🏈 How would you defend Arkansas?

[joeman546]

I have been thinking on this for a few days and realized somethings:

1) Saban's traditional cover 1 scheme is the perfect method of slowing down a big time passer. It frees up linebackers that can either focus on the run or blitz. You have man coverage on the secondary, where i think our corners focus on making plays will be improved. Honestly, its not that our corners are bad, they are infact, great athletes. So most of the ti me id rather not assign zone where they might blow the coverage.

IE: Its much easier to think "get that guy" than "cover that area of the field,:

2) Zone coverage is nice for limiting big plays, but it has two major disadvantages against the Arkansas squad. One is that Ryan Mallet has the arm to beat most coverages, The other is that it would increase mallet's time on the field and would potentially flip the scripts on the ToP battle.

So with that in mind, id set up some ratios of what id like to do on each down.

1st. 50% man coverage, 20% man blitz, 20% zone blitz, 10% zone-e coverage.

2nd. 30% man blitz, 30% man coverage, 30% zone blitz, 10% zone

3rd. Alternate zone and man blitz based on distance 80%, alternate man/zone coverage based on distance 20%

I think going with a plan like that would be the most effective solution.

There is a feeling Saban will have a reluctance to blitz because of the secondary, but i guess people don't quite get how saban gets blitz happy in big games. We will give up a few big plays with my ideas, but i think we will make big ones too.

The only thing that worries me is how Arkansas will use their tightends.

EDita: Now that i see most of the board is using the running game thread to talk gameplans, it would be great if someone moved this over there

 

[ExiledTidefan]

I think i'd cover his receivers as tightly as I could, forcing Mallett to run out of the pocket, and not allowing him to get into a throwing rhythym. He's not a fast runner, and doesn't take a lot to bring him down, despite his size. I want to see him flushed out. The danger here is Arkansas trying to establish a run game, which I fear that they might try to do if they see the passing game not having the gusto they anticipated.

On the video game, I stayed in man coverage, 3-4, almost the entire game, with one d-back dropped back in deep zone. I always had someone there when they tried to go deep. However, the video game showed Arkansas attempting to shift to an ACE running game after a little while of that, so I mitigated it by stunting a LB. Never blitzed with my secondary.

 

[TheChief]

Your honor, the little piggies have an alibi. They were witnessed going "weeee, weeee, weeee," all the way home.

 

[BamaDelta]

This might be a topic for another thread, but do we run the same type defense as UGA? They never seemed to have a safety valve on those Arky TD's. Even on the last play of the game the one guy missed the tackle and that was the ballgame. Just seems that in the Duke and Penn State games we might give up a big catch, but there was always a safety valve back there for support. Is there ever a time in our D that a WR/TE should be all alone like Arky was with UGA? I know the excellent ball fakes by Mallet were part of all that as well. Hope we're watching LOTS of film this week.

 

[bama4life]

Run the ball and keep Mallett off the field.

 

[jdpas29]

the last answer is the best answer. our offense is our best defense in this one. we need to keep their offense on the sidelines. run run run and run some more.

our secondary cannot, imo, play man coverage against arky's receivers very often. we will get smoked. it will be a high pressure day for our safeties which will be called on to stop the big play from making it to the endzone. once arky is closer to the red zone things will get easier for the D. the good thing is, arky has NO running game that i've seen thus far so... they are pretty much one dimensional. we can afford to let the LBs hang back and cover routes and drop into coverage without worrying much about the run.

the only concern i have about that is how easily Duke seemed to seal the corner on the sweep plays. there was nothing but green grass out there most of the time.

 

[JoshB]

This might be a topic for another thread, but do we run the same type defense as UGA? They never seemed to have a safety valve on those Arky TD's. Even on the last play of the game the one guy missed the tackle and that was the ballgame. Just seems that in the Duke and Penn State games we might give up a big catch, but there was always a safety valve back there for support. Is there ever a time in our D that a WR/TE should be all alone like Arky was with UGA? I know the excellent ball fakes by Mallet were part of all that as well. Hope we're watching LOTS of film this week.

I'm not sure if Georgia was in man-press or zone or whatever but with all the missed tackles and bites on play fakes and no safety help im guessing they were in man-to-man and the safety was covering another TE/WR on those plays. UGA runs a 3-4 base defense like we do i think too.

 

[UAgrad93]

I would play alot of man free coverage. To answer your question Delta, we both run 3-4 defenses. The difference is the schemes used and the coverages. Some DCs don't want to take chances so they sit back in zones and get eaten alive ala Georgia. Some are more risk takers and will blitz. We like to blitz and therefore will take some risks.

