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Game
Slants
Saturday, September 14, 2013
By Denny O'Brien |
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Virginia Tech uses familiar
blueprint
By
Denny O'Brien
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GREENVILLE � To some degree,
the final result should not have come as a surprise.
If you were in Dowdy-Ficklen
Stadium
the last time Virginia Tech visited,
you witnessed the defensive blueprint for East Carolina�s pass-heavy spread.
Blitzing, man coverage, and clogging the passing lanes were the Hokies�
recipe that day, and it was no different in a 15-10 win Saturday.
And just like that long
afternoon in 2011 � one in which the Pirates managed only 112 offensive
yards � even an inspiring defensive effort wasn�t enough for ECU.
�They blitzed a bunch,�
Pirates Coach Ruffin McNeill said. �More than we�ve seen on film. We�ve got
to adjust to it and get the ball out of there hot when we need to get it out
of there hot.
"But they blitzed more today.
We knew that after the first few series.�
That it caught the Pirates by
surprise is somewhat concerning given the availability of that 2011 film. So
is the fact that the ECU offense regressed as the game progressed, with
yardage totals shrinking by the quarter.
Credit that largely to the
in-game adjustments by Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster, who outfoxed
the ECU staff nearly from start to finish. Outside of the Pirates� opening
touchdown drive, Foster completely dictated the game�s tempo.
But it�s not like Foster
didn�t have some help. During the Pirates' final offensive possession of the
first half, they provided plenty of that.
Pirates quarterback Shane
Carden stumbled untouched to the turf on one run, preventing an extra seven
or eight yards. There was a needless sack on 2nd and two when a straight run
would have sufficed, with a false start that followed.
The end result was an ECU punt
when it appeared the Pirates might take a lead and momentum into the locker
room. It was the type of unforced errors from which it is difficult to
recover against a team with top flight defensive personnel.
Not to mention one with a
seasoned defensive coordinator with a proven potion for ECU's offense.
�The came out a little bit
differently,� Carden said of the Hokies defense in the second half. �They
played a little more man and were blitzing a pretty good amount.
�We started running some
different routes and different checks. Obviously they came out and played us
a little bit differently than we thought they were going to play us.�
Three games into the 2013
season, the ECU offense has taken a concerning turn. Some of it no doubt
should be attributed to an upgrade in competition each week, but at the same
time some holes have been exposed.
For a system that relies so
heavily on the pass, there currently is no threat of a vertical game. The
absence of receiver Jabril Solomon clearly is hurting the Pirates� ability
to go deep and loosen opposing defenses.
That the Pirates have
demonstrated no answer to defensive pressure makes them vulnerable if it
can�t be corrected moving forward. One option might be to introduce more max
protection schemes or utilize a tight end as a safety outlet on third downs.
A heavier dose of screens, the
read option, or even the occasional draw might help, too. Add to that a
stronger commitment to the run and you�ll have some needed variety and
balance.
The reality is, offensive
coordinator Lincoln Riley doesn�t need to change a thing to carve through
ECU�s mostly defenseless Conference USA opponents. The Pirates can be their
one-dimensional Air Raid selves and run most of the league�s defenses into
the ground.
If you haven�t noticed, the
conference doesn�t really have a defensive surplus.
But against higher caliber
competition, it�s clear that the status quo isn�t sufficient.
ECU has two weeks to introduce
some wrinkles for North Carolina.
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09/14/2013 11:05:04 PM |
