Two Deep Safety's - Just Run the Ball

If your OP is in response or coordination to what Cole Cubelic has observed, running the ball was *an* option to what MSU was doing, but not the *best* option.

Cubelic said his film study showed that MSU was using two deep safeties on top of bringing up their corners to counter the jet sweep and run blitzing to stop the interior run. In other words, the intermediate pass over the middle was open for almost all of the game.

Yet we never adjusted to it. Why? Because Gus was afraid to ask White to do it? Didn't trust him?

Gus needs to learn to trust his players more. HE is their coach, so supposedly they're being taught to compete at a high level, right? Why doesn't he trust them?

Throw them out there and trust them to do the right thing, dammit. Will that always work out? No, of course not. That's why you have to have depth at positions for Next Guy Up.

Stop being afraid, dammit, Gus. White wasn't afraid out there. Why in the eff were YOU?

Gus isn't afraid he's just stubborn and he thinks his running game will work no matter what. He'll beat it to death before trys to loosen up the defense with some passes.

He's always been that way. He will run zone dive 2 or 3 times in a row until he gets a few yards off it. I think his ego wants to show the other HC that we can run on them even with 10 in the box

quote:

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In other words, the intermediate pass over the middle was open for almost all of the game. Yet we never adjusted to it. Why? Because Gus was afraid to ask White to do it? Didn't trust him?

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Or maybe because we don't have an intermediate passing game. The original Gus offense runs the ball outside + inside so that a team either moves the LBs to the edges & S into run support or they roll safeties to perimeter run defense + LB for 7 in the box. This opens up the downfield over the middle post pattern

When a team can stop our run game and keep 2 deep safeties, we are effectively done on offense. Most teams only have success on this by blitzing off the edge and hoping they can stop the ball carrier or QB before play develops (The Jeremy Pruitt GusBus roadblock)


The natural reaction to intermediate passing I would imagine be something like an inverted cover2 robber type scheme. Still though, there is no way the FS can effectively cover slants.


TL;DR

Teams have clearly started to realize that they can blitz off the edge and stop our run game. By stopping our run game, we don't draw their safeties in opening up the deep pass.

Starting the game throwing intermediate passes is a fools errand as it essentially negates any "priming" of the defense. Unfortunately, Gus/Rhett haven't shown willingness to adapt to in game conditions by throwing intermediate passes since they always are trying to condition defenses to the future play

Baby steps lol. We've been asking to throw it to the rbs for 3 years now

I don't have the answers Everyone innovative offense eventually deals with a reaction/adaptation from the defense to defend against it.

Just pointing out that we appear to be in a schematic pickle. Does Gus think an offense that executes well can overcome the adaptation or will he have to react & adapt to counter back?

I'm kinda just glad we're actually talking about football tbh.

Can anyone change "Bert" to "Gus"?

Nice... will use.

Good discussion

Things I agree with...
Pass to backs work
Zone read to slow to develop
QB has to keep more
Gus has to quit fearing the pick, but who can blame him

We are a power run team and we need to stay ahead of the chains but its what the defense is forcing us to do. Can't be afraid to throw deep on 3 and 2. Somebody has to make a play after a decent play is called??