The Utah Run Defense of 2011: We will stop you!
by BirdGT on Dec 23, 2011 8:01 AM EST
in Georgia Tech Football
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The front seven features twelve different players with at least 20 game appearances including four guys with over 100+ career tackles in Chaz Walker, Matt Martinez, Derrick Shelby, and Brian Blechen. Behind those big four the Utes have 8 additional linebackers and defensive linemen with at least 20 career tackles. The depth is reDUNKulous allowing the Utes to substitute liberally with little dropoff amongst most backups in the front seven.
In the starting seven up front, Utah has tallied 49 tackles for loss in 2011. That's more TFL than Air Force, UAB, and Akron have accumulated as teams in 2011. The Utes have only allowed 65 first downs on the ground as opposed to 139 passing first downs. Tech may need to look towards the air in order to win this game based on Utah's impressive 2011 run defense.
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This experience is disconcerting
The whole team me of the Iowa team from the orange bowl. Athletic, veteran front seven. I’m growing pesimistic…
by Joe Hamilton's Chauffeur on Dec 23, 2011 11:21 AM EST via Android app reply actions
Which GT Opponent's Defense
looked most like Utah’s Run Defense?
VT?
da U?
UVA?
Need some perspective beyond #‘s, and the season’s a blur.
You'd do it for Randolph Scott!
RANDOLPH SCOTT!
by DressHerInWhiteAndGold on Dec 23, 2011 11:51 AM EST via mobile reply actions
as long as they don't have that South Beach
talent…I think we’ll get 300 yards on the ground and some TD’s… Miami is CPJ’s kryptonite sort of like Julius Hodge was Paul Hewitt’s.
I write stuff From the Rumble Seat.
Not intimidated.
Despite the coaches’ collective experiences against it, Utah’s players haven’t faced the option this season yet. Therefore, it’s still completely plausible we could smack them right in the mouth on the first couple drives for an early lead. Then if Utah settles into slowing the option it can be a good thing for us as long as we consistently get at least 3 yards per play and have a lead. It sets up our 11 minute Death March drive.
I think the turnover battle and field position will mean a lot in this game. For GT to win, I believe we need to shut down their offense and work ours to even just a middling level.
This is Tevin's make or break game
a poor performance all but assures me that CPJ will go with a QB rotation next Spring…Hell, we might see rotation in the bowl game.
I write stuff From the Rumble Seat.
Between who?
TW and SD? I doubt it if the game is close.
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
Synjyn the Engine
I don’t see why we wouldn’t see rotation. There’s nothing to lose in this game and it gives us some meaningful minutes for Days or whoever.
I write stuff From the Rumble Seat.
I’d be more interested in seeing a larger rotation for B-Backs and A-Backs.
I understand that Preston Lyons, Roddy Jones, and Embry Peeples will get lots of touches because they’re Seniors. However, I’d really like to see more of Charles Perkins, Tony Zenon, and Deon Hill. For that matter I’d like to see more of Jeff Greene too at WR.
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
Rate your favorite backs in order
and right now, Charles Perkins comes in almost last. I am hoping next Spring he gets his head on straight and starts measuring up to his potential but right now at least he doesn’t act like he is ready for college ball.
by Atlanta's original team on Dec 23, 2011 4:36 PM EST up reply actions
I just want a B-back who can break a tackle and threaten the middle of the line…
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
by TBuzz on Dec 23, 2011 8:58 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
He has potential, no doubt
Apparently has had issues with working hard from time to time, but I think he’s had trouble working up the depth chart. When he’s gotten touches he’s done well, but more often than not Sims and Lyons are the only two guys getting carries at B-Back.
The Church of Paul Johnson - There's not much to it outside of whooping ass and giving haters the finger. To HELL With georgie!
by LilBroey700 on Dec 24, 2011 11:25 PM EST up reply actions
Ah but...
Most of the players have also had experience against it. We played AFA every year until this one meaning that Seniors have have had three years against it, JRs – two, and Sophmore’s One – that includes Brian “the Beast” Blechen – get ready to know his name on Saturday..
"It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word" - Andrew Jackson
I'm curious how well they would have played Oregon...
who I think is the Pac 12 team that most closely resembles out attack (much different scheme, but still option). It looks like from the teams listed above that the majority of Offenses they’ve played this year are more Pro-style sets.
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
Chris Polk was completely shut down in the first half of the Washington game
But then we lost Jordan Wynn and when the offense went to hell the D just couldn’t keep up being on the field all the time. That’s the key to beating our D. Continually shut down our offense or force a lot of turnovers and our D wears out. But if we start shutting down or at least slowing down your offense by a great deal and sustain some drives on offense you better watch out.
You forgot to mention 1 guy
1 of our other starting defensive line was selected on the Pac-12 all start teams as well, Star Lotulelei, 6-3, 325, Jr, DT will also be present to greet your runners and put a big Utah Hello Hug on your QB when he tries to pass.
Star was voted the Morris award in the Pac-12. This is given to the player picked by opposing linemen as the toughest opponent they faced.
Just something else to enjoy over the holiday. See you New Years Eve!!!
What is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women. - Conan the Barbarian
Not disrespect, but...
…any team we face with a particular beast on the DL learns quickly that he will be out of the game. We usually read him instead of even try to block him. UNC had one. Clemson had one. They’ll be in the NFL soon, and they didn’t really get to make a difference playing against us, because we just schemed around them mostly.
