Interestingly enough, “Rudy” had its world premier in South Bend exactly 25 years ago this month. That season, the Fighting Irish went into the last game of the year, at home, undefeated and #1, only to be beaten by a substantially lower-ranked opponent. Let this be a dire and horrifying warning!

For October is the month of horror, ending as it does with Halloween, the night when ghosts and demons cavort openly among the living. American film-goers love to be horrified, because they know that what they are watching is not real. Irish football fans hate to be horrified, because what they see before them is oh-so very real.

Thus, let us bring together movies, the Fighting Irish, and the Naval Academy Midshipmen (who can be all too horrifying) and re-imagine some horror films with better endings:

“The Poseidon Adventure”

In theaters: A rogue wave capsizes a cruise ship, killing all but our heroes, led by a Minister.

In San Diego: A wave of Irish offense swamps the Middies, led by our hero, a Book.

“The Last Voyage”

In theaters: A heroic father leads his wife and daughter to safety after a boiler explosion sends a cruise ship to the bottom.

In San Diego: A heroic Kelly leads his Irish and their fans to victory after an explosive Notre Dame sends Navy to defeat.

“The Perfect Storm”

In theaters: Three deadly weather systems converge on a fishing boat which is engulfed by the sea.

In San Diego: Eleven deadly defensemen converge on the hapless Middies who are engulfed in loss – unfortunately for Navy, it will be Tranquill weather.

“Below”

In theaters: Terrible things happen on a Navy submarine.

In San Diego: Terrible things happen to Navy next to their submarines.

“Jaws”

In theaters: A great white shark eats people.

In San Diego: A great Irish defense eats Middies.

“The Abyss”

In theaters: Divers encounter underwater aliens.

In San Diego: What the Middies will be staring into.

“Dead Calm”

In theaters: A murderer pirates a sailboat.

In San Diego: The Navy cheering section.

“Deep Rising”

In San Diego: Irish Rising

“Moby Dick”

In San Diego: A cut-blocker

“All Is Lost”

In San Diego: The Story of the Navy Midshipmen

“A Night to Remember”

In San Diego: The Story of the Fighting Irish

EFS CSC

The post Good Fridays w/Padre: The Horror appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

With Notre Dame clinging to a three-point lead late in the third quarter against the Boilermakers, Everett Golson connected with Corey Robinson for a 15-yard touchdown. The touchdown was Robinson’s first of the season and is a good example of how Notre Dame uses the “Slash” concept in the red zone.

What is the Slash concept?

Slash is a two-man route combination. The outside receiver runs a seven-yard hitch approximately one yard from the sideline while the inside receiver runs a “Bow” route, i.e., an angled seam route, 15 yards deep and five yards from the sideline. The quarterback reads the boundary corner. If the corner drops to cover the Bow route, the quarterback should throw the hitch; if the corner plays shallow, the quarterback should throw to the inside receiver on the Bow. Like the “Smash” concept, Slash is particularly effective against Cover 2 defenses because it vertically stretches the corner.

Let’s take a look at Robinson’s touchdown.

On 1st & 10 from the Purdue 15, the Irish line up in a 3×2 empty formation with Robinson and running back Greg Bryant lined up to the boundary. The Boilermakers line up in a two-high shell with soft corners. Given the defensive alignment, Golson’s pre-snap read is likely Cover 2 or Cover 4.

Purdue drops into a two-deep, five-under zone defense. The boundary corner is playing soft and gets caught momentarily leaning toward the hitch route underneath as Robinson heads for the goal line.

Golson recognizes that Robinson has the corner beat and makes a back-shoulder throw to keep the safety from making a play on the ball. The safety is late breaking on the ball, and the 5’11” corner is no match for the 6’4″ Robinson. Strike up the Victory Clog.

Conclusion

Slash is a great concept that fits Brian Kelly’s philosophy of attacking the boundary. It allows big targets like Robinson or Ben Koyack to run fade routes without having to beat press coverage at the line of scrimmage, and it can create favorable mismatches for the Irish offense. Look for Notre Dame to continue using Slash in the red zone as the season progresses.

