But mostly, Halls role was to stay in the middle of the field to aggressively close on the many quick-hitting passes the Cowboys employed and discourage the posts that defined the offense. Its very unique, added Texas senior safetyP.J. Then Utah States defensive coordinator, Orlando flew to Columbus, Ohio to interview with Herman for Houstons defensive coordinator job in January of 2015. 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. Put together, bad luck and some poor choices cost Orlando his job, in no small part because the defensive line wasnt positioned for success. He would have. Georgia and Texas used the front and similar coverage schemes as a base, with both finding themselves in BCfToys.coms top 10 in Defensive Efficiency (adjusted for the strength of opponent offenses faced UGA was #5 and Texas #6). Hes got that mindset. The Trojans considered other candidates before settling on Orlando, even getting as far as discussing the parameters of a potential contract with Rams linebackers coach Joe Barry. You would think its hard to learn, but he made it so simple.. A fourth linebacker released off the line can more easily pursue the football on outside runs and defend quick passes on the edge. 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. Its 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. 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. If the Trojans are going to take a step forward as a program this season, its going to need its defense to make some serious progress. Lincoln RileyandKliff Kingsburycome from the Air Raid tree, but their systems look quite different in the same way Kansas States pro-style, option-heavy scheme varies from Oklahoma States spread. Under Orlando's direction last season, Texas run defense jumped to eighth nationally from 76th the year prior. Chase Williams has turned into a leader at the position while delivering physical blows when he attacks the ball. Find out which 3 #USC players go to the Bears in an NBC Sports Chicago mock draft. We just had to learn to embrace it, and now we look forward to it.. 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. Contact drills were reduced to virtual cues. They were delayed for two months from when they would normally have a camp. Visit our online store to order your copyto get more in-depth analysis on the 2018 season. That establishment between Orlando and his team started in earnest following the Longhorns worst defensive effort of the season, a 51-41 loss to Maryland in Week 1. 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Texas and Georgia, in particular, had great success all year running similar schemes from a base Tite Front. We see how he got his start c. 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. 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. When interim defensive coordinator Craig Naivar finally allowed Ossai to play that role, Ossai produced three of his five sacks in the Alamo Bowl. Their camp D was a 3-4, but once the season hit, the packages started to proliferate. 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. That's what Orlando labels coachings million dollar question. Written by Ian Boyd (@Ian_A_Boyd)for Athlon Sports. One need only look at Texas Oct. 21 matchup with Oklahoma State for an example. You hear about soggy eggs and burnt toast, but its the pad popping thats the real story of these daily efforts. Here is where USCs struggles against the run and its short rotation, particularly on the defensive line, tie together. Hands-on coaching was limited to distanced learning. Defenses in the Leauge were getting scored on at a historic rate. It has been quick to the ball, aggressive in its pass rush situations, effective at creating interceptions and disruptive in clogging the line of scrimmage on run plays. (Roger Steinman / AP) Ryan Kartje (LA Times) -- Through spring and summer, the physical, hard-nosed brand of defense Todd Orlando promised to bring to USC remained strictly . The Panthers defensive ranked 11th in scoring defense that season. Get your first month for $1. Safeties coach Craig Naivar, whos been working with Orlando since 2015, described the defense with that exact word a few weeks ago. I just feel 3-4 didnt let us showcase our abilities the way we wanted to. How you practice around here is going to be how many reps you get, Orlando said. Continue reading Attacking the Tite Front. Orlando used it during his media availability on Wednesday, too. It could afford to, considering Arizona State wasnt making it pay through the air. Those disguised blitzes are a favorite ploy. If the guard stays on the 4i (double team), both the Mike and Will are left free to flow with the play and what DC doesnt want is ILBs free-flowing to the ball? LOS ANGELES USC has its new defensive coordinator, Todd Orlando. LOS ANGELES (AP) Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. But after successfully rebuilding the Texas defense in his first season, the Longhorns experienced a sharp defensive downturn in 2019. The 404 alignment does several things for the box: 1) the offensive line cant climb because of the 4is, and 2) it frees up at least one of the inside linebackers (if not both). Were starting to try and create things like that defensively, so at least when theyre coming in there and theyre game planning us, you know, maybe it eliminates some plays youd normally see if youre vanilla. The initial conversations went well. As I wrote in early 2019 after Texas defeated Georgia, Orlando's defense uses hybrid players and different alignments to put pressure on offenses. LOS ANGELES USCs season-opening 28-27 win over Arizona State offered a glimpse of what first-year defensive coordinator Todd Orlandos defense will look like. Drake Jackson, who spent last season as more of a strict defensive. Then, facing the ultra-explosive Oklahoma State offense, he made a big change to his defensive structure that probably revolutionized his own philosophy and perhaps changed prevailing best practices across the college game from here on out. Visit our online store to order your copy. Coach Todd Orlando of the USC Trojans during USC football practice at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The Horns look to close out the inaugural season at the Moody Center with a 17-1 record. Orlando said that shift occured because