2014 Spring Practice Thread

[Sherm Sticky]

Springman seems to be an after thought, and I'm fine with that considering his injury and he hasn't been mentioned in any videos, but really hoping he actually is the 'man child' some thought he was last year. We need him.

Dude he is not participating in spring practice...how could he be mentioned in the videos...

 

[koonja]

Dude he is not participating in spring practice...how could he be mentioned in the videos...

Didn't know that. Figured he was since I saw him running to the pile in one of the videos.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Didn't know that. Figured he was since I saw him running to the pile in one of the videos.

hmm...I may be wrong, but I don't think so.

 

[koonja]

hmm...I may be wrong, but I don't think so.

I'm certain I saw him run to the celebration pile at end of tire fight. But you're right, that doesn't mean he's in contact, I just assumed he was.

 

[Irish Houstonian]

Yeah, but until we have another name for them, I've got nothing else to call them

Usually they're just called Sam and Will. Middles are then called Mike and Jack.

 

[Irishman77]

Springman seems to be an after thought, and I'm fine with that considering his injury and he hasn't been mentioned in any videos, but really hoping he actually is the 'man child' some thought he was last year. We need him.

I am a HUGE Springman fan so I am biased, but I feel he is the most underrated player on the roster. He has performed very well in every limited opportunity he has been given and Literally saved our ass in the Pitt game 2 years ago. I am not saying he is Suh or anything but I think the opponents best not run the ball near his alley. Egor olshansky type

 

[Grahambo]

I am a HUGE Springman fan so I am biased, but I feel he is the most underrated player on the roster. He has performed very well in every limited opportunity he has been given and Literally saved our ass in the Pitt game 2 years ago. I am not saying he is Suh or anything but I think the opponents best not run the ball near his alley. Egor olshansky type

I'm a big Springmann fan myself and it's because he is perfect in his role. Reminds me when the Giants had Dave Tollefson at his peak during the late decade.

 

[PANDFAN]

I am a HUGE Springman fan so I am biased, but I feel he is the most underrated player on the roster. He has performed very well in every limited opportunity he has been given and Literally saved our ass in the Pitt game 2 years ago. I am not saying he is Suh or anything but I think the opponents best not run the ball near his alley. Egor olshansky type

 

[Irish#1]

Reading "Diaco blitzed more" sent a shock through me. lol

I love Sabans defense and I think we could play it. Diaco wasnt as aggressive, because he did not trust his secondary. I see against pro sets we run more of the 3-4 against spread teams we run a nickel 4-2-5 to a 4-3 and this will be 3/4 of our style.

Bobby D did blitz a lot when Teo was a senior, but definitely backed off last year until teams were inside the twenty. And he did advertise it to the whole world which is okay if you have a D that is solid top to bottom.

 

[Luckylucci]

Springman has been a very good role player when healthy. Its very valid to question his health as it seems like he's been injured a lot during his tenure as an ND football player but when healthy he is a very solid player.

 

[TheRealLynch51]

So in this whole 3-4/4-3 debate/discussion...

3-4:
Okwara - Schmidt - Moore - Smith
Day - Jones - Williams

4-3:
Schmidt - Moore - Smith
Okwara - Day - Jones - Williams


...what is the debate about this? The only difference (if Ishaq sticks at DE regardless of alignment) is that Okwara is putting his hand on the ground rather than standing up and potentially playing in space.

Am I missing something?

I don't know; I've been wondering the same thing. I think our defense is going to look basically the same next season. Maybe a bit more 4-3 than last year, but not a drastic change.

It just changes the individual defensive responsibilities. Nothing big, but it will help some players more if they have less responsibilities and can focus on one or two jobs.

 

[STLDomer]

Damn Kona Shwenke would sure be nice to have this year

 

[CraigKrenzel]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>A lot of studying this week with midterms and a new defense. Love the new defense.. not so much the exams.</p>— Austin Collinsworth (@acollinsworth28) <a href="https://twitter.com/acollinsworth28/statuses/440975742323527680">March 4, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>A lot of studying this week with midterms and a new defense. Love the new defense.. not so much the exams.</p>— Austin Collinsworth (@acollinsworth28) <a href="https://twitter.com/acollinsworth28/statuses/440975742323527680">March 4, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This really excites me.
Novelty can breed motivation, if the subject(s) buys in.

This change of defense may be just want the team needed. The defense was clearly becoming "stagnant" with the "bend-don't-break" mentality.

Here's to season!

 

[Irish Houstonian]

Damn Tommy Schutt would sure be nice to have this year

FIFY. There, I said it.

