SB Nation - Eric Moncur

The State of Oklahoma: OU Travels to Miami

TheElusiveShadow — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

Jacory Harris would like to forget last Saturday.

I've been thinking lately that people should start competitions on accurately predicting the Top 25 before the season, similar to how we do NCAA brackets for the March basketball tournament. As last weekend showed, nobody really knows anything. Texas, Florida, and Alabama cruised, but everyone under them went for a wild ride on a wooden raft. Some survived that ride, and others, well, went under. We'll see if they resurface anytime soon.

One of the teams that went down was the Miami Hurricanes, riding high after two impressive wins over Florida State and Georgia Tech. They were #9 Saturday morning, with some arguing they had the best resume through the first three weeks. By Sunday, they had plummeted to #21 in the Coaches Poll and #17 in the AP. Unlike other ranked teams, they did not lose to an unranked foe, with Virginia Tech coming into the game at #11. However, nobody expected the whipping the Hokies gave them, scoring the first 21 points and ultimately finishing with a 24-point victory. While it is possible for Miami to win the rest of their games, the margin by which they lost probably cost them any chance at a national title. Ouch.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, moved right on up the polls... by resting. They probably watched the carnage on TV and stuck their middle fingers out at all the analysts who made fun of them for falling against BYU. Make no mistake, the Sooners are now very much alive, and winning this weekend at Coral Gables may vault them back into the Top 5 if teams ahead of them falter again. The stakes this game are still high, and may even be higher (arguably) than if both teams came in undefeated. If Oklahoma loses one more, they are done as national title contenders. If Miami drops this one at home, they more or less fall off the radar. With the Horns off this week, this would be a good game on which to focus your attention.

Last Week's Fun

While Oklahoma was chilling, Miami was busy crapping the bed against Virginia Tech. I won't spend much time talking about the game; needless to say, despite their assurances to the contrary, the 'Canes were NOT ready for the weather and let turnovers kill them. In fact, the folks over at Gobbler Country seem to think the rain was the player of the game, so to speak. Of course, it didn't help that the Hokies dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and hammered Miami with Ryan Williams. Oh, and they blocked a punt for a TD, too.

To get an idea what Pouring Rain + Good Pressure does to an offense not prepared for it, let's take a brief look at Miami's high and mighty offense. Before this game, the Hurricanes averaged 465 yards of total offense at 7.27 yards per play. Jacory Harris averaged 328 yards per game at 11.12 yards per attempt, completed 69.5% of his passes including a 20-25 performance against Georgia Tech, and threw for 5 touchdowns to 2 interceptions to earn a passer rating of 184.07. In the pouring rain against V-tech, with his trusty receivers having a bad case of the butterfingers, Harris was an abysmal 9/20 for 150 yards and one interception and a passer rating of 78.4. While Graig Cooper had a decent day running the ball, the 'Canes as a team averaged a terrible 1.74 ypc on the ground after averaging 4.7 against Georgia Tech. Other than their one scoring drive right after halftime, which was the result of a shorter field due to a good kickoff return, Miami was frighteningly bad on offense, gaining an average of 3.5 yards per play as a whole.

Defensively, Miami wasn't that much better. Tyrod Taylor did nothing in the passing game save a 48-yard touchdown, but there was no need for him to; the Hokies ran the ball on Miami, and then ran it again. They piled up 272 yards on 55 carries, and Miami couldn't get a whiff of Ryan Williams at the line of scrimmage and then made things worse by tackling poorly at the second level. It was a sharp difference from their performance against Georgia Tech.

It is difficult to say how much we can take from this. Obviously, everyone has their bad games, and the conditions of the game were not normal. However, I'm not sure how much you can blame getting manhandled at the line of scrimmage on the pouring rain. Maybe it made their jerseys heavier? In any case, Jacory Harris was not good but he didn't get any sort of help from his O-line or his receivers. A very painful day for the 'Canes.

Oklahoma and Miami Key Matchups

And with that, we move on to this week's game, which probably isn't looking nearly as good for Miami as it did a week ago. I'll briefly discuss a few key matchups:

Oklahoma's D-line vs. Miami's O-line

I'll be blunt: If Miami's offensive line plays anything like they did against Virginia Tech, Oklahoma is going to beat them and probably beat them badly. Even given better conditions that will help the passing game, Jacory Harris is going to have a steady diet of Gerald McCoy, Auston English, and Jeremy Beal if that happens again. V-Tech has a good defense, but I would put OU's defensive line over theirs. If OU quickly dominates in this area, Graig Cooper is going to have a rough day and Harris will have an even rougher day.

This unit was identified in the preseason as the weak link to the offense, lacking both experience and depth. Before Saturday, optimism reigned. After Saturday, pessimism "rained" (okay, bad joke). While Virginia Tech only got two sacks, they were on Harris all game. Jake Fox, the senior at left tackle, will have to play well against Oklahoma, and their new guards will have to hold their own against the monster that is Gerald McCoy. Cooper is one of their best players and they have to give him a chance to succeed this week.

Miami's D-line against Oklahoma's O-line

On the flip side, Oklahoma still has questions on their offensive line. They have eliminated some of the mistakes we saw against BYU and changed personnel a bit to try to find a good mix of players. Brody Eldridge, the best center in OU history, moved back to TE while Ben Habern took his spot. Cory Brandon lost his starting job at right tackle with Jarvis Jones sliding over from right guard. To replace Jones at RG, freshman Tyler Evans got the nod. This unit looks improved, but it's hard to judge much from victories over Idaho State and Tulsa. If Miami wants any hope at success, they need to test this line as BYU did.

Miami didn't get any sacks against Virginia Tech, but I don't look too much into that because Taylor only threw nine times. The Hurricanes have some speedy pass rushers that will need to be ready, because Oklahoma will most definitely throw more than that with Bradford or Landry. Still, Oklahoma is not deficient at running the football, and no doubt they saw Virginia Tech's success on the ground against this defense. Miami's defensive line was supposed to be a great strength of this team, and it has not quite lived up to that hype, although to be fair, a couple guys were out against V-Tech. Guys like Allen Bailey and Eric Moncur will need to have big games, among others. Miami has the requisite speed to pass rush; the issue will be in the middle, with an undersized guy in Bailey and a relative disappointment in Marcus Forston, a 2008 Freshman All-American. Forston was not active against V-Tech due to injury, but he did not produce as much as expected the first two games. I am not sure if he will be available against Oklahoma. If not, it doesn't help the situation.

Oklahoma will not run with the same style as Ryan Williams and the Hokies, but with Chris Brown and Demarco Murray, they are capable of doing damage in their own way. Not only that, Oklahoma possesses a much more dangerous passing game, so this line needs to make Landry Jones look like a freshman again or otherwise make Sam Bradford wish he stayed on the bench if he indeed comes back.

Miami's receivers vs. Oklahoma's secondary

Miami's receivers just seem to ooze talent and potential. This unit has speed, size, and big-play capability. Let's take a look at the main guys:

Travis Benjamin: Texas fans, meet Miami's version of D.J. Monroe, except his touches come primarily through the passing game. He stands at 5'10 and weighs a smallish 170 pounds, but boy, he can move it, even rumored to run a sub-4.3 forty. Whether or not you believe that is true, the point is taken: He's got speed and lots of it. The problem, however, is consistency; he was nowhere to be found against Virginia Tech, having zero catches including a drop. He also has not had too much success in the return game. The conditions will be better for him this Saturday, so Miami needs to do a better job finding ways to get the ball in his hands in space.

Aldarius Johnson: Johnson was supposed to be their stud receiver this season and he looks the part, listed as 6'3, 215 pounds and drawing comparisons to some guy named Andre Johnson. Unfortunately, [he pulled his groin against FSU and has been inactive], so right now, he's been a big disappointment, whether or not it's actually his fault. However, if it's time for a breakout game, now is the time to do it.

