Saturday, September 14
Evanston, Ill.
2:30 p.m.
Northwestern
vs
UNLV
Photo by: S. J. Carrera, Inc.
Skip Report: How the Wildcats are Preparing for UNLV's Run-Pass Option on Saturday
9/12/2019 4:38:00 PM | Football
By Skip Myslenski
NUsdports.comSpecial Contributor
THE FOE: The vaunted run-pass option, or RPO for short, is that strategy that Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald last year anointed as "the purest form of communism." It is also part of the offensive repertoire of University of Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels, the visitors at Ryan Field on Saturday.
"Schematically," Fitzgerald said, offering a brief tutorial on this dastardly ploy, "most people are doing a lot of the same things. You're going to see downhill run plays, either inside zone cut no pull power, (or) inside zone read stuff with the quarterback. The slants typically behind it are a bubble throw, or quick slant and go. Everyone kind of runs the same stuff when it comes to the RPO game. You've just got to defend it. It's one thing to be in position. It's another to make plays. We've got to defend it."
"They fake like they're running; they're reading someone, and that key determines whether they give the run or pull it and pass it," said junior middle linebacker Paddy Fisher.
And does he consider it the purest form of communism?
He chuckles.
"It's interesting to see the game develop and change into something that hasn't been a big part of football," the Wildcat captain said. "In the way-back days, they didn't even pass the ball. To think they're now doing this style of football is fascinating. It's really interesting."
THE CHALLENGE: "As a defensive lineman, the key for me is always going to be the same and it's always going to look like run," said Joe Gaziano. "So, it's difficult for us to play the pass in the RPO scheme. But the challenge really falls on the linebackers. They have to change up their reads, give a cloudy read to the quarterback so it's not always the same."
"Yeah," agreed Fisher. "We're taught to defend the run first. Whatever their certain key is, we're getting run first and then, last second, they pull it and pass it. It tough on the linebackers. We got to react to it."
"The reason (the) RPO's so hard is in your normal play-action you get high hats from the (offensive) linemen, so it kind of gives it away," said linebacker Blake Gallagher. "Even if you're getting run-fake action you're getting high hats from the linemen. RPO, they got like heavy hats, so they're coming off the ball like they're run blocking. So they can run it or pass it. So you've got to play downhill for the run, but at the last second he can pull it."
"The last second they pull it (and) we're stuck in a bind," said Fisher.
THE SOLUTION: Pressed on how to stop a deceitful running attack, the 6-foot-6, 306-pound Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, a former Ram, Colt and Steeler who terrorized offenses in the '50s, once famously said:
"I just wrap my arms around the whole backfield and peel 'em one by one until I get to the ball carrier. Him I keep."
A year ago, when asked about stopping the RPO, Gallagher said, "you've just got to go attack 'em. We preach, 'Go eat.' So go eat. Don't hesitate."
FIXING THIS WOULD HELP AS WELL: One theme of the 'Cats season-opening loss at Stanford was their myriad of missed tackles, an unexpected bit of malfeasance for such a respected group in the Big Ten and nationally.
"We just abandoned our fundamentals, especially at the point of attack," Fisher said, explaining the problem. "We were lunging. We were reaching. We weren't running our feet through contact. Weren't taking good angles."
"We do them (fundamentals) all the time," said Gallagher. "It's just when you get out there in the game, keep doing it. Keep it in your head to fall back on your fundamentals when you get out there in a live game."
QUOTABLE: Quarterback Hunter Johnson struggled at Stanford in the first start of his Northwestern career. Despite the adversity, veteran wide receiver Riley Lees has full confidence in his quarterback.
"Because he's a competitor, quite honestly," Lees said. "I see, in practice, there's a lot of fire in how he plays. Obviously he wants to win. But I think he's got that little bit of an edge that's going to help us go. He's someone who can take over if he needs to. He brings a chip to the offense's shoulder that'll help us win games."
"The one thing I saw with Hunter is that he was super talented and he commanded the huddle, had a real good leadership factor too. That's what I saw when he was on the scout team (last year)," Fisher said when asked of Lees' observation.
"Obviously he's got all the talent in the world," Gallagher said. "He's kind of a quiet, laid-back kid, but he's still got that edge, he's still got that fire. So when he steps between the lines he's a completely different guy. He's going to get after you."
Did he ever get after the defense verbally while guiding the scout team?
"I haven't heard him chirp. Usually it's more positive affirmation rather than smack talking," Fisher said. "But I wouldn't put it past him. I'm not saying he would do it. But he is a competitor."
AND FINALLY: UNLV opened with a 33-point win over Southern Utah, an FCS opponent, and then lost by 26 to Arkansas State, an FBS school. The Rebels serve as an interesting challenge for the 'Cats given NU's recent history against schools not necessarily coming into Evanston with a head of steam.
"It's a new team this year," Gaziano said. Last year, obviously early on, hiccups were part of that team. I think we've moved on though and we know kind of the burden that comes with playing a game at home with the students not on campus yet. But we're ready for this challenge. After last week (at Stanford), to be honest, the next game is more about us than the opponent. We're focusing on how we cam improve ourselves and how we can go out on the field and play our best style of ball instead of worrying about who's across from us. That's where you get into a trap of over-estimating or underestimating your opponent, and that's where you play down or play up or not play to your expectations."
