Link: How the 'Pop Pass' has Changed Alabama's Defense Since Dominant 2011 Season

RTR91

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Two links from arguably the best Alabama defense remain today. Lineman D.J. Pettway and back Jabriel Washington redshirted in the fall of 2011 as teammates steamrolled its way to a national title.

The Crimson Tide led the country in every major statistical category ― allowing 183.6 yards a game, 77 fewer than the Clemson defense that topped last year's total-defense ranking.

Four years later, a touch of that confidence is back in Tuscaloosa.

"No, we aren't trying to bend, said Pettway, now a key member of the defensive line who wasn't trying to make comparisons to 2011. "We're trying to be a steel curtain. We're trying to really make history."

But college football is a different world these days. Quicker-paced offenses have changed the way the game's defended. Alabama's had a few growing pains in that regard. But how has the defense, Alabama's cornerstone in three national titles from 2009-12, evolved the most? What's the biggest adjustment?

Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart answered with a few numbers off the top of his head. In the 800 or so plays that 2011 defense faced, there were five run-pass options. Last fall, he counted 120 so called pop passes.
 

uafan4life

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And when you allow offensive lineman to engage, i.e. block, defenders three, four, or even five or more yards downfield those plays become 10 times harder to defend.
 

bigjue24

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It will be very interesting to see how this is handled being that it is a "point of emphasis" this year. I figure it will be ignored like so many other offensive rules issues.
 

Bama Czar

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And when you allow offensive lineman to engage, i.e. block, defenders three, four, or even five or more yards downfield those plays become 10 times harder to defend.
That's the issue. Without linemen being able to block downfield on pass plays, I really don't see these type plays being anywhere close to this difficult to defend. They just need to go completely away from the whole "1 yard beyond the LOS" or "3 yards beyond the LOS" as it leaves a gray area for interpretation to the rule. Just go to a clear " no linemen shall be beyond the LOS before a pass is released" and magically this issue will be no more.... Make it straight forward & be strict about it. As it is now is just another reason my interest in college football has drastically fallen over the last few years. It's just not the same game.....waaaaay too many advantages to the offenses. These offenses aren't "cutting edge" or anything overly cerebral....it's solely using the bad rules changes. If I were Coach Saban, I would exploit this rule as it is, put up huge numbers, & say "You see. I told you so, but I guess this is the way you want football played now? Well, okay....". I personally just don't see how any one enjoys watching football played like this either. I understand some do, but I just do not....
 

Tideflyer

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Isn`t there supposed to be an additional official this year and isn`t he supposed to monitor the O line downfield, or am I imagining that?
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
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Haha...when I saw "pop pass" it made me think of the play we ran in Jr. High football that was literally a 3-5 yard pass from the qb to tight end in the gap between the inside and outside linebackers.

The tight end always got "popped" on that pass.
 

gman4tide

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Haha...when I saw "pop pass" it made me think of the play we ran in Jr. High football that was literally a 3-5 yard pass from the qb to tight end in the gap between the inside and outside linebackers.

The tight end always got "popped" on that pass.
*LIKE* coming from said tight end :)
 

teamplayer

Hall of Fame
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That's the issue. Without linemen being able to block downfield on pass plays, I really don't see these type plays being anywhere close to this difficult to defend. They just need to go completely away from the whole "1 yard beyond the LOS" or "3 yards beyond the LOS" as it leaves a gray area for interpretation to the rule. Just go to a clear " no linemen shall be beyond the LOS before a pass is released" and magically this issue will be no more.... Make it straight forward & be strict about it. As it is now is just another reason my interest in college football has drastically fallen over the last few years. It's just not the same game.....waaaaay too many advantages to the offenses. These offenses aren't "cutting edge" or anything overly cerebral....it's solely using the bad rules changes. If I were Coach Saban, I would exploit this rule as it is, put up huge numbers, & say "You see. I told you so, but I guess this is the way you want football played now? Well, okay....". I personally just don't see how any one enjoys watching football played like this either. I understand some do, but I just do not....
Ditto!
 

Nolan

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Jul 4, 2006
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Two things:

K-State really abused the ineligible receiver rule on those plays. How in the world wasn't that called? Sheesh.

Also, that play by Marshall never works if we are more athletic on the edge. Love him as a Bama player, but X. Dickson played around 260-270 lbs, and couldn't quite contain NM. Look at the direction we've gone in recruiting for that position and I say that's been addressed.
 

Con

Hall of Fame
Dec 19, 2006
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Two things:

K-State really abused the ineligible receiver rule on those plays. How in the world wasn't that called? Sheesh.

Also, that play by Marshall never works if we are more athletic on the edge. Love him as a Bama player, but X. Dickson played around 260-270 lbs, and couldn't quite contain NM. Look at the direction we've gone in recruiting for that position and I say that's been addressed.
I thought about this the whole time I read the article. It seems we have addressed our shortcomings, but we still have to prove it on the field. I can't wait for teams to test us. When we pass that test they will be crapping in their kakis.
 

B1GTide

TideFans Legend
Apr 13, 2012
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To be fair, the circled man is not a lineman. That is Jay Prosch, their fullback. He is a legal receiver on the play. You could call it a pick though.
Agreed - under current rules, the linemen can be 3 yards downfield. I believe that several linemen were more than 3 yards downfield by the time Marshall threw that pass, though.