The post Purdue Review: Using the “Slash” Concept in the Red Zone appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

In September 1990, Chicago Tribune columnist Joseph Tybor wrote a featured article about Notre Dame flanker Adrian Jarrell titled “Big Plays Becoming Jarrell’s Trademark.” The article recounts Jarrell’s game-winning touchdown reception in the season opener against Michigan and his improbable reception on the “Immaculate Deflection” the following week in East Lansing. According to Tybor, both of these clutch receptions came on a play known as “Comeback” out of the “Rip” formation in the Irish playbook. 

Let’s take a look at the play and formation that earned Jarrell the nicknames “Money” and “Mr. Touchdown.”*

“Comeback”

Tybor’s article describes the play “Comeback” in the following manner: “The flanker and end are split to one side. The end is supposed to run a short curl pattern, and, depending on who’s open, [the quarterback] makes his read.”

Whether he knew it or not, Tybor was actually describing the popular route concept known in football circles as “Smash.”

Smash is two-man route concept designed to vertically stretch the cornerback. The outside receiver runs a five to six-yard hitch route while the inside receiver runs a 12-yard corner route. The read is simple. If the cornerback drops to cover the corner route, the quarterback will throw the hitch; if the cornerback plays shallow, the quarterback will throw the corner route.

Although Smash is best known as a Cover 2 beater, it can be effective against most man or zone coverages, particularly when slot the receiver reads the cornerback and adjusts his route accordingly.

“Rip”

“Rip” was a single-back formation with trip receivers to the field and a tight end to the boundary. This type of formation keeps defenses off balance because the passing strength is set to one side of the formation and the running strength is set to the other side. Below is a diagram of the play “Comeback” out of the “Rip” formation from the Michigan game.

Ricky Watters and Adrian Jarrell lined up in the slot while tight end Derek Brown lined up wide to the field.  Tight end Irv Smith lined up to the boundary, and fullback Rodney Culver was the lone running back.

Quarterback Rick Mirer likely had two reads on the play. His first read was Jarrell and Brown on the Smash concept. If they were covered, he would look for Smith on the backside drag route.

As you can see in the video, the Wolverines had seven defenders in the box (eight if you count the boundary corner) and did not appear to be pressing the receivers. Mirer faked the hand-off to Culver and rolled to the trips side of the formation. Right tackle Gene McGuire and right guard Tim Ryan pulled toward the playfake which helped hold the backside defenders. Watters set the edge with his block on the playside.

Mirer delivered a strike to Jarrell between safety Tripp Welborne and cornerback Todd Plate for the score. As Mirer explained after the game, “[Jarrell] was supposed to run to the corner of the end zone and find a hole.” Mirer had to make a quick read because Brown, who was not used to playing wide receiver, ran the wrong pattern and nearly led Plate directly into Jarrell’s route.

Although it was not cleanly executed, the play proved to the be the difference. The Irish would hang on to beat the Wolverines 28-24 and remain the top-ranked team in the country.

The Irish traveled to East Lansing the following week and found themselves trailing the Spartans 19-14 late in the fourth quarter. Holtz once again called “Comeback” out of the “Rip” formation. However, he modified the play slightly for the Spartans.

Culver would serve as a lead blocker for Mirer rather than carrying out a playfake. The only receivers running routes on the play were Tony Smith and Jarrell on the Smash. Mirer had max protection with eight blockers and none of the lineman pulled as they had against the Wolverines.

Michigan State had seven defenders near the line of scrimmage and soft coverage in the secondary. As Mirer rolled out, it appears that the Spartans were in Cover 3. The slot defender rotated to cover the flat while the corners and free safety each dropped to cover a deep third. Mirer’s throw hit cornerback Todd Murray squarely in the chest. Jarrell showed good athleticism and concentration by catching the ball off the ricochet and staying in bounds.

