He finished with three tackles and one tackle for loss, which counts as a quiet night for the sophomore linebacker. There's no better way to demonstrate that than to look at howTexas defended the run. One question I am asking to college football experts is this: Should Todd Orlando emphasize complexity of scheme or simplicity of scheme against Jayden Daniels and the Sun Devils on Saturday? This "lightning" package was built off a "robber coverage" and an alignment that looked like this: Basically, the Longhorns traded a man up front for the ability to play Cover 2 to either side of the formation with a "robber" in the middle who could read the play and then serve either as inside help against the dreaded double-post combinations that Oklahoma State liked to run or as an extra man coming just a touch late in the run game. 1 teach us about the units new direction? The Longhorns created four total sacks (averaged 2.33 a game). This season has not gone according to plan for anybody, especially the defense, and major changes will be headed USCs way. FAU brings back a solid core talented defenders in their front seven and have also added numerous former blue-chip transfers to solidify their front seven. Twitter: @tcpfootballIn this video, we learn about the origins of USC Football's Defensive Coordinator Todd Orlando's defense. Even further, turn on a Cowboys or Seahawks game and you are likely to see multiple ways to run the Zone or Arc Read. At Texas, Orlando oversaw a defense that improved from 80th to 24th in points allowed. FAU's defense ranked 50th in the country in 2019.In 2021 FAU's defense had its up and downs, ranking 99th against the pass, 75th against the run, and 86th overall, but was in the top 50 in scoring defense. I think its a smart move. What is the current state of play for one of the elite QB prospects on the board? Boca Raton, Fla. - Just over 24 hours after FootballScoop.com first reported that FAU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops was heading to Kentucky to coach with his brother Mark Stoops, the Owls have quickly found his replacement in former Southern California defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Todd Orlando, per Bruce Feldman. Apr 5, 2021. Will Alabama transfer Ishmael Sopsher be healthy enough to do so? Odds & lines subject to change. Some of the stuff he was about to say, I was already thinking. Though Iowa State and their base Broken Stack that features a three-safety Dime Robber scheme has become the most popular scheme within the league, in truth, it is Todd Orlando at Texas that has made his mark around the country behind his use of a positionless defense and defending the wide-open schemes found in the league. Herald-Times. No. 16.2ASU19.6Washington21.8Oregon23.0Utah23.2OSU23.8Colorado24.8WSU26.5UCLA27.0Stanford27.3USC27.6Cal31.6Arizona, SportsPac12 (@SportsPac12) October 10, 2021. When interim defensive coordinator Craig Naivar finally allowed Ossai to play that role, Ossai produced three of his five sacks in the Alamo Bowl. The use of small ball to counteract the space created by Spread offenses is understandable. Yet, because of the way the Longhorns fly to the ball, it doesnt much matter that the numbers are pushed back. It rotated just one inside linebacker (Kanai Mauga) in, and that was only for a handful of plays. So no matter the look, USCs run defense needs to get better. His defenses would mix in three-down looks, but that was only about 20 percent of the time. Or what type of player they would be getting because of the scheme we ran. USC defense has different feel in camp after full offseason Due to the pandemic, USC was unable to implement new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando's scheme in person before the 2020. A good run defense has been a calling card of. The Cyclones used the Dime look as their base defense for the entire season, leading to victories over high-powered offenses like Oklahoma (#1 in BCfToys Offensive Efficiency) and Memphis (#16). Though it did prove to be the origin of one of college footballs best coordinator-head coach relationships. Were starting to try and create things like that defensively, so at least when theyre coming in there and theyre game planning us, you know, maybe it eliminates some plays youd normally see if youre vanilla. One was down and distance. Most defensive coaches can recognize the usefulness of the front, but one thing is clear, Spread offenses will try and figure it out. In watching ITS throughout this fall camp and knowing that he has a sense of urgency to really capture that position as well as be elite at it has been really nice to see.. Senior middle linebackerGary Johnsoncame from a junior college in 2016 where the scheme was significantly less complex. You get those guys in the