Orlando sorts film breakdown by position. How you practice around here is going to be how many reps you get, Orlando said. Enter your email address to follow this blog & make sure to follow on MatchQuarters.substackcom. The notion that the Big 12 doesnt play defense is false. Stanley, he has natural mobility. 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. Theres a little learning curve for him just the speed of the game and all that, but then Stanley also being very new to the position has his own learning curve.. LOS ANGELES USCs season-opening 28-27 win over Arizona State offered a glimpse of what first-year defensive coordinator Todd Orlandos defense will look like. The defense made the final stand to seal the victory, but it also gave up some big plays and surrendered 258 rushing yards to the Sun Devils. And Charles Omenihu won the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year award in 2018 with 9.5 sacks playing in the same scheme that ultimately limited Orlandos last defense in Austin. 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). But full contact could always force further change. Hes at his best when hes trying to get into the backfield, and thats what he was mainly asked to do on Saturday. There has been a critical error on this website. Orlando used it during his media availability on Wednesday, too. USC has officially found the new face of its defense. In that game, the Longhorns consistently confused a seasoned and well-coached offensive line, garnering two sacks and seven tackles for loss (TFLs). 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. One thing to not overlook is the away side 4i who has leverage on the away side tackle. Apr 5, 2021. Chase Williams has turned into a leader at the position while delivering physical blows when he attacks the ball. As I wrote in early 2019 after Texas defeated Georgia, Orlando's defense uses hybrid players and different alignments to put pressure on offenses. This might be the most talented position group on the USC roster, but there are still some concerns. Orlando has previously doubled as linebackers coach, a position that USC split last season between Johnny Nansen, who coached inside linebackers, and Joe DeForest, who coached outside linebackers. A look at how Texas defenders fit in Todd Orlando's scheme The Longhorns have plenty of returning talent for the prospective defensive coordinator to utilize. Todd Orlando, who has 16 years of experience as a collegiate defensive coordinator, was named USC's defensive coordinator in January of 2020. Senior middle linebackerGary Johnsoncame from a junior college in 2016 where the scheme was significantly less complex. And sometimes they went with a 3-4 look with its normal defensive line (Figueroa, Marlon Tuipulotu and Caleb Tremblay) and Jackson and Hunter Echols as outside linebackers. And as Saturday showed, thats a group with a long way to go. Herman clearly agrees. Written by Ian Boyd (@Ian_A_Boyd)for Athlon Sports. Today will be the day, Orlando said Wednesday morning. The goal of Orlandos defense is twofold: 1. From this ultra-quick 3-2-6 package, the Longhorns then unleashed a small part of Orlando's third-down package with such tremendous force that they started calling it every play against Oklahoma State and then expanded it over the rest of the season into a new base defense. As of Thursday morning, it has apparently filled out the rest of its coaching staffit has apparently filled out the rest of its There's no better way to demonstrate that than to look at howTexas defended the run. Then the injuries and attrition reduced depth at linebacker while inexperienced players tried to fill in, resulting in Orlando moving his best natural pass rusher, B-backer Joseph Ossai, to multiple positions around the field that kept him from attacking downhill. Todd Orlando looks to bring more physicality to USC's defense this year. This positionless style of play allows hybrid players, primarily at linebacker and defensive back, to play a larger role. FAU's defense . Defensive Coordinator & Linebackers. The "mac" or middle linebacker helps call the defense and serves as the "first responder" for the defense against the run, looking to plug gaps and spill blocks to the outside linebackers (or nickel and dime defenders as the case may be) and his partner the "rover" linebacker. You look toward the tail end of the game, our intent was to bring enough guys we could go at least six (defenders) for six (blockers) on them and force them to throw the football.. The only two Pac-12 schools behind them are Cal and winless Arizona. USC's new defensive coordinator didn't waste time schooling Trojans on new scheme New USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando didn't let the COVID-19 shutdown stop him from familiarizing the Trojans to his defense. Defenses in the Leauge were getting scored on at a historic rate. He also spent two years covering preps for the Orange County Register and Torrance Daily Breeze. In order to acclimate, the Longhorns flipped a script that usually prioritized stopping the run first 95 percent of the time. One of the key subplots to USCs season opener against Arizona State is the performance of the Trojans defense, more specifically the secondary. He did some things out there that were pretty special.. 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. Once at Texas, though, Orlando was inheriting a defense with great athletes but disparate pieces that hadn't been put together into a cohesive unit. Odd-front defenses with nickel and dime packages on the back end are en vogue across college football. The name of the game for Orlando is attacking opponents where they are always weakest -- in their ability to handle pressure and confusion with little reaction time. It wasnt all about the front either, the use of Match 3 (Rip/Liz) and the rebirth/redesign of the (Dime) Tampa 2, was a big contributor to how teams attacked the Longhorns, Cyclones, and Bulldogs. It is not going to be participation awards. Orlando, despite his concessions against the pass, said the beauty of the lighting package is Texas numbers up front still cover up against the run. Up front, the Longhorns moved third-down specialist Breckyn Hager into one of the 4i-technique DE positions, where his scrappy playing style allowed him to battle bigger offensive linemen despite his smaller stature (6'2" 240). The timing between Daniels and his receivers was off all game. His $1.7 million annual salary is the highest in Texas history for an assistant, and only two assistants nationally earned more in 2017, according to USA Today. 