Defenses on Uptempo Offensive Teams
by RTnuck on Oct 5, 2011 1:44 PM EDT
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Go Tigers!
Our defense has taken some lumps this year before looking better against VT. Yes, I know VT's offense is not a juggernaut, but its still pretty impressive to hold them to just 3 pts in their house. What I wanted to share though is something I've noticed about defenses on teams with uptempo offenses. Is it just me..or does it seem like defenses on most of these kinda teams suffer a little bit? Take a look at the Auburns and Oregons the last couple years. The offenses are putting up crazy numbers and points but their defenses have seemed a little suspect. It has felt that way here under Chads attack. The O has taken 5 steps forward but the defense looks to have taken a step back. Just so you know, I am not complaining. I wouldnt trade Morris for anybody right now! Just an observation. Maybe we shouldn't attack Steele or the D so quickly. Maybe, for whatever reason, it just comes with the territory of having that kind of O. Has any team had a dominating defense with an offense that wants to run like Auburn or Oregon? Also, does anyone have any thoughts about why this would hurt a team from a defensive standpoint? Do we focus mostly on O in practice? Does the D not get good looks at normal Offenses? Or is this all just coincidence??
These opinions are not necessarily those of the Proprietors of Shakin' The Southland.
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It hurts you because you dont see the same formations
so theres the possibility that you’ll get lined up wrong against a conventional opponent because you dont see it in practice. Also the pace is totally different so if the O goes 3 & out, the D goes right back out there without a rest.
But that isn’t our problem so much. It was in part of the Auburn game at the end of the 1st half, but not otherwise. We dont tackle well in space yet, and havent been setting the edge until the last two games. Neither of those is due to the offense they face in practice all week.
In addition to the items Dr. B pointed out
(specifically the poor tackling and inability to set the edge), you also have to realize that the Morris offense is designed to create more possessions. This isn’t just possessions for Clemson, but also for the opposition which also gives them more opportunities to move the ball. Couple that concept with a couple offensive three and outs and the defense does get more fatigued.
Obviously, this is not as big a problem if the Clemson offense is moving the ball because the defense gets rest and the team gets points (often times forcing the opponent to become one dimensional—which is good for a defense).
To get back to your question, fixing fundamental problems like open field tackling and perimeter run defense is core issue #1. After that, you can get into fatigue issues—especially if the offense isn’t moving the ball. I would argue that we have only seen that once this season, and that was in the first half of the Auburn game.
Clemson Sports Analysis and Insight
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