- Sep 8, 2014
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This is a pretty good write up w/ film/footage a few of the running & passing plays vs. LSU.
I just gotta ask: how did we only gain 12 yards vs. Arkansas? They are the worst rushing defense in the SEC!!
https://www.seccountry.com/lsu/film-room-floridas-offensive-line-impressive-in-lsu-win
Film Room: Florida’s offensive line impressive in LSU win
Florida’s defense will rightly get the bulk of the credit for a gritty win in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
But don’t ignore the Gators’ offensive line, which put in as good performance as it has this year, taking the battle to LSU’s exceptional defensive front.
“We played with a purpose, played the way we needed to play, and it wasn’t pretty,” Florida coach Jim McElwain said in his postgame press conference.
It didn’t need to be.
Against Dave Aranda’a multiple 3-4 defense, the Gators were overmatched physically. Aranda’s two-gap system demands its three down lineman to clog lanes, occupies offensive linemen and allows its linebackers to go to work, thundering downhill, shooting gaps and covering sideline to sideline unblocked.
That style, coupled with exceptional athletes at linebacker, makes it difficult for a team to run laterally on the Tigers. They almost demand that a team runs directly at them.
“I thought we put a dent in those guys,” McElwain said after the 16-10 upset win.
Although the group was beat up, missing two starters — Cam Dillard and Antonio Riles, along with two others playing through ankle injuries, David Sharpe and Tyler Jordan — the Gators were able to generate some push in the run game.
Florida’s line has disappointed for most of the year. For as big and athletic as the Gators’ linemen are (with improved depth from a year ago), they’ve struggled to consistently create a push in the running game, even when facing much inferior opponents.
However, the interior of the line, featuring third-string center TJ McCoy, took it right at the LSU.
“I think we’ve started to play aggressive up front and finish,” McElwain said during his Monday media availability.
Early in the game on fourth-and-short, McElwain opted to run directly behind his freshman center. Like all short-yardage situations, it’s about firing off the ball with aggression and playing with low pads. The left side of the line was able to collapse the line and open a big enough lane for running back Jordan Scarlett to extend the early drive.
Each member of the interior was able to play with a good pad level and overpower a down lineman at the point of attack, with two double-teams walling off the inside.
Those combination blocks were key, winning at the first level, then climbing onto a linebacker, helping turn a two- or three-yard gain into a five- or six-yard one. McCoy again was at his best working with each guard, sealing off the inside and allowing each guard to climb.
Here, backed up in their own end zone, they were able to convert on an invaluable short-yardage situation.
Like the previous play, it’s a straight inside handoff, using zone blocking and a series of combination blocks. At the snap, the Gators win the line of scrimmage, walling off all three LSU down linemen with three double-teams and sticking an edge rusher with another double-team.
From there, McCoy and tight end C’yontai Lewis were able to get just enough on the two LSU linebackers thundering downhill to give Scarlett room to pick up a first down.
On a zone run, the decision-making is put into the hands of the running back, who is tasked with finding daylight and hitting it rather than being required to run to a specific gap. Scarlett followed the McCoy and left guard Martez Ivey double-team, giving the offense some breathing room.
The run game really got going when the Gators started utilizing more gap and movement elements. Ivey played a pivotal role pulling and moving to create a big push along the right side of the line.
Ivey is a very good athlete for someone of his size and does a good job correctly identifying the right defender at the second level.
Here, midway through the second quarter, Florida began to get its concepts rolling but were unable to take advantage. It was a simple gap play with the window dressing of a receiver ghost motion. With the left side of the line down blocking and Ivey pulling around the corner and taking on a linebacker at the point of attack, the running back followed him through the hole.
The O-line did its job. First, the left side of the line was able to flip and turn LSU’s front, opening a big hole for Ivey to pull through.
Ivey moved to the second level and was able to stick onto a linebacker.
Yet, the play resulted in no gain. Scarlett ran to the wrong hole, running into the crowd of bodies rather than following Ivey through the hole.
McElwain, like all good coaches, saw the concept work but the execution fail. So, he came back to it over and over again.
On this first down run, the Gators used a similar concept. Again, they employed similar window dressing as they did with the first run. Each lineman then down blocked, collapsing the left side of the line, and Ivey pulled to the right side.
