As has been the case this season, the third quarter saw some real action for Louisville. Unfortunately, NC State also made some big plays to keep their lead. I dug a bit deeper than normal into the zone coverages that have been a mess for the Louisville secondary. I’m far from an expert, but I did my best to explain.
We’re back again with another blown coverage by the Louisville secondary. I’m fairly certain that the issue causing these guys fits is simply motion. No one ever reacts to guys going
in motion. On this play, Ben Perry actually does react, but TJ Banks doesn’t. They are switching responsibilities on this play, but Banks fails to do so. You can see Perry pointing and probably screaming as he runs to the ball.
As always, I’m not in the huddle or meeting rooms, but I believe Perry would be blitzing, setting the edge, or taking anything that leaks out of the backfield on this call if there is no motion. It’s a two-by-two because there are two tight ends to the bottom of the screen. He doesn’t really have a role on this play, which is why he is tight to the line. As the motion comes his way, he backs up and then stays on the hash with his drop. He is responsible for the curl zone on this play because of the motion.
Banks is now responsible for the outside flat because it is now three-by-one or “trips” to their side of the field. The corner is responsible for the deep third to that side (anything deep outside the hash). Perry has the curl (or getting depth if the inside threat goes vertical). Banks now has all of the open space CJ Bailey has to throw this ball.
Every blown coverage in this game featured motion by the offense. Something to watch for going forward.
Per PFF, Clev Lubin, Tyler Thompson, and AJ Green are racking up pressures this year, even though they haven’t gotten home much. The issue has been that no one is covering well enough to force quarterbacks to move through their progressions. Admittedly, the pass rushers have also struggled to get quarterbacks down at times, which has led to scrambles for first downs as well, but more often than not, quarterbacks are able to get rid of the ball quickly.
On this play, the pressure matches the coverage as Bailey is forced to look to his second option. Lubin whips the right tackle with a power rush followed by a rip down to get the sack.
TJ Banks had a very rough day in coverage, and I think it is because he is not accustomed to playing in zone coverage schemes. On this play, he fails to recognize the route concept, so he also fails to carry the receiver that runs by him. Playing zone is all about knowing where the threats to your area are. There are four routes on this play, with two of them going wide of the hash on the bottom of the screen.
The only threat to Banks is the guy running past him, so he should travel with him. There is a defender to his right, which should give him comfort that no one is going to sneak into his zone. You just want to scream, “It’ll be fine! Just let it go!”
Watch the corner at the top of the screen bail once there is no threat to his area. The edge player at the bottom of the play initially gets to the flat before flipping his hips to carry the tight end down the field. Assess the threats and adjust. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is something Banks has to learn to understand.
I have no clue what coverage this is. It’s an all-out blitz look, but two players drop out late. Brycen Scott looks to be in man coverage on the receiver who catches this touchdown, but he is a solid five yards behind him with the ball in the air. Tayon Holloway is possibly in soft man coverage, but he’s chasing this ball down as if he were in a deep zone coverage. There is no safety in the middle of the field, which says Cover 0.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Tre Richardson showed the full bag on Saturday, with this play being the main highlight. Richardson is known for his speed, but it has been a pleasant surprise to see him be so powerful with the ball in his hands. He does so well to run through arm tackles, and he showed on Saturday that he has the ability to make people miss as well. I’d love to see them get him more touches on handoffs as the season goes on.
This play was also made by really good blocking by the receivers. Jaleel Skinner immediately turns into a blocker after the catch to provide a path to cut across the field. Then you have Treyshun Hurry screening one player before looking for a block at the goal line. The little things matter.
One solitary offensive player went after this ball. Just one. Everyone else just watched a bouncing ball as if they were waiting to down a punt. It’s also worth noting that this is a two-man route with max protection, and Kienholz has three players around him when he goes to throw this ball. The entire clip is embarrassing.
I’d run through a wall for this dude.
