It's only once that information is digested when a defender will hear how his role factors into the overall play call. 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. Continue reading Attacking the Tite Front. Since Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman dismissed defensive coordinator Todd Orlando two and a half months ago and even before, to some extent its become clear just how much defensive line recruits and players disliked the front used by Orlando in his 3-3-5 defense. 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. Todd Orlando was announced as USCs defensive coordinator Friday, ending a lengthy search for Clancy Pendergasts replacement that had dragged into its fourth week. But instead of sending four rushers, USC sent six (Figueroa, the four linebackers and Hufanga) on the final three plays, which forced Daniels, who rushed for 111 yards, to beat the Trojans with his arm. Some of the stuff I was about to say, he was already thinking. Even former Big 12 Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury got a head coaching job with the Cardinals on nothing more than his offensive acumen. The Iowa St. Cyclones rose from #103 in 2016 to a respectable #32in BCfToys efficiency rankings in 2017. The Times first reported his hiring Monday. In that game, the Longhorns consistently confused a seasoned and well-coached offensive line, garnering two sacks and seven tackles for loss (TFLs). Visit our online store to order your copy. However, that was so long ago and feels like a lifetime. Its three starters (Marlon Tuipulotu, Tremblay and Figueroa) and two backups (Tuli Tuipulotu and Stanley Taufoou) were the only ones who saw action. Or what type of player they would be getting because of the scheme we ran. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG) Orlando turned down that job, too. We see how he got his start c. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78. Orlandos scheme isnt complicated at least by memorization standards. Sean McVay and his 11 personnel under center (UTC) offense has taken over the league en route to a Super Bowl appearance. 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. As expected, USC hired Todd Orlando as its defensive coordinator on Friday. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. 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. The Longhorns were putrid in 2015 and 2016, allowing the third- and sixth-most rushing yards in school history. Nearly every defensive coordinator will say theyre multiple in the various looks theyll give an offense. If that sounds like thinking, its because it is. He knows the tendencies of the receivers, the quarterbacks, the linemen, what they have to offer. 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. Is USC defense ready to take a leap in Year 2 under Todd Orlando? Orlando told his team, Its my fault. FAU's defense . The Tite Front was all the rage during the 2017 season. Fail big.. I wrote about Orlandos prowess as a DC in my article discussing how teams attack the Tite Front, the Longhorns base defense, but it is his use of multiple personnel packages within a game that truly shows his knack as a DC. Orlando said that shift occured because of practice habits and strong relationships between the defensive staff and its players. 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. Orlando believes the only way a team will play fast and hard is if they do so in practice. I just feel 3-4 didnt let us showcase our abilities the way we wanted to. And Charles Omenihu won the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year award in 2018 with 9.5 sacks playing in the same scheme that ultimately limited Orlandos last defense in Austin. 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. So its difficult to judge just how good the defense truly is at this point. 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). The Trojans were also missing Brandon Pili, an experienced senior who would have definitely been in the rotation, on Saturday. The way you practice is the amount of plays youre going to get. Of course, the weight loss and new position might cause some in the fan base to wonder if Jackson is being utilized incorrectly if his production dips, but for now, his responsibilities dont seem much different than last year. Orlando said USC utilized 70 to 75 percent of its defensive package against the Sun Devils. Texas would not allow more than 29 points the rest of the season in regulation. 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. Orlando has always been multiple, but it seemed like in the end there was just too much going on which was evident by Head Coach Tom Hermans decision to go with Chris Ash as the DC who is known for a simpler style reflecting Ohio State (with more of a Quarters base). Those four-man fronts are great at plugging gaps and helping a team defend the run, but they also mean one less defender on the second level to stop the pass and run to the football. The goal of Orlandos defense is twofold: 1. Some offense will come out and run the triple-option, which is really different and as a defense really strains us, Orlando said. You would think its hard to learn, but he made it so simple.. But those arent the only areas that were to be evaluated starting Wednesday. Playing defensive end Marqez Bimage in a similar role produced better results for Texas late in the season. He dropped into coverage just twice against Arizona State, by The Athletics very unofficial count. Locke. Most offensive schemes in the Big 12 didn't have many built-in answers for a versatile safety floating in the middle of the field and thwarting their route combos or coming unblocked against the run game. Facing an offense that averaged 45 points per game, fourth nationally, Orlando reversed one of the core principles of his defensive philosophy. Its not likely to last forever. In the illustration above, the play side offensive tackle will either have to handle the 4i by himself or rely on the guard for a double team. 