Red Zone Woes

By: Joe Lanza

PUBLISHER

on September 28, 2010, 6:15 PM | 9 comments

By the eye test, the production inside the red zone so far this year has been pretty paltry. Our inability to score points inside the twenties most certainly cost us the game against JMU, was damning to the cause against Boise State and made last week's game against BC a lot tighter than it should have been. I went back watched and re-watched each one of our red zone plays and charted them for you (after the jump). Here are my conclusions, leave any of your thoughts below.

The designed runs out of the shotgun are averaging 0 yards an attempt! (-3, 2, 1, 0, 4, -4) It is beyond my comprehension why they're still being run. There's not even an outlier to support the idea that if run enough a big gain will come.
Ignoring extra points and two point conversions the Hokies have scored 72 of a possible 108 (66.67%) points in 18 red zone attempts: 9 touchdowns and 6 field goals.
Where's the Wild Turkey?
Most of the time the opposing defense seems to know what's coming before the snap. Here are my ideas to break up the monotony: we need to throw more from under center and call more screens, draws, options and play action passes (with better fakes by Tyrod). We aren't doing enough to keep defenses off balance. While it's very true there's only one football, the asset to having a stable of playmakers is the threat of any one of them touching the ball.

#	Line	Down	Distance	Formation	RB	TE	WR	Defense	Type	Play	Player	Result
1.	BSU 1	1	Goal	Goal Line	3	2	0	Goal Line	Rush	Iso	Ryan Williams	0
Darren Evans lines up to the right side of the formation at wing, and motions left before the snap. Hand off to Williams, carried between the left guard and center. The defensive line drives the offensive line back and blows the play up before it can get started.
2.	BSU 1	2	Goal	Goal Line	3	2	0	Goal Line	Rush	Off Tackle	Ryan Williams	1-TD
This time Darren Evans lines up at wing to the left of the formation. Boise looks to stop the run between the center and right guard and Ryan Williams lowers his shoulder and scores a touchdown off tackle.
1.	BSU 16	1	10	I	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	End Around	Danny Coale	-3 (10 yard personal foul)
Tyrod audibles pre-snap, fakes the handoff to Ryan Williams and instead gives it to Danny Coale on a sweep. Josh Oglesby misses the block on the outside linebacker who keeps contain and makes the play in the backfield.
2.	BSU 9	1	Goal	I	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	Dive	Josh Oglesby	0
Tyrod tries to catch the Boise defense off guard, hurrying up to the line. Linebacker shoots the gap and stops the play cold.
3.	BSU 9	2	Goal	Shotgun	1	1	3	4-3	Rush	Read Option	Tyrod Taylor	-3
Dyrell lines up to the right side of formation, and motions across. Tyrod fakes the handoff to Roberts on the end around and tries to get the right edge. A missed block stops the play in the backfield.
4.	BSU 12	3	Goal	Shotgun	1	1	3	4-3	Pass		Tyrod Taylor	-5 sack
The pass protection breaks down quickly with only pressure from the four down linemen. The middle linebacker blitzes late and sacks Taylor.
5.	BSU 17	4	Goal						Field Goal		Chris Hazley	Missed
1.	BSU 14	1	10	Shotgun	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	Flanker Sweep	David Wilson	2
David Wilson takes the flanker sweep toward the right sideline and is lucky to gain a couple of yards. Boise State reads and reacts right away.
2.	BSU 12	2	8	Shotgun	1	1	3	4-3	Pass	Flood	Tyrod Taylor	12-TD
The receivers are aligned in trips to the left. The pass protection breaks down almost immediately, Tyrod finds his safety valve, Ryan Williams, for six points.
1.	BSU 18	2	7	I	2	1	2	Nickel	Rush	Iso	Ryan Williams	9
Powerful rush between Warren and Brooks for Ryan Williams. It was quick hitting and was blocked right. Brooks successfully picked up blitzing linebacker.
2.	BSU 9	1	Goal	I	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	Off tackle	Ryan Williams	2
Boise State reads Williams going outside Blake DeChristopher and stones him.
3.	BSU 7	2	Goal	I	2	1	2	4-3 Strong	Rush		Tyrod Taylor	6
Play action, tight coverage, Tyrod calls his own number and goes right through middle of the box.
4.	BSU 1	3	Goal	Goal Line	3	2	0	Goal Line	Rush	Off tackle	Ryan Williams	1-TD
Darren Evans lines up to the right side of the formation at wing, and motions left before the snap. Hand off to Williams, there's no one outside DeChristopher and it's an easy six.
1.	BSU 19	1	10	I	2	1	2	4-3 Weak	Rush	Iso	Ryan Williams	-2
Isolation play, Younger makes his block, Williams tries to carry it outside DeChristopher but it's blown up by the linebacker immediately.
2.	BSU 21	2	12	Shotgun	2	0	3	4-3	Pass		Tyrod Taylor / Dyrell Roberts	5
Ryan Williams motions out of the backfield into the right side slot. Tyrod throws a quick pass to Dyrell who coming out of the left slot took a step backwards and towards the sideline and is closed on immediately.
3.	BSU 16	3	7	Shotgun	1	1	3	Nickel	Pass	Post	Tyrod Taylor	Incomplete
Danny Coale motions from the left to right slot, Boykin runs a post pattern and can't bring down a high ball.
4.	BSU 16	4	7						Field Goal		Chris Hazley	Good

