Wednesday Huddle: TCU
by Peter Bean on Sep 5, 2007 9:16 PM CDT
in Football
11 comments
We've had four days to wring our knuckles about the lackluster season opener, but that door is now officially closed. I think we all agree that it wasn't a strong effort from Texas, that if it's indicative of future performance, we're all in trouble, and that TCU provides a much, much stiffer test.
With that said, we can't just throw out the baby with the bathwater here. Texas didn't play well last week, but there were and are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about this team's chances of winning the Big 12.
Long story short? Let's hold off on trying to label this team for the rest of the season until we've seen some more football.
And so we shall, starting this Saturday.
TCU LAST WEEK
The Horned Frogs easily beat the Baylor Bears last Saturday, but let's take a closer look at how they did it.
Defend the spread. Baylor's switched to a spread pass attack under Guy Morris, and though they were making some progress last season under senior Shawn Bell, their season collapsed when he went down to injury. Against TCU, Baylor turned to Blake Szymanski for most of the game, but he was disastrous, completing just 23 of his 47 attempts, including 3 INTs. It was a pitiful performance, and without any credible running threat (25 attempts for 51 yards), TCU was practically guaranteed to win.
Keep things simple on offense. Gary Patterson's philosophy is a simple one, and much like that of former Steelers coach Bill Cowher: control the run game, limit mistakes, play great defense, be the more physical team.
TCU did just that last Saturday, rushing the ball 45 times for 181 yards (4.0 per attempt). They knew they could wear down Baylor, and they did.
That's a safe strategy and, when you've got the right defense, a very successful one.
It's only limitation is its simplicity. What makes it so effective most of the time is also what limits it when it faces a dynamic offense. TCU is especially vulnerable this season because they're breaking in a new quarterback. If they get into a contest when they're forced to pass to score, the game's up. They're built to grind, and you can guarantee that they'll be trying for just that on Saturday.
THE EARLY LOOK
The most interesting question heading into this game is how Patterson intends to force Texas' hand. Arkansas State had a lot of success by bringing a variety of run blitzes at the 'Horns, trying to get someone - anyone - in the backfield, and hoping Colt didn't hurt them downfield. It worked last week, but Colt has proven he can make a team pay for leaving too little coverage in the secondary.
One thing Greg Davis would be wise to do is work hard on using Charles more like Texas Tech uses Shannon Woods. The shotgun running game has looked positively broken, but Texas can still use Charles as a "rusher" with a bevy of safe, underneath, extremely short passes. Not only do they get Charles going at or beyond the line of scrimmage, but they give him a chance to get in the open field. Simple draws, counters, and sweeps play right into what TCU expects us to do. Davis would be wise to let TCU's ends come up the field and move Charles into the open space.
Defensively, Texas needs to make TCU quarterback Andy Dalton win this game. He's got a good enough arm, but he's not the guy the Horned Frogs want having to make most of the plays. (Honestly? If Dalton struggles or TCU falls behind quickly, don't be surprised to see Marcus Jackson on the field. He's not nearly as good a passer as Dalton, but he's got the quickness of feet and playmaking ability that Corey Leonard hurt Texas with last week. I'm sure TCU noticed.)
The early look here is the same that it was this summer. Texas has enough advantages in this game that winning is more likely than not. We just can't escape the fact, though, that if Texas' coaches don't take advantage of Texas' strengths, TCU will make this a grind-it-out slugfest that they're built to win.
--PB--
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Nice work
I agree with what you're saying here. Wouldn't it be great to see some double TE ace sets, or even the I formation this weekend? I know it's not sexy or what worked with Vince in the backfield, but Greg Davis and co. must realize that this is a different team.
by MattMiller on Sep 5, 2007 9:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I Form and Ace
I would like to see it sprinkled in, but I would like to see GD use Texas' athletic ability. By that I mean use the Spread (and hopefully they stick with the empty spread with Finley and JC split out wide, I think that could be a really dynamic set) and work off of it with the I/Ace sets. Texas' biggest advantage in this game is at the skill positions on offense, so hopefully they will have success early from the Shotgun to spread the Frogs horizontally. At that point, the I Form and Ace Form could really gash TCU right up the gut. I know that that's a lot of projecting and "ifs," but I believe that is how the Texas offense will have the most success.
by Sweed4Heisman on Sep 5, 2007 9:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
if you're gonna use the spread to move the ball
stick with the spread.
If you go from the spread to an I-formation, you might as well put out a sign asking TCU's defense to kill Jamaal Charles.
As for going with an Empty set, are you serious? Right now, TCU's DL is superior to texas' OL, which means going empty will invite them to tee off on McCoy.
McCoy had enough issues last week without being knocked loopy.
by Beergut on Sep 6, 2007 2:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
keep on truck...er... passing
I thought the most critical comment MB made after the ArkState game was that "we should have kept on passing." MB went on to allude that the Horns were getting favorable matchups in the passing game but went away from it to try to establish the run. He also implied that perhaps Colt lost his rhythm (a euphemism for being in too many third and long situations) when they went to the run. Hopefully, the lesson was learned that you always take what the defense gives you no matter how lowly ranked the opposition.
