golong wrote:
I commented in another thread, that unless I missed something, I didn't see a single blitz called by Bronco in the OSU game--why? I don't understand that, we have linebackers who can definitely get to the QB, and our DBs weren't covering anybody anyway, why not put some heat on a freshman QB. I just don't get that. Yes we won the game, yes we got 4 turnovers, yes we stopped their running game, but we sure didn't stop their passing game. Has Bronco lost his fire? his nerve? his aggressiveness?
Blitzing is only effective when the opponent does not have a QB that can burn you for bringing the heat and that will get rattled. I thought they did blitz once or twice early and got burned vs OSU. That was a pretty accurate QB, which we knew coming in. They just discovered him two weeks prior, but he clearly improved their passing in the three games, including BYU, vs his predecessor.
This is why blitzing Heaps was effective. He responded by rushing his throws and getting incompletions and occasional picks but did not burn them with TDs enough to make them stop doing it. He was virtually no risk to take off running on a collapsing pocket, and showed little ability to move out of the pocket and buy time.
It is why blitzing Riley does not work. He will run a QB draw and burn you if you are too agressive. He will hand it off, roll out and run or throw, run the option, drop back and pass accurately, and he will not rush the throw even if he has to take a hit.
When you blitz, you leave someone open somewhere and create space between the DL and the DBs for Riley to run if he can't find the open receiver. And Riley can Juke the blitzing linebacker and make you pay. The OSU guy would beat you with an accurate throw to the hot receiver.
Bronco is being very careful not to get burned over the top. He knows our opponents have receivers faster than our DBs. They are trying to keep things in front of them. They have done fairly well at it.
Teams that can run and throw are tough to defend. We shut down the run and try to keep the throws in front of us - hoping a long march results in turnovers, penalties, or drops, etc. and worst case a field goal. This is why Bronco values physicality. He wants those receivers to be hearing footsteps.
If we play someone with a QB that can be rattled - he will send more heat. You saw that vs Texas and Ole Miss before the QB changes at Texas made that more risky and less effective.
That is my observation.