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. football@usc.edu. The trickle-up effect is in full swing. Lets start with the base defense. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) Click here to buy a copy today or visit your local newsstand! The diagram below illustrates the fronts usefulness versus a popular Spread play, the Power Read. In Orlandos scheme, the Mike is the plugger and will go away from the Nose. How you practice around here is going to be how many reps you get, Orlando said. 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. Thats what practice is about. Theres a little bit of schematics into it. Were trying to stay very consistent in terms of our message so we can get better throughout the year.. A simplified picture combined with an athletic QB who could improvise if things got hairy made the spread offense absolutely deadly. This is something, until this year, fathomable only on a 3rd and Long or an end of a half situation in the NFL. 3 Kansas. They handled the defending Mountain West champion San Jose State Spartans with ease. Herman said Orlando would be the first assistant in his foxhole. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. Once at Texas, though, Orlando was inheriting a defense with great athletes but disparate pieces that hadn't been put together into a cohesive unit. 9 Texas pummels No. Orlando sorts film breakdown by position. It could afford to, considering Arizona State wasnt making it pay through the air. Thats important to know, because Orlando turned down an opportunity to be Pittsburghs DC in his hometown that offseason. Hes at his best when hes trying to get into the backfield, and thats what he was mainly asked to do on Saturday. Sign up for the Trojans Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Hes a guru, said Texas junior safetyBrandon Jones. Every time USC football scrimmaged, there was one side of the ball that dominated much of the live periods: the defense. Practice your tail off and youre going to be playing on Saturdays. I think its a smart move. At Utah State, where he worked in 2013 and 2014, Orlandos defenses also finished in the nations top 20 in fewest points allowed. Orlando walked into the interview room and saw his Aggie defensive film already on the screen. 3 Kansas on Saturday to close the regular season. It didnt matter much. USCs defense got two hits on Daniels and forced three incompletions on those three plays. Defensive Coordinator & Linebackers. Examine Texas schedule last season, and youll see a murders row of quarterbacks:Sam Darnold(No. One was down and distance. Put together, bad luck and some poor choices cost Orlando his job, in no small part because the defensive line wasnt positioned for success. After the opening weekend for USC, things looked good for the Trojans. Orlando has 15 years of experience as a collegiate defensive coordinator in total, with previous stops at Florida International and Connecticut. USC's new defensive coordinator didn't waste time schooling Trojans on new scheme New USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando didn't let the COVID-19 shutdown stop him from familiarizing the Trojans to his defense. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/Jorj04g0b6, Orlando will take over a talented Trojans defense that progressively declined over Pendergasts four seasons. Then Utah State's defensive coordinator, Orlando flew to Columbus, Ohio to interview with Herman for Houston's defensive coordinator job. Its really, really crazy to see., Asked to summarize Orlandos system, Texas senior cornerbackKris Boydsaid succinctly: Just run to the ball and hit.. 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. 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. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. DeForest left last month to coach at North Carolina State. Most defensive coaches can recognize the usefulness of the front, but one thing is clear, Spread offenses will try and figure it out. 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. If you dont, its going to be limited. He also spent two years covering preps for the Orange County Register and Torrance Daily Breeze. Their rotation would be a bit deeper, too. The 2015 and '16 Texas defenses had been defined by what could be called "youthful" linebacker play from former five-star recruit Malik Jefferson and former four-star Anthony Wheeler. Orlando needs opposing offenses to be one-dimensional, and against great quarterbacks that means sacrificing numbers in the box. After that hell usually return to the picture one last time before moving to the board to draw different concepts out of the same look. Its going to be exciting.. 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. You get those guys in the program, they make us all look great. 