I am going to change my focus this week. Instead of highlighting what plays and players make our opponent successful, I am going to look at how Colorado was foiled by Arizona State on a few select plays.
Stopping the Run
Cal's defense this year has made stopping the run the primary objective. Although Colorado runs a balanced offense (118 running attempts vs 135 passing attempts) the Buffaloes, like most teams, will use the run on first down to stay out of 3rd and long situations.
On this play Colorado has a Tight End lined up next to the right Tackle with a Fullback and Tailback. This is the classic "I - Formation", a classic power running formation. This formation is what the defense calls "strong right", which means that the Tight End is on the right thereby making that the most likely way to run (the Strong Side of the field).
ASU has a 4-3 defense, four defensive linemen and three linebackers with 2 Safeties and 3 Cornerbacks. The safety towards the top of the screen is playing close to the line of scrimmage in a run supporting position while the Defensive End on that side is standing up in a pass support position. The Defensive End circled in blue, #1 senior Marcus Hardison, is going to be the key player for both teams.
Colorado plans to run to the weak side, away from their Tight End. This is going to make the blocking angles difficult but it is designed to take the defense by surprise and allow the running back to run to the wider side of the field. The CU left Tackle must seal the edge by hook blocking the Defensive End. The Guards are responsible for blocking the backside Linebackers while the Center and Right Tackle block the other Defensive linemen. The Fullback is isolated on the Linebacker on the play side. With all these players blocked the Tailback should be able to get 5 to 7 yards before the Safety can get to him, if the safety cannot make the tackle it will be a big play. Overall it should be a good conservative play to run on First Down allowing Colorado to take a chance on Second Down.
That isn't the way it works out...
The Defensive End #1 is able to get "outside leverage", he prevents the hook block by driving the offensive lineman back and keeping his right arm extended which turns the Tackle's shoulders, and drives him upfield. The Linebacker is able to keep contain and the Safety makes the play for a 2 yard loss. Now Colorado is in second and long, in danger of third and long.
Stopping the Zone Read
Colorado has a Zone Read in their offensive playbook. They dial it up as a play to gain a sure 4-5 yards on First Down. Here CU has 4 Wide Receivers and a Running Back. ASU is once again in the 4-3 this time with a Linebacker lined up over the slot WR/TE. Colorado is going to leave the play side Defensive End unblocked while the linemen block down and the Right Guard pulls to lead block on the Linebacker.
For ASU the key players are circled in purple. The play side Defensive End, Linebacker and Safety. The Defensive End "Stays Home" which means he stays at the line of scrimmage and reads the play. The Linebacker comes on a designed blitz and is responsible for outside contain (he cannot let the ball carrier get outside of him because there is no one there to help him). The Safety becomes responsible for the WR/TE in the slot towards the bottom of the screen.
The Colorado Quarterback, Sefo Liufau has three options on this play:
1. Hand off to the Running Back who will run wide
2. Keep the ball and follow the pulling Guard's lead block up the middle of the field
3. Pass the ball to the slot receiver at the top of the screen who is behind the line of scrimmage (meaning he can legally catch the ball with linemen blocking down field)
Except that the Sun Devils have all three options covered.
Liufau keeps the ball for no gain, the unblocked Defensive End is able to make the play because the blitzing Linebacker has contain responsibilities. Once again Colorado faces second and long.
The Trick Play
This was one of the most interesting plays I saw Colorado run during the ASU game. The play itself is fairly simple but the pre-snap movement is what makes it tricky.
Colorado lines up with all their eligible receivers: Tight End and 2 Wide Receivers on their left which is the wide side of the field. This is a very unbalanced formation, close to something Stanfurd would run. ASU stays balanced on defense leaving a Cornerback and Safety on the Weak Side (side without the Tight End) while splitting just one Linebacker towards the Wide Side of the field. Everything about this formation says that Colorado will run or pass to the Wide Side of the field. The man advantage and open grass are to the left. ASU must be thinking the same thing. Whatever Colorado is going to do it will be to the Strong Side.
But Colorado motions out of this formation, moving the Tight End to the short side of the field and bringing the Fullback into the backfield in an I-Formation. The Strong Side of the field flipped with the Tight End. Is Colorado going to run a play to the Strong Side (toward the top of the picture) or towards the Wide Side (open grass at the bottom of the picture)?
Colorado brings one more man into motion, the Wide Receiver, towards the Strong Side of their formation.
With the movement of the Wide Receiver the Linebacker lined up over him shifts into a more balanced position behind the defensive line. Colorado has flipped their formation around and the defense has to compensate.
At the snap the left Guard Pulls and the Fullback goes to his right. The defensive is taught to "key" on certian players to tell them where the play is going to go. The Keys are that the Guard pulls towards the side of the run and the Fullback blocks towards the side of the run. If you follow the blockers you will find the ball.
This play, however, is a Misdirection. All the Keys are going toward to top of the screen. The Offensive Line is blocking like this is a run towards the top of the screen. All the pre-snap movement and the after snap blocking are meant to put one thought into the head of the defense and specifically the Defensive End #1: this is a run to the Strong Side of the field.
The Wide Receiver at the snap reverses his direction going the opposite way of the flow of the rest of his team, the hand off is to HIM.
The entire Defense follows their Keys and flow to the Strong Side but #1 stays disciplined. His job is to keep contain and prevent anything from getting outside of him. He is the only one who can make this play and he does. The Wide Receiver eventually eludes him but the rest of the defense is able to recover and swarm the ball carrier for a big loss instead of a big gain.
The Wrap
Colorado is going to run the ball and will often run it on first down. Discipline by the defensive end will be crucial to Cal's efforts to stop the run. In each of these plays it was the Defensive End who Colorado was targeting and who had to make the right play. If the Bears' Ends do their jobs the tackles will come to them. If they go chasing in search of glory the team will get burned.
We have all been impressed with the improvement of the Golden Bear defense and their continued growth and adherence to fundamentals like Keeping Contain will be what brings wins back to Berkeley. Stopping the run has been an emphasis of the Cal defense in 2014 and one of the areas of major improvement from last year. What will the defense need to do to stop the Colorado Buffaloes run game?