Although Jarrell made the catch, Mirer should have thrown to Tony Smith on the hitch based on the coverage. Murray aligned soft and immediately dropped to cover a deep third at the snap. Had Mirer made the correct read, he would have had plenty of time to throw to Smith before the slot defender rotated to the flat to take away the hitch. Nevertheless, Jarrell’s catch set up Culver’s game-winning touchdown with 34 seconds left.

Conclusion

Adrian Jarrell may have only recorded 21 catches in his injury-plagued career, but his two catches on the play “Comeback” out of the “Rip” formation will forever be part of Irish lore. If you are interested in reading about some other memorable plays from the Holtz era, check out this link.

*Special thanks to J.R. in Iowa for getting me a VHS copy of the 1990 Michigan game and Knute School Fool for uploading the clip to Youtube. 

The post Irish Archives: “Comeback” out of the “Rip” Formation appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Notre Dame spent most of last week’s practices working on third-down situations on both sides of the ball. While it’s hard to glean much from two or three-minute video clips, it was interesting to see the offense running the “two-man” concept out of a tight formation—something we haven’t seen too often the last couple of seasons.

What is the “two-man” concept?

The “two-man” concept consists of one receiver running a five or six-yard stick and looking for a crease between defenders while a second receiver runs to the flat. The route combination stretches the flat defender horizontally. If the flat defender widens, the stick should be open; if the flat defender drops back into coverage, the flat should be open.  It’s a very simple concept used in some fashion by almost every team from high school to the NFL.

Below is a diagram illustrating how the “two-man” concept stretches the flat defender.

Although the “two-man” concept can be run from a variety of formations and personnel groupings, Brian Kelly has frequently used it in short-yardage situations from tight (or compressed) formations. The advantage of using the “two-man” concept from tight formations is that the flat receiver has more room get open and make a move before reaching the sideline.

Let’s take a look at the offense using the “two-man” concept in last week’s practice.

The offense is lined up in a 2×2 compressed formation. All four receivers are within five yards of the tackles. Justin Brent will run a five-yard stick route while Amir Carlisle will run to the flat. Matthias Farley (highlighted) is the read defender. If he widens, Brent should be open on the stick route; if he stays in, Carlisle should be open in the flat.

Both Farley and safety Eilar Hardy widen and leave Brent open on the stick. But Golson never looks to Brent and forces the ball to Carlisle in the flat. The end result is a completion, but the proper read and better play would have been to throw to Brent.

Conclusion

The “two-man” concept is a simple but effective chain-mover. If you see Notre Dame lined up in a tight formation on third-and-short next season, there’s a good chance you’ll see some version of the “two-man” concept.

The post Spring Practice Review: A Brief Look at the “Two-Man” Concept appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

With Everett Golson back at quarterback for the Fighting Irish, it appears Notre Dame’s offense will shift from the “check it and chuck it” philosophy of the Tommy Rees era to the “call it and haul it” up-tempo philosophy Brian Kelly prefers. By shifting to an up-tempo philosophy, the offense will have to rely less on pre-snap audibles to get out of “bad plays” and rely more on packaged plays to keep defenses honest.

Why use packaged plays?

Packaged plays are two-in-one plays that give the offense a run/pass option. Typically, the quarterback will read a single defender and decide whether to pass or hand-off based on that defender’s movement. If the defender plays the run, the quarterback throws to the area the defender vacated; if he plays the pass, the quarterback hands off to the running back. Packaged plays suit up-tempo offenses because they simplify the quarterback’s reads and essentially provide built-in audibles that don’t require any checks at the line of scrimmage.

The most common packaged plays are bubble screens and stick/draw plays, but the possibilities are endless. Let’s take a look at a few examples of some packaged plays Brian Kelly used in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Y-Stick packaged with a zone run

The Y-Stick is a quick passing concept where the slot or “Y” receiver runs a 5-6 yard hitch while another receiver runs a flat/quick out. This route combination stretches the flat defender horizontally. Although Kelly has been known to package the Y-Stick with draws and counters in the past, he combined the Y-Stick and inside zone play against Rutgers several times.