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. With Drake Jackson now listed as a linebacker and primarily playing in a standup role, USCs base is essentially a 3-3-5. When youre giving up that many rushing yards, thats not a good thing with us, Orlando said. In the NFL, the increasing use of 11 pers. The biggest breakthrough of the spread offense was in creating a clearer pre-snap picture for the offense and the QB in particular so that he had a narrower menu of options and threats to scan through after the snap. Orlando has a long coaching career with multiple stops across the country. The Big 12 is not new to the concept of smaller faster players playing on the defensive side of the ball. 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. Texas and Georgia, in particular, had great success all year running similar schemes from a base Tite Front. The Longhorns sessions reflect that. Roach believes that Orlandos odd front didnt let the defensive line showcase their abilities. Is USC defense ready to take a leap in Year 2, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). 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. Even for much of spring camp. 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. I feel the 4-3 will help those guys to show their talents and more people will come out of Texas.. 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. Todd Orlando's defense has been getting exposed all year long Share this article 31 shares Matt Wadleigh October 13, 2021 4:15 am PT After the opening weekend for USC, things looked good for. Over the course of 2017, Orlando gained a full mastery of his own roster and unleashed it in a variety of fashions against a loaded slate of Big 12 opponents. 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? Youre going to be based on how hard you run to the football, how you get off blocks and how you tackle.. Theres no favoritism. Youre in this area and theres some really good high school players in this area, the top guys. (213) 740-4204. Orlando, 48, spent the last three seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas, where he was one of the highest paid assistants in college football. Todd Orlando sees USC defense as work in progress USC defense showed positive signs in opening win over ASU Coach Todd Orlando of the USC Trojans during USC football practice at the. 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). Then the injuries and attrition reduced depth at linebacker while inexperienced players tried to fill in, resulting in Orlando moving his best natural pass rusher, B-backer Joseph Ossai, to multiple positions around the field that kept him from attacking downhill. "I feel like I need to take some time for my wife, kids and grandkids while also looking to see if I can help college football on a larger scale," Patterson told Horns247. USC essentially ran a 4-2 front last season under former defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. Contact drills were reduced to virtual cues. Johnson and Wheeler added another 17 run stuffs combined as the linebacker position went from being a major deficit to a team strength. His defenses would mix in three-down looks, but that was only about 20 percent of the time. The Trojans defense shifted into different looks, sometimes showing two down linemen with Jackson and defensive end Nick Figueroa standing up. Jackson played with his hand in the ground a bit, just not as frequently as he did last season. But while Herman's motives started from a simple "What gave me fits as an offensive coach?" Orlando, despite his concessions against the pass, said the beauty of the lighting package is Texas numbers up front still cover up against the run. Theres no backside meetings. Want to keep up with all the latest FAU football and recruiting news? Before joining Tom Hermans staff at Texas, Orlando was viewed as a rising defensive mind in college football. The Horns look to close out the inaugural season at the Moody Center with a 17-1 record. He beats the tackle clean, forces the throw fast and its an incomplete. Texas OL spring preview: Here are your big humans, Despite recent struggles, bracketology projections still like the Longhorns, Longhorns Daily News: Former Texas HC Charlie Strong joins Alabama, Nick Saban as defensive analyst, Longhorns Daily News: Texas alum Bijan Robinson is toughest player Alabamas Will Andersons played against in college career. Gone were the experienced players in the secondary who could force the quarterback to hold the ball for an extra second or two. Texas didnt do much to stop the onslaught late in the game (no one did), but there are some definite takeaways. He also coaches the linebackers. Will Alabama transfer Ishmael Sopsher be healthy enough to do so? Apr 5, 2021. Tuli Tuipulotu, one of the stars of spring football, brings similar flexibility to the position. 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. Herman just needed to know if the pair would mesh personally. Texas finished 7-5 and Orlando was fired as part of a staff overhaul. 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. They were delayed for two months from when they would normally have a camp. The pairing, if things break right, could bring Texas back to where it expects to be annually. 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. 20 Southern California, however, has been different because of the coronavirus pandemic. Herman calls Orlando the best defensive coordinator in the country. He wants his defenders to fly to the football. Former Texas DE Malcolm Roach criticizes Todd Orlandos scheme, Quick thoughts from No. 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. The football bona fides were clear.