive pressure went to the other side. When you watch a game at game speed, it is difficult to determine if there is a clear pattern. Your mind will play tricks on you and make you think something happened one way and instead reality was very different, or something is merely a coincidence of one play bust, rather than a calculated strategy. I made the determination before Wake Forest's final field goal attempt sailed through the uprights that I was going to attempt to identify why it looked like Wake was getting so many unabated rushes on Michael Brewer.
Setting the Pass Protection
What do I mean when I say "setting the pass protection"? There are two common kinds of protections, cup protection and slide protection. A cup protection looks just like it sounds; the offensive line forms a cup around the quarterback. The running back checks an inside gap in case there is an unaccounted for blitzer, and then slides out to the edge to check and make sure there isn't pressure off the corner. A slide protection means the offensive line slides to the right or the left, and the running back fills in on the back side.
Each scheme has its strength. A cup protection is utilized most often when a team feels their offensive line has a good matchup against the defense or if a team likes to bring five-man pressures. A slide protection is a strong choice when one offensive lineman may be struggling. It seemed like the Hokies used a sliding protection often against Wake Forest.
One particular Wake defensive alignment seemed to trigger a slide protection by the Hokies.
Wake Forest has six defenders in the box. Three align to the left of the center (one linebacker, a defensive tackle, and a defensive end) and three align to the right of the center for a balanced front. Brewer does a hard count to get Wake to show a blitz, but the defenders stay stationary.
When Wake doesn't move, you can see Wang and Farris point directly at the inside linebacker to the top of the screen. My guess is they are identifying a particular player or calling a strength. If there are an uneven number of defenders, the offense will call the side with the most defenders the strength. If it is balanced, as it is here, the center will call the strength to the side of a player that the offensive staff has identified prior to the game, based on personnel \ film evaluation. Sometimes it will be a particularly dangerous defensive lineman, but most often it will be the location of the "mike" linebacker.
After the call, the Hokie offensive linemen then all execute a hard slide right protection, meaning every offensive lineman slides the gap to their right. Joel Caleb at running back then comes across the formation to take the edge rusher on the left hand side. This is pretty standard fare, but Wake defensive coordinator Mike Elko has a trick up his sleeve.
When Brewer gives his hard count, Wake does a good job of freezing and not showing their blitz look until after the offensive line and Brewer have committed to the protection and the play clock is closing on zero. The blitz design is the most intriguing part of the play, as it seems to be designed specifically to take advantage of the exact protection the Hokies have called. The two inside linebackers and the two defensive tackles all slant hard to the top of the screen, and the defensive end aligned over right tackle Wade Hansen loops way back over to the left side of the Tech o-line. The defense has occupied all five offensive linemen, leaving the two defensive ends against the running back, who has no help. That is the key issue. Caleb doesn't help matters by doing a terrible job of shielding the defensive end, but even if he gives an Anthony Munoz type performance on the blind side, the second defensive end will come through unblocked.
After seeing this, I asked myself if Wake have this defense called and just happened to get lucky that the Hokies slid the protection away from where they wanted to create a numerical advantage? Or did they know that the Hokies were going to adjust the same way to certain looks and used that knowledge to take advantage of their system? I went digging, and I found that this scenario repeated itself numerous times. When the Hokies slid their protection, more often than not the Deacons had a stunt or a blitz that created a mismatch on the back side of the slide protection.
On this play, Wake shows a similar balanced six-man defensive front. Again, the Hokies have a situation where they should be OK: six potential pass rushers against six potential blockers. The Deacons shift and show the pre-snap pressure through the guard-center gaps. The Hokies call a slide protection (this time to the left). At the snap, Marquel Lee (No. 8, who had a huge day with 3.0 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks and 12 tackles) bails on the interior blitz and loops to the outside.
Once again, Elko has called a blitz where the Hokies slide protection to one side, leaving the running back alone with two pass rushers while the five Hokie offensive linemen are occupied by four defenders. It doesn't help matters that Rogers, much like Caleb, gets demolished by the defensive end. Elko has hit the jackpot twice. This can't be a coincidence. Elko clearly has discovered some tendency in how the Hokies set pass protection based on defensive alignment, and then exploits it by blitzing the extra defender away from the slide protection. Credit goes to Elko for sharp film review, and jeers to the Hokies offensive staff incredibly daft failure to not identify that the tendency is being exploited and make an adjustment.
