Blocking Technique Question

[westcoast_sooner]

Got into a discussion with my son this evening. Neither of us quite understands how the behemoths on the Sooner Offensive Line are so effective at pass blocking, but sometimes just don't get it done when run blocking. I'll grant you, we may be getting double teamed, going against 8 man fronts etc. but the question is really the difference between technique. Seems like a one-on-one match between our 320 lb guy with a 280 lb DT - our guy should be able to flatten him all day long.

[zulumarc06mc]

Part of the difficulty is leverage... in pass blocking you give up some ground laterally but keep people away with your arms. When you run block you have to man up and push the guy off the line.

When are average height is 6-5 or so... its gives shorter/stockier DT room to get "under our pads" and hold their ground.

You can fix this with proper technique and by coming off the ball agressively... but if that DT is talented and playing with good technique it becomes very difficult.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but it just seems like our big OLineman are "built" to be better natural pass blockers than run blockers.

[sooner59]

Well, to start off.....our O-Line is HUGE, so they don't move all that well. But this works well for passing. When D-Linemen rush, they back up, push off, and just keep pushing as they charge forward. However, when we are running the ball, the O-Line has to be mobile, which ours is not. They do not get to the people they are supposed to block. And when they try to get to them, smaller D-linemen just run past them because they are more athletic. I know high school is much different from college, but I was a smaller O-lineman in high school and we ran up and down the field every game on people because we had athletic linemen who were not too big to move. I was 155 lbs. and routinely blocked 300 lb. D-linemen. Its easy when you can attack the defense. I just believe that our O-line is too heavy and not athletic enough for run-blocking. Their pass-blocking is fine. But you need mid-sized O-linemen to do both. Just my 2 cents.

[sooner13f]

I dont think they have lost all their run blocking skills in a year. Against the horns I dont know how many times I was like DM....bounce that #$it outside..well it couldnt have been too many since they didnt get that many carries. I think Brown had like 4 yards a carry average but only had 7 carries. OU gave up trying to run between the tackles and the horns didtn give up on the run.

[Blitzkrieg]

Its not as much about technique as it is desire.......

[SoonersEnFuego]

It's almost all technique.

[Crimson Kid]

I agree that their not mobile enough to move the line forward or keep holes open long enough to get the rb into the secondary. but wasn't these most of the same guys on the line that allen patrick ran wild on people?

[Blitzkrieg]

It's almost all technique.

So from last year to this, this exact same O-line has changed its technique?

Same folks, different level of desire to run block. It's harder, takes more work, and the NFL is a few months away.

[StoopTroup]

Could be Blitz...

Maybe they just needed a wake up call last week.

The texas loss wasn't as hard on me as was the Colorado loss last year.

Don't get me wrong...I don't like either of them...

It's just that I thought we had more desire after the 2nd Fiesta Bowl loss.

I really didn't think the O-line would play that bad again.

Let's hope they get it together.

Good Posts in here.

Boomer Sooner !

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Size however has a lot to do with it.

Case in point, look at the Denver Broncos when Terrell Davis and others were a lock for 1000 yards a season. It became a plug and play issue at running back for a couple of reasons.

One, the scheme, which on the ground employed a lot of zone read behind zone blocking technique on the front five. What this does is essentially establishes zones of responsibility for each offensive lineman, therefore creating blocking assignments based solely on the look the defense gives you instead of a standard assignment-based or gap cover blocking system. Think of it as pass pro, just downfield instead of upfield on the backpedal to set the pocket. With this however, speed and footwork is key as you may very well see a 4-2, 4-3 look base at the line of scrimmage, but with a stunt here, a gap shift there, fold blitzes here and DB delays there, you have to be able to react and engage in order to maintain your zone. Supported by the zone read (Remember when Watson Brown's Blazers gashed us for over 150? The Huskies for 200+ in '06?) which gives the running back the timing through usually a deep one-back to make a read where the daylight is, make the adjustment, and pop it for a nice chunk of change.

Two, the size you need in a front five to get this done. Not saying this is what Texass did to asspunch us by any means, but those Broncos squads are the picture perfect example of a leaner, faster front taking advantage of being leaner and faster by using a scheme that allows that leaner, faster front to set blocks, make holes, be flexible by playing to that speed, and using it to your advantage. As was mentioned, the large behemoths have a different advantage. Size and strength. That, as would be obvious, plays to pass pro, as well as simpler, tighter run blocking schemes that don't call for a lot of reach blocks, combos, pulls, or folds, a lot of which can really make some magic happen in the ground game. For the hog mollies, it's for the most part hat for hat with an occasional combo here and there as necessary, with what looks like from film, priority on gap.

Hence why guys like Jamaal Brown are playing in the league. He brings both tools to the table. Our guys? Not so much.