Key Plays: 4th and Goal: Texas Tech and TCU

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Billy Koehler

Texas Tech and TCU staged an immensely entertaining game, complete with an outstanding finish.  Here is TCU’s go ahead touchdown with 23 seconds left

The Situation

TCU had driven down the field, but they stalled on the goal to go series.  It was 4th down and goal from the four yard line.  TCU trailed Texas Tech 52-48.

The Formations

TCU lined up with an empty backfield in a five wide set.  An empty backfield means there were no running backs with the quarterback in the backfield.  Five wide means there were five wide receivers in the formation and no tight ends.

Texas Tech had four down lineman to rush the passer.  All of the receivers were covered in tight coverage, as they had to be since nearly any completion would be for a touchdown.

FormationTCU

Coverage Continue reading →

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Gridiron Glossary: Hard Corner

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Billy Koehler

A hard corner is technique played by a cornerback where he has flat responsibility and will likely be jamming the receiver and funneling him toward the middle of the field.

Hard Corner

Note that a cornerback playing up across from the receiver is not necessarily a hard corner.  The key to playing a hard corner technique is to remain close to the line of scrimmage playing the flat as opposed to back pedaling to an intermediate or deep zone.  Hard cornerbacks almost always have safety help toward the center of the field, so they will try to prevent an outside release from the receiver.  The opposite of a hard corner is a soft corner.

Gridiron Glossary is a resource for football terms that are often used by commentators, coaches and players but rarely defined.  If there is a term you have questions about or a definition you don’t agree with, let me know at billy@thirddowndraw.com.

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Key Plays: 4th and 14, Florida – Tennessee

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Billy Koehler

If you missed the Florida-Tennessee game on Saturday, go back and watch it; it will be worth your time.  If you’ve seen it, or if you’ve seen the highlights, you no doubt remember Florida’s 4th down touchdown with time running out in the 4th quarter.  It was the key play of the game.  Here it is to refresh your memory.

The Situation

Tennessee was leading 27-20.  Florida had the ball on their own 37 yard line facing 4th and 14. The Gators had to convert the 4th down to stay in the game.  Anything other than a first down or a touchdown would end the game.

The Formations

Florida split three receivers to the wide side of the field and one to the boundary.  They kept one running back in to block to make sure the quarterback had enough time to throw the ball.

Tennessee was in a nickel defense, meaning they had five defensive backs on the field.

Formation

Coverage Continue reading →

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The Pride and The Shame: Week 3

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Billy Koehler

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The Pride.  Michigan.  The hype surrounding the return of Jim Harbaugh to Michigan is beginning to come to fruition.  The Maize and Blue annihilated a BYU team that isn’t bad at all.  The Wolverines led 31-0 at the half and cruised from there.  A resurgent Michigan program is very important of the conference.

The Shame.  Purdue.  The Boilermakers lost at home to Bowling Green.  To Purdue’s credit they didn’t give up the go-ahead touchdown until 9 seconds left in the game.  So, that’s something to build on, I guess.

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The Pride. The Florida Gators.  It feels like old times.  The Gators found a way to beat the Vols and now sit atop the East Standings tied with Georgia at 2-0 in conference.  Could McElwain be the coach of the year in the conference?  Maybe.  The Gators are almost certainly going to a bowl game this year, which not many people though was possible earlier.

The Shame.  Auburn.  In the offseason it looked like the Tigers were primed for long term success.  However, now it looks like they are finishing the third year of a three year cycle.  Here’s how the cycle goes: year one, play for national title; year two 8-5 middling bowl; year three losing season.  Put your money on Auburn next year.

  • 2010: National Championship Game, won
  • 2011: 8-5, Chick Fil-A Bowl
  • 2012: 3-9
  • 2013: 12-2, National Championship Game, lost
  • 2014: 8-5, Outback Bowl
  • 2015: losing season?
  • 2016: National Championship game
    Continue reading →
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Gridiron Glossary: Flag Route

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Billy Koehler

The flag route, also known as a corner route, is a pass pattern in which the receiver begins by running vertically for 10-12 yards before breaking at a 45 degree angle toward the sideline.

Flag Route

The mirror to the post route, the flag route is commonly used, but it is a more difficult throw for a quarterback.  It is often used to defeat Cover 2 coverage and as part of a smash or flood concept.

Gridiron Glossary is a resource for football terms that are often used by commentators, coaches and players but rarely defined.  If there is a term you have questions about or a definition you don’t agree with, let me know at billy@thirddowndraw.com.

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Gridiron Glossary: Post Route

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Billy Koehler

The post route is a wide receiver pattern where the receiver runs vertically for 10-12 yards before breaking at a 45 degree angle toward the middle of the field.

