How do we prep for SEC running while chasing WR during Practice?

[YoungB]

How does a Defense get good practice reps when an Offense is more extreme? Could ask the same question for heavy option teams.

For my coaches out there, how do we prep for SEC running, while defending Leaches Offense in Practice?

I get it that you have scout teams etc, but the shear number of reps for what we will be running vs what we are facing are going to be extremely different this year.

[mparkerfd20]

You don't. And this is the answer why Leach's defenses are generally not that good.

[parabrave]

You don't. And this is the answer why Leach's defenses are generally not that good.

Correct why do you think Bama and LSU def were weaker this year? This was a question that was brought up numerous times this year on postgame shows. One former coach said that they are weaker because of 2 things; they don't hit anymore in practice and they practice against the pass attack and not a strong physical ground attack.

[dawgday166]

Shutting down the run is a whole lot easier than shutting down LSU/Bama passing game. This will prep us for a high flying passing game now. Not saying that couldn't hinder us but if we have some studs at DL and LB, just have to maintain gap integrity and we should be good.

[R2Dawg]

Correct why do you think Bama and LSU def were weaker this year? This was a question that was brought up numerous times this year on postgame shows. One former coach said that they are weaker because of 2 things; they don't hit anymore in practice and they practice against the pass attack and not a strong physical ground attack.

Defending the run is not rocket science when you have the horses up front. SEC teams have also shifted slightly to more pass so change will be interesting.

[Political Hack]

Gap assignment is easy to understand at the college level. It's not practicing against the run for the mental part of it. It's being soft and a lack of fundamentals. The guys who do hit hard have to pull up now and the guys that don't aren't getting any contact reps in practice. Defense is disadvantaged in today's games. I think it'll continue to be that way.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Correct why do you think Bama and LSU def were weaker this year? This was a question that was brought up numerous times this year on postgame shows. One former coach said that they are weaker because of 2 things; they don't hit anymore in practice and they practice against the pass attack and not a strong physical ground attack.

Lsu was statistically way better against the run than pass. They were 21st against the run while 59th against the pass. Bama did take a step back against the run being 37th but they were 11th against the pass. Also a big part of the reason Bama
Run defense took a step back was Bc they didn't have a Quinnen Williams or Daron Payne or Terrence Cody at NG & not having your All American MLB.

[Johnson85]

How does a Defense get good practice reps when an Offense is more extreme? Could ask the same question for heavy option teams.

For my coaches out there, how do we prep for SEC running, while defending Leaches Offense in Practice?

I get it that you have scout teams etc, but the shear number of reps for what we will be running vs what we are facing are going to be extremely different this year.

How much is our first team defense going against our first team offense? Spring and two-a-days, but not during the season, right?

[Leroy Jenkins]

During the season the D practices against the scout team O, attempting to replicate that week's opponent. They don't prepare to stop us.

[Indndawg]

UK was the top rushing team and it really wasn't close

LSU finished @ 6
Bama finished @ 9

Save Auburn, the top 3 rushing teams in SEC were all weaker teams: UK, MSU, and OM


LSU and Bama led the conference in passing

Top 4 teams were also the strongest teams, except for Auburn...who prolly is the most balanced.

[MoreCowbell]

How does a Defense get good practice reps when an Offense is more extreme? Could ask the same question for heavy option teams.

For my coaches out there, how do we prep for SEC running, while defending Leaches Offense in Practice?

I get it that you have scout teams etc, but the shear number of reps for what we will be running vs what we are facing are going to be extremely different this year.

The scout team runs the opposing offensive game plan. Leach isn’t an idiot, he came here because as a program, we usually always have a solid defense no matter what. He will be hands off and give the DC everything he needs to work with. As long as Leach sustains drives we are fine. Can’t get much worse than it was under Moorhead.

[Tbonewannabe]

I would assume that our defense gets practice against the run the same way a triple option team would work against the pass. I think one thing is that Leach has never been in an area known to produce great defensive players like the South is known for. Other than possibly scoring quickly, which is any up tempo team, it would boil down to who he hires as DC and if he lets them do their thing. He also hasn't had support for his football team like he will get at a SEC school. I imagine that his budget for Defensive coordinator is larger here than he has ever had.

[bulldawg28]

Every team has skeleton/pass scale components of practice where the offense only throws the ball with LBs and DB's against WR'S, RB's,Qb's and the occasional TE's.

The other component is inside drills where you only run the ball teaching gap fits and run support. For both of these drills 1st team members compete against each other. Some coaches will incorporate these same elements with the total team and give each side a Simi live better competition look for game preparation.

[coachnorm]

Gap assignment is easy to understand at the college level. It's not practicing against the run for the mental part of it. It's being soft and a lack of fundamentals. The guys who do hit hard have to pull up now and the guys that don't aren't getting any contact reps in practice. Defense is disadvantaged in today's games. I think it'll continue to be that way.

