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Kent State Film Review: Q1

By Dbbm
Kent State v Clemson Photo by Todd Bennett/Getty Images

Welcome back to film review!

We’re excited to tell you that we are going to be trying some slightly different formats this season. Hopefully this format reads a little cleaner, but please let us know what you think in the comments.

Clemson Ball, Clemson 35, 15:00, 0-0

Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
1st and 10 11 vs. 4-3 over Zone read, Kelly Bryant keeper behind Milan Richards who is able to seal off the force defender, gain of 12 Richard and Deon Cains perimeter blocking sprung the play and Kelly Bryant is able to take advantage
Perimeter blocking makes or breaks zone read keepers

Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
1st and 10 11 vs. 4-3 over QB power, snap a little to the left of Bryant and it delays the timing of the blocking, a yard forward and a cloud of dust With Kent State putting seven in the box it makes sense to involve Bryant in the run game, but if Falcinelli can't snap and pull (he was the kickout blocker) Clemson may be in for a frustrating season. It's lower level competition but Mitch Hyatt is manhandling whoever he can get his hands on.
2nd and 9 11 vs. 4-3 over, one safety in the box, both corners showing press Naked bootleg, Bryant's first read is open in the flats and Milan Richards (with the help of Hunter Renfrow absolutely leveling someone) makes his quarterback look good with some YAC Richards came across from the formation and leaked to the flats, for the first couple seconds the play looks pretty much exactly like a run with the end kicking out. With K State in man defense the OLB has to notice Richards coming out of the backfield instead of getting sucked up into the running fake.
1st and 10 11 vs. 4-3 over, both safeties near the line of scrimmage Power handoff to CJ Fuller, the right side of the line double team clears a hole, Hearns pancakes the end kicking out the edge and Richards is able to kick the force defender out. Twenty six yards touchdown! When you can open a hole like the right side of the offensive line did it's nearly impossible not to pick up five yards. Bringing the safeties near the line of scrimmage is generally a run stopping tactic but if the RB can get past the second level there's nothing but daylight. The threat of Bryant rolling out helped freeze the backside pursuit.

Kent State Ball, Kent State 24, 13:42, 7-0

Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
1st and 10 21 unbalanced pistol vs 4-3 over Outside zone pitch stong side, Austin Bryant sets the edge in the backfield and a half a dozen Tigers arrive from the backside of the play to make the tackle Clemson's safeties are playing the run aggressively, sitting flat footed and waiting to come downhill to set the edge in Quarters. Clemson doesn't seem particularly worried about being beat over the top
2nd and 9 30 diamond vs. 4-3 over Cover one, Kendall Joseph blitz into a triple option. Holley tries to cutback and gets tackled by Tanner Muse after a one yard gain Optioning off of Clemson's defensive linemen is about as good an answer to not being able to block them as any, and Holley almost had a hole. Tanner Muse however isn't even pretending to care about the pass from his position as the deep safety.
3rd and 7 11 vs. 4-3 over Slot motions to the backfield, another triple option out of the pistol, dive handoff stuffed well short of a first down Kent State's OL is struggling to get a hand on second level blockers and the back seven is flying around, punt

Clemson Ball, Clemson 30, 11:18, 7-0

Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
1st and 10 11 trips vs. 4-2 nickel Inside zone read + bubble screen, the nickel comes up to play the run and Bryant makes the right read, throwing it to McCloud on the bubble screen for some easy yards Putting the tight end opposite trips stretches defenses horizontally. What's most exciting about this play is Bryant seems to be making this as a post snap read. If he can routinely execute RPO's it would take a lot of pressure off his dropback passing game

Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
2nd and 9 11 vs. 4-3 over, one safety in the box A fairly half hearted jet sweep fake to McCloud is all it takes to get Deon Cain wide open downfield. Kent State is rushing four with one player staying back to spy the TD and a free safety deep but he can't get to the numbers in time. Touchdown! While cover one is more safe against the deep pass than cover zero only having one deep safety oftentimes leaves teams exposed to the sideline. Leaving a corner one on one with Cain like this just isn't fair

Kent State Ball, Kent State 20, 10:37, 14-0

Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
1st and 10 21 unbalanced vs. 4-3 over Double A gap blitz from the Will and the Mike, cover zero behind it, inside zone handoff Kendall Joseph knifes through the line and takes the back down in the backfield Nothing kills zone running, a slow developing scheme by design, quick like penetration
2nd and 13 21 unbalanced vs. 4-3 over Triple option out of the pistol, handoff, Wilkins and Lawrence collapse the play almost instantly There's not a lot any offense can do when the other teams front seven is throwing a party in their backfield

Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
3rd and 13 10 vs. DOD, with O'Daniel playing nickel and Simmons getting snaps as a box safety Delay of game
3rd and 18 10 vs. DOD False start
3rd and 23 10 vs. DOD False start
3rd and 28 21 unbalanced vs. 4-3 over Inside zone handoff snuffed after a short gain, PUNT This play also almost had a delay of game. K State is a mess on offense

