A Look Back to 2014 and Ahead to 2015: Virginia Tech Mike Linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka

Last season, Andrew Motuapuaka gained starter's experience at Mike linebacker following Chase Williams' knee injury against Pitt. A redshirt freshman at the time, Andrew had at least 10 tackles in every game that he started. It was Motuapuaka's natural instincts and quick reactions which allowed him to be so involved despite a lack of experience at the collegiate level. His ability to diagnose a play and find his way through a sea of bodies to get to the ball carrier was impressive. He also has a strong grasp of Foster's scheme and eagerly executes his job, even when it doesn't appear he'll be involved in the tackle. There is room for growth in 2015 though, and if he can build on his 2014 campaign, Motuapuaka has the potential to be an All-ACC caliber linebacker.

Instinct and Vision

Against Boston College, Motuapuaka was locked onto the ball carrier like a Mario Kart Red Shell. Boston College loves aligning with multiple tight ends and a fullback, using these extra blockers to create run gaps where they normally wouldn't appear. Motuapuaka had the tough task of diagnosing exactly where those gaps would appear and then make his way through the traffic to arrive at that gap in time.

On first down, Boston College runs a counter to the right side of the formation. BC is trying to take advantage of the defense's aggressiveness by getting its linebacker's momentum heading one direction while running to the other. The quarterback and the running back both open up to their left, and most of the offensive line block that way as well. You can see the effect this movement has on the Tech's second level, as every linebacker and safety takes at least a step to the right. The pulling left guard and left tackle do a good job of kicking out the two edge defenders, leaving Motuapuaka the only defender with a decent angle on the ball carrier. Motuapuaka jump cuts his way through the traffic the same way a running back would, the critical moment being his third step. This is when Andrew squeezes past the tight end trying to seal him inside, a block that would have left the running back with a big hole to run through.

Here, Andrew Motuapuaka is at his best. He sees through all of the offense's window dressing, then uses his agility to avoid all of the bodies in between him and the football. Even when playing against a team that loved using extra blockers, he manages to glide through the clutter and trusts his eye's to get him to where he needs to be.

Andrew Motuapuaka makes another tackle here, waiting for the hole to develop and then attacking it when it appears. With the tight end blocking down on Ken Ekanem and the pulling linemen kicking out the force defenders, Motuapuaka has the patience to wait for the pullers to commit to their blocks before sliding in behind them to make the play.

Motuapuaka's ability to quickly recognize which hole the offense is trying to run through allows him to attack the gap that Foster needs him too. Sometimes Foster's scheme calls for Motuapuaka to attack a gap in order to open the space for a teammate to make a play and it's Motuapuaka's willingness to do so makes those around him better.

Tech's defenders on the line of scrimmage all attack the gap to the running back's right, creating a wall of defenders which forces the back to cut it back to the left and into the arms of the free hitter. Motuapuaka is lined up over the center at the snap. As soon as he recognizes that the offensive line is firing off the ball he steps to his left, getting himself in the right gap. The center wins the battle and drives Motuapuaka off the line of scrimmage, but Foster's scheme has won the war. Corey Marshall fills the gap behind the center and brings the guard with him while Ken Ekanem fills the gap behind the guard and brings the tackle with him. There is no place for the back to go, and Kyshoen Jarrett stones him at the line of scrimmage. Andrew doesn't make the play here, but he does his job, even flashing some hustle by getting off the center's block and helping his teammates push the pile backwards. The very next play the offense lines up in the same formation.

On the previous play, Motuapuaka had to give himself up in order to open up a lane for a teammate. This time around, Foster needs him to recognize that he is the free hitter Motuapuaka doesn't disappoint. His defensive line does a fantastic job of keeping the path to the back clear and Motuapuaka gets there and gets in on the tackle. These two clips effectively demonstrate how quickly Motuapuaka can diagnose run plays, process which gap he is responsible for, and then commit to executing his job.

Arrive With Bad Intentions

Andrew Motuapuaka looked impressive filling in for Chase Williams last year, but there are some areas that he needs to improve if he is going to take his play to the next level. The Mike is a playmaker position in Foster's defensive scheme. His unique slanting defensive front creates large holes for his free hitters to shoot through and the Mike is often that free hitter. While Motuapuaka does an excellent job at seeing and filling those holes, too often the back can power their way through Motuapuaka for extra yards after contact. Here is an example of the defense opening up a hole for the Mike, Motuapuaka seeing and filling that hole, and the back running through the tackle to get positive yardage.

As usual, Andrew does an excellent job at reading the play and makes contact with the running back behind the line of scrimmage. The problem here is that the back is able to bully his way forward for a positive gain. There's almost a five yard difference between where Motuapuaka starts his tackle and where he finishes it. That's huge, especially when playing against a power running team. Boston College's overall offensive strategy is to reduce risk by running the ball. If they get a 3 to 5 yard carry, they consider that a victory because it prevents them from being in a predictable (and risky) passing situation. Securing a tackle for loss on first down will force the offense to do what they don't feel comfortable doing, throw the ball. Put Troy Murphy in enough second- or third-and-longs and you'll win the ball game. It's that simple.

Motuapuaka's tendency to "catch" the runner rather than drive through contact is preventing him from making those big plays. He puts himself in position to blow up tons of running plays because his instincts and vision is so good. If he can figure out how to prevent those yards after contact, I believe he'll lead the ACC in tackles for loss. Heck, just look at the clips above. In every clip where Andrew Motuapuaka is in position to make the tackle (four out of the five clips) he could have had a tackle for loss if he can prevent forward progress. That's four TFL's left on the field, all from the same game! Unfortunately, this lack of power at the point of attack doesn't just affect him. It can disrupts his teammates' chances at a negative play as well.

I am not envious of the position that Motuapuaka finds himself on this play. The offensive line opens up and he has a big fullback bearing down on him with nowhere to go. The fullback manages to drive Motuapuaka a few yards off the line of scrimmage and right into the lap of Detrick Bonner. If Andrew can manage to at least hold his ground, then Bonner has the angle to attempt to shoot through the gap and make a play. Instead, his angle is cut off by fullbacks block and that opportunity evaporates. The back is able to get his momentum going downhill and ends up with a five yard carry, keeping BC's offense on schedule.

I'm not saying that I think that Andrew Motuapuaka isn't tough or he isn't willing to take on blockers. Athletes have to learn how to effectively deliver blows just like they have to learn how to read blocking schemes. Look at the difference between Motuapuaka's and the fullback's technique at the moment of impact. Motuapuaka has stopped all forward momentum and he has braced himself for impact. Meanwhile the fullback uses his last step to gather himself and sink his hips, then fires through the block using his bench press and his squat muscle groups to move his opponent. I don't care how strong or how fierce Motuapuaka is, from that position he is going to lose ground every time.

Here is a great example of how Motuapuaka could have turned this five yard gain into a tackle for loss.

This is almost an identical play for the offense with a much different outcome. Tyler recognizes the play instantly and has absolutely no hesitation when attacking. The fullback manages to make contact with Tyler, but Tyler has so much momentum at this point that it makes no difference. Tyler also gets lower than the fullback and drives his hips through contact. Even if he doesn't make the tackle Jack Tyler has gotten out of the way of his teammate Tariq Edwards, who follows him through the hole and has the angle to make the TFL on the back. At this point in Jack Tyler's career, he is a far more experienced player than Motuapuaka was last year so it's a little unfair to compare the two plays. However, I think it shows the type of play that Andrew Motuapuaka could be capable on a regular basis if he can combine a new aggressiveness with his already impressive vision.