Breaking down Penn State's first touchdown

[PennStateBreakdown]

Hey Guys:
I'm enjoying doing this, so I'm going to continue to breakdown key plays from each game and explain the schematics behind the plays. If you enjoy them, I would appreciate it if you share them.

The first play I broke down this week was the first touchdown of the game. I plan on breaking down several more plays as the week goes by.

 

[pandaczar12]

Hey Guys:
I'm enjoying doing this, so I'm going to continue to breakdown key plays from each game and explain the schematics behind the plays. If you enjoy them, I would appreciate it if you share them.

The first play I broke down this week was the first touchdown of the game. I plan on breaking down several more plays as the week goes by.

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You're doing great work, thanks!

 

[demlion]

Hey Guys:
I'm enjoying doing this, so I'm going to continue to breakdown key plays from each game and explain the schematics behind the plays. If you enjoy them, I would appreciate it if you share them.

The first play I broke down this week was the first touchdown of the game. I plan on breaking down several more plays as the week goes by.

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nice.

 

[cntblvitsbutter]

Nice breakdown. I think I saw later in the game, they ran the same play where Clifford kept the ball but stopped short of the LOS and threw to the RB, but not sure whether it was a designed play or Clifford was improvising.

 

[Cold Smoke]

Hey Guys:
I'm enjoying doing this, so I'm going to continue to breakdown key plays from each game and explain the schematics behind the plays. If you enjoy them, I would appreciate it if you share them.

The first play I broke down this week was the first touchdown of the game. I plan on breaking down several more plays as the week goes by.

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PSB. You are going to be a great asset for this board. Thanks.

 

[K-Space]

Hey Guys:
I'm enjoying doing this, so I'm going to continue to breakdown key plays from each game and explain the schematics behind the plays. If you enjoy them, I would appreciate it if you share them.

The first play I broke down this week was the first touchdown of the game. I plan on breaking down several more plays as the week goes by.

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Nicely designed play. That MD linebacker was really in a tough spot there. With the space Brown had available I think would have taken it in had Clifford handed off to him. Now take that same formation and think about how many variations you could run off of it - kudos to Rahne and thanks for posting.

 

[j-buff]

Well done enjoyed your review of the play

 

[bdgan]

Hey Guys:
I'm enjoying doing this, so I'm going to continue to breakdown key plays from each game and explain the schematics behind the plays. If you enjoy them, I would appreciate it if you share them.

The first play I broke down this week was the first touchdown of the game. I plan on breaking down several more plays as the week goes by.

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Great block by #74

 

[sluggo72]

Hey Guys:
I'm enjoying doing this, so I'm going to continue to breakdown key plays from each game and explain the schematics behind the plays. If you enjoy them, I would appreciate it if you share them.

The first play I broke down this week was the first touchdown of the game. I plan on breaking down several more plays as the week goes by.

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so what happened this time?


just have to ask

 

[PennStateBreakdown]

In order to keep teams honest, we will eventually see some power stuff to the TE Wing side. Out of that formation it will be the front side power read/inverted veer with Hamler (which I don't love to the short side of the field) or more likely QB (which we saw some of with Trace).

 

[PennStateBreakdown]

The PSU offense - on their very first play of the game - did THREE things on that play that they did not do all game long vs Pitt.

1) They inverted the option (TB outside, QB inside)
2) They optioned the second level defender (blocked the DE, optioned the LB)
and, of course
3) The QB kept

31 R-O plays against Pitt..... they did NONE of those all game.
As soon as that first play happened, one had to think UMd (who, as I mentioned last week, was going to have to hope PSU stayed as one-dimensional as they were against Pittt) had to be pretty concerned. There was no way they had the personnel to defend any level of diversification from the PSU run game.
They did - as one would expect - focus almost entirely on the inside TB zone.... and, actually, shut it down pretty well.


It is interesting to break down the play selection..... and look at every play PSU ran where they did ANY of these things to adjust off of their "base" inside zone R-O.
The results shouldn't surprise anyone.
That - along with the fact that UMd was very No Bueno on Friday - was the difference in the PSU offense from the Pitt game to the UMd game.

Moving forward - the degree to which they mix their options, and how they play-call those options vs specific opponents, will be critical to the success of the offense. IMO.

I agree with you. We've seen a good amount of the inverted veer this season, but the formation and motion really dressed it up.

Not only did they give MD some brand new looks in the run game, but some stuff in the pass game that i havent seen them do yet. Just trying to get some good clips/camera angles of the pass stuff.

 

[rohrmd9]

Agree with k-space...that play worked so well that even if QB doesn't keep, the RB would have scored.

 

[PennStateBreakdown]

so what happened this time?