On this play, the Irish line up in a trips formation with 11 personnel, i.e., one running back, one tight end and three receivers. T.J. Jones, C.J. Prosise and Troy Niklas are lined up to the field. Rutgers is in base 4-3 personnel, and the Scarlet Knights only put five defenders in the box. Notice how the trips formation forces all three linebackers to shift to the field.

The Mike linebacker (circled) is the read defender. If he comes up in run support, Rees will throw to Niklas on the hitch; if he drops, Rees will hand-off to Folston on the inside zone play.

Because the Mike initially takes a drop step, Rees hands off to Folston on the inside zone. The Irish have a blocker for each run defender. Although the Mike eventually recognizes the run, his hesitation allows Folston to pick up seven yards on first down.

WR screen packaged with a zone run

The next play is a variation of the popular bubble screen/zone run combo.

Notre Dame once again lines up with trips to the field and 11 personnel. Rutgers only has five defenders in the box, but the Scarlet Knights have a four-to-three advantage on the perimeter. If the decision to hand-off or throw the screen is determined pre-snap, Rees should give the ball to McDaniel. If this is an in-play decision, Rees will read the Mike (circled) to determine what to do.

The Mike stays put, leaving Notre Dame with a blocker for every run defender. Rees arguably should hand-off regardless of whether he is reading the Mike or simply counting numbers. But rather than hand-off to McDaniel against a five-man box, Rees turns and throws to Daniels in the slot.

Niklas buries his man, and Daniels cuts upfield. With the safety playing deep and Brown occupying the corner, the Mike is isolated one-on-one with Daniels. Daniels ultimately slips past him and picks up the first down.

Packaging a pop pass with an inside zone

Packaging rhythm throws with zone run plays is the latest innovation in packaged plays. While it is not entirely clear whether the following play is a packaged play or a predetermined playaction pass, it illustrates how a run/pass conflict can get a defender out of position.

Notre Dame lines up in a 2×2 spread formation with Troy Niklas as the slot receiver in the boundary. Rutgers has six defenders in the box and a two-high safety look. Rees will read the boundary linebacker (circled).

As McDaniel reaches the mesh point, the boundary linebacker attacks the line of scrimmage. Rees has an easy read and throw to Niklas who gets open between the second and third levels of the defense.

The advantage of packaging pop passes with runs as opposed to packaging the stick is that the quarterback can hit the receiver in stride. If the receiver shakes one defender, it leads to a big play.

Conclusion

These are but a few examples of the types of packaged plays Notre Dame will run next year. With Golson’s mobility, it will be interesting to see if Kelly builds additional reads into these plays to further stress the defense the way teams like Auburn and Oregon do. In any event, the ultimate success or failure of Kelly’s “call it and haul it” philosophy will depend, in part, on Everett Golson’s ability to execute packaged plays.

The post “Call It and Haul It” Offense Will Lead to More Packaged Plays appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Credit: indysportsreport.com

Tommy Rees threw for over 300 yards en route to Notre Dame’s 29-16 win over Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl. Although Rees was not particularly sharp, he took advantage of soft coverage by the maligned Rutgers’ secondary. The game was far from memorable, but it provided several examples of how to beat Cover 4 defenses.

What is Cover 4?

Cover 4 refers to a defensive scheme where the safeties and cornerbacks are each responsible for defending a deep quarter of the field while the linebackers cover the underneath zones. Because the defense is in a 4-deep shell, the corners generally align soft, i.e., line up four or more yards off the line of scrimmage. Below is a diagram of a typical 4-deep/3-under coverage.

