After watching the Texas game again, some questions...

[zoogs]

After Zac went in, I'm wondering how often we ran the zone read. There were a couple plays at the beginning that looked sort of like it, but I never saw any of the DL go free. There was a run by Burkhead early in the first drive, on 3rd and 2 for the first down, that was identified by the announcers as a 'trap.'

 

There was also an 8-yard run to the outside by Burkhead that came from the shotgun, but again there wasn't a free defender coming through. Zac turned around and handed it to him with both LG and RG pulling. The next play, I guess was a read, with the left end coming free instead of the DT? Anyway, we see the same play to the other side of the field again on the next drive with Lee handing to Burkhead again, and it goes for a good gain again.

 

The next play was a playaction pass, the second playaction pass of the drive, and there was a pretty callable pass interference there at the end of the play that stopped Niles from catching it in the endzone. The play after that, Zac took way too long to throw a screen pass to Paul. Because of the late development, that play was stuffed for a loss. Then on the next long throw to Paul in the end-zone, that Niles nearly brought in for a score, it was also a playaction pass.

 

Two plays after the near score,we have a zone read which Zac reads crisply, but a Texas defender breaks off his block and gets him by the ankles. Without that, Zac's going for a first down.

 

The play after that: another playaction pass, and I think that's four if we're counting, on this drive alone.

 

I was paying less attention to the first part of the game this time, but I saw Taylor run at least one playaction as well. This is mostly to address the people who thought we were lacking playaction or running plays other than the zone read, against Texas. I'm no expert so I'm pointing out things my untrained eye noticed. Would love to have some more insight here.

[shyndy]

I'm guessing they can change the unblocked guy to anybody

[kansas husker]

It is only a zone read id the qb decides to run/give off the unblockd player. If bothe the gaurd and tackle pulled it more than likely Lee was giving the ball the whole time.

 

The reason more play action was ran with Lee than Taylor was to play to each other's strengths, if I'm understanding your post correctly than I agree we should have shown more zone read with zac and more play action with taylor to throw off the d.

[Bayside76]

Guys, forgive me, I have been in mourning since the end of the game and have not watched any of the replays. My recollection is that we did not run any misdirection. Again, I am trying to block out last Saturday so I may be/ probably am wrong.

 

It seemed they were using that motion man against us to free up Gilbert to run. I would think that if you had Burkhead in a receiver position and brought him in motion towards the center of the line at the snap, that would be another read the defense would have to make and it may slow them down a bit. Granted, it may slow us up a bit as well.

 

But that additional element would allow Burkhead and Helu to be options in the run game as well as play action pass. That may also help Martinez with his reads of the defense. Just a couple of thoughts. Now I am going to go back and try and figure out which College Football God (who champions Texass) we upset all those many seasons ago.

[Blaze1up]

I hope we don't run it every 1st down unless it's working.

[Bradr]

I hope we don't run it every 1st down unless it's working.

 

Man, I'm just hope "its working" in general today.

[gratefullred]

I think this is a good thread zoogies. It seemed to me that the play calling in the run game changed dramatically when Lee came into the game. It seemed to me the zone read Martinez ran had the RB attacking outside the Tackle and the QB attacking the Guard Tackle gap, while the zone read Lee ran had the RB attacking the Guard Tackle gap and the QB going to the Center Guard gap to the opposite side of the line. Im sure that the running attack under Lee was much more between the tackles and much more effective. This could easily been due to the TX D expecting pass.

 

Martinez is just a freshman, and I feel like he forces things with the zone read. I also wonder if the play calling could protect him from forcing things.

[Jeremy]

ut absolutely changed things up when zac came into the game, if not by personnel, then by alignment, because while martinez was making wrong reads and forcing plays, there wasn't much he could do with the nickel stepping unblocked into our backfield every time they read run. That's why the dropped passes hurt so much - as long as we weren't having success passing the ball, muschamp wasn't going to change things. When zac came in, they backed off, and actually played honest football, especially since Zac's different animal than martinez - he's okay dumping the ball off to a RB for a 5-7 yd gain instead of trying to force the big play like Martinez often did.

 

Actually reminded me a lot of how things would often go when we'd play those speedy athletic defenses of Miami, FSU and Georgia Tech. They'd plug the line and challenge our passing game, and more often than not, we couldn't beat them that way.

[huskerfan333157]

After Zac went in, I'm wondering how often we ran the zone read. There were a couple plays at the beginning that looked sort of like it, but I never saw any of the DL go free. There was a run by Burkhead early in the first drive, on 3rd and 2 for the first down, that was identified by the announcers as a 'trap.'

 

There was also an 8-yard run to the outside by Burkhead that came from the shotgun, but again there wasn't a free defender coming through. Zac turned around and handed it to him with both LG and RG pulling. The next play, I guess was a read, with the left end coming free instead of the DT? Anyway, we see the same play to the other side of the field again on the next drive with Lee handing to Burkhead again, and it goes for a good gain again.

 

The next play was a playaction pass, the second playaction pass of the drive, and there was a pretty callable pass interference there at the end of the play that stopped Niles from catching it in the endzone. The play after that, Zac took way too long to throw a screen pass to Paul. Because of the late development, that play was stuffed for a loss. Then on the next long throw to Paul in the end-zone, that Niles nearly brought in for a score, it was also a playaction pass.

 

Two plays after the near score,we have a zone read which Zac reads crisply, but a Texas defender breaks off his block and gets him by the ankles. Without that, Zac's going for a first down.

 

The play after that: another playaction pass, and I think that's four if we're counting, on this drive alone.

 

I was paying less attention to the first part of the game this time, but I saw Taylor run at least one playaction as well. This is mostly to address the people who thought we were lacking playaction or running plays other than the zone read, against Texas. I'm no expert so I'm pointing out things my untrained eye noticed. Would love to have some more insight here.

 

 

Beginning of game it was pretty much all zone reads with t-mart. The play calling did change a bit when lee came into the game, but if i remember correctly, the first two plays were zone read then it dramatically changed. I think one of the plays was like a counter from shotgun it seemed. The defense also played differently when lee came into the game, they werent pressing up for the run so much. Im pretty sure Lee is the most accurate passer on the team, so Watson just wanted to air it out at that time. That was a good idea, but itwas a little too late to change things up. I dont understand why we didnt try to soften the d up in the first half or beginning of third quarter.