I take back everything bad I've said about Mike Empey

BYU's offensive line has improved every week this season. 260 yards on a Big10 team who's defense is built to stop smash mouth running teams and BYU ran smash mouth right over them. This offense will go where the offensive line takes them and it appears that Empey has the offensive line playing really well.

I think Ty gets part of the credit. At first the runs up the middle were not there. Then he spread them out and big holes were there on the outside.

He deserves it. The Offensive line has improved every week. Taysom is getting more time to throw and Jamaal has huge holes to run through. I am finally impressed with an offensive line coach since Grimes left.

Maybe it's that I haven't paid much attention to blocking in the past, or maybe it's a change with the new staff, but I've noticed a lot more variation in the blocking schemes than before - particularly the use of the wham block from a FB or TE lined up in the backfield. I love the wham block! You let a DL penetrate, while the OL that would block him get to the second level, and then the FB/TE comes across the formation and levels him from the side when he's not expecting it. It also sets up the FB/TE very nicely to roll out into the flat for a pass if you're doing play action. I've seen us run it playside, and away from the play as misdirection, as well.

Isn't that also called a trap block?

redneckjedi wrote:
Maybe it's that I haven't paid much attention to blocking in the past, or maybe it's a change with the new staff, but I've noticed a lot more variation in the blocking schemes than before - particularly the use of the wham block from a FB or TE lined up in the backfield. I love the wham block! You let a DL penetrate, while the OL that would block him get to the second level, and then the FB/TE comes across the formation and levels him from the side when he's not expecting it. It also sets up the FB/TE very nicely to roll out into the flat for a pass if you're doing play action. I've seen us run it playside, and away from the play as misdirection, as well.

Under Anea the o-line zone blocked almost exclusively.

scott715 wrote:
https://twitter.com/bfowler16/status/785561069804720128

That's an interesting list. I'm not sure how hot a commodity Lane Kiffin would actually be in a real coaching search.

SpiffCoug wrote:

https://twitter.com/bfowler16/status/785561069804720128

That's an interesting list. I'm not sure how hot a commodity Lane Kiffin would actually be in a real coaching search.

It's college football where short of taking someone's life you will be given another chance if the powers and boosters to be think you can win some games (see Bobby Petrino @ L'ville). Lane Kiffin will be given another chance to create a train wreck somewhere else Lol. He actually is doing a nice job at Alabama.

Wolverine wrote:

scott715 wrote:
https://twitter.com/bfowler16/status/785561069804720128

That's an interesting list. I'm not sure how hot a commodity Lane Kiffin would actually be in a real coaching search.

It's college football where short of taking someone's life you will be given another chance if the powers and boosters to be think you can win some games (see Bobby Petrino @ L'ville). Lane Kiffin will be given another chance to create a train wreck somewhere else Lol. He actually is doing a nice job at Alabama.

He's one of these guys who is a really good coordinator but a horrible head coach. Just like Norm Chow.

scott715 wrote:
Isn't that also called a trap block?

Yeah--my thoughts exactly as I read that post. I was going to add that some of us are old enough to remember these plays from the mid-90s Norm Chow playbook:



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/a_mingjai/Counter_zps1hskgck5.jpg" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/a_mingjai/Draw-Trap_zps9wuyqt6l.jpg" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

scott715 wrote:
Isn't that also called a trap block?

Yes, it is. What makes it a "wham" is when it's coming from a player in the backfield, coming across the formation, rather than the OL.



This is a really good read that I believe describes a lot of what I'm seeing:



http://breakdownsports.blogspot.com/2015/05/inside-playbook-trap-and-wham-run-play-meyer-ohio-state-harbaugh-michigan-state-dantonio.html



Beginning with the Influence Trap section, I think it describes pretty well what we're doing. It's zone blocking, but pulling OL in different directions to get the defenders to flow one way, and then taking them out with a trap or a wham - or just leaving backside guys unblocked and letting the backside OL do damage at the second level.



Jamaal's 62 yarder against MSU wasn't a wham, but it's a great example of influence blocking. We send the FB to the strong (left) side as an influence block. Most of the OL zone block down that direction, and leave the backside defenders unblocked. The RT, however, goes immediately to the second level to chip the WLB. The DTs, strong side DE, MLB, SLB, and SS all follow the blocking to the strong side, taking them all out of the play. Jamaal counters to the backside, and he hits it hard. The unblocked DE on that side whiffs, caught deciding between running down a potential sweep from behind and maintaining his gap so nothing breaks outside. The WLB, after being chipped, only has time to make a futile dive (I love the immediate celebration from the RT; he immediately knows he did his job and the play is going for a huge gain). The only guy with a shot at him is the FS, who eventually chases him down after 62 yards.



There's some of the same stuff in Jamaal's TDs against Toledo. TD #3 could have been the same play as the 62 yarder at MSU. TD #4 might also be that play, but the backside guys stay home, a seam opens play side, and you two OL completely free to the second level. TD #5 has a wham from Algie (or, would have if the DE didn't charge so far upfield) plus Kurtz blocking from the outside in. With a guy that hits a hole as fast and hard as Jamaal, one mistake or hesitation by anyone on the defense and these plays are going for big yards. They have to pick their poison, and Jamaal has the vision, speed, and power to hurt you whatever you choose.



The point is we've got a ton of variety and misdirection in our blocking schemes, and I love it. A bunch of the plays we're running in the article I linked, and given who else is running them and how much success they've had doing so, I'm very pleased.

The trap concepts are very similar, but the main difference I see between what we're doing now and the plays Mingjai posted is that we're frequently leaving a D-lineman or two completely unblocked, in exchange for getting OL to the second level. Sometimes we wham him with a FB/TE, sometimes we use them to create misdirection to make him take a bad angle. In the end, it creates a lot of favorable angles and matchups for our guys, and one mistake by the defense could create a running lane anywhere in the line.

redneckjedi wrote:
The trap concepts are very similar, but the main difference I see between what we're doing now and the plays Mingjai posted is that we're frequently leaving a D-lineman or two completely unblocked, in exchange for getting OL to the second level. Sometimes we wham him with a FB/TE, sometimes we use them to create misdirection to make him take a bad angle. In the end, it creates a lot of favorable angles and matchups for our guys, and one mistake by the defense could create a running lane anywhere in the line.

You might be right. I'd have to look more at the tape of the current blocking schemes, but if you look at the counter play, they often left the play-side end (whether it be a DE or the Sam) unblocked to spring more blockers downfield.