program, they make us all look great. Its three starters (Marlon Tuipulotu, Tremblay and Figueroa) and two backups (Tuli Tuipulotu and Stanley Taufoou) were the only ones who saw action. We understood the reason why we were running what we were running, Roach said. Herman clearly agrees. Then, facing the ultra-explosive Oklahoma State offense, he made a big change to his defensive structure that probably revolutionized his own philosophy and perhaps changed prevailing best practices across the college game from here on out. Sometimes when youre a good player, youre just worried about yourself and making your plays, Orlando said. Herman isnt shy about issuing compliments to his defensive lieutenant. Thanks to some help from the Cyclones and Mountaineers, the Longhorns trashed the Jayhawks to land the No. Gone were the inside linebackers who were so effective as blitzers. Thats what practice is about. Orlando, 48, spent the last three seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas, where he was one of the highest paid assistants in college football. Practices under Herman and Orlando are hard. Those disguised blitzes cause an opposing quarterback to think, which is critical against tempo. Roach believes that Orlandos odd front didnt let the defensive line showcase their abilities. He wants to stop the run and make a defense one-dimensional. The initial conversations went well. If you practice soft, youre going to play soft, Orlando said. Orlando needs opposing offenses to be one-dimensional, and against great quarterbacks that means sacrificing numbers in the box. At the same time, it causes a lot of controversy for the guys on offense.. Youre going to be based on how hard you run to the football, how you get off blocks and how you tackle.. The Times first reported his hiring Monday. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. You hear about soggy eggs and burnt toast, but its the pad popping thats the real story of these daily efforts. Once the guard pulls (the 4is key), he can chase and climb to the mesh. Orlando usually sent four rushers when he used this package early in the game, and Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels took advantage of the pressure on the first drive by ripping off a 38-yard run. Last year, Orlando helped the Longhorns shed more than 10 points per game allowed on defense despite working with 10 of the 11 starters from2016's porous unit. Texas junior defensive endMalcolm Roachsaid an Orlando film session is everything youd want it to be. That means a detail-oriented outlook focused to the point where Orlando will call out a player for a 12-inch step instead of a 6-inch one. Spread offenses search for the B gap because that is where the conflicted player usually is for a defense. But the Trojans just had a full, traditional offseason, from spring football to summer conditioning, creating Todd Orlando seems very confident that the extra time they were afforded to work on film, to work on installing that scheme, really did help them. Weve changed that.. As of Thursday morning, it has apparently filled out the rest of its coaching staffit has apparently filled out the rest of its It took defenses a while to catch up, but Orlando is at the cutting edge with his defensive packages that can disrupt the process and even the playing field. The image above shows the Longhorns base look against the ever prevalent Y-Off 20 pers. Like Iowa State, Texas has a three-safety Dime package that they utilize against pass-heavy offenses (think Kingburys Tech) or in obvious pass downs where Orlando wants to drop eight and flood the zones. Orlando is now a handsomely paid football coach, in his third year as the Texas defensive coordinator having progressed up the career coaching ladder, from Penn to UConn to FIU to Utah State to. During his time as defensive coordinator at Texas, his defense forced 65 turnovers and ranked in the top 10 nationally for . USC needs more size, speed and athleticism at every level of its defense. Injuries limited the two best blitzers in the secondary safeties BJ Foster and DeMarvion Overshown while the inexperienced cornerbacks also struggled with injuries and the baptism by fire in the pass-heavy conference. In fact, they often had little to no idea how to defend the run in Texas' exotic defenses, and the Longhorns were regularly trashed by teams with multiple run games that could cause confusion. Lincoln RileyandKliff Kingsburycome from the Air Raid tree, but their systems look quite different in the same way Kansas States pro-style, option-heavy scheme varies from Oklahoma States spread. Jefferson went on to lead the team with 110 tackles, including 20 run stuffs, while anchoring the interior of the Texas defense in a 3-2-6 dime package that Orlando unveiled to the