The Tigers run game looked good against Louisiana Tech, but can the Wildcats defense do a better job? Of course it can!
Ladies and gentlemen, the band debacle (aka The Wabash Cannonball Derailment) has distracted us from Missouri football. I believe this is intentional. Folks, Missouri agitators are directly responsible for the discord being sewn in the K-State fan base, and I believe they’ve been at it for some time. We can’t let them distract us from the goal. Let’s talk about Missouri football.
I watched the Missouri vs La Tech game so you fine folks don’t have to subject yourself to that punishment. I came away both impressed with Missouri’s running game and amused at how poorly Louisiana Tech played the run. I’m not sure what La Tech did in fall camp, but it doesn’t appear run defense was on the agenda.
Missouri Rushing Stats vs La Tech
Missouri let everyone run the football against La Tech, and why not, I could have put up a decent rushing day against them. I don’t expect to see the same CVS receipt rushing box score on Saturday. I’m certain you’ll see Schrader, Peat, Cook, and Burden. You might see also Lovett.
I picked this play because it’s a good representation of what Missouri likes to do with their run game. This play has 3 decisions Sophomore quarterback Brady Cook has to make in a short time period. Despite this being Cook’s 2nd start at quarterback, I was impressed with his decision making in the first game.
Yellow Circle - Backside Guard and Tackle Green Circle - Receiver (Dominic Lovett) Blue Circle - Quarterback (Brady Cook) Purple Circle - Running Back (Nathaniel Peat)
Red Box - Backside Defensive End Black Box - Backside Linebacker
Missouri lines up in the spread on 1st and 10. They will play the vast majority of snaps out of the spread formation. They are technically in 10 personnel (1 RB, 0 TE) but the wide receiver motion (green circle) could also make this 20 personnel (2 RB, 0 TE). They have 1 receiver to the boundary (short side) and 2 receivers to the field (wide side).
La Tech is in their nickel package with 4 down linemen, 2 linebackers, and 5 defensive backs. It will look slightly different because of K-State’s 3-man front, but expect the Wildcat’s to either be in nickle (5 DBs) or dime (6 DBS) most of the game.
Yellow Circle - Backside Guard and Tackle Green Circle - Receiver (Dominic Lovett) Blue Circle - Quarterback (Brady Cook) Purple Circle - Running Back (Nathaniel Peat)
Red Box - Backside Defensive End Black Box - Backside Linebacker
The first option on this play is the OT Counter. This should look familiar to you because K-State ran this to death under Bill Snyder and you still see it on occasion under Coach Klieman.
Missouri uses their right tackle to block down and seal the playside defensive end inside, and they pull both the backside guard and tackle around (yellow circle) and into the playside C-gap (outside of their right tackle). One lineman is responsible for kicking out the playside linebacker, and the other is responsible for leading the running back through the hole and crushing anyone in his path.
The important defender at this moment is the backside defensive end (red box). Missouri pulled the backside of their line, making the backside defensive end the read defender. Brady Cook (blue circle) is looking directly at him. If he commits to chasing the play (black arrow) Cook pulls the ball. If he levels out and holds backside contain (blue arrow) Cook either hands the ball off for the counter, or pulls it and throws it backside to Dominic Lovett (green circle).
It’s clear before the running back makes it to the mesh point that the backside defensive end (red box) is chasing the play instead of maintaining backside contain.
Yellow Circle - Backside Guard and Tackle Green Circle - Receiver (Dominic Lovett) Blue Circle - Quarterback (Brady Cook) Orange Circle - Boundary Wide Receivers
Red Box - Backside Defensive End Black Box - Backside Linebacker Orange Box - Boundary Defensive Backs
This is the point where Cook (blue circle) makes his first decision. The backside defensive end (red box) has abandoned containment. His eyes are on the running back, and his mouth is watering. He smells a tackle for loss. He’s already thinking about which dance he’s going to use to celebrate.
The backside linebacker (black box) is in decent position to provide backside containment, but he’s starting to flow to the frontside as well (I’m assuming he’s keying on the pulling linemen).
The boundary receivers (orange circle) are going out to block the boundary defensive backs (orange box), setting up two different options for Cook (blue circle) on the backside. He can either pull the ball and run, or pull the ball and throw the screen pass to Dominic Lovett (green circle) who is wide open on the backside of the play after going in motion. Notice how he’s behind the quarterback? That’s intentional, and gives this play yet another option.
Yellow Circle - Backside Guard and Tackle Green Circle - Receiver (Dominic Lovett) Blue Circle - Quarterback (Brady Cook) Orange Circle - Boundary Wide Receivers
Red Box - Backside Defensive End Black Box - Backside Linebacker Orange Box - Boundary Defensive Backs
Cook (blue circle) has pulled the ball out of the running back’s stomach and is exploring his options on the backside of the play. The backside defensive end (red box) has latched on to the running back. Cook has eliminated the unblocked player with his read. Now, for all intents and purposes, the running back is blocking the backside defensive end.
Now Cook (blue circle) has to decide if he wants to tuck the ball and run (black arrow) off the backside C-gap, replacing the defensive end, or if he wants to throw (or pitch...blue arrow) the screen to the the motion receiver Dominic Lovett (green circle). The outside screen has the two boundary wide receivers (orange circle) blocking the two boundary defensive backs (orange box). Lovett should be able to pick up some easy yards on this play, if he’s the option.