LaRon Byrd: Another big target who can run downfield, Byrd stands at 6'4 and weighs 215 pounds. He was held without a reception against the Seminoles but he had a big day against Georgia Tech, catching five balls for 83 yards and a score. He had 4 of Harris' 9 completions on Saturday.

Leonard Hankerson: Wait, are these receivers just all the same guy? It looks like it, as Hankerson is also listed at 215 pounds and stands at 6'3. Hankerson brings a lot of experience with him relative to the other receivers, and he is currently leading the team in receiving yards. His ceiling is not as high as the younger guys, but he's dangerous in his own right and provides a bit more consistency.

Dedrick Epps (Tight End): Tired of 6'3-6'4, 215 pounders? Well, here's a 6'4, 250-pound tight end. Epps is a quality player who can both block and catch the ball. He suffered an ACL injury before last year's bowl game and made it back for this season, albeit slightly slowed, but he's had decent production. Considering Oklahoma's troubles against BYU's tight ends, Epps will be a good target to look for.

Verdict: Oklahoma has not seen anything near this receiving corps. Oklahoma's secondary has played well after the BYU game, but even an offensively competent Tulsa has nothing like this. If Oklahoma's defensive line can be held in check, look for big plays from this group against Oklahoma's new safeties and average corners.

Other things to watch for

-Linebacker Sean Spence will need to have a strong game and do a good job of covering and tackling in space for Miami. V-Tech was way too successful on the ground after they cleared the line.

-Oklahoma is hoping that Brandon Caleb continues to step up, but keep an eye on the limited weaponry the Sooners have in the passing game. Miami doesn't have a great secondary, but Oklahoma's receivers aren't all that scary at the moment.

-Special teams. Miami can do some damage in the return game, though they might want to avoid getting another punt blocked.

-Miami has a fast defense, but perhaps an overly aggressive defense. Virginia Tech had success using misdirection plays, so look for OU to do the same.

-And of course, keep an eye on Sam Bradford. If he plays, that will be a big boost for the Sooners, even though Jones has played admirably in his place. Nonetheless, it will be a bit much to expect Bradford to return to form his very first game.

Useless Prediction

Before Miami got walloped by Virginia Tech, I was thinking that the Sooners might be in trouble. Now that Miami's O-line was exposed as the weak link it was thought to be in the beginning of the season, I'm not so sure. The game is at Coral Gables, which helps Miami a lot, but while I can excuse a poor passing day on the rain, I really can't excuse poor O-line play the same way. I like Miami's big receivers against Oklahoma's secondary, but that won't matter much if Jacory Harris can't get a clean look downfield. Harris, at the least, is a somewhat mobile quarterback, but he's not (pre-injury) Robert Griffin or anything.

In addition, the way Virginia Tech dominated the line of scrimmage on offense is concerning. Oklahoma does not have an elite offensive line, but if they have any sort of success on the ground, their more balanced offense can potentially do much more damage than the Hokies did. If Sam Bradford is back, he will still make use of Oklahoma's relatively average group of receivers and move on down the field.

Prediction time: I expect Miami's offensive and defensive lines to play much better, but their O-line will still not be good enough to keep Oklahoma's D-line out of the backfield on crucial plays. Due to this, Oklahoma will generate some turnovers, and they will have enough success running the football to keep the heat off of Bradford (assuming he plays) and put points on the board. Miami will have a few big plays to keep pace, but ultimately, Oklahoma will wear them down. Oklahoma wins a big road game, 31-21.

I obviously would not mind one bit if Miami proves me wrong :).

Poll

Who do you think will win between Oklahoma and Miami?

Oklahoma Sooners

461 votes

Miami Hurricanes

354 votes

815 votes | Poll has closed

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes

Mocking Dan — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:15:35 -0000

More photos » by April L Brown - AP

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• Coming into this week’s games against Alabama, Ryan Mallett was the national leader in pass efficiency. As everyone knows, the Michigan transfer has a dynamite arm. As a freshman with the Wolverines, Mallett sometimes looked tentative in the pocket and strong-armed every pass he threw. Against Georgia, he showed good touch and looked like a future pro. Alabama is easily the best defense he’ll face all year.

• Also worth checking out in the Arkansas/Alabama game will be Tide cornerback Javier Arenas. He's a little small at 5-foot-9, but he's a play maker. He shows great anticipation and is very quick. He plays with a good bit of physicality and can be a terror against the run.

• This is a big week for Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate. A junior, Tate has been overshadowed this season by sophomore Michael Floyd. Now that Floyd is out for the year, Tate has the opportunity to assert himself as a top playmaker, especially against a below-average Purdue defense.

• Miami defensive end Eric Moncur is a great effort player and could give the Virginia Tech offensive line plenty of trouble on the outside. After missing all of last season and the first game of 2009, Moncur has showed great awareness. He was a big reason Miami was able to take of care Georgia Tech. Moncur doesn't have great size at 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, but he makes a lot of plays.

• Taylor Mays might be back this week for Southern California. He began practicing more intensely Thursday. Injured two weeks ago against Ohio State, Mays has to start playing much better to maintain his lofty draft status.

• Penn State senior defensive tackle Jared Odrick really has a chance to cement himself as a top interior prospect this week. He's been disruptive all season, but the Nittany Lions have played marginal competition. Against Iowa, he won't face premier linemen but the Hawkeyes always have technically sound and disciplined players.

• After being suspended the first game of the season, Mississippi State's Anthony Dixon has shown a good burst the past two games. Against Auburn and Vanderbilt, he's combined for 215 yards. Playing LSU this weekend will really test the 235-pound senior's mettle.

• If you're recording the Oklahoma State game, you might want to reconsider what you DVR. Possibly missing this week's game is cornerback Perrish Cox, wide receiver Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter.

• Jerry Hughes has been dominant for TCU, and expect that domination to continue this week against Clemson. It's likely he'll line up against left tackle Chris Hairston who is coming back from a sprained MCL. On the year, Hughes has 16 tackles, 5 1/2 for loss and 4 1/2 sacks. However, those stats have come against Texas State and Virginia. Clemson isn't great competition either, so Hughes' numbers are slightly deceiving.

• This weekend against Stanford, the mental toughness of Washington quarterback Jake Locker could be tested. Coming off the biggest win of his career, it will be interesting to see if Locker is mentally prepared for a Cardinal team that has deceptive toughness and athleticism on its defense.

• Thus far in 2009, Georgia defensive tackle Geno Atkins has been a non-factor. Arizona State doesn't have the best interior blockers, so this could be Atkins' best chance of the year to show his dominance from 2007 before heading into SEC play.

2009 Virginia Tech Football: What to Watch vs. Miami

furrer4heisman — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

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The Team

The Hurricanes have confidence. They're coming off two wins against two very well thought of opponents and they won in impressive fashion. They came from behind to win on the road against a rival and they dominated a team that dominated them last year. They're riding about as high as they will be all season.
Hokie fans have to hope that the Hurricanes are peaking early and that the Hokies are just now beginning to find their stride. The Hokies are coming off an improbable win and will be playing in front of their home fans. If that doesn't give them confidence to match the Hurricanes, nothing will.

