Four Plays - Utah @ M 2014

Submitted by EGD on

Four Plays – Utah @ Michigan 2014

I’ve always respected Kyle Whittingham’s Utah program.  Whenever I watched his teams play in the past, they impressed me as tough, physical squads that got the most out of their talent.  The Utes took down BYU on the road last season and followed that up with a stunning upset against Stanford, so they've shown the ability to compete with anyone.  Even so, I wasn’t particularly worried about this game heading into the season.  The Utes ended up 5-7 the past two years and haven’t finished in the AP top-25 since 2009.

That changed a bit after I read up on ths year's Utes.  Utah’s quarterback, Travis Wilson, is a  6’7” (!) dual-threat (386 rushing yards in 2013) coming back from an intra-cranial artery issue.  They have talent at WR and RB, and in the off-season landed spread guru Dan Christiansen--i.e., the guy who ran Mizzou’s offense in the Chase Daniel era--as their offensive coordinator.  They've already put up 115 points in their first two games, plus they have a serious playmaker on defense in DE Nate Orchard.

But while Utah looked pretty formidable on paper, I was a bit less impressed after watching some of their game against Idaho State on video.  The Utes really are not stout against the run, and while they have a few outstanding playmakers I just didn’t see the usual physicality that I associate with vintage Utah teams.  This game should be a good all-around challenge, and Michigan isn’t going to win with a -4 turnover margin performance--but I’m still pretty confident Michigan gets the win so long as they take care of the ball and find a way to cope with Nate Orchard.

Now, let’s look at some matchups.

When Michigan has the ball…

1.     26 Power

Somewhat ironically, Michigan’s best running play this season (not counting the jet sweeps to Norfleet) has arguably been not Inside Zone, but the play Michigan could never really get off the ground despite years of trying under Al Borges: good ol’ Power O.  Maybe it has something to do with catching opponents by surprise, maybe all the years of practice are finally paying off, who knows?  But the play is easier (mentally) on the running backs and Magnuson has looked good pulling this season, so hopefully the success continues. 

Shown here from an offset I formation against Utah’s base 4-3 Under, Power O attacks the “6-hole” between offensive tackle and TE. Key features of the play include: (i) the RT and TE will double-team the opposing SDE at the point-of-attack; (ii) the LG pulls and leads the tailback through the hole; (iii) the tailback cuts off of the LG’s block.  Note that Utah runs a 4-3 Under front and calls its strongside LB the “Stud” and the weakside LB the “Rover.”  

Assignments:

LT Mason Cole: Down-block WDE Nate Orchard

LG Erik Magnuson: Pull and lead through hole; block first defender (likely MLB Jason Whittingham)

C Jack Miller: Down-block 3T Sese Ianu

RG Graham Glasgow: Down-block NT Clint Shepherd

RT Ben Braden: Block SDE Hunter Dimick (try to seal him inside)

TE Jake Butt: Double-team SDE Hunter Dimick; then pop-off and progress to second-level

FB Joe Kerridge: Kick-out block on “Stud” LB Uaea Masina

RB – Derrick Green: Counter step, then receive handoff and aim for 6-hole outside RT, cut off of Magnuson’s block

Advantage: Even

While Michigan’s running game remains a work in progress, Utah (i.e., Nate Orchard) has 21 TFLs and a nation-leading 11 sacks through just two games.  Despite the impressive statistics, however, the Utes’ interior DL looked soft against FCS Idaho State.  With Jake Butt taking another step toward a full return, Kerridge off to a strong start, Magnuson exceeding expectations, and Green starting to live up to his billing, I am cautiously optimistic here.  Orchard is a beast though, and Michigan’s young line still makes too many mistakes to warrant the advantage.

 

2.     Shallow Cross

As even the most casual football fans can tell you, there are few better ways of attacking man coverage than with crossing routes.  And when it comes to crossing routes, there are few better concepts than the shallow cross—a quick-developing, safe play with an easy triangle read for the QB.  So it’s no surprise that the shallow cross is among the most popular passing plays in football, and reportedly a long-time staple of Doug Nussmeier’s playbook.

