Behind Enemy Lines - Cal Poly

[DomeIsHome]

Thought I'd try to gather some things on what Cal Poly is saying about UNI this week. Also there might be some UNI/ISU recap in here too.

UNI Athletics - UNI Football Falls to Iowa State, 42-24

Cal Poly - Cal Poly to Visit Northern Iowa for Final Non-Conference Game Saturday
Highlights:

Heading the list of veterans are senior defensive back Malcolm Washington and senior linebacker Jared Farley, both named to the 2017 MVFC Preseason first team. Farley led the Panthers in tackles a year ago with 80. Other top returning veterans include junior quarterback Eli Dunne (1,175 passing yards, seven touchdowns in five games a year ago), senior wide receiver Daurice Fountain (team-leading 33 receptions, 413 yards, five touchdowns in 2016), sophomore wide receiver Jalen Rima (two receiving touchdowns, two special teams touchdowns en route to MVFC Newcomer Team honors in 2016), defensive lineman Adam Reth (59 tackles, three sacks in 2015; missed 2016 season due to injury) and the senior duo of Malcolm Washington (four interceptions) and Elijah Campbell (three interceptions) in the secondary.

Senior fullback Joe Protheroe headlines another strong group of ball carriers in Cal Poly's Spread Triple Option. In becoming Cal Poly's 20th 1,000-yard rusher a year ago, Protheroe amassed 1,334 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground and is No. 8 on the career rushing chart with 2,461 yards. Jared Mohamed, also a senior, also returns to back up Protheroe after collecting 343 yards in 2016. The group of slot backs features all-purpose player Kyle Lewis (591 rushing yards and six TDs, team-leading 22 catches for 375 yards and four scores in 2016).

Cal Poly - Cal Poly Head Football Coach Tim Walsh - After Cal Poly's game against Colgate:

The Tribune - Recap of Cal Poly's loss against San Jose State.
Video highlights of Cal Poly's loss against Colgate

There should be more things after today, I thought maybe Labor Day put a delay on some of the previews.

[clenz]

42-13 UNI.

This defense is a nightmare for a Cal Poly attack. DBs good enough to put CBs on an island and win, allowing safeties to come down and support the edge on runs. This allows LBs to focus on inside gap assignments.

Poly won't be able to handle Dunne.

[06panther10]

I thought I heard somewhere that their stud FB was injured.

[BCPanther]

I have literally zero concerns about this game. We killed their option and we effectively passed the ball with Aaron freaking Bailey throwing.

UNI 38
Cal Poly 10

[7YrsOfCollegeDownTheDrain]

I agree...so long as the D plays assignment football this game poses no real threat. i think we get out to an early lead and cruise to a win in the home opener.

[ronfitch]

I thought I heard somewhere that their stud FB was injured.

Hang on ... first you tell me that UNI has someone listed *as* a FB on the roster this season ... and now you are telling me that there is a college fullback returning from a 1,300-yard/13 rushing TD season?

Is this 1965?

[clenz]

I've been doing some research on it....not worried at all

Through 2 games, on offense, they are/have:
-averaging 3.3 yards per carry
-10-27 passing for 122 yards
-averaging 264 yards of offense per game
-averaging 3.5 yards per play
-6 fumbles, and lost 4 of them
-32% on third down attempts

Those are really bad numbers for a triple option offense

On defense
-giving up 4.9 yards per carry
-giving up 214 yards rushing per game
-giving up 13 yards per completion

They have 6 points in the first 3 quarters of their two games so far - 21 in the fourth. Against Colgate they were down 21 going into the 4th and Colgate coasted a bit and gave them points.

They are playing a couple thousand miles from home, against a team that, over the last two decades, has given up something like 3.2 YPC as a defense. This is a 3-4 TD, if nor more, win.

[clenz]

A big key this week is something we didn't do against ISU - sustain drives.

The offense getting more comfortable in this system as the season goes will help. Game two should be a pretty good difference. Last week UNI had:
13 drives - ran just 60 plays - 4.5 plays per drive.
8 drives of 3 plays or less - 7 resulted in no points. 6 punts/TO, 1 missed FG and then 1 TD.
That means UNI lost the TOP.
That means the defense was on the field more.
The defense faced 71 plays.

As we settle into this new system I expect it go go from 4.5 plays per driver to an average of 5.5-6 plays per drive. That will move TOP from 29 minutes to 34-35 minutes. That's extra rest for the defense. That's extra time for sideline adjustment for coaches. That's time that guys like Prothro from Poly, the trio from SDSU, or SIU's offense will be on the field with chances to score.

[Blue42]

Have to agree that I'm skeptical if CP's D can handle our O.

I taped the Colgate-CP game and watched about 8 series on Sunday.

[clenz]

I'm rewatching the CP/Colgate game and taking a few notes. Will post my thoughts when done.

[clenz]

I got through 3 quarters and noticed the same patterns repeating for both teams. Obviously I didn't do a full breakdown of formation and complete tendancies, just some quick breakdown of some stuff from the broadcast. I'd have liked the All 22 view to see the shading the CP d-line was using because what I was picking up from them was interesting from the broadcast camera, but I don't know if that was just the angle or if the All 22 would confirm it.

