2025 Spring Practice Thread

Dale

Dale

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Hautian Domer said:
We’ll see …. I’d be willing to bet we get cooked in defense at least one game this year. I said it before, I think this is a massive downgrade from Golden. How some ND fans acquiesced into this hire is beyond me…maybe it’s just a notable portion isn’t truly serious about football.
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You’ve repeated this multiple times but never say why. You said you were worried schematically about Ash the other day, what is your schematic issue with Ash?
 
Hautian Domer

Hautian Domer

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Ash lives and breathes playing quarters. That’s who he is. That’s what he did at Ohio State, Rutgers and Texas. He will inevitably having our secondary playing cover 4…think about that, with those corners. Entirely different style of defense
 
Dale

Dale

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Hautian Domer said:
Ash lives and breathes playing quarters. That’s who he is. That’s what he did at Ohio State, Rutgers and Texas. He will inevitably having our secondary playing cover 4…think about that, with those corners. Entirely different style of defense
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Cover 4 Quarters is a man based defense, an aggressive one at that. Fits pretty seamless IMO with Freeman’s identity. It also would be a pretty positive development for Mickens to learn man match coverages.
 
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DomeFieldAdvantage

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Dale said:
Cover 4 Quarters is a man based defense, an aggressive one at that. Fits pretty seamless IMO with Freeman’s identity. It also would be a pretty positive development for Mickens to learn man match coverages.
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I've heard ND people say its aggressive, but looking into it, it really seems like you need the linebackers in coverage, which I don't hate with the type of linebackers we have, but I don't see the inherent aggressiveness. I mean, a zone matching defense almost has to not be aggressive in terms of blitzes because its likely going to have at least one extra coverage defender than receiver per half of the field. To me, the aggressiveness comes from the surprise of where a blitz can come from and still fit the coverage as well as the ability to disguise the coverage with something like cover 1.
 
Hautian Domer

Hautian Domer

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Dale said:
Cover 4 Quarters is a man based defense, an aggressive one at that. Fits pretty seamless IMO with Freeman’s identity. It also would be a pretty positive development for Mickens to learn man match coverages.
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Cover 4 is zone? Each player covers his quarter. We have the secondary to lock down and play cover 1. Right now, I’m not sure we have the defensive line pass rush to play quarters…I’m real high on Boubacar and Thomas and I’m excited to see what they can do, but until I consistently see it, bringing a backer or safety to help is faster and efficient. On that note, I also don’t like Ash’s corner blitzes. It takes too long and never hits home in time. Opponents nickeled and dimed his defenses with the under route throws. I saw lots of 300+ yard passing games and teams marching down the field with 5 - 10 yard completions.
 
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Dale

Dale

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Hautian Domer said:
Cover 4 is zone? Each player covers his quarter. We have the secondary to lock down and play cover 1. Right now, I’m not sure we have the defensive line pass rush to play quarters…I’m real high on Boubacar and Thomas and I’m excited to see what they can do. I also don’t like Ash’s corner blitzes. It takes too long and never hits home in time. Opponents nickeled and dimed his defenses with the under route throws. Expect lots of 300+ yard passing games and teams marching down the field with 5 yard completions.
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Cover 4 Quarters is a man match coverage defense. It is not 4 guys drop deep into zone

Nobody really plays just a drop zone Cover 4 anymore. You’re MOD “Man on Demand”
 
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Golden's defense was extremely fundamentally sound. The good news is all the position coaches stayed. If Ash does a good job of not fixing what isn't broken, we should be ok. Not super excited about the idea of trying to change anything. We shall see. Marcus has earned trust in his hiring.
 
forkbeard3777

forkbeard3777

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It shouldn’t matter if it’s Freeman’s defense, right?

However, playing devil’s advocate, if it’s Freeman’s defense, one can wonder why he hired Ash in the first place? Keep you highly coveted defensive backs coach happy and promote him to sole DC to run Freeman’s defense.
 
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Dale

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www.elevenwarriors.com

Breaking Down: The Ohio State Defensive Clinic Part II

At the Ohio State spring clinic -- after discussing defensive philosophy and alignment -- Buckeyes co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash detailed the cover 4 coverage that serves as the backbone of his system.
www.elevenwarriors.com www.elevenwarriors.com

Here is a good old breakdown of Cover 4 Quarters from Eleven Warriors. Cover 4 Quarters is at its core a way to play 2 high safeties without having the safeties bailing out every single play, and instead making them actually more aggressive against the run. You are still playing mostly man at CB.

We actually applied some of this in concept against Louisville. Morrison passed off short crossers to the Robber and bailed into zone a few times. Greg tweeted it and I’ve referenced it a few times at how much simpler our defense got once Morrison was hurt.

Saban is known for Cover 3 Match variations which is single high coverages. This would be more in line with morphing out of the heavy Cover 1 we have played.

Long and short, no I don’t think we are suddenly gonna be a Cover 4 Quarters defense. But someone familiar with these match principles is someone who knows scheme, and can apply it to the way Freeman wants, if he so chooses.
 
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CoachB

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Interesting, I have been seeing, hearing, reading lots of Carr hype. I don't think we will know anything until the 3rd week of August.
 
Hautian Domer

Hautian Domer

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CoachB said:
Interesting, I have been seeing, hearing, reading lots of Carr hype. I don't think we will know anything until the 3rd week of August.
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I think it’ll definitely be a two man battle out of Spring and rolling into August. I can’t see Denbrock and Freeman getting out of Spring without narrowing it down a little. If I had to guess, we’ll lose 1 QB by 4/25.
 
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NDFAN2008

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Dale said:
It’s happening.

Guerby Lambert 🫵 you are the starting LT.

Or does Knapp defy the message boards odds and stick there? Lambert still at RT in practice so far
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I would love Lambert there he is massive
 
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9op5ly.jpg
 
dublinirish

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Lambert has been working out at RT right? Prescod has been repping at LT
 
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Padomer9

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That's Lambert at RT in the video, correct? WOWzers, that's a massive right side.

Working left to right; Wagner, Schrauth, Knapp/Craig, Jags, Lambert (potential Starting OL come August). That's a pretty big/quick/athletic OL. Probably more athletic than last years mid-season and playoff OL. I feel like Coogan and Rocco were more strength and power OL.
 
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