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Run D - How can it be improved?

5,539 Views | 55 Replies | Last: 4 mo ago by KatyAggie2000
Hehateme1
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9:30p, 11/30/25
I will give Elko credit for being self aware. In the offseason it seemed like he was focused on eliminating as many big plays as possible thru the air. His last press conference after the sip game he said they needed to evaluate as a coaching staff if they were asking too much of the players scheme wise.

I will give Coach a fair chance to fix, as his outlook kind of strikes me as genuine.
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AggieChamp2021
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9:19a, 12/1/25
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The answer is one that many on this site don't want to hear. We are quite bad at setting edges or we get far too up field because of how aggressive we are in the pass rush. Cashius Howell and the rest of the DEs all fall victim to run misfits due to aggressive pass rush.

Shemar Stewart was the highest graded edge run defender in the SEC last year. Shemar Stewart leaves for the NFL. We replace him with a speed rusher. Aggie fans act shocked.
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harge57
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In reply to cevans_40 • 9:39a, 12/1/25
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cevans_40 said:
Meanmachine said:
How are we teaching our linebackers how to fit on defense. If your gap gets cloudy you scrape to clear. I see cloudy and they run in in and hit a teammate in the back while the rb runs down the field. We are worse when we get stunts up front from the D line. We can coach them better. That being said the guys we have to be able to get off blocks and we have struggled with that, esp York.

Nailed it. We fit the run very poorly at times.

Yep. 80% poor gap discipline and 20% poor tackling (usually by our corners).

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90ags
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In reply to AggieChamp2021 • 10:08a, 12/1/25
we've been bad at setting edges since Elko has come back for some reason. DEs or speed rushers are that and are too focused on getting to QB and seem to lack fundamentals on setting the edge (or forgets easily). LBs don't know how to fill gaps and misread (guess) way too much.

Safety play is questionable at times on filling in for the run (sometimes good)...so very inconsistent.

Think Elko is used to playing with a smaller and faster team and sacrifices size at times. Doesn't work in the SEC vs. top teams.

We've been poor vs the run since the very beginning of the season, and tu just had to do a little film study of our tendencies and easy to expose (UTSA ran >200yds for example).

losing to tu was a huge mess up as we are labeled frauds and could even be some recruiting fallouts forthcoming (well, esp w Kiffin at LSU ...there's some pressure now on a few recruits to switch).
______________________________________________________ Play for the name on the front of your jersey, not the back...
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Spotted Ag
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10:09a, 12/1/25
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Hoza Scott would help.
Covidians, Communists, CNN, FOX, and all other MSM are enemies of the state and should be treated as such.
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agwrestler
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In reply to TxAg76 • 10:35a, 12/1/25
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TxAg76 said:

Have LBs with NFL athleticism, that don't have to rely on pre-snap guessing to do their job

Set better edges

Get the holding calls when our DEs get held


We need NFL caliber Secondary that like to lay the wood. Whorn Safeties were plugging holes all night like a couple of LBs, but ours weren't. It's almost like we're taught to backup the LBs and react after the RB gets to the second level.

KLEIN/REED should have exploited their tendency with Play Action passing over the middle. This will be less effective if Reed stares down the WR/TE like the ghost of Kellen.
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harge57
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In reply to Hehateme1 • 10:44a, 12/1/25
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Hehateme1 said:
I will give Elko credit for being self aware. In the offseason it seemed like he was focused on eliminating as many big plays as possible thru the air. His last press conference after the sip game he said they needed to evaluate as a coaching staff if they were asking too much of the players scheme wise.

I will give Coach a fair chance to fix, as his outlook kind of strikes me as genuine.

Unfortunately it has been an issue all year.

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Heineken-Ashi
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10:46a, 12/1/25
Our LB's are good in coverage, great at blitzing, great against the screen, but poor at run defense. It's not because of size or speed as most here incorrectly allude to, as there have been games where they have played very good in that area. The main problem is gap integrity, and some of that is scheme. While our DL is good, it's not elite and is slightly undersized. This has led to Elko using more stunts, more eye candy and decoy formations to try and confuse the offense, and more blitzes. When the OL doesn't correctly identify who's coming and what gaps to protect, our defense crushes them. When the OL does correctly identify, it exposes big gaps. And with one LB usually in coverage and one blitzing or starting out of typical position, the only person left is the safety. Sark was able to scheme the safeties away from the LOS and force them to pick between staying in coverage or crashing in last second. And Arch did a great job of using his legs when it was there and forcing our safeties into impossible lose/lose scenarios.

