• The KillerFrogs

[ "illegitimate Baylor boys" ], divorces, bandits- all you want to about TCU

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frogitaboutit

New Member
HS guy has some good info in an easy to read way:

42 Nickel: http://brophyfootball.blogspot.com/2009/07...rage-front.html

I really like the concept Patterson has with regards to splitting the formation and divorcing the 5-man secondary from the 6 man front.

He makes a great point about the numbers deal;
1, 2, or 3.....to a side and there isn't much you can do outside of that without being a completely [Deleted] set
The 'extra guy' is usually pretty special(physically and mentally), so you can technically do anything you want with him

He can roam around all he wants and create indecision on an actual 2 deep look or 3 deep look depending on his alignment depth.one of the coolest things we've been able to get away with was running a 3 deep 3 under coverage with everyone else, and man up with the Bandit on sensational players......

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You could play C3 principle to 1 side and C2 to 2 side.....I mean, you can really really dumb the whole thing down if you wanted to, and most folks kinda sorta already do this with the double-coverage calls "21" meaning play C2 to twins and C1 to single (lots of programs do this).

My only hesitation is the guys I've typically seen in the secondary have enough things to worry about and while they are FAAAAST, they aren't exceptionally gifted with numbers or football smarts. But I'm sure there is a way to make this idiot-proof. And when looking at this, I have to ask/question how applicable it can be to from the Frosh - Varsity kids. We'll only be as good as the dimmest bulb in the drawer.

I know I've had guys I could easily line up and have them full a variety of roles, but most of them I don't think I could TRUST them to do it consistently.With the HS level (and sub varsity), this is why I've been stuck doing what I do (using role players over a bunch of guys that can do everything).....because I haven't found anything to teach EVERYTHING (deep safety, in-the-box, over-hang-force, man-to-man, 9 tech, etc) to EVERYONE, so we have stuck to teaching certain guys certain things to cut down their orientation (strong / weak looks) to their role/job.


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In college, you can get away with this, because at the very least ALL your players have made significant impact at the HS level.....the same can't be said about every player you have in the HS program (some are just STARTING to play football).

...and it ultimately breaks down to the single common denominator.
Some kids will get "it" and it will be lights-out, while others will get frustrated and confused and get in the way. How complicated do we NEED to be? That is the burden of leadership, juggling the economics of cognitive development with the entire defense.
You can have some kids who can run with a 5-spoke, interchangeable secondary.....but then you have their replacements (or 2 of your starters) that retard the rest of the group. And when (I) add it all up, when all we see is maybe wing-t, pro-i powers, air raid.....is there really a NEED to be that multiple when we won't be facing a whole lot of different pass concepts?
"Coach, why don't I see any playing time?"[because we can't run the package with YOU in there]
Kid may be able to run the base package, but short-circuits dealing with motions or shifts.....Kid gets frustrated, never gets to play, and when you boil it all down, is it really worth it?
Running a bunch of different coverages is one thing (not difficult), giving them multiple jobs is another. Getting them to be self-sufficient in that environment (numbers will dictate their 1/2 coverage) is quite another. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against it, I just want to be able to comfortably justify the expense. It sure would be hell on the offense.

They are only going to see nub, split, twins, or some version of trips so what they do is dependent on what they are faced with.
That is why we are in C3 (the garbage defense) a lot.Point being, we all can draw up stuff and get our rocks off coming up with new formulas (we ALL do it) for inciting diarrhea in the opposing coordinators.....the bottom line comes down to this 'defense' may have 9000+ hit points against Pro formation, it turns into spoiled milk against an empty set. It boils down to the amount of risk/liability we are all comfortable with. If you can bang away in C0 or 9 man fronts or 3 man fronts or whatever, and you certainly SHOULD if you don't believe the opponent will find your Achille's Heel, because if he does, you have defeated the very purpose your kids are on the field.

The TCU playbook;http://www.scribd.com/doc/17482670/TCU-Horned-Frog-Defense-57-Pages-1
 
F

frogitaboutit

New Member
TCU Nickel: http://brophyfootball.blogspot.com/2009/07...e-concepts.html

TCU Nickel Blitz & Coverage Concepts

As an addendum to the AFCA article post about TCU's 'divorced front & coverage' earlier in the week ( http://brophyfootball.blogspot.com/2009/07/tcus-42-nickel-coverage-front.html ), I am going to offer what I know about their blitz concepts and how it correlates to the coverages they run out of them.

Their calls are meant to tell all 11 guys what to do and not just effect individuals or groups of players. TCU signals in all their calls with wristbands that all players wear. This makes their rather verbose terminology more efficient in communicating and eliminates the need for signalling.