Wake didn't just blitz to exploit that tendency. The Deacons also used defensive line stunts that went back against the grain of the slide protection. It seems like they knew how to dictate the protection and then attacked the weakness.
Here, the Deacons only bring four on third-and-long. The Hokies slide their protection to the left slide, with Rogers covering the right edge.
Wake's defensive line slants hard right along with the Hokie slide protection. The defensive end aligned over Wade Hansen drives through his inside shoulder (poor job by Hansen here; he cannot get beaten inside on a slide protection even if there isn't a stunt). The defensive tackle aligned over Caleb Farris sells the slant, waits for Rogers to clear, and then loops back around against the grain to the outside. Farris has to protect the inside gap, so he expects Rogers to be there to chip the tackle, but Rogers has already gone out on his route. Even if Hansen doesn't get beat, the defensive tackle is essentially rushing Brewer unblocked. No individual player is at fault. Wake is using the Hokies scheme against them, knowing that Caleb will be wrong footed, Hansen will be occupied by the end, and Rogers will have cleared out because of the delay in the stunt. Wake can afford the delay because the down and distance (third-and-20) allows them to play a deep soft zone. Any throw underneath won't get the first. Even if Rogers had delayed longer, he finds himself matched up with a defensive tackle, which is a matchup Wake Forest would take every time.
At the most critical juncture of the game, Wake again used their alignment to dictate the Hokie protection and then bring pressure away from the protection. In the second overtime, the Hokies were in reasonable field goal range and faced a third-and-nine.
Like clockwork, there is that familiar six-man balanced defensive front, and again the Hokies slide their protection to the left side. Sam Rogers finds himself alone against two rushers. He takes the inside man, and the outside rusher is unblocked to the quarterback. Unlike the other plays, the Deacons didn't even bother to disguise the front. They aligned the linebacker on the edge. But nobody, not the offensive line or Michael Brewer, made an adjustment in the protection or had the wherewithal to have a checkdown or something. At the very least, if Brewer doesn't change the play, he has to recognize the blitz and sail the ball out of bounds. Instead, the sack turns a makeable 42 yard field goal into a tough 53 yarder, and the Hokies end up losing the football game.
Again, it is beholden on the offensive football staff to do two things here. First of all, they need to identify how Wake Forest is having success in that front and make the appropriate adjustment on the sidelines. In this day and age, it is disgraceful that an offensive staff, with multiple camera angles, video support and photographers handy, can't identify the same pattern that a busted up old scrub offensive lineman can get a feel for watching a distant TV in a sports bar. The staff has to make the adjustment, either to go against tendency and surprise Wake by sliding the other way, or by using a cup protection. Second, the offensive staff has to empower the players. Michael Brewer, David Wang, and all of those offensive linemen and running backs have to feel empowered to make adjustments on the fly when they recognize a problem, and it sure didn't look like players had the leeway to make that adjustment on Saturday. If they could and didn't, then the lack of recognition implies poor film study.
The film as a whole has countless opportunities for pointing out other busts. An ongoing theme this week will be Loeffler's decision to stick with Brewer when Motley was having success. I am on the record saying that I would have stayed with Motley, if for no other reason, to tie up the back side pursuit that kept J.C. Coleman from having an even better performance. Other issues, like Wade Hansen and David Wang struggling in other pass protection situations where they were isolated in a one-on-one battle, or poor blocking by skill position players, can be found throughout the film. Sam Rogers blocking continues to be a huge issue, especially when the coaching staff (perhaps unfairly) puts him in a situation where he is expected to block a defensive lineman head-to-head without the benefit of surprise. The defense had a terrific game, but couldn't force any game-changing turnovers after Donovan Riley's interception in the first half to bail out the offense. It was an offensive performance that was as bad as I can recall.
