17 Comments

Tyreek Hill!!? You got me excited

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Right!!!

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Used like Hill. KC knew they had an explosive athlete in the WR group and wanted to manufacture him as many touches of the ball as possible. Jet sweeps, orbit motion hand offs even lining him up as the 2nd RB in shotgun splitback sets. I think it'd be wise for us to use Baker (and Mangum) that way since both have game-breaking speed.

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So kinda like Jeremiah Hawkins but better

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Aug 15, 2021
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So there are two primary sweep motions: Jet and Orbit. Jet is when the motion man runs in front of the QB for a touch pass/handoff, Orbit is when the runner in motion runs behind the QB, it takes a longer path but allows for a fake HB hand-off for more misdirection. You can also pitch the ball to the orbit motion player but that's riskier since the player can fumble it.

With Hill, they wanted to minimize the chance for a fumble that deep in the backfield so a handoff was preferred over a pitch. More info here:

https://blogs.usafootball.com/blog/1635/send-your-offense-into-orbit-with-misdirection

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Often times coaches will use motion on sweeps to create number imbalances in defenses. Chris Peterson was famous for using a jet sweep motion to allow his QB to read defenses and to set up defensive shits which could be exploited. Just another branch on the coaching tree of offensive philosophies. If I was younger I would love to go back to CAL and see if I could join the the football staff as a QC or GA but whose function would be to solely create a set of textbooks on offensive and defensive evolution and how to exploit every type of offense from a defensive standpoint and vice versa. I'd love to apply analytics to film (which they are doing now but on a massive scale) like Billy Beane did for the Athletics. Being able to pull up the coaching philosophy of any OC, DC or HC in college football and then being able to instantaneously review his body of work over his career and his play calls on specific down and distance situations would provide insights for the opposing coach and play calls. It would really take the game to the next level.

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Defensive shifts...not shits....I'm sure you all had a good laugh at that one.

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fwiw, another publication gave ZJ's line as 10/15 for 64 yds. No idea if those nums are provided by the SID office? I imagine it would be tough to do if one were sitting solo in the stands trying to keep track of all these nums & players.

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I was told we’d get very general numbers from the SID after the practice. I had finished my article before I got that email. I can update my post with what they sent me.

I also have most plays charted but I wanted to watch the second team period without charting to see plays develop rather than being too busy writing the throw to ___. So the numbers I have are from all the plays I charted in the first team period. Also some plays charted are judgement calls. Cz I have Ethan with a couple of sacks but on one they let the play develop without blowing it dead which then would count as a pass attempt. So that’s where my numbers come from and where I’m at! :)

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SID doesn't give us numbers so it depends on each writer to record data, chances are another publication could be counting reps in drills that Rob isn't looking at (7 on 7 vs. 11 on 11)

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Sadly I don’t have 4 eyeballs. I couldn’t add that mutation in when I leveled up.

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Have not heard much about Sturdivant. Is he healthy and practicing?

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Flashed some early but picked up an injury, was wearing a brace today on his wrist. Doesn't appear to be long-term though. He'd be moving up the depth chart otherwise.

His 4* counterpart, Anderson, has been the real star.

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Aug 15, 2021
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No. Musgrave has said in interviews it’s all about giving snaps in scenarios they feel those specific QBs need work in. It’s way too early to read into snap count or reps now. It’s all about giving the younger and less cemented starters as many snaps as they possibly can to see what they can do and improve over camp.

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Aug 15, 2021
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Probably after open Fall camp practices are over. The media has one more practice they can attend next week on Saturday. Knowing Wilcox we won't find out till the Nevada game depth chart is released and chances are he'll have at with an "OR" designation.

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Piotr and Rob, you guys are right on. Typically what happens the last week of Fall Camp is that the team starts their regular season practice schedule for game prep. The 1st and 2nd string QB's will get all the reps in practice. I would expect a depth chart by then unless CAL wants to keep it a secret prior to the first game. Also, if they don't publish a depth chart and if practices are closed we won't know until the first game. And one last thing, every once in a while, because the pressure to win the first game of the season is so strong, the last 10 days of Fall Camp will be game prep instead of the last week. Realistically, I'd expect a depth chart to be published prior to the final week of Fall Camp.

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My logical guess would be an OR laden depth chart next Saturday at the scrimmage and then a bit more trimmed down one around midweek of game week. Id love a finished one by next Saturday but I doubt they do that going into their game week prep and a scrimmage session/tape remaining

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