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Sliding the point of attack.


StatTiger

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One of the recent myths heard over and over the past two Auburn games is that Auburn is running into 8-9 men in the box the majority of the time. The majority of Auburn's offensive sets have a 3-WR look which means the most defenders the defense can place in the box before the snap is 8. In reality, Auburn is facing no more than 7 in the box the majority of the time.

Go back to the 2010 season and the Iron Bowl. Gary Danielson made a comment about how Alabama elected to play Auburn's inside QB power play. He pointed out how LSU waited in their lanes, allowing Auburn to move towards them. Alabama elected to attack the gaps, taking away the comfort zones the Auburn OL had previously enjoyed.

Basically we are seeing the same approach by opposing defenses. Opposing defenses are selling out to attack the gaps and are bringing defenders off the edge. They are also rolling a safety down inside the box to give them an extra defender. The common counter is to pass the ball to the spaces vacated by the defense. Another option is to slide or move to the point of attack, once again giving Auburn the advantage in numbers and creating space for the line to block.

The play...

LT-WCPull_zpsdb1809a4.jpg

On this play Auburn has a 1st & goal at the Bulldog 5-yard line. Auburn comes out in an unbalanced line and will pull their guards to move or slide the point of attack to the right side. Note the yellow triangle in frame #1. This will be 5 defenders away from the actual point of attack, once the play goes into motion. La. Tech must maintain backside containment on the possible keep by Jeremy Johnson (QB) and Nick Marshall motioning over the backfield.

Melvin Ray does a great job sealing the MLB inside as Brandon Fulse kicks out the DB. Avery Young and Chad Slade create the actual point of attack on the outside, creating a running lane for Cameron Artis-Payne. CAP has 1 defender to beat, cutting back inside of the defender for an easy score. The Bulldogs basically had every defender in the box but Auburn reduced the numbers by moving the point of attack.

IMO, Malzahn might take a few pages from his 2009 and 2011 playbook to assist the running game. Treat the run-offense as if the quarterback is no longer a run-option on the power plays. The Buck-sweep should be called more often to develop more consistency and confidence in the OL. No matter the play or design, it still comes down to executing their blocks. Not just the OL but the receivers and H-backs as well. For now, taking back the "numbers" game is vital too.

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Sure does take the analysis of "Auburn is struggling to run the football" to an entire new level. GREAT stuff Stat!

+1

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This is great JJ reads the numbers moving to his right and if they bite he fakes the give and pitches to Nick... Nick could throw after the pitch...

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This play is really unfair. If Johnson doesn’t hand it off to Payne, then the backside defense is faced with what amounts to a 235 pound tailback either turning it up field, pitching to the cat quick trailing back or pulling up and throwing a pass.

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This play is really unfair. If Johnson doesn’t hand it off to Payne, then the backside defense is faced with what amounts to a 235 pound tailback either turning it up field, pitching to the cat quick trailing back or pulling up and throwing a pass.

Well, while I certainly get where you're going, the problem with saying it's 'unfair' is that with the flow of blockers going to protect CAP, if JJ pulls it, he's essentially left with a naked bootleg and the option to pitch it. If the play goes the opposite direction, I could see him pulling up to pass, but with no one to protect him I think it'd be difficult to throw against his body should the D hone in on him, and it only takes two defenders staying at home to take away the QB run and the option pitch.

Now, there are plenty of variations that can be run with this personnel grouping, my favorite of which would begin with essentially a zone read, with JJ having a trailing pitch man as well as Marshall coming between them in the other direction to potentially take a reverse handoff and provide him with a run/pass option, but as with all of Malzahn's schemes, if the defense guesses right, we could easily be hung out to dry.

In any case, however, the fact that so many different possibilities must be accounted for on every play is what makes this offense so difficult to defend, especially when the execution is there.

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Great stuff, But the real question is did you send this to Gus?

:laugh: Somehow, I think Gus is a good two to three steps, minimum, ahead of all of us...

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Great stuff, But the real question is did you send this to Gus?

"Hey Coach Malzahn! Look at this great idea for sliding the offensive point of attack that I illustrated with your offense sliding the point of attack. Have you thought about using something like this?" would be an epic fail, yeah?

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Pretty sure lala was kidding.

Pretty sure I know that.

Pretty sure I'd have quoted you if I were directing my post at you.

;)

Gosh, and here I thought maybe we'd figured out something to pass along! :P

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Pretty sure lala was kidding.

Pretty sure I know that.

Pretty sure I'd have quoted you if I were directing my post at you.

;)

Gosh, and here I thought maybe we'd figured out something to pass along! :P

:laugh: Wasn't directing it at you, either, Red.

I just know there are some tone-deaf people around here. You know who you are.

:tease:

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