I break down interesting plays - schematically, technically, and from an execution standpoint - from the 2021 Michigan State at Northwestern football game.
To spring an explosive you usually need a D bust, but credit where it is due, this was an opening play win because of some great combo blocks up front pic.twitter.com/B9hEWg9sPw
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Standard snag concept, Johnson struggles with the read pic.twitter.com/6cMKU0XwDi
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
A lot happens to get to a 5 yard gain. Northwestern needs to clean up little things, but big thing is DE working the TE. Should be a negative play, but LB isn’t trusting his teammates well enough and attacking this, allows ball to cut back and get 5 pic.twitter.com/27E1IiQYGK
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Nice play by the DE, but northwestern not understanding how motion impacts defensive formation and who to block pic.twitter.com/qq3WOQV2qh
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Way too many little things going wrong for Northwestern. Need to see how defense is reacting presnap, it’s why you have built in answers. Should be a better gain pic.twitter.com/khRFnwibVD
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
I hate the direct snap idea.
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
I love the split flow idea
I love the play by the defensive end and Ni pic.twitter.com/5jt7Ub7Yvs
They have finally figured out how to use Hayward in an H back role away from the point of attack. Yes, still a role. Yes probably a direction tendency. But this usage takes advantage of his skill set pic.twitter.com/nordJQ6CD9
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Contrast frontside LB play vs pin and pull pic.twitter.com/udQG1nn7cO
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Another nice play by the LB here pic.twitter.com/bqYvOu3XTT
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
OL doesn’t really get any push, but don’t get pushed back either, allowing the RB to be patient, threaten interior gap, and bounce. Rough day for the safety pic.twitter.com/sQqMXDVmyX
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
How not to play split zone pic.twitter.com/7DTulv0OZR
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Great DL play vs the sweep pic.twitter.com/z4iR56dkdZ
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
At the end of the day football is still a physical sport and if you aren’t physical you aren’t getting the most out of a design pic.twitter.com/rVOzKA0vSO
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Michigan State sends pressure. Looks like the LG doesn’t pick up the End when the LT passes him off, and MSU is lucky because the coverage is broken behind it. Solve problems with aggression I guess pic.twitter.com/4xlgIS4QgQ
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Getting frustrated by WRs that don’t want to block… pic.twitter.com/1ZE4mQgZES
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
A great job retracing by a DT against a screen. Potentially stopped an explosive play pic.twitter.com/jayQYAajuw
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Version of swap boot with the flat receiver coming from opposite side on the LOS. First saw this from the Rams, love the design. Gotta complete it pic.twitter.com/rgbFAdVajV
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Scheming the defensive alignment based on 3rd and long protection tendencies to get advantageous matchups pic.twitter.com/hk7AFbOZTX
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Defensive line tossing people aside in the run game pic.twitter.com/7qQyJclZC2
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 6, 2021
Northwestern tired of getting gashed on the ground commits numbers to the run and executes pic.twitter.com/QAFENxOxF1
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Need better understanding of assignments and your responsibility on defense. The call is there, the execution is not pic.twitter.com/lZkJgWzehg
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
This is where an experienced QB can help an OL communicate the box players. OL treats OLB as a player WR can’t account for on the front side, but backside isn’t in same page. No one blocks the MIKE pic.twitter.com/LQmh6sjlLz
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
As an offense you can run down numbers in the box if you understand your scheme and who is most dangerous pic.twitter.com/cMq6fUUhXL
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Johnson’s best throw of the night pic.twitter.com/NVUEQA0pw9
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Good use of motion by Northwestern to identify coverage. MIKE does a good job walking at first, but stays too attached. Knowing it’s zone, once QB sees that, he can quickly release the ball and nearly convert pic.twitter.com/kXytu7IZ8E
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Simple motion near the end zone breaks down man coverage pic.twitter.com/Dac1r8uUXp
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
First play of the 2nd half, Northwestern can’t block DEs with TEs, so they start with insert right at the LB that is having the most trouble reading and reacting. Two defenders in the same gap = explosive pic.twitter.com/1NiPTfQU7j
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Northwestern’s first drive of the 2nd half is fun because it’s obvious in the locker room they basically said “screw it, we can’t block DEs with TEs, throw out all those plays”
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
7 man pressure with C0 behind it. Northwestern doesn’t pick up the safety and the end gets in the throw window of the hot. Need better play from LT to keep this guy out the window so QB can throw hot pic.twitter.com/Nq6nmh9ZRE
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Here’s the breakdown pic.twitter.com/5R5MiYwPi2
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Yes! They started doing it in 2019 after their bye week. Been waiting to see if it catches on a bit more with more teams trying to find runs out of 11 personnel. https://t.co/YNx3CAnfVN
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 7, 2021
This is the last today that I’ll harp on Hayward as a blocker, but it’s a work in progress and a real weakness. He’s getting a lot of snaps, and I just don’t know if he can go at that level yet pic.twitter.com/q6MyvD9H5t
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
CB pressure into the Counter OT. Great call into this offensive call pic.twitter.com/H8KtwZg6fl
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
A lot of young QBs will feel this pressure and bail on the pocket. Thorne showed great pocket movement here to maintain his throwing base and pick on a DE dropping in coverage pic.twitter.com/hxLeUKi5tS
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Hunter Johnson reminds me a little (in this specific way) of Shea Patterson. Clean pocket, clean read, you see his arm and accuracy that made him a 5-star prospect. It's the rest of the game that holds him back, but for that brief moment you see the arm talent
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Always hard to know what is gameplan specific or tendency, but Johnson ran (and Thorne executed) significantly less Go routes than usual, but was great on corner routes. Defenses going to work on defending those for MSU week pic.twitter.com/DkB1g8e7vo
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Chipping the ends is not always as helpful to OTs as people may think pic.twitter.com/64vAGqB2Oc
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
OL taken the brunt of some physical LB play, so how do they respond? Just cut him. Nice response, a solid gain on the ground pic.twitter.com/16SxzAOsfE
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Press on a reduced split WR = pretty solid indication that CB is blitzing. Contrast this with the 1st play from Northwestern. Being in position to execute is more important than disguise pic.twitter.com/ig1mxs5JDW
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
As a defense, you need to understand the responsibilities of your teammates so you aren’t putting two guys in one gap pic.twitter.com/x63BBhJJ1L
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
An area for improvement for MSU. Short yardage need a yard, have to get some push, and have to have a base to prevent getting knocked down pic.twitter.com/e5WLE3BBG1
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
Northwestern needs film room. They need reps vs real defensive fronts, not vanilla fronts. The good news, the ID issues can be cleaned up, biggest improvement from week 1 to week 2. Bad news is they got pushed around physically, and that corner is harder to turn
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021
3) MSU OL I thought started really well, faded a bit with physicality. Need to maintain it. But for most part did not have MAs. That allowed skill players to make plays. I like Hayward’s new position but MSU is creating some heavy tendencies trying to avoid him at point of attack
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 7, 2021