Kind of concerned they will run roughshod on us with the option....hoping the several weeks of preparation does the trick
Does Tech gouge our 'D' ?
- Thread starter Blueathletics
- Start date
This will be the first real good look at how well Stoops can prepare for a single offense. This will be his first bowl game as a head coach and the first time he will have several weeks to prepare his team for a specific offense. He supposedly understands how to stop the GT option game so this should be a good chance to assess Stoops acumen for preparing a team with plenty of time to do so. Hope he proves to be a defensive savant.
This game could will most likely come down to turn overs. Kentucky (106 in turn over ratio) has a -6 turnover ratio. Georgia Tech (43) has a +3 ratio. In relation Louisville (108) is -7.
I'm pretty sure Stoops knows how to stop the option, as do most Div 1 defensive coaches. The biggest question is execution. Can our guys play disciplined, assignment football? D linemen cannot be consistently knocked off the line of scrimmage, LB's must stay in their lanes. I think this will be drilled in their heads 24/7. Personally, I think we can. We will give up some big plays, but we must win the greater percentage of the time. Offense must win time of possession battle. Keep GT's offense on the sidelines. Simple, isn't it, lol. Should be a great game.
I think we have some fast personnel that are quickly maturing into real FBS P5 defenders. I like the chance that they stop Tech more often than Tech stops us. The option is not such a big deal, IF you play assignment football. What scares me the most if the secondary dealing with option look play action passing. It is easy to get TOO grooved into shutting down the bread and butter option plays.
I was listening to Freddie Maggards podcast yesterday and they were talking about how Virginia Tech would practice against the scout team without the offense using a football. This made the defense play assignment football.
I'm not encouraged with our lateral movement versus an entire offense designed to exploit lack of lateral movement. I'm also a little wary of Jones' tendency to overplay, another no-no against the option. That being said, I think the extra time gives us the advantage, and with our offense eating clock they won't have enough time to mount enough drives to win.
With all the running in this game, it may be a candidate for shortest game ever.
With all the running in this game, it may be a candidate for shortest game ever.
On paper stopping the triple option is pretty simple. Players just have to be able to cover their assignments. That's the difficult part. Guys start trying to do to much and that's when mistakes get made. Tech is gonna bust a few plays wide open, the defense has to be able to forget and still cover their assignment whether its the dive, QB or the pitch man.
Yep, I'm thinking this will be a high scoring affair with the last team to score maybe winning it. Possibly a real offensive shoot out with little defense??
Two things:
1. Folks should not think that Stoops is using 15 days to teach the team how to stop the GT option. And he shouldn't. Much of the time will be spent on UK getting better at being UK. (like extra spring practice time) That is more valuable to us going into next year.
2. I think we have pretty good lateral quickness in our OLBs. My concern there is that Jones (and others) may tend to freelance to try to make plays - something that can kill you against the option. Don't be a hero - execute your assignment...period.
1. Folks should not think that Stoops is using 15 days to teach the team how to stop the GT option. And he shouldn't. Much of the time will be spent on UK getting better at being UK. (like extra spring practice time) That is more valuable to us going into next year.
2. I think we have pretty good lateral quickness in our OLBs. My concern there is that Jones (and others) may tend to freelance to try to make plays - something that can kill you against the option. Don't be a hero - execute your assignment...period.
They could cause some issues early because no matter how well UK is prepared for the option offense, they can't simulate the speed Tech will run it. After a few looks at it UK should adjust to the speed. The worst part of playing them is all the cut blocks on the DL.
I watched some film on Georgia Tech this year. I think this is the hardest thing to defend against Tech. They execute those cutback blocks very well and are able to spring their backs for huge gains.
Coach Stoops beat them when he was DC at Florida State, so he knows what it takes to stop them. I believe as long as we don't chase the ball, and remain disciplined, we will stop them. Our lateral movement on the DL and our backs not getting caught chasing the ball prior to the QB pitching it, and we will stop them. If you have been watching GT this year, you know it looks like mass confusion, which is tough on any defense, but I believe we will rise to the occasion. They look like a bunch of pi$$ ants when you tear up their hill.
OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
I agree.
In the FWIW department, Paul Johnson calls his offense the "spread option." The triple option is a selection of plays within his offense. It's just part of his offensive package. We also run a couple different veers and an assortment of tosses and sweeps. The base formation is a spread formation with extra large OL splits to spread the D and create better blocking angles.
Bobby Bowden always made the mistake of treating us like the wishbone. However, the offense was built off of Mouse Davis' run and shoot concept. The difference is his slots were receivers who could run and ours are runners who can catch since we run more than shoot.
Just a fun fact.