Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa Independence Bowl Preview: Scouting the Golden Hurricane's Defense

Virginia Tech's Independence Bowl opponent — the Tulsa Golden Hurricane — will travel to Shreveport with one of the worst ranked defenses in the country. I watched film of Tulsa against Oklahoma and Memphis and discovered the Golden Hurricane use multiple defensive fronts. Tulsa's depth chart lists a base 4-3 defense, but they utilize both odd and even defensive fronts. Tulsa co-defensive coordinators Bill Young and Brian Norwood shared a tidbit of insight with Tulsa World midway through spring practice.

As of Saturday, Young said he and Norwood had installed "about three defenses" in their 4-3 scheme. The pace preferred by head coach Philip Montgomery and his offensive coordinators make it a challenge for the defense to just get lined up correctly.

Junior linebacker Trent Martin said this year's 4-3 is "completely different" than the 4-3 setup TU ran last year. Martin also said last year's results don't seem to mean much this year.

A Multitude of Defensive Fronts

The Hurricane can't match the size and strength of most Power 5 offensive lines. Instead, the front-seven use a multitude of run stunts and movement to confuse the offensive blocking scheme.

When Tulsa aligns in the 4-3, the boundary end is in a seven-technique (outside shoulder of the offensive tackle). The nose tackle will play a one-technique (outside shoulder of the center to the boundary). The field side defensive tackle will align in a three-technique (outside shoulder of the guard). The field defensive end will align in a seven-technique or a nine-technique (one gap wider of the offensive tackle). The boundary end is apt to stand up in a two-point stance at times.

In the screen grab above, the outside linebacker to the field is Tulsa's STAR, which traditionally is a hybrid linebacker / safety in a 4-2-5 scheme. Matt Linscott (No. 38, JR, 6-1, 220) moved from safety and is Tulsa's No. 1 STAR.

"(Linscott) had a tremendous fall camp," coach Philip Montgomery told Tulsa World in September. "He's a smart player. He's physical at the point of attack and a sure tackler. He's the guy that's athletic enough to do things in space. He's been a major key to what we want to do."

On occasion, the defensive tackles will change their alignment principles. For example, the boundary nose may align in a three-technique and the field defensive tackle may slide into a nose. When this happens, it is an excellent indicator that the defensive line is setting up a stunt and the linebackers will most likely blitz into the vacated space.

When Tulsa aligns in its odd (3-4) front, the boundary defensive end plays on the line of scrimmage as a stand up outside linebacker. His inside leg is forward and he is in a squat position. From that stance, the boundary defensive end is not looking to get up the field. Instead, he wants to set the edge and move laterally with the play.

The nose tackle shades to the center's boundary side shoulder pad. Two defensive tackles play in a three-technique. At times the field side linebacker is flexed out to align against a slot receiver on the wide side of the field. Tulsa used this defensive look primarily against one or two tight end personnel against Oklahoma.

When Tulsa wants to generate pass rush, they often shift into a 30 front.

A defensive tackle is replaced by an extra defensive back. The nose tackle aligns over the boundary eye of the center. This is an important distinction. In the 3-4, that nose is shaded more on his shoulder. In the 30 front, he is just barely shaded to the boundary side of the center's helmet. He is as close as he can be to being head up on the center. The defensive ends both slide out into seven techniques. The three linebackers stack directly behind the defensive linemen. Often, those linebackers will shift into the gaps between the nose tackle and the defensive ends to show blitz. In this front, Tulsa will often bring all three linebackers on a variety of blitzes while dropping a defensive lineman or two into a short zone. On this example, one of the linebackers is forced to walk out and cover a receiver. The five remaining players execute a beautiful stunt.

The two defensive ends crash through the guard-tackle gaps. The middle linebacker and the nose tackle take a jab step, and then loop behind the defensive ends to the outside while containing. The other linebacker walked up on the line to show blitz, and then dropped underneath Paxton Lynch's fire read to take away a quick throw. The Memphis guards bite inside on the jab step of the middle linebacker and the nose tackle and have a poor angle to intercept the crashing defensive ends. Once the ends turn the pads of the guard, they have a clear path for a sack.

Winning with Movement

Tulsa can't man up against top running games and win those one-on-one battles. Instead, look for the Golden Hurricane to run a wide variety of run blitzes in an effort to confuse Tech's blocking schemes. East Carolina used a similar approach against the Hokies. It produces boom or bust results. Sometimes the movement causes busts in the blocking scheme. Other times, gaps are created that open large holes for the running game. In this clip, Oklahoma runs a counter play that is very similar to the counter the Hokies used on the final game winning drive against Virginia. Tulsa is aligned in an even front.

The blocking rules for the Sooners are simple. The left side will block down to the gap to their right. The left tackle has the B-gap to the play-side. The left guard has the A-gap to the play-side. The right guard and H-Back will pull and lead up into the hole. The center blocks the A gap on the back-side to fill the space vacated by the pulling guard.

Tulsa changes their alignment right before the snap. The field inside linebacker moves into a blitz position in the right (boundary) A-gap. The boundary inside linebacker moves up right behind the left leg of the nose tackle. At the snap, the nose tackle moves laterally and then stunts through the play-side B gap, while the field linebacker stunts through the play-side A-gap.