Clemson Ball, Clemson 46, 7:22, 14-0

Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
1st and 10 11 vs. 4-3 over, WR to the tight end side playing tight Richards and Overton do a nice job setting the edge for a bucksweep. Maverick Morris kind of gets lost in the wash but Josh Simpson does a fantastic job lead blocking in space. Gain of a few Clemson is already starting to work depth players in on the offensive line and it's nice to see young players performing well given the chance. The WR core has a size advantage on pretty much the entire Golden Flashes secondary and it's shown in their blocking
2nd and 7 empty vs. 4-2 Double slants to one side, stick to the other, Overton is able to get open underneath with a combination of a nice cut and a generous cushion Bryant likely is told to throw to the slant side against man and stick against zone. It helps ensure you don't have to audible and reduces the amount of field he has to read.
1st and 10 11 vs. 4-3 over Jet sweep to Amari Rodgers, Richards almost gets the play blown up in the backfield, the offensive line does a nice job sealing off backside pursuit. Rodgers gets run to the sideline after a gain of nine It's interesting that the offensive line is blocking inside zone away from the jet sweep and having the tight end seal the defensive end off. It resembles the jet sweep/inside zone package Beilema and Canada have run but with the QB replacing the RB as the inside rushing threat. I wouldn't be surprised to see Bryant get a few keepers off this action in the future

Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
2nd and 1 11 trips vs. 4-3 over Play action pass with a guard pulling on the rollout and tight end chipping the DE, the recievers to the field side ran switch, well placed ball but ultimately dropped Bryant looks good throwing short to medium passes on the run. Kent State has been sitting in a lot of one high coverages.
3rd and 1 10 trips vs. 4-1 dime QB draw opposite the trips side, there was a guy spying Bryant but Choice did just enough to clear a hole. Bryant's quickness is special Running QB draw away from trips, especially if the three receivers are set to the field, is a great way to take 3-4 defenders out of the equation in a short yardage situation
1st and 10 11 trips vs. 4-2 nickel Split zone, Morris and Pollard drove their men off the ball and Falcinelli sealed off the playside linebacker, Feaster accelerates as fast as anyone in the country If Feasters quickness translates between the tackles against better, larger teams he is going to be a problem
1st and 10 11 trips vs. 4-2 nickel Counter blown up in the backfield, the hole was there but Feaster chose to bounce outside Kent State is playing cover three and rotating the strong safety down to the trips side pretty much every time.
2nd and 12 11 vs. 4-2 nickel Five man rush from the Golden Flashes, cover one, inside zone handoff, no one is able to get a push, back to the LOS and nothing else Speaking of problems Jon Cunningham has been active in the backfield more than you'd prefer
3rd and 12 10 vs. 4-2 nickel Both linebackers showing blitz before dropping back, three man rush, one spy, designed flare screen to Choice gets nearly enough for a first down Bryant hasn't been asked to do much in the passing game but he's handled it well
4th and 1 11 vs. 4-3 over Illegal Substitution, Kent State ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
1st and goal 11 vs. 4-3 over Both safeties in the box, inside zone read behind Pollard and Maverick who do a fantastic job paving a way for Choice.Touchdown! Note the two defenders frozen backside by the threat of Bryant keeping the ball. Whether Anchrum or Pollard wins the starting job full time they've been impressive today.

Kent State Ball, Kent State 25, 3:18, 21-0

Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
Down & Distance Formation Play Anaylsis
1st and 10 10 vs. 4-2 Pistol inside zone, five man rush, no one touches the blitzing linebacker and Joseph makes the tackle at the line I'm surprised there've been less direct snap runs to Holley given the workload he often took on last year
2nd and 10 10 vs. 4-2 Orbit motion, fake handoff, speed option to the side the receiver originally came from. Trayvon Mullen made a nice open field tackle that probably saved a first down Clemson was getting used to that motion and running a play wide to the same side a jet/orbit came from is a nice way to keep opposing pursuit honest or break a big play
3rd and 5 10 vs. 4-2 Both linebackers blitz to the left side of the line and Holley is able, after breaking a couple of tackles to scramble into the space that creates Aggressive defense gives, aggressive defense takes away
1st and 10 10 vs. 4-2 Orbit motion again, fake handoff, Holley runs wide like he's going to keep it before pitching it to a slot for a reverse. Almost enough for a first down Tanner Muse has been making plays all over the field, particularly in the running game. He did also catch a personal foul but the hit didn't seem particularly egregious.
1st and 10 30 diamond vs. 4-3 over Inside zone dive and the Golden Flashes RB is able to tumble forward for a few yards Clemson has both safeties about eight yards from the line of scrimmage in the middle of the field. Teams oftentimes run the diamond formation to get one on one matchups for their best wide receivers. The drawback to this is if the other team feels comfortable leaving their corners on islands there's nothing to stop the defense from stacking the box
2nd and 5 30 diamond vs. 4-3 over Fake dive, speed option, Holley is forced to pitch and the back gets tackled by defenses best friend when there's no lateral room left

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