The Wildcats host the Rebels at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Ryan Field.
NUsdports.comSpecial Contributor
THE FOE: The vaunted run-pass option, or RPO for short, is that strategy that Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald last year anointed as "the purest form of communism." It is also part of the offensive repertoire of University of Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels, the visitors at Ryan Field on Saturday.
"Schematically," Fitzgerald said, offering a brief tutorial on this dastardly ploy, "most people are doing a lot of the same things. You're going to see downhill run plays, either inside zone cut no pull power, (or) inside zone read stuff with the quarterback. The slants typically behind it are a bubble throw, or quick slant and go. Everyone kind of runs the same stuff when it comes to the RPO game. You've just got to defend it. It's one thing to be in position. It's another to make plays. We've got to defend it."
"They fake like they're running; they're reading someone, and that key determines whether they give the run or pull it and pass it," said junior middle linebacker Paddy Fisher.
And does he consider it the purest form of communism?
He chuckles.
"It's interesting to see the game develop and change into something that hasn't been a big part of football," the Wildcat captain said. "In the way-back days, they didn't even pass the ball. To think they're now doing this style of football is fascinating. It's really interesting."
THE CHALLENGE: "As a defensive lineman, the key for me is always going to be the same and it's always going to look like run," said Joe Gaziano. "So, it's difficult for us to play the pass in the RPO scheme. But the challenge really falls on the linebackers. They have to change up their reads, give a cloudy read to the quarterback so it's not always the same."
"Yeah," agreed Fisher. "We're taught to defend the run first. Whatever their certain key is, we're getting run first and then, last second, they pull it and pass it. It tough on the linebackers. We got to react to it."
"The reason (the) RPO's so hard is in your normal play-action you get high hats from the (offensive) linemen, so it kind of gives it away," said linebacker Blake Gallagher. "Even if you're getting run-fake action you're getting high hats from the linemen. RPO, they got like heavy hats, so they're coming off the ball like they're run blocking. So they can run it or pass it. So you've got to play downhill for the run, but at the last second he can pull it."
"The last second they pull it (and) we're stuck in a bind," said Fisher.
THE SOLUTION: Pressed on how to stop a deceitful running attack, the 6-foot-6, 306-pound Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, a former Ram, Colt and Steeler who terrorized offenses in the '50s, once famously said:
"I just wrap my arms around the whole backfield and peel 'em one by one until I get to the ball carrier. Him I keep."
A year ago, when asked about stopping the RPO, Gallagher said, "you've just got to go attack 'em. We preach, 'Go eat.' So go eat. Don't hesitate."
FIXING THIS WOULD HELP AS WELL: One theme of the 'Cats season-opening loss at Stanford was their myriad of missed tackles, an unexpected bit of malfeasance for such a respected group in the Big Ten and nationally.
"We just abandoned our fundamentals, especially at the point of attack," Fisher said, explaining the problem. "We were lunging. We were reaching. We weren't running our feet through contact. Weren't taking good angles."
"We do them (fundamentals) all the time," said Gallagher. "It's just when you get out there in the game, keep doing it. Keep it in your head to fall back on your fundamentals when you get out there in a live game."
QUOTABLE: Quarterback Hunter Johnson struggled at Stanford in the first start of his Northwestern career. Despite the adversity, veteran wide receiver Riley Lees has full confidence in his quarterback.
"Because he's a competitor, quite honestly," Lees said. "I see, in practice, there's a lot of fire in how he plays. Obviously he wants to win. But I think he's got that little bit of an edge that's going to help us go. He's someone who can take over if he needs to. He brings a chip to the offense's shoulder that'll help us win games."
"The one thing I saw with Hunter is that he was super talented and he commanded the huddle, had a real good leadership factor too. That's what I saw when he was on the scout team (last year)," Fisher said when asked of Lees' observation.
"Obviously he's got all the talent in the world," Gallagher said. "He's kind of a quiet, laid-back kid, but he's still got that edge, he's still got that fire. So when he steps between the lines he's a completely different guy. He's going to get after you."
Did he ever get after the defense verbally while guiding the scout team?
"I haven't heard him chirp. Usually it's more positive affirmation rather than smack talking," Fisher said. "But I wouldn't put it past him. I'm not saying he would do it. But he is a competitor."
AND FINALLY: UNLV opened with a 33-point win over Southern Utah, an FCS opponent, and then lost by 26 to Arkansas State, an FBS school. The Rebels serve as an interesting challenge for the 'Cats given NU's recent history against schools not necessarily coming into Evanston with a head of steam.
"It's a new team this year," Gaziano said. Last year, obviously early on, hiccups were part of that team. I think we've moved on though and we know kind of the burden that comes with playing a game at home with the students not on campus yet. But we're ready for this challenge. After last week (at Stanford), to be honest, the next game is more about us than the opponent. We're focusing on how we cam improve ourselves and how we can go out on the field and play our best style of ball instead of worrying about who's across from us. That's where you get into a trap of over-estimating or underestimating your opponent, and that's where you play down or play up or not play to your expectations."
The Wildcats host the Rebels at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Ryan Field.
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