A singular coaching matchup, where a relatively unheralded Wake Forest staff seems to be completely taking advantage of a Virginia Tech coaching tendency, really does not cast Tech's offensive staff in a good light. This wasn't a situation where the Hokie personnel was being overwhelmed. It appeared to be that the players were doing what they were supposed to do, and Wake's staff took advantage. If I am wrong, and the players were not making the proper adjustment, then mea culpa. Unfortunately, this sure looks like the Hokies' offensive staff got bamboozled by Wake's defensive coaches.
Comments
It was like Elko was playing chess and Loeffler was playing checkers. He knew when to call it (long down and distance because they abandoned the short middle) what formation, and he knew that VT wouldn't leak someone right behind the blitz. It was an embarrassing failure of coaching.
I find it hard to believe that Loeffler is THAT bad of a OC. You'd think a guy that has been OC at 3 schools that came recommended to Beamer would actually have the wherewithall to do simple adjustments, but we're just screwed up top to bottom. Is it just that he's THAT completely terrible at his job, or is he being asked to run a scheme on offense he's completely uncomfortable with running?
As I said below, either they missed it during the pacings of a game (I'd think after the second sack they would have to take a look) or they are so worried about the kids getting discombobulated like they were against Pitt that they decided to keep it simple. But, slip one of those slot guys into the space vacated by the linebackers? A five yard nothing catch on the sack in double OT takes a 53 yard field goal attempt and turns it into a 37 yard attempt.
It seems like there has been a conscious effort all year to not through the ball over the middle. I was wondering if the staff made that call because of Brewer's height, or if Brewer just doesn't see that area of the field well. Either way, with the talent we have, it has been really troubling to see the middle of the field be taken almost completely out of play this year.
Also, the 3rd down play in the first overtime where Brewer rolled out right. Have we completed one pass on the roll-out this year? As soon as Brewer takes the snap and starts running to the sideline I know the balls going to be thrown away. I get that it allows him to not have to worry about a sack, but it seems to be as effective an offensive play as a spike.
Against Ohio State Brewer was rolled out a ton and completed many tough passes. Rollouts at least buy him time to make something happen, in comparison to the deer in the headlights figure he has become when dropping back.
I'll have to rewatch that game. I remember an early rollout that didn't work but setup the screen pass to Malleck later in the game. Since that game at least, I don't remember a lot of called rollouts working. Brewer has bought time and gotten outside the pocket and made a play, but the called rollouts were what I meant.
Seems that as the season has gone on I can remember a lot of the commentators saying that "Brewer has so and so open across the middle but just doesn't see him..." or something to that effect.
It'll be a cold day in hell when Scot Loeffler lets a blogger tell him what to do!
I'd like to continue to work for free, Mr. Babcock.
Honestly, I think what is most frustrating is that Bud Foster has been a master of using similar schemes to take advantage of opposition tendencies for years. You would think he would be a great resource here. The only justification I can come up with, and it is a crap one, is that the offense has been simplified because the sight checks and adjustments were causing so many procedure penalties early in the year. When you add that Hansen and Teller are both still getting their sea legs, perhaps this is a product of over-simplification to help make things as easy as possible for their young players (wideouts included.)
But, if I make that argument, then it runs contrary to Loeffler not playing Motley because he only was well schooled on a small package of plays. Damned-able irony!
Agree , these coaches failed to make any in game adjustments to blocking schemes & were out coached. However, the most damning thing is that was not the first time this has happened the past 2 yrs.
I have seen some good adjustments from Loeffler over the years, and some things that frustrated the piss out of me. But, I have never, ever stumbled across something so glaring as this.
The killer is that if they don't make the adjustment in what triggers certain protections, UVA will align whoever the trigger guy (I'd bet it is the identified "mike backer") is to one side, and bring it on the opposite side (probably using a different look, but same concept, in order not to tip off the O. And, while Wake's defense was really sound, UVA's talent level, especially Harris, Blanding, and Coley, is better than Wakes, and they have three guys (Harold, Valles, and Coley) that have more than 7 sacks.
The lack of adjustments is troubling especially when you think it would allow the opportunity for a big play to get a RB in space on a screen pass or quick release. However, is something also awry with Brewer reading opposing defenses? In the second clip, Isiah Ford is man on man at the bottom of the screen while you have 3 defenders and a safety to the top of the screen. Why is Brewer's primary read into the half of the field where there is a safety and no glance even in Ford's direction?