Credit: American Football Monthly

• Cornerbacks are responsible the outside quarters of the field.  A corner should initially drop while reading the inside receiver/tight end. If an inside receiver runs a vertical route, the corner has to stay on top of the outside receiver; if the inside receiver does not run vertical, the corner can be aggressive and jump shorter routes to the outside because he should have safety help.
• Safeties are responsible for the middle quarters of the field. A safety will also read the inside receiver/tight end. If an inside receiver stays in to block or runs a shallow or flat route, the safety should double the outside receiver; if the inside receiver pushes vertically, the safety essentially plays man defense.
• The Sam and the Will linebackers play the underneath zones from inside out. They will try to reroute any inside receiver pushing vertically before undercutting any curl or dig route by an outside receiver.
• The Mike linebacker covers the middle of the field. His responsibility is to wall off anything underneath, particularly crossing routes.

Although Cover 4 is often referred to as a prevent defense, it actually allows both safeties to be active in the run game while still giving the offense a two-deep look. With the proper personnel, a defense can be aggressive against the run and minimize the risk of big plays in the passing game (see Pat Narduzzi’s Michigan State defense).

Attacking Cover 4

At the 2013 Notre Dame Coaches Clinic, former offensive coordinator Chuck Martin discussed how the Irish offense attacks Cover 4 defenses. Because Brian Kelly’s passing game has long been predicated on a concept known as  “vertical stems,” the outside receivers frequently run 6-yard hitches, 12-yard stops, 18-yard comebacks or go routes vs Cover 4 corners. The receivers are responsible for reading the defense and choosing which route to run based on the defenders’ movements.

Below are a few examples of Notre Dame attacking Rutgers’ Cover 4 in the Pinstripe Bowl.

The Irish line up in a one back spread formation with T.J. Jones, C.J. Prosise and Troy Niklas to the field and Davaris Daniels to the boundary. Rutgers lines up in a 4-3 with the linebackers shifted to the trips side of Notre Dame’s formation. Notice how both corners are playing soft. The field corner is giving Jones a 10-yard cushion.

All of the receivers push vertically at the snap. Prosise’s seam route holds the safety and forces the corner covering Jones to stay over-the-top. Jones presumably has the option to break off his route based on the corner’s depth. He ultimately pushes to a depth of about 10-12 yards and turns for the ball. Rees throws the ball to Jones’ outside shoulder to minimize the threat of the linebacker undercutting the throw. The result is an easy first down.

This play illustrates how the Irish use vertical stems against Cover 4 to open up the short outside zones. The inside vertical route prevents safety help on the outside and forces the corner to play more conservatively. Rees completed similar passes to Jones, Daniels and Chris Brown for easy 6-12 yard gains all game long.

In this next play, Notre Dame takes a shot downfield using a variation of the double post concept.

The Irish line up in a 2×2 spread formation. Corey Robinson and Troy Niklas line up to the boundary and Will Fuller and C.J. Prosise line up to the field. Rutgers once again is in a 4-3 with soft corners. Like a traditional double post, the goal of this play is to get the field safety to run with the inside receiver and clear an opening for the outside receiver on the deep post in the area vacated by the field safety.

The safety (circled) follows Prosise across the field leaving the middle of the field wide open. Fuller does a nice job of running the cornerback wide before cutting into the void left by the safety. The Irish have the right playcall, Rees makes the right read, but Fuller ultimately does not haul in the pass. Had Rees led Fuller more to the inside, it would have been an easy score because the boundary safety appeared preoccupied with staying on top of Niklas.

Conclusion

The Pinstripe Bowl was certainly not the most entertaining football game this bowl season. Notre Dame left some points on the board, but the offense showed that it could move the ball consistently against a Cover 4 defense. If you see soft corners next time you watch a Notre Dame game, there’s a good chance you’ll see a quick throw to the outside.

The post Pinstripe Bowl Review: Attacking Cover 4 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

via indystar.com

Notre Dame’s offense had its most efficient outing of the year against Navy last week. The Irish amassed 506 total yards and averaged over nine yards per play. With the run game firing on all cylinders, Notre Dame kept Navy’s defense off-balance with some timely bootleg passes to tight ends Ben Koyack and Troy Niklas. If the offense continues using multiple-tight end formations, look for more bootleg passes in the coming weeks.

What are bootleg passes?

