Last night when I said I was 98 pct sure that Jalen Watts-Jackson was the guy who was supposed to be in the C-gap on that 19-yard run by Oregon during their opening drive, I was wrong. I looked into it, asked around, and found that it was the outside linebacker, Darien Harris, who wasn't supposed to be out with the trips bunch, and instead was supposed to be close to the box, if not in the box.
Oregon had a little bit of a change-up formation that time, with the bunch out wide to the right AND the tight end to the right, attached to the tackle. The tight end was "covered" by the split end. The tight end was ineligible. It was an unbalanced line.
I haven't charted every Oregon formation over the last five years, but I think this was a bit of a change-up formation for them. I don't think they run unbalanced very often (although MSU usually does it a handful of times each game).
Anyway, with the TE to that side, the OLB should have been in tighter.
Bullough was signaling for someone to come in and so was RJ Williamson. it looked to me like they were signaling in Watts-Jackson's direction.
Maybe they were at the time.
But after film study and conferring with coaches and everything else, it was supposed to be Harris in closer to the box for that particular defensive call vs that formation.
So I was wrong and I apologize to Watts-Jackson.
**
As for Harris, I also noted that he was tired, tired, tired at the end of that play and signaled to come out. He was replaced by Dowell for the next two snaps.
Harris was straight-legged and winded prior to that snap. So he was obviously battling to get his breath, and that's when we've seen guys fog out on their assignments. Understandable. That's what Oregon is playing for.
The amazing thing is what good shape Harris is in, but he could get gassed like a cheetah in just seven or eight snaps. This was literally three minutes into the game.
Harris said he was working on conditioning for this year. But some guys just don't have the conditioning capacity that other guys have. We saw it a little bit from him in the WMU game.
Good player, good leader. Going to need Dowell to play some more snaps, though, I think.
As for Dowell, he was late taking on a blocker in his game on Oregon's first TD. That'll be a teaching moment.
Oregon had a little bit of a change-up formation that time, with the bunch out wide to the right AND the tight end to the right, attached to the tackle. The tight end was "covered" by the split end. The tight end was ineligible. It was an unbalanced line.
I haven't charted every Oregon formation over the last five years, but I think this was a bit of a change-up formation for them. I don't think they run unbalanced very often (although MSU usually does it a handful of times each game).
Anyway, with the TE to that side, the OLB should have been in tighter.
Bullough was signaling for someone to come in and so was RJ Williamson. it looked to me like they were signaling in Watts-Jackson's direction.
Maybe they were at the time.
But after film study and conferring with coaches and everything else, it was supposed to be Harris in closer to the box for that particular defensive call vs that formation.
So I was wrong and I apologize to Watts-Jackson.
**
As for Harris, I also noted that he was tired, tired, tired at the end of that play and signaled to come out. He was replaced by Dowell for the next two snaps.
Harris was straight-legged and winded prior to that snap. So he was obviously battling to get his breath, and that's when we've seen guys fog out on their assignments. Understandable. That's what Oregon is playing for.
The amazing thing is what good shape Harris is in, but he could get gassed like a cheetah in just seven or eight snaps. This was literally three minutes into the game.
Harris said he was working on conditioning for this year. But some guys just don't have the conditioning capacity that other guys have. We saw it a little bit from him in the WMU game.
Good player, good leader. Going to need Dowell to play some more snaps, though, I think.
As for Dowell, he was late taking on a blocker in his game on Oregon's first TD. That'll be a teaching moment.
