LOS ANGELES Under normal circumstances, first-year USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando would have just finished the in-person evaluation portion of the recruiting calendar. Take a look at those QBs 2017 season, youd see their matchup with Texas as a low-end outlier amid exceptional overall campaigns. He wants to stop the run and make a defense one-dimensional. Overall, the rotation was much shorter than what was utilized last year. Schematically, Orlando excels because hes aggressive and prepared. Were trying to stay very consistent in terms of our message so we can get better throughout the year.. USC defense has different feel in camp after full offseason Due to the pandemic, USC was unable to implement new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando's scheme in person before the 2020. Be sure to follow us on Twitter at: The time is now! Email. Greg Johnson is the veteran returner at nickel back. Apr 5, 2021. But instead of sending four rushers, USC sent six (Figueroa, the four linebackers and Hufanga) on the final three plays, which forced Daniels, who rushed for 111 yards, to beat the Trojans with his arm. 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. Thats where adaptability comes into play. Thats certainly a way to end the regular season and enter March Madness. Visit our online store to order your copyto get more in-depth analysis on the 2018 season. Boca Raton will not be the first time Orlando coaches in South Florida. The goal of Orlandos defense is twofold: 1. Junior Chris Steele was an unquestioned returning starter, whereas it was an open competition for the second job, with Isaac Taylor-Stuart seeming like the leader entering game week. Todd Orlando, who has 16 years of experience as a collegiate defensive coordinator, was named USC's defensive coordinator in January of 2020. Before joining Tom Hermans staff at Texas, Orlando was viewed as a rising defensive mind in college football. The Trojans defense shifted into different looks, sometimes showing two down linemen with Jackson and defensive end Nick Figueroa standing up. He also coaches the linebackers. Visit our online store to order your copy. I dont know how theyre going to play it, but thats going to be worth watching against a quarterback (Jayden Daniels) who is a veteran.. From Georgia in the SEC to the Longhorns and Cyclones in the Big 12, the new-age Double Eagle took flight as one of the top ways to contain high powered Spread offenses. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Before that, his inaugural Utah State defense ranked seventh in points allowed. Herman brought Orlando along with him to Texas, where a brilliant Year 1 netted the Longhorns defensive coordinator a raise to $1.7 million per year through the 2021 season. He spent just two weeks as an assistant in Lubbock, before Helton and USC came calling. It took defenses a while to catch up, but Orlando is at the cutting edge with his defensive packages that can disrupt the process and even the playing field. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. The point behind that question is not that hard to grasp: Is a complex scheme necessary to give USC a winning edge, or should a simplified scheme be used in Week 1, to not load players with too many assignments, reads, or details? Todd Orlando remembers feeling bad for Tom Herman. While the scheme is expected to adjust, the possibility of changes to USCs defensive staff is still up in the air. He did some things out there that were pretty special.. It also means Orlandos weekly priority of taking away what he calls "game wreckers" is even more imperative. Youre going to be based on how hard you run to the football, how you get off blocks and how you tackle.. 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 is now a handsomely paid football coach, in his third year as the Texas defensive coordinator having progressed up the career coaching ladder, from Penn to UConn to FIU to Utah State to. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78. Arizona State just out-executed the Trojans defense in the run game. No. Not all of its issues were alignment-related though. 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. 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). The Cyclones and Longhorns most notably did it while using a 3-safety Dime package for parts of the season. Its really hard to screw up a run play. A four-run fourth inning broke the game open for the Longhorns, but they gave it all back and dropped the series opener. Find out which 3 #USC players go to the Bears in an NBC Sports Chicago mock draft. Orlando's favorite scheme against the run in his multiple 3-4. Orlando said USC utilized 70 to 75 percent of its defensive package against the Sun Devils. In that game, the Longhorns consistently confused a seasoned and well-coached offensive line, garnering two sacks and seven tackles for loss (TFLs). The Cowboys averaged more yards passing than any team in the country. It didnt matter much. Until you go against live, at the end of the day youre not going to trick everybody in terms of your scheme, Orlando said. Orlando sorts film breakdown by position. - Rudolphs Cowboys managed a season-low 13 points (All-American wide receiverJames Washingtonmanaged just 32 yards in the win). Cody Alexander. Except Hermans questions were constantly put on pause so that he, still serving as Ohio States offensive coordinator, could run out of the room to take care of some crisis or another as the Buckeyes prepared for the 2014 College Football Playoff final against Oregon. And as Saturday showed, thats a group with a long way to go. MQ takes a look at Texas 3rd Down pressure package versus Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Its three starters (Marlon Tuipulotu, Tremblay and Figueroa) and two backups (Tuli Tuipulotu and Stanley Taufoou) were the only ones who saw action. Gambling problem? You know, he was a linebacker previously, and hes really strong, so being able to move in this system is really a high priority, defensive line coach Vic Sooto said. 