A Few Thoughts and One Question About the Defense?

[spartan2785]

First off, I was very skeptical about our defense going into the year, in years past I would get excited about the preseason talk about improvement/new players/new scheme, and then eventually see that we were either slightly above average to below average.  We might do some good things here and there, but overall it wasn't like people ever talked about the defense other than maybe talking about how it was a bit improved or about a special player here or there (Thibodeaux for example).  

 

This year I will hold my hands up and say I was wrong about the defense, it's a very good unit, it has the most depth this program has ever had, the players are simply different on a man to man scale compared to previous years, Lanning knew what he was looking for and he went out and got it.  D-line is simply incredible when it comes the depth and the versatility that it has. 

 

To have the horses to go from a stout run stopping front with a Taimani, Popo, or Rodgers on the inside with Dorlus or Burch setting the edge.  To edge rushers with the young bucks (Matayo U, Tuioti, and Purchase) or older vets (Fune) with with the inside rushing or Dorlus, Ware-Hudson, and Popo, is just scary.  Nobody looks tired, nobody seems to be selfish, just a unit that seems relentless right now. 

 

LBs are probably a little behind what Lanning ideally wants, but man these guys can run, and the tackling is so much better overall.

 

Secondary is again scary when it come to the depth.  When Bridges is your backup you have some good backs, Bridges isn't amazing, but a ton of teams around the nation would love to have a guy like that as a starter.  I have to highlight the tackling, which is just such an improvement over the last ten years or so.  These guys just don't seem to let guys get more then what they should on any catch. 

 

One question I have for those who might chart the games or just simply have more knowledge than me:  Are we blitzing our secondary more than we have in the past, I can't seem to remember a time when we've had as many sacks or pressures coming from our CBs as we have had this season.  Are we just being more effective with the blitzes and I'm just noticing it more since it's been more impactful?

[EastBayDuckDad]

On 10/29/2023 at 6:58 AM, spartan2785 said:

 

One question I have for those who might chart the games or just simply have more knowledge than me:  Are we blitzing our secondary more than we have in the past, I can't seem to remember a time when we've had as many sacks or pressures coming from our CBs as we have had this season.  Are we just being more effective with the blitzes and I'm just noticing it more since it's been more impactful?

I don't have any data, but it looks to me like there were more blitz packages the last two games. For different reasons, I think.

 

Against Wazzu to try and corral Ward so he couldn't go bat guano crazy on the scramble (which he managed to do some anyway). And against the Utes to disrupt a shaky pass offense. Both strategies worked for the most part. 

 

I suspect we'll see a steady stream of calculated pressures and safety/DB blitzes going forward now that DL knows what he can do with Evan, Tysheem, Kyree et al.

[Haywarduck]

Definitely more blitz's, and like the old beer, comforting to see.

 

A blitz gets back to playing attacking defense, what a defense should be.

 

Blitz beer gets back to being what a beer should be, beer. No double this, brown, pale, amber or red that, just cold beer.

 

Mr. Marsh spoke about memories of college, a big difference, beer was just beer.  Also a silver bullet was illegal to bring into Oregon.

[Just Ducky]

Nice one Hay. I sold Blitz beer for 20 years before They quit brewing it. Stuff was nasty but a lot of good ole boys drank it in volume. Brought back some memories with that one Hayward made me smile,thanks.

[David Marsh]

Mr FishDuck did an article on simulated pressures which is what we are seeing in action. 

 

From Georgia: Watch Dan Lanning's 'Simulated Pressures'

FISHDUCK.COM

---

Coach Dan Lanning brought some Georgia blitzes with him to Oregon, and Duck fans are going to see...

 

 

Pressure coming off the corners or secondary is part of these pressures. Are they blitzing more? No really.... They are just being pressured from somewhere else on the field. 

 

Kyree Jackson's sack was him lined up across from a receiver so it looked normal. But when the ball was snapped he dove into the backfield and went almost completely unobstructed into the quarterback. 

 

Now you might think... The QB has an easy pass to that receiver that was supposed to be Jackson's but it was part of the plan and that receiver was picked up by someone else but Jackson's pressure was so fast that it didn't really matter.

 

[Charles Fischer]

Hey Spartan,

 

The short answer to your question is yes, we are blitzing the corners and safeties a ton more than last year. I've written extensively about how Oregon blitzed like crazy in the Eastern Washington game last year--and was not getting to the QB.  Thus if you cannot against the Eagles--the risk is not worth the reward of explosion plays against you.

 

It took me a few games last year to figure out that Lanning went into a conservative mode on defense, because we did not have the skill at blitzing or pass rush, and our secondary was not as good as this year's group.  So, to mix it up you would see an occasional corner or safety blitz last year--but it was infrequent.

 

We did a ton of simulated blitzes last year where we would blitz four on one side to overwhelm the blockers, and yet be able to drop seven in coverage.  This year I am seeing a TON more five and six man blitzes, and tons more corner and safety blitzes, and I love it.

