Teams that are built for defensive speed to stop a passing offense, with good lateral speed, probably have the raw materials to stop an option attack. Particularly if you have more safeties than CB's on your roster. I think we have what we need, so long as we are prepared.
Thank goodness we have more than a week to prepare!!
As any of us who have played against an option at pretty much any level know, the first rule is that the QB needs to get hit on any play when he gets outside the tackles. He has to know that he will be hit and he has to have that in mind as he is evaluating whether to give to the lead back on a dive, keep or pitch. Ideally, knowing he will be hit will mess with his pitch timing & execution. We've already had to commit at least 3 middle defenders from the get-go against a dive, and a guy has to be dedicated to contain the QB on each side, so the bare minimum is to have at least one more guy on each side that is as fast as the HB who is dedicated to stringing him out to the sideline if there is a pitch, or who can help with the QB if he keeps. The DE or OLB who is dedicated on each side to the QB has to be very reliable, because every time he gets faked into going to the HB instead of staying with the QB, the defense pays. My favorite trick play out of the option is for the HB to pass it at the last second, since after dozens of plays where the HB takes the pitch and runs, the CB can be lulled into dropping the WR and coming up to help against the run too early. That might only work once per game, but it is a back breaker when it happens. Given that this is a bowl, I'll predict that we'll see it once.
The wild card is if an option team can actually pass the ball, even if it is only short tight end routes. Does anybody know if Air Force plays much double tight end? And do they occasionally throw out of that formation? I assume that they occasionally bring a WR in motion back to the center of the field and use him to crack back on the OLB, but if that WR can fake that and break downfield it can also be a DB discipline thing to keep him covered.
I got to see all the above in OU's 1985 championship run while living there. Holieway was an outstanding option QB, and could even throw if he had to. Defending them was a nightmare. A lot of self discipline and preparation are needed to defend a well run option. We'll have our hands full. But with the prep time, we should be able to have a good plan.
Thank goodness we have more than a week to prepare!!
As any of us who have played against an option at pretty much any level know, the first rule is that the QB needs to get hit on any play when he gets outside the tackles. He has to know that he will be hit and he has to have that in mind as he is evaluating whether to give to the lead back on a dive, keep or pitch. Ideally, knowing he will be hit will mess with his pitch timing & execution. We've already had to commit at least 3 middle defenders from the get-go against a dive, and a guy has to be dedicated to contain the QB on each side, so the bare minimum is to have at least one more guy on each side that is as fast as the HB who is dedicated to stringing him out to the sideline if there is a pitch, or who can help with the QB if he keeps. The DE or OLB who is dedicated on each side to the QB has to be very reliable, because every time he gets faked into going to the HB instead of staying with the QB, the defense pays. My favorite trick play out of the option is for the HB to pass it at the last second, since after dozens of plays where the HB takes the pitch and runs, the CB can be lulled into dropping the WR and coming up to help against the run too early. That might only work once per game, but it is a back breaker when it happens. Given that this is a bowl, I'll predict that we'll see it once.
The wild card is if an option team can actually pass the ball, even if it is only short tight end routes. Does anybody know if Air Force plays much double tight end? And do they occasionally throw out of that formation? I assume that they occasionally bring a WR in motion back to the center of the field and use him to crack back on the OLB, but if that WR can fake that and break downfield it can also be a DB discipline thing to keep him covered.
I got to see all the above in OU's 1985 championship run while living there. Holieway was an outstanding option QB, and could even throw if he had to. Defending them was a nightmare. A lot of self discipline and preparation are needed to defend a well run option. We'll have our hands full. But with the prep time, we should be able to have a good plan.