Virginia Tech Offense vs. Miami Defense

There are two things the Hokies have to do to stop Miami's offense. The first thing has nothing to do with their defense. Instead, the onus is on the Hokie offense to sustain drives, get rushing yards and keep the Miami offense on the sidelines. The problem is, the Hokies haven't had many sustained drives this season.
Against Alabama and Nebraska, the Hokies have averaged 2.2 yards per carry and 6.0 yards per pass attempt according to CFBStats.com. The Hokies will need better production from running backs not named Ryan Williams and from Tyrod Taylor.
Williams has averaged over five yards per carry against Alabama and Nebraska. He's the Hokies' home run hitter. But for Virginia Tech to sustain drives, someone other than Williams has to be able to churn yards against the Canes.
The Hokies' offensive line also has to keep Tyrod Taylor upright. They improved at that against Nebraska, but still struggle at pass blocking. If Tyrod is able to find the running room he couldn't in the Hokies' first three games, then Tech will have a chance. Tyrod's running ability has to come through in this game against a young Hurricanes defense that hasn't always been able to stop scrambling QBs this year.
For the third time in four games, the Hokies are facing a very strong defensive line. Even without one of its key cogs, Adewale Ojomo, the Canes have an impressive defensive front. Exit Ojomo, enter freshman Olivier Vernon. Miami has the depth the Hokies have been trying to build for years and don't lose a lot from its first to second team.
The Canes' ends disrupted Georgia Tech's because their ends were able to destroy the Jackets' tackles and force a quick pitch from Nesbitt. They were then able to use their speed at linebacker and in the secondary to track down Georgia Tech's backs. What the Hokies have to do is use the Canes' speed against them.
I didn't see misdirection plays and zone-read options the Hokies used against Marshall against Nebraska. I think these are plays that can take advantage of Miami's overpursuit and lead to big yards.
Miami also has a vulnerable secondary. When Tyrod has time, he's capable of exploiting vulnerable secondaries. It's happened against lesser opponents. It can happen against Miami if the Hokies are able to let him make his reads and make decisions.
Of course, Tyrod's throw has to be accurate to take advantage.

Virginia Tech Defense vs. Miami Offense

Miami is good at exploiting the middle of the field through the air. The Hokies' linebackers and safeties have been giving up big plays through the air this year. This could be a lethal combination if Virginia Tech doesn't remedy it before Saturday.
Miami also has two good running backs in Graig Cooper and Javarris James. The Hokies have allowed three 100-yard rushers in three games. Once again, this could be a lethal combination if it isn't remedied by the defensive coaches before Saturday.
The Miami player I'll be watching is sophomore wide receiver LaRon Byrd. He's a smart player who's tall and could have a big game against Tech this Saturday. But the Hurricanes have four receivers who are all capable of having big games.
Aldarius Johnson missed the Georgia Tech game, but had three catches for 48 yards against Florida State. Travis Benjamin is the fastest players on Miami's offense and will present matchup problems for the Hokies against Dorian Porch and Kam Chancellor. Leonard Hankerson is just tall and experienced and playing with a confidence level he didn't have in his first two seasons.
As I mentioned above, there are two ways to stop Whipple's offense. The other way the Hokies can potentially stop Miami's offense is by getting pressure on Jacory Harris. Harris hasn't faced pressure in his first two games. That pressure is going to have to come from a banged up defensive line. Both Jason Worilds and John Graves have been limited in practice this week due to injuries.
Worilds is the most likely Hokie to get to Harris. Not only is he Tech's best defensive lineman, he'll be matched up against Miami's least experienced offensive tackle in Matt Pipho. Nekos Brown will have a much harder time getting around Jason Fox, who is one of the best offensive linemen in the ACC.
Virginia Tech's ability to avoid big plays from the Miami offense will be its biggest challenge. While is obviously susceptible to big plays in the passing game, if I'm Mark Whipple I'd run the ball until Virginia Tech can prove it can stop me.
This will be the most interesting matchup to watch because it's Whipple's desire for a balanced attack against Bud Foster's desire to make teams one-dimensional.

Outcome

I actually think this one could get ugly. The Hurricanes match up well against the Hokies. What they are good at is what Virginia Tech struggles with and what the Hurricanes struggle against is what the Hokies don't do well. It will take pressure on the quarterback, turnovers and exceptional special teams play for Virginia Tech to win this game.

Watch the Box Score For:

Turnovers
Virginia Tech sacks and QB hurries
Miami yards per carry
Tyrod Taylor's completion percentage

Virginia Tech Players to Watch:

5 - Tyrod Taylor, Jr., QB
25 - Josh Oglesby, So., RB
6 - Jason Worilds, Jr., DE
22 - Stephan Virgil, Sr., CB

Miami Players to Watch:

47 - LaRon Byrd, So., WR
65 - Matt Pipho, Sr., RT
94 - Eric Moncur, Sr., DE
6 - Randy Phillips, Sr., SS

Final Score

Miami 31, Virginia Tech 10

'Nole your Enemy- The Miami Hurricanes' Defense

FSUncensored — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:33:09 -0000

We continue our " 'Nole Your Enemy" Series with The Miami Hurricanes. We started with South Florida (Offense, Defense) and continued with BYU's Offense and Defense. Last week we previewed BC's Offense and the Boston College Defense, and UNC's Offense, and Defense.

Last season, Florida State gashed the Hurricane defense, in Miami, for 39 minutes of possession time, 320+ yards rushing, 27 1st downs, and 41 points. It was the first time the 'Noles had scored 40 points in a Non-Duke ACC game in almost three years. To know how good a unit will be this year, we must look at how good they were last year, who they bring back, who they lose, and what new faces could make an impact.

So how good was the Hurricane's defense last season? They were bad. Very bad. Let's look in chart form:

A. MIami was slightly below average by the traditional measure of Total Yards Per Game, which is a terrible statistic greatly distorted by noise and not adjusted for opponent.

B. Miami was dead last in Opponent-Adjusted Defensive Efficiency (ADOE), a great all-encompassing stat developed by Brian Fremeau of FootballOutsiders.com Basically, it looks at what Miami's defense did against their competition, and what all other teams did against those Miami's competition, removes garbage time possessions, and gives an excellent rating of Defensive Performance. Miami was the ACC's worst defense, and finished 65th nationally.

C & D. This is another advanced metric. While AODE is a per-drive measure, S&P+ is an opponent-adjusted (very important) play based measure. Here, Miami finished 73rd in the nation in defensive efficiency. And when you look at the measure for ACC games only, Miami was the 2nd worst ACC defense, ahead of only NC State. It's fairly safe to say that Duke played better defense than Miami in 2008.

So there wasn't much to like about Miami's defense last season. But why were they so bad? Is there reason to believe they will be better this season?

Miami had the ACC's worst run defense.

No matter how you slice it, Miami's run defense was awful last season. Again, this looks best (or worst), in chart form. This is yards allowed per run play (no sacks, since those are pass plays):

That's unlike any Miami defense I've ever seen. In terms of defensive efficiency, their rushing defense was 86th in the nation. 5.0 yards allowed per running play? When looking at Miami's game by game performance, you can see other trends in the running game. Teams which featured some element of quarterback decision making in the run game, be it Georgia Tech's Option, or the Zone-Read of NC State, Florida State, and even Cal, all destroyed Miami. Teams that were more straight ahead did not. Those four teams exposed Miami, rushing for 1264 yards on 175 carries, an average of 7.2 yards per running play. Even removing Georgia Tech, the average is still 6.6 yards allowed per rushing play. Against teams which featured a more pro-style, straight ahead type of rushing attack, their average was 3.1 yards per rushing play. So running the ball while making Miami account for the quarterback as a possible rusher produced double the results that a pro-style attack produced. More on this later. But what of their passing defense?

Miami had the ACC's 3rd worst passing defense.

Miami's pass defense was better than their run defense, but not by much:

53rd Nationally, 3rd worst in the ACC. The ACC featured some seriously good defenses in 2008, but Miami was not one of them. Canes fans will say their pass defense was far better than this, but on a per pass basis, they were 10th in the ACC. It's just that teams ran so much on them they rarely had to pass.

