Thoughts on Stopping Heupel's Offense

[Volador]

With soooo many options from each offensive alignment, stopping the Vols offense also becomes a bit of a guessing game for the defenses we face. We gonna score lotsa points and kick their azzzzzz's!!

 

[UTK]

The only established way is to have elite Dline and have your DBs hold every play.

 

[BanditVol]

Heupel is often compared to Lincoln Riley.

That worries me, because Big 12 DCs figured him out, and the Pac 12 guys definitely did

 

[SpookyAction]

Coaches have known for 50 years that you can stop a spread offense cold if the DLine and blitzing LBs can crash the line of scrimmage and close all the running lanes.
UGA's plan was Pop Warner football 101. Be stronger and overwhelm the blockers. Genius level coaching not required.

Our WRs have to avoid the jam at the line and get to the third level of the defense.
Every team is going to attempt to smack our guys at the line. We know it is coming. Most couldn't manage it last season. Just UGA and Pitt for 3 quarters did a decent job of it.
Our OLine rose to the challenge against Bama, and UGA's defense just created more havoc in our running lanes. They had guys that could come off blacks better.

RBs getting open for passes faster than the blitz comes to the QB may be a key. We didn't manage much of this against UGA.

 

[1974Vol]

Which on of the analysts picked Heupel's offense to be first.in the nation last year?

UMMM....what is zero Alex?

 

[Orange_Vol1321]

I have heard a few analyst (talking heads) say our team is going to take a step back this year, because in year 3, SEC DC’s will start to figure out Heupel’s offense. From a pure layman’s perspective, it looked to me like Kirby Smart has it figured out. All you need is five cover guys who can match up with the Vol receivers and a nose tackle that can collapse the pocket right up the gut. It also looked like Georgia had some success early in last year’s game bringing a blitzer off the slot receiver. I think Tennessee cleaned that up later in the game, but that’s just my unprofessional opinion.

You may have noticed on most plays our QB’s take a shotgun snap at about a two step drop depth and that’s where they operate from. Again, my layman’s guess is this helps negate rushers coming off the corners because it creates an angle that favors our OT’s. Because our QB’s are so close to the LOS, 3 +/- yards, it does make them vulnerable to a push up the middle but no one but Georgia seemed able to do that with any regularity. It also makes our QB’s vulnerable to an A gap blitz by LB’s but both Small and Wright have been very good at picking those up.

So it would appear from my “casual football fan perspective” the “secret” to stopping CJH’s offense is to have a stable of DB’s that can run and cover at an NFL level, and a nose tackle that can consistently beat double team blocks by our center and guards and collapse the pocket up the middle. There are only two teams in this league currently that have that kind of talent and unfortunately, we play them both every year. The Gators could get back there, maybe LSU is close. I just don’t see anyone else in league that can keep our offense when its clicking from hanging up fiddy.

Strategy wise, hats off to Napier last year for accepting the fact he couldn’t stop us with his defense and decided to just go on 4th down every series to play keep away. If our defense continues to improve there will be more rounds in that Russian Roulette cylinder. I know there are some for real football coaches on here so would appreciate your prospective on stopping Heupel’s offense.

The speed at which the offense runs is where the defense makes mistakes.

 

[MHS Rebel]

Thoughts:
#1, You can try
#2. If not named GA, you can't.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

While staying within his normal basic guidelines, Coach will modify his gameplans to fit a QB with Joe's less run speed but stronger arm. I am guessing this will mix in some sliding pocket to change defenses attack angles while not limiting use of the whole field due to his arm strength. It will also fit his more powerful even if slower run skills on short to medium yardage downs. With an even faster and more powerful RB room, due to the addition of our two FR Seldon and Keith, and our still diverse and FAST Receiver corp, Joe's arm can keep the defenses back a little due to his deep ball abilities, as well as using the arm to hit guys on short and medium routes IF IF IF he can see the windows and really be trouble IF IF IF he can actually anticipate windows and throw them open. TBD of course.

I am HOPING for a calmer and wiser Joe who has taken advantage of opportunities on the sidelines as HH applied his different sets of skills. He may have to ease up a little on the risk/reward standards. Completing his career with zero INTs is probably not in the cards. But he has been the GUY since HH went down and play designs have been for him. His physical skills give him the SHOT at extraordinary heights IF IF IF he has a good mix of all the intangibles. Only the shadow knows AT THIS MOMENT.

 

[KTrain]

I mean if they're making it not so obvious I could see that but they were blatantly holding

Especially, Kelee Ringo he must be related to one of the refs, all kidding aside the crowd noise was IMO the biggest factor. We had 3 jump flags the 1st possession and had to settle for a FG the flags got us behind the sticks. Not to mention it stops the game and is just the opposite of Hypes mode of operation. Then we went to a timed count and it threw HHs timing off . Our WRs had good separation but HH had a below par game because they were in his face. The crowd was fantastic and the MVP IMO. UGA had 25 players taken in the last 2 drafts and a number of free agents that have hooked up with teams. They may reload but there's no Jalen Carter and no 26 yo QB/Coach on the field Stetson played smart ball, except first drive he threw it straight to Jeremy Banks and he dropped it. We have to take those gifts far and few throughout the game. Looking forward to seeing them in Neyland. If Joe is having a Heisman invite worthy year I think we win. The home crowd advantage was definitely there in Sanford last year. If we are undefeated or a 1 loss team coming in to the game the crowd will be amped to the Oklahoma Baker Mayfield level loudest I've ever witnessed. GBO