 

[Domina Nostra]

It just changes the individual defensive responsibilities. Nothing big, but it will help some players more if they have less responsibilities and can focus on one or two jobs.

It's not a huge change, but it's not insignificant. CAT to WDE seems like the smallest change, but that's only because we we were not getting a lot of benefit from the CATs trying to play in space. Ishaq can probably run a lot of guys down from behind, but he isn't built to stay with someone running a crisp route.

My favorite part is that it covers up the LBs a little more, so they can run around a little more freely.

 

[NDinL.A.]

FIFY. There, I said it.

3 total solos tackles in 2 seasons, one racked by injuries? We already have that production on the roster...his name is Justin Utopo. Or Chase Hounshell.

We (not you and I, I mean the site) had this conversation at the beginning of last season, and my point still stands. Schutt isn't a miss until he actually does something. There is a reason ND, Michigan, and Wisconsin all declined to accept his commitment (I know for a fact that ND passed because they questioned his body and his desire to get in top shape). Meyer, being the star chaser that he is, jumped on it. So far (and he still has 2 years to shut me up), the ND and the other schools have been proven correct.

So for me, having Schutt on the roster is the same as having Hounshell and other unproven guys on the roster. And we have plenty of talented unproven guys on the roster already.

 

[Luckylucci]

It's not a huge change, but it's not insignificant. CAT to WDE seems like the smallest change, but that's only because we we were not getting a lot of benefit from the CATs trying to play in space. Ishaq can probably run a lot of guys down from behind, but he isn't built to stay with someone running a crisp route.

My favorite part is that it covers up the LBs a little more, so they can run around a little more freely.

The CAT LB in Diaco's system was very rarely playing in space. Shembo was the CAT LB so when Ishaq was on the field he wasn't doing so in Cat capacity. Shembo wasn't dropping into coverage very often, he just wasn't very effective getting pressure.

 

[BMT]

A name I have not seen discussed is Ben Councill. He is an upper classman and I think will be pretty reliable wherever they put him. Pretty solid player till injuries, with pretty good size. Also I would say Tuit and Nix besides a few games were almost non existent last year. Just a fact, yeah they are great physical specimens but not much production at all last year, I think they will be replaced nicely. You don't need to be over 300 pounds to wreak havoc on a D-Line in college-see Ryan Kerrigan, Michael Sam, you just need intensity and athletic ability rushing off the edge. I would like to see Jaylon Smith blitz off the edge, I bet he would be a nightmare for a fat O-lineman.

 

[irishog77]

BMT beat me to the punch, but I think Coucell (if healthy) could be a good Sam. Of any of the LB's currently on the roster (so, excluding incoming FR), he and Randolph seem to have the mold and capabilities to do it. Of course looking the part and playing the part are two completely different things though.



Who got injured in practice? Is this still a secret?

 

[Kak7304]

A name I have not seen discussed is Ben Councill. He is an upper classman and I think will be pretty reliable wherever they put him. Pretty solid player till injuries, with pretty good size. Also I would say Tuit and Nix besides a few games were almost non existent last year. Just a fact, yeah they are great physical specimens but not much production at all last year, I think they will be replaced nicely. You don't need to be over 300 pounds to wreak havoc on a D-Line in college-see Ryan Kerrigan, Michael Sam, you just need intensity and athletic ability rushing off the edge. I would like to see Jaylon Smith blitz off the edge, I bet he would be a nightmare for a fat O-lineman.

Tuitt and especially Nix were asked to plug up holes and take up defenders to free up LBs, not wreak havoc. Comparing their production to the DL you listed is apples to oranges because of the differences in assignments.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

That's what happens when guys like the Koon show up...

It is time to sing a new song.

Bobby D did blitz a lot when Teo was a senior, but definitely backed off last year until teams were inside the twenty. And he did advertise it to the whole world which is okay if you have a D that is solid top to bottom.

I think everybody needs to look up exactly how much (or little) Bob Diaco blitzed. Besides that isn't the question. As others alluded how effectively, (ever), did Diaco's defenses blitz, is the more appropriate question.

Springman seems to be an after thought, and I'm fine with that considering his injury and he hasn't been mentioned in any videos, but really hoping he actually is the 'man child' some thought he was last year. We need him.

Last year Tony missed the season with, first an injury, then an infection. MERSA, the same thing that derailed Alex Welch. I don't know if many fans know how close he came to losing his leg. At any rate, he appears to be mending.

Also, it appears that he and Jarrett Grace are doing the jog or run through. They were both on the field in shorts, participating, but I don't remember seeing either in helmets. I think I got that right.

Everybody can talk 3-4 versus 4-3 until they are blue in the face. It doesn't matter.

