Charles Fischer Administrator No. 1 Share Posted October 17, 2022 I was thinking about our weak DBs...how I want Gonzalez on Bobo all the time, and a safety, preferably Bennett Williams on the Bruin tight end all the time. Should you come up with a unique defense for the extraordinary receivers UCLA has? We need enough in the box to stop the Bruin running game, but putting our DBs on an island with THOSE receivers and the timing they have with DTR? As if that doesn't much it up enough....often times when you add stuff--you slow down your players as they have to "think" about what they are supposed to do in this particular instance in this new defense. And the probability of a mistake, and an easy touchdown from a busted coverage goes way up. Sometimes you come out ahead by sticking to what you know and do best...but the UCLA coaches have all that on tape with a game-plan to attack it. Yikes! This will be real interesting to see what Lupoi/Lanning come up with. A defensive coordinator's nightmare, and I'm sure the Bruin DC, McGovern, feels the same way. What would YOU do? Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudslide No. 2 Share Posted October 17, 2022 I think it's safe to assume that vanilla packages with odd shifts will be employed by the Ducks. I'm no expert, but I think the 4-2-5 is rather standard fare against spread style offenses. DTR and his receivers are really in sync with their safe stems. I'd like to see some disruption of the intermediate routes. (And yep Gonzo has to control Bobo. Come on...what kind of name is BOBO?! Maybe Gonzo should rag on the name all game long.) So the Ducks' 3-3-5 is in order...hopefully with a few surprises out of that formation. But Charbonnet is another sort of bird. He can wreck a solid back-end defense with his catches and runs with handoffs, tosses, flares, and screens. Frankly, over the course of the game, I'm more worried about him than the receivers. Of course, I'm STILL worried about the receivers...just not as much as the back. He, and to a lesser extent DTR, is the key to beating the dynamic blitzing that Lupoi will occasionally send. Still, call me Mr. Sunshine. the Ducks' prolific offense will prevail with a win by 17. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck Moderator No. 3 Share Posted October 17, 2022 Agree, change is difficult, I wouldn't change anything. I would add some twists in specific situations. I won't get into how that would work specifically, because I have no clue, but I am sure the coaches see tendencies and can take advantage of specific offensive tendencies. I think our previous staff seldom added twists, even when playing the same team they lost too. That was a big mistake. It is a mistake not to have some adjustments, but no need for full change. This may be why our offense is more successful as Nix has been in Dilly's offense before. Our defense top to bottom is learning expectations, language and basically everything new from this years staff on defense. Adding too much change in this scenario isn't wise, and we have a young, but wise staff. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Author Administrator No. 4 Share Posted October 17, 2022 On 10/17/2022 at 3:03 PM, Mudslide said: But Charbonnet is another sort of bird. He can wreck a solid back-end defense with his catches and runs with handoffs, tosses, flares, and screens. Frankly, over the course of the game, I'm more worried about him than the receivers. Agreed, as he has shown that catching the ball in open field makes him deadly with the YAC. A lot of moves and power! Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck No. 5 Share Posted October 17, 2022 Does the age-old maxim, 'force them to pass' apply to this UCLA team? DTR to Bobo, the TE and the other receivers is scary. Taking Charbonnet out of the game would be good, but would that make the defense even more vulnerable to the pass? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Author Administrator No. 6 Share Posted October 18, 2022 On 10/17/2022 at 4:47 PM, 30Duck said: Does the age-old maxim, 'force them to pass' apply to this UCLA team? DTR to Bobo, the TE and the other receivers is scary. Taking Charbonnet out of the game would be good, but would that make the defense even more vulnerable to the pass? Interesting point, because the old adage may not apply here. The Bruins can score quickly through the air, but it would take longer on the ground and burn clock and shorten the game for them as well. Get a good lead and then force them to be a running team? Fascinating stuff. Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic No. 7 Share Posted October 18, 2022 I don't think a whole new scheme, but certainly a few new wrinkles. I think that's probably what you're referring too? Maybe some of those nifty blitz packages you illustrated a week back? Also, if what I've read is true, UCLA is still a run-oriented team, true to the Chip Kelly philosophy. Oregon can't afford to rob from Peter (run defense) too much to pay Paul. Stopping Bobo will be essential or their run game could really open up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Sousa No. 8 Share Posted October 18, 2022 Since Georgia, where DL admitted that they tried to install too much of the defense to fast, the coaches have pulled back and almost started over, installing (and using) a little more of the defense each week. The last couple of weeks - and especially last game - we saw more blitzes coming from different directions. For UCLA, the defensive staff is has 2 weeks instead of just one to install and practice MORE of the defensive strategy they would like to use. I believe that this is what we will see... more of the same plus a more. Last week we saw Gonzales one on one with Arizona's best receiver, even though that put him covering the slot, a position that he was not used to. I expect to see the same this week with Bobo. If this is true, it means that for two weeks Gonzales is studying Bobo and becoming an expert on him. That is good. I very much like the Duck's chances in this one... especially if Autzen is LOUD. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Author Administrator No. 9 Share Posted October 18, 2022 On 10/17/2022 at 5:50 PM, Jon Sousa said: The last couple of weeks - and especially last game - we saw more blitzes coming from different directions. Not what I saw, but we can disagree. No biggie. Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoGaDawg No. 10 Share Posted October 18, 2022 Well here is my opinion on the game, granted perhaps I’m not as schooled on UCLA as many of you guys are. In the beginning I would make sure we have in the box whatever it takes to stop their running game. While playing tight man coverage elsewhere. Bring five and six on possible passing downs and force Thompson to make the play downfield. Of course Thompson is a very good QB, he might rip you apart anyway. But IMO, don’t let the Bruins run game beat you. Get after DTR and let the chips fall where they may. Ducks offense can make the day hopefully. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastBayDuckDad Moderator No. 11 Share Posted October 18, 2022 (edited) Get after DTR with pressure and hold the edge on the pass rush. The UCLA o-line is good but not elite and if DJJ and Dorlus can pressure him he will not always have the time to isolate out his primary receiver. Gonzo on Bobo in man, as he is the better athlete, forcing DTR to go elsewhere. Bridges, Manning, et al need to limit the damage from the other WRs and TEs I believe the interior of the Dline can handle UCLA's inside run game and Sewell-Flowe will make tackles if they play disciplined gaps. And be ready for the inevitable Chip tempo when it comes. No mistake, UCLA is the best offense, after Georgia, that Oregon will see this year. DTR outside the pocket may be the x-factor. The odds makers have Oregon -6 with an over of 70+, so it will likely be a high scoring affair. I believe that the Duck offense will do what it does as the Bruin defense is good but won't be able to stop the run. Oregon will outscore UCLA just enough. The defense will play just well enough to get a home win. Just thankful this is in Autzen this year. Edited October 18, 2022 by EastBayDuckDad Grammar and an addition 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazeNconfused No. 12 Share Posted October 18, 2022 (edited) Last year after UCLA went up 14-0 DeRut stopped looking so base defense pre-snap and playing base. DeRut started mixing his looks with 6 or 5 guys on the line but only bringing four, he also started to stunt and blitz more. Chips play calls were going early when DTR had that base type of easy pre-snap read. But when the reads got harder pre-snap and DTR had to guess he was way less effective. I would stack 5 or 6 guys on the line and show Cover-1 with one deep safety pre-snap more than we have so far this. After UCLA shits or starts motion, I would drop my other safety back into Cover-2 and my LB's quite a bit. I would stick to the 4-2-5 Cover-2 we mostly play but try to hide that more pre-snap. But I would also show 5 or 6 on the line for passing downs and bring them a couple times early. I would also set my two LBs normal depth but bring one early for a 5-man blitz. I would also use my Base Cover-2 look and use simulated pressures to bring four. In short, I would bring some blitzes early on passing downs and show all-out blitz more than we usually do. Just enough to break the tendency of how much we show the safeties sitting back Cover-2 look pre-snap that we aren't hiding what we are doing. I might even sit Cover-2 and bring the star or a CB on a blitz and rotate the safety over to cover for him early in the game. We have been really bold showing we will sit Cover-2 and you can have the underneath stuff this year- I'd break that trend a bit to throw off DTR on what he has game planned for the two weeks and is suspecting to read pre-snap. The goal is to get DTR thinking that the Ducks are doing things more aggressive early than he has seen from us on film, and we are hiding our coverages more pre-snap. Get that into his head early so he doesn't get into rhythm -- but still play lots of our Cover-2 that we drop into late and not let them get big plays over the top. If we can confuse DTR pre-snap to make the wrong RPO reads a few times and then change the coverage we can rattle him. Our D Line and LBs have been good in run defense with the safeties deep and part of that is the play of Bennett Williams and Jamal Hill at the Star in run support. So, I wouldn't change my approach in that regard. If we can change just enough with our pre-snap looks and a few blitzes to get some early stops then we might be able to get out to a lead. Then I might play more of a 4-1-5 Dime with Bassa or Flowe as the LB on the passing downs. Edited October 18, 2022 by DazeNconfused 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Author Administrator No. 13 Share Posted October 18, 2022 On 10/17/2022 at 7:50 PM, DazeNconfused said: The goal is to get DTR thinking that the Ducks are doing things more aggressive early than he has seen from us on film, and we are hiding our coverages more pre-snap. Get that into his head early so he doesn't get into rhythm -- but still play lots of our Cover-2 and not let them get big plays over the top. If we can confuse DTR pre-snap to make the wrong RPO read and then change the coverage we can rattle him. If there was ever a time for the 4-0-4 alignment to stop the run...this is it. I hope our coaches are thinking the same as you--great stuff, and thanks for "chipping-in." Green Blitzes: Lanning Begins the New Mint Defense at Oregon FISHDUCK.COM For the first time in nearly a decade–watching the defense at Oregon is going to be highly entertaining again due to the new Mint defense and pressure packages... 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazeNconfused No. 14 Share Posted October 18, 2022 (edited) On 10/17/2022 at 7:57 PM, Charles Fischer said: If there was ever a time for the 4-0-4 alignment to stop the run...this is it. I hope our coaches are thinking the same as you--great stuff, and thanks for "chipping-in." Green Blitzes: Lanning Begins the New Mint Defense at Oregon FISHDUCK.COM For the first time in nearly a decade–watching the defense at Oregon is going to be highly entertaining again due to the new Mint defense and pressure packages... It's going to be interesting to see what Lanning does. I'd say we were in Cover-2 defense 90% of the time at WAZZU. We seemed to do that less last week at Arizona. Will we be that heavy Cover-2 team all year, that is bend dont break? Edited October 18, 2022 by DazeNconfused 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Sousa No. 15 Share Posted October 18, 2022 On 10/17/2022 at 8:05 PM, DazeNconfused said: It's going to be interesting to see what Lanning does. I'd say we were in Cover-2 defense 90% of the time at WAZZU. We seemed to do that less last week at Arizona. Will we be that heavy Cover-2 team all year, that is bend dont break? I have my doubts. I think we will be more aggressive as the year goes on. More disruption. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
