_FANalysis - The Scheme Doctor at Work

[cas4ksu]

_FAN, what are some of the ways that you could see the Dr. getting Chris Harper and Brod more touches on the offensive side?

Pease has been great in the Wildcat thus far, but do you think Harper could be an option as the Wildcat QB in some situations?

[kso_FAN]

_FAN, what are some of the ways that you could see the Dr. getting Chris Harper and Brod more touches on the offensive side?

Part of it is pass protection, and part the nature of our offense. Defenses are gameplanning to take away Smith and Harper b/c they are our two biggest threats, and in most formations they are the outside receivers. The slots are generally S Smith, Lockett, and Thompson. Many times you are seeing the slots come open on quick outs with Harper/Smith running deeper routes. Last week a ton we ran bubble with the slot and slants with the outside guys, and we hit a couple, but also got the pick that was intended for Smith. I didn't think Smith competed very well on that throw, though it was a bad throw from Klein as well. And we got Harper behind the defense on two play action passes and Klein missed the throw on one and the other he missed Harper and threw to the TE. To me the best way to get those guys the ball is off play action and we just need to execute those better because they will be there all year. The other way is to pair Harper on the outside and Smith in the slot (which we do some) and try to get Smith the ball out of those looks. I do agree I'd like to see them get the ball more, but when we have a game where we only call pass plays on 25% of the play calls like last week its a lot tougher.

Pease has been great in the Wildcat thus far, but do you think Harper could be an option as the Wildcat QB in some situations?

I think if we were going to see Harper as a Wildcat we would have seen it right now. I don't think there is enough time to put several guys at Wildcat and get the reps they need to run it well. Plus Harper works exclusively at WR now and it would take away from his technique there. Part of why we are successful is the attention to detail, fundamentals, and technique at each position, Snyder probably isn't willing to give that up for Harper to rep at another spot. Its clear Pease is the Wildcat guy and until he gets over whatever injury issues he has we won't see it.

[ednksu]

seems like we have moved away from TE plays with McD and more towards Wilson with Missouri, thoughts?

What do you mean by this? In the passing game?

pass

2 plays stick out in my mind where he was run down because he doesn't have the speed to get around the edge.

[kso_FAN]

seems like we have moved away from TE plays with McD and more towards Wilson with Missouri, thoughts?

What do you mean by this? In the passing game?

pass

2 plays stick out in my mind where he was run down because he doesn't have the speed to get around the edge.

1st, Wilson is probably faster than any of our TEs.

2nd, the routes he ran were both off of boot passes. In fact, every play action pass we ran against Missouri was a boot pass of some sort, though on a couple Klein didn't boot completely to the backside of the play, but stopped and set up in the pocket. This is a traditional play action staple of Snyder when the QB is looking vertically first, then checking down. Otherwise the QB will boot to the backside which was the case with both of the throws to Wilson.

3rd, in most boot passes there are going to be 2 to 3 routes covering different levels of the field. Generally the back will have the short route, a TE on the intermediate route (12-15 yards down the field) and a WR or other TE on the deep route. Sometimes we switch that up though, for example one of the boot passes we ran had BSmith running the short route and on another Klein hit SSmith on the intermediate route. On both of the throws to Wilson he was open short, one of them he actually got the corner and gained 11 yards for a first down, the other one he did not and only gained 3. Both were good calls IMHO.

[ednksu]

I wasn't trying to suggest that our TEs were necessarily faster in a footrace.   Seems like the TE route is a bit more favorable to our scheme.  I remember 2 plays to Wilson where he didn't have the speed to get out due to the positioning of the defense.  I believe both were going north, don't remember exactly when. 

I like the TE route instead of the FB because it seems to force the linebacker on that side to make more of a choice, keep up to support stopping CK or drop to guard the underneath portion the TE might be over.  If the LB drops that frees up more space for CK to tuck, if the advance McDdonald is open for a nice gain.

Seemed like some of it was just advertising a new wrinkle to make people prepare for other options.  I like the idea of having multiple looks that defenses will have to prep for.  especially if CK can continue to develop more passing opportunities.

[Kat Kid]

It is a continuing embarrassment that the collective efforts of ordinary citizens are so often superior to the professional pontificators polluting the landscape of sports "journalism."  _FAN you are a joy, an absolute joy.  It is sad that capable, competent, intellectual minds like yours are passed over for another segment of stammering cliches and re-hashed crap from Matt Walters, Tim Fitzgerald, and the rest.