A great explanation of quarters coverage

[lo country]

Here is a great read about the quarters coverage used by MSU. I know, I know, this might not be the same as Bankers, but it does have great incite and answers a lot of questions about talent vs scheme vs coverages. It explains the staffs comments about "we can do some things". I hate to bring up execution, but thus article shows how, when and why to do what you do. Banker and Stewart just have to start teaching this and the guys grasp it.

Some notable quotes:

Along with defending champion Florida State, Michigan State is the only team to rank in the top five in defensive yards per play in each of the last three seasons, and the Spartans finished no. 1 last year while posting a 13-1 record. Even more remarkably, Dantonio and Narduzzi have built one of the best defenses in the sport without the benefit of the kind of blue-chip, future NFL talent thats commonplace at schools like FSU, LSU, and Alabama.

At a 2009 coaching clinic, Dantonio described Quarters as tight-man in a zone coverage with good run support that self-adjusts to various formations and routes. The key part is self-adjusts to various formations and routes, because MSUs Quarters isnt so much a single coverage or defense as it is a set of principles that allows the Spartans to handle just about anything an offense tries.

I have bashed Banker and Stewart the past few games, but in their defense, the 2nd quote is telling. "A SET OF PRINCIPLES THAT ALLOWS THE SOARTANS TO HANDLE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THE OFFENSE TRIES. This is not a D that will be learned nor perfected over night. Reading about DB's breaking off routes, passing off to LB's and safeties breaking coverage to be robbers....... It's gonna take some time.

More quotes

Of course, many defenses that look great on paper have failed on the field, and for Michigan States adaptable Quarters scheme to succeed, every defender needs to make the same reads. And thats precisely why the Spartans dont run myriad defenses, instead preferring to master one highly sophisticated, flexible approach.

I believe one defense can stop everything; I believe we could play an entire football game in our base defense, Narduzzi said at the clinic. I believe that if everyone lines up exactly right, reads their keys, and does all the fundamentals involved with the defense, it is enough to win.

In the staffs defense, we are playing at any given time with half of our starters. RSF or true fresh at key spots, no veterans in this system, playing slow as they think etc..... If we can develop like MSU and continue on O, we might become a juggernaut.......

Article here.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/michigan-state-oregon-pat-narduzzi-defense-breakdown/

 

[BigRedBuster]

Good post.

Obviously this is not a HS defense like has been said. It might have done very simple basic principles but it can get as creative as the coaches want.

 

[Husker71]

Thanks for sharing this article. I heard Banker in the Monday press conference recap the Southern Miss game. I really want to give him a chance. He was very open and direct in his responses and handled pointed questions well I thought. Banker acknowledged the last 5 drives of the game by Southern Miss did the majority of the damage and they need to fix that. If he dumbed down the scheme too much, it shows at least he takes the player's level of readiness into account. He seemed to grasp the situation and had several options to try.

 

[Kernal]

Thanks for sharing this article. I heard Banker in the Monday press conference recap the Southern Miss game. I really want to give him a chance. He was very open and direct in his responses and handled pointed questions well I thought. Banker acknowledged the last 5 drives of the game by Southern Miss did the majority of the damage and they need to fix that. If he dumbed down the scheme too much, it shows at least he takes the player's level of readiness into account. He seemed to grasp the situation and had several options to try.

I really appreciate how Banker (and Riley and Langsdorf) acknowledge the problems we are seeing and talk about what they can or will do to try to fix them. Now hopefully they can get some of the problems fixed.

 

[Kernal]

I read this article a while back- it may have even been around the time MSU played Oregon last year. It all sounds good, but I wonder why more defenses aren't playing it if it really is a sort-of "magic bullet" defense. Still, it's hard to argue with the results MSU was having under Narduzzi. If Nebraska could run MSU's defense with this offense we're seeing Langsdorg and Riley produce, that would be something to behold.

You have to give Banker credit for being ambitious with his desired defense. IIRC, Riley and Banker even studied MSU's defense with Pat Narduzzi in the past. But as lo country mentioned, this doesn't seem like a defense that's going to be easy for current Huskers to transition to quickly.

 

[LumberJackSker]

Does anyone know how long it took Banker to install this defense at OSU? Also is similar to what Stewart was doing at Maryland? Might be a season or three before it gets figured out

 

[KingBlank]

Well he never installed anything that particularly worked on any consistent level. So I don't know if it ever got installed

 

[Landlord]

"Reading about DB's breaking off routes, passing off to LB's and safeties breaking coverage to be robbers....... It's gonna take some time. "

This part sounds pretty much exactly like Bo's scheme to my layman ears.