bewilderment of Texas' spread-oriented Big 12 opponents. I said I understood why we were running what we ran.. that headline is click bate..but Ill learn how to word things differently so my words cant be mixed up. That safety, last year played by the hard-hittingJason Hall, helped support the run defending on his read. The rotation should expand when Pili returns, but at the moment USCs defensive personnel is what it is. Chase Williams has turned into a leader at the position while delivering physical blows when he attacks the ball. On several occasions, the Trojans walked a safety up into the box, mainly Talanoa Hufanga, in order to have seven players near the line of scrimmage for run support. Rigid positional structures are giving way to a more fluid style of play. Orlando said that shift occured because of practice habits and strong relationships between the defensive staff and its players. Today will be the day, Orlando said Wednesday morning. Its a combination that spurred a defensive transformation at Texas. In order to acclimate, the Longhorns flipped a script that usually prioritized stopping the run first 95 percent of the time. Texas run defense didnt suffer in that time either. But after successfully rebuilding the Texas defense in his first season, the Longhorns experienced a sharp defensive downturn in 2019. Before that, his inaugural Utah State defense ranked seventh in points allowed. But the concern with this unit is depth. Theres a little bit of schematics into it. I feel the 4-3 will help those guys to show their talents and more people will come out of Texas.. He spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons under Mario Cristobal and FIU, where he won a share of the Sun Belt title and a bowl game victory. Examine Texas schedule last season, and youll see a murders row of quarterbacks:Sam Darnold(No. But Barry and USC opted not to continue their discussions, and Orlando became the leading candidate. Former Texas DE Malcolm Roach criticizes Todd Orlandos scheme, Quick thoughts from No. He has a system that allows his talented players to play freely, said Baylor head coachMatt Rhule. Aside from one spring practice, the intricacies of his scheme were installed only over Zoom. Defenses that base out of the Tite Front dont mind the bounce because their speedy (and usually free)LBs can now chase down the RB while its overhangs box everything back inside (think of them like the Double Eagles wide-9s). Without a Spring Camp to provide real first-hand understanding of Todd Orlando's defensive scheme as well as Vic So'oto's preferences as defensive line coach, these are best guesses. Preparing for his first season as defensive coordinator at No. A little has to do with the pace of the game too. It has been an awful showing for USCs defense, and the coaching has to be the sole reason for the blame. And that might just be the way it is moving forward. Previously, he spent three years at the Clarion Ledger in Mississippi, where he covered Ole Miss for two seasons and Jackson State for another. Every week is a challenge. Thats in large part due to the variance of the offensive minds. Some of the stuff I was about to say, he was already thinking. Innovation comes from desperation, and in the offensive gauntlet that is the Big 12, it has created an evolutionary playground for defensive (and offensive) football. Sean McVay and his 11 personnel under center (UTC) offense has taken over the league en route to a Super Bowl appearance. To me, hes a special player, Orlando said. 3 Kansas on Saturday to close the regular season. Preparing for his first season as defensive coordinator at No. Orlando's 3-4/quarters defense had to be tweaked and altered to fit the 2017 Texas football roster and the demands of playing against Big 12 offenses, but in the process Orlando simply proved what makes him one of the top defensive coaches in the country: In particular, his effective teaching, aggressive philosophy and high capacity for adaptation. Imagine if this actually happens. We see how he got his start c. Just the traditional tailback running game, if youre not doing good you have no chance of playing elite defense. If you bring four and they have six back in there to block, its not good numbers for you especially if youre covering the heck out of everybody. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. They were delayed for two months from when they would normally have a camp. Thats where adaptability comes into play. I just feel like now that burden is on me, being the veteran.. But structurally, in our opinion, its still so sound.. The point behind that question is not that hard to grasp: Is a complex scheme necessary to give USC a winning edge, or should a simplified scheme be used in Week 1, to not load players with too many assignments, reads, or details? Find out which 3 #USC players go to the Bears in an NBC Sports Chicago mock draft. Considering how long players have had to learn the scheme, Orlando made clear he wont be as forgiving when it comes to forgetting assignments. With one of the pass-rushing outside linebackers replaced by a nickel DB, the defense is left with only a single edge rusher on the field (the B-backer in Orlando's defense). Theyre the best in the country. 