I get WF had good corners and Ford was by no means wide open. However, an incompletion is a hell of a lot better than a sack and Ford would have had an opportunity to make a play, pick up a first and if he can break a tackle maybe even take it to the house. This pattern seems to be one constantly repeated by Brewer where he seems very hesitant to let his receivers make a play against man to man coverage, especially when there is a blitz bearing down in his face. It's cost VT numerous times over at least the past 3 games.
I really don't understand how you can't go to Motley this week. VT's passing game is bad enough that whatever you lose in the ability to have a more complex passing game should be completely offset by the gains in the run game. Then factor in that Motley gives them a better chance to stretch the field via play action and I'm not really sure what case you can make for not making the change. With that said, I don't want the staff announcing anything this week. Keep UVA guessing and gain whatever advantage you can because obviously VT needs it at this time.
Brewer has been gunshy where he had some throws. It is easy to say he is protecting the football, but then you see the INT and it blows the whole "protecting the football" thing up. Even if the throw to Malleck (if that is who he was going to) was accurate, it is a dangerous play.
Jeff Beyer I believe is doing a bigger drill down into the QB play. I stayed focused on what I know best this week, and I know that was an adjustment that should have been easy for professional people to catch.
This weekend will be our biggest game of the year with so much on the line.
We CANNOT lose the Commonwealth Cup
We CANNOT lose bowl eligibility
We CANNOT LOSE TO UVA!
PLEASE WIN, HOKIES!
PUHLEEeeeEEASE!
I WILL LITERALLY PURGE AN ENTIRE THANKSGIVING DINNER FROM THE CONTENTS OF MY STOMACH IF WE LOSE TO UVA!
I hope you aren't sitting near me in the stadium then.
French. great write up as always. How much trouble are we in with Tenuta and his blitz happy defense? are his blitzes completely different? or as you mentioned, will he take his and make them similar to the Wake ones?
Unfortunately, preparing for a loss. And then changes.
Well, they owned that scheme last year. But the UVA safety play (Blanding and a full-game Harris) is much better to take care of the edge. I have been worried about this game all year. Hopefully they figure out a way to take all this adversity and turn it into a positive.
I don't remember EVER being this frustrated with Hokie football! I keep thinking things have hit bottom and we're finally starting to turn the corner and we keep hitting new lows. The WF game better be the bottom and we come out with SOME kind of offensive plan AND adjustments that works against LOLOVA - if not God help us!
I know it is never as bad as it seems when things are going south, but another offensive game like the WF fiasco could set the program back years. Yes we have had a LOT of injuries and YES it is a very young team BUT It is time for the coaches to man up and give the team a competent offensive game plan to work with or get out of the way!
I think it's NC State that has the 3rd youngest roster this year, 20 Freshman, NC State 42 - Wake 13
Pitt has a very young team, near the youngest
It's time to move on from the youth excuse, every team deals with it.
After watching this film, it is clear that someone on that offensive staff is #TEAMCAKE. That is the only way to rationalize this debacle.
I'd be more willing to say they're all #TEAMCOWPIE
We should send them a Big'Ole box of cookies...STAT!
#TEAMNOMNOMNOM
If we somehow manage to beat UVA, I'll eat my weight in pies. #ImOnTeamCake #Turncoat #PleaseGetAWin
Well, we know that Teller is #TEAMPANCAKE so it cannot be him.
On the second video example, Brewer had Malleck cutting across the middle with a defender behind him. Brewer had time to release it and didn't. Some of these examples...VT should have burned them or made plays.
After the Duke game, I heard a quote from Brewer about how they knew pressure was coming on a play so Bucky was told to run his corner route a little shallower, and it resulted in a completion where Brewer delivered the ball with a defender in his face. Its just baffling that he didn't expect pressure (or plan for it at least) on the 3rd and 9 in double OT. It looked like he had Cam 1-on-1 on the left side and should've known to throw a pass his direction before getting hit (would've helped if his route had been adjusted to a 10yd out, but a lob to the corner was better than a sack).