We were out schemed by Sark. It's that simple. And the main reason stems from not having a dominating line in the run game, not the LB's. If we want to go back to having a dominant run defense, we won't be pressuring the QB much at all. The goal is balance. And to get balance, you need quality LB's (would love to have better than we do, but ours are fine enough), but the main ingredient is tackles who can eat multiple blocks while still getting some push coupled with elite defensive ends who can both hold their own in the run game AND rush the passer.

You think Tech's middle LB is actually elite? No. He gets to play behind elite DL talent facing inferior OL talent. He is free to make the plays. We don't have that luxury.
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Coog_aTm
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10:50a, 12/1/25
Better LB play as mentioned, but also more quality depth on the D line. The D line was actually better last year.
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Loftin
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10:57a, 12/1/25
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1. DEs need to not run themselves out of the play. Keeping outside contained is critical.

2. When a defender gets his hands on the QB, the QB needs to go down or throw the ball away. We gave up some massive plays where it looked like the QB was dead to rights and we can't finish.

3. LBs need to be in the right place. Not sure if this is a coaching issue or an execution issue, but it was glaring.

4. Spy the QB. When Manning stepped up and had space in front of him, it put our safeties in an impossible position.
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btglow87
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11:00a, 12/1/25
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What Sark did in the second half was attack the same thing that most teams in the past two years have attacked with us. We are a 4-2-5 front and base out of weak eagle (the 3 tech or defensive tackle that lines up over the outside shoulder of the guard) is set the the non passing strength of the offense. Sark put trips or trey (trips with a tightend) to the wide side, and ran towards the weak side where we have a 5tech and a 3tech to account for the C and B gap and the backer for the A gap. That might sound like we have all the gaps covered and we do, but the issue is we have no immediate second level defender. Since we play a 4-2-5 we only have 6 defenders committed to the box and by putting trips strong, our backers are leveraged to the field. The only other help we have is Ratcliffe who has pass responsibilities typically and is coming from depth. Which means if our front misfits the gaps or lose their leverage, you get a running back in space vs a safety from depth... that is not a good situation. Every team that has had success on the ground vs us has attacked that and in the playoffs I would assume you will see more of that. The second part of that is we do almost exclusively match man concepts, you noticed I didn't say match zone because its man principles and in man coverage if you lose your man or get beat its an explosive play for the offense. Sark did a lot of shifting and motion to sack receivers where the match was between a backer and a safety and running combo routes with seams and climbs to get them open. In our defense we have to communicate because with motion the run fits shift because we only fit things with 6 which in turn changes the match rules, Sark knows this and used that against us to get confusion and busted coverages. We busted about 5 times and they hit all of them. I am not anit-match coverage but I am warry of it vs someone who coached under Saban and is very affective at stressing the rules. our defense is not very multiple we are actually quite rigid. The good with that is we can line up to almost anything knowing our responsibilities. The problem is the offense can line us up how they want knowing our responsibilities. 3rd down we are very creative with pressure but this game the coverage behind the pressure was very predictable and that hurt when we didn't get home with the pressure.
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The Banned
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In reply to A. G. Pennypacker • 11:04a, 12/1/25
A. G. Pennypacker said:
AWP 97 said:
If you watched college football this weekend, you realize how behind York is as MLB compared to other teams.


But Elko raves about how great he is.

What is he supposed to do? York was committed to Duke before we threw him a last minute offer. He's playing above his natural athleticism, but as others have said, we simply need more athletic LBs. We've had a good one here or there over the past few years, but they were always playing beside someone average. We need both linebackers on the field to be very good in the same year.
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HoustonAggie37713
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11:11a, 12/1/25
We have to get bigger and better at MLB. York tries hard, but he's just not it. And we need to find another Howell for 2026.
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Heineken-Ashi
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3:35p, 12/1/25
It's not like York was getting trucked or they were breaking his tackles. Again, it was a scheme issue. Sark exploited our weaknesses, caused confusion, and got us playing on our heels.

