Okay, I want to give some thoughts on the defense. Also give others a chance to share thoughts and have discussion here.
1. Let’s make it clear what the “base coverage” is for everyone. It’s a matchup Cover 4 where each defender has a WR to read and based on what that WR does, that determines who covers who. The corners play press and have the #1 WR, and they are manned up unless the WR goes underneath right away (runs a drag route). The safety reads the number 2 WR, it he gets vertical to about 5 yards, the safety will take him whoever he goes. Now, the OLB (the Star, Cam Bright & Petrishen) is also reading #2. They should get hands on and cover underneath him if he goes out, pass him off if he goes in or continues vertical, then find #3 or look for work. The Money backer (boundary OLB, Phill Campbell) does the same thing with #2 to his side, if there is one. If not, he’s watching for the back out of the backfield or looking for work. The Mike backer has #3 (whether that’s a WR, TE or running back) and depending on the formation, may have #3 vertical. If it’s 3x1, the boundary safety should help on #3 to field and he should be able to pass out route the the OLB. Okay that’s the coverage.
2. Yes, it puts the safety in a real bind. Especially when your LBs are reading keys from OL and in the backfield and focused on the run. It’s hard to read pass (especially with RPOs) and then find #2, get your reroute, and help the safety. So now the safety is in a real bind stuck playing man with a guy who gets 10 yard running start and can use the whole field and go any direction. This is the main problem with Narduzzi’s defense against offenses in today’s CFB. This is an impossible task.
3. The problems UVA caused were 2-fold. The guys they have playing WR are huge, fast and the scheme them really well into open spots and use route combinations to pull defenders and replace them. And then, even if you have good coverage, stopping #99 and #0 from boxing you out is tough. Also, losing Dennis really opened up the middle of the field. B George and Chase Pine just aren’t good in coverage. George did have a great PBU though! But they aren’t consistent enough. So that hurt against 0. Not having your Mike be able to carry and help with #3, when they are are really good opens up the middle of the field and that causes problems.
4. People who yell at the corner “JUST TURN AROUND!” You’ve clearly never played football and understand just how hard this is. The corners play well in this technique, I don’t want to hear complaints about them. Their issue is when they try to go cover 3. They either don’t rep it enough, or our corners try to read what happens. I swear most big plays outside are from the corner not doing his job in cover 3 (see the Mathis TD on the 2 play TD drive for UVA).
5. The defense is dependent on pressure on the QB. We know this, with the pressure points for the safety, you need to disrupt the timing with press and reroutes and GET PRESSURE. Pitt struggles to pressure with 4 right now and when they did, they were very effective (obviously). But Armstrong was also good at seeing blitz and throwing into it, he did for a TD against Petrishen early in the game.
6. This is the game I would 100% support another DB on the field. They really couldn’t run and their OL couldn’t push Pitt around. The could’ve defended the run with 6. This gives you a guy who is focused on pass first and helps the safety in base coverage. You can also run more man, and other zone coverages more effectively. Now, the staff thinks of the Star LB as a “hybrid” position. So half LB/half safety, but they just haven’t gotten the right player there yet. Cam Bright has had moments but he’s still not good enough against the pass. Again, it’s tough on him to read run first and try and then find #2 and get a jam when these guys are such good athletes.
7. Pitt stops the run well, against everyone. It’s huge to stop the run. If teams can run on you, it causes a million other problems. It allows the offense to do whatever it wants, dictate pace, dictate game flow, get ahead of the sticks and be unpredictable.
8. this Pitt defense has flaws and can get exposed by good spread/RPO schemes with good QBs. Who can’t? I’m really not sure what the magic solution is, maybe we can find it in this thread. But when Pitt switches up their zone, they get beat in cover 3 too. You can’t run man-2 deep every play, this isn’t a video game. These players are trained in developed in this system, and right now Erik Hallett is not good enough at his. The Star LBs and Mike backers not named Dennis still struggle as well. The DEs are still getting better, we need more consistent rush from them. So yeah, UVA had a bunch of success, but Pitt forced enough stops to beat them. Sometimes in CFB that has to be it. These offenses are really good in this conference, UVA does this to everyone (except Wake…I need to find out what happened in that one), TVD was throwing dimes in a monsoon yesterday, Leary is lighting up defenses…this conference is full of good QBs. This staff needs to either find a way to recruit better field safeties or develop converted corners quicker, or change the scheme to defend pass first. Because that’s how the guys in your conference kill you.
9. this is all to say, I personally like Narduzzi as a coach, and this scheme is what him this coach. He needs to continue to adjust it and be open to change. or this is going to continue to happen. You will have to win shootouts and those are always dangerous.