3. https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/2020/11/06/todd-orlando-vs-arizona-state-a-central-pregame-question-for-usc/. After the Sun Devils started to have success on the ground midway through the second quarter, USC started employing a 4-3 front at times. In the concluding 2019 Pressure Tape review, MQ will breakdown three Longhorn pressures against the now-famous LSU offenses (one of the best in history). Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. The Trojans defense shifted into different looks, sometimes showing two down linemen with Jackson and defensive end Nick Figueroa standing up. Herman's offense is a spread system focused on running the ball downhill, primarily with inside zone runs, and he found 3-4 defenses that played quarters coverage like Orlando's to be the toughest schemes to deal with while at Ohio State. Orlando has always been multiple, but it seemed like in the end there was just too much going on which was evident by Head Coach Tom Hermans decision to go with Chris Ash as the DC who is known for a simpler style reflecting Ohio State (with more of a Quarters base). Its a pretty substantial change in terms of what theyre doing on defense. But so far, its all been against an offense the USC defense knows very, very well. Safeties coach Craig Naivar, whos been working with Orlando since 2015, described the defense with that exact word a few weeks ago. The defensive line lost more bodies in the offseason when Jacob Lichtenstein opted out of the season, and it was announced that Trevor Trouts season (and possibly his career) would be over with a back injury. Georgia and Texas used the front and similar coverage schemes as a base, with both finding themselves in BCfToys.coms top 10 in Defensive Efficiency (adjusted for the strength of opponent offenses faced UGA was #5 and Texas #6). Orlando walked into the interview room and saw his Aggie defensive film already on the screen. Defenses in the Leauge were getting scored on at a historic rate. Though Jackson is officially an outside linebacker now and is listed at 20 pounds lighter than he weighed a year ago (from 275 to 255), it doesnt seem like his role has changed a ton, at least from what he showed Saturday. Figueroa served as the single down lineman and was joined on the line of scrimmage by Jackson, Echols and one USCs more traditional linebackers, either Ralen Goforth or Palaie Gaoteote. Pola-Mao returns and has been a stud in camp, causing chaos in blitzing situations and making plays on the ball in pass coverage that he has not made in the past. Most people know what to expect from USCs offense from game to game. He brings a passion, energy, toughness and discipline to his coaching, Helton said, and those characteristics were evident in our discussions. There has been a critical error on this website. Orlando, 50, previously was a defensive coordinator at Texas Houston, Utah State . USC played just five defensive linemen against Arizona State. The loss of Jay Tufele, who opted out to focus on the NFL draft, has already thrust senior defensive tackle Brandon Pili into the starting lineup. After missing the first week of camp in health and safety protocols, Jackson was practically unblockable in practices, using his finesse moves on the edge to cause havoc in the backfield. So in addition to having a blitz package, Orlando teaches his rover how to disguise insert blitzes through the A and B gaps. Its the reason one of the worst defenses in program history in 2016 transformed into one of the best with the same players in college football's most potent offensive conference. As defensive coordinator at Houston in 2015 and 2016, he oversaw a defense that finished 20th and 13th in the nation in yards allowed. "I feel like I need to take some time for my wife, kids and grandkids while also looking to see if I can help college football on a larger scale," Patterson told Horns247. Except Hermans questions were constantly put on pause so that he, still serving as Ohio States offensive coordinator, could run out of the room to take care of some crisis or another as the Buckeyes prepared for the 2014 College Football Playoff final against Oregon. Texas removed what would often be a disadvantaged linebacker in pass coverage and added a dime safety as a robber in the middle of the defense.