Anyway - a few things to keep in mind on this - Colgate runs a true 3-4 okie. Not a 3-4 over, not a 3-4 under, not a 3-4 monster.

Basic CP offensive tenancies
-Standard triple option action extreme majority of the time.
-Do use shotgun about once a drive. From shot gun they run a very quick dive action about about 90% of the time, a few draws mix in.. Pass the other 10%. They started going gun quite a bit late in the 3rd when they were down 20, but didn't change their % of play type.
-When Poly passes they are almost exclusively deep drop and 30+ yards down field. There is no mid passing game. It's quick hitters to the outside or deep down the middle after a 7-10 step drop or roll out. This appears to be cause their QB has no accuracy and their OL is horrid at pass blocking - normal things for TO offense.
-When it comes to blocking there is almost no pulling. I think I remember seeing 2 and they were a tackle pulling outside a TE, but staying tight on the shoulder.
-The OL blocks 2 ways - instant cut or run as fast as they can straight forward and hope they catch someone with it.
-I didn't run the numbers but I'd guess 80-85% of their runs are inside the tackles. They don't truly run A gap dives with him. It's almost like an A1/2. This could be due to Colgate playing a true 3-4 defense and the hole naturally opening there.
-They don't often use the outside for runs (keeper, toss, jet, or option), but when they do they really want to get wide. This was weird to me. TYpically option teams was the end and turn up. Defenses want to force them wide to allow defense to flow in behind it. Poly almost seemed to intentionally get really wide on their outside stuff. The QB is a pretty hard give away on when they are going outside too. When it's a dive he takes the snap and does a quick turn to the get the ball to the FB. When they are going wide he does a hop turn, even when he does a fake give. Then, go continue on the getting wide thing he bows back a yard or two before really starting his run. Normally the look is more straight down the line. He gives 2-3 yards by the time he's on the edge of the tackle box.


Basic CP defensive tenancies
-Run an exotic 3-3-5. There are times that it looks like a 5-3, but it's still 3 down lineman, a backer up on the LOS on one side and a nickle/monster on the other. Other times it looks like a true 3-3-5
-Their ends seem to line up man up, or even shade inside, but then always make an outside move. This is where I'd like the All 22 on them. That seems strange to me. --
-The backers they leave off the LOS play deep off the LOS but attack forward on the snap. This could be playing a tendency Colgate had for their offense, but it was a very aggressive. There was a lot of blitzing but almost no stunting from the DL or switches from the backers. Much like their OL it was attack down hill. It's almost like an attempt to keep them from thinking. This is your gap, so you hit it as hard as you can on that play. Ignore everything else.
-Their DT is big and fast, but wears down easy. Colgate did something interesting with him that worked. He lined up offset the center, and on about 60% of the run plays they optioned him. Gave him a free release and send the center out to the LB that would cover the A gap. He couldn't get to the hand off fast enough so the RB had a few yards on a wide open hole before anyone could get a hand on him. This guy loves to hit the QB so I'm not sure this is smart for UNI to do, given Eli's concussions. Their DL put up no effort if a traditional blocking system was used. They had no moves. The only moved they seemed to know was a swim move to the outside.
-DBs played 8-12 yards off and ran zone. Colgate exposed that with 7-9 yard comebacks and outs out of the slot. Also did quite a few comebacks using the outside WR to block the corner. Essentially a screen 7 yards down field.
Their defense is small, but it is quick. It's a big DT, 2 DEs that are basically ILBS, 3 backers that are all OLB and safties. Then a bunch of CBs



Basic take away for the offense:
-Beat the hell out of that DL. They were dead after a quarter and a half. This is where big OL help. Power run the hell out of them. Run them over. Just keep throwing a rotation of the three backs out there.
-This is going to be a great week for slants, quick hits, and then sluggos. I think we can really catch them on a wheel route out of the slot as well with Rima. Run enough power and in slants. Run a PA with the outside guy on a slant, send Rima on a wheel and bingo.
-Keep composure. These guys like to go a few seconds after the whistle and do a ton of extra talking.

Defense
GAP. That's is. Play your gap. Don't worry about all the movement. Focus on your gap. Win that gap Win the game. If everyone wins their gaps there is no where for the play to go. Build a wall from 3 yards outside the box to 3 yards outside of the box. Make them go around the box so our DBs can hand off coverage and then fly in to cover the edge.

[Purple member]

Is this the game that we played out there last year and there was something wrong with the press-box? Maybe I'm thinking of something else

[clenz]

2015 and kinda.

The press box for Gary was actually on top of their press box facility. Thankfully their stadium is small, so it doesn't seem like it was any worse than most places

[DomeIsHome]

Video from Farley yesterday:
On Cal Poly:

Offensive Line Play:

On Spencer Brown:

[DomeIsHome]

UNI game notes for the week

Cal Poly game notes for the week