There are three distinctly different front blitz concepts utilized


BULLETS - linebackers (Mike / Sam) blitzes
SMOKES - Safeties (Strong/Weak) edge blitzes
DOGS - Safeties & linebacker blitzes Their calls are always determined by how they set the front. Their front will be determined by their call, made by either the offensive formation formation (tight/split) or by hash (field/boundary)

Their basic 4 man fronts are TITE (7 & 3 strong / 5 & 1 weak)
or the traditional G (7 & 3 strong / 5 & 2i weak)


[SIZE=24pt]BULLETS
[/SIZE]The first example would be;
TITE BULLETS "A"
LBs align by front with 7 / 3 strong and 1/5 weak, with the Mike backer in the bubble.
"Bullets A" tells the backers to run through A gaps. These are essentially run blitzes. This is just an exchange stunt for run-thrus, not a traditional wanton-abandon blitz, just an aggressive run-thru gap exchange.


Another example is;
TITE TORO BULLETS OKIE
Toro tells the NT to cross the face of the center
"Okie" tells the backers to blitz opposite of the center, away from the callside. This puts the Mike in the B gap, and the Sam crossing the face of the center to fill backside A gap. He becomes the rat and reads run first.


The last type of BULLET blitz is;
MO/SOW
Mike Outside
Sam Outside


TITE TAKE BULLETS MO
Mike loops outside to the edge, the defensive end stunts down inside (TAKE) to B gap.
Sam in the strong A bubble


[SIZE=36pt]SMOKES
[/SIZE]Smokes are outside safeties blitzing from outside the box. As a general rule in TCU's defense the FS will never blitz.


Smokes can be defined just like the front, depending on what kind of pressure is needed.
SMOKE WIDE (from the field), SHORT SMOKE (from the boundary), DOUBLE SMOKE (both safeties blitzing).

Another way to define the smoke is based on formation strength. THUNDER/LIGHTENING (rather than by hash) determines which safety will blitz (strong or weak safety).
"T"hunder to TE (strength)
"L"ightening away from TE


With SMOKE, the end will need to know if he has additional edge pressure with him. It is the safety's responsibility to make a 'FIRE' call to alert the end that he is coming off the edge. If the end receives a high-hat pass read, he now has a free (2-way) rush. The purpose is not to have one guy (Offensive Tackle) blocking two guys coming off the edge (DE/S)

Additionally, on a SMOKE call, a safety can make a "LION" call to alert the end that he is going inside the rush lane, so that the DE should continue on a wide rush.
For option rules; Safety is pitch on SMOKE, End is pitch on LION


[SIZE=24pt]DOG
[/SIZE]Dog blitzes involve both the linebacker & Safety from the same side. These are generally called
"T Dog" /"S Dog" to generally coordinate with field / boundary (short side) calls

As an example;
FIELD AIM WIDE DOG B
"AIM" front angle away from call
Wide Dog B = Sam & Safety from the wide side are blitzing (with Sam in B gap)
Safety from edge
Sam to outside
T to A
Nose to N
E to B

TITE TWIST T DOG A
T & N twist
Sam to B
E to C
S to D (outside)


MOB
MOB is an 8 man pressure, with all safeties and linebackers blitzing. When facing a TE in MOB, a "COP" call is made to alert the callside end to play man-to-man on the Tight End. The "COP" alert allows the FS to remain free, while not requiring a safety or backer to check out of the blitz.
In all of TCU's coverage concepts;
  • The Corners will always have the 1st receiver, and they will trade based on where true X & Z receiver types align.
  • The Safeties always have 2nd receiver (as long as #2 is outside the tackles).
  • The FS is always free, so long as there is no 3rd receiver outside the box.
To keep the linebackers together (and not displacing their alignment), they will "fiddle" on 2 backs (take first back to flow their way with opposite backer defaulting to the other back) and banjo any 1 back look (linebacker to flow will take the back man-to-man, while the other linebacker is the rat in the hole).

With TCU's 6 man front shell, they will never have the LBs leave the box. They will adjust to formations with their safeties.

If #2 weak walks into the box, then both LBs have a back and the WS becomes deep 1/2 player.
C0 corners are 1x7 and play loose, reading 3 step, then hard focus turn onto WR.
Trade corners.

Against trips looks, the outside corner will always play in a press/bail technique, while the inside defender will play loose / off.
TCU's coverage concept allows 2 coverage players free at all times, not unlike the old "11 Robber" used in the 90's by Charlie McBride at Nebraska.

In the following game scenarios, we will take a look at these principles in practice versus various formations and attacks.

Here versus an even formation out of double-tights. TCU presents a 2-high MOFO shell, but it actually becomes Cover 1, with strong and weak safeties accounting for the Tight Ends, and one linebacker blitzing.


 
F

frogitaboutit

New Member
Continued:

Here is a trips looks (Kings/Trey) with a TE. Again, the same 2-high MOFO coverage shell is presented, but at the snap, the field safety is on a SMOKE, so the FS (the guy on the right hash) immediately opens to the 3rd receiver (Tight End). The spacing concept ISU was running here gets eaten up and the hesitation causes the quarterback to take an immediate sack.

5.jpg






And finally a doubles-to-2-back attack, common with spread option teams. A 1-back look motions into a 2-back formation, but the "AIM OKIE" call actually puts TCU in position to pick up the triple-option threat and stuff this run for a loss. The Mike on the Okie stunt loops outside to take the 2nd back, with the backside Sam stacking the A gap controlling the dive back.



 

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