We can talk about how Miami only had 4 interceptions last season, which was dead last in the nation, but it's very likely that Miami's defense struggled to force interceptions because they didn't put their opponents into 2nd and 8+ or 3rd and 5+ situations, where interceptions are likely to occur. There simply isn't much need to throw a risky pass in a 3rd and 2 situation.

What scheme does Miami run?

This is a bit complicated. Miami is on their third defensive coordinator in three years, and Randy Shannon is a defensive head coach (most will argue to his detriment, as his ultra conservative nature hampers his team's chances to win.) Last season, Miami had Bill Young, who is considered a good defensive coordinator, and they ran Randy Shannon's defense. After firing Young, Young quipped "Randy Shannon knows more about defense than I ever will.", which means that Shannon didn't let him runt he defense how he wanted to run it. Shannon is calling the shots here, just as he did last year, and just as he will do this year with puppet defensive coordinator John Lovett. Lovett was fired from Clemson after a few years of middling results, and then went to North Carolina, where he coaches special teams. While there will obviously be some new wrinkle, Shannon will be running this defense again, which means that FSU will see Miami's typical scheme:

NOTE: i wrote this in 2008, and boy did it come true. FSU did exactly what I predicted they would do against Miami's predictable scheme.

Cover-2 Man Under

http://espn.go.com/ncf/columns/davie/1437187.html

Terminology
Why is it called Cover 2

When deciding the terminology of calling coverages, the number of deep zone pass defenders that are deployed will normally determine what a defensive coach calls a defense. In Cover 2 for example, there are two deep safeties that divide the field into halves. If the secondary played Cover 3, three deep defenders would divide the deep responsibility on the field into thirds. If they played Cover 4, four deep defenders divide the deep zone into fourths.Obviously, different teams use different terminology, but the most commonly used is simply identifying how many deep zone defenders are used.

Miami does run Cover Two as their primary defense. Instead of running it as a full-zone look (Tampa-2, from Tony Dungy), however, they adopt a common variation as their base defense (2000 Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins from 1999-2004)

Variations of Cover 2
Man under
is when the defense chooses to play two deep safeties but assign the five underneath defenders to play man-to-man on the offenses five eligible receivers.

The ESPN article talks about the Man-Under being a changeup for teams who run a cover-2 zone. That is true, but Miami uses the Man-Under look as their base defense. Most college teams don't play great Zone defense (though many do run it with some success).

Let's be Play-Station All-Americans!

Image Courtesy of Gamespot.com

Obviously, you should disregard the video game controls. This is a good photo, showing what a Man-Under/ Man-2/ Cover-2 Man/ Cover-2 5 defense looks like. Yes, that is a lot of different names.

How does Miami implement this defense? Miami will often press out of this look. In the above photo, Miami would press the "X" and "B" receiver. They can aggressively press the receiver because they have the deep safeties as a safety net, should they miss. Miami's defensive linemen aggressively attack the line of scrimmage, specifically the ends. Their Defensive Tackles play a bit more gap-responsibility than our guys. The linebackers are responsible for covering the RB's and the TE. Don't be fooled, however, their primary responsibility is the run.

What routes are unavailable or unwise against Miami's Cover-2 Man Under look? Clearly, because of the de facto double team, the outside receivers are usually taken away. Ever wonder why our famous "rainbow offense" failed miserably against Miami? Yes, that's correct. We tried to attack their strength.

Hitches, quick outs, and arrows are definitely out as primary routes because of the press. Deep outs, deep posts, and corners are out as primary routes. We will revisit those in a moment.

What primary routes will work? Assuming Miami plays press, slants, curls, comebacks, the skinny post, and digs should be open.

It's all about route combo's. We need to run pick routes (bubble screens), and route combination's that leave large areas of the field wide open. Remember how the linebackers and underneath defenders (except the 2 outside corners) are concerned with the run first? We must take advantage of that. Interior pass catchers (slot men, tight ends, and running backs) are extremely effective against this defense. Running from the inside to the flats with the interior offensive threats is extremely effective against this defense. It's also a really easy read for Ponder. We haven't thrown to the TE much in the last 15 years, but we need to now more than ever.

If the defense is playing more off-coverage, the bubble screen will be wide open, as it was in 2008 (over 100 yards on bubble screens).

Crossing routes. That's right, crossing routes are going to be important as well. Why? Crossing routes work really well against man coverage because you can lead the receiver by a considerable amount. They are also effective because they cause a lot of traffic and often, a defender can get caught up in that traffic. FSU fans see this often with their own defense. I think Ponder would much prefer to see a primarily man defense, as opposed to a zone defense.

We also have something Miami hasn't seen; something that they don't want to see; something that works really well against a man defense (safeties deep are irrelevant for purposes of this point).

A fast, agile, mobile QB Look at the graphics above. Everyone is accounted for, and the safeties have blanketed deep field. Who has the QB? Nobody. This is a huge weakness for the D. Nobody is assigned to account for Ponder. Miami's defense of Ponder's wheels will be completely reactionary, as opposed to a defense that accounts for him with a spy defender, or a zone defense, where the defenders all have their eyes on him at all times. There will be multiple opportunities for Ponder to run in this game as Miami's underneath defenders turn and run with out receiving options. Note: I don't expect Miami to ignore Ponder this season, after he gained 140+ rushing yards on them last season.

What about pass protection? Pass pro will be extremely important. Typically, teams running cover-2 man under do not blitz.

I am going to say that Miami won't blitz much in this game. Miami will be looking to get pressure with their front 4 defenders. The line is going to have to block these guys. If Miami can get pressure with their front 4 defenders, we are in a lot of trouble.

Ideally, FSU wants to run Miami out of their cover-2 look. Why? Forcing Miami to call stuff that they'd prefer not to run is advantage FSU.

FSU can do this in several ways. The first is consistently shredding the underneath stuff, making Miami impatient.

The second is the running game. Make Miami plays assignment football, use their speed, maintains their gap responsibilities, and pursue inside-out, limiting cutback lanes. Last year, Miami did not do this well at all:

via assets.sbnation.com

So enough about that scheme stuff. Who are Miami's players?

Defensive Line

This is a very talented group. Miami has done a great job recruiting along the defensive line. Phil Steele believes they are the 3rd best defensive line in the country.

At the ends, Miami has Eric Moncur, Marcus Robinson, and Adewale Ojomo. Oh wait, that's right, Ojomo broke his jaw when he was suckerpunched in the shower by another Canes player. That player is supposedly a walk-on, but Eric Moncur (yes, the other defensive end), mysteriously came down with a groin injury that needed special treatment 3000+ Miles away in Philadelphia the very next day. Internet rumors suggest that it was actually Moncur who jacked Ojomo, and not the walk-on, but that the Canes sacrificed the walk-on to avoid answering a hurricane of "team unity" questions. Moncur was going to start at Strongside End, but he is now out with that persistent groin injury (or, if you believe the rumors, secret suspension). Moncur is a pretty good player and will be missed. He is replaced by Steven Wesley, a 6'3" 260lb Junior who actually started 11 games last season (and was not very good, but was not terrible). The 6'1" 245lb Sophomore Robinson will start on the weakside, and while Ojomo wasn't the starter, he figured to see at least 40% of the snaps on the weakside. Not having Ojomo and Moncur cripple the Canes depth here, and present an immediate target for other teams to run at. The backups now are true freshman Olivier Vernon and Sophomore Andrew Smith, both of whom have never started agame (obviously). There's a real possibility Vernon could beat out Wesley, but Shannon isn't saying much right now. In any event, the Canes are now missing about 1.5 defensive end starters. This could seriously hurt them against FSU, and Georgia Tech (next week). Moncur was important for his ability to set the edge against the run. Can the true freshman Vernon do that?