of practice habits and strong relationships between the defensive staff and its players. The odd front (three defenders) gave Orlando flexibility. You have to look at the film and say, This guy can wreck a game, Orlando said. If you bring four and they have six back in there to block, its not good numbers for you especially if youre covering the heck out of everybody. Texas special assistant to the head coach Gary Patterson stepping down from role. But it can look that way. In an interview posted on the schools Twitter account, Orlando promised that his USC defenses would be aggressive and attack people., I really believe that in todays game, creating negative yardage plays, attacking the quarterback, turnovers, all those things go into creating explosive plays on defense, Orlando said. Though Todd Orlandos (DC, USC) time at Texas came to a screeching halt after the 2019 regular season, one thing is clear, the man can create pressure. Orlando took a linebacker off the field, added a third safety and unveiled Texas lightning package.. Email. The reason for this is the design of Orlando's defense, which favors speed over size at the middle linebacker position. The Cowboys averaged more yards passing than any team in the country. Since Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman dismissed defensive coordinator Todd Orlando two and a half months ago and even before, to some extent it's become clear just how much. The use of small ball to counteract the space created by Spread offenses is understandable. Herman starts most practices with a variation of the circle drill (essentially a one-on-one meeting in a small space that Herman calls out one by one) to ramp up the energy. Todd Orlando remembers feeling bad for Tom Herman. Were going to have to work the heck out of this. Orlando believes the only way a team will play fast and hard is if they do so in practice. Once the guard pulls (the 4is key), he can chase and climb to the mesh. So in addition to having a blitz package, Orlando teaches his rover how to disguise insert blitzes through the A and B gaps. But when the Trojans needed Jackson the most, they turned him loose and let him do what he does best at the end of the game: rush the passer. Greg Johnson is the veteran returner at nickel back. 3 overall pick),Baker Mayfield(No. There has been a critical error on this website. football@usc.edu. USC essentially ran a 4-2 front last season under former defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. A good run defense has been a calling card of Orlandos units at his previous stops. Texas goal is to play fast on defense, forcing opposing QB to play slow. He was also inheriting a schedule that included Sam Darnold and USC, Jesse Ertz and Kansas State, Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma, Mason Rudolph and Oklahoma State, Kenny Hill and TCU, Will Grier and West Virginia and ultimately Drew Lock and Missouri -- essentially, some of the cream of the crop in terms of modern spread offense and spread quarterbacking. But so far, its all been against an offense the USC defense knows very, very well. 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? Boca Raton, Fla. - Just over 24 hours after FootballScoop.com first reported that FAU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops was heading to Kentucky to coach with his brother Mark Stoops, the Owls have quickly found his replacement in former Southern California defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Todd Orlando, per Bruce Feldman. It makes a QB think, said Texas senior defensive endCharles Omenihu. His $1.7 million annual salary is the highest in Texas history for an assistant, and only two assistants nationally earned more in 2017, according to USA Today. Todd Orlando was announced as USC's defensive coordinator Friday, ending a lengthy search for Clancy Pendergast 's replacement that had dragged into its fourth week. Nearly every defensive coordinator will say theyre multiple in the various looks theyll give an offense. The Tite Front is becoming a popular way to defend the Spread; its important to understand how teams are going to attack it on the ground. In both cases, Orlando said, those defenses simply needed a kickstart., I think thats what [Ive done], the places Ive been coming into, is just to try to free these guys up, Orlando said. https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/2020/11/06/todd-orlando-vs-arizona-state-a-central-pregame-question-for-usc/. Some of the stuff I was about to say, he was already thinking. The Trojans were also missing Brandon Pili, an experienced senior who would have definitely been in the rotation, on Saturday. He was more of Well keep things simple, well do the same stuff. The Longhorns tried a few different alignments in the secondary, ultimately reverting back to their standard starting group while inserting tweener senior Jason Hall, a 6'2", 220-pounder with physicality and some coverage ability, into the dime role and then expanding that role beyond the robber alignment based off his particular skill set. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) 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. Todd Orlando seems very confident that the extra time they were afforded to work on film, to work on installing that scheme, really did help them. Nothing went right for Texas and the principles Orlando instilled all offseason seemed to evaporate. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG) 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The 2019 National Championship saw a battle of Spread teams that featured two of the most efficient offenses in the country (and two of the best QBs as well). On Arizona States final possession, Orlando went back to the 1-4-6 look for the entire drive. Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Isaiah Pola-Mao are expected to take on more active roles in directing the defense. - 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. So no matter the look, USCs run defense needs to get better. In fact, Todd Orlandos defense is towards the bottom of the conference in points allowed per game, per SportsPac12s latest. Texas didnt do much to stop the onslaught late in the game (no one did), but there are some definite takeaways. So what did game No. Through spring and summer, the physical, hard-nosed brand of defense Todd Orlando promised to bring to USC remained strictly theoretical. Gambling problem? As spread offenses became a prevalent force in the college game, Orlando knew he needed to adapt. It left a big void in our defensive line, experiencewise, Pili said. Then Utah State's defensive coordinator, Orlando flew to Columbus, Ohio to interview with Herman for Houston's defensive coordinator job. Herman wanted a coordinator capable of calling a multiple defense, and Orlando fit that bill. After missing the first week of camp in health and safety protocols, Jackson was practically unblockable in practices, using his finesse moves on the edge to cause havoc in the backfield. There are a lot of questions about how the Trojans offensive line will perform, but having Brett Neilon at center and Alijah Vera-Tucker at left tackle should help. But for now Orlando is sticking around in Austin to work with Herman. He wants his defenders to fly to the football. 9 Texas pummels No. It comes as no surprise that in a league that is at the forefront of the evolution of the Spread would feature unique defenses within the league to counter the offensive onslaught. But the concern with this unit is depth. 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. Orlando is a linebackers coach in a defense that asks the linebackers to be the primary playmakers on the team. 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. Practices under Herman and Orlando are hard. 9 Texas 75-59 win No. Tackling has been an issue, (as has) lots of defensive miscommunication. The defense made the final stand to seal the victory, but it also gave up some big plays and surrendered 258 rushing yards to the Sun Devils. Texas also got produced seven sacks from the secondary because the experienced group on the back end was able to cover long enough for those deep blitzes to get home. Hell then put on a video with several examples. A simplified picture combined with an athletic QB who could improvise if things got hairy made the spread offense absolutely deadly. Rigid positional structures are giving way to a more fluid style of play. Orlando said he's already adjusted his scheme, which relies on mixed fronts and aggressive blitzing, to fit USC's personnel. The modern spread offense is defined largely by quick-hitting pass plays, run/pass options and finally play-action shots that often feature six- or seven-man protections. In 2019, that all fell apart. It was during his time at Utah that he learned to assemble the 3-4 pressure package that made him an attractive hire for Herman and then a successful coach at Houston. If youre thinking in football, youre playing slow.. Figueroa had a breakout 2020 season and since then has added 15 pounds of muscle to give himself the flexibility to line up at his natural defensive end position or slide inside to play tackle. Theyve been physical in the run game but they all kind of complement each other.. Boca Raton will not be the first time Orlando coaches in South Florida. Echols was the extra linebacker who came onto the field in those scenarios. And then Jamars just played that his whole life. The timing between Daniels and his receivers was off all game. The rover is the tip of the spear for the Orlando defensive scheme, and he uses that position as a solution to the main problem for the 3-4 defense in the modern era: How to create a multi-pronged pass rush from a nickel package. Preparing for his first season as defensive coordinator at No. The Trojans didnt do it for every third-and-7 and longer, but in most of those obvious pass situations, Orlando employed a 1-4-6 look. Imagine if this actually happens. Thats certainly a way to end the regular season and enter March Madness. That will change Saturday, as USC takes on San Jose State in the 2021 season opener. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. The deepest position on the USC defense is safety. The numbers back up that decision, as Texas tied for 66th nationally with 27 sacks in 2019, down five from 2018. This is something, until this year, fathomable only on a 3rd and Long or an end of a half situation in the NFL. Texas finished 7-5 and Orlando was fired as part of a staff overhaul. Stanley, he has natural mobility. Drake Jackson, who spent last season as more of a strict defensive end, shed 25 pounds and shifted into a hybrid linebacker role. Arizona State just out-executed the Trojans defense in the run game. Orlandos players have a different term for that distinction. Click here to buy a copy today or visit your local newsstand! Phone. Arizona State realized that early, and its two main running backs, DeaMonte Trayanum and Rachaad White, rushed 24 times for 160 yards against USC. That wasnt happening before Hermans arrival in Austin. Orlando needs opposing offenses to be one-dimensional, and against great quarterbacks that means sacrificing numbers in the box. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. 9 Texas hosts No. He spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons under Mario Cristobal and FIU, where he won a share of the Sun Belt title and a bowl game victory. 1 teach us about the units new direction? 3 Kansas. One of the areas in which Orlando has excelled as a teacher is in the art of disguising pressures and dictating to opponents with stop calls. The beauty within Orlandos use of interchangeable players allows him to stay within packages, but get different pre-snap looks. What is the current state of play for one of the elite QB prospects on the board? It wont get any easier, either, with the trojans facing Notre Dame right after their bye and still have games against UCLA and Arizona State on the schedule. In watching ITS throughout this fall camp and knowing that he has a sense of urgency to really capture that position as well as be elite at it has been really nice to see.. It made it a lot easier for me to make that decision (to stay).. If you dont, its going to be limited. The way you practice is the amount of plays youre going to get. Roach believes that the changes will produce better results on the field and better position future defensive lines to make the jump to the next level. Before joining Tom Hermans staff at Texas, Orlando was viewed as a rising defensive mind in college football. 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..