It's a testament to what a normal offseason has done for second-year coordinator Todd Orlando and his ability to install the defense and instill the mentality he wants from his players.. (213) 740-4204. LOS ANGELES Under normal circumstances, first-year USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando would have just finished the in-person evaluation portion of the recruiting calendar. Herald-Times. The way you practice is the amount of plays youre going to get. Thats where adaptability comes into play. The arrangement wasnt ideal for anyone involved, least of all the new defensive coordinator tasked with toughening up a unit that, for seven months, was barred from standing next to each other, let alone colliding. We understood the reason why we were running what we were running, Roach said. It could afford to, considering Arizona State wasnt making it pay through the air. Continue reading Simulated Pressures From a Positionless Defense (2019 Sugar Bowl). Hands-on coaching was limited to distanced learning. Herman brought Orlando along with him to Texas, where a brilliant Year 1 netted the Longhorns defensive coordinator a raise to $1.7 million per year through the 2021 season. Find out which 3 #USC players go to the Bears in an NBC Sports Chicago mock draft. The Longhorns used lightning package variation the remainder of the season, allowing only 21 points per game the rest of the way. USC essentially ran a 4-2 front last season under former defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. One question I am asking to college football experts is this: Should Todd Orlando emphasize complexity of scheme or simplicity of scheme against Jayden Daniels and the Sun Devils on Saturday? It made it a lot easier for me to make that decision (to stay).. Two Former NBA Players Receive Prison Sentences For Fraud Scheme. This article appeared in Athlon Sports' 2018 Big 12 Regional Football Preview Editions. Are Dejon Benton and Kobe Pepe ready to play? During his time as defensive coordinator at Texas, his defense forced 65 turnovers and ranked in the top 10 nationally for . In McVays offense, the use of quick motions, multiple formations, and what seems to be an Air Raid-ish passing game has given NFL defenses fits all year. So its difficult to judge just how good the defense truly is at this point. Even for much of spring camp. Simulated Pressures From a Positionless Defense (2019 Sugar Bowl), on Simulated Pressures From a Positionless Defense (2019 Sugar Bowl), View @matchquarterss profile on Instagram, Simulated Pressures From a Positionless Defense (2019 Sugar Bowl), article discussing how teams attack the Tite Front, Georgia and Texas used the front and similar coverage schemes as a base, BCfToys.coms top 10 in Defensive Efficiency, Using an EXIT stunt to combat a zone heavy offense. Texas run defense didnt suffer in that time either. 2. Every week is a challenge. Thats in large part due to the variance of the offensive minds. USC has officially found the new face of its defense. We kind of talked about this going into it. Orlando is now a handsomely paid football coach, in his third year as the Texas defensive coordinator having progressed up the career coaching ladder, from Penn to UConn to FIU to Utah State to. - Mayfield completed a season-low 63 percent of his passes in the Red River Showdown. 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Orlando now becomes the seventh defensive coordinator in seven seasons for FAU. In that game, the Longhorns consistently confused a seasoned and well-coached offensive line, garnering two sacks and seven tackles for loss (TFLs). They also began to move Hager into different alignments that made the most of his ability to drop into coverage or work around the edge in conjunction with his ability and willingness to crash into tackles from an inside alignment. In reality, Texas players say their responsibilities change little from week to week. Theres a little bit of schematics into it. He was more of Well keep things simple, well do the same stuff. When Tom Herman hired Todd Orlando to be his defensive coordinator at the University of Houston, Herman was looking for a coach who could teach the kind of defense that always gave him fits. Enter your email address to follow this blog & make sure to follow on MatchQuarters.substackcom. We just had to learn to embrace it, and now we look forward to it.. And that might just be the way it is moving forward. The timing between Daniels and his receivers was off all game. He would have. 20 Southern California, however, has been different because of the coronavirus pandemic. Theres no backside meetings. Youre going to be based on how hard you run to the football, how you get off blocks and how you tackle.. Through it all, Orlandos stayed on Hermans staff. Even former Big 12 Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury got a head coaching job with the Cardinals on nothing more than his offensive acumen. He wants to stop the run and make a defense one-dimensional. Hands-on coaching was limited to distanced learning. Among current players, defensive end TaQuon Graham was something close to ecstatic about the potential for rushing the quarterback in Ashs defense following the Alamo Bowl win over Utah. No. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Hermans old college buddy,Dave Aranda, recommended Orlando highly Orlando took over as DC at Utah State when Aranda, now at LSU, went to Wisconsin. Youre in this area and theres some really good high school players in this area, the top guys. Written by Ian Boyd (@Ian_A_Boyd)for Athlon Sports. USC, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri each rushed 34-plus times against Texas but averaged only 4.2 yards per carry. Orlando needs opposing offenses to be one-dimensional, and against great quarterbacks that means sacrificing numbers in the box. Orlando lost both of his starting inside linebackers after the 2018 season and both were productive in his scheme. As of Thursday morning, it has apparently filled out the rest of its coaching staffit has apparently filled out the rest of its Orlando now resides in Los Angeles with the USC Trojans and it will be interesting to see how the PAC 12 chooses to attack the Orlando system. In the concluding 2019 Pressure Tape review, MQ will breakdown three Longhorn pressures against the now-famous LSU offenses (one of the best in history). After the Sun Devils started to have success on the ground midway through the second quarter, USC started employing a 4-3 front at times. And now former defensive end Malcolm Roach, as he prepares for the NFL Combine, reflected on how much he would have liked to play in Ashs scheme and how much he thinks it will benefit the 2020 Longhorns. USC defense has different feel in camp after full offseason Due to the pandemic, USC was unable to implement new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando's scheme in person before the 2020. However, Orlando was stubborn in keeping his defensive ends playing heads up on opposing offensive tackles instead of giving them early-down opportunities from the five technique like James Lynch enjoyed at Baylor. Safeties coach Craig Naivar, whos been working with Orlando since 2015, described the defense with that exact word a few weeks ago. Todd Orlando (born March 24, 1971) is an American football coach. Roach believes that Orlandos odd front didnt let the defensive line showcase their abilities. He served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Texas at Austin from 2017 to 2019 and the University of Southern California (USC) from 2020 to 2021. The goal of Orlandos defense is twofold: 1. In order to acclimate, the Longhorns flipped a script that usually prioritized stopping the run first 95 percent of the time. 3. Nearly every defensive coordinator will say theyre multiple in the various looks theyll give an offense. Tackling has been an issue, (as has) lots of defensive miscommunication. One key element I talked about in my latest book, Hybrids: The Making of a Modern Defense, is the use of a more positionless defensive gameplan going forward into the future. The use of small ball to counteract the space created by Spread offenses is understandable. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) MQ takes a look at Texas 3rd Down pressure package versus Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Locke. On Arizona States final possession, Orlando went back to the 1-4-6 look for the entire drive. I just feel like now that burden is on me, being the veteran.. But that moratorium on full-contact practice was lifted Wednesday, finally offering Orlando a long-awaited glimpse of what his USC defense is made of. Former Texas DE Malcolm Roach criticizes Todd Orlandos scheme, Quick thoughts from No. The Trojans defense held the Spartans to only seven points on the game, and things seemed to be going well in Southern California. Longhorns defensive coordinator Todd Orlando debuted his "cowboy" package in a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech last Saturday. While some players struggled to learn virtually, he said the extra time spent installing and discussing the defense led to an especially sharp first week. 3 Kansas. Having a base, four-man pass-rush is less valuable for attacking any of those schemes, so Orlando determined that it was a worthy trade to give up a pass rusher up front in exchange for more coverage and blitz flexibility and disguise potential while also gaining a "free hitter" in the form of the robber. If the offense doesn't even know where the overload is coming from or who's dropping into coverage unless they can figure it out after the snap, they're more likely to have their own weak spots exposed than they are to hammer a favorable matchup with a pinpoint pass or run. This season has not gone according to plan for anybody, especially the defense, and major changes will be headed USCs way. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. A little has to do with the pace of the game too. Innovation comes from desperation, and in the offensive gauntlet that is the Big 12, it has created an evolutionary playground for defensive (and offensive) football. But we understood why we were running it. The more you put in, the more you get out.. For most of training camp, Jackson was limited by a hamstring issue, which caused some worry for Orlando, who thought the lack of reps might impact the edge rushers tackling. Orlandos scheme isnt complicated at least by memorization standards. It took a toll on our bodies, Locke said. Drake Jackson, who spent last season as more of a strict defensive end, shed 25 pounds and shifted into a hybrid linebacker role. The Trojans defense shifted into different looks, sometimes showing two down linemen with Jackson and defensive end Nick Figueroa standing up. If youre thinking in football, youre playing slow.. Lets start with the base defense. Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. At Texas, Orlando oversaw a defense that improved from 80th to 24th in points allowed. