Welcome back to Coaches Corner where I, Drew, a non-coach, quiz Harrison High School Head Football Coach Kyle Holderfield on something I noticed from the previous game.
One thing that required no football knowledge to notice was Purdue’s inability to keep Ryan Browne upright. After looking mostly competent against Ball State and Southern Illinois, Purdue’s offensive line was put to the test against USC’s talented defensive front, and let’s just be generous and give them a “needs improvement” in terms
of pass blocking.
One of the biggest gripes from a fan base (literally any fan base) is a lack of “adjustments”. That’s understandable. Something in the first half clearly didn’t work, so the fans want to see something different in the second half.
I want to give a shout-out to Purdue offensive coordinator Josh Henson on this play.
He identified a problem in the first half
I can’t block their defensive front with five guys.
Then he came up with a solution
Maybe I can block their defensive front with seven guys.
Protection Issues
Drew
Purdue struggled in pass protection against USC all night. By the end of the game, Ryan Browne had been sacked five times, hit an additional two times, hurried 14 times, and pressured 21 times.
Before we get into the play, how frustrating is it as an offensive coordinator when you can’t keep your quarterback upright? How does that change the way you call a game and coach a game?
Kyle
I mean, yes, absolutely. It limits what you can do in terms of the pass game. You go from 4 or 5 routes per play to a 3 man route combo.
Something like 80% of drives end up with no points if you give up a sack during that series, its an astonishing number and absolutely true. It can completely ruin a game plan and a singular drive.
Max Protect
Key
Blue Circle: USC Pass Rushers
Green Triangle: USC Spy on Ryan Browne
Red Box: Purdue Blockers
Drew
I’m not exactly sure what to call this coach. We’ve got 11 personnel with Mockobee and Burhenn in the ball game and three wide receivers, but Burhenn is essentially lined up as a fullback. Do you consider this 11 or 20 (two running backs, zero tight ends) personnel?
Kyle
I guess since it is Burhenn in there, it is TECHNICALLY 11P, but it is basically 20P with how it is aligned.
Drew
USC’s defense spent a good bit of time milling around, looking lost before the snap on this play to try and hide the pass rush from Browne. They threatened to bring six, but in the end, they only brought a four-man rush after one defender dropped out and another was used as a spy on Browne.
What are you looking for out of your quarterback pre-snap in a situation like this where you think the blitz is coming, but you’re not sure where it’s coming from?
Kyle
At some junction, they have to identify the pressure and set the pass protection to what they believe is happening. USC has a Ryan on staff, and with his NFL experience, they were giving some complex looks and mixing it a ton against an OL that has struggled at times this year. The most important item is for the QB to know who their man is, or the hot man, so that if he blitzes, he can get the ball out of his hand.
Drew
Another technical question for you. It looks like Purdue essentially splits their offensive line with two blocking two to the field, with Burhenn looking for a blitzer, and three blocking two to the boundary, with Mockobee on the lookout for anyone blitzing or leaking through the offensive line.
I know this is Purdue’s Max protect blocking scheme, but is there an official football term for this blocking scheme (not that it’s particularly important)?
Kyle
It looks a man protection to me, based on the eyes of Burhenn who is peaking at the LB.
Drew
From my perspective, the upside of Purdue running max protection is Browne stays upright long enough to deliver a pass.
The downside is that there are only three receivers in the route, and it may not matter if Browne has extra time if the coverage is good.
Do you have any more pros/cons of a blocking scheme like Purdue deployed on this play?
Kyle
Like you said, its great to keep 7 in the box to protect. But you better have some wide receivers that can get open.
Nitro…like Whoa?
Drew
I wasn’t sure what Purdue was going to get out of Nitro Tuggle this season. Reports out of camp were mixed, but this looks like a solid route to me.
Considering it’s third and ten, what do you need out of your receiver for this play to work?
Kyle
Honestly by the still shot it all looks really good. Ball is out his hand, Wide receiver is breaking to the marker and protection is fine.
Anticipation and Ball Placement
Drew
Browne has the ball in the air as soon as Tuggle comes out of his break. It looks like the USC safety (blue triangle) might try to undercut the throw, but as you’ll see in a moment, he has no shot at making the play.
Do you think Browne is throwing it Tuggle on this play, or his he throwing it to the spot on the field he wants Tuggle to go?
Kyle
3rd and 10, he’s definitely throwing to the first down marker to try and keep this drive alive.
Call him UPS?
Drew
I like how Browne puts enough air on the ball to take the undercutting safety out of play but still has enough zip to get it into Tuggle before his outside corner could close the distance.
For my money, the ball placement is perfect as well and lets Nitro get down without taking a hit. Throws like this give me hope for the future.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about this particular throw?
Kyle
It is a great route, Ball placement, and knowing the down+distance.
It shows immediate growth in the passing game and the continued rapport being built with Browne and the new wide receivers.
One Last Question
Has any part of Browne’s game surprised you in a positive way over the first three games?
I know it’s a small sample size, but if you had to list his best attributes as a passer thus far, what would top the list?
Kyle
You can tell he’s still finding his groove, but he has had great pocket awareness, and mobility to avoid some less than stellar protection at times.
Thanks for checking out Coaches Corner, hopefully we get to break down Purdue’s game-winning play against Notre Dame next week.
