Photo by: Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez
MSU's League Opener Pits Cats' Offensive Line Against Pressure Defense
9/22/2017 5:00:00 PM | Football
North Dakota brings defensive pressure nearly three-quarters of the time
Much of the talk about Montana State's Big Sky opener at North Dakota on Saturday has centered on the physical nature of the game, strength-on-strength at the line of scrimmage. But Jeff Choate is equally concerned about the chess match that evolves between Tuesday and Thursday in meeting rooms and white boards and the practice field.
How plans play out and schemes match up, Choate said, could enormously affect Saturday's game. "I just think we have to have good answers up front," MSU's second-year head coach said. "This is a line-of-scrimmage game."
The Bobcats play a Fighting Hawks team that by most accounts blitzed more than 70 percent of the downs when its defense was on the field in last Saturday's loss at South Dakota, which has been the team's trademark under fourth-year head coach Bubba Schweigert. "I don't think I've ever coached against a team that's blitzed as much," Choate said, and MSU offensive Brian Armstrong called UND "a very pressure-oriented defense, multiple fronts, multiple pressures, linebacker, safeties. They believe in pressure. We definitely have our work cut out for us as far as of blocking stuff up and giving ourselves a chance to move the ball downfield."
While North Dakota's scheme creates opportunities for the Fighting Hawks, MSU quarterback Chris Murray's ability to make plays with both his arms and legs presents chances for big plays. "He's effective scrambling and I get that," Choate said, "but it's kind of a two-way street. If you're going to splatter all that stuff at the line of scrimmage, once the ball breaks, now what are you going to do?"
Each play begins with players' eyes, and that was the focus in MSU's practice sessions this week. "Being able to diagnosis it first, predict it from a play-caller's standpoint (and communicating that to) a player's standpoint, finding a tell for, OK I see this so I know this is coming," said Montana State offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong. "Being able to diagnose a problem before it happens. Being able to get the ball out of our hand quickly, whether it's quick game or five-step drop or moving the pocket, it doesn't matter. The ball's got to come out on time and with accuracy."
Second-year starting left tackle Mitch Brott said that North Dakota's penchant for bringing pressure forces offense linemen to play sound football. "What they do on the defense is going to be a huge factor in how we play," Brott said. "We have to stick with our tracks on the O-line. The preparation is knowing where our gap is, knowing whether or not to go to the linebacker. It's a pretty normal preparation in terms of that, but we have to be gap sound."
The amount of post-snap movement North Dakota's defense utilizes is reminiscent of what the Cats saw in week one against Washington State, Brott said, but the extra pressure is not. "They're close to Wazzu, but there's no team in the conference like North Dakota. They're the only team in the conference that does that much twisting and blitzing."
One factor the Bobcats hope to use in their favor, particularly along the offensive line, is its bye week. That fell last week, and while giving players time to heal physical coming off of two physical football games it also gives the coaches and player extra time to scheme for North Dakota's unique defensive looks.
"It's nice having an extra week through the bye week to process everything," said center Alex Neale. "(UND) blitzing over 70 percent of the time? That's obviously (going to be a) struggle. It's a real emphasis on good eyes and good feet this week. They're a little bit like Wazzu, but they definitely blitz a lot more and (use) some funky stuff. You don't know what the hell they're doing so you have to lock in."
From a defensive coach's viewpoint, learning North Dakota's concepts to contain Murray intrigues Choate. "We can't have Chris back there running for his life," he said. "So the key to the game, maybe, is how are they going to defend Chris? If it's do what they have done, bring a lot of pressure, we're going to have to handle that. If it's back off, play more zone and keep zone eyes so they can contain him when he does get out of the pocket, now we've got to have answers. So I think that's going to be a real key to the game."
One element the Bobcats have no control over is North Dakota's mindset after a disappointing loss at South Dakota a week ago. The 17th-ranked Fighting Hawks enter Saturday's game, and Choate expects a team on the opposite sideline that is locked in and ready for redemption. "I know that coaching staff will have their full attention," he said. "We'll have our hands full."
How plans play out and schemes match up, Choate said, could enormously affect Saturday's game. "I just think we have to have good answers up front," MSU's second-year head coach said. "This is a line-of-scrimmage game."
The Bobcats play a Fighting Hawks team that by most accounts blitzed more than 70 percent of the downs when its defense was on the field in last Saturday's loss at South Dakota, which has been the team's trademark under fourth-year head coach Bubba Schweigert. "I don't think I've ever coached against a team that's blitzed as much," Choate said, and MSU offensive Brian Armstrong called UND "a very pressure-oriented defense, multiple fronts, multiple pressures, linebacker, safeties. They believe in pressure. We definitely have our work cut out for us as far as of blocking stuff up and giving ourselves a chance to move the ball downfield."
While North Dakota's scheme creates opportunities for the Fighting Hawks, MSU quarterback Chris Murray's ability to make plays with both his arms and legs presents chances for big plays. "He's effective scrambling and I get that," Choate said, "but it's kind of a two-way street. If you're going to splatter all that stuff at the line of scrimmage, once the ball breaks, now what are you going to do?"
Each play begins with players' eyes, and that was the focus in MSU's practice sessions this week. "Being able to diagnosis it first, predict it from a play-caller's standpoint (and communicating that to) a player's standpoint, finding a tell for, OK I see this so I know this is coming," said Montana State offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong. "Being able to diagnose a problem before it happens. Being able to get the ball out of our hand quickly, whether it's quick game or five-step drop or moving the pocket, it doesn't matter. The ball's got to come out on time and with accuracy."
Second-year starting left tackle Mitch Brott said that North Dakota's penchant for bringing pressure forces offense linemen to play sound football. "What they do on the defense is going to be a huge factor in how we play," Brott said. "We have to stick with our tracks on the O-line. The preparation is knowing where our gap is, knowing whether or not to go to the linebacker. It's a pretty normal preparation in terms of that, but we have to be gap sound."
The amount of post-snap movement North Dakota's defense utilizes is reminiscent of what the Cats saw in week one against Washington State, Brott said, but the extra pressure is not. "They're close to Wazzu, but there's no team in the conference like North Dakota. They're the only team in the conference that does that much twisting and blitzing."
One factor the Bobcats hope to use in their favor, particularly along the offensive line, is its bye week. That fell last week, and while giving players time to heal physical coming off of two physical football games it also gives the coaches and player extra time to scheme for North Dakota's unique defensive looks.
"It's nice having an extra week through the bye week to process everything," said center Alex Neale. "(UND) blitzing over 70 percent of the time? That's obviously (going to be a) struggle. It's a real emphasis on good eyes and good feet this week. They're a little bit like Wazzu, but they definitely blitz a lot more and (use) some funky stuff. You don't know what the hell they're doing so you have to lock in."
From a defensive coach's viewpoint, learning North Dakota's concepts to contain Murray intrigues Choate. "We can't have Chris back there running for his life," he said. "So the key to the game, maybe, is how are they going to defend Chris? If it's do what they have done, bring a lot of pressure, we're going to have to handle that. If it's back off, play more zone and keep zone eyes so they can contain him when he does get out of the pocket, now we've got to have answers. So I think that's going to be a real key to the game."
One element the Bobcats have no control over is North Dakota's mindset after a disappointing loss at South Dakota a week ago. The 17th-ranked Fighting Hawks enter Saturday's game, and Choate expects a team on the opposite sideline that is locked in and ready for redemption. "I know that coaching staff will have their full attention," he said. "We'll have our hands full."
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