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. Pola-Mao returns and has been a stud in camp, causing chaos in blitzing situations and making plays on the ball in pass coverage that he has not made in the past. Theres no favoritism. Continue reading Simulated Pressures From a Positionless Defense (2019 Sugar Bowl). 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. Its not likely to last forever. Will Alabama transfer Ishmael Sopsher be healthy enough to do so? Orlando, 50, previously was a defensive coordinator at Texas Houston, Utah State . 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. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. Though Jackson is officially an outside linebacker now and is listed at 20 pounds lighter than he weighed a year ago (from 275 to 255), it doesnt seem like his role has changed a ton, at least from what he showed Saturday. Herman clearly agrees. Coach Todd Orlando of the USC Trojans during USC football practice at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The Tite Front is becoming a popular way to defend the Spread; its important to understand how teams are going to attack it on the ground. However, that was so long ago and feels like a lifetime. Rigid positional structures are giving way to a more fluid style of play. So its difficult to judge just how good the defense truly is at this point. That establishment between Orlando and his team started in earnest following the Longhorns worst defensive effort of the season, a 51-41 loss to Maryland in Week 1. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Is USC defense ready to take a leap in Year 2 under Todd Orlando? The only two Pac-12 schools behind them are Cal and winless Arizona. Orlando told his team, Its my fault. Lack of preparation, scheme and just overall performance is all tied in, but it hasnt been a good effort whatsoever. Its a pretty substantial change in terms of what theyre doing on defense. Todd Orlando was announced as USCs defensive coordinator Friday, ending a lengthy search for Clancy Pendergasts replacement that had dragged into its fourth week. Nearly every defensive coordinator will say theyre multiple in the various looks theyll give an offense. Todd Orlando sees USC defense as work in progress USC defense showed positive signs in opening win over ASU Coach Todd Orlando of the USC Trojans during USC football practice at the. The Trojans defense held the Spartans to only seven points on the game, and things seemed to be going well in Southern California. And then Jamars just played that his whole life. 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. Without a Spring Camp to provide real first-hand understanding of Todd Orlando's defensive scheme as well as Vic So'oto's preferences as defensive line coach, these are best guesses. They also began to move Hager into different alignments that made the most of his ability to drop into coverage or work around the edge in conjunction with his ability and willingness to crash into tackles from an inside alignment. Herman just needed to know if the pair would mesh personally. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. However, although Hill called Orlandos scheme gimmicky, thats not really true Baylor and Iowa State both had highly productive defenses in 2019 with similar schemes. He finished with three tackles and one tackle for loss, which counts as a quiet night for the sophomore linebacker. 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. Get your first month for $1. USC played just five defensive linemen against Arizona State. Herman's offense is a spread system focused on running the ball downhill, primarily with inside zone runs, and he found 3-4 defenses that played quarters coverage like Orlando's to be the toughest schemes to deal with while at Ohio State. 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. But so far, its all been against an offense the USC defense knows very, very well. This positionless style of play allows hybrid players, primarily at linebacker and defensive back, to play a larger role. In fact, they often had little to no idea how to defend the run in Texas' exotic defenses, and the Longhorns were regularly trashed by teams with multiple run games that could cause confusion. Those four-man fronts are great at plugging gaps and helping a team defend the run, but they also mean one less defender on the second level to stop the pass and run to the football. One was down and distance. Spread offenses search for the B gap because that is where the conflicted player usually is for a defense. Players retained more than he expected, and coaches got to know players better than they would have otherwise. It also gives him the ability to put players in situations to take advantage of deficiencies within an offensive scheme or weaker/slower players. If the guard decides to climb for the Mike (illustrated), the 4i can easily get penetration and maybe even block or negate the pull (I have a clip of this later vs TCUs 11p single-back Power). As expected, USC hired Todd Orlando as its defensive coordinator on Friday. After the second day of pads (last spring) we were like, Golly, we havent do this much hitting in a minute. Its just that mental toughness they instill in us. But structurally, in our opinion, its still so sound.. USC has officially found the new face of its defense. USC defense has different feel in camp after full offseason Due to the pandemic, USC was unable to implement new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando's scheme in person before the 2020 season, so players were learning on the fly as they prepared for the delayed season. Every week is a challenge. Thats in large part due to the variance of the offensive minds. The guy could be a linebacker coach. Most recently, Orlando coached at USC for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Its very unique, added Texas senior safetyP.J. But full contact could always force further change. You have to use those guys. A fourth linebacker released off the line can more easily pursue the football on outside runs and defend quick passes on the edge. Orlando now becomes the seventh defensive coordinator in seven seasons for FAU. Yet, because of the way the Longhorns fly to the ball, it doesnt much matter that the numbers are pushed back. Arizona State realized that early, and its two main running backs, DeaMonte Trayanum and Rachaad White, rushed 24 times for 160 yards against USC. With his ability to teach fundamentals to raw athletes, train and equip defenders to attack offenses with disguise and pressure and adapt his tactics around the strengths of his roster, Orlando is proving to be a cutting-edge coordinator. 