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. However, although Hill called Orlandos scheme gimmicky, thats not really true Baylor and Iowa State both had highly productive defenses in 2019 with similar schemes. Its going to be real interesting to see how that unfolds in the Pac-12 with USC and everybody., Its a legitimate question in terms of how Orlando is going to play it early in the season, right? Visit our online store to order your copyto get more in-depth analysis on the 2018 season. Before heading to Utah State and learning the art of disguised zone blitzes and modern 3-4 defense from the Kyle Whittingham coaching tree in the early 2010s, Orlando was a traditional 4-3 coach. There's no better way to demonstrate that than to look at howTexas defended the run. Thats important to know, because Orlando turned down an opportunity to be Pittsburghs DC in his hometown that offseason. Visit our online store to order your copy. Get your first month for $1. Theres a reason why he was let go. Toughness is for naught if the player and coach relationship isnt strong enough to offset those consistent practice blows. Orlando walked into the interview room and saw his Aggie defensive film already on the screen. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) Saban has finally embraced the change as well, throwing the ball more than he ever has before with Tua Tagovailoa. Most defensive coaches can recognize the usefulness of the front, but one thing is clear, Spread offenses will try and figure it out. But it can look that way. You know, he was a linebacker previously, and hes really strong, so being able to move in this system is really a high priority, defensive line coach Vic Sooto said. Defensive coach Todd Orlando of the Texas Longhorns reacts during play against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second . Orlando took a linebacker off the field, added a third safety and unveiled Texas lightning package.. The result was a hurried throw from Daniels, an incompletion on fourth down, and a victory for USC. (Top photo: Jose Marin / MarinMedia Pool for USC Athletics). He's previously covered his alma mater SMU and the WNBA for the Dallas Morning News and high school sports for the Long Beach Press-Telegram. 1 teach us about the units new direction? The point behind that question is not that hard to grasp: Is a complex scheme necessary to give USC a winning edge, or should a simplified scheme be used in Week 1, to not load players with too many assignments, reads, or details? LOS ANGELES (AP) Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. Jefferson went on to lead the team with 110 tackles, including 20 run stuffs, while anchoring the interior of the Texas defense in a 3-2-6 dime package that Orlando unveiled to the bewilderment of Texas' spread-oriented Big 12 opponents. The result was a defense that failed to take advantage of the pass-rushing talent of players like Graham, Ossai, and Roach because once the scheme that Orlando spent the offseason developing was no longer effective, its extremely difficult to make those changes once the season begins. He finished with three tackles and one tackle for loss, which counts as a quiet night for the sophomore linebacker. Texas junior defensive endMalcolm Roachsaid an Orlando film session is everything youd want it to be. That means a detail-oriented outlook focused to the point where Orlando will call out a player for a 12-inch step instead of a 6-inch one. Previously, he spent three years at the Clarion Ledger in Mississippi, where he covered Ole Miss for two seasons and Jackson State for another. When we sat down and started to talk it was just so similar, Orlando told 247Sports. With one of the pass-rushing outside linebackers replaced by a nickel DB, the defense is left with only a single edge rusher on the field (the B-backer in Orlando's defense). (Liberty vs Arkansas 22), Dec. 22 Blitz of the Month Georgias Pod Alignment, Blitzing from the Odd Stack vs a Pro Style offense (Ole Miss vs Kentucky 22). He is the defensive coordinator at the University of South Florida . LOS ANGELES It was clear for most of fall camp. Los Angeles Times USC beat writer Ryan Kartje offered this extended answer: Its important to remind everyone listening that I havent actually seen Todd Orlandos defense other than one practice during the spring Weve seen it all over the country that these offenses are running roughshod over defenses. Snow, at his fifth FBS post as defensive coordinator, has evolved his scheme to become more multiple and detailed. Then well get an idea of what the defense is truly capable of after losing contributors like DT Marlon Tuipulotu, CB Olaijah Griffin and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Talanoa Hufanga. Owl fans had seen this defensive scheme recently when defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer coached FAU in 2019 as part of the 11-3 Conference USA and Boca Bowl championship season. Greg Johnson is the veteran returner at nickel back. New USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, shown during his tenure at Texas, didnt let the COVID-19 shutdown stop him from familiarizing the Trojans to his defense. A fourth linebacker released off the line can more easily pursue the football on outside runs and defend quick passes on the edge. His defense consequently has two main types of base pass rush, one in which the B-backer works off the edge like in a normal 3-4 defense and another in which the B-backer drops into coverage while the rover blitzes suddenly through the interior. The Cyclones and Longhorns most notably did it while using a 3-safety Dime package for parts of the season. Texas finished 7-5 and Orlando was fired as part of a staff overhaul. The rotation should expand when Pili returns, but at the moment USCs defensive personnel is what it is. Pili underwent surgery last week on some broken fingers, which forced him to miss the game. The Trojans run defense would be better with defensive lineman Jay Tufele, who opted