Five Plays: Florida State Third Quarter
· Yahoo Sports
The Louisville football team took complete control of their game against Florida State in the third quarter of their matchup last Friday. I clipped some plays while adding my personal analysis to each play below.
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In every game, Lincoln Kienholz makes a throw that makes Jeff Brohm’s critique of his ability to pass in the pocket look a little questionable. Here he gets to the top of his drop before putting a ball right between two defenders for a nice chunk play.
I like that you can see how decisive he is on this play as soon as he sees the zone defender in the middle of the field shade toward the slot receiver to the top of the screen. It’s immediate once the defender squares up. His decision to throw it quickly is validated as the defender turns his hips before swinging back around, only to be a step late to make the play. Kienholz puts great pace on this throw to ensure that his receiver can make the play. This is the type of play you expect from a guy who has been a starter for a year or two.
Kienholz was really disappointed in himself after this throw, and it’s because he throws the wrong ball on this play. Throws down the field are not always created equally, and this is a good example of that. Post routes typically require a throw that is more on a line so that you can hit the receiver in stride as he splits defenders who will be closing on the ball. That’s what we see here, but this ball would have to be perfect for it to be completed on a line.
Tre Richardson has track speed. You can always throw the ball like he is going to outrun everyone, because he likely will. On this play, the ball should be put somewhere into the “I” or “L” in the endzone so that Richardson can run under it. It doesn’t need a lot of air, but it needs enough air that he can run under it, as opposed to what we see with him trying to reach for it. If this ball is right on him, both defenders have a chance to make a play on the ball, or on Richardson to dislodge the ball. A little bit of air and this is a touchdown.
Kudos to Brian Brohm for going right back to a shot play right after the above incompletion. It helps build the confidence of your quarterback while sending a message to the offense that you believe they can make the play. It also tells the opposing defense that you are going to make them quit. FSU fully quit after this play.
Kienholz doesn’t throw a perfect ball, but this is a nice throw with a defender right in his face. He puts air under the ball and gives Lawayne McCoy a chance to make a play for him. The FSU secondary was much worse than I expected, and the Cards took advantage when they could.
Solve your problems with violence. It’s a mindset that we’ve seen at times from this defense, and I love it. FSU ran this play earlier in the game where they completed the shovel pass to the running back for a first down. Austin Daniels has the option to go for the shovel pass or to hit the tight end in the flat.
AJ Green makes that decision for him by just blowing up the play on his own. Look at how quickly he gets on Daniels to take away either option. Daniels takes two and a half steps before he has to run for his life. Green gets his off arm before he pulls him in and wraps up both of his arms. Daniels does well to flick his wrist to get the ball away for an incompletion on this play.
Another thing that I really loved to see was Green avoiding the urge to take Daniels to the ground. Instead, he pushes him down to avoid any chance of a roughing the passer call. It seems like a small thing, but it’s a veteran move that we need to see more of from this team.
Having a quarterback that can make a free defender miss like this is so much fun.
It took until the third quarter, but we had one offensive line blunder in this game. Johnnie Brown is the release blocker on this screen pass, which means he is responsible for the first defender who is a threat. He somehow lets that defender run right past him without laying a hand on him. This play is blown up before it even gets going.
Brown should be chopping his feet right around the time that he reaches the black line on the screen. At worst, he can then wall off the defender, but he can probably latch on to him and drive him out of the way. Even if the defender goes low to take him out as a blocker, Brown is doing his job, which is all you can ask of him. If this gets blown up because FSU makes a good play, you tip your cap and move on. You can’t just not make the block like this.
This looks pretty similar to a defensive call in the second quarter that led to a throw away against a three-man rush. However, the defense drops into zone coverage on this play, with the linebackers dropping out of their mugged up look. Kaleb Beasley goes from being about 10 yards away from the line of scrimmage to being 40 or so yards down the field to make a play on the ball.
This call doesn’t work if you’re constantly in zone coverage. Daniels reads man coverage before the snap, and when he doesn’t see what he likes post-snap, he just throws it up to his fast receiver who is running through what looks like a void in the zone. He has an easy first down to his running back to his left, but the look the defense gives him, paired with the pressure he’s been under all night, gives him tunnel vision.