Recent Comments
French...great new addition to TKP! Love the in-depth analysis. Looking forward to future articles.
Joe,
In the old 4-4, the rover was always opposite to the whip. In th defense now, the free safety and the whip are essentially interchangable. In the diagram, Whitley (who the coaches called "the rover" last year) is lined up to the twins side, and he motions back to the middle of the field while Exum (who was the "free safety" last year) rotates up towards the line with the motion. Unlike the old 4-4, I think Foster and Gray want the free and rover to essentially be interchangable with the only exception being that the free makes the defensive secondary calls and audibles.
I will touch on this more when I write my column on the secondary play, but I think because Hokies safeties have been victimized in man coverage so much, that Foster is looking at his safeties having less run support responsibility and being better at coverage, hence the change of putting converted corners at safety. In the Michigan game, almost every completion came against the safeties. Boise and Stanford both targeted the safeties. Clemson and Duke are really the only teams I can remember that have attacked Hokie corners and been successful.
I think we see the Hokies playing a ton of 4-4G man this year, with next to no pass coverage responsibility by the mike and backer. I foresee a TON of blitzes on 3rd and long.
I played in the pre-2004 VT defense in HS at Westfield which was also a popular defense with Oakton/Robinson and I guess now South County which has Bendorf. Was a great move on moving the rover back in alignment based on the offenses being seen but thought the Rover always lined up on the strong side away from the Whip but your diagram indicates them lined on the same side.
Hope that VT keeps getting playing making athletic DTs that can get off blocks and penetrate in interior gaps in order to take D to next level.
What are the differences between what Tech does and a traditional NFL 4-3??
From what I've heard, a lot of the negative recruiting emphasizes that in Tech's defense a DE or OLB (Whip), for example, isn't a traditional NFL DE or OLB. So opposing coaches will tell a kid he'll have a better shot of making it to the NFL if he plays in a "NFL-style" 4-3. I'm sure our coaches cite James Anderson who transitioned from Whip to NFL LB, and Jason Worilds who played DE at Tech and was drafted as an OLB for the Steelers. It's no secret that Tech uses a lot of "hybrid" type players. More and more NFL coaches are blending the 4-3 and 3-4 concepts and scheme. Playing in a college system that emphasizes skillset diversity is actually a good thing.
I think I understand why our defense is used against us in recruiting. If our defense is designed to "funnel" the ball carrier to certain positions I could see some recruits not liking that. Oh well. I love it anyway!
THEY BACK.
Just joined. Im Texas A&M
http://blogs.ajc.com/recruiting/2012/07/14/wr-gets-first-offer-from-geor...
Facyson commits to VT, subsequently the Bees offer another WR that accepts on the spot.
nope, any team you want being a HC, OC or DC. i got the rosters downloaded also
Great pick up. I think he will stay on the Defensive side with his ability to track the ball and get it at its highest point. He looks to be a hard hitter, but seems to tackle to high.
Regardless, good pick up
I will join in later this afternoon. Any limitations on the team i choose?
it says a lot about our program and our coaches with all the fathers/sons and brothers who come to play at vt.
I am watching the UVA film. Via will start somewhere, and he will be solid.
good for him!
Great 'get' for the Hokies!! And wow....just heard he was in the hospital this morning for absessed tonsils!!
just search for hiltzy 05, and if you know anyone else that would want to join in its cool with me
Haha that is completely fine, Im still open to joining
I was really hoping for this.
i just started one if you still wanna join one. Sorry i took VT
Indeed, the ACC is pretty loaded his year. I wrote that with a straight face. If the league actually wins non-conference games national media folks might even pick up on it. Depending on the health of the secondary, special teams, o-line, and play at whip we'll be somewhere between 1st and 4th best. We're somewhat fortunate that in the year UNC looks pretty capable on offense, and we play FSU and Clemson, they're banned from postseason play. It's early, but I'd peg us at 10-2, losses to both FSU and Clemson, but getting back to Charlotte where anything can happen.
Did they have boxes of unpaid Nikes and Seby Janikowski in the trunk? Dadgum it.
Says Watford stays, but moves to WR and Rocco transfers. #newhoos
You leave out the Michigan game, where the Hokies did whatever they wanted EXCEPT run the football effectively in between the tackles at winning time. Greg Nosal, Andrew Miller, and Jaymes Brooks were effectively blown up at the point of attack.
Hokies pass protection has been excellent over the last couple of seasons except in two circumstances.
1) Versus elite, NFL caliber edge rushers (see Branch.) This screams to Newsome's inability to recruit NFL caliber left tackles. Moving converted tight ends to tackle improves the athleticism issue, but doesn't bring with it the wingspan and often the lower body strength needed to handle a guy who has both the speed move and the bull rush. Our starter this year, Nick Becton is a guy who is an upgrade over Andrew Lainer, but has weaknesses that are crucial against a top pass rusher. A) He is slow on snap count. B) He has less wingspan than an average tackle.
The combo of Branch's edge rush, and Brandon Thompson blowing up Nosal and Miller every play basically took away the entire left side of the field for the Hokies offense. The rest of the Clemson D loaded up on the outside gaps, corners pressed, and forced the Hokies into very limited options. It was textbook.
2) The Hokies have struggled mightly against interior blitzes. Part of that results from a series of tailbacks who are willing, but engage the blitzer too close to the QB, or poor recognition by the guards and center. The 2nd half of the Stanford game made the Hokies interior look like me in a flag football game. Benedict, Via, and Wang must be better than their former teammates in this facet. Luckily, ACC coaches have been too stupid to watch the film and make that adjustment.
It depends on which version of the 4-3. Some teams run a 2 gap scheme (which is much more difficult to get players for.) Basically, it requires two defensive tackles who can each command double teams. They tie up the center and both guards, allowing the middle linebacker to go unblocked sideline to sideline. The doubles on the interior also give the ends more flexibility to get upfield and rush the passer.
The one-gap 4-3 is a little more similar to the Hokies in that each defensive front 7 has gap responsibility, but in the NFL almost never does the radical stunting that the Hokies perform (the NFL lines are good enough to adjust and drive the stunting linemen off the ball.)
The biggest difference is how wildly the defensive responsibilities differ between the gap defense. The Hokies defense requires the DL to essentially "tie up" blockers and hold gaps. They are not supposed to be playmakers (except in the pass rush) but they have to be adept at maintaining leverage while stunting. They recruit nimble, short tackles, which you don't see in the NFL. Also, stud 6'6 265 DE's who want to play in the NFL, not tie up linemen so linebackers make plays. The middle backers have very little pass coverage responsibility, and spend significant time taking on blocks on the interior of a play. The Whip responsibilities seem to change as much as the skillsets of the players in the position. It really is an outlier as far as defenses, as much as Paul Johnson's wishbone is on offense.
This plays out when you examine the Hokies players in the NFL. James Anderson is the only Hokie alumni who is a starter in the front 7 of an NFL team. Worilds was moved to OLB and by the accounts of Steelers insiders, has struggled with the transition to a 3-4 look. Darryl Tapp has been a career backup. Excellent Hokies like Xavier Adibi, Chris Ellis, and Jonathan Lewis have barely had a look. Mr. Hokie Cody Grimm was moved to the secondary (which is funny given that pass coverage was his greatest weakness as a Hokie.) I have no doubt this works against the Hokies in recruiting, but Foster also has archetypes he recruits to for his players. Defensive linemen must be able to stunt and slant while maintaining leverage. Backers and Mikes must be adept at timing blitzes and taking on blocks. A London Fletcher or Brian Urlacher type linebacker would not be a good fit for the Hokies. Neither would a Pat Williams type DT.