More Eyes on the Football: A Refresher on Virginia Tech's Zone Coverage

The most dynamic Virginia Tech defenses in the ACC played a heavy dose of zone coverage. Following the Hokies' disastrous 2003 campaign, in which Tech finished No. 76 in passing defense, Bud Foster began to incorporate more variety of coverages, including basic umbrella zones like the 4-4 G coverage, robber coverages, zone blitzes and leverage zones to confuse defenses and force turnovers.

The plethora of interceptions zone coverages produced paid dividends during the Hokies' dominance over the ACC's Coastal Division from 2005-11. The 2010 Virginia Tech defense was one of Foster's worst defenses against the run in recent memory, yet the Hokies closed out the season with an ACC championship due largely in part to Foster's ability to bait quarterbacks into throwing picks against zone coverage (T-No. 2 nationally, 23 interceptions).

After the 2015 season where the Hokies were forced to play mostly man coverage due to an inexperienced secondary, Foster is primed to play more zone coverage in 2016. Foster recently stated Tech worked on more quarters and zone coverage in spring practice.

"I want to get back and let those kids understand the concepts of two deep, three deep besides just playing man," Foster told The Key Play. "And in man, we gave up some plays, but also you get more eyes on the football, and particularly nowadays with the way offenses are trying to split your defense as far as running bubbles over here and a quarterback counter over here and a sweep over here, splitting just means you've got to have more eyes on the football, and that's one thing where I wanted to get back to what we did back two years ago and before."

Quarters coverage with leverage zone technique, and robber coverages have been hallmarks of Foster's pass defense. Leverage in quarters allows defenders to show man yet only account for half the defensive space in the coverage. Robber coverage provides the guise of open receivers, but it's a trap to rotate a defender into the "open" space when the quarterback isn't expecting it.

Over the years, outside leverage technique with a robber inside has produced more than its fair share of interceptions. The quarterback is baited to throw seemingly open quick slants and post routes, but the inside leverage help, often the safety, robbers over underneath the "open route". No Virginia Tech team was better at running this coverage than the 2006 defensive unit, as evidenced against North Carolina.

UNC identifies blitz and runs play-action with a post against the whip linebacker. The quarterback has to read the free safety. He reads the free safety biting up to support the run, and sees the whip protecting the outside of the field. The post should be open.

However, the quarterback never sees deep zone coverage rotation. Rover Aaron Rouse rotates to the deep middle, watching the quarterback the entire way. The quarterback throws the post and the Rouse steps in front of the pass for an easy interception.

"We want to get back to what we've been doing," Foster said. "What we changed from the beginning of season 2004, to where we were last year, I want to get back to doing those things up to where we're just not playing man all the time. I want to get a few more eyes on the ball. Play a little bit more, show a little bit more two high. Even though we might be playing some man, we want to do a little bit more disguise, and things of that nature, which we have done in the past. But I think the big thing is getting more eyes on the football."

Those uniquely talented Tech teams, along with the limitations of traditional one- and two-back offenses incorporated by most teams in the mid-2000's, allowed Foster to defend the most high risk areas of the field and force quarterbacks to throw where Foster wanted them to. The scheme required experience, communication, and full trust in both the scheme and technique. If required, Foster could even run a traditional Cover 4 zone, with the three linebackers ranging underneath.

The Hokies were successful playing this softer zone because they were able to generate pass rush which forced quick throws and kept the quarterback in the pocket. The linebackers and defensive backs could play soft and "keep their eyes on the ball". The soft coverage took away big plays. The "eyes on the football" allowed defenders to read the quarterback and come up to make sure tackles on short routes.

So, Why So Little Zone Now?

In 2015, many wondered why Foster played so little leverage or umbrella zone when his defense was giving up so many big plays. Injuries, and inexperience within the scheme were big reasons according to Foster.

"Last year was just one of those years where we had a lot of injuries, a lot of situations that put us in tough situations," Foster told The Key Play.

In order to play the quarters coverage and to robber, the secondary players have to understand their positioning and technique in the coverage and be in the right place.

Here is an example from Tech's disastrous 16-21 loss at Pittsburgh in 2014.

To the bottom of the clip, Kendall Fuller is playing outside leverage coverage against Tyler Boyd. If Boyd runs an out or a corner route, Fuller is in terrific position for an interception. Against a post or a slant route, Fuller has to depend on Kyshoen Jarrett for inside help.

Jarrett takes a poor angle to cover the post. Boyd makes the easy catch. Jarrett runs into Fuller to allow Boyd to break free for a touchdown. This is almost the exact same route concept and defense (with the rover rotating over from the boundary to give help) as the UNC interception, but the poor execution turned a possible interception into a touchdown.

