Stopping running QBs...why all the difficulty?

[Maxconvert]

My first post...first of all, just wanna say I'm glad to see a large free site like this one. Huskermax with its paid registration system, u just end up with the same 15 guys talking about the same stuff over and over.

 

Anyway, it's been known for a long time that Bo has had trouble covering for running qbs. Why is this the case? We all saw how he was able to create a defense that was able to stifle the spread, fun-n-gun attacks in the Big 12. Why all the difficulty in scheming to take away a running qb? My own theory--and I'm far from an ex-coach or anyone with any inside knowledge--is that Bo is too obsessed with man coverage or the matchup-zone system that he uses, which from my understanding is really a man-system disguised as a zone on the pre-snap read. This is why we keep seeing slow-footed LBs like Compton and Whaley trying to spring downfield and cover a speedy slot WR in the UCLA and OSU games. The advantage to using conventional zone coverages is that if the qb takes off to scramble (or in a design QB run like we've seen a lot this year), the entire defensive back 7 sees it. In man, nobody sees it except for maybe one LB and a safety. And the way our safeties are playing this year, seeing it doesn't mean they're gonna even come close to stopping it!

 

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this, especially people with more X and O knowledge than me. Of course if you're gonna use zone pass coverages, u also have to have the ability to get to the QB otherwise the WRs will find gaps in the zone and exploit them. But to me, it makes a lot more sense to use a mixture of standard zone, matchup zone, man coverage with blitzes, zone blitzes, and a QB spy at times that varies between LBs or safeties so that the QB can't figure it out. I think someone with Bo's defensive expertise shouldn't be struggling with running qbs as much as we have.

[The Maudfather]

Speaking of talking about the same stuff over and over.

 

[zoogs]

Hey! Welcome to the board. It's been a long week, as you can tell.

[QMany]

A spread offense with a mobile QB exploits any of the defense's mistakes. One missed assignment and Braxton, Denard, and Co. are off to the races. You have one extra defender when a QB is not a threat. With the more traditional pro-style offenses, mistakes can be covered up by others. And, we make a lot of mistakes on D!

[Maxconvert]

Sorry--new here. Although running qbs are still the kryptonite for Bo, so it's not like problem is being solved

[zoogs]

My understanding of Bo's defense: each level 'reads' what the level ahead of them is doing and responds accordingly. DBs reading the LBs, LBs reading the DL, etc. I might be wrong here.

 

Whaley isn't slow-footed by any means, I don't think. But I will give UCLA credit for shifting their formation enough times to leave Compton out on a slot WR. Similarly, a failure on the part of our defense in matching up to offenses that do this.

 

In my opinion you can never scrap the system wholesale and go with something completely different. Coaches have to try new wrinkles and adjust to the situation and I'm sure Bo could do this and come up with solutions, if he is willing, and within "his" defense. Unfortunately, I'm not really an X's and O's guy either. Even if I were, I'm not sure I would know what the answer is. Some of it really is talent, I still think. 2008-10 recruiting failures, come to roost.

[NUance]

The thing is, every college team has problems with running QBs. Not just Nebraska. That's why Shoelace has 800 yds on a hundred carries at the halfway point of the season.

[Maxconvert]

A spread offense with a mobile QB exploits any of the defense's mistakes. One missed assignment and Braxton, Denard, and Co. are off to the races. You have one extra defender when a QB is not a threat. With the more traditional pro-style offenses, mistakes can be covered up by others. And, we make a lot of mistakes on D!

 

yes, but most of those things are true about all option attacks with a speedy QB...extra person to cover, undisciplined play leads to big gain, etc. But we all know how option attacks have basically gone extinct except for Ga Tech and Navy. Spread option is the rage now, but it's not as if it's a guarantee to a top offense--Florida looked like crap running it last year.

 

In general it's not the spread option or option attack that Bo has struggled with, it's been a running qb in ANY type of offense. With Miller last week, our focus should have been on limiting his time and room to run, and force him to read confusing coverages and try to make pinpoint throws. We may still have lost, but it would have been less likely, and would have been something like 30-27 instead of the embarrassing ass-kicking we got instead.

[Maxconvert]

The thing is, every college team has problems with running QBs. Not just Nebraska. That's why Shoelace has 800 yds on a hundred carries at the halfway point of the season.

 

But against teams that are supposedly good, Shoelace can't run as much. Look at the Notre Dame game this year--he had a ton of runs, 26, but only gained a total of 90 yards. If you take out his longest run of 20 yards (we would have loved to have Braxton Miller's longest run be only 20 yards last week!), his average is only 2.8 yards per run. He had zero TDs and 4 picks.

[4skers89]

Good post. I think it's a horse that won't (and shouldn't) die until our defense figures it out. I'm not saying we're going to figure it out here on Huskerboard but it seems like the most difficult and glaring problem the team currently has and the most worthy of discussion. Offense scheme aside, I think it's bizarre that our teams traditionally make their living off of a mobile quarterback but now we are struggling to stop them. I don't know enough of the details of Bo's defense to offer up an intelligent opinion on what is wrong but obviously something ain't right.

[Maxconvert]

Offense scheme aside, I think it's bizarre that our teams traditionally make their living off of a mobile quarterback but now we are struggling to stop them.

 

Great point--don't these guys scrimmage against T-Mart and Beck's spread-option attack in practice? Does T-Mart also go nuts with 80 yard runs every 5th play in scrimmage??

[NUance]

The thing is, every college team has problems with running QBs. Not just Nebraska. That's why Shoelace has 800 yds on a hundred carries at the halfway point of the season.

 

But against teams that are supposedly good, Shoelace can't run as much. Look at the Notre Dame game this year--he had a ton of runs, 26, but only gained a total of 90 yards. If you take out his longest run of 20 yards (we would have loved to have Braxton Miller's longest run be only 20 yards last week!), his average is only 2.8 yards per run. He had zero TDs and 4 picks.

Well, yeah. Nobody runs as much against good teams as they do against bad teams. But really, the only team that has completely shut Robinson down is Alabamy. Then again, Bama shuts everybody down.

[Maxconvert]

Well, yeah. Nobody runs as much against good teams as they do against bad teams.

 

Yes but my point was that with Bo's expertise and having seen running QBs for multiple years now, we should also be among the "good" teams that can stop them.

[zoogs]

Also have struggled against TT-style air raid. As with any scheme, there are some weaknesses. Can't let it get to the point where a team can poke at that one weakness and score up and down the field on us. It's happened twice now this year and a few times last year, and we saw it in 2008 as well.

 

At a certain point it will beg the question about what our defense can be without that rare blend of 6-DB talent we had with two safeties on top of Dennard, Prince, Hagg, and Gomes.

[4skers89]

Offense scheme aside, I think it's bizarre that our teams traditionally make their living off of a mobile quarterback but now we are struggling to stop them.

 

Great point--don't these guys scrimmage against T-Mart and Beck's spread-option attack in practice? Does T-Mart also go nuts with 80 yard runs every 5th play in scrimmage??

 

He probably would.