Shown here from a shotgun look, the TE and flanker will cross on the right side of the formation, while the slot receiver runs a “choice” route in between them (the choice route is a fade, which the receiver converts into a comeback route if he can’t get over the top).  This route combination promises to generate a massive amount of traffic in one spot on the field, which will hopefully catch up at least one defender.

Assignments:

XWR Amara Darboh: Run post (7) route vs. BCB Eric Rowe

RB Derrick Green: Run flat route covered by Rover LB Jared Norris (or, help Cole pass protect vs. WDE Nate Orchard, then release to flat)

LT Mason Cole: Pass protect vs. WDE Nate Orchard

LG Erik Magnuson: Pass protect vs. 3T Sese Ianu

C Jack Miller: Pass protect vs. NT Clint Shepherd

RG Graham Glasgow: Pass protect vs. NT Clint Shepherd

RT Ben Braden: Pass protect vs. SDE Hunter Dimick

UTE Jake Butt: Run flat route, covered by MLB Jason Whittingham

YWR Dennis Norfleet: Run choice route vs. NB Justin Thomas

ZWR Jehu Chesson: Run 5-yard in route vs. FCB Davion Orphey

QB Devin Gardner: 1-step drop; read “inside-out” from Z to Y to Y; if Z open, throw as back foot hits on pass drop; if covered, hitch and throw to Y if open; if covered, hitch and throw to U if open.

Advantage: Michigan

Utah is reportedly strong at safety, but its corners and LBs are suspect.  A play like this matches Michigan’s quality receivers against that weakness.  The primary reads come open under the safeties, and as a quick-developing play it limits Orchard’s chances of getting home on a pass rush. 

 

When Utah has the ball…

3.     Inside Zone Read

Still probably the quintessential play of the Chip Kelley/Urban Meyer axis of spread offense, the Inside Zone Read works just like the regular Inside Zone, but buys the offense an extra blocker by using the QB run threat to option-off the backside DE.  That means covered linemen will block the defenders lined up across from them, while uncovered linemen will head to the second level. 

The general rule in defending zone read plays is to make sure the ball winds up in the hands of the less-dangerous threat.  In Utah’s case, the backs (Devontae Booker and Bubba Poole) are considerably better runners, so Michigan will want QB Travis Wilson to keep.  The simplest way to accomplish that is to have the WDE, who is normally responsible for defending the C-gap (outside the LT), exchange gaps with the WLB, who is normally responsible for the B-gap (between the LG and LT).  That way, the WDE can crash down on the running back—and when the QB pulls and attacks the C-gap, the WLB will be there waiting for him (in theory, anyway).

Assignments:

WDE Frank Clark: Gap-exchange with WLB Joe Bolden; backside pursuit of RB Devontae Booker

NT Ryan Glasgow: Defend backside A-gap against LG Junior Salt

DT Willie Henry: Defend playside B-gap against RG Isaac Asiata, constrict playside A-gap

SDE Brennan Beyer: Defend playside D-gap (outside TE) vs. TE Westlee Tonga; backside pursuit if QB keeps, set edge point and force run back inside if QB gives

WLB Joe Bolden:  Gap-exchange with WDE Frank Clark; defend backside C-gap vs. LT Jeremiah Poutasi, set edge point and force back inside if QB keeps, backside pursuit if QB gives

MLB Jake Ryan: Defend playside A-gap vs. C Siaosi Aiono

SLB James Ross: Defend playside C-gap vs. RT J.J. Dielman

Advantage: Even

This is the first of two games that will tell us whether Michigan’s stout run defense is the real thing or just fool’s gold.  Both of Utah’s featured RBs have big-play speed, and can beat you both between the tackles and on the edge, so it’s a true matchup of strength vs. strength. 