So many things happen on offense this year that don't make any sense. The offense has been basically unwatchable since the GT game.
Why does this make me so angry?
I'm still learning to watch more than "the guy with the ball" but I just don't understand why our offensive staff is still looking completely unprepared with one game to go in the season. I was in Columbus and I haven't seen anything like it since...
Brewer - its seemed to me- (1) held onto the football too long all day, (2) made bad decisions on his escape routes when he was pressured, and (3) wasn't particularly accurate with the football when he did throw it. I have no idea if his protection calls were wrong- none of us do- but the three things above should have indicated a change in QB for at least a series or two to get his head straight.
He just doesn't seem to have a good feel for what's happening on the field right now. Its frustrating.
I'm just gonna throw this out there, admittedly pulled from betwixt my butt cheeks and with no basis in fact or evidence. (Apologies in advance to the guy on the forums who was begging for the elimination of speculation but...this is the internet.)
Is it possible that Loeffler has lost the locker room?
We have a really messy situation on our offensive staff. New OC who brought one assistant with him, who then bolted for LSU (understandably) after one season. Under the new OC we have the old OC, who sits beside the new OC in the booth on Saturdays. And we also have the head coach's son, who has designs on one day being a head coach himself (though not necessarily at this school; that's a debate for a different thread).
This is not a formula conducive to developing a lot of staff cohesion. The more I look at our coaching staff on O, the more I wonder if any OC could be successful in this setup.
It is something I can't quantify via video. I didn't see poor EFFORT on Saturday. Even though some who don't understand the game may argue the contrary. However, I didn't see much football savvy either. It looked a bunch like young guys who were a bit lost.
My frustration is that the initial adjustment is something that the coaching staff should have made. It isn't hard to say "next time they are in this alignment on a pass, set the protection away from the mike" or "adjust the route by having you (slot receiver) break your route off at five yards and in." And it doesn't take much football genius to absorb that as a player. To me, that tells me that they never picked up on it, and that is not good.
Yeah that's my angle on this, French. Adjustments that are obvious aren't getting made. To me that indicates lack of communication. The players are still working their nuts off, but like you said, they look lost. That to me MIGHT indicate conflicting instruction or divided loyalty. Your OC says one thing, your position coach says another who do you listen to? Or worse yet, the situation has gotten so bad the coaches aren't even contradicting each other, just going through the motions because they know there's no camaraderie.
All I know is what I saw on the field against Wake was a more fundamental issue than our scheme not working. It liked like a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.
That's a big jump you made there.
as indicated by the all caps MIGHT
Nah, I don't see any evidence of that at all.
Too much speculation there.
I f that were the case, we'd have seen SOMETHING change in the way the overload blitz was handled and we saw nothing.
I don't think the guy in the booth recognized it or didn't give ANY instruction to counter.
Also, aren't Shane and Stinespring are the major offensive recruiting guys? so they could have more push on the situation due to there relationships being so built up
I don't believe that Shane or Stinespring had much influence on this current crop. I believe Stinespring may have been the lead on Marshawn, but Loeffler was the lead on Ford, Durkin, and McKenzie. Moorhead was the lead on Phillips and backed up Loeffler and Gray on I. Ford. Stinespring was also the lead on Jaylen Bradshaw, who I have not heard much about regarding his performance on scout O. Other than DJ Reid, you don't really see Shane's recruiting fingerprints on anyone on the offense. (At least I don't think so.)
Shane's two big fish in this last cycle were Holland Fisher and CJ Reavis.
I keep hearing Stinespring's name with Searels on recruiting trips. But I can't think of many recruits that have been linked to Shane and that was supposedly the reason he was brought in.
Bigger question is can his daddy fire him?
French you spoke a lot about, among other things, that RB pass protection was below par. If Trey Edmunds plays Friday, how much does he impact RB pass blocking? Is he better than our other options? Great job as always! Maybe they should hire you as special assistant to the OC. Our in-game adjustments would probably be much better...
Significantly. Trey was their best pass blocker, and also is the only RB they have had since who knows when that has been effective on screen passes. Also, a screen or draw on third down would have been nice eh, especially with the secondary dropping so far off?