Cook’s read is the backside linebacker (black box). If he’s sitting in the C-gap, holding backside contain, Cook uses Lovett (green circle). If he follows the front side run (yellow circle), Cook keeps the ball and runs through the C-gap (outside where the backside tackle started). The backside linebacker is chasing the run. The C-gap (purple box, yellow highlighter) is wide open.
*Note: Lovett is behind the quarterback. If he takes the pitch, he can still throw the ball. I’m guessing they have an option to the boundary receiver, built into this play. It would be a called play and not a decision by wide receiver.
Blue Circle - Quarterback (Brady Cook) Orange Circle - Boundary Wide Receivers
Red Box - Backside Defensive End Black Box - Backside Linebacker Orange Box - Boundary Defensive Backs
La Tech has no discipline. The backside defensive end (red box) is still trying to tackle the running back. The backside linebacker (black box) is in hot pursuit of the running back currently being tackled by the defensive end. Cook (blue circle) makes the correct read, tucks the ball, and jogs through the C-gap unopposed.
Blue Circle - Quarterback (Brady Cook) Orange Circle - Boundary Wide Receiver
Orange Box - Boundary Defensive Back
Cook (blue circle) now 3 yards past the line of scrimmage, hasn’t been touched. Only two La Tech players have a shot to tackle him. One of the boundary receivers (orange circle) let his man get inside. The other player who could potentially tackle Cook is the free safety (I neglected to circle him. He’ll be the guy in the blue box on the next slide).
Blue Circle - Quarterback (Brady Cook)
Blue Box - Free Safety
Cook (blue circle) cuts the ball back inside. The backside defensive back (#2) is no longer an issue. The only defender capable of stopping Cook from walking in the end zone is the free safety (blue box). This is not what you want to see if you’re a defensive coordinator. The play design has turned this into a “make an open field tackle or give up a touchdown” scenario.
Blue Box - Quarterback (Brady Cook)
Blue Box - Free Safety
A more elusive quarterback like Adrian Martinez takes this thing to the house. Cook (blue box) is fast running north and south, but doesn’t have the wiggle to beat the safety. He gets taken down for an 8 yard gain on first down. If he steps out of this tackle, it’s probably a touchdown (the boundary receiver would still be blocking the boundary corner if Cook beats the safety).
There are a couple ways to defend this play, and Louisiana Tech does none of them. K-State will have a better game plan. I expect Kanderman to make the reads harder on Cook than La Tech. The 3-man front makes it easier to move players around and give the quarterback different looks. If you can make the QB doubt what he is seeing pre-snap, or if his pre-snap reads don’t match what happens during the play, the read-pass-option (RPO) stops working. Aside from moving players around and having the defensive end either fake the crash and bail to the backside contain, or hesitate, show the backside contain, and then crash, there are a few straight up ways you can defend this running game.
The first option to defend this play is to force them to run it front side. If K-State’s backside defensive end (or potentially the backside SAM linebacker) keeps backside contain, Missouri runs the front side OT Counter. If the RPO game is gutting the Wildcats, it may be in their best interest to take it away from Missouri. If that happens, the front side of the play has to hold up because there is a numerical advantage for Missouri in terms of blocking, They essentially block the backside with the threat of the quarterback run.
Another option is for K-State’s backside end to attack the mesh point. Forget the running back, you know where he’s heading, race him to the mesh point and try to blow up the quarterback. Remember, he’s fair game on this play as a runner. I think fewer teams would run this complicated RPO scheme if the defense decided to blow up the quarterback on every play. Forget everything else, hit the quarterback. If it’s Duke coming off the edge, he might be able to blow this thing up before it gets started or force a bad exchange. The mesh point is the most vulnerable point on this play. If they crash the end, either the backside linebacker or safety has to step up and fill the C-gap. If the end or linebacker crashes, but someone (either the backside linebacker or backside safety) steps up and fills the C-gap, all that’s left is the screen option.
Personally, because of how physical K-State’s defensive backs are, I think forcing the screen is the way to go on this play. I’ll take Boye-Doe and one of the safeties (preferably heat-seeking missile/safety Kobe Savage) against two Missouri receivers all day long. K-State does a great job of rallying to the ball. The defensive backs would get immediate help at the point of attack, which I expect them to win anyway. I don’t think Missouri can beat Kansas State throwing bubble screens.
As I mentioned above, one thing that does concern me with this play is the throw option for the motion receiver. It would take some serious discipline on Missouri’s part to not end up with an ineligible receiver down field but that’s a call that’s often missed. I would not be surprised if they run a post with star freshman Luther Burden from the boundary and hope the front side defensive back loses focus or tries to help out with the run. I’m not sure if Lovett has the arm, or if any other Missouri wide receivers or running backs can throw, but it’s something that K-State needs to keep in the back of their mind.
Missouri’s run game is based around options and quarterback decision making. Brady Cook looked great at home against an undisciplined La Tech defense, but playing Kansas State’s well coached defense on the road is going to be a different beast. The K-State defense needs to speed him up and make him question his reads. They need to hit him early, and hit him often.
This offense wants the defense on it’s heels reacting and not attacking. It challenges the defense both mentally and physically, but I like the experience of the Wildcat defense. If Kansas State stays commitment-sound while remaining aggressive, I like their chances of shutting down the run game. If K-State contains the Missouri run game, they win the game.
I like the Wildcats in this game.
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