Things are considerably better at defensive tackle, where the Canes have several talented players. The gem lof this group is former 5* recruit Marcus Forston. The 6'2" 308lb sophomore was a freshman All-America a year ago. Fortson is big and quick and is just a very good player. Next to him is a physical freak in Allen Bailey. The former outside linebacker has grown to 6'4" 285lbs and is now a junior. He's probably the most physically impressive player in college football, but it doesn't always show up in his play on the field. He had a torn pectoral last season and only played in a few games, but was very productive.

via assets.sbnation.com

Allen Bailey scares me. He kills alligators with shovels. Really.

Miami's tackle tandem represents a problem for any opposing offense. Another challenging for a starting job is 4* tackle Josh Holmes, a 6'0" 280lb fireplug who is more consistent than Forston, though less talented. Oh, and Miami also has excellent depth at this position. 6'3" 305lb Senior Joe Joseph started 14 games over the course of his career, and would start at most schools. They also have 6'2" 321lb Sophomore Micanor Regis, who is far from refined but another big body the canes can put in there.

This is an excellent defensive line when healthy, and even without Ojomo and Moncur, they are pretty good. One thing the canes might do is to shift Bailey out to defensive end, a position he played previously. They have the depth at defensive tackle to replace Bailey and they need someone to play the run and pass at defensive end. Expect much better play from the tackles who are now healthy and a year older. The ends are anyone's guess, but every team will look to test the replacement.

Linebackers

Miami lost Glenn Cook, who was consistent, but unremarkable. On the outside they have the ACC's Defensive Rookie of the Year, 6'0" 212lb Sean Spence. Spence makes a ton of plays because he is rarely blocked (defensive tackles absorbing the blockers). He is lightning quick and has great football instincts. He is not great at shedding blockers, however, so the key is to run right at him. In the middle, the Canes have 10th year Senior Darryl Sharpton. He's 6'0" 235lbs, and has started 20 games. Sharpton is a decent player, and should be good at recognizing run flow because he has played forever. Their other outside linebacker is the very underrated Colin McCarthy. McCarthy missed last year's FSU game (320 yards rushing allowed), and the 6'3" 235lb outside backer is key to the Cane's defense, particularly because they lost their defensive ends (see above). A backup capable of playing the middle or the outside is 5* recruit Arthur Brown, who started slow a year ago but had a nice fall camp.

Overall, this is a very good linebacker unit. Other than spence, they don't blow you away with their athleticism, but they are veteran, talented, and have a nice football understanding.

Front-7 Size

While Miami isn't afraid to bring the safety down into the box to stop the run, (playing cover-1 or cover-3), they would prefer not to do that, and they rarely have to. And one way they are enable to accomplish this (stopping the run with 7 and not 8 men), is with great size.

We've done a lot of work on this, and you can read out 3-part series "Does Size Matter" here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Here's what you need to know: there were 9 defenses that had a combined front-7 size of more than 1860lbs: Alabama, South Carolina, Boston College, Wake Forest, Southern Cal, North Carolina, Iowa, Cal, and Florida. All of those defenses were elite, all have numerous highly regarded NFL prospects, and all forced a lot of turnovers by stopping the run with their size and forcing teams into 2nd and 8+/ 3rd and 5+ situations. Miami checked in at 1785lbs. That is not so big as to be able to easily stop the run without using a safety. Of course, this puts Miami in a bit of a quandry. Cou can't effectively play cover-2 with 8 in the box. Of course, when your focus as a safety is on the pass and stopping the run is an afterthought, you will play well against the pass. Miami got ran on so much last season that their safeties rarely were able to focus solely on the pass, and thus the low interception totals. There is a much more detailed explanation in the linked articles above.

This year, their front-7 should be among the biggest in the country again, weighing in at 1777lbs, which is slightly smaller than last year, though the difference is likely negligible because of their improved talent level. How does that rate against other defensive fronts FSU played last year?

There are two ways to stop FSU's running game and not get burned by the bubble screen (a pass FSU throws exceptionally well) Essentially, the bubble screen is a tool to make sure that the defense plays 7 in the box and not 8. If the defense cheats and brings extra men against the run, we throw the bubble to keep them honest. :

The first is to have a huge, disciplined front 7, that is difficult to cut block. One that takes good angles and doesn't allow cutbacks. This allows teams to play straight upon the receivers, also maintaining deep coverage. Or...

Play 8 in the box and play zero coverage-press man against each receiver. Virginia Tech did this and they were eventually burned deep. This requires excellent athletes in the secondary, and nobody on FSU's schedule should expect their cornerbacks to cover FSU's 4 and 5* receivers without safety help.

As we'll see in a second, UNC does not have the option to play number two. They have to hope their front-7 can stop the run. What did other front 7's do against FSU's run game?

Boston College 1912lbs,

Wake 1838lbs, 27 rushes for 103 yards. Wake was very big. They were able to play the bubble straight up, which worked very well. They also had 4 seniors on defense drafted in the first 4 rounds.

Florida 1835lbs, 29 rushes for 137 Big and supremely talented, the rushing success came primarily in garbage time.

Miami 1785lbs, 51 rushes, 325 yards. There is a pretty big drop off from UF to Miami (55lbs). Remember here that FSU's rushing success came primarily on reverses and Ponder running, most of which was a result of Miami's idiotic plan to defense FSU's attack. FSU bubbled them to death when they went 8 or 9 in the box.

Georgia Tech 1772lbs (I think they were lighter because of major injuries, correct?). 31 rushes, 228 yards. Remember that GTech was missing 2 key linebackers and a safety. Still, this is a big drop in weight from the 3 schools over 1835lbs.

Virginia Tech 1766lbs, 34 rushes, 123 yards. Poor numbers. Explanation? Yes. VT played 8 in the box and manned up on the wide receivers. If you're puzzled, remember what happened: the only thing open was the deep ball. They saturated the running lanes and pressed FSU's wideouts. Eventually, FSU burned them deep.

Clemson 1760lbs, 34 rushes, 281 yards Light front 7? Check. Depending solely on speed to stop the run? Check. Cutbacks? Check.

NC State 1757lbs, 42 rushes, 162 yards These numbers aren't amazing, but much of this game was us trying to control the clock while battling holding penalties. They also include lost sack yardage (which isn't a run play). Light front 7? Check. Depending solely on speed to stop the run? Check. Cutbacks? Check.

Maryland 1755lbs, 41 rushes, 172 yards Maryland struggled all game in choosing to defend the bubble or the run.

Colorado 1755lbs, 45 rushes, 259 yards The smallest front we played AND they decided to stop the bubble. Running wild was the obvious result.

Bottom Line: if Miami had their starting defensive ends, there's a chance they could sit back and stop most team's run game while playing their preferred cover-2 shell with man coverage underneath. Without them, it's doubtful. Teams should be able to get Miami out of that shell (unless Miami just wants to give up a lot of rushing yards, like a year ago). But this front-7 is more talented than a year ago, and a year older, so they could have some success against the run without involving their safeties.

Secondary

Last year, Miami's secondary took a lot of heat for their performance, some deserved, but some undeserved. Miami's DB's were put in poor situations, and in those situations, they underperformed even the situationally reduced expectations, as they registered only three interceptions (lowest in the country). As discussed above, Bill Young/ Randy Shannon did a poor job calling defenses against the run, and it was obvious that Miami's safeties became pre-occupied with stopping the run, even if their pre-snap alignment didn't indicate that. The corners did not play well last year and lacked awareness.

