Welcome to the week 2 breakdown of the 2014 Fightin' Texas Aggie offense. Before I go any further I would like to remind you of what this post is all about. From last week's post:
If you missed last week's breakdown of the game vs the Gamecocks, here's a link to the post: http://texags.com/forums/5/topics/2518225/replies/40413863
Now let's dive into the data. You will see a few things that stand out in the chart below. Our average field position was practically midfield, which led to fewer plays and fewer total yards than last week despite
having 3 more offensive opportunities. Our run/pass split was practically even for the contest. We leaned towards passing on 1st down but we were an even 50/50 split on 2-4th down. I'd like to believe this
is due to the success on 1st down, which gave the Aggies the freedom to choose either run or pass and leave the defense guessing.
Next we will look at the various personnel packages the Aggies ran out against Lamar. Here's a quick refresher describing the personnel descriptions:
I also included a brief description of our 6 formations from the Lamar game.
Personnel Groups Descriptions
Personnel Groups
I'll be honest; this game wasn't as fun to break down. It's pretty clear we severely reduced the playbook from a personnel standpoint because we didn't need the element of surprise. Add to that, the starters all saw
less than 2 full quarters and we scored with such ease that the numbers seem a little skewed. With that said, we did see 2 new formations and a heavy dose of everyone's favorite package, "23".
As shocking as this is, we saw the first and only play with a lone tight end lined up next to the tackle in a 3-point stance. Brandon Alexander saw some time at tight end in this formation, which ended in a run that lost a yard. The other new formation was going with 5 wide receivers and zero running backs. We have run a few plays were the running back splits out wide, but against Lamar we ran true 5-wide sets with good productivity.
Now for my not-so-bold prediction: We will eventually throwout of the "23" package. I know, I'm going out on a limb there. So far we have run 8 plays from this formation without a single pass. I bet we save one of
these play action passes for one of our tougher opponents. (Fun fact: With 7 offensive linemen on the line in "23", that's over three quarters of a ton staring down the opposing defensive line. No wonder we have scored 3 touchdowns and 2 first downs out of those 8 plays!)
Again, 3 formations dominated the game. 88% of the plays were run out of those 3 formations. One thing I picked up on was the push to test the "sprint out". We ran several plays where as soon as the quarterback
caught the snap he sprinted to one side of the formation to make the throws to the outside easier. This also led to a counter-run for Trey Williams that picked up 9 yards. I'll break down this play in my next post. I think this wrinkle will pay dividends against tougher opponents.
Targets
For a second straight week the passing attack was very balanced. The starters saw the most passes with Speedy leading the way with 8 targets. RSJ and Ed Pope both saw the end zone again and a slew of receivers
also caught their first touchdown passes of the season.
Season Total Targets
Red Zone Targets /Touches
Not much to gather from the chart this week. This was due to the fact that so many of our touchdowns were 20+ yards, so we didn't have too many opportunities to test the red zone offense with our first stringers.
Season Total Red Zone Targets / Touches
That's a wrap for week 2. Although the game was never in doubt, I think the coaches will have plenty to talk about with the offense. We played a sloppy game with 3 turnovers, there were a few poor center-to-QB exchanges, and Kenny missed a few throws that could have been big plays. One more note, Kenny also performed poorly in the red zone, going 2 for 6 (Note: His two completions were both for touchdowns, so it wasn't all bad.) Let's hope the Aggies focus on the details and clean up the mistakes this week.
Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week!
quote:
I am an analytical person by nature and I enjoy football, so I thought why not combine two things I love and learn more about our Fightin Texas Aggies and how they generate such eye-popping
numbers. This is an attempt to figure out the Aggie game plan and their objectives for the offense.
If you missed last week's breakdown of the game vs the Gamecocks, here's a link to the post: http://texags.com/forums/5/topics/2518225/replies/40413863
Now let's dive into the data. You will see a few things that stand out in the chart below. Our average field position was practically midfield, which led to fewer plays and fewer total yards than last week despite
having 3 more offensive opportunities. Our run/pass split was practically even for the contest. We leaned towards passing on 1st down but we were an even 50/50 split on 2-4th down. I'd like to believe this
is due to the success on 1st down, which gave the Aggies the freedom to choose either run or pass and leave the defense guessing.
Next we will look at the various personnel packages the Aggies ran out against Lamar. Here's a quick refresher describing the personnel descriptions:
quote:
For any of this to make sense, you have to know what all of the different packages mean. Basically, it is very simple. Every Offense in the world has 1 QB and 5 Offensive Linemen. Therefore, if 11 players are on the field, then that leaves 5 players who can join the QB in skill positions and the Offensive Coordinator has to choose how to deploy those 5. So, the groups are
simple. "11" means 1 RB and 1 TE, so you add those 2 numbers together (1+1 = 2) and subtract that number from 5 to get how many WRs are on the field at the time. (11 will mean 3 WRs, of course).
I also included a brief description of our 6 formations from the Lamar game.
Personnel Groups Descriptions
Personnel Groups
I'll be honest; this game wasn't as fun to break down. It's pretty clear we severely reduced the playbook from a personnel standpoint because we didn't need the element of surprise. Add to that, the starters all saw
less than 2 full quarters and we scored with such ease that the numbers seem a little skewed. With that said, we did see 2 new formations and a heavy dose of everyone's favorite package, "23".
As shocking as this is, we saw the first and only play with a lone tight end lined up next to the tackle in a 3-point stance. Brandon Alexander saw some time at tight end in this formation, which ended in a run that lost a yard. The other new formation was going with 5 wide receivers and zero running backs. We have run a few plays were the running back splits out wide, but against Lamar we ran true 5-wide sets with good productivity.
Now for my not-so-bold prediction: We will eventually throwout of the "23" package. I know, I'm going out on a limb there. So far we have run 8 plays from this formation without a single pass. I bet we save one of
these play action passes for one of our tougher opponents. (Fun fact: With 7 offensive linemen on the line in "23", that's over three quarters of a ton staring down the opposing defensive line. No wonder we have scored 3 touchdowns and 2 first downs out of those 8 plays!)
Again, 3 formations dominated the game. 88% of the plays were run out of those 3 formations. One thing I picked up on was the push to test the "sprint out". We ran several plays where as soon as the quarterback
caught the snap he sprinted to one side of the formation to make the throws to the outside easier. This also led to a counter-run for Trey Williams that picked up 9 yards. I'll break down this play in my next post. I think this wrinkle will pay dividends against tougher opponents.
Targets
For a second straight week the passing attack was very balanced. The starters saw the most passes with Speedy leading the way with 8 targets. RSJ and Ed Pope both saw the end zone again and a slew of receivers
also caught their first touchdown passes of the season.
Season Total Targets
Red Zone Targets /Touches
Not much to gather from the chart this week. This was due to the fact that so many of our touchdowns were 20+ yards, so we didn't have too many opportunities to test the red zone offense with our first stringers.
Season Total Red Zone Targets / Touches
That's a wrap for week 2. Although the game was never in doubt, I think the coaches will have plenty to talk about with the offense. We played a sloppy game with 3 turnovers, there were a few poor center-to-QB exchanges, and Kenny missed a few throws that could have been big plays. One more note, Kenny also performed poorly in the red zone, going 2 for 6 (Note: His two completions were both for touchdowns, so it wasn't all bad.) Let's hope the Aggies focus on the details and clean up the mistakes this week.
Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week!