Bootleg passes are misdirection plays designed to get the defense flowing one way to stop the run while the quarterback rolls out in the opposite direction. They are constraint plays that force defenses to play honest. The threat of a bootleg can aid the running game by delaying backside pursuit and opening up cutback lanes for running backs. Teams frequently use bootleg passes in the red zone and in short-yardage situations when the defense is packed in and keyed to stop the run.

Bootlegs also perfectly complement a zone running scheme because zone blocking often shifts to the playside. Let’s look at an example of how Notre Dame ran a play-action bootleg off of an outside zone play against Navy.

Notre Dame lines up in a balanced Ace formation with T.J. Jones and Troy Niklas lined up to the field and Ben Koyack and Davaris Daniels to the boundary. Navy is in a compressed 3-4 defense. The offensive line is responsible for blocking the playside defenders and the backside defensive end who is lined up between the right guard and right tackle. The hold-off player, Koyack, must account for the end man on the line of scrimmage (EMLOS) before releasing into the flat.

The play looks like an outside zone run to the field. The linebackers flow to the playside while Koyack seals the EMLOS on the backside. Rees appears to be reading the play from low to high and flips the ball to Koyack before the linebackers can recover. Koyack turns up field for an easy score.

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Conclusion

If Notre Dame continues to run a heavy dose of inside and outside zone plays from two-tight end formations, bootleg passes like the one above should help keep backside defenders from over-playing the run. And while throwing on the run is not one of Tommy Rees’ strengths, bootlegs give him a simple low to high read and do not require him to throw across the field.

The post Complementing Zone Runs with Bootleg Passes appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Via 247 Sports

With two touchdowns in the last three games, Ben Koyack is quietly emerging as a legitimate offensive threat for Notre Dame. While his season stats will not turn many heads, Koyack’s emergence does something more important for the Irish than filling up the stat sheet—it allows the offense to use more multiple tight end formations.

As I have previously written, multiple tight end formations create mismatches that defenses cannot easily counter with changes in personnel or formation. Linebackers are generally too slow to cover tight ends, and defensive backs generally lack the physicality to cover them. As a result, defensive coordinators constantly face a double bind. On one hand, if they use base personnel (e.g., 4-3 or 3-4), the defense is vulnerable to the pass. On the other hand, if they substitute to a nickel package, the defense is vulnerable to the run.

In addition to creating mismatches, using multiple tight ends can disguise the offense’s intention (whether run or pass) and limit the need for substitution. A personnel grouping consisting of one running back, two tight ends and two receivers (12 personnel) could indicate power run just as easily as it could indicate a pass with five eligible receivers. If the tight ends are legitimate blockers and receiving threats, the offense can effectively line up in or motion to just about any formation imaginable.

Let’s look at some examples of the Irish using multiple tight ends against Air Force.

This first play is a good example of how having two tight ends can create mismatches in the passing game.

Notre Dame lines up with tight ends Ben Koyack and Troy Niklas to the boundary and receivers Davaris Daniels and T.J. Jones to the field. Air Force has a single-high safety, which is usually a good indicator that the defense is playing Cover 1 or Cover 3. When facing a single-high safety, the Irish will often use wheel routes like the one Koyack will run on this play.

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The 6-5, 253 lb Koyack ends up isolated against 6-2, 230 lb linebacker Jared Jones. Niklas’ seam route holds the safety and cornerback long enough for Tommy Rees to hit Koyack in the end zone. Air Force has to pick its poison: cover Koyack with two defenders or cover Niklas with two. Either way, the Irish will have a favorable one-on-one matchup for one of the tight ends.

While the first play illustrated how multiple tight ends can create mismatches in the passing game, the next play illustrates how they can aid the power run game.

Notre Dame lines up in a Pistol formation with Koyack and Niklas in-line to the left side. Although Air Force has eight defenders in the box, Rees will motion James Onwualu in tight to control the Sam linebacker and get an extra blocker at the point of attack. With an extra tight end and the backside guard pulling on the Power O, the offense will actually have a numbers advantage to the playside.

