Defensive Play

ColoradoHusk said:
While it would be great to have more constant pressure from the d-line, part of the appeal of the 3-4 is that it allows for blitzes from a lot of different positions. Chin called a number of blitzes last year, and the blitzer didn’t get to the QB. That wasn’t the case today. 
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I would attribute some of that to the D Line commanding blocks.

 
brophog said:
This is the core of so many arguments I’ve had on this site, to the point I don’t find it useful to even discuss much. We are still based in a 4 man rush like practically everyone else. Alex Davis just doesn’t have his hand on the ground. We will go to an even front with something like Stille/Khalil inside with two OLB and it’s functionally no different than in a 4-3 defense under the same conditions. We may bring 2 OLB down into a 50 on first down, another team may go to a 4-3 under front. When you hear Tuioti describe what he wants in body types, he wants a nose, an under tackle (like a 3 tech), and defensive end bodies (he differentiates the two sides by body type). Chinander doesn’t refer to this as a 3-4 because it’s a multi-front defense.

We may be arguing semantics at times, but I (like many) don’t use the word blitz unless it’s more than 4 rushers. I’ll tend to not use it at all, really, and just refer to an outside rusher as an edge rusher to avoid confusion. So what I would consider a base rush already has one OLB with pass rush responsibilities. Right now, that’s guys like Alex and Nelson.
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I've said it before and I'll say it again - you're the best college football analyst on this board. I always really appreciate your analysis and thoughts. There is nothing you wrote there that I can disagree with because I see things exactly as you describe them when I watch us play.

I personally define "blitzing" as a guy that is lined up either outside of the tackles or behind the line of scrimmage when the whistle blows that is clearly trying to get to the QB/point of snap. 

The rubber will hit the road as we watch Alex Davis line up on the line of scrimmage. If he can work his way inside/free up a lane for another player to breach the line of scrimmage more effectively than Gifford did last year then I'm on board with what Chinander wants to do. Alex is 6'5 and - although I have no idea how much he squats, cleans, and box jumps - looks very strong and athletic. This is the kind of guy you want lining up against an offensive tackle.

You have to admit this: Last year we tended to line up in the four man front on 3rd down passing situations. This is the part you don't have to admit, because it's merely my opinion: Gifford didn't do s*** as the fourth lineman. And it cost us big time. What I saw today bridged the gap between some of those woes and I think with a healthy JoJo Domann, this can be a good defense.

 
Undone said:
You have to admit this: Last year we tended to line up in the four man front on 3rd down passing situations. This is the part you don't have to admit, because it's merely my opinion: Gifford didn't do s*** as the fourth lineman.
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I’m in agreement there. Gifford is a better all around OLB than anything we have currently, but he wasn’t great in that particular role. Whereas a guy like Nelson is currently much more limited, but he’s more suited to that role. Right now, we kinda have to just get the best out of each guy and play to his strengths and hopefully as the season goes they develop the missing skills.

Undone said:
I personally define "blitzing" as a guy that is lined up either outside of the tackles or behind the line of scrimmage when the whistle blows that is clearly trying to get to the QB/point of snap. 
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But teams will line up one or both lineman in a prevent defense in a wide tech and a prevent scheme is usually considered the opposite end of the spectrum from a blitz. 

“Blitz” is kind of a term that’s a pain to define anymore. One tactic that is gaining traction these days is to make it look like you’re sending a bunch of players, but in reality you’re only overloading one side with 3 and dropping 8. So if you define it by starting position it wouldn’t qualify and if you define it by numbers it wouldn’t qualify but functionally it acts like a blitz and the offense has to treat it that way.

 
brophog said:
“Blitz” is kind of a term that’s a pain to define anymore. One tactic that is gaining traction these days is to make it look like you’re sending a bunch of players, but in reality you’re only overloading one side with 3 and dropping 8. So if you define it by starting position it wouldn’t qualify and if you define it by numbers it wouldn’t qualify but functionally it acts like a blitz and the offense has to treat it that way.
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I'll amend my original comment with the bold:

I personally define "blitzing" as a guy that is lined up either outside of the tackles or behind the line of scrimmage when the whistle blows that is clearly trying to does ultimately attempt to get to the QB/point of snap.
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So what you described in your last two sentences is not a blitz but a feigned blitz. 

 
brophog said:
Right now, we kinda have to just get the best out of each guy and play to his strengths and hopefully as the season goes they develop the missing skills.
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This is the very thing that I take issue with as it pertains to Chinander's "3-4" or "multi-front" defense or whatever we want to call it - the problem actually goes away IMO if true defensive end body types are recruited and played in a 4-3.

I am probably in the minority on this opinion, though, and I was constantly being reminded last year by other posters "that Wisconsin plays in a 3-4 sometimes." Nothing is lost on me as to the advantages in recruiting in playing this style of defense that Chinander wants. And hopefully I can reiterate that I started a thread applauding the defense, period.    :)

 
After rewatching the game, does anyone have concerns about JoJo overplaying on the edge? He made some huge plays and TFL and I'm not trying to take away from his play. However, there was a few plays where he nailed the dive back and it looked like if the QB kept it he'd be running free on the outside. I don't know the scheme well enough to know if that was his responsibility or not, but it looked like a perimeter play would beat his aggressiveness.

 
WyoHusker56 said:
After rewatching the game, does anyone have concerns about JoJo overplaying on the edge? He made some huge plays and TFL and I'm not trying to take away from his play. However, there was a few plays where he nailed the dive back and it looked like if the QB kept it he'd be running free on the outside. I don't know the scheme well enough to know if that was his responsibility or not, but it looked like a perimeter play would beat his aggressiveness.
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I thought about that when JoJo was making those plays, but it's tough to say what his responsibility is on those plays.  He may be told to take the dive back and not try to make a read.  If the QB does keep it, the hope is that the pursuit by the LB's and the secondary will be able to make the play on the QB.

 
Hoping we're just scratching the surface with Cam Taylor.  This was a great stick.  Very old school Blackshirtesque kinda hit. 


:throwdabones1:


 
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I am I said:
I haven’t looked real hard (or at all TBH) but where is Ty Ferg? 
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At this moment?  Not sure.   :P

During the game?  He was out there some, but looking at the snap counts, not as much as I thought.  Davis and Tannor played the most (50-51 snaps), then JoJo with 23 and Ferguson with 14.  JoJo graded the highest then Davis and Ferguson were pretty close.

I think the others all have more upside.  But Ferguson might also be a better fit for more power run teams than against spread teams.

 
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