This time, Ivey pulled right along the formation, rather than running a simple power play in which he displaced the right guard.
Ivey reached the second level and sealed off a linebacker. Importantly, he was able to flip his hips, driving the linebacker toward the sideline rather than just up the field.
Scarlett followed Ivey through the hole and went untouched for 8 yards. He was then able to create another couple of yards after contact. It was quality scheming and good execution.
That run game allowed Florida to control the clock and shorten the game. But when the Gators were eventually forced to throw it, the line held its own against a ferocious LSU pass rush.
LSU’s front ranks 25th in the nation in havoc rate. It does so largely because of sophomore superstar Arden Key.
Aranda uses Key all over the defensive formation, giving offenses fits with their blocking schemes: Where is he and where do they slide the protection? That becomes particularly difficult when you have a freshman making the line calls in just his second game as a starter.
LSU’s defensive coordinator came after the young center in the first half, mentally and physically. Early in the second quarter, he used a split front (two down linemen playing as three techniques and widening the front), with Key lined up directly over McCoy inside.
McCoy couldn’t handle Key, who made an immediate pursuit into the backfield. Scarlett whiffed on his protection (he should have been chipping Key), forcing quarterback Austin Appleby to bail out of the pocket.
Aranda came back with a similar look later in the game. But this time he put a different linebacker directly over McCoy and attempted to confuse the young center by having Key stunt inside of the right defensive end.
McCoy received inside help from right guard Frederick Johnson, who was unable to hand off the inside linebacker and pick up Key.
Florida ended up double-teaming two LSU pass rushers, giving a free lane to its most dangerous player. Key flushed Appleby from the pocket and the quarterback had to throw away the ball.
Despite that protection bust, the line held up fairly well against the different array of pressure packages that Aranda used. Individual matchups were a bigger struggle. Left tackle David Sharpe’s ankle injury clearly hampered his explosiveness and he was routinely beaten out of the blocks by Key, with Key getting to the quarterback unblocked on multiple occasions.
Overall, it was a very impressive performance from a young group that has struggled with injuries and has been called out by its own coach.
“Our offensive line was challenged. It was called out,” McElwain said immediately following the victory.
The group responded, providing its best performance of the season.
I just gotta ask: how did we only gain 12 yards vs. Arkansas? They are the worst rushing defense in the SEC!!
https://www.seccountry.com/lsu/film-room-floridas-offensive-line-impressive-in-lsu-win
Film Room: Florida’s offensive line impressive in LSU win
Florida’s defense will rightly get the bulk of the credit for a gritty win in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
But don’t ignore the Gators’ offensive line, which put in as good performance as it has this year, taking the battle to LSU’s exceptional defensive front.
“We played with a purpose, played the way we needed to play, and it wasn’t pretty,” Florida coach Jim McElwain said in his postgame press conference.
It didn’t need to be.
Against Dave Aranda’a multiple 3-4 defense, the Gators were overmatched physically. Aranda’s two-gap system demands its three down lineman to clog lanes, occupies offensive linemen and allows its linebackers to go to work, thundering downhill, shooting gaps and covering sideline to sideline unblocked.
That style, coupled with exceptional athletes at linebacker, makes it difficult for a team to run laterally on the Tigers. They almost demand that a team runs directly at them.
“I thought we put a dent in those guys,” McElwain said after the 16-10 upset win.
Although the group was beat up, missing two starters — Cam Dillard and Antonio Riles, along with two others playing through ankle injuries, David Sharpe and Tyler Jordan — the Gators were able to generate some push in the run game.
Florida’s line has disappointed for most of the year. For as big and athletic as the Gators’ linemen are (with improved depth from a year ago), they’ve struggled to consistently create a push in the running game, even when facing much inferior opponents.
However, the interior of the line, featuring third-string center TJ McCoy, took it right at the LSU.
“I think we’ve started to play aggressive up front and finish,” McElwain said during his Monday media availability.
Early in the game on fourth-and-short, McElwain opted to run directly behind his freshman center. Like all short-yardage situations, it’s about firing off the ball with aggression and playing with low pads. The left side of the line was able to collapse the line and open a big enough lane for running back Jordan Scarlett to extend the early drive.
Each member of the interior was able to play with a good pad level and overpower a down lineman at the point of attack, with two double-teams walling off the inside.