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The entire left side of Notre Dame’s line, including Koyack and Niklas, down block and almost push the Falcon defensive line to the far side of the hash mark. Cam McDaniel gets through the hole quickly for a nice gain.

Finally, the video below illustrates how easily a multiple tight end offense can shift from a power formation to a spread formation without changing personnel. Notre Dame opened the second quarter facing a 3rd and 2. With the Irish lining up in the Pistol formation and 12 personnel, the Falcons sub in what appear to be run-stopping defenders. As the new defensive personnel run onto the field, Rees changes the play and empties the backfield.

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The line gives Rees plenty of time to find an open receiver. Jones eventually breaks open down the sideline for a big gain on 3rd and short. The Irish were able to give Air Force a power look and ultimately send five receivers out on patterns. Neither tight end was targeted on this play, but having two tight ends on the field was at least partially responsible for the defense bringing in run-stopping defenders.

Conclusion

Brian Kelly noted that the increased use of two tight ends in recent weeks has resulted in more consistency on offense. If Koyack continues to be a reliable blocker and receiver, look for multiple tight end formations to be a significant part of the offense moving forward.

The post Bringing Back Multiple Tight Ends appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

(via UHND.com)

Mike Denbrock was one of the Irish coaches who spoke at the 2013 Notre Dame Coaches Clinic last spring. During his presentation, he discussed some of Notre Dame’s staple route concepts, including the “Knife” and the “Switch.” Because the Irish had some success with both the Knife and Switch against USC last Saturday, I decided to breakdown a few plays that illustrate these concepts.

What is the Knife?

The Knife is a two-man route concept. The outside receiver runs a 14-yard dig route, while the inside receiver runs a whip route, i.e., he pushes upfield about 6-8 yards and turns to the inside before breaking toward the sideline. The routes work in tandem. The dig often clears the short outside zone so the inside receiver has space to the outside, while the whip can open a passing lane inside for the quarterback to throw to the receiver on the dig.

Troy Niklas’ touchdown is a good example of the Irish attacking the boundary with the Knife.

On 3rd & 5 from the Trojan seven, the Irish line up in a 2X2 spread formation with Niklas and T.J. Jones lined up to the boundary. If you’ve watched many Notre Dame games in recent years, you’ve probably noticed that the coaching staff frequently puts the best receivers to the boundary. They do this because most defenses are field-strength based. The goal is to get a mismatch.

The Trojans line up with five defenders on the line of scrimmage. The safety creeps up to the line and bails shortly before the snap to help in coverage.

Rees does a nice job stepping up in the pocket as the play develops. Jones’ dig route holds the safety and eventually clears the outside for Niklas. The 6-6, 270 lb Niklas ends up isolated on the 6-1, 230 lb Hayes Pullard. Pullard is a good linebacker, but there are few, if any, defenders in the country who can handle Niklas one-on-one in the red zone. Rees puts the ball to the outside which allows Niklas to shield Pullard with his body and make the catch.

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What is the Switch?

The Switch is another two-man route concept that I’ve written about previously. Two receivers cross paths (or switch) before releasing vertically. The outside receiver slants inside before running down the seam, while the inside receiver runs a wheel route down the sideline. Against man coverage, the Switch often creates a pick that can free up one or both receivers. Against zone coverage, the Switch can put deep defenders in a bind by forcing them to choose between covering the seam or the sideline.

Below is an example of the Irish attacking the boundary with the Switch.

Notre Dame lines up in a 2X2 spread formation. This time Niklas and Davaris Daniels are lined up to the boundary. USC counters with a nickel package.

The playfake to Amir Carlisle does little to fool the defense, but cornerback Anthony Brown slips after trying to reroute Daniels and allows Niklas to run by him on the wheel route.

Daniels’ seam route holds the safety and gives Rees plenty of time to hit Niklas down the sideline. Niklas makes an over-the-shoulder catch and gets the Irish into USC territory. Even had Brown not slipped, Rees still could have thrown to Niklas and let him fight for the ball against a defender who is giving up 9″ and 90 lbs.