Under the proposed rule, that would be reduced to 1 yard.
 

bama579

Hall of Fame
Jan 15, 2005
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That's the issue. Without linemen being able to block downfield on pass plays, I really don't see these type plays being anywhere close to this difficult to defend. They just need to go completely away from the whole "1 yard beyond the LOS" or "3 yards beyond the LOS" as it leaves a gray area for interpretation to the rule. Just go to a clear " no linemen shall be beyond the LOS before a pass is released" and magically this issue will be no more.... Make it straight forward & be strict about it. As it is now is just another reason my interest in college football has drastically fallen over the last few years. It's just not the same game.....waaaaay too many advantages to the offenses. These offenses aren't "cutting edge" or anything overly cerebral....it's solely using the bad rules changes. If I were Coach Saban, I would exploit this rule as it is, put up huge numbers, & say "You see. I told you so, but I guess this is the way you want football played now? Well, okay....". I personally just don't see how any one enjoys watching football played like this either. I understand some do, but I just do not....
Can i get an "amen' . . . We've had and now have people who could run this sort of play, too. Let's add them to the playbook and start giving a bit of "their own medicine".
 
Last edited:

bamacpa

All-American
Jul 19, 2006
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I ask this question because I truly want to understand and not because I'm trying to be a smart aleck. What accounts for the very high expectations that are being whispered about our defense ? Our D got scorched pretty good by Aubie and the Buckeyes. I know we have some new faces in new places in the secondary ( Fitzpatrick, Marlon, Smith and Jackson as more athletic safeties ), but are there other reasons for the optimism ie personnel or scheme ? I expect our DL to be deep and fierce, but we gave up so many 3rd downs last year. What has changed ?
 

narddogg81

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Mar 18, 2012
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I ask this question because I truly want to understand and not because I'm trying to be a smart aleck. What accounts for the very high expectations that are being whispered about our defense ? Our D got scorched pretty good by Aubie and the Buckeyes. I know we have some new faces in new places in the secondary ( Fitzpatrick, Marlon, Smith and Jackson as more athletic safeties ), but are there other reasons for the optimism ie personnel or scheme ? I expect our DL to be deep and fierce, but we gave up so many 3rd downs last year. What has changed ?
new dedicated secondary coach Mel Tucker for one thing. The guy is a fantastic db coach, and his players are always ballhawking and play aggressive to the ball, which was really the only issue we had last year. Anytime it was a 50-50 pass, we lost it. Add in that he has some supremely gifted and talented players at corner, and some returning experienced players, its a promising mix.
 

bamacpa

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That makes sense. It's just hard reflecting on those 2 games sometimes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

USCBAMA

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To be fair, the circled man is not a lineman. That is Jay Prosch, their fullback. He is a legal receiver on the play. You could call it a pick though.
Actually even an eligible receiver cannot be blocking downfield before a forward downfield pass is thrown. Here are two examples of penalties straight from the 2013/2014 NCAA rule book.

At the snap, A88 is on the line of scrimmage 10 yards from the tackle position and A44 is in the backfield, four yards to his inside. Just before the Team A passer releases the ball, A88 contacts B1 five yards beyond the neutral zone. The pass is thrown to A44, who has moved in front and to the outside of the spot where A88 had contacted B1. RULING: Team
A foul, offensive pass interference. Penalty—15 yards from the previous spot.
Before the ball is thrown, wide receiver A88 moves four yards downfield directly toward and in front of the defender, B1. At this spot, B1 pushes A88, who then uses his hands to contact B1. RULING: Team A foul, offensive pass interference, if the legal forward pass is beyond the neutral zone. Penalty—15 yards from the previous spot.

Here is how rule reads in 2013/2014 rules book.

Illegal Contact and Pass Interference

ARTICLE 8. a. During a down in which a legal forward pass crosses the neutral zone, illegal contact by Team A and Team B players is prohibited from the time the ball is snapped until it is touched by any player or an official (A.R. 7-3-8-II).

b. Offensive pass interference by a Team A player beyond the neutral zone during a legal forward pass play in which a forward pass crosses the neutral zone is contact that interferes with a Team B
eligible player. It is the responsibility of the offensive player to avoid the opponents.
The FB downfield blocking on that play was a penalty under the rules in place at the time.
 

TiderJack

Hall of Fame
Jul 9, 2010
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I ask this question because I truly want to understand and not because I'm trying to be a smart aleck. What accounts for the very high expectations that are being whispered about our defense ? Our D got scorched pretty good by Aubie and the Buckeyes. I know we have some new faces in new places in the secondary ( Fitzpatrick, Marlon, Smith and Jackson as more athletic safeties ), but are there other reasons for the optimism ie personnel or scheme ? I expect our DL to be deep and fierce, but we gave up so many 3rd downs last year. What has changed ?
I would hope and know the players and staff feels they get better with another year of experience. I know I get better every year at work, being a father and husband, etc with another years experience. With Tucker, 7 returning starters and lots of others that have played meaningful snaps and an influx of more talent I would expect us to get better.
 

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