Daily Short #61, September 13th, 2017: Week 2 Offensive Skill Player Breakdown
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QB Sam Ehlinger - 67 snaps
65 at QB, two split out wide
QB Jerrod Heard - 22 snaps
20 at QB, two split out wide
* * *
RB Kyle Porter - 41 snaps
RB Chris Warren - 34 snaps
32 at RB, 2 at wildcat QB
RB Toneil Carter - 9 snaps
RB Daniel Young - 5 snaps
* * *
WR Lorenzo Joe - 68 snaps
WR Armanti Foreman - 45 snaps
WR Collin Johnson - 45 snaps
WR Lil Jordan Humphrey - 31 snaps
WR Dorian Leonard - 31 snaps
WR Reggie Hemphill-Mapps - 27 snaps
WR Devin Duvernay - 15 snaps
* * *
TE Kendall Moore - 42 snaps
34 snaps inline, 8 at H-back
TE Cade Brewer - 27 snaps
13 snaps inline, 14 at H-back
TE Garrett Gray - 13 snaps
4 snaps inline, 9 at H-Back
* * *
OVERALL THOUGHTS
"True" Four-WR sets
If the Texas staff doesn't read the Daily Short, at least we know they had a lot of the same thoughts about the game plan versus Maryland offensively -- and areas of major opportunity for improvement moving forward. To start, you'll remember my frustration with the lack of four-WR sets featuring four true WRs. Versus Maryland, Beck would inexplicably flex out Garrett Gray as a wide receiver in these situations despite the easy ability to sub in a talented wideout the opposition would have to actually account for. Last week, Texas ran 84 plays and only 9 of them (10.7% of total plays) featured four true wideouts while 35 of them (41.6% of total plays) featured a split-out tight end as the fourth "WR" option. (This despite the fact that Texas' two best drives were the ones that did happen to make more frequent use of the clear and obvious best personnel). Versus SJSU, Texas never kept a TE flexed out wide to run a route on 87 snaps (sometimes TEs would start out aligned wide then motion back into the formation). Also, it played 22.9% of total snaps with four true WRs on the field, over double the rate from a pathetic Week 1.
Power Football
We'll get into this more in the OL portion tomorrow, but another reason for calling the staff out in this column last week was for the unusual unwillingness to budge from a run-block-concept mix that included only inside and outside zone principles. In Week 2, Texas run-block-concept portfolio was broadened to include power and draw concepts which were significant contributors to the overall health of the run game. Furthermore, the staff added a pin-and-pull wrinkle to the outside zone portion of the run game which allowed uncovered OL the easy ability to block down on the player that was head-up on the covered man,in an assignment that is very similar to one within a power or man concept. This effectively eliminated lots of the issues I wrote about here last week which included failure among many on the OL to understand proper three-hand techniques on the stretch play.
An Answer at Run-Blocking TE
Why was Kendall Moore not in the game plan sooner? If nothing else, the guy can run-block. In fact, he's one of the best run-blocking TEs I've seen at Texas since Geoff Swaim left the building. He's not as athletic as Swaim and will not pose any matchup worthy of an opposing DC's notice in the pass-game, but he gets his leverage when engaged with edge defenders, he keeps his feet moving, keeps his hands inside and he sticks his nose in their numbers with some purpose. The staff clearly likes Moore best with his hand in the dirt as an inline TE while it likes Garrett Gray (and his replacement after suffering injury, freshman Cade Brewer) better at the H-Back. An interesting wrinkle to the Texas offense this week was a development that (shocker) actually made good use of the position (!!!) with a inline TE and H-back/sniffer stack to the play-side of zone runs.
Where Kyle Porter is Elite
I think this game showed a few things clear as day: 1) Chris Warren is a better college runner than Kyle Porter when the run-block-concept mix is not idiotically contrived to allow the defense to key in on Warren's relative weaknesses as a runner such as lateral agility and; 2) Kyle Porter is an elite lead-blocker up in the hole. MAN! He packs a wallop fitting up linebackers as a fullback-type player on these wildcat concepts. He sparked instance after instance of allowing the ball-carrier to get sprung for extra yards. It's a role where he already looks like an elite college weapon. While his traditional run-game chops have been somewhat disappointing thus far in the 2017 season as a player with the ball in his hands, keep an eye on him next time when he doesn't.