 

 

I do think a reason we are seeing this is because Lanning is adjusting to the personnel; our corners and safeties are getting to the QB faster than blitzing LBs would, thus it makes sense.  Khyree Jackson and in particular, Evan Williams have a flair for it, but it does have risk.  One big 20 yard pass play by Utah before the half came when the blitzing safety did not get to the QB, and he threw to an open RB out of backfield before our other field safety could slide over and cover for the blitzing safety.

 

Conventional coaching wisdom is blitzing from the short side, the boundary side of the field, yet I saw some gutty corner blitzes from the wide side that forced the Utah QB to throw the ball away.

 

"The Anatomy of a Blitz"

 

At our get-together in two weeks at a local motel meeting room...I will have a short film session going over a number of items I find fascinating, and one of them is how Oregon designs its blitz package.  I want to look at pass-rush moves, and of course--some items on offense that are fun to see develop in slow-motion.

 

I am no expert, and your typical high school coach knows a lot more than I, thus I welcome feedback from others at this film session and we can all learn together.  It is great fun...

 

[Mike West]

On 10/29/2023 at 9:26 AM, Charles Fischer said:

I am no expert, and your typical high school coach knows a lot more than I, thus I welcome feedback from others at this film session and we can all learn together.  It is great fun...

Oh but I fear you more than any high school coach.  You pick up what the experts do as well as the experts.  And I doubt you have the hubris to stick to your guns just because you know football!!!

 

You're a chess player without even knowing it.  Oh yes, I've had discussions with you that make Gretsky's spin move seem normal.  Make Magic Johnson's no look passes ordinary.  

 

I can only imagine what you would throw at high schools with the knowledge you throw our way (not to mention quite a few D1 coaches).

[AnotherOD]

One of the things I have been happy to see is the emergence and strong play of "big package" in third and fourth situations, with the Ducks playing both their NT together.

 

I'm the goal line stand against UW, the defense had both Aumavae and Tamaini out there with Dorlus, with both their bigger OLB/Ends in Funa and Shipley.

 

Early in Utah game on 4th and short on the Oregon 25, it was Funa-Dorlus-Aumavae-Tamaini-Tuioti with the addition of their biggest LB in Jacobs.

 

Great to see the Duck's rush defense sitting #12 in the nation in rush defense at 95.6 ypg and 3.19 ypc. Another Lanning hire (Tony Tuioti) looking good.

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by AnotherOD

[OregonDucks]

Great thread!  This is what makes this message board so great.

 

The TV analyst during the Utah game mentioned that Oregon was playing more man-to-man coverage on the outside this year.  That would be understandable, given the overall upgrade of our secondary personnel this season.  Last season, it seems like our coaches were playing a more bend but don't break D and too often (e.g., UW game) they seemed to break. 

 

Have others seen the same change in secondary coverage?

[Drake]

The defense has 27 sacks so far this year.
 

The leader in sacks is Brandon Dorlus with 4. The DB leaders are Evan Williams with 3.5, and Khyree Jackson with 2. 

When you include QB pressures, and TFL ‘s by this defense it all adds up to our opponents scoring average of 15.6 points per game. 
 

Without charting plays, it is tough to have a definitive answer as to whether there is a significant increase in blitz packages that include our DB’s. However, whatever they are doing, just keep doing it. 

[David Marsh]

On 10/29/2023 at 6:10 PM, OregonDucks said:

Great thread!  This is what makes this message board so great.

 

The TV analyst during the Utah game mentioned that Oregon was playing more man-to-man coverage on the outside this year.  That would be understandable, given the overall upgrade of our secondary personnel this season.  Last season, it seems like our coaches were playing a more bend but don't break D and too often (e.g., UW game) they seemed to break. 

 

Have others seen the same change in secondary coverage?

Not only have we had more man coverage but far more aggressive coverage at the line of scrimmage. 

 

There were no red flags when Jackson was lined up on the line of scrimmage before his blitz because he's always there to jam the receiver. 

 

The athletisim and speed in the secondary this year is massive. 

[Just Ducky]

 One stat that hasn’t got much play is the Ducks had 1 negative play the entire game, not counting penalties, and the Utes had 8. That is a large deficit for a team to overcome. 
 

 These negative plays are coming from all over the field and make viewing the game incredibly fun. Coaching against this defense is a recipe for lost sleep. I hope our D keeps the foot on the gas thru eternity.

 

 Go s

[Haywarduck]

On 10/29/2023 at 8:12 AM, Just Ducky said:

Nice one Hay. I sold Blitz beer for 20 years before They quit brewing it. Stuff was nasty but a lot of good ole boys drank it in volume. Brought back some memories with that one Hayward made me smile,thanks.

Blitz beer was a little scary, but, like many beers at the time, if it was cold enough you wouldn't notice how poor it was. 

 

One beer, Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve, is a beer I would buy today, but sadly it was discontinued so another cute named 'micro' beer can claim shelf space.

 

This is a beer which needs to come back, once the micro beer hysteria calms down. 

[Just Ducky]

Henry’s was part of our portfolio back in the day. We sold way more Henry’s than we ever did blitz. Lake Oswego area it was Huge.