Rogers blocking has gotten progressively worse all season, but he is being asked to do things he isn't built to do. On one play, the Hokies ran an outside zone to Coleman and he got tackled for a loss. I went back, and Rogers was lined up AS A TIGHT END trying to block a defensive end without a running start. He isn't going to win that battle, if for no other reason because he is 5'11 (maybe) and is at a huge reach disadvantage. That back side DE blew Rogers up, scraped across, and made the tackle for a 4 yard loss. Again, you can have no gain plays and recover. But without the ability to have big plays go to the house (and the Hokies have had next to none since the UNC game), you can't afford to lose yardage and still get first downs.
I remember seeing Sam line up as a TE and thought, where's Redman? How about an extra lineman? A Smith? Conte?
I think Scot Loeffler was calling an extraordinarily incompetent game to get it on film for UVa.
We have the Hoos right where we want them. They're flying high after stomping Miami, and they think the Hokies have dumb coaches.
Having bowl eligibility already would be too boring. Having to beat UVa to make a bowl, and at the same time keeping them out of a bowl, was just too delicious of a scenario for the team to pass up.
I get it now, and I tip my hat to you Hokie coaches.
Well then they have us all fooled! Except you apparently...
I'm a trained professional. I see things and get stuff.
and they wanted to give trey edmunds another week to freshen up those legs before releasing him to exact his revenge on uva for injuring him last year.
Blown out by WF, win UVA, everyone is happy.
Blow out WF, lose UVA, everyone is upset.
Mebbe you are right they just decided lets focus on UVA.
This is totally Leonard. Love it.
Along the same lines, Whit Babcock is having hundreds of pro-UVa shirts printed up for sale by those ticket scalper guys to UVa fans before the game. Then when Loeffler's plan to catch UVa off-guard is a success, CHA-CHING! Huge profit for Whit's budget while all the UVa fans go home with a worthless t-shirt!
This was a massive oversight by Lefty. I don't understand how he could have let something like this happen.
Do we run slant patterns on offense at all anymore? With so many problems on Oline and QB isnt this an easy play to move the ball, that is also easy for Brewer as a timing route and fast for the Oline to hold the defense
Dude! Right?!
I've wondered where this was all year, especially with Bucky and Malleck being such big targets. I wonder if Loeffler cut it out of the playbook because of Brewer's height or something.
French - two quick questions:
1) Has Loefler just given up (i.e. is he trying to get fired)? Seems like since the WMU halftime "discussion" he has been vanilla, slow and unexplainable.
2) I remember hearing the bootleg was a MAJOR component in his offensive arsenal. Have we run it this year (if so, when was the last time)? Seems like since we are afraid to use the middle of the field, this would be a way to slow the defensive pressure and create run/pass options "behind the action".
Last bootleg I remember was... the 3rd and 4/5 in the first overtime when Brewer didn't feel like throwing the ball. (Unless it was just a scramble. I know he left the pocket)
No, you're right, it was a called bootleg (had Bucky open immediately and then 1-on-1 late but opted to not try and win the game). We seem to do about one a game and Brewer holds the ball until he reaches the sideline and throws it away. I don't remember the call resulting in a positive play since OSU, but I could be wrong there.
He could have thrown it early but the late toss would have been an Int by the safety.
The decision not to throw it early may have been a mistake but the decision to not throw it later was a good one.
Was hoping for a jump ball to him at the end since it was 1-on-1, but, you're right, it probably would've been the wrong decision.
Just had a chance to rewatch the play and Ford completely blew his pick assignment which would've resulted in a walk-in TD for Bucky. He has a ton of talent and has done awesome things this year, but between plays like that and the missed block near the end of regulation on JC's run there sure has been some frustration with him. Chalk it up to youth I guess(?). All these Freshman aren't really freshman anymore.
Still it sucks that one little thing like that is the difference between beating a 2-8 team and losing the worst football game of the year.
I'd say they are still Freshman. They are still 18/19 year olds playing against 22/23 year olds. They have done great most of the time but there are still going to be a few head scratching moments.
I agree with this.
I picked this same thing up early.