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just have to ask

I don't really understand the question. Different formation and no motion. Wasn't against a scrape exchange so the guard had a tough time blocking the DE because the DE wasn't squeezing. In the play you show PSU tries to run it to the field side AND the formation heavy side, against UMD they run it away from the formation strength.

 

[sluggo72]

I don't really understand the question. Different formation and no motion. Wasn't against a scrape exchange so the guard had a tough time blocking the DE because the DE wasn't squeezing. In the play you show PSU tries to run it to the field side AND the formation heavy side, against UMD they run it away from the formation strength.

you agree though, its the same play, just different formation, and vs a different D. So you would think the guy making those adjustments to his play, to make it successful, should be given credit for making those adjustments?

 

[PennStateBreakdown]

you agree though, its the same play, just different formation, and vs a different D. So you would think the guy making those adjustments to his play, to make it successful, should be given credit for making those adjustments?

Definitely the same play. Penn State doesn't have much variation in base play. They run inside zone and all its variations (read, read lead, split, read slip), they pull the guard and run a power/pin and pull variation, and those account for 90% or more of the run game. All the nuance is in the formation and situation.

If you're asking me if the formation and motion was a good play call....absolutely.

 

[sluggo72]

Definitely the same play. Penn State doesn't have much variation in base play. They run inside zone and all its variations (read, read lead, split, read slip), they pull the guard and run a power/pin and pull variation, and those account for 90% or more of the run game. All the nuance is in the formation and situation.

If you're asking me if the formation and motion was a good play call....absolutely.

So RR is not the fool some people think?

 

[Richard the LIONhearted]

This kind of advanced and strategic offensive attack is why we have to give RR the benefit of the doubt. He will need to come up with additional schemes like this and it remains to be seen (duh) how this will work against MSU, IA, M, O$U, but this is a fantastic bit of play calling. I could be wrong, but I don't think PS has shown this play prior to the UMD game.

 

[Woodpecker]

Hey Guys:
I'm enjoying doing this, so I'm going to continue to breakdown key plays from each game and explain the schematics behind the plays. If you enjoy them, I would appreciate it if you share them.

The first play I broke down this week was the first touchdown of the game. I plan on breaking down several more plays as the week goes by.

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Should that safety be running with the motion receiver along with the CB? Or was their some miscommunication on their part?

 

[ChiTownLion]

 

[tboyer]

Thanks, as you suggest, Brown would have beaten the linebacker to the corner with ease. And heck, even if they'd handed the ball to Hamler it might have been successful because they had 3 OL and two big blocking TEs out there. But you can't argue with the read -- the best play is the one where there is no defender in sight.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Looks like the backside LB went with Hamler coming in behind Clifford. Maybe that cornerback was supposed to switch off and stay home and the LB would follow Hamler across. Or if that LB didn't go with Hamler but stayed with the ball he might have had a play on Clifford. One of them screwed up.

 

[sluggo72]

PSB:

Some stuff in here.... that might make for some interesting comparison type views (I seemed to recall a lot of that basic concept vs UMich in 2017.... and there are several just in these highlight clips):

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(Optioning the LBer (#9) with the inverted RO.... for a McSorley TD)

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(The big gainer at the 1:10 mark …. similar concept. McS options the OLB - #9 - and makes the UMich D look foolish)

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(Even the very first clip - the long TD run by Barkley, when he was the "QB".... is the same concept, where they appear to be optioning D Bush, with McSorley playing the TB role.... and we know what happened)

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(Making #9 look silly again, with the same concept in the red zone - hey, if it keeps working, don't stop )

That was a near perfect - IMO - gameplan to attack that 2017 UMich Defense (including the way they abused the nickel corner in pass coverage against Hamilton)



In any event - it was nice to see that concept back in the offense, against a defense that was Uber-vulnerable to it.

small sample but, what do you notice in those 3 that are linked plus the VS MD, vs the OSU play above??

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Outstanding. Liked and subscribed.

 

[rivalion]

Hey Guys:
I'm enjoying doing this, so I'm going to continue to breakdown key plays from each game and explain the schematics behind the plays. If you enjoy them, I would appreciate it if you share them.

The first play I broke down this week was the first touchdown of the game. I plan on breaking down several more plays as the week goes by.

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Thanks, that was very helpful. Please post more breakdowns!

 

[sluggo72]

small sample but, what do you notice in those 3 that are linked plus the VS MD, vs the OSU play above??

what I notice is, the 3 Norm linked n the MD play all go to the 1 receiver side (weak) as opposed to the OSU play went strong. I think the reason it seems to work better weak is because when we bring the OG around, we get them out numbered at the POA especially with the option reads. When the play is run strong, I don’t think you ever get to out number the D. Thoughts
It is a small sample though