Cut Block Haterz made here every game
http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2003/01/22/ba_davis01.jpg
You'd do it for Randolph Scott!
RANDOLPH SCOTT!
by DressHerInWhiteAndGold on Dec 27, 2011 3:25 PM EST up reply actions
OOPS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsewlmZ_9Ok
You'd do it for Randolph Scott!
RANDOLPH SCOTT!
by DressHerInWhiteAndGold on Dec 27, 2011 3:26 PM EST up reply actions
no disrespect taken at all.
if you can stop him from making an impact then congrats you’ve done one hell of a job. still I have faith that Star will make an impact, the kid is a straight up monster.
the struggle in teams facing our D is the incredible depth and talent we can rotate through the front 7. Shelby, the Kruger brothers, Walker, Martinez, Blechen, Lotulelei, Fakahafua, Finau, and so on. its not worrying about one or two guys its worrying about a lot of them and how they’ll come after you.
by khaostheory117 on Dec 27, 2011 10:39 PM EST up reply actions
Uh oh
Smells like an Ioway road grader defense.
/trickeration on tap
//nedz a Tight End?
You'd do it for Randolph Scott!
RANDOLPH SCOTT!
by DressHerInWhiteAndGold on Dec 28, 2011 7:00 AM EST up reply actions
Size with Depth
Ok that is a little more worrying, but I refer you to old option football adage, “They all got knee’s, don’t they?” Not that cut blocking is fool-proof against heavies. We’ve been beaten by teams with dominant D-lines before (Iowa in the Orange Bowl is the best example to date, and we still had our chances in that game.) But for as many as we’ve been slowed down by, we’ve beaten some, too. Again I’d look to UNC (especially and ‘09 and ’10), FSU (’08 and ‘09), Clemson (annually), and maybe some others. Beating them was all about blocking with correct technique, coaches picking the guy we’re least able to block and scheming him out of the play by making him a read, and lots of ball security.
The only thing that worries me is good depth. A rotation of talented D-linemen means it will be our O-line whose conditioning needs to be on point. Even then, though, the option will be slowed but never truly “stopped.” As always, if we can dive, keep, and pitch our way to just 2.85 yards per carry with ball security, we can still score on every possession. Then it’s up to our defense to make some stops. It may be a real grinder of a game with turnovers and time of possession determining the victor.
You're leaving out LSU.
That was the first game I saw that we just couldn’t physically match up against the other team. They ran us over.
by The Bamboo Shaft on Dec 28, 2011 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
Left it out on purpose.
It’s been too hotly debated whether it was the size and speed that got us or if it was the offensive miscues all night. I just didn’t want to reopen that can of worms, so I used Iowa. And honestly, for the sake of the argument that I was making (the point that we can also BEAT teams with good D-lines), what is one more example really worth? So I just chose not to mention it.
Ah okay.
I wasn’t here for that debate. Well we certainly shot ourselves in the foot multiple times but from what I saw, we just couldn’t match up whatsoever with their D and O-lines physically. It was like boys playing men. They totally dominated us from what I recall, and it wasn’t competitive at all. I still have the tape but I don’t have the heart to rewatch it.
by The Bamboo Shaft on Dec 28, 2011 12:55 PM EST up reply actions
It was mostly special team miscues
but I’d rather not talk about it.
It should be a good matchup then.
The option allows you to take care of a single dominant DLman by reading him. It’s much more of a problem if the front 7 are all that way, esp if there’s a lot of depth too (see LSU, Iowa). I have no doubt you guys are good and it should be an interesting battle. I truly think our teams are very evenly matched and it should be a close game (at least on paper). Special teams and turnovers will probably be critical factors, as they usually are.
by The Bamboo Shaft on Dec 28, 2011 12:47 PM EST up reply actions
My question
Are they a big, hold-the-point defense or an athletic, swarming defense?
Going to go with both
Utah Fan here, and I have to say we’re huge up front, more of the first kind, but quick and to the ball behind them.
The front 4 starters: 6’7, 270; 6;3, 305; 6’3, 325; 6’3, 271. Lineman backups who see significant playing time: 6’0, 247; 6’5, 285; 6’3 283; 6’5, 238.
We don’t have a linebacker over 6’1 (unless you count Trevor Reilly, who began the season as an LB but converted to DE once everyone realized how terrifying he was up there), and they are all around 200 pounds. They hit hard, move fast, and do a great job stopping screen passes and other behind the line plays.
My concern for our Utes on run D is that third option; I’ve definitely noticed a weakness around the far edges of the field. It’s not an every play thing, but we can definitely be beat that way.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Dec 28, 2011 3:35 PM EST up reply actions
Arrrgh
Not another team of cut blocking triple-option running players! I thought we were done playing Air Force. Which is a comparison that apparently gets a lot of Tech fans pretty angry… but it is also apt.
Not that it isn’t an effective strategy, although I question the sportsmanship of cut blocks. It’s just painful to watch.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Dec 28, 2011 3:37 PM EST reply actions
Most teams do it
Not as often on the line, but that’s the way most backs and receivers block on the edges. It just gets more attention when the line gets it.
And it’s not as bad as the way the guy with the ball is tackled on every play, and he doesn’t have to get hit from the front. Running backs and receivers get cut from the side and from behind all the time.
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