#	Line	Down	Distance	Formation	RB	TE	WR	Defense	Type	Play	Player	Result
1.	JMU 10	1	Goal	Shotgun	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	Sweep	Ryan Williams	1
Both Ryan Williams and Darren Evans line up flanking Tyrod in the shotgun. Coale off the line on the right side motions into the slot on the left. From Tyrod's left Williams takes the hand off the sweep, tries to get the corner, but it's strung out nicely by JMU.
2.	JMU 9	2	Goal	Shotgun	2	0	3	4-3	Pass	Out	Tyrod Taylor / Jarrett Boykin	9-TD
Evans and Williams both flank Tyrod in the shotgun. This time Williams lines up to the right and Evans to the left. Williams motions to become the inside man on the now trips left formation. Tyrod throws a high ball to Boykin who makes a nice grab on the out route.
1.	JMU 17	1	10	Ace	2	2	1	4-3	Rush	Off Tackle	David Wilson	2
Wilson lines up alone in the backfield. Younger is playing on the end of the line doubling as the second tight end. Wilson tries to carry behind the right tackle but the play the line backer fills after a short gain.
2.	JMU 15	2	8	I	2	1	2	4-3	Pass	TE Seem	Tyrod Taylor / Kenny Younger	2
A lazy play action fake by Tyrod. He makes a quick decision to dump the ball off to Kenny Younger in the flat.
3.	JMU 13	3	6	Shotgun	2	1	2	Nickel	Pass		Tyrod Taylor	Incomplete
Evans and Williams flank Tyrod out of the shotgun. JMU blitzes both linebackers and Tyrod overthrows Evans next to the sideline in the flat.
4.	JMU 13	4	6						Field goal		Chris Hazley	Good
1.	JMU 17	1	10	I	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	Iso	Ryan Williams	3
Ryan Williams plows ahead for a couple of yards.
2.	JMU 14	2	7	Ace	1	2	2	4-3	Rush	Counter	Ryan Williams	3
Ryan Williams gets to the outside on the counter but isn't able to turn it up field.
3.	JMU 11	3	4	Shotgun	1	1	3	Nickel	Rush	Trap	Ryan Williams	0
There's no space to run inside the tackles and Williams is stopped before he can get started.
4.	JMU 11	4	4						Field Goal		Chris Hazley	Good
1.	JMU 20	3	5	Shotgun	1	1	3	4-3 Strong	Rush	Scramble	Tyrod Taylor	3
It looks like it was a a designed pass but Tyrod saw some space in the middle of the field and thought he could make a play with his feet. The running lane closed up fast.
2.	JMU 17	4	2	Shotgun	1	0	4	Nickel	Pass		Tyrod Taylor	Incomplete
A gutsy and decent play call considering the circumstances. Boykin drops a catchable ball on a post that would have been six.
1.	JMU 12	2	1	I	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	Counter	Darren Evans	2 Fumble Loss
We all know how this one ends.
#	Line	Down	Distance	Formation	RB	TE	WR	Defense	Type	Play	Player	Result
1.	ECU 19	1	10	Shotgun	1	1	3	Nickel	Pass		Tyrod Taylor	Pass Interference
Tyrod under throws what looks to be a little post to Dyrell, there's contact both ways but that pass interference call goes our way.
2.	ECU 4	1	Goal	I	2	2	1	4-3	Rush	Counter	Ryan Williams	2
Good push by the right side of the line, Williams just can't break through for a score.
3.	ECU 2	2	Goal	Goal Line	3	2	0	Goal Line	Rush	Off tackle	Ryan Williams	2-TD
Williams lines up behind Younger in the backfield. Evans is the last man off the ball on the left side of the formation. Williams needles his way for six behind a pulling Greg Nosal.
1.	ECU 14	1	10	-	-	-	-	-	Pass	-	Tyrod Taylor	Incomplete
Tyrod overthrew Andre Smith in the back corner of the end zone. The ball was just a little high and out of Smith's reach.
2.	ECU 14	2	10	Ace	1	2	2	4-3 Strong	Rush	Stretch	Darren Evans	7
