FootballStudyHall: Master class chess games of 2018 - Dantonio vs Frost

Saunders

Saunders

Heisman Trophy Winner
Michigan State’s road trip to Nebraska towards the end of 2018 was one of the more interesting matchups of the season in the Big 10. The Spartans were 4-3 in B1G play heading into the game and eliminated from contention for the East division title after dropping a home game to Ohio State the week prior while Nebraska was 2-5 in the B1G and hunting for their first big win of the season. There wasn’t a ton on the line in this game save for pride but there was a lot at play in terms of tactical trends in the Big 10.

https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2019/4/29/18518016/master-class-chess-games-of-2018-mark-dantonio-vs-scott-frost-nebraska-cornhuskers-michigan-state
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This stuff here is amazing.

In all my time coaching I have created one offense play that worked, where I flat out created a play that out schemed what the defense was doing.  Once, that is it.  All the other times the results were horrible.  I don't know how these guys do it each week.

Oh and I ran that play so many times that it did end up in a pick 6 and we lost the game.  Of course, in classic fashion I did blame my QB for not "getting the ball out quicker"

 
teachercd said:
This stuff here is amazing.

In all my time coaching I have created one offense play that worked, where I flat out created a play that out schemed what the defense was doing.  Once, that is it.  All the other times the results were horrible.  I don't know how these guys do it each week.

Oh and I ran that play so many times that it did end up in a pick 6 and we lost the game.  Of course, in classic fashion I did blame my QB for not "getting the ball out quicker"
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Random tangent:

I helped coach our HS team for 7 years in the early 2000s.  A couple years after I quit coaching, one of my co-workers had a son on the team.  One day we were talking football and he wondered why we didn't throw more quick slants.  I told him our QB - who I had coached as a freshman - would simply not hit his three step drop and throw the ball.  He always double-clutched or something.  I would even tell him in practice "when you hit that third step, throw the ball.  I don't care if he's open.  I don't care if he's looking.  Hit your third step and throw."  But I still couldn't get him to do it.

At the game that Friday night, we were down inside the 10 yard line and they called a quick slant.  The QB double-clutched the throw and - because that gave the defense time to react before he threw it - it ended up getting picked off.  I walked by my co-worker and just shrugged.

 
Mavric said:
Random tangent:

I helped coach our HS team for 7 years in the early 2000s.  A couple years after I quit coaching, one of my co-workers had a son on the team.  One day we were talking football and he wondered why we didn't throw more quick slants.  I told him our QB - who I had coached as a freshman - would simply not hit his three step drop and throw the ball.  He always double-clutched or something.  I would even tell him in practice "when you hit that third step, throw the ball.  I don't care if he's open.  I don't care if he's looking.  Hit your third step and throw."  But I still couldn't get him to do it.

At the game that Friday night, we were down inside the 10 yard line and they called a quick slant.  The QB double-clutched the throw and - because that gave the defense time to react before he threw it - it ended up getting picked off.  I walked by my co-worker and just shrugged.
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Been there!!!

 
Mavric said:
Random tangent:

I helped coach our HS team for 7 years in the early 2000s.  A couple years after I quit coaching, one of my co-workers had a son on the team.  One day we were talking football and he wondered why we didn't throw more quick slants.  I told him our QB - who I had coached as a freshman - would simply not hit his three step drop and throw the ball.  He always double-clutched or something.  I would even tell him in practice "when you hit that third step, throw the ball.  I don't care if he's open.  I don't care if he's looking.  Hit your third step and throw."  But I still couldn't get him to do it.

At the game that Friday night, we were down inside the 10 yard line and they called a quick slant.  The QB double-clutched the throw and - because that gave the defense time to react before he threw it - it ended up getting picked off.  I walked by my co-worker and just shrugged.
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It's amazing how many kids cannot take to simple coaching.

 
Mavric said:
Random tangent:

I helped coach our HS team for 7 years in the early 2000s.  A couple years after I quit coaching, one of my co-workers had a son on the team.  One day we were talking football and he wondered why we didn't throw more quick slants.  I told him our QB - who I had coached as a freshman - would simply not hit his three step drop and throw the ball.  He always double-clutched or something.  I would even tell him in practice "when you hit that third step, throw the ball.  I don't care if he's open.  I don't care if he's looking.  Hit your third step and throw."  But I still couldn't get him to do it.

At the game that Friday night, we were down inside the 10 yard line and they called a quick slant.  The QB double-clutched the throw and - because that gave the defense time to react before he threw it - it ended up getting picked off.  I walked by my co-worker and just shrugged.
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QB are always coached to protect the football and to live to play another down before they just throw the ball up for grabs.  In this scenario they are being asked to throw the ball to a player who may not be open, to an area with a defender.  The slant is not a simple throw. High risk low reward.  We use a snag concept where we sit the slant down right after he crosses the curl dropper.  It is like stealing, and it is an easy pitch and catch.  If the curl dropper never expands you throw the arrow.  

 
swmohusker said:
QB are always coached to protect the football and to live to play another down before they just throw the ball up for grabs.  In this scenario they are being asked to throw the ball to a player who may not be open, to an area with a defender.  The slant is not a simple throw. High risk low reward.  We use a snag concept where we sit the slant down right after he crosses the curl dropper.  It is like stealing, and it is an easy pitch and catch.  If the curl dropper never expands you throw the arrow.  
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Except it sounds like in this case he was specifically being coached to throw no matter what, so I don't think it was mixed messages. Also can't say that I've heard a slant called high risk before - as long as your receiver starts wide enough and the qb throws it on time you really only have to worry about one dropping defender, and they should be able to find a window.

That being said the concept you run is pretty foolproof. The only downside would be your slant/snag receiver isn't catching it on the run, but he probably appreciates that since he's not running full speed into a middle linebacker trying to take his head off.

 
These kinds of breakdowns are why the Huskers are getting so much positive attention this year. The foundation is there once the player development/talent and execution catch up. 

 
teachercd said:
I don't know how these guys do it each week.
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They’re very creative, open minded, and willing to take risks. They don’t all work for them, either.  ;)

RPO’s give them a huge advantage, though. Just the ability to compartmentalize different concepts into one play makes the teaching side of it so much easier. 

 
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