Tennessee's offense was
Why Josh Heupel’s Tennessee offense is so explosive: Inside the deep choice system
We all know the numbers, and they are staggering. No. 1
Tennessee’s offense is in the top three nationally in most major categories heading into the game Saturday at No. 3 Georgia, from total offense to scoring to pass efficiency.
More than anything, the Vols are built on the long ball behind quarterback
Hendon Hooker. Their 30 completions on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield are tied for the national lead, per TruMedia. They rank third nationally in yards per play (7.4) and second in yards per pass attempt (10.4). And they have registered 59 explosive passes of 15 yards or more, for an explosive play percentage of 19.1. About one in every five completions turns into a big play.
All of this explosivity — and 64 percent of the Vols’ entire offensive output this season — is based around one concept:
the deep choice. It’s the bedrock of head coach Josh Heupel’s system, one that he carried with him from his days at
UCF, although it’s not entirely Heupel’s intellectual property. This package is an offshoot of former
Baylor coach Art Briles’ system.
Heupel has reformed it, and like many systems in college football, it has gone through a continual reformation process to get it to the peak it’s at entering the trip to Athens. But unlike the West Coast or run-and-shoot offense, Heupel’s offense is not complicated.
I talked to several defensive coordinators who have tried to impede this juggernaut and connected with a few lower-level disciples of the Heupel system, who have spent hours drawing up this scheme on cocktail napkins in backroom clinics, to give me insight into how this system is run and why it’s so explosive.
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Hooker adapted to Heupel's system (it wasn't built based on Hooker coming to the scene). Hooker actually came from a totally different system at Virginia Tech, where a zone-run system was run. I see no reason that he can't adapt to a modified WCO system. He's big, strong, mobile and accurate.
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ANALYZING HOKIES' OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS
Film break down of zone-run blocking scheme adjustment, designed quarterback runs in pass calls, and the importance of tight ends in Virginia Tech's recent offensive success.
By:
chasem7 @Chase_Mummau7 on November 1, 2019, 8:59 AM |
37 comments
Blocking Scheme in Zone-Run Plays
Virginia Tech's offense employs a zone-oriented run scheme in the majority of their play calls. What's a zone run scheme you ask? It is a design in which the offensive line will block whichever defender is in their respective "zone" at the snap. Offensive coordinators favor this scheme because there are no set blocking rules other than to zone.
So theoretically it should account for all defenders against any front that a defense might show. Whether that is an over or under front, or even a bear front, the zone running scheme should be successful if the offensive line reads their respective keys.
For the first few games when offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen would call a zone play, the offensive line was taught to cut on the backside. Cut blocking is a technique that offensive linemen utilize to slow down defenders. Triple-option offenses love cut blocks because it doesn't allow opposing defensive linemen to read the play as it develops. The clip above shows right tackle Silas Dzansi attempting to cut block defensive tackle Tanner Karafa (No. 48). As you can see, the block was ineffective as Karafa eventually assisted with the tackle. A cut block can become a liability if the offensive lineman misses or doesn't get enough of a piece of the defender. That was evident over the first few weeks of Virginia Tech's season.
Since the Duke game, offensive line coach Vance Vince and the offensive staff have opted to base block on the backside of zone-run plays. This means that the backside tackle will block the backside defender one-on-one, and prevent the defender from running down the play from behind. In the clip above, the play call is a zone to the right. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw base blocks the 3-technique DT Trevon McSwain (No. 95) because the defensive end is wide enough that he won't affect the play. As the play rolls, Darrisaw gets inside position on McSwain which creates a hole that Deshawn McClease doesn't miss. Too often early in the season the cut block would be ineffective, and this switch has seemed to work as the running game has become more explosive and effective.
Designed QB Runs in Pass Play Calls
With the change at quarterback, Cornelsen has leveraged personnel and implement a quarterback run into many pass plays. Watch the plays above. McClease releases to block, that is by design. Hendon Hooker knows that if there isn't a throw available, the QB run is also blocked up. This wrinkle makes it very difficult for defenses to defend because they don't know if the running back is releasing to run a route, or to eventually block for the quarterback. This element was not present with Ryan Willis behind center. Willis was known more for his arm, so defenses weren't as stressed about his ability to run the football. With Hooker and Quincy Patterson, defenses have to respect the fact that they can run. Either that, or they will get torched on third downs as evidenced above.
This is the single adjustment that has helped Virginia Tech's offense the most over the past three games. When you run an RPO (Run Pass Option) offense, you must have a mobile quarterback who can make plays with their feet. Having this read built in also helps whoever is in at quarterback know that there is always a way out without having to dump the ball out of bounds.
Tight End Motions/Usage
Dalton Keene and James Mitchell have become the focal points of the Virginia Tech offense. Keene is utilized more for his blocking acumen while Mitchell's catching ability has begun to expose defenses. Tight ends are a
quarterback's best friend. When you don't have to throw the ball outside of the hashes to gain yards, it makes the signal caller's life a lot easier to sustain drives.
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