Film Don't Lie | Big Plays to the Backs

Notre Dame’s offense was the opposite of explosive on Saturday against. Cal.

They averaged only 4.6 yards per play. They ran the ball 64% of the time and had some success, but managed only two runs of 10-yards or more. The passing game was purposely conservative with their backup quarterback. Drew Pyne’s average depth of target was only 2.8 yards and he attempted three passes longer than 10-yards down the field.

That’s not a typo. The only two explosive plays in the game were very timely calls by Tommy Rees and they both were receptions to running backs out of the backfield.

It’s not a coincidence that both started with 21 personnel (two backs, one tight end) on the field.

The first was a touchdown to Chris Tyree where he went right up the seam and was completely uncovered. Both he and Audric Estime were in the backfield, but Estime went out in motion to the flat.

Cal was in a two-high safety look and the one safety dropped down to pick up Estime in man coverage. That left a big opening in the middle of the field and that opening got bigger because of a pump fake by Pyne to the two receiver side.

The only deep safety opened up to that side when it happened and that meant there was only green grass in front of Tyree.

The Mike linebacker is likely supposed to have Tyree in man coverage, but even if he turned and ran with him, this is a mismatch that Notre Dame was going to exploit. It was a great design by Rees knowing that he would get a one safety look here and then adding the pump fake to make this as open as it was.

The next play started out similar with two backs in the backfield, but Tyree is the motion man on this play and he moved outside to the slot position on the right. There’s three receivers on that side now and this is a single high look from the start from Cal. That safety shifted over when he saw Tyree line up there.

In the first half, Cal was playing with two high safeties pre-snap 58.6% of time. In the second half that shifted to 27.3% with Cal knowing that Notre Dame was leaning heavily on the running game. The Bears loaded up the box and kept one safety deep about ¾ of the time.

I’m not sure if this was film study or if it was something Rees and the staff saw earlier in the game, but that middle of the field was wide open again with the one Cal inside linebacker moving to Tyree to match him in coverage and that safety automatically dropping to the three receiver side. That’s important because even before we get to Estime, Tyree is running a post here and he’s going to be open in the middle again.

That would have been a much more difficult throw than the one to Estime who is running an angle route and it’s the perfect matchup with him versus the edge defender. RB vs a DE should be a win 10 times out of 10. If it’s the linebacker on Estime instead and this is taken away, then Tyree is still an option that could have been a potential touchdown (though I’m not confident Pyne would have made that throw in this game).

The offense looked inept to start the game. They played safe the rest of the way and grinded out first downs running the ball and with short passes, but without these two plays, they don’t win the game.

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