Post Route

 

The route is common and run against a variety of coverages.  The break must be toward the middle of the field.  If it is toward the sideline, it is a different route.  It can be run by itself or in combination with other patterns.  It allows for adjustment after the break in that the quarterback can throw the ball more to the middle of the field or deeper depending on the coverage, and the receiver can adjust on the fly.

Gridiron Glossary is a resource for football terms that are often used by commentators, coaches and players but rarely defined.  If there is a term you have questions about or a definition you don’t agree with, let me know at billy@thirddowndraw.com.

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All on the Line in Charlottesville

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Billy Koehler

You need to know your place in college football.  You have to know where you are in the pecking order.  If you’re one of the Ohio State’s of the world, you’re going to get the benefit of the doubt when it’s playoff time; if you’re one of the Baylor’s, well… you know.

You need to know your goals for the season.  Everyone says their goal is to win championships, but that’s not close to realistic for the vast majority of the college football programs in the country.  When Alabama and Oregon say their goal is to win a championship, that’s real.  When Kansas says it, everyone, including the Jayhawks, know that’s not quite right.

Knowing who you are is not the same as accepting where you are.  Every program wants to do better this year, but if a program doesn’t have a good idea what it is doing it can handicap itself.  National title contenders can’t play four out of conference games against FCS competition and not expect problems.

Scheduling Like A Champion

What do we make of Virginia’s schedule to start the season?  No one would confuse the Cavaliers, fresh off a 5-7 season with a coach on the hot seat, with a potential playoff participant.  A bowl game is the Cavaliers’ goal: winning more than you lose and moving the program forward.  7, 8, 9 wins: that’s where the Cavaliers are in growing their program.

UVa ScheduleVirginia opened the season in Los Angeles against UCLA and got to know freshman phonem Drew Rosen well.  They played a respectable game, got a respectable result and were a little bit further from their goals.  They came home to play Notre Dame, nearly won, but suddenly they didn’t.  After a close win over William & Mary, Boise State comes to town.

That’s some schedule, and it will prove too daunting if Virginia loses to Boise.  If the Hoos start their season 1-3, head coach Mike London will be squarely behind the 8 ball.  He will need to finish 5-3 in the ACC, flipping last season’s 3-5 finish, to make a bowl game.  That won’t be easy. Continue reading →

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Gridiron Glossary: Unbalanced Line

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Billy Koehler

An unbalanced line is a feature of an offensive formation in which more than three offensive linemen line up on one side of the center.

Unbalanced

An unbalanced line is not simply a formation where different numbers of players are only either side of the line.  It is quite common for there to be a tight end on one side of the ball and not the other, but that is not unbalanced.  An unbalanced line has to have more than a guard, tackle and end, which is why it needs four lineman.

The goal of the unbalanced line is to force the defense to line up in a way it is not comfortable or to take advantage of the blocking advantage if the defense doesn’t adjust.  The proper adjustment varies from defense to defense, but it is usually to treat the middle lineman (who is probably the guard) as the center.  If the defense does that, then everyone will shift toward the unbalanced side.

It’s not common in many offenses and isn’t run too often with the notable exception of short yardage situations and a few offenses who regularly employ it, like Stanford.

Gridiron Glossary is a resource for football terms that are often used by commentators, coaches and players but rarely defined.  If there is a term you have questions about or a definition you don’t agree with, let me know at billy@thirddowndraw.com.

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Key Plays: Alabama vs. Ole Miss

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Billy Koehler

Today, we look at two plays from the Ole Miss – Alabama game on Saturday night.  Both plays showcase Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze’s offense, his innovation and understanding of the game.  He must be a nightmare to coach against.

The first play is a 4th and goal play from the second quarter.  The game was tied 3-3, and Ole Miss was going to go for fourth down with about 7:30 left in the second quarter.  It was a risky call, especially on the road, but Coach Freeze must have felt better as soon as the teams lined up.  Here was how the teams aligned.

Jet Sweep

Ole Miss comes out in a formation with a pair of wing backs on the right side.  Though they are in the backfield, the effect is to show an unbalanced line: there are four blockers on the line of scrimmage to the right of the ball and three to the left. Continue reading →

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Gridiron Glossary: X receiver

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Billy Koehler

The X receiver is the designation traditionally given to the split end.

X receiverNaming of positions varies to some degree from coach to coach, but the split end is usually the X receiver.  Note that split end is separate from wide receiver.  All split ends are wide receivers, but all receivers are not split ends.  Receivers do not have to be on the line of scrimmage, but split ends do.

After the X receiver is designated, the tight end is usually Y.  He is Y if he is tight in the formation or splits wide himself.  The first receiver off the line is usually Z.  A fourth or fifth receiver is possible, and they usually get the designation of A or B.

Gridiron Glossary is a resource for football terms that are often used by commentators, coaches and players but rarely defined.  If there is a term you have questions about or a definition you don’t agree with, let me know at billy@thirddowndraw.com.

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