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. The name of the game for Orlando is attacking opponents where they are always weakest -- in their ability to handle pressure and confusion with little reaction time. In McVays offense, the use of quick motions, multiple formations, and what seems to be an Air Raid-ish passing game has given NFL defenses fits all year. Behind them, USC has transfers like Xavion Alford and Chris Thompson, not to mention a slew of freshmen. Of course, the weight loss and new position might cause some in the fan base to wonder if Jackson is being utilized incorrectly if his production dips, but for now, his responsibilities dont seem much different than last year. What is the current state of play for one of the elite QB prospects on the board? Jackson played with his hand in the ground a bit, just not as frequently as he did last season. . The numbers back up that decision, as Texas tied for 66th nationally with 27 sacks in 2019, down five from 2018. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. USC had problems getting aligned on Saturday, and one of its alignment busts led to an Arizona State touchdown in the second quarter. Orlando said hes already adjusted his scheme, which relies on mixed fronts and aggressive blitzing, to fit USCs personnel. Texas blows lead against Cal State Fullerton in 6-5 loss. In an effort to get more speed and versatility on the field, Orlando moved Jefferson to mac linebacker, inserted Johnson, a sprinter, at rover and replaced senior B-backer Naashon Hughes with a sixth defensive back. If you go out there and you dont know what youre doing after meeting with someone for seven months, that pretty much explains how much you care, Orlando said. Orlando, 48, spent the last three seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas, where he was one of the highest paid assistants in college football. Redshirt freshman Max Williams was the extra defensive back on the field in these packages. Click here to buy a copy today or visit your local newsstand! 3 overall pick),Baker Mayfield(No. By Coachlamons @nukeit1981 Dec. 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. 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. Theres a reason why he was let go. Written by Ian Boyd (@Ian_A_Boyd)for Athlon Sports. USC needs more size, speed and athleticism at every level of its defense. 3 Kansas on Saturday to close the regular season. Continue reading Attacking the Tite Front. football@usc.edu. Hands-on coaching was limited to distanced learning. 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. Preparing for his first season as defensive coordinator at No. Weve got to be mindful of the stuff were doing or asking him to do. The Tite Front was all the rage during the 2017 season. The familiarity with the opponent will be gone. His defenses would mix in three-down looks, but that was only about 20 percent of the time. He brings a passion, energy, toughness and discipline to his coaching, Helton said, and those characteristics were evident in our discussions. (Roger Steinman / AP) Ryan Kartje (LA Times) -- Through spring and summer, the physical, hard-nosed brand of defense Todd Orlando promised to bring to USC remained strictly . (213) 740-4204. Orlando first will bring up a picture to show the correct placement for a player. Snow, at his fifth FBS post as defensive coordinator, has evolved his scheme to become more multiple and detailed. 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. I love TO hes one of the smartest defensive minds I ever played for.. But while Herman's motives started from a simple "What gave me fits as an offensive coach?" Texas OL spring preview: Here are your big humans, Despite recent struggles, bracketology projections still like the Longhorns, Longhorns Daily News: Former Texas HC Charlie Strong joins Alabama, Nick Saban as defensive analyst, Longhorns Daily News: Texas alum Bijan Robinson is toughest player Alabamas Will Andersons played against in college career. Former Texas DE Malcolm Roach criticizes Todd Orlandos scheme, Quick thoughts from No. The Longhorns are taking away a weapon (the QB), while also preventing running backs from getting behind them for big gains. But after successfully rebuilding the Texas defense in his first season, the Longhorns experienced a sharp defensive downturn in 2019. In turn, this could mean the end of the road for Orlando in Southern California regardless of who takes the job as head coach of the Trojans. Fail big.. 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. Though Todd Orlando's (DC, USC) time at Texas came to a screeching halt after the 2019 regular season, one thing is clear, the man can create pressure. You have to look at the film and say, This guy can wreck a game, Orlando said. The notion that the Big 12 doesnt play defense is false. College football was temporarily revolutionized when hurry-up spread teams began to perfect the art of sending signals from the sideline to the field, allowing coordinators to make audibles and adjustments on behalf of their players. In reality, Texas players say their responsibilities change little from week to week. Herman calls Orlando the best defensive coordinator in the country. Orlando has always been multiple, but it seemed like in the end there was just too much going on which was evident by Head Coach Tom Hermans decision to go with Chris Ash as the DC who is known for a simpler style reflecting Ohio State (with more of a Quarters base). The Tite Front works because it forces the offense to bounce everything outside. Their camp D was a 3-4, but once the season hit, the packages started to proliferate. FAU's defense .