The veteran leader of this group is the Redshirt Senior Randy Phillips, who seems to have been around since the Chris Rix days. He didn't play much last season, and took a Medical Redshirt. He's a decent run defender, and understands the defense very well, having played in more than 30 career games. Maybe he will play well as a senior, but he hasn't shown much so far and isn't considered an NFL prospect of any note. At Strong Safety is Vaughn Telemaque. The Redshirt freshman. is 6'2" 200 and Hurricane fans feel he is like a mutation of Sean Taylor and Ed Reed. That seems a little premature considering he has yet to start a game. It's safe to say he is athletic and definitely has potential, but he is a redshirt freshman. But in a surprise move, Miami is actually starting JoJo Nicolas, who started 8 games for them last season. He's not a great player, but knows his assignments better than Telemaque, and at the safety position, it's really important to know the plays, as safeties are the last line of defense.

At the Boundary Corner is Brandon Harris. Let's go to the photos

Yeah, that's high. Brandon Harris apparently is averse to jumping.

But not to pass intereference:

That's probably not fair. While Harris was picked on by FSU, the 5'10" 190lb Sophomore will probably be better this season. He took his lumps last year as a true freshman. He was a 4* recruit and is unquestionably Miami's best corner. At the field corner (the side more likely to receive safety help), the Canes have a logjam. Junior Demarcus Van Dyke has good physical talent but has yet to live up to his potential. They also have senior Sam Shields, who is making the switch from wide receiver to defensive back. He has looked good in practice so far, but he could also be vulnerable to double moves due to his limited experience at the position. At the Nickel Corner, the Canes have Senior Chavez Grant, who has started 17 games. He's not an impressive player (nobody in this secondary is- yet), and it shows as he got moved to the Nickel corner despite having started 13 games.

This weekend, we'll discuss how FSU plans to attack this defense. The important things to remember are that their front-7 is very talented, but depleted, they likely can't stop the run without heavily involving their safeties, and if (when) they do leave their Cover-2 shell, will their corners be able to hold up without a bunch of help over the top? This defense will likely be improved, and should be in the top half of the country and the ACC, but they have a long way to go to even be average and they are not special yet.

Florida State Coaches Continue to Push the Seminole Offense

FSUncensored — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:52:56 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

Florida State University assistant head football coach Jimbo Fisher continues to push his offense towards perfection. Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Browse more photos »

We haven't done a practice update piece in a while, so I figured with 12 days until the battle with the scUMbags from Miami, we should update. Now, we don't watch practice, so all of our information is second hand, and no, we won't reveal all of our sources.

Make sure to check our FrankDNole's excellent series on the Miam-FSU rivalry.

Reading the Andrew Carter and Steve Ellis stories, and talking with others, it seems the coaches went out of their way to call out the offense after yesterday's practice. I'm not buying it. The offense has routinely worked the defense, both in practice, situational, and scrimmage settings. Let's take a look at what they told Carter:

-On offense, lining properly is still a concern for the coaching staff. There have apparently been a number of issues with personnel being in the right spots at the right time. A little disconcerting, given the start of the season is less than two weeks away. Andrew Carter- Orlando Sentinel

And Ellis' article talks about the offense not lining up correctly. FSU can't practice more than the NCAA mandate, but they damn sure can tell their kids to study their film and playbooks more. There's also some give and take here. You can't have all positive press or all negative press. Coaches are master motivators (or they try to be) and when you have one unit that is more talented, better coached, and just all around better, you have to find a way to keep them motivated. If it's not showing them how a defense beat them in practice (which isn't happening often), it's through use of the media. On the same token, coaches know what the defense is doing, but they are smart to alternate positive and negative press.

I have no concerns about lining up correctly. FSU is pretty much done with serious contact in practice and they have plenty of time to work on the finer points of alignment. This is something you know if you played football. In fact, I find it encouraging that the coaches are harping on alignment for the offense. It tells me there aren't serious other concerns. Sure, each unit has some question marks, but they aren't glaring. On the other hand, espousing concerns about the defense to the media might not do much to help them. They see in the film room how the offense is routinely ripping off 25yard+ plays.

But Fisher knows this offense has a lot of potential and once they reach a certain plateau, he has to point out the new goal and push them toward that new height. Part of that is mastering the expanded playbook, but a lof of this are these young players not realizing how good they can really be.

-Talked with offensive line coach Rick Trickett briefly after practice and he said the right side of his line is still undecided. There are some good position battles going on there for first-team spots. Zebrie Sanders is likely to win the job at right tackle, but he is getting challenged by Rhonne Sanderson. At right guard, Brandon Davis is challenging incumbent David Spurlock, Trickett said. Andrew Carter- Orlando Sentinel

Ditto Trickett. This David Spurlock v. Brandon Davis battle is real. Davis made good progress over the summer. When I first heard about that, I dismissed it, but Spurlock did have his arm surgery and Davis probably passed him for a time this summer. While I do think Spurlock has the higher ceiling, this is about who starts for the Miami game and for that game, ceiling be damned. Play the best current player (the same applies to the Greg Reid debate). I believe this Andrew Datko stuff to be just a motivational ploy. Rhonne Sanderson has a chance to be a good college player, but unless Datko has an injury I am not aware of, Datko will start at Left Tackle.

I wanted to comment on another excellent Andrew Carter article. Read it. We've been pretty steadfast in our contention that last year's passing game problems were mostly on the offensive line's inability to pass protect, and not Christian Ponder. While some will argue that it's easier to throw in a non-contact jersey in practice, I'll argue the opposite- if the QB is at all touched, the play is dead. How often is a QB brushed in the pocket in a real game before making a great play by stepping up and firing? Particularly a mobile QB like ponder. As AC says, the pass protection has improved, Ponder has time to throw, and the offense is making big big plays. Our 1st team passing game numbers have been insane, something along the lines of 70% completions, almost 18 yards per completion, and a near perfect QB rating, with no interceptions.

And Carter rightfully hypes the wide receivers, because they have had a lot of poor press over the past year. The most encouraging thing for me is the emergence (re-emergence?) of slot wideout (the Y) Rod Owens, who now gives another option than Taiwan Easterling, and Senior Richard Goodman, who has big play potential and has the demeanor of a grown man.

As for the defense, it is more talented this year than last, but I still have my concerns. They were destroyed in the 1st scrimmage, and in the 2nd scrimmage, the headlines read that they improved, but my take on them is that they did well on the goal line (4 plays out of 60), and they crowded the box to stop the run game, which they did, but they gave up 3 or 4 scoring strikes of 35+ yards! Stopping the run is obviously essential, and FSU's offense should again be the best in the ACC so their competition is pretty good here, but overall I think the secondary will take an inordinate amount of blame for some failures that are a result of being put in a poor situation. What situation? The defensive line and linebackers can't stop the run without significant help from the safeties, and when safeties are playing run only, the cornerbacks are hung out to dry. Failure by cornerbacks in this situation against modern passing games should be expected, unless the offense is vastly inferior to the defense. But there is some encouraging news here as well, as the defensive tackle play is better this year than last, some crucial defensive backs are now back from injury, and most teams don't have a run game like FSU. I'm just saying to temper your enthusiasm and read the reports for what they say and what they don't say. I don't buy that the defense played well because they had a few tackles for loss as a result of blitzing their head off and a few sacks (which could be touching the QB with one hand due to the non-contact jersey), when then a few paragraphs later that the offense averaged 10 yards per play and the defense had zero interceptions. Temper the enthusiasm on the defense, but also realize that Mickey's defense is built to play with a lead! That's a flawed design, but our offense just might be good enough to give the defense a big lead in a few games this year.

With summer camp drawing to an end, it's been a great off-season. Only one off-season arrest, on a bogus charge which was later dropped. Only two injuries to key players (DT and possible starter Justin Mincey who will miss at least a month, and backup RT Antwane Greenlee whose knee injury information is yet to be released). Player participation and attendance in voluntary activities is at an all-time high (so I'm told, I am not there to mark who is showing up).

