Southern Cal Run Defense vs. Stanford

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

(Forgot to actually post this a few days ago)...I didn't get to see the USC-Stanford game - had no idea what had happened until later on that day. But from what I heard, Stanford had run all over the SC defense. So I went back to take a look at how Stanford was able to rack up 325 yards against SC. I tried to compare the SC run defense to what they did against Cal, but Cal rarely ran the ball as they fell behind early and there isn't really any good film of that. The Stanford is the only complete game I've seen this year of SC, but it's the worst I've seen a Pete Carroll-coached defense play.

Stanford didn't really do anything special - the bulk of their running plays were just a simple power play that everyone runs, including us in the Wildcat, and a run play out of shotgun where they pull the backside tackle and lead through in front of the back. Overall, though, it was just basic stuff where USC did indeed just got driven off the ball (that's what I heard although I did not really believe it until I saw it). Two things that really stood out to me was Stanford's brute power on the line, combined with the use of the unbalanced line and substitutions, and SC players getting out-leveraged/taking weird angles/etc. 

Stanford's Power

What Stanford did was just basic smashmouth football - driving SC off the ball, using the unbalanced line to get more blockers at the point of attack, and substituting offensive linemen for tight ends. On a few plays, Stanford had 7 offensive linemen in the game, one TE, and a FB, which explains how they were able to just overpower SC on a few plays.

Count 'em - 7 OL, substituted in as tight ends. #83 is a big fella at TE and is lined up as a wingback. SC has everyone up - 9 on-screen and 2 CBs just off-camera. Stanford runs right, pulling the guard and using the FB to kick out the EMOL - they will have 6 big bodies blocking to the playside. SC actually has 6 men to that side, including the CB off-screen, and they stunt their DT playside as well. However if you watch the video, the 4 OL playside, from the center to the right all get great movement. #6 on the SC defense at LB seems like he does a good job taking on the kickout and holding ground to set the edge, but #54 gets caught up with the TE and is unable to maintain leverage to the outside to force Gerhart to cut back or upfield, and that's where the ball goes. #2, Taylor Mays, gets caught up inside with traffic and can't slide over top to make the play either.

Below are a few more plays. On the first one, watch the 2 DTs - #44 and #91. 91 gets driven off the ball about 5 yards by the TE, #83. #44 gets pushed back about 3 yards and looks like he trips over someone. There is a huge hole since both DTs are out of the play. LB #6 flies over top, takes no the block and seems like he does a good job, but there is no LB inside of him, as #54 has had to take a poor angle underneath the DTs (since they have been driven off the ball) and ends up behind Gerhart, who splits both LBs. On the second play, the DE to the playside also get driven off the ball by #83, the TE, and the ball breaks behind him. Again, one of the LBs who is flowing playside takes a strange angle into the mess of bodies, and there is a big gap between the LBs.

Stanford was able to do this, but I don't think that we are likely to see UCLA flat-out overpowering SC at the line of scrimmage on Saturday. It's not like SC was the only team to get run over by Gerhart and Stanford...I saw the same stuff when we went up to the farm as well, as did the rest of the Pac-10. However, it was really surprised to see it happen to SC. Stanford basically ran their power play almost the entire 4th quarter as they were driving the ball well against SC, including the final two touchdown drives, where they pretty much ran it every play (even for the 2-point conversion attempt). I'm interested to see if we use Moline more on their power play and how it works against SC on Saturday.

SC's Defense

Aside from being out-muscled at times, what really surprised me was how the SC defense was playing the run. When you defend the run, you need to have a player to "force" the run back inside, to set the edge, and other players looking to fill the gaps. Inside, you need players to "spill" the ball outside. Linebacking guru Lou Tepper refers to it as the "swinging gate" - you need gateposts on both sides taking on blocks and a fill player. In football, there should always be one unaccounted defender (the ballcarrier's counterpart). With a QB who just hands off, there should be two unaccounted defenders. So in theory, everyone should be taking on a block except for two players. In reality it doesn't work out this way, as backside corners and some DBs rarely are a threat to make a play. However, you have to understand where your help is - if it's a lead blocker coming at you with a ballcarrier behind him, you have to take on the block in such a way that your help can get to the ballcarrier and make the tackle. That's a basic principle of defense, know where your help is and use it.

On the first clip, Stanford runs their power play. Watch the LBs and corner - the corner sets the edge but everyone else gets caught inside, and there is a huge gap. There is no gate to swing down, no fill player, as they all get pinned inside. The safety flies in over top but he misses the tackle. In the second clip, the LBs fill aggressively, but for some reason #54 just hits the blocker and Gerhart runs right by him, while everyone else is caught inside. On clip three, you see a play from the gun, where #54 has a blocker and the back - he doesn't pick a side, just takes on the block which gives Gerhart a 2-way go. There is a safety, #26, to his right, and had he taken on the block with his right shoulder and forced Gerhart to cut that way the tackle may have been made. Instead you see #26 run across the frame to take out Gerhart's legs 10 yards downfield. On the last clip, SC is out of position, but you see #54 take on a block with his outside shoulder when there is no one outside of him - there is no one to spill the ball to and Gerhart walks into the endzone as all the help is inside. Some of these mistakes are due to Stanford's power and OL, such as guys getting caught inside. But things like taking on blocks with the wrong shoulder, or no shoulder, are mistakes that can be fixed and probably will during the bye week. I didn't see the Oregon game but my guess is that guys were out of position and using poor leverage like during this game. Again, really interesting to see this on a Pete Carroll-coached defense.