Alabama All Day: Zone Defense

by Peter Bean on Dec 23, 2009 2:02 PM CST in Texas Longhorns Football

Just a quick general observation here on zone defense: the last two games I've worked my way through on a play by play basis -- the Thanksgiving game against A&M and now this SEC Title Game -- have me questioning whether college defenses are capable of playing quality zone defense on a consistent basis. At least where the defense either rushes four or fails to get pressure when bringing extra rushers, the defenders in coverage do a mostly miserable job covering receivers who release into their zone. Quarterbacks with poise who are given enough time have no trouble finding the open man, more often than not in between the linebackers and defensive backs.

I've already mentioned Alabama picking on Florida's zone defense; Tim Tebow just threw a touchdown picking on a Bama zone -- Javier Arenas committed to the tailback receiver in the flat, two DBs ran deep with Cooper, and no one was there to cover David Nelson in between them all.

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Alabama's Zone Defense

Things like this happened early in the year agiasnt Virgina Tech, Florida International and Arkansas. In fact it was the only reason Arkansas scored. That being said. A true break down in zone pass coverage didn’t happen again for Alabama until that game. At least when it hurt. Another reason we were able to escape Tennessee and especially Auburn.

by REG233710 on Dec 23, 2009 2:14 PM CST reply actions

How much zone do you normally play?

Would you say it’s mostly man, mostly zone? Even up?

by SpiritOfTheFedora on Dec 23, 2009 3:16 PM CST up reply actions

Even up I think. It depends on who we play

by REG233710 on Dec 23, 2009 3:18 PM CST up reply actions

I’d wager Saban goes with more man against us to take advantage of your guys’ coverage skills. McCoy to Shipley can absolutely blister most any zone given time. At the same time we’ve had some problems with tight man, especially jamming us at the line.

by SpiritOfTheFedora on Dec 23, 2009 3:46 PM CST up reply actions

I watched alot of Texas this year...

And I really think that Shipley, not McCoy is the best player you guys have. IF Alabama takes him away… that could decide the game.

by REG233710 on Dec 23, 2009 5:37 PM CST up reply actions

Taking him away can go two ways

One way is the way it went in the Nebraska game. Another way is when Malcolm Williams explodes.

by burntorangehorn on Dec 23, 2009 10:04 PM CST up reply actions

I think the holes in the zone are going to be there...

Just will we have enough time to find them? That’s the key. If Colt can scramble and force some safety’s up closer to the line of scrimmage then we’ll hit our fair share of intermediate to deep passes.

by Orangechipper on Dec 23, 2009 2:29 PM CST reply actions

Shipley is great at finding the soft spot in the zone, it’s one of his biggest strengths. But like you say the key is time…

by SpiritOfTheFedora on Dec 23, 2009 3:14 PM CST up reply actions

Arenas

One weapon that was absolutely lethal for Alabama that does not make a showing agianst Flordia is the corner blitz from Arenas. Most of the time Alabama will send a linebacker and Arenas from Dareus’ side right into a bootleg. That’s why scrambling isn’t a huge factor vs Alabama

by REG233710 on Dec 23, 2009 2:32 PM CST reply actions

i thought we ran it once in this game…

Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.

by kleph on Dec 23, 2009 2:34 PM CST up reply actions

I might be wrong… but I don’t remember it. It seemed like Arenas hung back in coverage most of the time.

by REG233710 on Dec 23, 2009 2:36 PM CST up reply actions

i’m not sure by any means. but it certainly would have been an exception to the gameplan vs florida. it doesn’t make a ton of sense sending a 5-9, 198 lb corner on a 6-3, 245 lb ~~fullback~~ quarterback with regularity – no matter how hard he hits.

Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.

by kleph on Dec 23, 2009 2:41 PM CST up reply actions

Tebow is very effective against the corner blitz

if I remember correctly

by billycthulhu on Dec 23, 2009 2:45 PM CST up reply actions

Alabama played differently in the SECCG.

Alabama’s #1 rule it seemed on Defense was this: DO NOT GET BEHIND TEBOW.

Alabama’s pass rush made sure it stayed in front of tebow. If you watch closely, you can see that if a lineman or linebacker gets anywhere behind tebow, they will change directions immediately, even if it looks like a higher chance of getting around from behind.

Because if they get behind Tebow, then Tebow scrambles for 5+ yards. The main goal of the Alabama defense in that game was not to sack Tebow, but instead to keep him contained and in the pocket and then eventually collapse the pocket in on him and putting pressure on him in that manner. This helped keep the scrambles and running lanes for Tebow to a minimum. Not to mention, Tebow is not easy to take down.

If you watch other Florida games you can see other Defenses making the mistake of going all out for Tebow. They end up running by him around the edges, and he steps up and runs for a 1st down/big gain.

It was absolutely brilliant on the part of Kirby(or whoever was responsible, DC gets the credit I guess). Alabama could have done what the other teams have done, what they did in last years SEC game and got burnt, but they didn’t.

Good defensive football right there.

by cal n on Jan 5, 2010 5:30 AM CST up reply actions

zone

not many teams run zone effectively unless its what they always run, not enough time for the coaches to teach it, at least thats the reasoning i see from a lot of people.

by ThunderHorn on Dec 23, 2009 7:19 PM CST reply actions

I think it's also likely that most HS DBs with much talent play man on an island

I know most schools we faced wouldn’t bother putting their best cover men in zone, and would instead just man that guy and play zone with the lesser talents.

by burntorangehorn on Dec 23, 2009 10:07 PM CST up reply actions

The talent pool in College is to thin.

There are not enough talent at safeties and corners for every team to play zone well. If you compare QB efficiency rating between college and NFL you see the difference in the lack of talent in the secondary and in the pass rush.

What would be very interesting to me would be comparing the “run after catch” of both systems. In a lot of cases the receiver is running through a zone defense that has it’s players running to a spot or standing still which would be a big advantage to a receiver already moving to run passed the defender who would have to turn 180 degree and then start running to keep up.

by Xerxes on Dec 24, 2009 10:55 AM CST reply actions

Was the problem zone or mistakes?

In the instances that you gave concerning Bama’s lapse in zone coverage, they were mental errors. People make mistakes in one on one coverage, too. Depending upon Texas’ success or lack of success with the running game, as well as the score, Bama will adapt to the defensive scheme that works best. Bama will try to go one on one and rush the passer or defend the running game. Bama’s defensive philosophy is to stop the run first. If Texas becomes pass happy and forsakes the running game, Bama will eat them up alive. McCoy will be eating dirt most of the game. I do not expect that to happen. Texas and Bama know that they have to establish a running game.

by nosterrex on Dec 25, 2009 12:58 PM CST reply actions