At this point, I feel great going into the Miami game. People overrated FSU last year entering the season, but they might be underrating the 'Noles this year. Miami is going to be without DE Adequle Ojomo. They will have DE Eric Moncur, but he hasn't practiced in almost two weeks and could be rusty coming off this complex groin injury.

Other opponent news: NC State lost their #2 Tight End Mario Carter. Big deal? Think again, they were going to use him a lot and this definitely helps FSU.

The Connect: Summer CanesFest Edition

The Great Barstoolio — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:36:58 -0000

ETA: hopefully last update: UM has pics

Let's just get this out of the way: Bryce Brown was there, in Tennessee shorts. Clearly, between having a UM hat at his signing for no reason and showing up to CanesFest, he has a giant boner for both Miami and attention. Speaking of hats, Randy Shannon said on QAM from the stadium that most of the time - not always, but most of the time - kids who pull hat tricks are basically assholes and not worth the trouble. Snap!

The Sun-Sentinel has pics, though no one has yet looked at Travis Benjamin directly and lived, so beware. The Palm Beach Post keeps an eye on the Freak. And Eye On the U is impressed with the fan-friendly affair:

Not once in the 14 years I've been working for The Miami Herald have I ever seen fans not only have two hours worth of access to players and coaches, but to be able to interact (take pictures, dunk players, even get some smooches) with them like family and friends. Hats off to athletic director Kirby Hocutt and coach Randy Shannon for taking a giant leap forward from the way these events used to be run.

Several players were game to spend time in the dunk tank at fans' mercy, including Graig Cooper, Laron Byrd, Sean Spence, and Javarris James. But none made the impression that Allen Bailey did: "He's like Shamu up there," said a UM assistant before Bailey was dunked and the splash was so large more water had to be added to the tank.

Dedrick Epps was roaming around reassuring everyone that he's functional after knee surgery, and will be ready to go when workouts start. "I'm fine," he said, though he noted he's not 100% yet and still feels sore after workouts. "I've been running on it for a long time. I don't know exactly how long, but it's been a little while. I'm feeling good. I plan to be ready."

Ray Ray is not, unfortunately, perfect in every way on arrival. "He's definitely big and strong," Chavez Grant said. "But everyday in practice we're working with him, trying to get his feet right and work with his hips. He's not bad. But at this level you have to be a lot quicker, a lot faster at what you do... at this level you get beat by a step and it's over."

Jimmy Graham is no male cheerleader: "I definitely didn't want to come back to look pretty on the sideline," he said. "I came back so I can help these guys win something. It means a lot for me to play for the U, especially football, my first love." We'll check back in with him in August when he realizes the contact happens without a/c, but in the meantime, he's getting help from Bernie Kosar and Ed Reed. (Hopefully not financial help.)

Allen Bailey power cleaned 400 pounds last Tuesday, which he says set a new UM team record. Holy hell. That is all.

The young guys are breaking down film with the ProCanes. Jacory's shoulder is okay. Randy Phillips is god. And Arthur Brown is coming out of his shell. Manny has it all.

Eric Moncur -- and his awesome muppet eyebrows -- are back. "I'm good to go," he said. "Words can't describe it - coming out, being around the guys, they're all like my little brothers. They're all younger than me. I'm so excited to get this season started... It's going to be nasty, man. We're going to be nasty up front. It's going to be crazy."

Said Bailey about getting Moncur back: "He's been here about eight years now. He knows a lot. He's been around, has seen a lot of things." LIKE THE EMPTINESS IN LARRY COKER'S EYES.

Colin McCarthy says Heather Dinich's no. 1 ranking for his unit sounds good. "That makes sense, that's accurate," McCarthy said. "We have a lot of depth, are two or three deep across the board. With Sean, he's one of the top linebackers. With all of us together and the way we work, way we chase the ball, No. 1 in the ACC, that sounds about right."

Of Lovett's defense, McCarthy reported, "It's more of the defense we ran my freshman year under Coach Shannon. It's not as many checks, just go out there, we'll get a call and play football. That's how it was back in the day when the athletes we had could just use their athleticism and make plays. The defense is more simplified."

CBS4 has video of Jacory being Jacory.

El Herald has audio from Vaughn Telemaque, DeMarcus Van Dyke, Sean Spence, Randy Shannon, Ray Ray Armstrong, Olivier Vernon, Colin McCarthy, Lamar Miller, Jimmy Graham, Jamal Reid ("Oh, I'm livin' right now!"), Jacory Harris, Dedrick Epps, Eric Moncur, Dyron Dye [spontaneous orgasm], Brandon Harris, Brandon McGee, and Chavez Grant, who reported that Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne, and Jonathan Vilma are spending a lot of time at Greentree.

Rest assured we at The 7th Floor will never, ever work that hard.

ETA: MIKE JAMES (MIKE JAYYYMES!) SIGHTING!

Florida State Seminoles Left Tackle Andrew Datko to face an NFL schedule

FSUncensored — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:58:40 -0000

As a member of the youngest offensive line in the country (3 freshmen, 2 sophomores), Andrew Datko wildly exceeded expectations and earned Freshman All-America honors. Competing at a slight 267lbs, with a dislocated elbow and various shoulder ailments, Datko surprised everyone playing 852 snaps over 13 games, more than any freshman on the line. He also had a top-two overall grade three times received either the top grade or the second-best grade in run or pass blocking seven times. Datko also recorded 20 knockdowns. Was named the top offensive newcomer and won the freshman academic award. And he did so while playing in the best defensive conference in the country (no conference sends more top defensive players than the NFL than the ACC) and against UF. With Datko's help, the 'Noles led the ACC in scoring and Florida State head coach in waiting/ offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher won ACC offensive coordinator of the year.

This year Datko will face an even tougher challenge- the most difficult gauntlet of pass rushers in recent college football memory.

Miami

The Hurricanes were one of the youngest teams in college football last year, and they got even younger when their senior defensive end Eric Moncur went down with an injury in the 3rd game of the season. Moncur was a 4* recruit, the #10 overall defensive end in the country. He's projected to be a 1st day NFL draft choice (2nd or 3rd round) This year, he's back at 6'2" 260lbs and with 16 starts and 105 total tackles in his three years, should continue to be a quality player for the canes.

On the other side, Marcus Robinson started 5 games after making the switch from OLB to DE and had 9 tackles for loss and 4 sacks while earning 3rd team Frosh All-America honors. No matter which lines up over Datko, Florida State's left tackle will sure have a challenge on his hands.

BYU

While the BYU Cougars aren't known for their defensive talent, they do have an excellent defensive end in Jan Jorgenson. At 6-3 262lbs, Jorgensen plays the "5" technique end in BYU's 3-4 defensive scheme.

Jorgensen projects as a late 1st or early 2nd round draft choice. The senior has had quite the career. Jorgensen has been named 1st team All-Mountain West Defense for two years in a row. He is the conference's career leader in sacks already. He's a Lombardi and Hendricks award finalist. Oh, and he is 26 years old after serving a three year Mormon mission and redshirting his freshman year. The recent word is that he dropped 15lbs down to 245 in order to be quicker.

USF

If you were alive in 2007, you probably heard of USF's sackmaster George Selvie.

Selvie burst onto the scene in 2007 in a huge way, registering an incredible 31.5 tackles for loss and earning not only all-conference offers, but 1st team All-America status!

Selvie continued to play well in 2008, though not quite as well as he did in 2007. Why? It was a combination of nagging lower leg injuries and playing from behind (hard to get sacks when the other team is running out the clock). Despite the injuries, the 6'4" 255lb Selvie still made 1st Team Big East. He is back for his senior season and has said that he expects to be the top defensive end selected in the upcoming NFL draft. He's also been named to the 1st Team Pre-season All-America Squad. Florida State must stay out of 3rd and long in this game and give Datko help in the form of a tight end or a back. Asking Andrew to single Selvie all game could be disastrous and unfair to the true sophomore.

