Kicked Around in Knoxville/What Went Wrong
The Georgia defense couldn't stop the bootleg. And the Georgia offense couldn't block. Simple as that.
The bootleg is effective after you've sold the defense on the run. Hardesty is the SEC's top back and the 'Dogs sold out to stop him. Smart since that's the only thing the Vols had been able to do entering the game. But that made them vulnerable to the bootlegs. On most of these plays, the QB has a guy running a flat, a crossing route, and a comeback route. Crompton hit them all. And late in the game, he abused Prince Miller with a double-move...Prince jumped the comeback move and the receiver ran by him for a TD. Kiffin found something that worked and he stayed with it.
So, how do you stop the boot? Normally, you see defensive coaches start bringing heat off the weakside, trying to get someone free on the QB. When Martinez did that (safety blitz), Hardesty took one of those stretch run plays and galloped down the middle of the field to the end zone. Cover 2 can be effective against the boot (because you have that CB already out there in the flat), but Georgia couldn't contain Hardesty, with both safeties playing back on the hash.
Why not play tight man coverage against this? Because the QB can easily get outside to run it AND they can RUB off coverage on the flat and crossing routes. Then, they are wide open.
Bobo had his problems too. His O-Line got whipped again. Monte Kiffin could stop the run playing Cover 2. So, he could shade a safety over the top of A.J. Green AND have a CB up bumping him around. Not good. How do you get a defense out of Cover 2? Run it. How do you run it? Block'm. That's not Bobo's fault.
The Bulldogs O-Line---especially inside with the 2 guards and the center---has been getting whipped. No push forward. No holes to hit. This is a weak spot. And that's bad news in the SEC, where the 300-plus D-Tackles roam (Dan Williams dominated for the Vols). Bobo tried some other things, with the run and the deep ball to A.J. taken away. Threw a few screens---and that was unsuccessful. The Quick Pass PKG isn't real good against Cover 2. He called some drop-backs, trying to hit some deep crossing routes against the Cover 2...but Cox was under a lot of pressure and took some big shots.
Martinez & Bobo failed to make adjustments? That's just not accurate.
Look; blame this: They recruited the wrong guys 4 years ago and they are paying for it right now.
The bootleg is effective after you've sold the defense on the run. Hardesty is the SEC's top back and the 'Dogs sold out to stop him. Smart since that's the only thing the Vols had been able to do entering the game. But that made them vulnerable to the bootlegs. On most of these plays, the QB has a guy running a flat, a crossing route, and a comeback route. Crompton hit them all. And late in the game, he abused Prince Miller with a double-move...Prince jumped the comeback move and the receiver ran by him for a TD. Kiffin found something that worked and he stayed with it.
So, how do you stop the boot? Normally, you see defensive coaches start bringing heat off the weakside, trying to get someone free on the QB. When Martinez did that (safety blitz), Hardesty took one of those stretch run plays and galloped down the middle of the field to the end zone. Cover 2 can be effective against the boot (because you have that CB already out there in the flat), but Georgia couldn't contain Hardesty, with both safeties playing back on the hash.
Why not play tight man coverage against this? Because the QB can easily get outside to run it AND they can RUB off coverage on the flat and crossing routes. Then, they are wide open.
Bobo had his problems too. His O-Line got whipped again. Monte Kiffin could stop the run playing Cover 2. So, he could shade a safety over the top of A.J. Green AND have a CB up bumping him around. Not good. How do you get a defense out of Cover 2? Run it. How do you run it? Block'm. That's not Bobo's fault.
The Bulldogs O-Line---especially inside with the 2 guards and the center---has been getting whipped. No push forward. No holes to hit. This is a weak spot. And that's bad news in the SEC, where the 300-plus D-Tackles roam (Dan Williams dominated for the Vols). Bobo tried some other things, with the run and the deep ball to A.J. taken away. Threw a few screens---and that was unsuccessful. The Quick Pass PKG isn't real good against Cover 2. He called some drop-backs, trying to hit some deep crossing routes against the Cover 2...but Cox was under a lot of pressure and took some big shots.
Martinez & Bobo failed to make adjustments? That's just not accurate.
Look; blame this: They recruited the wrong guys 4 years ago and they are paying for it right now.
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