out of the season a few months ago and entered the NFL Draft. But structurally, in our opinion, its still so sound.. Nothing went right for Texas and the principles Orlando instilled all offseason seemed to evaporate. He beats the tackle clean, forces the throw fast and its an incomplete. Tuli Tuipulotu, one of the stars of spring football, brings similar flexibility to the position. In this particular instance shown above, the Jack backer walls the play by climbing to the RB. So what did game No. Hes got that mindset. USC needs more size, speed and athleticism at every level of its defense. The defense has numbers and is plus-one on the pulling guard. For example, to counteract the speed of the Ravens Lamar Jackson, the San Diego Chargers went uber-small and put up to SEVEN DBs on the field at a time. Hes at his best when hes trying to get into the backfield, and thats what he was mainly asked to do on Saturday. Aggressive DCs like Orlando weren't having that for long, and his response is to teach his players to show a blitz to trigger the sideline glance and check from the offense before bringing another call entirely. And as Saturday showed, thats a group with a long way to go. None of that stuff. He also coaches the linebackers. Injuries limited the two best blitzers in the secondary safeties BJ Foster and DeMarvion Overshown while the inexperienced cornerbacks also struggled with injuries and the baptism by fire in the pass-heavy conference. And sometimes they went with a 3-4 look with its normal defensive line (Figueroa, Marlon Tuipulotu and Caleb Tremblay) and Jackson and Hunter Echols as outside linebackers. Theyre the best in the country. FAU's defense . What is the current state of play for one of the elite QB prospects on the board? The odd front (three defenders) gave Orlando flexibility. Herman just needed to know if the pair would mesh personally. With Gary Anderson and Dave Aranda's exit to Wisconsin in 2012, the door opened for then Offensive Coordinator Matt Wells to ascend to the Head Coaching position. The "mac" or middle linebacker helps call the defense and serves as the "first responder" for the defense against the run, looking to plug gaps and spill blocks to the outside linebackers (or nickel and dime defenders as the case may be) and his partner the "rover" linebacker. Orlando usually sent four rushers when he used this package early in the game, and Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels took advantage of the pressure on the first drive by ripping off a 38-yard run. Heres the cool part about this, every night after practice we watch every rep of every play that we have. Last year, Orlando helped the Longhorns shed more than 10 points per game allowed on defense despite working with 10 of the 11 starters from2016's porous unit. The SEC used to be one of the sole holdouts with only a few teams, namely Ole Miss and Texas A&M, embracing the shift. Odd-front defenses with nickel and dime packages on the back end are en vogue across college football. - Grier hurt himself early in the contest against Texas, but Locks 52.9 completion rate in the Texas Bowl was one of his worst of the year. Contact drills were reduced to virtual cues. 9 Texas 75-59 win No. The numbers back up that decision, as Texas tied for 66th nationally with 27 sacks in 2019, down five from 2018. "We are excited to have. At the three traditional LB spots, converted safety Raymond Scott has grabbed control of the outside backer spot while Kanai and Ralen Goforth return inside. Then Utah State's defensive coordinator, Orlando flew to Columbus, Ohio to interview with Herman for Houston's defensive coordinator job. He is an experienced and successful defensive coordinator who has made an impact everywhere he has coached.. Aggressive, physical, unfearing. Considering how long players have had to learn the scheme, Orlando made clear he wont be as forgiving when it comes to forgetting assignments. To me, thats recruiting. Herman said Orlando would be the first assistant in his foxhole. Be sure to follow us on Twitter at: @Owls247, @MarinelliShane, and @TheKevinFielder. The Longhorns seemed to never really find a home base on defense. Behind them, USC has transfers like Xavion Alford and Chris Thompson, not to mention a slew of freshmen. FAU's defense ranked 50th in the country in 2019.In 2021 FAU's defense had its up and downs, ranking 99th against the pass, 75th against the run, and 86th overall, but was in the top 50 in scoring defense. Examine Texas schedule last season, and youll see a murders row of quarterbacks:Sam Darnold(No. Fail big.. Thats not to say those seven months were for naught. One of his favorite ways to do this is with his overload blitzes off the edges. Orlando utilizes a number of disguised blitzes and coverages out of his 3-4 front, which can cause havoc for an offense trying to sort through things quickly. We have the same mentality, Orlando said. As the season progresses, look for true freshman Raesjon Davis to sneak his way into the starting lineup. Herman knew within 10 minutes of talking with Orlando hed found his defensive coordinator. Though Jackson is officially an outside linebacker now and is listed at 20 pounds lighter than he weighed a year ago (from 275 to 255), it doesnt seem like his role has changed a ton, at least from what he showed Saturday. He wants his defenders to fly to the football. That was the biggest thing that we got caught up in, not using our weapons to our full advantage. What I think were all starting to learn defensively theres some four-down stuff thats really good but the number of people you can get off the ball based on how the offense is attacking can be advantageous to you..