Oklahoma should be fine here. None of the blocking rules have changed, and there are enough blockers to account for each defender. However, the left tackle doesn't initially account for a defender in the B-gap and takes an angle to block a linebacker that isn't there. Once he realizes that the nose tackle is stunting into the B-gap, he is out of position and can't recover to make the block. The nose tackle shoots by and forces the back to cut back to the inside, where Golden Hurricane defenders converge to make the play. If the left tackle sticks by his blocking rule, he would have his helmet on the inside shoulder of that nose tackle as he stunts across and would seal him to the inside.

Defensive tackle Derrick Luetjen (No. 99, SR, 6-3, 291) has 36 career starts appears to be the toughest matchup for the Hokies' interior blockers. Luetjen reminds me of former UVA defensive tackle Brent Urban. Luetjen often aligns as the nose tackle. He is incredibly strong and stunts well. On those stunts he will either drive into two blockers to pull them away from a blitzing linebacker. If he gets a single blocker, he moves well enough laterally to create a leverage advantage and then power through the outside shoulder of the blocker to make the tackle.

The Hokies have struggled mightily against defensive fronts that utilize stunts and movement over the last two seasons, especially against East Carolina and Boston College. During bowl prep, Tech's scout team must be enthusiastic and detailed in their stunts to give the offensive line a good look in preparation, and outgoing offensive line coach Stacy Searels must be steadfast reinforcing blocking rules rather than targeting a man. I anticipate the Hokies will look to attack the edges. Expect to see Travon McMillian utilized often on stretch plays where the offensive line uses pin and pull principles to get outside of the stunting movement on the interior.

Abysmal Secondary Play is the Weak Link

Tulsa's secondary is the worst group I have seen on film all season. Strong safety Michael Mudoh (No. 1, SR, 5-10, 205) has led the team in tackles the last two seasons and is excellent in coming up to support the run. The rest of the secondary are average tacklers and have been beaten repeatedly all season in coverage.

The Golden Hurricane runs similar coverages as Virginia against the Hokies. For the most part, the corners play very soft man coverage and cover 3 zones. They are not quick to break up on the football and try very hard not to get beaten deep. This opens ample opportunity for quick stop routes, out routes, and quick slants underneath the coverage. On this play, Memphis has a second-and-six. Paxton Lynch fakes a zone run and stands up to throw a quick out route to the field.

At the snap, corner Darrell Williams (No. 6, SR, 5-10, 197) is yielding 10 yards of space. Despite the big cushion, Williams still backpedals. The Memphis receiver never threatens his cushion. When the Memphis receiver breaks to the outside, Williams can't get out of his backpedal to move back towards the football. As he angles to the sideline, Williams is still going backwards on his first two steps out of his backpedal. This provides a very comfortable window for the receiver to complete the catch and get turned up the field.

Tulsa's safeties are also very susceptible to biting on run fakes, especially if the offense has established some pattern of predictability on specific run actions. Here, Memphis fakes a jet sweep.

The key is up to this point, Memphis had been predictable. They previously used this formation and motioned the slot receiver across on jet sweeps. Each time, the H-Back sealed the safety in the slot, and the tailback sealed the corner to the outside.

Tulsa recognizes the motion and bites. The safety and outside linebacker come up on the jet sweep fake. The H-Back slides by the safety into the seam where the back-side safety picks him up. Instead of blocking the corner, the tailback turns up field inside the corner and runs into the open. Lynch hits him on a wide open wheel route right up the seam.

Establishing the run will open things in the play-action game, and Isaiah Ford has the talent to twist solid corners into the ground on double moves. When Tulsa presses, Ford has a significant matchup advantage against their corners, especially Kerwin Thomas (No. 2, SO, 5-10, 171). Thomas was beaten repeatedly on double moves by both Memphis and Oklahoma.

On this next play, Memphis fakes a power where the back follows the H-Back and pulling left guard over right tackle . The Memphis receiver to the bottom of the screen has man coverage, he gives a subtle out fake and then runs to the post. Thomas gets completely turned inside out. Given Ford's ability to sell a similar fake (see the game tying touchdown against Virginia where Tim Harris bit on a dig route fake despite the 3rd-and-16 situation), I envision the possibility of Ford having a huge game against Tulsa.

On paper, Tulsa is the weakest defense the Hokies have seen since Purdue. There are some major matchup advantages that the Hokies can exploit in the secondary, and I would be shocked if Virginia Tech doesn't put up at least 35 points. However, sustaining drives and offensive execution, especially on third down (Tech's No. 87 nationally in 3rd down conversion, 36.87%) have been bugaboos all season. Individual errors have killed drives, and the Hokies' offensive line has struggled throughout the Loeffler era against stunting defensive fronts. Tulsa's offense has the ability to put up points quickly. The Golden Hurricane put up 38 and 42 points in losing efforts to Oklahoma and Memphis, respectively. Tulsa can sometimes run as many as 90 offensive snaps a game. That is a staggering total. The Golden Hurricane will test the Hokies secondary depth and conditioning to the extreme. Much like East Carolina did, anything less than a stellar defensive performance could have the Hokies' offense looking up at a two-touchdown deficit before they even get on track. It will be critical for the offense to keep drives alive and setup Tulsa's weak secondary with play-action to get an early lead and keep the defense off the field. Do that, and the Hokies can send Frank Beamer into retirement the right way — with another bowl win and a winning record in his last season.