 

4.     All Curls

Different teams run All Curls different ways, but the basic concept is to attack Cover 3 by having four receivers occupy the four underneath defenders, then stress one of the flat defenders by sending a fifth receiver (i.e., the running back) into the pattern.  Of course, that means the play is not particularly effective against man coverage or even against zone schemes that leave five underneath defenders (e.g., Cover 2 Zone).  But Utah ran All Curls to good effect against Idaho State, using the play to stretch the Idaho State defense horizontally and create one-on-one match-ups for the Utes’ superior athletes. 

As Space Coyote explained in the comments to the Miami UFR, Michigan ran Cover 4 as its base scheme against the Red Hawks.  All Curls is not a particularly good call against Cover 4, because the CBs stay in man coverage on the outside WRs and the WILL picks up the RB releasing into the flat.  But the only other downfield Utah pass play I was able to discern from Pac-12 Network’s broadcast looked like a version of Levels, and that play isn’t particularly effective against Cover 4 either.  So, FWIW, here is Utah’s All Curls play against the Cover 3 scheme we hope to see Michigan run very little of.

Before the snap, the QB chooses one side of the field to attack (based on the defensive alignment).  At the snap, each receiver runs a 5-10 yard curl, attempting to sell the vertical routes before settling into open areas.  The quarterback reads outside-in, and has an outlet to the releasing RB in the flat. 

Assignments:

BCB Jabrill Peppers: Drop to cover deep 1/3 zone (sideline to hash on weakside)

NCB Blake Countess: Cover weakside flat vs. WR Dres Anderson, RB Devontae Booker

WDE Frank Clark: Pass rush vs. LT Jeremiah Poutasi

3T Willie Henry: Pass rush vs. LG Junior Salt

NT Ryan Glasgow: Pass rush vs. C Siaosi Aiono

SDE Brennan Beyer: Pass rush vs. RT J.J. Dielman

WLB Joe Bolden: Cover hook/curl zone on weakside vs. WR Kaelin Clay

MLB Jake Ryan: Cover hook/curl zone on strongside vs. TE Westlee Tonga

FS Jerrod Wilson:  Cover deep middle 1/3 zone

SS Jeremy Clark: Cover deep 1/3 zone (sideline to hash on strongside)

FCB Jourdan Lewis:  Cover strong side flat vs. WR Kenneth Scott

Advantage: Even

The Michigan secondary has the talent to stick with Utah’s receivers and Travis Wilson is not an overly-impressive passer.  But Michigan’s pass rush still can’t seem to get home, and that same vaunted secondary had a rough outing in South Bend and now face an at least comparable set of receivers in Dres Anderson and Kaelin Clay.  Deep-down I think M really has the advantage here, but I’m calling this even until the young DBs prove they can perform up to their talent level in a big game.

 

 

Comments

EGD

September 19th, 2014 at 10:45 AM ^

I had written most of this diary before reading Ace's "Fe Fi Foe Film" on Utah's defense, in which he called them a 3-3-5 with Orchard walked up as a LB on the line of scrimmage (resulting in a 4-2-5 look).  I had read a couple articles that referred to Utah's defense as a 4-3 Under, but those could well have been dated or just plain inaccurate.  I don't have time to revise my diagrams but I don't think they would end up looking much different anyway.

gte896u

September 19th, 2014 at 1:39 PM ^

does M really use the backside guard to lead? seems more effective to use that guard on the DE and let the FB lead through the hole. as drawn up I suppose that makes sense because of proximity, but in general I think id rather have OL blocking DL.

dragonchild

September 19th, 2014 at 1:43 PM ^

That was the pass play I used to beat late-season defenses in Tecmo Super Bowl when they get crazy aggressive.  Of course, the reasons had nothing to do with sound football.  The screen size was limited so it was the only way you could see who was covered.

EGD

September 19th, 2014 at 3:50 PM ^

Well, actually there is kind of a similar dynamic at work, in that All Curls was one of the only passing plays I could really see on the video (without the receivers going off-screen, and me having to guess what patterns they were running).