Andre Smith motions from the right side of the formation to be the second tight end on the left. Powerful carry by Evans that was nicely blocked by the left side of the line.
3.	ECU 7	3	3	I	2	2	1	4-3	Rush	Stretch	Darren Evans	7-TD
The left side of the offensive line and Kenny Younger created a beautiful wall for Evans to run behind. It's an easy six.
1.	ECU 3	1	Goal	Goal Line	3	2	0	Goal Line	Rush	Toss	David Wilson	3-TD
Wilson just takes the pitch to the weak side, breaks about four tackles and wills himself into the end zone.
1.	ECU 19	2	7	Shotgun	2	0	3	Nickel	Rush	Inside Zone	Darren Evans	4
Evans and Wilson are back in the shotgun. Evans takes the handoff, grabs some yards but can't get to the second level.
2.	ECU 15	3	3	Ace	1	2	2	4-3	Rush	Counter	David Wilson	7
Terrific pulling and blocking up front provides Wilson a nice funnel for a big rush.
3.	ECU 8	1	Goal	-	-	-	-	-	Rush	-	David Wilson	8-TD
ESPN 3 was late showing the play and never showed another replay. From memory it was a misdirection run that Wilson was able to take in for an easy six after ECU over pursued.
#	Line	Down	Distance	Formation	RB	TE	WR	Defense	Type	Play	Players	Result
1.	BC 3	1	Goal	Goal Line	2	2	1	Goal Line	Rush	Stretch	Darren Evans	3-TD
Evans is able to carry the ball to the pylon even though BC was able to push back his blockers.
1.	BC 12	1	10	Ace	1	1	3	4-3		Stretch	Darren Evans	Illegal Substitution No Play
Evans takes the handoff outside Lanier but doesn't get anywhere.
2.	BC 12	1	10	I	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	Iso	David Wilson	3
Nothing fancy, the Hokies are running right into the teeth of the BC front seven.
3.	BC 9	2	7	I	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	Iso	David Wilson	Holding
The receivers end are lined up the right side of the field, Andre Smith to the left. Another isolation ran behind Younger and Smith. BC's defensive tackles waltz past the right side of the line and blow it up in the backfield.
4.	BC 18	2	16	Shotgun	1	1	3	4-3	Rush	Scramble	Tyrod Taylor	6
The pocket begins to collapse and Tyrod turns a negative into a positive with a nice gain.
5.	BC 12	3	10	Shotgun	1	1	3	Nickel	Pass	-	Tyrod Taylor	Incomplete
Lanier whiffs on his block and Tyrod completely under throws a pass to Coale and is lucky that it wasn't picked off by Herzlich.
6.	BC 12	4	10	Field Goal					Field Goal		Chris Hazley	Good
1.	BC 10	1	Goal	I	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	Iso	Darren Evans	0
Another run right into the gut of the BC front seven that's bounced back. At this point I'm thinking, hoping, this is a learning lesson in toughness for the offensive line.
2.	BC 10	2	Goal	Shotgun	1	1	3	4-3	Rush	QB Choice	Darren Evans	-4
Tyrod runs to the right on what looks to be a QB choice. There's nowhere for him to go so he hands the ball to Evans who coming back is stuff for a loss from the backside pressure.
3.	BC 14	3	Goal	Shotgun	1	1	3	Nickel	Rush	Scramble	Tyrod Taylor	3
Tyrod drops back to pass, Lanier gets worked again and he's forced to scramble.
4.	BC 11	4	Goal	Field Goal					Field Goal		Chris Hazley	Good
1.	BC 16	2	5	I	2	1	2	4-3	Rush	G	Darren Evans	1
Jaymes Brooks pulls to the left and Evans tries to follow. He can't.
2.	BC 15	3	4	Shotgun	1	1	3	Nickel	Pass		Tyrod Taylor	Incomplete
Trips to the right side, Tyrid overthrows the wide receiver screen to Dyrell Roberts, who had blockers in front of him.
3.	BC 15	4	4	Field Goal					Field Goal		Chris Hazley	Good