The only thing that is relevant is whether you are going to one or two gap with your linemen!

With BVG, personnel packages are important too.

Using one guy to set the edge is all you need. Everything else is flow to the ball, and pressure dialed up where offenses cannot deal with it. Nix especially and Tuitt are not built for that kind of defense. Jones and Rochell are much more. It is a better defense for Day and Williams, too.

 

[bigedefense]

Usually they're just called Sam and Will. Middles are then called Mike and Jack.

Also, outsides are sam (strong), will (weak), insides mike (strong), Wanda (weak). That's Woody Woodenhophers old Steeler defensive LB terms.

 

[NDohio]

If this is the extent of this guy's contribution to IE, let's go ahead and ban the troll, eh?

Take your own advice. Put him on your ignore list.

His pursuit of you is getting old.

 

[Cackalacky]

Fuck Michigan.

This guy gets it.

 

[Irish#1]

It is time to sing a new song.



I think everybody needs to look up exactly how much (or little) Bob Diaco blitzed. Besides that isn't the question. As others alluded how effectively, (ever), did Diaco's defenses blitz, is the more appropriate question.



Last year Tony missed the season with, first an injury, then an infection. MERSA, the same thing that derailed Alex Welch. I don't know if many fans know how close he came to losing his leg. At any rate, he appears to be mending.

Also, it appears that he and Jarrett Grace are doing the jog or run through. They were both on the field in shorts, participating, but I don't remember seeing either in helmets. I think I got that right.

Everybody can talk 3-4 versus 4-3 until they are blue in the face. It doesn't matter.

The only thing that is relevant is whether you are going to one or two gap with your linemen!

With BVG, personnel packages are important too.

Using one guy to set the edge is all you need. Everything else is flow to the ball, and pressure dialed up where offenses cannot deal with it. Nix especially and Tuitt are not built for that kind of defense. Jones and Rochell are much more. It is a better defense for Day and Williams, too.

I agree. I guess I should have elaborated more. He advertised his blitzes when Manti was here and last year as well. The difference was they were more effective when Manti was here because we had a lot of very good players that could hold their own (those not blitzing) and the front was able to get pressure on the QB. Most of the time teams knew we were coming after them, but they just couldn't stop it. Last year our blitzing was not nearly as effective because we had lost KLM and Manti plus Tuitt and Nix were hurt. Given that we couldn't get the pressure we needed, I always thought Diaco should have disguised the blitz to make it more effective last year.

 

[dublinirish]

problem too the likes of Fox and Carlo were terrible at blitzing, so many times they got swallowed up by guards quite easily

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>New jersey numbers for 2014: Randolph #44, Fuller #7, and Bivin #70. Freshmen Brent #11 and Trumbetti #98 ya need to know too.</p>— One Foot Down (@OneFootDown) <a href="https://twitter.com/OneFootDown/statuses/441203632726241280">March 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[T Town Tommy]

problem too the likes of Fox and Carlo were terrible at blitzing, so many times they got swallowed up by guards quite easily

If the guard is getting to the second level or the DL is not requiring the guard to block them, then the ILB will become ineffective in most cases. BVG's defensive strategy will probably help occupy the guards much more, allowing the LBs to make more plays on running downs especially.

Take away the middle of the field on first down, force the offense in second and long, and then get creative on third down passing situations. I have to believe BVG will introduce more zone blitz options and on an even more dynamic scale, zone blitz on one side and man on the other. This would require the ILB to "follow the ball" instead of falling back into zone pass coverage. Gotta have a pretty good pass coverage ILB to make it all work but when it does it is a thing of beauty.

All this may require a little patience from the Irish faithful as it is not easily learned out the gate.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

If the guard is getting to the second level or the DL is not requiring the guard to block them, then the ILB will become ineffective in most cases. BVG's defensive strategy will probably help occupy the guards much more, allowing the LBs to make more plays on running downs especially.

Take away the middle of the field on first down, force the offense in second and long, and then get creative on third down passing situations. I have to believe BVG will introduce more zone blitz options and on an even more dynamic scale, zone blitz on one side and man on the other. This would require the ILB to "follow the ball" instead of falling back into zone pass coverage. Gotta have a pretty good pass coverage ILB to make it all work but when it does it is a thing of beauty.

All this may require a little patience from the Irish faithful as it is not easily learned out the gate.

"may require a little patience... "

That's probably going to be a problem, let's be real here. Lol.

But really, if there are fans that get upset about "growing pains" than that's pretty sad, because clearly we needed a switch at defense. This defense was becoming stagnant and lacked an overall identity.

It's time for a change, and it's time for a leader to step up.