I am new to this post. I have observed the Hornets over the last six years. Coach Sperbeck is on the right path to creating a good program here at Sac State. Having attended the EW game I saw an offensive team that was capable of scoring 40 points a game against any of the remaining teams this season. The Coach has spent the majority of his time with the offense. As a result of bringing in a strength and conditioning coach who emphasizes “explosiveness” in their workouts, the offensive line has gotten very good. The backs are fine and it appears that the receivers are fast. Minus the mistakes, the only limit of the offense is the quarterback whoever it is. So goes the quarterback so goes the offense.
The development of the offensive line has come at an expense. By emphasizing “explosiveness” across the board to all players of the team it has sacrificed speed and endurance in the defense; two critical components. It can be compared to an 800m runner getting ready to run but in the process has trained for a 100m dash. This has not gone unnoticed. Some players have had professional trainers since high school training them specifically to increase their speed and quickness and well as strength. In the off season when it came apparent that they were not as fast or as strong as last year, some players asked some of the coaches to be allowed to go back to their trainers for help,. Their requests went unanswered. You now have a defense that has been crippled by their own training program. Also, there does not seem to be any coordination between the conditioning program and what goes on at practice. There has to be time for muscles to “recover” in order for them to repair and improve. Combining hard field drills and hard conditioning session during the week is self defeating letting no time for the muscle recovery.
This team had two weeks to prepare for this game. It is the job of the coaches for their teams to be physically and mentally ready for the game and peaking at this time during the week. I think the players were motivated as this was their first conference game and at home with a large crowd. The players (defense) acted physically tired. Did you see the tackling or lack of it? If they were not tackling they missed the guy because they were too slow. If they were tackling they were tackling with their arms or tackling and holding without any leg motion. You normally see this at the end of a hard fought game. There was no pass rush. There was no "spring" in their legs. These guys were already “spent” at the start of the game. They now have the wrong muscle tissue developed and the muscles they do have are not optimized for game day.
Many of the players (defense) that played in the game have played before here or elsewhere and tackling technique has not been an issue. These guys will hit if they can catch them. It is when they go to move they can’t move as fast or for as long as they used to.
The Problem
The speed and endurance capability of the defense has been reduced while still having them play an 80’s “reactive defense” with a few vanilla blitzes that requires athleticism, speed and endurance. A few reviews of the game tapes and everyone knows what they can or cannot do against you.
The FIX
This is tough; the physical damage had been done. Thoroughbreds have been turned into quarter horses.
1. Stop the conditioning program (defense) until they can figure out how to do to fix it. It may be too late this year.
2. Increasing the intensity of the workout by instilling more emotion will not work. You can’t beat a dead horse into running faster. Talk to Dick Vermeil, I think he is in Napa. Allow the players to be fully rested and recovered before the game.
3. More use of video to watch plays and increased reps at practice to improve reads.
4. If the defense cannot react fast enough, “schemes” should be implemented to reduce reactive time. Slants, special packages, creative blitzes and try to hide the coverage.
5. Better analysis of the offensive scheme
6. Start playing as many players in as many packages as can be possible LBs and DLs. This will substitute for the lost endurance and will give others game experience.
The development of the offensive line has come at an expense. By emphasizing “explosiveness” across the board to all players of the team it has sacrificed speed and endurance in the defense; two critical components. It can be compared to an 800m runner getting ready to run but in the process has trained for a 100m dash. This has not gone unnoticed. Some players have had professional trainers since high school training them specifically to increase their speed and quickness and well as strength. In the off season when it came apparent that they were not as fast or as strong as last year, some players asked some of the coaches to be allowed to go back to their trainers for help,. Their requests went unanswered. You now have a defense that has been crippled by their own training program. Also, there does not seem to be any coordination between the conditioning program and what goes on at practice. There has to be time for muscles to “recover” in order for them to repair and improve. Combining hard field drills and hard conditioning session during the week is self defeating letting no time for the muscle recovery.
This team had two weeks to prepare for this game. It is the job of the coaches for their teams to be physically and mentally ready for the game and peaking at this time during the week. I think the players were motivated as this was their first conference game and at home with a large crowd. The players (defense) acted physically tired. Did you see the tackling or lack of it? If they were not tackling they missed the guy because they were too slow. If they were tackling they were tackling with their arms or tackling and holding without any leg motion. You normally see this at the end of a hard fought game. There was no pass rush. There was no "spring" in their legs. These guys were already “spent” at the start of the game. They now have the wrong muscle tissue developed and the muscles they do have are not optimized for game day.
Many of the players (defense) that played in the game have played before here or elsewhere and tackling technique has not been an issue. These guys will hit if they can catch them. It is when they go to move they can’t move as fast or for as long as they used to.
The Problem
The speed and endurance capability of the defense has been reduced while still having them play an 80’s “reactive defense” with a few vanilla blitzes that requires athleticism, speed and endurance. A few reviews of the game tapes and everyone knows what they can or cannot do against you.
The FIX
This is tough; the physical damage had been done. Thoroughbreds have been turned into quarter horses.
1. Stop the conditioning program (defense) until they can figure out how to do to fix it. It may be too late this year.
2. Increasing the intensity of the workout by instilling more emotion will not work. You can’t beat a dead horse into running faster. Talk to Dick Vermeil, I think he is in Napa. Allow the players to be fully rested and recovered before the game.
3. More use of video to watch plays and increased reps at practice to improve reads.
4. If the defense cannot react fast enough, “schemes” should be implemented to reduce reactive time. Slants, special packages, creative blitzes and try to hide the coverage.
5. Better analysis of the offensive scheme
6. Start playing as many players in as many packages as can be possible LBs and DLs. This will substitute for the lost endurance and will give others game experience.