I had to rewind the TV to see where that second guy was coming from but I got it.
I never played football. I played Rugby so, while I don't know football I certainly understand how to create an overlap. It was well executed by Wake and there's a couple ways to counter it. I favored the quick in route by the WR on that side. Burn it a couple times and they quit.
I was flabberghasted that they were still pulling that one off in overtime. Still.
It was at that point I recognized that if I could see that on TV that there was an offensive coaching problem that could not be explained away by injuries and freshman. Loeffler was in the box with the electronics.
Going with Motley would have negated this at least until they tried to do the same thing to him. But, he hasn't thrown that much, they would take a while to try this against Motley.
Anyway, this was an inexcusable miss by the offensive coaching staff. They did not look ready to play D1 ball Saturday.
I like Leonard's explanation better than French's. However, I have not seen anything in the last two years to indicate the offensive staff is devious enough to implement the Leonard plan. I have seen a lot to indicate they can be outcoached.
Can they turn that around in a short week?
Yes, I think they can.
While UVA's defensive athlete's a very good, I see nothing to tell me the coaching is anywhere near on par with Wake's obvious deviousness.
UVA can't out coach us even with the lack of vision our offense apparently has.
" UVA can't out coach us even with the lack of vision our offense apparently has" . Ask Golden & Miami.
Like I said.
lol
This is pretty damning stuff. I only watched some of the first quarter, but if true then shame on the staff.
Absolutely inexcusable to have such a fundamental flaw in pass protection. That's not just first day stuff, that's first hour stuff for the OC to scheme out.
If French is right (an he almost always is) then Loeffler made a fireable mistake in game planning, and probably Searels as well
I have nothing else to say, other than watching this was almost as ludicrous as this sketch.
French:
BTW, Epic tweets with Big Vick post game.
Simply epic reads.
Thanks. Some people are just dopes. Dwight Vick was one hell of a football player. To tell that guy he doesn't know what he is talking about takes some real hubris on the part of our lunatic fringe.
His explanation of why he chose VT, explains a lot to the younger Hokies about why Beamer can leave on his terms, and why UVA can grab 5 stars even they lose more than they win.
I have a Q for whomever...
On the 2nd video, the Mike backer slid left about 3-4 steps, pre-snap, tipping his hand.
Looks like we had two options, both depending on a hot read by at least two people. In other words, I'm wondering: wasn't this a QB/receiver communication issue and not a protection problem?
1) Rogers (I think it was him) could have let the two guys coming from left go, and slid past them for a quick little lob. No other defender anywhere near, so the lob could have worked easily. Chip and release...
Or,
2) Even Bucky, who was wide R (I think it was him) and being played straight up (no leverage either way) could have come on a hard slant, essentially down the LOS or 2-3 yds deep, and had his body b/t the CB and the football.
I can only imagine the pain you felt having to watch this turd a second time. Thank you for doing so even if reading what you had to say was (almost) worse than watching the game.
THIS!!!!!!!
Here's the problem though, right? Hasn't the knock on Loeffler all season been that he's making everything too complicated? So now, it's too simple? I'm fully aware that I'm over-simplifying here, but geez...
Is there any credence to the notion that the OL is basically hot garbage? I mean, it just feels like they can't get anything right. All season all I heard was "Line up and block the guy in front of you! None of this fancy zone crap!" Then, they basically do that, and it's instantly blown up by the opposing defense.
I know I'm not making a great point here, but hopefully the idea is in there somewhere. How do you make adjustments when your offensive line just...can't...block...anyone...no matter what you do?
He did what everyone wanted and made things as simple as humanly possible, and it was easily countered. Is there any truth to the notion that "just line up and block the guy in front of you" is a great sound byte but perhaps not a stellar solution in real life?
I agree with what you're saying here, and what French tossed around earlier. I think that with the lack of skill, lack of depth, and abundance of injuries, the offense (ive line) has just been simplified to the point of embarrassment. I have to believe that Loeffler saw what was happening, I just have to. But for whatever reason only he and Searles knows, they didn't make an adjustment. Maybe they didn't install other protections (though this can't be a weekly install, can it?) in fear of overwhelming Hansen. Maybe they don't give Brewer the option to change protections. But it just seems like they've completely hamstrung the offense to try and limit: a) Brewer's interceptions and then b) presnap penalties. We've gotten less interceptions, but no down field passing and a gun-shy qb. We've reduced the penalties, but now have a glaring weakness being exploited by Wake Forest.