These breakdowns happened much more often in 2015. The Hokies were inexperienced at rover. Chuck Clark was playing a new position at free safety. The Hokies lost Kendall Fuller at corner, and seemed to be in a constant state of flux at the nickel spot. As result, there were numerous busts in leverage coverage. Defending spread offenses that can attack vertically posed an even greater challenge.

Let's analyze a few clips from Tech's game against North Carolina last season. On this play, the Tar Heels line up with trips to the field and a lone receiver to the boundary. The Tar Heels stress the leverage zone vertically and when the receivers identify the leverage, they break away from it.

Nickel Greg Stroman is in the slot playing a short inside leverage coverage. Corner Terrell Edmunds is playing a short, outside leverage zone. Free safety Chuck Clark is playing a deep third. Andrew Motuapuaka is playing an inside leverage on the tight end.

UNC responds with a vertical route concept. Tight end (Y) Kendrick Singleton (No. 81) runs hard up the seam. Slot receiver (Z) Austin Proehl (No. 7) identifies Stroman's leverage and breaks away with it. If Stroman played outside leverage, the Y-streak takes away inside help and the slant/in/post is open. If Stroman was playing inside leverage, the tight end would likely be open down the seam, or the X receiver (who gets vertical behind the corner to draw him deeper and then curls back) will open up the Z out.

When you watch the video from the quarterback's vantage point, the play design opens up all kinds of vulnerabilities against this coverage.

Motuapuaka has no deep help against Singleton's seam route because the safety is aligned out wide. Motuapuaka has to turn and run, back to the football, down the seam with the tight end and hope that Marquise Williams doesn't recognize the coverage or makes a poor throw.

The play also exposes why the Hokies have trouble with mobile quarterbacks.The routes of the tight end and running back run both Motuapuaka and Deon Clarke completely out of the middle of the field. If Williams decides to run, UNC has five blockers and a runner versus four defenders. Dadi Nicolas ran past the pocket which created more space than the defensive tackles can defend. There is plenty of room for Williams to take off and get the first down.

Despite all this, Williams makes the wrong read and throws the out under the sticks. This is exactly what Foster wants in this coverage: a short completion with two defenders (Edmunds and Stroman) bracketing the receiver to make the tackle short of the first down marker.

Instead, the inexperience in zone coverage allows UNC receiver Austin Proehl the space to make a play. Edmunds and Stroman are very slow to react. Stroman takes a very poor angle, and Proehl makes a sharp cut to get up the field. Stroman has no help with Clark tied up on the X's deep vertical route and Motuapuaka running to the end zone with the tight end. Instead of a relatively easy change of possession, North Carolina converts third-and-13.

Leverage coverage gets exposed even more when offenses attack vertically with all three receivers to the wide side of the field. This time, the corner and the nickel are both playing outside leverage, with the free safety running to protect the outside third. UNC counters with three vertical routes to the field.

Stroman and Edmunds both play under the outside release go routes of the X and Z. This time, UNC aligned Ryan Switzer as the Y receiver, and Motuapuaka has to run vertical with Switzer. Clark is on an island and has three deep routes coming into his zone.

To Clark's credit, he recognizes Switzer as the primary threat and recovers back to the inside. Clark makes one hell of a play to dislodge the ball from Switzer. Motuapuaka (no fault of his own) is beaten, and Clark probably doesn't recover if Williams so much as looks at one of the outside verticals before throwing inside. This kind of coverage can't sustain itself without much more pressure at the line of scrimmage, no matter how many defenders (in this case 7) are in coverage. Despite seven defenders in coverage, Switzer and the split end to the wide side are both open.

Play-action and run-pass options put more strain on the scheme. The Hokie linebackers were so committed to stopping the run that receivers were wide open all over the field.

UNC runs a packaged play on second-and-ten.

There is a screen look to wide side of the field, on top of that Williams fakes an inside zone to the left, and then looks up at the receiver to the boundary.

Boundary receiver Mack Hollins runs a skinny post. From the rover position, Anthony Shegog should have short inside leverage to take away Hollins' slant or post options. Brandon Facyson is playing deep outside leverage. Instead, Shegog wanders to the boundary flat. Both Clarke and Motuapuaka are fitting inside on the run fake, leaving nobody in the middle of the field with inside leverage to help Facyson. Williams probably didn't have an easier throw in his career.

Foster hopes a year of experience for his young secondary yields more comfort and familiarity of the scheme. Virginia Tech's ability to play more zone effectively will minimize big plays. More defenders' eyes on the football will produce more Hokie turnovers. Even considering the Hokies' poor defensive performances last season against Duke, Pitt, and East Carolina, a turn over or big third down stop could have produced a couple more wins. With offensive productivity and ball control expected to improve for the Hokies, a defensive unit that gets off the field on third-and-long will be a key for success in 2016.