The Morning After: NT Beats Wyoming, Looks Forward To Tulsa

A change that wasn't so big

On the Sunday podcast we discussed the immediate things we saw in the game. There was plenty good — there always is when the score is 44-17 in your favor. Eric Morris discussed some similar things in his post-game, including the switch to a “two high safety look.” Now, it is no secret that defensive coordinator Matt Caponi runs a 3-3-5 defense, but there is still confusion about what that means.

We discussed it before the season. This defense can be best described as a “three-high” safety defense. The “normal” 3-stack defense is about adding a third safety/linebacker hybrid and keeping them near the line of scrimmage. It is more like a 3-4 defense than not. A three-high defense was Iowa State’s innovation to stay ahead of the Big 12’s Air Raid stuff.

Morris said that after getting pushed around vs TTU they wanted to get their best players on the field, and also getting “bigger bodies” out there, as well. So we saw some 3-4 looks, but the scheme — the basic calls, alignments, adjustments — were largely the same. It is very difficult to completely change things on the fly. It looks like Caponi and company adapted the 3-high Star safety run responsibilities to the added linebacker. In a 3-4 the extra interior guy is usually called Ted or something.

All in all, this is normal football. The Iowa State 3-high came about because the traditional 4-2-5 wasn’t working against the Big 12’s spread. So they changed and adapted to the group they had. North Texas is doing the same. With the option-heavy and run-oriented teams North Texas is facing in this league it make sense to adapt to the teams you will face. Nick Saban was always a 3-4 guy but he and Kirby Smart added more Nickel looks as a base given the opposition. Kirby Smart invented the Mint package/rules to adjust to teams slicing them up.

NT is still a light 3-4 given everything. With the talent diminished in the safety room because of injury (Jayven Anderson, Isheem Young) and suspension (everyone else) it makes sense to lean into the linebacker additions like Whittier.

Also, Wyoming is a run-heavy team. They like to bring two and three safeties to the party and NT would be silly to think they could and should have five defensive backs on the field against a quarterback who hadn’t completed 50% of his throws. Match heavy with heavy and play defense.

As it was, NT stopped Wyoming from doing much —especially in the second half.

Run Down — See the four linebackers

7 is on the WR with the corner playing off the ball. (Whittier)

32 is in the B gap near the top of the screen. (Wesloski)

24 is four yards off the ball at the nearside B gap (Brown)

36 is at the edge near the bottom (Smith)

The Chavez Brown addition is taking place of the Star safety in our scheme.

Passing Down — See the 4-2-5 look — big nickel, etc

NT has three hand-on-ground guys and Shipley (9) is a standup edge rusher. The LBs are showing blitz in the nearside A and B gaps. NT has the normal DBs — from the top of the screen - 5, 2, 21, 17) and add 25 - Lewis - as the Nickel corner.

All in all NT won more than it lost, but you can see the team being slightly more hesitant at the beginning of the game compared to the third quarter where they were very good.

There are things to like but it isn’t magic. Going heavier on obvious running downs should help NT stay stronger throughout. I expect we see the 3-4 on early downs, and in obvious short-yardage situations, and the 3-high when NT is seeing passing downs and in other situations. Wyoming likes to run. Other teams are more multiple and require different solutions. Morris said they would mix it in and this was about finding the best guys and putting them on the field. That’s good coaching.

As we said on the podcast, it is a fine line in believing in a system and also sticking with something because of ego. North Texas has improved against last year by getting better players in the system. They also are adapting to the realities and giving themselves more tools for the toolbox. That is a good thing.

Next Up: Tulsa

Eric Morris is 1-0 against Tulsa as head coach of the good guys. He won in Oklahoma last year with a worse defense and a different cast on offense. Tulsa is coached by Kevin Wilson and is in the midst of a rebuild. They escaped Ruston last week in overtime, and are still developing. NT is a 6-point favorite going into this one.

Tulsa is averaging around 5+ yards per play against non-FCS and non-top-25 competition. The defense is allowing around 4.5 vs the same. North Texas is probably the best offense or defense they have played outside of Oklahoma State.

The 3-4 adds a wrinkle to the game prep for Tulsa, but it isn’t anything no one has seen before. North Texas will need to tackle, and get pressure on the quarterback. The offense will need to keep being crisp and productive. The health of the offensive line has been tremendous for Chandler Morris and here is hoping that continues.