It's up to Frank Beamer to determine whether the necessary players just aren't there, or if the coaching (or leak thereof) is holding them back and make a decision.
However, if they can't pull in a good recruiting class this year, the point is moot.
That's why my initial thought was, instead of adjusting the line, have the wr slant in a few yards behind the blitzers and gash them there.
More thoughts...
Personally, I think Loeffler is done, even if we get to and win a bowl game. This year reminds me of 2012, and Beamer kicked O'Cain and Newsome out the door even after winning the RAB.
I actually feel like the only job on the line Friday is Frank's. If we lose to UVA, go 5-7, miss a bowl, and are staring another underwhelming recruiting class in the face, what is Whit supposed to do? He has to make changes at that point, because that's what he's paid to do: make tough decisions for the good of the program.
However, if we beat UVA, win a bowl game to finish 7-6, and pull in a good recruiting class, then I think Frank gets the green light to hire another OC and play out the string through 2016 (barring another bad season)
You could be right.
Pardon me if this has discussed previously, but assuming Loeffler is out the door, who's going to replace him?
Let's set the hypothetical table at season's end, and assume that everyone is retained besides Loeffler.
I don't believe that any OC worth his salt is going to see this situation as an opportunity... come in and be OC with the current staff, and work with a head coach that only has 1-2 years left on the sideline.
Just don't see Chad Morris coming and sitting in the booth next to Stinespring.
The way I look at it, the hiring of Loeffler and Grimes was Beamer's last staff change. He has hitched his wagon to Loeffler, and now has to ride out into the sunset with him, because to just bring in an OC that would agree to this position is just going to be more of the same.
Hell, at this point, if the choice is to just replace Loeffler, I'd like to see Beamer reinstate Stinespring as OC, and just bring in a young, hungry Moorehead like QB coach. At least Stiney is a known quantity.
In my opinion, the best way forward is for Beamer to graciously step down (I'm not necessarily calling for that this year) and bring in a top notch current OC that wants a head coach job, who can bring in all of his people and instill his philosophy.
I've heard a lot of worry about the quality of candidates for a max 2-year job, especially one that requires as much work as ours. I wonder if naming Bud as coach-in-waiting (which obviously has its own arguments) would allow them to sell the job as a long term position, and let Bud help pick his future offense to start the transition away from Beamer.
If Beamer plans to ride out these last 2 years, this right here is my ideal scenario. Dunno how likely that is, but I can't think of a course of action that I'd prefer more, given that Beamer stays.
Can't do a coach in waiting in the state of Virginia. They're all public employees, bound by state law that requires open advertisement of available positions. You can get around that by doing an "emergency hire" and then advertising a spot, just to retain your current employee after considering other candidates (I believe this is how coordinators have been hired before), but there's no way you can honestly pre-arrange something of this scope.
how much of this could be on Searels? Is his job to be in the weeds of the line play during the game to figure out what is going on while the OC is focused on play calling?
Finally watching the game. Brewer is certainly hesitant, but nobody I'd open. Passing game looks stale as hell. All 5 yard or less routes. It's brutal.
Chicken/egg: is the passing game hampering Brewer or Brewer hampering the passing game?
or everything was beyond 10 yards
I saw at least 4 pass plays... two were Brewer sacks, where Bucky Hodges was running free down field, and Brewer, at least according to my untrained eyeballs, had a window to put the ball in.
I've seen that kid play twice now in person. TV doesn't do him justice. Boy can move it. If he continues on his current development trajectory, and doesn't get in trouble, He'll be gone EARLY on the first day in the Draft.
The other issue is all year, Brewer has never done a hot read and called a quick slant in the slot when these types of blitzes occur. Why I do not know. Maybe they feel the offense is just not capable of such complexities. But Wake knew it. They had no respect for any quick slant in the slot. And they were right.