Author: James Taglienti

Following A&M’s sack of LSU QB Max Johnson on 2nd and 1, the Tigers faced a 3rd down and 8. A&M ran another double safety blitz, this time bringing both the free safety and nickelback for a FS-NB Blitz. Today we’re breaking down another defensive play from A&M’s season, the FS-NB Blitz. Play Concept Similar to what we saw in the M-N Stunt, the defensive line is working to occupy the pass protection to allow other rushers come free. A&M has two down linemen and five potential rushers standing representing a possible seven pass rushers on the play. A&M is…

All indications are that Devon Achane will be RB1 for Texas A&M in 2022. Achane is an All-American in track and possesses world-class speed. The question for Achane is if he possesses the tackle-breaking ability of former backfield mate Isaiah Spiller. Achane has speed and vision, if he can add power to his game, he’ll be an all-conference and All-American back this season. Devon Achane displayed the ability to carry a tackler when he ran inside zone in the third quarter of the 2021 LSU game. Play Concept We’ve reviewed the basic concept of inside zone multiple times before, this…

Yesterday we looked at M-N Stunt, a few days ago we looked at a double safety blitz, today we’re looking at switching from a run fit to pass rush on defense. A run fit is simply when a defensive lineman (or linebacker) fills a gap to ensure the RB cannot come through. Pass rush is the choice of a defensive player to rush the QB. Moving from run fit to pass rush simply means the defensive player switched from defending to run to rushing the quarterback. Play Concept When the defense is facing a short yardage play, their first inclination…

Like our previous breakdown of the double-safety blitz, today we’re breaking down a defensive play. We’re looking at a M-N Stunt, which is just a stunt by the nose guard/1-tech and Mike linebacker on third down. A stunt is when two (or more) defensive players  switch their gaps and responsibilities on a play, often with one charging into a gap and the other looping behind them. In the case of a M-N Stunt, the Mike linebacker and 1-tech are exchanging gap responsibilities on a pass rush. M-N Stunt Play Concept Similar to the double safety blitz, the M-N Stunt starts…

Readers will recall from a previous post that A&M runs midzone as a slight adjustment to teams attempting to stop outside zone or inside zone, but it is also an effective calls against pass rush packages. Because a pass rush normally utilizes ends coming wide, it lends itself to being kicked out on midzone. Play Concept To review, the goal or outside zone or stretch is for the offensive linemen to seal the defensive line or edge players inside. The RB reads the helmet of the offensive lineman on the edge to make his decision. If the helmet is outside…

Just minutes ago, Northeast HS offensive tackle Naquil Betrand committed to Texas A&M. Betrand announced his commitment on his instagram account. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg7wq4iAOQw/?hl=en Naquil Betrand is currently listed at 6’7 310 lbs and looks the part.  He is one of those players who are just up and down big and is still growing into his body. Betrand’s highlight videos show someone who is physically raw with plenty of natural strength. Naquil has quick feet and moves well for someone of his size. He has the athleticism to excel in a zone or gap scheme and the pure power to do well…

When you’re discussing the passing game in football, eventually you run into the Levels concept. Levels is simple, an outside receiver runs a 5 yard in route and the slot receiver runs a 10-12 yard square-in to give the QB an easy high-low read. A&M adapts this high-low read in their three-man levels concept out of an empty formation. In empty, the QB is alone in the backfield with five potential receivers. The concept side is three receivers and the backside is two receivers. The concept side is where A&M runs three-man levels. Play Concept You can run empty from…

Today we’re breaking down a defensive play by looking at a double safety blitz A&M used last season. The double safety blitz is a man blitz. The difference between a man blitz and a zone blitz is primarily in coverage. In zone blitzes, defenders drop off to cover certain zones. In man blitz, defenders cover specific players man to man. Play Concept Just like a short yardage play on offense, the defense has their own sub packages for specific down and distance. A&M’s double safety blitz sub package is dime personnel, six defensive backs with two linebackers and three defensive…

We have broken down A&M’s inside zone play multiple times, but today we’re going to look at it as a short yardage play. Jimbo Fisher usually calls Iso when the Aggies are in a short yardage situation, but sometimes he leaves 11 personnel on the field and demands they win the yard. Play Concept When A&M played Mississippi State in 2021, the Bulldogs employed a different front to deal with short yardage. Normal short yardage defense is heavy on the linemen and fills all the gaps. MSU ran a 7-2-2-7 front, aligning down linemen on both guards and the tight…

A&M tuns toss sweep differently from how NFL teams typically run it. Many teams run toss sweep as a way to attack the outside of the defense, A&M ran it last season as a way to incorporate their speed option play into the offense without putting the QB at risk. Toss sweep is an integral play that goes back to the invention of football, however A&M ran it as a complementary play in their scheme. Play Concept If basic geometry tells you the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, self-preservation tells you to avoid running in a…