Hokies' Offensive Line Shows Improved Cohesion Zone Blocking in Virginia Tech Spring Game

Before Virginia Tech offensive line coach Stacy Searels was hired, the Hokies looked to three different OL coaches (Stinespring, Newsome, and Grimes) in an attempt to build the cohesion needed to successfully execute a zone scheme. None were successful; the best production by Cedric Humes in 2004. Over the years, the more I watch both the Hokies and other zone teams execute, three factors for success are critical. First, an offense must effectively mix both inside and outside zone plays to prevent a defense from overplaying one or the other. Second, after being staunchly opposed to it for a long time, I am starting to see how the use of power plays serve as a counter for the defensive keys against zone blocking. Third, cohesion and timing on combination blocks are crucial.

On every zone run, you will observe double-team blocks where two blockers are responsible for a down defensive lineman and second-level defender (most often a linebacker). A covered and uncovered offensive lineman will try to "zone" block a pair of defenders. (If any of this is new to you read Joe's Zone Read Refresher or last year's running game review against William & Mary.) On outside zone plays blockers will look to turn defenders and seal them inside. On the inside zone runs blockers will drive defenders away from the box—either down the field or toward the sideline. The running back takes two strides, plants his outside leg, and then attacks the bubble created either by the initial double team or a cutback lane created by the horizontal pursuit of the defense.

Since the first attempts to adopt zone blocking, almost every version of the Hokie offensive line has struggled mightily in releasing the double team and getting to the second level. Far too often I observed a combination block where the double team didn't turn the defender's pads before the secondary blocker moved on to the second level; or the double team stayed engaged far too long and the linebacker or safety filled the hole unblocked. For the Virginia Tech running game to build on the momentum gained over the last four games of 2014, executing these blocks are a key to success.

I cannot emphasize enough how impressed I have been with how cohesive the starting Hokie offensive line has looked throughout the spring. Eric Gallo has meshed beautifully with Wyatt Teller and Augie Conte inside, and both Teller and Conte looked significantly improved from last season. (Teller should be licensed as a deadly weapon when Loeffler chooses to have him pull and kick out defenders.) Jonathan McLaughlin and Wade Hansen have worked beautifully with tight ends Ryan Malleck, Bucky Hodges, and Kalvin Cline to seal the edge on outside zones or widen defensive ends on inside zones. For someone like me who appreciates the nuance of offensive line play, it has been a pleasure to watch. Other than Teller, Malleck may be the best offensive lineman on the team, and that isn't an insult. He has been spectacular.

Let's watch that cohesion at work on an outside zone play. On an outside zone, the play side offensive linemen want to seal the defensive end and outside linebacker to the inside. If they cannot seal the edge guys inside, the blocker drives the defender to the sideline just like an inside zone and the running back has to find a cutback lane inside. Here, the Hokies (and a very underrated blocking Bucky Hodges) do a terrific job of sealing inside, and Wyatt Teller makes a terrific adjustment against a defensive spill call.

On the left side, Hodges and McLaughlin are responsible for sealing Vinny Mihota and Deon Clark inside. Hodges and McLaughlin turn Mihota's pads inside and Hodges peels off to seal Deon Clarke inside. This is a spill call, and C.J. Reavis comes up outside and unblocked. More on him in a moment.

Inside, we see a second combination block on Woody Baron by Teller and Gallo. Teller's job is to drive Baron's pads back so Gallo can get his head on Baron's outside hip. You can see how much of a blow Teller delivers if you watch closely and see Baron's head going violently up and back at contact. Teller then disengages, yet instead of getting up field, he adjusts to McLaughlin and Hodges driving their players inside. Teller floats to the outside and finds Reavis in the alley and buries him. This is beautiful at the point of attack.

However, a perfectly executed zone run should have two running lanes: play side and a cutback. When you watch the back side, there is some room for improvement. (Although this is pretty good given the performance of past groups.) Gallo doesn't get his head on Baron's outside shoulder, and Baron ends up making the tackle after a 7-yard gain. A play side scoop block against a one-technique may be the hardest block for a center play side, and Baron is a quick defensive tackle, so this isn't bad, but there is room for improvement.