 

[BIG ERN]

Just because someone runs what someone else does means nothing. That's like NBA coaches trying to teach the triangle offense, sounds cool cause Phil Jackson runs it and has won championships -- 1 problem, you aren't Phil Jackson.

 

[Enhance]

Just because someone runs what someone else does means nothing. That's like NBA coaches trying to teach the triangle offense, sounds cool cause Phil Jackson runs it and has won championships -- 1 problem, you aren't Phil Jackson.

I don't think that was the point, though I do agree with you. I think OP was doing was simply explaining the way the defense is supposed to work. lo country even said it may not be the same thing Banker does. This also doesn't mean it will work like MSU or that we'll even be overly good at it.

 

[ndobney]

My understanding of the quarters defense is that the Dline needs to try to get to the quarterback before he throws the ball. If they can't then you want to knock the ball down or keep the receivers from catching it. If you can, you try to intercept the pass.

 

[HuskerShark]

My understanding of the quarters defense is that the Dline needs to try to get to the quarterback before he throws the ball. If they can't then you want to knock the ball down or keep the receivers from catching it. If you can, you try to intercept the pass.

Isn't that a description of every defense?

 

[lo country]

Just because someone runs what someone else does means nothing. That's like NBA coaches trying to teach the triangle offense, sounds cool cause Phil Jackson runs it and has won championships -- 1 problem, you aren't Phil Jackson.

My point being Banker was bringing the quarters coverage to NU. The above, IMO, is a great explanation of how it works per MSU's "version". Will NU's look like this? Who knows. Would I like it to? Absolutely.

I have been a vocal critic of Banker and Stewart since USA. My point is that this defense is much more complex that i believed after reading the pre-season comments about HS, easier etc.... There appears to be a lot of responsibilities that require the DB's to turn and run, pass of, press etc..... I will get of his back and give him some time after reading about the complexities and ultimate pay off of this scheme. I anticipate improvements throughout the year though as guys get used to it, gain experience and the staff starts to be more aggressive in the press coverage.

IMO, the biggest difference to date is that we do not do as much press coverage from our CB's...... MSU have said that they press about 95% of the time. They also have some great blitz schemes. Mavric has broken down some of them and they look good and get home. Something we are missing out on.

 

[cg_8]

"Reading about DB's breaking off routes, passing off to LB's and safeties breaking coverage to be robbers....... It's gonna take some time. "

This part sounds pretty much exactly like Bo's scheme to my layman ears.

The only difference is that LB's release to Safeties after 8-10 yards, something Bo never did.

IMO, the biggest difference to date is that we do not do as much press coverage from our CB's...... MSU have said that they press about 95% of the time. They also have some great blitz schemes. Mavric has broken down some of them and they look good and get home. Something we are missing out on.

We run the Double A gap blitz like they do, it's nearly identical in fact. The only difference is that some of our LB's don't run it very efficiently. There was one time I saw an LB allow himself to be blocked by the center who also blocked the other blitzing LB. That's both LB's being blocked by one guy. The lane was there for the second LB to get home, but he didn't.

I've also noticed a timing issue, and our LB's don't do a very good job of disguising it. They give it away almost every time.

 

[NUinID]

"Reading about DB's breaking off routes, passing off to LB's and safeties breaking coverage to be robbers....... It's gonna take some time. "

This part sounds pretty much exactly like Bo's scheme to my layman ears.

The only difference is that LB's release to Safeties after 8-10 yards, something Bo never did.

IMO, the biggest difference to date is that we do not do as much press coverage from our CB's...... MSU have said that they press about 95% of the time. They also have some great blitz schemes. Mavric has broken down some of them and they look good and get home. Something we are missing out on.

We run the Double A gap blitz like they do, it's nearly identical in fact. The only difference is that some of our LB's don't run it very efficiently. There was one time I saw an LB allow himself to be blocked by the center who also blocked the other blitzing LB. That's both LB's being blocked by one guy. The lane was there for the second LB to get home, but he didn't.

I've also noticed a timing issue, and our LB's don't do a very good job of disguising it. They give it away almost every time.

the timing issue is nothing new BP backers were never real good at blitzing either.

Whether NU's defense ever resembles what Narduzzi put together at MSU is debatable. Right now MSU defense doesn't look like it did under Narduzzi they are ranked around 100 in yards given so far this year. You really need good corners to run this defense and MSU is struggling with that at this point in the season.

Nebraska will get better as the season progresses.