Some of you have such irrational hatred for specific players that only comes out when we lose.
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MojoAg06
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3:55p, 12/1/25
Against Sip, we had a couple of plays where our D-Line got out of Gap vs. Zone, but the biggest thing was that their O-Line had an angle to cut off York on his way to fit vs. any gap scheme. He was late to the party a lot, because he had to work over a Lineman that got second level without having to do much work to get there.

Previously, there have been games (1st half against USCe is a big example) where I just think our run fits were either miscommunicated or too complicated. Lots of times that D-Linemen were capping pullers instead of spilling and the backers were also scraping. That's a bad way to fit Counter. It was noticeable when we started spilling everything in that one.

We are much better vs. the Run when we are spinning into Cover 3 looks (so is everyone else). Ironically, we are also at our best on 3rd Downs when we get real exotic and sexy with the pressures and spin or roll the back end to match it.

Elko knows what he's doing, but he gets scouted just like everyone else. Credit some of these OC's for being good at what they do too.
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jim 78
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4:02p, 12/1/25
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Replace 21 with Marco Jones. Should have happened 6 games ago. Scooby has speed but doesn't stay in position 80 percent of the time. Jones is much faster than 21. Dump Bateman!
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sharpdressedman
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4:27p, 12/1/25
There is no immediate solution. Magic does not happens after 12 games. The solution is accessing LB talent in the portal.
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TxAg76
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In reply to jim 78 • 5:56p, 12/1/25
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jim 78 said:
Replace 21 with Marco Jones. Should have happened 6 games ago. Scooby has speed but doesn't stay in position 80 percent of the time. Jones is much faster than 21. Dump Bateman!

so....replace a LB with a guy that's never played LB in order to fix a LB issue?

you got a newsletter i can subscribe to?
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agwrestler
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In reply to MojoAg06 • 1:27p, 12/3/25
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MojoAg06 said:
Against Sip, we had a couple of plays where our D-Line got out of Gap vs. Zone, but the biggest thing was that their O-Line had an angle to cut off York on his way to fit vs. any gap scheme. He was late to the party a lot, because he had to work over a Lineman that got second level without having to do much work to get there.

Previously, there have been games (1st half against USCe is a big example) where I just think our run fits were either miscommunicated or too complicated. Lots of times that D-Linemen were capping pullers instead of spilling and the backers were also scraping. That's a bad way to fit Counter. It was noticeable when we started spilling everything in that one.

We are much better vs. the Run when we are spinning into Cover 3 looks (so is everyone else). Ironically, we are also at our best on 3rd Downs when we get real exotic and sexy with the pressures and spin or roll the back end to match it.

Elko knows what he's doing, but he gets scouted just like everyone else. Credit some of these OC's for being good at what they do too.


DL could do a part to make switch blocks much harder instead of jumping around the blocks opening a huge hole in the adjacent gap.
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Oknows
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In reply to Room40 • 1:37p, 12/3/25
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Room40 said:
Gap Integrity has been the issue with this run defense. Ends and Tackles to far up field, linebackers lost. York simply has to be better, and he's just not fast enough. Hopefully Scooby can come back and help.

The first big run was due to Onyedim choosing to forego his gap responsibility and try to make a play. He gave up A gap to try to make the tackle in B gap (where Lee was already filling) and Wisner cut it back into the A. Do your job and trust that others are doing the same and that play doesn't happen. Lee was standing there waiting for it. Might have been a 5 yard gain, but wouldn't have been a huge chunk play like it ended up being.
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KatyAggie2000
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1:51p, 12/3/25
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Need to sell out to stop the run. If we get beat so be it. Especially if we play ND, OU, or Bama. Run fits in a 4-2-5 aren't working. Love to see us go to a 4-3 and bring down a safety on running downs as well. Love to see a healthy Scooby as the third LB.
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