I see mixed results on the back side. Malleck does an outstanding job to give ground and then take away the pursuit angle for Nicolas. On the interior, there is a third combination block with the tandem of Hansen-Conte trying to account for Andrew Motuapuaka and Nigel Williams. The initial combo block is good, with William's pads being popped up. Like Gallo, Hansen doesn't get his head inside Williams, who eventually peels across to assist on the tackle. Conte is too high on Motuapuaka, who slips through the center-guard gap into the back field. If Hodges and McLaughlin don't seal the edge, Edmunds would cut back and find Motuapuaka in his lap.

The cutback lane is even more critical on an inside zone. The key block becomes the combination block on the back side defensive tackle and linebacker. On the next play, the Hokies' right side provide a perfect demonstration.

On the play side, you can see McLaughlin with his head inside the defensive end as he attempts to drive him to the sideline.

McLaughlin and Teller both get solid movement. Malleck pulls back to the right side on a wham block designed to seal the back side pursuit outside.

Let's focus on Conte and Hansen. They are responsible for Steve Sobczak and Motuapuaka. Motuapuaka (who did not have a very good outing) is too aggressive scraping play side instead of filling the bubble. Conte slips off Sobczak and drives Motuapuaka to the sidelines. Hansen then cuts Sobczak and puts him on the ground. Malleck pulls back to the right side, but doesn't even need to kick out Kiehn because Hansen's legs have inadvertently tripped Kiehn. Hansen's elimination of Sobczak and Conte's seal on Motuapuaka opens up a huge cutback lane for a big gain.

Once again, I also want to credit Bucky Hodges for his blocking. Hodges is aligned as a wide receiver to the boundary. He does a fantastic job of pinning Chuck Clark outside. If not for a great recovery by Reavis, who also got sucked in on the initial zone movement, this could have been a touchdown.

The only inexperienced player from the starting group is center Eric Gallo. Gallo was an unheralded recruit who I didn't have a very high opinion of when I first saw him on film. I was wrong. Gallo looked very comfortable, showed some strength playing against good defensive tackles at the point of attack, and moves pretty well. He is very similar athletically to Caleb Farris; unlike Farris, Gallo has been a center his entire life.

Gallo's biggest area for improvement is going to be quickness. At center, getting your body into the path of a defender offsets the disadvantage that you face with having to get the snap off and execute the block. Gallo had some moments where he was set up for successful blocks but didn't get good body position. Also, Scot Loeffler loves to pull his center on outside zones and jet sweeps, and on C.J. Reavis' big highlight hit on J.C. Coleman, Gallo was just a step slow to kick out Reavis. As he continues to work and becomes more comfortable, I think Gallo has the ability to execute those blocks. Of the "Fab Four" Grimes' offensive line class, he certainly had the best day of the group on Saturday.

Even when things were not well executed, the offensive line group still got enough push to prevent the disastrous tackles for a loss that have derailed so many drives over the last three seasons. On the opening play of the game, pretty much everything that could have gone wrong managed to go wrong yet J.C. Coleman still managed a three-yard gain.

It is impossible to know who is responsible; however there is a communication breakdown with an outside zone as the play call. Chuck Clark shows a corner blitz, and Brewer should have audibled to an inside zone. When the check didn't come, the play side linemen probably should have checked out of a pin and pull and gone to a base zone. Instead, they went with the pin and pull. Teller drives Baron inside, and Eric Gallo pulls around him with Conte and Hansen in train giving ground to scoop. Conte slips on the wet field, leaving both he and Hansen hugging air while the Foster defense has the play side completely outnumbered.

Coleman and Malleck (him again) both make something out of nothing. Coleman cuts back sharply on the wet turf and finds a small bubble made possible by an outstanding scoop block by Malleck. Malleck has Dadi Nicolas (no slouch) on ice skates as he drives Nicolas past the cutback lane. Coleman gets small and pushes into the bubble where an unblocked C.J. Reavis and Ronny Vandyke tackle him after a three yard gain. It doesn't seem like much, yet that second-and-a-manageable-seven in 2015 is much better than a brutal second-and-13 in 2012.

I walked away from both the spring game and the limited publicly available practice video feeling very good about how this starting group is gelling. My biggest concern is the ability of McLaughlin and Hansen to handle speed rushes from the defensive end position. My second biggest concern is depth, although Yosh Nijman, Alston Smith, and Austin Clark made positive strides during the spring game. Next week, I will drill down on how Hansen and McLaughlin protected the quarterback, and the following week I will drill down on the performance of the young backups. I will close out my review of the spring season with a closer look at the mike linebacker position.