I agree with Sweed4Heisman that the TCU defense can be attacked in the middle with shovel passes to JC, draws, and passes to the TE out of 1 TE or 2TE (I believe that's the "Ace" everyone's talking about) formations. As I pointed out in a prior comment, Baylor averaged 4.6 yards per carry on draws and darn near 0 on sweeps. That zone-blocking sweep and wide receiver screen that Texas likes to run will go nowhere fast against great defensive ends because the ends will roll up the cutback lanes on both those plays.
Another cause for optimism is that TCU's kicking game is not up to that of the Horns. Some big returns and Colt McCoy's pooch kicks could really turn the tide in a defensive struggle, and Ryan Bailey is more accurate than TCU's kicker Manfredini.
by burnt in ny on Sep 5, 2007 11:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Shovel Pass?
I know you didnt just suggest a shovel pass. I had to register just to respond to that.
OU burns us bad using the shovel pass one year, one game, then GD and Co. think its a good idea to mix it into our offense. It is horrible. We never execute it well, 5/6 result in loss of yards.
For the love I hope we are done with the shovel pass experiment.
I would like to see more draws, and Finlay passes, but for the love no more shovel passes, please.
by BoddickerIsClutch on Sep 6, 2007 8:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
re: shovel
It's unwise to completely scrap any play from the playbook because they all serve a function. If there is a lot of pressure coming up the field around the ends, then a shovel pass is a good tool to have in order to slow things down a little.
by Jason Mayer on Sep 6, 2007 8:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
getting out the shovel
I wasn't aware of UT's "history" with shovel passes, as I don't recall seeing very many. Perhaps that's because they were executed so poorly I didn't remember them. They are weak when the defense is stunting or run blitzing in the middle because generally the defenders are running around where they aren't expected to be and aren't in a good position for the OL to block (since they are pass protecting). I suspect most teams don't stand a chance going straight up against the UT linemen and are often twisting, stunting and blitzing all the time, and stuffing plays like draws and shovel passes.
In that case, a TE curl (see the final two drives against USC in the Rose owl) or seam route (see Vince Young's early passing career throwing to Bo Scaife and David Thomas in 2004) will be wide open rather than a draw or shovel pass. A quick slant or over-the-middle drag pattern to the slot WR (McCoy to Cosby in the Alamo Bowl) will also likely be wide open.
Shovel passes can be devastating aginst OLB or corner blitzes because the inside LB's have to rotate out of the middle to cover the quick slant and the safeties will be sitting back to help the vulnerable CB's.
Clearly, there are opportunities with all the weapons Texas has. We'll see if Colt has his "eyesight" back to see them.
Colt McCoy on Sept 3: I felt like I didn't play in the second quarter at all. I felt like I made some poor decisions and poor reads and did a lot of things that didn't help our football team.
In any case, I was just tossing out some generic plays that are generally good for slowing down an outside rush and pulling up a safety to "dog" for screens, TE's and RB's popping out of the backfield, assuming the LB's can't cover those (not sure about this for TCU), thus opening the way for big plays downfield to the WR.
by burnt in ny on Sep 6, 2007 9:35 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
TE in the seam...
...I think Finley could be a terror against a generic Cover 2. That seam wasn't really there against ASU, but they used a lot of man coverage. Not exactly sure what TCU's basic coverage is, but if it's any Cover 2 variation, Jermichael should be able to hit that seam all night. He can outrun most linebackers and has a much bigger body than a safety.
by Sweed4Heisman on Sep 6, 2007 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
TE Screen?
AK St used it against us, and I think it would help keep the opposing D from blitzing too much and get Finley the ball more.
by Wells on Sep 6, 2007 8:38 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I noticed
One big problem with our secondary that Arkie St. didn't exploit (probably because it was so easy to exploit every other problem) was that, while Dee and Dum usually lined up about 10 yards off their receivers, occasionally I almost wet myself when I saw them playing tight... then they blitzed. Every time that I noticed it, they blitzed. It was so obvious. Palmer is 10 yards back, Foster is on the line, Foster blitzes. Does this strike anyone else as obvious?
by Horn Brain on Sep 6, 2007 11:01 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
coverage moustaches on the Tweedles
I agree - that sounds like poor coverage disguise. Ordinarily you would have the CB start at the line of scrimmage at the start of the QB count and then back off at the last minute or blitz. Another variation is to start with the outside CB 5 yards inside the outside receiver, feinting a blitz and then turn and cover the inside of the route. The standard offensive move is to make the outside receiver hot and come in on a slant. The CB plays this and effectively jumps the route. Sounds like this would be too imaginative for the Tweedles. If they're still doing this against a really good receiver in later games (Malcolm Kelly, Adarius Bowman), chalk up six for the other team.
by burnt in ny on Sep 6, 2007 12:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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