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Conclusion

The Knife and Switch are both great route concepts. Look for the Irish to continue attacking the boundary with these concepts and use them to take advantage of Troy Niklas’ size and athleticism.

The post USC Review: A Look at the “Knife” and “Switch” Concepts appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

After rushing for nearly 190 yards per game in 2012, Notre Dame is averaging a meager 137 yards per game this season. While there are a number of reasons why the run game has struggled (graduation of key personnel, playing from behind, etc.), it is clear that the Irish miss Everett Golson’s mobility. Defenses are attacking the line of scrimmage with little fear that Tommy Rees will make them pay for over-pursuing the Irish running backs. Although Rees will never be a running threat, Brian Kelly and Chuck Martin should force defenses to account for Rees in the running game by using more packaged plays.

What are Packaged Plays?

Packaged plays consist of a run and a pass combined into a single play. The quarterback reads one defender and determines whether to pass or hand-off based on that defender’s movement. If the defender plays the run, the quarterback throws; if the he plays the pass, the quarterback hands off to the running back.

The most commonly used packaged plays are bubble screens and stick/draw plays, but the possibilities are endless. High-scoring teams like Baylor and Texas A&M are having great success packaging rhythm throws with inside and outside zone plays. Temple showed the Irish first-hand how packaging rhythm throws with inside and outside zone plays can keep a defense off balance. The Owls repeatedly abused Notre Dame’s linebackers by isolating them and forcing them to commit to defending the run or the pass.

Below is an example of Temple packaging an outside zone with a backside slant to the slot receiver.

The Owls line up in a three receiver, one tight end spread formation. The quarterback will read linebacker Dan Fox on this play. If Fox flows toward the run, the quarterback will throw the slant to the slot receiver; if Fox stays home to cover the slant, the quarterback will hand-off to the running back.

While Fox and Jaylon Smith attack the line of scrimmage, the quarterback pulls the ball and hits the slot receiver in stride. The void left by Fox makes for an easy read and ultimately results in a 25-yard gain for the Owls. As you can see in the video, Elijah Shumate compounds Notre Dame’s problems by taking a bad pursuit angle.

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On the next play, Temple packaged an inside zone with a pop pass to the tight end.

The Owls line up in a three receiver, one tight end spread formation, but this time the tight end lines up to the same side as the twin receivers. The inside zone will go to the weak side of the formation. Once again the quarterback will read Fox.

With Fox rotating to cover the tight end immediately after the snap, the quarterback hands off to the running back heading in the opposite direction. The center gets to the second level and blocks Carlo Calabrese which allows the running back to get well into the secondary before being tackled.

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Although the Irish have occasionally used packaged plays this season, below is the only example that I can recall where Notre Dame may have packaged a rhythm throw with a zone run.

On this play, the Irish line up in a 2X2 spread formation. Tight end Troy Niklas is the slot receiver to the boundary. Given Notre Dame’s tendency to use Niklas as a lead blocker on quick screens, it’s not surprising that the outside linebacker lines up directly over over Niklas, while the safety lines up way outside of the hash marks. The middle of the field is wide open. Rees will read the inside linebacker. If the linebacker takes away Niklas on the slant, Rees should hand-off to Amir Carlisle; if the linebacker crashes to stop the run, Rees should have Niklas open.

Niklas immediately gains inside leverage on the outside linebacker. As the inside linebacker rushes, Rees pulls the ball and throws to Niklas. Had Niklas held on to the pass, it would have been a big play. It’s hard to say whether this play was a designed “option” for Rees or a predetermined play-action pass, but it does illustrate how defenses have to respect backside rhythm passes.

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Conclusion

Running more packaged plays will not remedy all the issues with Notre Dame’s run game, but it can open some running lanes for the Irish backs. As you can see from the examples above, packaging rhythm throws with inside and outside zone plays would complement the “check it and chuck it” philosophy that Notre Dame has become too dependent on when defenses key the run.

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