1. Let’s make it clear what the “base coverage” is for everyone. It’s a matchup Cover 4 where each defender has a WR to read and based on what that WR does, that determines who covers who. The corners play press and have the #1 WR, and they are manned up unless the WR goes underneath right away (runs a drag route). The safety reads the number 2 WR, it he gets vertical to about 5 yards, the safety will take him whoever he goes. Now, the OLB (the Star, Cam Bright & Petrishen) is also reading #2. They should get hands on and cover underneath him if he goes out, pass him off if he goes in or continues vertical, then find #3 or look for work. The Money backer (boundary OLB, Phill Campbell) does the same thing with #2 to his side, if there is one. If not, he’s watching for the back out of the backfield or looking for work. The Mike backer has #3 (whether that’s a WR, TE or running back) and depending on the formation, may have #3 vertical. If it’s 3x1, the boundary safety should help on #3 to field and he should be able to pass out route the the OLB. Okay that’s the coverage.
2. Yes, it puts the safety in a real bind. Especially when your LBs are reading keys from OL and in the backfield and focused on the run. It’s hard to read pass (especially with RPOs) and then find #2, get your reroute, and help the safety. So now the safety is in a real bind stuck playing man with a guy who gets 10 yard running start and can use the whole field and go any direction. This is the main problem with Narduzzi’s defense against offenses in today’s CFB. This is an impossible task.
3. The problems UVA caused were 2-fold. The guys they have playing WR are huge, fast and the scheme them really well into open spots and use route combinations to pull defenders and replace them. And then, even if you have good coverage, stopping #99 and #0 from boxing you out is tough. Also, losing Dennis really opened up the middle of the field. B George and Chase Pine just aren’t good in coverage. George did have a great PBU though! But they aren’t consistent enough. So that hurt against 0. Not having your Mike be able to carry and help with #3, when they are are really good opens up the middle of the field and that causes problems.
4. People who yell at the corner “JUST TURN AROUND!” You’ve clearly never played football and understand just how hard this is. The corners play well in this technique, I don’t want to hear complaints about them. Their issue is when they try to go cover 3. They either don’t rep it enough, or our corners try to read what happens. I swear most big plays outside are from the corner not doing his job in cover 3 (see the Mathis TD on the 2 play TD drive for UVA).
5. The defense is dependent on pressure on the QB. We know this, with the pressure points for the safety, you need to disrupt the timing with press and reroutes and GET PRESSURE. Pitt struggles to pressure with 4 right now and when they did, they were very effective (obviously). But Armstrong was also good at seeing blitz and throwing into it, he did for a TD against Petrishen early in the game.
6. This is the game I would 100% support another DB on the field. They really couldn’t run and their OL couldn’t push Pitt around. The could’ve defended the run with 6. This gives you a guy who is focused on pass first and helps the safety in base coverage. You can also run more man, and other zone coverages more effectively. Now, the staff thinks of the Star LB as a “hybrid” position. So half LB/half safety, but they just haven’t gotten the right player there yet. Cam Bright has had moments but he’s still not good enough against the pass. Again, it’s tough on him to read run first and try and then find #2 and get a jam when these guys are such good athletes.
7. Pitt stops the run well, against everyone. It’s huge to stop the run. If teams can run on you, it causes a million other problems. It allows the offense to do whatever it wants, dictate pace, dictate game flow, get ahead of the sticks and be unpredictable.
8. this Pitt defense has flaws and can get exposed by good spread/RPO schemes with good QBs. Who can’t? I’m really not sure what the magic solution is, maybe we can find it in this thread. But when Pitt switches up their zone, they get beat in cover 3 too. You can’t run man-2 deep every play, this isn’t a video game. These players are trained in developed in this system, and right now Erik Hallett is not good enough at his. The Star LBs and Mike backers not named Dennis still struggle as well. The DEs are still getting better, we need more consistent rush from them. So yeah, UVA had a bunch of success, but Pitt forced enough stops to beat them. Sometimes in CFB that has to be it. These offenses are really good in this conference, UVA does this to everyone (except Wake…I need to find out what happened in that one), TVD was throwing dimes in a monsoon yesterday, Leary is lighting up defenses…this conference is full of good QBs. This staff needs to either find a way to recruit better field safeties or develop converted corners quicker, or change the scheme to defend pass first. Because that’s how the guys in your conference kill you.
9. this is all to say, I personally like Narduzzi as a coach, and this scheme is what him this coach. He needs to continue to adjust it and be open to change. or this is going to continue to happen. You will have to win shootouts and those are always dangerous.