When you talk about hitting in practice remember a player can suffer a career ending injury in practice just as easy as in a game. Coaches now have to learn how to coach correctly and not have to do drills over and over and over because they can't get teaching done on the first or second time around. Many programs have to go to shells (helmet and shoulder pads only) to throttle down the hitting for fear of practice injuries. This is not being soft, it is survival of a long season. Contact has been downsized in high school football also because of this coast to coast.

[trojandawg]

First hour fundamentals hour two versus scout team hour three bringing it together. That's how a lot of teams do it. Team I played for in college briefly aired out a lot but it wasn't a problem defending the run. Our practices focused on a lot of what defenses do such as getting to the ball, strip sacking, and gap control in front 7. Third string and fourth string ran mostly scout team all week. It's not that big of an issue practicing against that type of an offense versus another.

[Spiderman]

How does a Defense get good practice reps when an Offense is more extreme? Could ask the same question for heavy option teams.

For my coaches out there, how do we prep for SEC running, while defending Leaches Offense in Practice?

I get it that you have scout teams etc, but the shear number of reps for what we will be running vs what we are facing are going to be extremely different this year.

Half the time or more, the O and the D are on separate practice fields

[Dawgowar]

How does a Defense get good practice reps when an Offense is more extreme? Could ask the same question for heavy option teams.

For my coaches out there, how do we prep for SEC running, while defending Leaches Offense in Practice?

I get it that you have scout teams etc, but the shear number of reps for what we will be running vs what we are facing are going to be extremely different this year.

Conditioning, scout teams as we never go first team on first team (O vs D) in practice anyway. The D has to be good enough to win with a presumably better offense.

[Scared_Hitless]

Leach has a much different practice philosophy than most coaches. Everyone works the entire practice. I think our toughness and better S&C will lead to better defense then this year.

[Political Hack]

When you talk about hitting in practice remember a player can suffer a career ending injury in practice just as easy as in a game. Coaches now have to learn how to coach correctly and not have to do drills over and over and over because they can't get teaching done on the first or second time around. Many programs have to go to shells (helmet and shoulder pads only) to throttle down the hitting for fear of practice injuries. This is not being soft, it is survival of a long season. Contact has been downsized in high school football also because of this coast to coast.

Seems like you're on the different side of the spectrum than me when it comes to your football team. It's hard to make a soft team have the mental toughness needed with today's restrictions on hitting in practice, but I certainly understand the importance of it. I agree with you on the coaching aspect too, but I still think the "softening" of the game in practice and actual game play is going to disadvantage defenses. It's just the way the game is played now. No more put your hat on his hat... thrust your hips, punch your hands, head back... IMO, blocking's and tackling techniques have changed so much since I played that it should reduce injuries significantly by itself.

[trojandawg]

I believe ncaa limits a lot of what you can do also.

It was that way 13 years ago anyway and I imagine it's a lot more strict now.

You can still get a lot out of Shell practice as far as fundamentals as long as you go 100 percent effort maybe 80 percent contact. She'll days are more about getting assignments right and fundamentalists right than it it is about toughness in hitting. Most teams only do full pads maybe twice a week. Maybe three. It's more about moving the entire practice and staying in shape and the fundamentals and then being really tough on the days you do wear full pads. But really all that is adding is pant pads. You still have shoulder pads on other days so it's pretty much full contact above the waist. You can still hit each other and drive a sled around practice in pads.

[SheltonChoked]

How does a Defense get good practice reps when an Offense is more extreme? Could ask the same question for heavy option teams.

For my coaches out there, how do we prep for SEC running, while defending Leaches Offense in Practice?

I get it that you have scout teams etc, but the shear number of reps for what we will be running vs what we are facing are going to be extremely different this year.

You have the offense practice on one filed and the defense on another. That way you have 44 players getting reps not just 22 at a time.

Have to make the most of those 20 hours a week

[coachnorm]

Seems like you're on the different side of the spectrum than me when it comes to your football team. It's hard to make a soft team have the mental toughness needed with today's restrictions on hitting in practice, but I certainly understand the importance of it. I agree with you on the coaching aspect too, but I still think the "softening" of the game in practice and actual game play is going to disadvantage defenses. It's just the way the game is played now. No more put your hat on his hat... thrust your hips, punch your hands, head back... IMO, blocking's and tackling techniques have changed so much since I played that it should reduce injuries significantly by itself.

Contact nowadays is different at times. Elite high school football teams have players in the weight room early in the morning before the start of the academic day. The upscale strength and conditioning of football players has improved drastically and contact is more intense. I have seen firm prospects get injured their senior year during practice thus lost a scholarship. A player who gets up at 5AM to work out usually will not be soft. Contact has to be managed correctly because a strategic injury in practice can ruin a season for the team as well as the player be it high school or college. Its hard to get a grip on the issue because a team is rolling the dice if practice gets too intense because it may develop a mental toughness in an injured body?