 

[BamaDelta]

I would play alot of man free coverage. To answer your question Delta, we both run 3-4 defenses. The difference is the schemes used and the coverages. Some DCs don't want to take chances so they sit back in zones and get eaten alive ala Georgia. Some are more risk takers and will blitz. We like to blitz and therefore will take some risks.

What position is the "safety valve" I'm referring to? Would that be the safety or corner? Our guys just never seem to be on an island like UGA's did.

 

[BamaDelta]

the only concern i have about that is how easily Duke seemed to seal the corner on the sweep plays. there was nothing but green grass out there most of the time.

I'm showing my lack of knowledge here, but are you talking about those passes down the middle? The ones that were dropped by their WR's much of the time?

 

[UAgrad93]

Your safety or safeties, are your guys that are playing "free" in the man free concept.You can call it what you like. When I coached, we had our "cover 3" was a 3 deep zone, "cover 2" was 2 deep zone, "cover 2 china" was a 2 deep safeties with man underneath, etc. You also get "cover 0, cover 4, or cover 1". These all have something to do with either a zone or man scheme.LBs are covering backs in the flat if they are locked up man to man to cover a back out. I hope that helps you Delta.

 

[doemasters]

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[Argo]

Run the ball and keep Mallett off the field.

Ditto. Slow and deliberate drives that result in points.

 

[RollTideRandy]

If they pass, I would try to tackle the quarterback before he has time to pass it. If he does get the pass off, I would have my defense intercept it.

If they run, I have my defense tackle the running back as quickly as possible, hopefully before he had a chance to gain any yards.

 

[JoshB]

What position is the "safety valve" I'm referring to? Would that be the safety or corner? Our guys just never seem to be on an island like UGA's did.

Your 'safety valves' would be either one (or both) of your Safeties (Lester or Baron).

I'm showing my lack of knowledge here, but are you talking about those passes down the middle? The ones that were dropped by their WR's much of the time?

he was talking about on runs that bounce to the outside or sweep plays were Duke's O-Line was able to seal off the edge (take away the Defensive Ends and Linebackers on that side) to give the runner a lane.

 

[JoshB]

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He was right about the 1st and 3rd clips, but that 2nd one where Dre got the pick was a HORRIBLE attempt at saying the DBs got beat. Both players were covered, Dre ran the pass route better than the WR and he claimed that there was a "buffet of options" that were open on the play. Not even close.

 

[LBS]

When Ryan Mallet gets off the bus, hit him in the mouth.
When they flip the coin, hit him again.
When he breaks the huddle, yep.
At half time, find his Girlfriend in the stands and have your girlfriend hit her in the mouth.
As his mom watches the game at home, have FTD deliver flowers...and hit her in the mouth with them.
Make an appointment with the team dentist for Monday, so that we are there to hit him and his dentist in the mouth.

I'm thinking the way to win is to get into Mallets head.

 

[joeman546]

When Ryan Mallet gets off the bus, hit him in the mouth.
When they flip the coin, hit him again.
When he breaks the huddle, yep.
At half time, find his Girlfriend in the stands and have your girlfriend hit her in the mouth.
As his mom watches the game at home, have FTD deliver flowers...and hit her in the mouth with them.
Make an appointment with the team dentist for Monday, so that we are there to hit him and his dentist in the mouth.

I'm thinking the way to win is to get into Mallets head.

Actually, the psychological battle is a key part when dealing with a power arm qb.

The reason i suggest alot of man(or aman underneath may be better, since i mean like cover 1s and the like) is that first, it makes way for alot of pressure. the thought here is not getting a sack, but making him get the ball out wuickly thereby increasing chances of mistakes. it also happens we will end up hitting him in the nouth some

im thinking our dbs will be beat some whether we play zone or man anyway tbh zone increasing the odds it wont be a huge play, but it keeps mallett and our d on the field more. im just leaning on having a do-or-die approach on most of the plays. im just not keen on the idea of playing safe with zones, because ive seen alot of good qbs torch people if you give them any added time.

not comparing the two, but peyton mannning is one who can torch zones

also im afraid of blowing coverages in hostile enviroments, its easer to blow them than blowing assignments imo

 

[jdpas29]

these guys are smoking more than good pork butt. arkansas is not very good. it's as simple as that.

alabama has weaknesses in the secondary. that is true. but does that amount to enough points to outscore the field day alabama's offense is likely to have with arky's weak D? i don't think so. bama wins by 10-14 pts.

if arkansas had ANY kind of running game, i would reconsider my pick.

 

[KRYMZENTYDE]

LBS stoled my thunder ,but i was thinking during the game.
his way will save us an ejection and a penalty