Matt Wyatt Interview on ESPN Huntsville: Get Ready For Zone D

[Cowbell]

Absolutely, the tired defense came into play big from the end of the 3rd quarter til the end of the game. Costello was at 335 yards with about 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. So he threw for almost another 300 in the last quarter and half. Tired legs on that lsu defense. Without the int and fumble in the 4th quarter we would've had this game put away much sooner cause lsu defense was done.

Yes this is scary as a DC because we can rotate more WR than you can CB. Alabama and Georgia will be the only teams with enough depth to keep up with us.

[Walkerhill]

Bring on the zone. We'll dink and dunk you to death and it'll force them to make open field tackles in space.

Looking for info from you knowledgeable football folks - if we dink and dunk into the red zone, does the Air Raid start to struggle with the reduced space? How does air raid efficiency in the red zone compare to other schemes?

[bulldawg28]

Why can you run the ball better vs zone?

Zone doesn't mean you can run the ball better. Truthfully it's more difficult in my opinion. Zone allows all 11 defenders to have their eyes on the Quarterback and the entire field versus man coverage where players eyes are locked on whom their guarding. It takes more discipline in Zone. However, zone turns into man coverage after 12 yards into a route pretty much. At that point responsibilities of whose covering who has developed.

[bulldawg28]

Looking for info from you knowledgeable football folks - if we dink and dunk into the red zone, does the Air Raid start to struggle with the reduced space? How does air raid efficiency in the red zone compare to other schemes?

It depends on what type of zone a team is running.

[ShotgunDawg]

Zone doesn't mean you can run the ball better. Truthfully it's more difficult in my opinion. Zone allows all 11 defenders to have their eyes on the Quarterback and the entire field versus man coverage where players eyes are locked on whom their guarding. It takes more discipline in Zone. However, zone turns into man coverage after 12 yards into a route pretty much. At that point responsibilities of whose covering who has developed.

Either way, I think Leach knows what to do since this is what he saw 98% of the time in other conferences

[bulldawg28]

Either way, I think Leach knows what to do since this is what he saw 98% of the time in other conferences

I agree. Leach is well prepared. He'll teach the WR's how to attack a zone and He'll put in plays to exploit it.

[Really Clark?]

Looking for info from you knowledgeable football folks - if we dink and dunk into the red zone, does the Air Raid start to struggle with the reduced space? How does air raid efficiency in the red zone compare to other schemes?

To me it’s a wash, what I mean is that it can bog down a little in the red zone causing the success rate to look average but the volume of attempts and successful scores with Leach will still have you Top 10-15 nationally a lot of years in actual attempts and scores. In other words, if you are not in the red zone as much you have to execute at a higher rate. Still he is usually around 85% I believe last few years.

[SheltonChoked]

I agree. Leach is well prepared. He'll teach the WR's how to attack a zone and He'll put in plays to exploit it.

The philosophy is the same for man or zone. Run to grass. In zone it's a spot or area. vs man, well you saw what that looks like Saturday.

[Commercecomet24]

The philosophy is the same for man or zone. Run to grass. In zone it's a spot or area. vs man, well you saw what that looks like Saturday.

Yes, that's the simplicity of this offense. So many option routes that let the receivers find open windows in coverage. This offense is quite sublime in it's simplicity, and it's why offensive players pick it up so easily. Compare to the apparent complexity and hard to learn system of jomo.

[turkish]

Longer drives, more rest for the defense??

[Jack Lambert]

How do we attack zone and what does this mean for our offense?

Screens to Hill. Doesn't matter Arky not going to shut the offense down. Their only hope is covid hit our team and a few of them on thier message board has said that.

[msudawglb]

I'm very sure that we played zone against Freeze and Ole Miss all those times they beat us with deep passes. Leach will just sprinkle in some crossing routes that will confuse the safeties. Our WR's will not be able to just run down the sidelines. And Kylin will be our leading WR.

[BeardoMSU]

I'm very sure that we played zone against Freeze and Ole Miss all those times they beat us with deep passes.

And that was with 2 NFL cornerbacks, lol. We're not going to face that every Saturday.

[bulldawg28]

The philosophy is the same for man or zone. Run to grass. In zone it's a spot or area. vs man, well you saw what that looks like Saturday.

Maybe but routes are generally different. An open WR can run into coverage and cause ints if he doesn't settle within the zone. That's unless the routes are flooding the zone.

[Hot Rock]

I can't wait to see what's next.. That's all I know!

[SheltonChoked]

Maybe but routes are generally different. An open WR can run into coverage and cause ints if he doesn't settle within the zone. That's unless the routes are flooding the zone.

Not really. But if there is a defender there, it's not grass. You run to grass and stop. If the defender is next to/behind you, grass is in front and you keep running.

It's the simplicity of the air raid.

See Y cross vs zone Same routes, just cut off for zone vs man.

[Cooterpoot]

Well, we will certainly see some zone, but DC's are going to run their schemes and do what they like to do to. It won't simply be zone coverage.

[Dawgology]

If LSU can't cover MSU WRs 1 on 1 then virtually nobody can.

Matt says that Arkansas and others will back up and give MSU underneath routes.

Said KJ's completion percentage will go up but the big plays will go down and MSU will have to drive the field with more plays to score.

I'm sure Leach has to be joyous that one week into his SEC tenure he's already destroyed the traditional SEC blue blood defense of choice.

What does all this mean?

How do we attack zone and what does this mean for our offense?

If they do that then their 3rd string D will be sucking wind by the 3rd quarter.

[Bdawg]

Looking for info from you knowledgeable football folks - if we dink and dunk into the red zone, does the Air Raid start to struggle with the reduced space? How does air raid efficiency in the red zone compare to other schemes?

I think you can also look for match ups in the red zone. We got some big guys that could be targets close to the endzone.

[Percho]

And about 3 times a game motion the back out QB pause and take off up the open middle of the field.