Those combination blocks were key, winning at the first level, then climbing onto a linebacker, helping turn a two- or three-yard gain into a five- or six-yard one. McCoy again was at his best working with each guard, sealing off the inside and allowing each guard to climb.
Here, backed up in their own end zone, they were able to convert on an invaluable short-yardage situation.
Like the previous play, it’s a straight inside handoff, using zone blocking and a series of combination blocks. At the snap, the Gators win the line of scrimmage, walling off all three LSU down linemen with three double-teams and sticking an edge rusher with another double-team.
From there, McCoy and tight end C’yontai Lewis were able to get just enough on the two LSU linebackers thundering downhill to give Scarlett room to pick up a first down.
On a zone run, the decision-making is put into the hands of the running back, who is tasked with finding daylight and hitting it rather than being required to run to a specific gap. Scarlett followed the McCoy and left guard Martez Ivey double-team, giving the offense some breathing room.
The run game really got going when the Gators started utilizing more gap and movement elements. Ivey played a pivotal role pulling and moving to create a big push along the right side of the line.
Ivey is a very good athlete for someone of his size and does a good job correctly identifying the right defender at the second level.
Here, midway through the second quarter, Florida began to get its concepts rolling but were unable to take advantage. It was a simple gap play with the window dressing of a receiver ghost motion. With the left side of the line down blocking and Ivey pulling around the corner and taking on a linebacker at the point of attack, the running back followed him through the hole.
The O-line did its job. First, the left side of the line was able to flip and turn LSU’s front, opening a big hole for Ivey to pull through.
Ivey moved to the second level and was able to stick onto a linebacker.
Yet, the play resulted in no gain. Scarlett ran to the wrong hole, running into the crowd of bodies rather than following Ivey through the hole.
McElwain, like all good coaches, saw the concept work but the execution fail. So, he came back to it over and over again.
On this first down run, the Gators used a similar concept. Again, they employed similar window dressing as they did with the first run. Each lineman then down blocked, collapsing the left side of the line, and Ivey pulled to the right side.
This time, Ivey pulled right along the formation, rather than running a simple power play in which he displaced the right guard.
Ivey reached the second level and sealed off a linebacker. Importantly, he was able to flip his hips, driving the linebacker toward the sideline rather than just up the field.
Scarlett followed Ivey through the hole and went untouched for 8 yards. He was then able to create another couple of yards after contact. It was quality scheming and good execution.
That run game allowed Florida to control the clock and shorten the game. But when the Gators were eventually forced to throw it, the line held its own against a ferocious LSU pass rush.
LSU’s front ranks 25th in the nation in havoc rate. It does so largely because of sophomore superstar Arden Key.
Aranda uses Key all over the defensive formation, giving offenses fits with their blocking schemes: Where is he and where do they slide the protection? That becomes particularly difficult when you have a freshman making the line calls in just his second game as a starter.
LSU’s defensive coordinator came after the young center in the first half, mentally and physically. Early in the second quarter, he used a split front (two down linemen playing as three techniques and widening the front), with Key lined up directly over McCoy inside.
McCoy couldn’t handle Key, who made an immediate pursuit into the backfield. Scarlett whiffed on his protection (he should have been chipping Key), forcing quarterback Austin Appleby to bail out of the pocket.
Aranda came back with a similar look later in the game. But this time he put a different linebacker directly over McCoy and attempted to confuse the young center by having Key stunt inside of the right defensive end.
McCoy received inside help from right guard Frederick Johnson, who was unable to hand off the inside linebacker and pick up Key.
Florida ended up double-teaming two LSU pass rushers, giving a free lane to its most dangerous player. Key flushed Appleby from the pocket and the quarterback had to throw away the ball.
Despite that protection bust, the line held up fairly well against the different array of pressure packages that Aranda used. Individual matchups were a bigger struggle. Left tackle David Sharpe’s ankle injury clearly hampered his explosiveness and he was routinely beaten out of the blocks by Key, with Key getting to the quarterback unblocked on multiple occasions.
Overall, it was a very impressive performance from a young group that has struggled with injuries and has been called out by its own coach.
“Our offensive line was challenged. It was called out,” McElwain said immediately following the victory.
The group responded, providing its best performance of the season.
