With 11' to go in the 3Q Wake Forest had the lead on VaTech 17-13. "Hokies" scored the next twenty-three unanswered. Tech has got a very shifty little offensive scheme. It's a litt...It's a lot, actually, like defending the triple option that Oklahoma ran in Bud Wilkinson's day. I had trouble following the play on some occasions.
Pitt has got to play disciplined defense against this team, they've got to stay in their lanes, stay with their assignments and not go chasing phantoms. KEEP HOOKER IN FRONT OF YOU! CLOG THE MIDDLE, KEEP HIM IN THE BACKFIELD! Like against OU the key to beating a quasi-triple option team is one guy is always assigned the QB. No matter where that mother fucker goes just stay with him. Now it took college professors of pigskin about twenty fucking years to figure out how to defend the triple option so I don’t minimize it; you have to have to have quick, intelligent, disciplined players on defense but the triple option largely has been consigned to the dust bin of history and the book has long been out on defending any of its modern variations. If you jump on an option-y team, get up early on them, and Pitt does that, the option team is really behind the eight ball. They can’t pass and it’s difficult to catch up running.
So far at least Hooker has a typical triple option QB's deficiencies; he does not pass very well, he has neither the arm strength nor the accuracy. So, so many of his passes have been out in the flat--essentially run plays. VaTech's offense goes south on clear pass calls, that is, where Hooker is stationary in the pocket and is looking to throw downfield—that does not end well for Hooker. He gets sacked. Pitt leads the nation in sacks. I’m tellin’ ya, if Pitt gets out to one of its 24-3 leads and forces Hooker to pass? That turkey is cooked.
When Hooker runs, which he does a lot, he is a spindly kid, and when he takes a good hit, he looks like he's going to come apart. That's the vulnerability of a quasi-triple option QB. On one play he ran for like 30 yards, got down to about the 10 and then took a good lick and the ball came flying out like a fucking projectile. Recovered by Wake.
-I just saw another one. Tech forced an INT and on 3rd down and took over. On a clear pass, Hooker got hit and the ball flew out like a wounded duck. FORCE HOOKER TO PASS DOWNFIELD! You don't have to blitz, that, in fact can open running lanes in the middle. KEEP THOSE HOLES PLUGGED. KEEP HIM BACK THERE! 5:30 left 3Q and Tech kicked a FG. 23-17.
-Tech also can't tackle.
-At least in this game, Wake did not have much of a running game. Deep in the 4th Q with Tech up by 12, when Tech knows Wake has to pass the ball their D-line is a jail break. Pitt also has no running game.
-Okay. The last VaTech score is going to come off just such a jail break in an obvious passing situation with Wake's QB standing on his own goal line with about 4' left. He gets hit, quack, quack, quack...or gobble, gobble, gobble, and Tech intercepts on the 7.
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That's the bottom line, see? Bottom line is VaTech won that game with a sneaky, shifty running game. Pitt must play disciplined D and harass Hooker. I will be very disappointed in Duzz and Charlie Partridge if they don't have their defense prepared for this and disciplined in its execution. If they do, if Duzz does, I see every reason that Pitt will win this game. And speaking of execution, I again implore young, spindly Hendon Hooker to make quite sure his medical insurance is FULL coverage.
Pitt has got to play disciplined defense against this team, they've got to stay in their lanes, stay with their assignments and not go chasing phantoms. KEEP HOOKER IN FRONT OF YOU! CLOG THE MIDDLE, KEEP HIM IN THE BACKFIELD! Like against OU the key to beating a quasi-triple option team is one guy is always assigned the QB. No matter where that mother fucker goes just stay with him. Now it took college professors of pigskin about twenty fucking years to figure out how to defend the triple option so I don’t minimize it; you have to have to have quick, intelligent, disciplined players on defense but the triple option largely has been consigned to the dust bin of history and the book has long been out on defending any of its modern variations. If you jump on an option-y team, get up early on them, and Pitt does that, the option team is really behind the eight ball. They can’t pass and it’s difficult to catch up running.
So far at least Hooker has a typical triple option QB's deficiencies; he does not pass very well, he has neither the arm strength nor the accuracy. So, so many of his passes have been out in the flat--essentially run plays. VaTech's offense goes south on clear pass calls, that is, where Hooker is stationary in the pocket and is looking to throw downfield—that does not end well for Hooker. He gets sacked. Pitt leads the nation in sacks. I’m tellin’ ya, if Pitt gets out to one of its 24-3 leads and forces Hooker to pass? That turkey is cooked.
When Hooker runs, which he does a lot, he is a spindly kid, and when he takes a good hit, he looks like he's going to come apart. That's the vulnerability of a quasi-triple option QB. On one play he ran for like 30 yards, got down to about the 10 and then took a good lick and the ball came flying out like a fucking projectile. Recovered by Wake.
-I just saw another one. Tech forced an INT and on 3rd down and took over. On a clear pass, Hooker got hit and the ball flew out like a wounded duck. FORCE HOOKER TO PASS DOWNFIELD! You don't have to blitz, that, in fact can open running lanes in the middle. KEEP THOSE HOLES PLUGGED. KEEP HIM BACK THERE! 5:30 left 3Q and Tech kicked a FG. 23-17.
-Tech also can't tackle.
-At least in this game, Wake did not have much of a running game. Deep in the 4th Q with Tech up by 12, when Tech knows Wake has to pass the ball their D-line is a jail break. Pitt also has no running game.
-Okay. The last VaTech score is going to come off just such a jail break in an obvious passing situation with Wake's QB standing on his own goal line with about 4' left. He gets hit, quack, quack, quack...or gobble, gobble, gobble, and Tech intercepts on the 7.
_______________________________________________________
That's the bottom line, see? Bottom line is VaTech won that game with a sneaky, shifty running game. Pitt must play disciplined D and harass Hooker. I will be very disappointed in Duzz and Charlie Partridge if they don't have their defense prepared for this and disciplined in its execution. If they do, if Duzz does, I see every reason that Pitt will win this game. And speaking of execution, I again implore young, spindly Hendon Hooker to make quite sure his medical insurance is FULL coverage.