3 Kansas in 75-59 win. A four-run fourth inning broke the game open for the Longhorns, but they gave it all back and dropped the series opener. But structurally, in our opinion, its still so sound.. But beyond those six players, USC has question marks. But the Trojans just had a full, traditional offseason, from spring football to summer conditioning, creating Orlando, 47, is considered a rising head coaching candidate, and his contract reflects that. Orlando is a linebackers coach in a defense that asks the linebackers to be the primary playmakers on the team. Among current players, defensive end TaQuon Graham was something close to ecstatic about the potential for rushing the quarterback in Ashs defense following the Alamo Bowl win over Utah. Will Alabama transfer Ishmael Sopsher be healthy enough to do so? If you practice soft, youre going to play soft, Orlando said. Overall, the rotation was much shorter than what was utilized last year. - Darnold completed 57.1 percent of his passes against Texas (third worst of the year) and threw a season-high two picks. Most defensive coaches can recognize the usefulness of the front, but one thing is clear, Spread offenses will try and figure it out. It didnt matter much. But mostly, Halls role was to stay in the middle of the field to aggressively close on the many quick-hitting passes the Cowboys employed and discourage the posts that defined the offense. College football was temporarily revolutionized when hurry-up spread teams began to perfect the art of sending signals from the sideline to the field, allowing coordinators to make audibles and adjustments on behalf of their players. Some of the stuff he was about to say, I was already thinking. By Coachlamons @nukeit1981 Dec. Redshirt freshman Max Williams was the extra defensive back on the field in these packages. Most offensive schemes in the Big 12 didn't have many built-in answers for a versatile safety floating in the middle of the field and thwarting their route combos or coming unblocked against the run game. In reality, Texas players say their responsibilities change little from week to week. Greg Johnson is the veteran returner at nickel back. Once I left, I thought we were one and the same.. Gambling problem? Toughness is for naught if the player and coach relationship isnt strong enough to offset those consistent practice blows. Sometimes when youre a good player, youre just worried about yourself and making your plays, Orlando said. The Longhorns tried a few different alignments in the secondary, ultimately reverting back to their standard starting group while inserting tweener senior Jason Hall, a 6'2", 220-pounder with physicality and some coverage ability, into the dime role and then expanding that role beyond the robber alignment based off his particular skill set. No. Behind them, USC has transfers like Xavion Alford and Chris Thompson, not to mention a slew of freshmen. Roach believes that the changes will produce better results on the field and better position future defensive lines to make the jump to the next level. It also means Orlandos weekly priority of taking away what he calls "game wreckers" is even more imperative. Herman just needed to know if the pair would mesh personally. Though it did prove to be the origin of one of college footballs best coordinator-head coach relationships. The former is built on repetitive contact. But when asked what separates Orlando from other defensive coaches, Herman pointed out a single aspect of Orlandos repertoire: Its just his creativity, his adaptability.. At Texas, Orlando was inheriting a linebacker crew that was long on talent and exceptionally short on know-how. The use of small ball to counteract the space created by Spread offenses is understandable. 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. They were delayed for two months from when they would normally have a camp. As expected, USC hired Todd Orlando as its defensive coordinator on Friday. If that sounds like thinking, its because it is. Todd Orlando sees USC defense as work in progress USC defense showed positive signs in opening win over ASU Coach Todd Orlando of the USC Trojans during USC football practice at the. Roach believes that Orlandos odd front didnt let the defensive line showcase their abilities. 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. 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). The Trojans considered other candidates before settling on Orlando, even getting as far as discussing the parameters of a potential contract with Rams linebackers coach Joe Barry. He's previously covered his alma mater SMU and the WNBA for the Dallas Morning News and high school sports for the Long Beach Press-Telegram. A clearer picture of USCs new defense should crystallize in the coming days, with contact no longer limited. Click here to buy a copy today or visit your local newsstand! Figueroa had a breakout 2020 season and since then has added 15 pounds of muscle to give himself the flexibility to line up at his natural defensive end position or slide inside to play tackle. (213) 740-4204. Thats what practice is about. If the offense doesn't even know where the overload is coming from or who's dropping into coverage unless they can figure it out after the snap, they're more likely to have their own weak spots exposed than they are to hammer a favorable matchup with a pinpoint pass or run. For most of training camp, Jackson was limited by a hamstring issue, which caused some worry for Orlando, who thought the lack of reps might impact the edge rushers tackling. Pili underwent surgery last week on some broken fingers, which forced him to miss the game. The initial conversations went well. The SEC used to be one of the sole holdouts with only a few teams, namely Ole Miss and Texas A&M, embracing the shift. One of the areas in which Orlando has excelled as a teacher is in the art of disguising pressures and dictating to opponents with stop calls. That style of play didnt transfer to the NFL and the NFL didnt understand what type of player this guy was. The modern spread offense is defined largely by quick-hitting pass plays, run/pass options and finally play-action shots that often feature six- or seven-man protections. The Horns look to close out the inaugural season at the Moody Center with a 17-1 record. When youre giving up that many rushing yards, thats not a good thing with us, Orlando said. In turn, this could mean the end of the road for Orlando in Southern California regardless of who takes the job as head coach of the Trojans. Phone. However, Orlando was stubborn in keeping his defensive ends playing heads up on opposing offensive tackles instead of giving them early-down opportunities from the five technique like James Lynch enjoyed at Baylor.