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OL Questions from a FB Noob

PersianCat387

Sophomore
Aug 18, 2007
1,979
164
63
Lexington
Hi Folks, loved football since I was a kid but only ever played soccer competitively, so I got nothing in terms of actual knowledge of technique/strategy. With the longer format highlight clips that are popular on youtube these past few years though I have been watching more extended replays of our key plays and some other teams as well.

With all the issues on our OL, I noticed a few things in the highlights that had me wondering:

1. Eli Cox on our TD play to Key vs Ole Miss Tackle against Weaver on the Jaxson Dart Sack in 4Q

Funny comparison because both plays did work out for us...I know there is a certain time the OL has to "give up" on blocking a guy or risk getting called for a hold when the lineman is going past them. But when you compare these two highlights, in the first, you see the Ole Miss DT drive into Eli on the snap, then put a move on him and Eli basically lets him go completely, unchallenged, so he can make a run at Brock before Brock thankfully gets the pass off to Dane for the TD.

Comparing this to the play where we sacked Dart in the 4Q before the FG, JJ weaver comes around the end while Dart is rolling out, he eventually turns the corner on the tackle and the tackle has to let him go, but before he does, he gives him at least a shove in the side, doing everything he can to at least slow the guy down, thankfully it wasn't enough because Dart held the ball forever.

Just wondering if differences like this are coaching issues / effort issues / or are there rules I am not aware of when it comes to pass blocking?


2. Deone Walker Knockdown on the Offsides play

Unfortunately Walker probably had no hope of getting anywhere on this play when he mistimed his jump and got the flag anyway, but I noticed that during the play, while Walker was driving into the OL in front of him, he just got knocked down from behind by another Olineman. Are takedowns from the back legal as long as the Oline is doing it to an engaged rusher? Or is that more a judgement call by the officials on whether he was behind or to the side of Walker?

3. A lot of the sacks in the pocket Mincey gave up in the USC/GA/Ole Miss Games

Compared to some of the lineman I see in clips, it is obvious that Mincey struggles to block the fast edge guys more than most. But in a lot of these sack highlights, it also feels like Brock is dropping so deep, it is like almost a straight footrace between a fast edge guy and a gigantic tackle who is struggling to even get his hands on them. Are we also getting blown up so bad in the middle most times that it is too risky from Brock to step up or is that partially on him for dropping so deep like that? It almost feels like it would be better to have a shorter drop on some of these and let Mincey have a better angle to block with.
 
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