There were times when we said the same thing together at the same moment. As of Thursday morning, it has apparently filled out the rest of its coaching staffit has apparently filled out the rest of its 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). Now they brought in a new staff, giving those guys the opportunity to rush the passer and show what they have.. Like Iowa State, Texas has a three-safety Dime package that they utilize against pass-heavy offenses (think Kingburys Tech) or in obvious pass downs where Orlando wants to drop eight and flood the zones. One key element I talked about in my latest book, Hybrids: The Making of a Modern Defense, is the use of a more positionless defensive gameplan going forward into the future. But returning veterans on the roster like safety Isaiah Pola-Mao and defensive end Nick Figueroa have made a point of helping the young players come along and be ready to contribute in 2021. On Arizona States final possession, Orlando went back to the 1-4-6 look for the entire drive. - Mayfield completed a season-low 63 percent of his passes in the Red River Showdown. No. It is not going to be participation awards. - Darnold completed 57.1 percent of his passes against Texas (third worst of the year) and threw a season-high two picks. Playing defensive end Marqez Bimage in a similar role produced better results for Texas late in the season. The way you practice is the amount of plays youre going to get. Drake Jackson will man the hybrid outside backer position again this season. Two Former NBA Players Receive Prison Sentences For Fraud Scheme. So no matter the look, USCs run defense needs to get better. I think its a smart move. In the NFL, the increasing use of 11 pers. Is USC defense ready to take a leap in Year 2 under Todd Orlando? Greg Johnson is the veteran returner at nickel back. Todd Orlando remembers feeling bad for Tom Herman. It made it a lot easier for me to make that decision (to stay).. Thats where adaptability comes into play. 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. In 2019, that all fell apart. Today will be the day, Orlando said Wednesday morning. A look at how Texas defenders fit in Todd Orlando's scheme The Longhorns have plenty of returning talent for the prospective defensive coordinator to utilize. We understood the reason why we were running what we were running, Roach said. Most people know what to expect from USCs offense from game to game. Most defensive coaches can recognize the usefulness of the front, but one thing is clear, Spread offenses will try and figure it out. Orlando is known run the 3-3-5 defense, which has grown in popularity in college football with the evolution of the spread offense. The Aggies also ranked fourth in the country in sacks in 2014 with 50. 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. The timing between Daniels and his receivers was off all game. 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). Examine Texas schedule last season, and youll see a murders row of quarterbacks:Sam Darnold(No. - 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. 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. That much was clear on Saturday, and its why losing a player like Tufele, who possesses all three traits, hurt so much. Its going to be exciting.. 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. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. perspective, he's found Orlando to be a gem of an assistant for a variety of reasons. Just the traditional tailback running game, if youre not doing good you have no chance of playing elite defense. FAU's defense . How you practice around here is going to be how many reps you get, Orlando said. Orlando has a long coaching career with multiple stops across the country. The Longhorns were putrid in 2015 and 2016, allowing the third- and sixth-most rushing yards in school history. 'He's a guru': How Todd Orlando transformed the Texas defense - 247Sports What is the current state of play for one of the elite QB prospects on the board? The notion that the Big 12 doesnt play defense is false. One of the key subplots to USCs season opener against Arizona State is the performance of the Trojans defense, more specifically the secondary. When we sat down and started to talk it was just so similar, Orlando told 247Sports. Odds & lines subject to change. Imagine if this actually happens. Or what type of player they would be getting because of the scheme we ran. The result was a defense that failed to take advantage of the pass-rushing talent of players like Graham, Ossai, and Roach because once the scheme that Orlando spent the offseason developing was no longer effective, its extremely difficult to make those changes once the season begins. From this ultra-quick 3-2-6 package, the Longhorns then unleashed a small part of Orlando's third-down package with such tremendous force that they started calling it every play against Oklahoma State and then expanded it over the rest of the season into a new base defense. Saban has finally embraced the change as well, throwing the ball more than he ever has before with Tua Tagovailoa. Considering how long players have had to learn the scheme, Orlando made clear he wont be as forgiving when it comes to forgetting assignments. Stilleto Boy wins the Santa Anita Handicap for trainer Ed Moger Jr. Sierra Canyon girls basketball team is two wins away from perfect season, Practical Move gives trainer Tim Yakteen a win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sam Farmers crystal ball: NFL mock draft 2023 version 1.0, UCLAs freshmen living up to the hype, carry Bruins into Pac-12 title game. Todd Orlando Tries To Remake USC's Defense - Trojan Daily Blog Thanks to some help from the Cyclones and Mountaineers, the Longhorns trashed the Jayhawks to land the No. It didnt matter much. This season has not gone according to plan for anybody, especially the defense, and major changes will be headed USCs way. 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. But that moratorium on full-contact practice was lifted Wednesday, finally offering Orlando a long-awaited glimpse of what his USC defense is made of. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. The Trojans defense held the Spartans to only seven points on the game, and things seemed to be going well in Southern California. Gone were the inside linebackers who were so effective as blitzers. Boca Raton will not be the first time Orlando coaches in South Florida. They handled the defending Mountain West champion San Jose State Spartans with ease. The Cowboys averaged more yards passing than any team in the country. We continue to progress in the pass, Orlando said of the group. Orlando walked into the interview room and saw his Aggie defensive film already on the screen. Toughness is for naught if the player and coach relationship isnt strong enough to offset those consistent practice blows. Email. 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.. Aside from one spring practice, the intricacies of his scheme were installed only over Zoom. 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. Orlando, who last coached defense at Texas, called the virtual install time a blessing in disguise. Even if it might only take his new defense so far. So its difficult to judge just how good the defense truly is at this point. Gambling problem? Click here to buy a copy today or visit your local newsstand! Is Todd Orlando's Big Picture Coming Into Focus? A look at how Texas defenders fit in Todd Orlando's scheme Continue reading Attacking the Tite Front. Gone were the experienced players in the secondary who could force the quarterback to hold the ball for an extra second or two. But the concern with this unit is depth. The goal of Orlandos defense is twofold: 1. How Todd Orlando's scheme will unleash the Texas LBs Coach Todd Orlando of the USC Trojans during USC football practice at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Thats where our emphasis is going to be this week.. The Trojans defense shifted into different looks, sometimes showing two down linemen with Jackson and defensive end Nick Figueroa standing up. The Tite Front works because it forces the offense to bounce everything outside. The image above shows the Longhorns base look against the ever prevalent Y-Off 20 pers. Locke. Every week is a challenge. Thats in large part due to the variance of the offensive minds. groupings are being countered by many defenses basing out of a Nickel defense. But Barry and USC opted not to continue their discussions, and Orlando became the leading candidate. But structurally, in our opinion, its still so sound.. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Texas finished 7-5 and Orlando was fired as part of a staff overhaul. Orlando was fired by head coach Tom Herman on Dec. 1 and Naivar the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the Longhorns who has worked with Herman across four different stops (Sam. Since then, the USC defense has been getting torched time and time again, with their worst performance arguably against Oregon State as the Beavers ran for over 300 yards to upset them in Los Angeles. Once I left, I thought we were one and the same.. The main difference here is Jackson is playing as a standup linebacker instead of lining up with his hand down like he did most of the time in 2019. 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. Jefferson went on to lead the team with 110 tackles, including 20 run stuffs, while anchoring the interior of the Texas defense in a 3-2-6 dime package that Orlando unveiled to the bewilderment of Texas' spread-oriented Big 12 opponents. Orlando utilizes a number of disguised blitzes and coverages out of his 3-4 front, which can cause havoc for an offense trying to sort through things quickly. To me, hes a special player, Orlando said. During his time as defensive coordinator at Texas, his defense forced 65 turnovers and ranked in the top 10 nationally for . 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. Yet, because of the way the Longhorns fly to the ball, it doesnt much matter that the numbers are pushed back. After Utah State, Orlando made his way to Houston for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, where the Cougars were top 30 in scoring defense and sacks both seasons he was there. Orlando said he's already adjusted his scheme, which relies on mixed fronts and aggressive blitzing, to fit USC's personnel. You have to look at the film and say, This guy can wreck a game, Orlando said. 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. Rigid positional structures are giving way to a more fluid style of play. Cody Alexander. Todd Orlando's defense has been getting exposed all year long Todd Orlando's USC Defense (Origins, History, and Film Study - YouTube 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. So what did game No. Chase Williams has turned into a leader at the position while delivering physical blows when he attacks the ball. But those arent the only areas that were to be evaluated starting Wednesday. His defensive coordinator would be Todd Orlando., hiring him from Florida International. LOS ANGELES (AP) Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. Having a base, four-man pass-rush is less valuable for attacking any of those schemes, so Orlando determined that it was a worthy trade to give up a pass rusher up front in exchange for more coverage and blitz flexibility and disguise potential while also gaining a "free hitter" in the form of the robber. With one of the pass-rushing outside linebackers replaced by a nickel DB, the defense is left with only a single edge rusher on the field (the B-backer in Orlando's defense). . But so far, its all been against an offense the USC defense knows very, very well. In fact, Todd Orlandos defense is towards the bottom of the conference in points allowed per game, per SportsPac12s latest. Herald-Times. It rotated just one inside linebacker (Kanai Mauga) in, and that was only for a handful of plays. None of that stuff. If you practice soft, youre going to play soft, Orlando said. 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 Cyclones and Longhorns most notably did it while using a 3-safety Dime package for parts of the season. Then Utah States defensive coordinator, Orlando flew to Columbus, Ohio to interview with Herman for Houstons defensive coordinator job in January of 2015. The diagram below illustrates the fronts usefulness versus a popular Spread play, the Power Read. Its going to be real interesting to see how that unfolds in the Pac-12 with USC and everybody., Its a legitimate question in terms of how Orlando is going to play it early in the season, right? USC had problems getting aligned on Saturday, and one of its alignment busts led to an Arizona State touchdown in the second quarter. I love TO hes one of the smartest defensive minds I ever played for.. There's no better way to demonstrate that than to look at howTexas defended the run. Hybrid players allow an almost endless amount of ways to blitz and pressure an offense without losing coverage ability (youre dropping a speedy LB/DB instead of a rigid D-lineman). Cornerback is a different situation. Get your first month for $1. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Todd Orlando looks to bring more physicality to USC's defense this year. I feel the 4-3 will help those guys to show their talents and more people will come out of Texas.. I do think that is the gambit this season with the defense: You have to risk the fact that while there may be some miscommunications, and maybe its getting a little too complicated, also that complication is what could give this defense a leg up from past defenses USC has fielded. Facing an offense that averaged 45 points per game, fourth nationally, Orlando reversed one of the core principles of his defensive philosophy. 3. Sign up for the Trojans Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Herman isnt shy about issuing compliments to his defensive lieutenant. FAU's defense ranked 50th in the country in 2019.In 2021 FAU's defense had its up and downs, ranking 99th against the pass, 75th against the run, and 86th overall, but was in the top 50 in scoring defense. Not all of its issues were alignment-related though. The Big 12 is not new to the concept of smaller faster players playing on the defensive side of the ball. 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. However, Willie Taggart and his staff still need to find ready-to-play talent in the secondary as FAU loses four of their top five snap getters from 2021. On the back end, Orlando typically employs a quarters coverage that allows his defensive backs to break aggressively to the football while preventing big plays. Orlando said hes already adjusted his scheme, which relies on mixed fronts and aggressive blitzing, to fit USCs personnel. His defensive system poses an extreme challenge to offenses., You cant practice soft and play hard.New DC Todd Orlando is looking to up the physicality on the USC practice field. He finished with three tackles and one tackle for loss, which counts as a quiet night for the sophomore linebacker. Arizona State realized that early, and its two main running backs, DeaMonte Trayanum and Rachaad White, rushed 24 times for 160 yards against USC. Try a week on us. While the scheme is expected to adjust, the possibility of changes to USCs defensive staff is still up in the air. 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. Odd-front defenses with nickel and dime packages on the back end are en vogue across college football. 9 Texas 75-59 win No. Feb 18, 2023 . Theyre not only making plays, but theyre trying to help other guys. After the opening weekend for USC, things looked good for the Trojans. Against the more run-heavy approaches from USC, Oklahoma and Kansas State, Orlando utilized his traditional blend of nickel defense, moving quarters coverages and zone blitzes. Imagine if this actually happens. 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. Orlando now resides in Los Angeles with the USC Trojans and it will be interesting to see how the PAC 12 chooses to attack the Orlando system. Because nobody will throw the ball on you, theyll just run it. I would have loved to be in a 4-3, Roach told Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth-Star Telegram. A simplified picture combined with an athletic QB who could improvise if things got hairy made the spread offense absolutely deadly. Thats certainly a way to end the regular season and enter March Madness. Texas goal is to play fast on defense, forcing opposing QB to play slow. If youre thinking in football, youre playing slow.. 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. Aside from one spring practice, the intricacies of his scheme were installed only over Zoom. The former is built on repetitive contact. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. Gone was Omenihu, who proved himself capable of producing in Orlandos scheme. 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. 9 Texas pummels No. 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.. The SEC used to be one of the sole holdouts with only a few teams, namely Ole Miss and Texas A&M, embracing the shift. It could afford to, considering Arizona State wasnt making it pay through the air. Then Utah State's defensive coordinator, Orlando flew to Columbus, Ohio to interview with Herman for Houston's defensive coordinator job. Two things generally forced USC to shift out of its base defense. 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. A fourth linebacker released off the line can more easily pursue the football on outside runs and defend quick passes on the edge. Aggressive, physical, unfearing. The following offseason after Houstons Peach Bowl victory over FSU, Orlandos alma mater, Wisconsin, offered him its defensive coordinator role when Aranda left for LSU. But Orlando paid Herman, a former QB coach, an even higher compliment than that. The reason for this is the design of Orlando's defense, which favors speed over size at the middle linebacker position. Texas special assistant to the head coach Gary Patterson stepping down from role. A good run defense has been a calling card of Orlandos units at his previous stops. Aggressive DCs like Orlando weren't having that for long, and his response is to teach his players to show a blitz to trigger the sideline glance and check from the offense before bringing another call entirely. However, that was so long ago and feels like a lifetime. 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. Behind them, USC has transfers like Xavion Alford and Chris Thompson, not to mention a slew of freshmen. He beats the tackle clean, forces the throw fast and its an incomplete. Get full team. When Tom Herman hired Todd Orlando to be his defensive coordinator at the University of Houston, Herman was looking for a coach who could teach the kind of defense that always gave him fits. The Trojans results against Arizona State were mixed. Los Angeles Times USC beat writer Ryan Kartje offered this extended answer: Its important to remind everyone listening that I havent actually seen Todd Orlandos defense other than one practice during the spring Weve seen it all over the country that these offenses are running roughshod over defenses.