Boston College

While the Eagles are one of the teams on the schedule without a likely 1st day NFL pick at defensive end, they do boast three seniors with a combined 58 starts in Jim Ramella, Alex Albright, and Austin Giles. These guys have been there forever and really know how to play the game (that's a cop-out, I know, but they aren't great athletes or pro prospects).

Georgia Tech

If you don't already know Derrick Morgan, you should. I knew Georgia Tech had a good defensive line last year (one of the best in the country) featuring Michael Johnson Vance Walker, and Darryl Richard (all All-American or All-Conference). What really surprised me, however, was FSU offensive line coach Rick Trickett calling sophomore Derrick Morgan the best player on Tech's defense. You can bet I watched # 91 then and he did not disappoint. At 6'4" and 270lbs, Morgan started all 13 games as a sophomore, registering 51 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss (7.5 sacks) and even three pass breakups. Only a Junior, Morgan looks to be a surefire 1st rounder after his senior year, and with his size, athleticism, and production, is a virtual lock to be a 1st day selection if he elects to leave school early.

North Carolina

While not draft eligible, Sophomore Robert Quinn has shown a lot of promise after coming back from brain cancer.

Quinn started 12 games for the Tarheels and should have a monster season for the baby blue, particularly since he'll be able to workout fully for the first time in a while.

NC State

The Wolfpack feature another edge rushing terror on this list in Willie Young Jr. Last year, Young destroyed the 'Noles, with 2 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, and drawing at least one holding penalty.

At 6'4 and 251lbs, Young is extra quick and as a senior will have a variety of pass moves. Last year he started 11 games (injured other 2), registering 55 tackles (13 for loss), with 6 1/2 sacks. Young was named to Phil Steele's 2nd Team Pre-Season ACC defense. Like many of these edge rushers, the key will be to run right at Young as he was especially good on 3rd and long last year (as most defensive ends should be).

Clemson

The Tigers boast two of the best defensive ends in the conference in Ricky Sapp and Da'Quan Bowers. Both were elite Five-star recruits coming out of high school and both have continued to perform at the next level.

Last year, Sapp and Bowers had their collective way with the young 'Nole offensive tackles, registering two sacks and numerous pressures. It got to a point where FSU completely abandoned the dropback passing game, throwing only screen or play action passes.

This year both Bowers and Sapp are back. Bowers has reportedly put in a nice offseason of work and is probably the top true sophomore defensive end in the nation. Last year as a true freshman, Bowers started 6 games, played in all 13, and registered 50 tackles (8 for loss). He really came on in the later games. Sapp actually had some knee issues and missed the spring, though he'll be fully healthy for the 'Noles. Last year, he started 9 games (knee injury) and had 10 tackles for loss. He was also excellent in 2007, with 22 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. Whoever Datko faces here will be a challenge for the young tackle.

Wake Forest

The Deac's don't have an elite player at defensive end.

Maryland

The Terps don't have an elite player at defensive end.

Florida

The Gators have a bevy of elite edge players and it's safe to say that three of their defensive ends would compete for starting jobs on any team in the country. For purposes of this piece, however, let's leave Justin Trattou aside for a minute and focus on Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham.

Dunlap (pictured) is on everyone's pre-season All-America team. He was the top defensive end prospect in his class coming out of high school. As a sophomore, he started only two games, but registered 39 tackles and 9.5 sacks, leading the SEC and making 2nd Team SEC. He's 6'6" 290lbs, and universally seen as the best defensive end prospect in college.

They also have Jermaine Cunningham who also made 2nd team SEC last season. Cunningham, at 6-3, 252lbs has started 25 games over the past two seasons registering over 100 tackles (20 for loss).

This schedule presents an enormous challenge for Florida State left tackle Andrew Datko. No offensive lineman in the country has a more difficult challenge than FSU's Datko. At a ripped 292 lbs, with a year of starting experience under his belt, Datko has a fighting chance to make it through the schedule, now that he has some bulk and experience to go with his always solid technique.

Information Cupcakes From Shannon's Spring Practice Presser

The Great Barstoolio — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:09:45 -0000

an info-starved fanbase is a fanbase on edge

Sigh. I was hoping to never have to offer any actual information, ever, but I guess this had to happen at some point. No audio or video yet (come ON, legitimate news outlets!) so here's the dine 'n dash:

No pads/collisions until Saturday (single Allen Bailey tear). Today and tomorrow are more of a fast-paced walkthrough with receivers and DBs.

Whipple has had two meetings a week with the team and has installed "a lot" of the offense. He says they'll use spring to get the shifts and timing down.

Arthur Brown got a head start learning MLB during the extra 15 bowl game practices. He seems more comfortable in the middle and is quicker diagnosing plays. The hype and accolades may have put extra pressure on Arthur but he was happy in his role last year and was great on special teams, specifically the reverse on Virginia's first kickoff return when he saved a touchdown. Nothing is distracting Arthur right now; he is excited and ready to go.

Spring ball was pushed up so that more time could be spent in the weight room; starting later mean losing several weeks of strength training to finals. April will be all about getting stronger.

Shannon is most excited about Whipple's ability to develop young quarterbacks. Jacory Harris is handling himself like a leader and the team responds to this.

Now is the time for Richard Gordon to show up and prove himself. He has not produced for too long. Daryl Sharpton and Javarris James were also told to kick it up a notch:

"You go back to Javarris' first year, and I told Javarris this, he was hungry. He came in as a true freshman, wanted to play. He had 800 yards. Then the next two years null and void. Did he slack off his work habits, doing the little things? I told him if you want to be the great running back here this is what has to happen. Now if you don't, we always bring in guys to have competition. He knows I care for him, but he understands the big picture is if you want to be a great football player what did you do as a freshman and what do you need to be doing now? If you go back to those ways, we're going to be a great football team. Darryl, it's time for him to be the Jon Vilma, DJ, Ray Lewis. It's Darryl's time, and that's the reason we recruited him."

Taylor Cook's arm is as strong as advertised. His short passes are nice touch passes; he can move well and played free safety and tight end in high school as well as quarterback. He's an athlete. He could end up playing punter or tight end if needed but right now the staff is excited about him at quarterback and will be focusing on building depth at No. 2.

Jeremy Lewis and Micanor Regis look in better shape than ever.

Expect big things from Vaughn Telemaque coming off his redshirt. Likewise,Gavin Hardin is very explosive.

Shannon sees Kendall Thompkins at slot, wants Travis Benjamin to improve his technique so he doesn't just rely on his speed.

Daniel Adderly felt he was not good enough to play at Miami and put in to transfer.

"He felt he wasn't able to play at Miami. I was honest with him, said right at this point in time the things you're doing, you're putting yourself behind the eight ball. He came back maybe three weeks ago and said, 'Coach, I'm going to give it a shot, see if I can really play at Miami. I'm going to force myself to do the things you said I have to get done to be at Miami.' He said he appreciated me being honest with him, telling him those things. He's out there working out. We'll see how he's feeling. He told me, 'Coach, I'll find out this spring if I want to be at Miami or not. I'm working to be a Miami player, or I'm just going to leave because I'm not that type of player yet.'"

Eric Moncur will miss spring recovering from injuries and is working to loose 15 pounds.

Benjamin, Brandon Harris, and Davon Johnson are with the track team until next week. Whoops! I posted lies! Manny says they are with the team.

Benjamin is now #3, Sam Shields #9, Kendall Thompkins #83.

Jacory Harris will be available to media once a week through spring. !!!!!!