Virginia Tech-Miami Review: Hokies Torched For Big Plays

Virginia Tech
The Miami offense torched the Virginia Tech defense through the air. (Virginia Tech sports photography)

Duane Jackson (Jeff Bridges) had it right:

Blood in the Air

Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee had the Hokies’ number on Saturday, and usually looked a step or two ahead of what Justin Hamilton was calling in coverage. Things got ugly fast:

This looks like Cover-3 with the zone defenders “matching” or hugging up on the receivers entering their zones. The way the play develops, it ends up being zone to the bottom of the screen, and man at the top. At the bottom, watch safety Tae Daley (#17) drift to the boundary, while Armani Chatman (#27) “zone turns” so that he can read the QB. They’re bracketing the bottom receiver on any deep balls as the play develops. At the top of the screen, Jermaine Waller (#2) doesn’t have any help, so makes a “man turn” to encourage the receiver towards the sideline and away from all the empty grass in the middle of the field. The receiver seems to get some arm extension on the route; the refs never called it, and the Hokies never adjusted to the physical play.

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