Watched some of LSU replay on SECN last night, and noticed something pretty interesting on the 4th & 32 play - leaving aside decision to go for it in 1st place (I was mostly fine with it, but whatever)
Some people questioned why you wouldn’t throw it deep. Fair question, though it turns out LSU blitzed with 6 guys to make sure we didn’t have time for that.
I assumed the rationale was it’s an easy completion & pitch and with rest of defense very deep you’d easily pick up 15-20 yds (taking them out of FG range if they didn’t pick up a 1st down; and not making a massive difference vs an average punt if they in turn had to punt it back to us.) And you otherwise hope for the off chance that Wease evades some guys or slightly more likely get a facemask, etc for a lucky first down.
Watching the replay however, there was almost certainly A LOT MORE TO IT.
The basics: Blood came from right slot and did a short hook in middle of the field where Cook tossed it to him. Wease came underneath on a short cross from left side and took the pitch from him. He looks like he thinks about pitching it elsewhere to keep play going but turns up field. DBs converge on him from deep with a few of blitzers chasing from behind – gained 16 yds to near midfield but no where close to what we needed & didn’t really threaten.
The more interesting parts …
- After pass-blocking for a couple secs until BC gets the short pass off, the entire OL jogs kind of nonchalantly to the left basically in a line outside the left hash marks (opposite side where Wease is headed)
- Schrader, after picking up one of the blitzing LBs, also drifts out to the left, a bit farther outside and trailing the last of the OL
- Blood fades over to the left hash after pitching it to Wease. And Mookie, lined up outside right runs a deep cross about 15-17 yds deep – curiously not really trying to block any of the deep DBs coming up to tackle Wease but continuing to the left hash himself
- Only other guy on the field is LB3 who was lined up next to Mookie on right side but doesn’t do much – basically takes a couple steps beyond LOS and just kind of stands there.
NET: Wease takes the hook & ladder pitch but running to the right side with literally no one to block for him and making him easy pickings for LSU defenders
Kind of lacking in the creativity department at best. At worst, WTF???
Which begs the question …
HAS ANYONE EVER SEEN LUTHER THROW THE BALL?
Because I’m almost certain we were supposed to on that play. (And I assume he’s got a pretty good arm, bc duh!)
Watching replay, the design was almost certainly for Wease to take the pitch from Blood, come across to the right & pitch it back to LB3 in right flat … who’d throw a long lateral back across the field to Schrader. And LB WAS looking for the ball
Would it have worked? Probably not, just bc there’s a lot of moving parts that need to go right and those things rarely do … and especially not for 32 yards.
BUT it was set up really well and at least had a chance – especially with LSU blitzing guys, who then turned to chase the ball/Wease to the right. There were 5 deep DBs – all roughly pursuing Wease on the right side. Maybe one stayed deep in the middle. Of course, they’d change course if LB chucked it across the field.
But we had a 7-man convoy/wall set up on the right hash – all 5 OL and with Mookie & Blood out in front
Would have been interesting at least 🤷🏻♂️
Why didn’t Wease pitch it? Who knows. Maybe just pushed the “abort” button they inevitably gave him if he didn’t like the “look” (seems okay watching but maybe that was right call) … or maybe he just thought he saw an opening to head up field.
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We’ll never know. And they probably won’t try it again anytime soon since coaches will see what they were trying to do. (And hopefully don’t have a lot of 4th & 32s regardless)
But would’ve been fun to see what happened.
P.S. or it would’ve been an epic disaster but at least given people something better to rage about than trying to throw the ball to our best player on a 2nd & 1 when we needed 40+ yds for go-ahead TD 😉
Some people questioned why you wouldn’t throw it deep. Fair question, though it turns out LSU blitzed with 6 guys to make sure we didn’t have time for that.
I assumed the rationale was it’s an easy completion & pitch and with rest of defense very deep you’d easily pick up 15-20 yds (taking them out of FG range if they didn’t pick up a 1st down; and not making a massive difference vs an average punt if they in turn had to punt it back to us.) And you otherwise hope for the off chance that Wease evades some guys or slightly more likely get a facemask, etc for a lucky first down.
Watching the replay however, there was almost certainly A LOT MORE TO IT.
The basics: Blood came from right slot and did a short hook in middle of the field where Cook tossed it to him. Wease came underneath on a short cross from left side and took the pitch from him. He looks like he thinks about pitching it elsewhere to keep play going but turns up field. DBs converge on him from deep with a few of blitzers chasing from behind – gained 16 yds to near midfield but no where close to what we needed & didn’t really threaten.
The more interesting parts …
- After pass-blocking for a couple secs until BC gets the short pass off, the entire OL jogs kind of nonchalantly to the left basically in a line outside the left hash marks (opposite side where Wease is headed)
- Schrader, after picking up one of the blitzing LBs, also drifts out to the left, a bit farther outside and trailing the last of the OL
- Blood fades over to the left hash after pitching it to Wease. And Mookie, lined up outside right runs a deep cross about 15-17 yds deep – curiously not really trying to block any of the deep DBs coming up to tackle Wease but continuing to the left hash himself
- Only other guy on the field is LB3 who was lined up next to Mookie on right side but doesn’t do much – basically takes a couple steps beyond LOS and just kind of stands there.
NET: Wease takes the hook & ladder pitch but running to the right side with literally no one to block for him and making him easy pickings for LSU defenders
Kind of lacking in the creativity department at best. At worst, WTF???
Which begs the question …
HAS ANYONE EVER SEEN LUTHER THROW THE BALL?
Because I’m almost certain we were supposed to on that play. (And I assume he’s got a pretty good arm, bc duh!)
Watching replay, the design was almost certainly for Wease to take the pitch from Blood, come across to the right & pitch it back to LB3 in right flat … who’d throw a long lateral back across the field to Schrader. And LB WAS looking for the ball
Would it have worked? Probably not, just bc there’s a lot of moving parts that need to go right and those things rarely do … and especially not for 32 yards.
BUT it was set up really well and at least had a chance – especially with LSU blitzing guys, who then turned to chase the ball/Wease to the right. There were 5 deep DBs – all roughly pursuing Wease on the right side. Maybe one stayed deep in the middle. Of course, they’d change course if LB chucked it across the field.
But we had a 7-man convoy/wall set up on the right hash – all 5 OL and with Mookie & Blood out in front
Would have been interesting at least 🤷🏻♂️
Why didn’t Wease pitch it? Who knows. Maybe just pushed the “abort” button they inevitably gave him if he didn’t like the “look” (seems okay watching but maybe that was right call) … or maybe he just thought he saw an opening to head up field.
--
We’ll never know. And they probably won’t try it again anytime soon since coaches will see what they were trying to do. (And hopefully don’t have a lot of 4th & 32s regardless)
But would’ve been fun to see what happened.
P.S. or it would’ve been an epic disaster but at least given people something better to rage about than trying to throw the ball to our best player on a 2nd & 1 when we needed 40+ yds for go-ahead TD 😉
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