Significant Usage Bumps and Downgrades from Week 1 to Week 2
QB Shane Buechele: 84 snaps versus Maryland; 0 versus SJSU
QB Sam Ehlinger: 0 snaps versus Maryland; 67 versus SJSU
WR John Burt: 27 snaps versus Maryland; 0 versus SJSU
WR Lorenzo Joe: 8 snaps versus Maryland; 68 versus SJSU
TE Cade Brewer: 8 snaps versus Maryland; 27 versus SJSU
WR Armanti Foreman: 25 snaps versus Maryland; 45 versus SJSU
WR Devin Duvernay: 33 snaps versus Maryland; 15 versus SJSU
presented by the Dental Offices of Wendy Swantkowski, DDS
The Absolute BEST in family and cosmetic dentistry for the Houston-Memorial Area
Now Accepting New Patients --- 281-293-9140
QB Sam Ehlinger - 67 snaps
65 at QB, two split out wide
QB Jerrod Heard - 22 snaps
20 at QB, two split out wide
* * *
RB Kyle Porter - 41 snaps
RB Chris Warren - 34 snaps
32 at RB, 2 at wildcat QB
RB Toneil Carter - 9 snaps
RB Daniel Young - 5 snaps
* * *
WR Lorenzo Joe - 68 snaps
WR Armanti Foreman - 45 snaps
WR Collin Johnson - 45 snaps
WR Lil Jordan Humphrey - 31 snaps
WR Dorian Leonard - 31 snaps
WR Reggie Hemphill-Mapps - 27 snaps
WR Devin Duvernay - 15 snaps
* * *
TE Kendall Moore - 42 snaps
34 snaps inline, 8 at H-back
TE Cade Brewer - 27 snaps
13 snaps inline, 14 at H-back
TE Garrett Gray - 13 snaps
4 snaps inline, 9 at H-Back
* * *
OVERALL THOUGHTS
"True" Four-WR sets
If the Texas staff doesn't read the Daily Short, at least we know they had a lot of the same thoughts about the game plan versus Maryland offensively -- and areas of major opportunity for improvement moving forward. To start, you'll remember my frustration with the lack of four-WR sets featuring four true WRs. Versus Maryland, Beck would inexplicably flex out Garrett Gray as a wide receiver in these situations despite the easy ability to sub in a talented wideout the opposition would have to actually account for. Last week, Texas ran 84 plays and only 9 of them (10.7% of total plays) featured four true wideouts while 35 of them (41.6% of total plays) featured a split-out tight end as the fourth "WR" option. (This despite the fact that Texas' two best drives were the ones that did happen to make more frequent use of the clear and obvious best personnel). Versus SJSU, Texas never kept a TE flexed out wide to run a route on 87 snaps (sometimes TEs would start out aligned wide then motion back into the formation). Also, it played 22.9% of total snaps with four true WRs on the field, over double the rate from a pathetic Week 1.
Power Football
We'll get into this more in the OL portion tomorrow, but another reason for calling the staff out in this column last week was for the unusual unwillingness to budge from a run-block-concept mix that included only inside and outside zone principles. In Week 2, Texas run-block-concept portfolio was broadened to include power and draw concepts which were significant contributors to the overall health of the run game. Furthermore, the staff added a pin-and-pull wrinkle to the outside zone portion of the run game which allowed uncovered OL the easy ability to block down on the player that was head-up on the covered man,in an assignment that is very similar to one within a power or man concept. This effectively eliminated lots of the issues I wrote about here last week which included failure among many on the OL to understand proper three-hand techniques on the stretch play.
An Answer at Run-Blocking TE
Why was Kendall Moore not in the game plan sooner? If nothing else, the guy can run-block. In fact, he's one of the best run-blocking TEs I've seen at Texas since Geoff Swaim left the building. He's not as athletic as Swaim and will not pose any matchup worthy of an opposing DC's notice in the pass-game, but he gets his leverage when engaged with edge defenders, he keeps his feet moving, keeps his hands inside and he sticks his nose in their numbers with some purpose. The staff clearly likes Moore best with his hand in the dirt as an inline TE while it likes Garrett Gray (and his replacement after suffering injury, freshman Cade Brewer) better at the H-Back. An interesting wrinkle to the Texas offense this week was a development that (shocker) actually made good use of the position (!!!) with a inline TE and H-back/sniffer stack to the play-side of zone runs.
Where Kyle Porter is Elite
I think this game showed a few things clear as day: 1) Chris Warren is a better college runner than Kyle Porter when the run-block-concept mix is not idiotically contrived to allow the defense to key in on Warren's relative weaknesses as a runner such as lateral agility and; 2) Kyle Porter is an elite lead-blocker up in the hole. MAN! He packs a wallop fitting up linebackers as a fullback-type player on these wildcat concepts. He sparked instance after instance of allowing the ball-carrier to get sprung for extra yards. It's a role where he already looks like an elite college weapon. While his traditional run-game chops have been somewhat disappointing thus far in the 2017 season as a player with the ball in his hands, keep an eye on him next time when he doesn't.
Significant Usage Bumps and Downgrades from Week 1 to Week 2
QB Shane Buechele: 84 snaps versus Maryland; 0 versus SJSU
QB Sam Ehlinger: 0 snaps versus Maryland; 67 versus SJSU
WR John Burt: 27 snaps versus Maryland; 0 versus SJSU
WR Lorenzo Joe: 8 snaps versus Maryland; 68 versus SJSU
TE Cade Brewer: 8 snaps versus Maryland; 27 versus SJSU
WR Armanti Foreman: 25 snaps versus Maryland; 45 versus SJSU
WR Devin Duvernay: 33 snaps versus Maryland; 15 versus SJSU
