Orlando took a job as the linebackers coach and assistant head coach at Texas Tech soon after. Pac-12 reporter and columnist Jon Wilner, on the first episode of our USC Trojans: Wired Podcast, responded to those questions as follows: The two units that require the highest level of cohesiveness take quarterback out are the offensive line and the secondary. Texas and Georgia, in particular, had great success all year running similar schemes from a base Tite Front. The Iowa St. Cyclones rose from #103 in 2016 to a respectable #32in BCfToys efficiency rankings in 2017. So its difficult to judge just how good the defense truly is at this point. Texas finished 7-5 and Orlando was fired as part of a staff overhaul. But it can look that way. A little has to do with the pace of the game too. The trickle-up effect is in full swing. In both cases, Orlando said, those defenses simply needed a kickstart., I think thats what [Ive done], the places Ive been coming into, is just to try to free these guys up, Orlando said. Thats where adaptability comes into play. Boca Raton, Fla. - Just over 24 hours after FootballScoop.com first reported that FAU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops was heading to Kentucky to coach with his brother Mark Stoops, the Owls have quickly found his replacement in former Southern California defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Todd Orlando, per Bruce Feldman. Texas special assistant to the head coach Gary Patterson stepping down from role. At the same time, it causes a lot of controversy for the guys on offense.. A simplified picture combined with an athletic QB who could improvise if things got hairy made the spread offense absolutely deadly. The diagram below illustrates the fronts usefulness versus a popular Spread play, the Power Read. In the concluding 2019 Pressure Tape review, MQ will breakdown three Longhorn pressures against the now-famous LSU offenses (one of the best in history). Examine Texas schedule last season, and youll see a murders row of quarterbacks:Sam Darnold(No. End Jacob Lichtenstein is expected to be a contributor this season, and freshman Korey Foreman will be ready on third down early in the season. Arizona State realized that early, and its two main running backs, DeaMonte Trayanum and Rachaad White, rushed 24 times for 160 yards against USC. We are excited to have Todd join our Trojan football program, USC coach Clay Helton said in a release. A good run defense has been a calling card of Orlandos units at his previous stops. Theres no favoritism. Bastrop Cedar Creek defensive end Alfred Collins said new defensive coordinator Chris Ashs even front as a reason why he signed earlier this month. But the play he makes at the end of the game, those are the two to three plays the really special players make. (Liberty vs Arkansas 22), Dec. 22 Blitz of the Month Georgias Pod Alignment, Blitzing from the Odd Stack vs a Pro Style offense (Ole Miss vs Kentucky 22). The rover is the tip of the spear for the Orlando defensive scheme, and he uses that position as a solution to the main problem for the 3-4 defense in the modern era: How to create a multi-pronged pass rush from a nickel package. But when asked what separates Orlando from other defensive coaches, Herman pointed out a single aspect of Orlandos repertoire: Its just his creativity, his adaptability.. Orlando was fired by head coach Tom Herman on Dec. 1 and Naivar the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the Longhorns who has worked with Herman across four different stops (Sam. Its three starters (Marlon Tuipulotu, Tremblay and Figueroa) and two backups (Tuli Tuipulotu and Stanley Taufoou) were the only ones who saw action. That will change Saturday, as USC takes on San Jose State in the 2021 season opener. You have to use those guys. Orlando has previously doubled as linebackers coach, a position that USC split last season between Johnny Nansen, who coached inside linebackers, and Joe DeForest, who coached outside linebackers. They also began to move Hager into different alignments that made the most of his ability to drop into coverage or work around the edge in conjunction with his ability and willingness to crash into tackles from an inside alignment. Boca Raton will not be the first time Orlando coaches in South Florida. By closing both B gaps, the offense has to either plug it up the A gap (which most Spread teams wont do) or run it outside. Try a week on us. Phone. He also coaches the linebackers. Todd Orlando, who has 16 years of experience as a collegiate defensive coordinator, was named USC's defensive coordinator in January of 2020. Gone were the experienced players in the secondary who could force the quarterback to hold the ball for an extra second or two. But we understood why we were running it. perspective, he's found Orlando to be a gem of an assistant for a variety of reasons. After the Sun Devils started to have success on the ground midway through the second quarter, USC started employing a 4-3 front at times. In fact, Todd Orlandos defense is towards the bottom of the conference in points allowed per game, per SportsPac12s latest. The notion that the Big 12 doesnt play defense is false. USC played just five defensive linemen against Arizona State. A Pasadena native, he currently lives in the South Bay. Since L.T. Continue reading Simulated Pressures From a Positionless Defense (2019 Sugar Bowl). Fail big.. The time is now! USC's new defensive coordinator didn't waste time schooling Trojans on new scheme New USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando didn't let the COVID-19 shutdown stop him from familiarizing the Trojans to his defense. Orlando's rover is typically one of the team leaders in sacks as a result of this strategy. In the illustration above, the play side offensive tackle will either have to handle the 4i by himself or rely on the guard for a double team. But returning veterans on the roster like safety Isaiah Pola-Mao and defensive end Nick Figueroa have made a point of helping the young players come along and be ready to contribute in 2021. USC, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri each rushed 34-plus times against Texas but averaged only 4.2 yards per carry. I said I understood why we were running what we ran.. that headline is click bate..but Ill learn how to word things differently so my words cant be mixed up. The "mac" or middle linebacker helps call the defense and serves as the "first responder" for the defense against the run, looking to plug gaps and spill blocks to the outside linebackers (or nickel and dime defenders as the case may be) and his partner the "rover" linebacker. The coaches threw the entire . Orlandos players have a different term for that distinction. Then, facing the ultra-explosive Oklahoma State offense, he made a big change to his defensive structure that probably revolutionized his own philosophy and perhaps changed prevailing best practices across the college game from here on out. The play is ultimately killed. Theyre not only making plays, but theyre trying to help other guys. You hear about soggy eggs and burnt toast, but its the pad popping thats the real story of these daily efforts. Innovation comes from desperation, and in the offensive gauntlet that is the Big 12, it has created an evolutionary playground for defensive (and offensive) football. He was also inheriting a schedule that included Sam Darnold and USC, Jesse Ertz and Kansas State, Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma, Mason Rudolph and Oklahoma State, Kenny Hill and TCU, Will Grier and West Virginia and ultimately Drew Lock and Missouri -- essentially, some of the cream of the crop in terms of modern spread offense and spread quarterbacking. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. Hands-on coaching was limited to distanced learning. Then well get an idea of what the defense is truly capable of after losing contributors like DT Marlon Tuipulotu, CB Olaijah Griffin and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Talanoa Hufanga. If you dont, its going to be limited. This article appeared in Athlon Sports' 2018 Big 12 Regional Football Preview Editions. In this particular instance shown above, the Jack backer walls the play by climbing to the RB. And now former defensive end Malcolm Roach, as he prepares for the NFL Combine, reflected on how much he would have liked to play in Ashs scheme and how much he thinks it will benefit the 2020 Longhorns. Los Angeles Times USC beat writer Ryan Kartje offered this extended answer: Its important to remind everyone listening that I havent actually seen Todd Orlandos defense other than one practice during the spring Weve seen it all over the country that these offenses are running roughshod over defenses. The Chargers based out of it for a whole game! He dropped into coverage just twice against Arizona State, by The Athletics very unofficial count. Once I left, I thought we were one and the same.. When interim defensive coordinator Craig Naivar finally allowed Ossai to play that role, Ossai produced three of his five sacks in the Alamo Bowl. He did some things out there that were pretty special.. looks seen in many Power Spread offenses. But instead of sending four rushers, USC sent six (Figueroa, the four linebackers and Hufanga) on the final three plays, which forced Daniels, who rushed for 111 yards, to beat the Trojans with his arm. The 404 alignment does several things for the box: 1) the offensive line cant climb because of the 4is, and 2) it frees up at least one of the inside linebackers (if not both). Visit our online store to order your copy. The offseason plan was to mold Jefferson into the next star rover for Orlando, but circumstances over the course of the season resulted in Jefferson moving to the "mac" position to make room for fellow speedster and junior college transfer Gary Johnson. The familiarity with the opponent will be gone. We try to take the philosophy of trying to make people one-dimensional, run the football on you and control the clock, because, in my opinion, there are less mistakes made on you when you turn around and hand the ball off and they can get seven or eight yards.. Orlando said USC utilized 70 to 75 percent of its defensive package against the Sun Devils. This positionless style of play allows hybrid players, primarily at linebacker and defensive back, to play a larger role. In this years (2018) THSCA Football Lecture, Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart attributed his use of the Tite Front and how he played the secondary behind it to his meeting with Texas own, Todd Orlando. The defense made the final stand to seal the victory, but it also gave up some big plays and surrendered 258 rushing yards to the Sun Devils. But beyond those six players, USC has question marks. That style of play didnt transfer to the NFL and the NFL didnt understand what type of player this guy was. Orlando, despite his concessions against the pass, said the beauty of the lighting package is Texas numbers up front still cover up against the run. Want to keep up with all the latest FAU football and recruiting news? In an effort to get more speed and versatility on the field, Orlando moved Jefferson to mac linebacker, inserted Johnson, a sprinter, at rover and replaced senior B-backer Naashon Hughes with a sixth defensive back. Lack of preparation, scheme and just overall performance is all tied in, but it hasnt been a good effort whatsoever. Orlando did present Arizona State with several different looks on Saturday. Texas blows lead against Cal State Fullerton in 6-5 loss. While the scheme is expected to adjust, the possibility of changes to USCs defensive staff is still up in the air. We see how he got his start c. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. It took a toll on our bodies, Locke said. 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Orlando said that shift occured because of practice habits and strong relationships between the defensive staff and its players. Todd Orlando remembers feeling bad for Tom Herman. Just the traditional tailback running game, if youre not doing good you have no chance of playing elite defense. Herman just needed to know if the pair would mesh personally. The Panthers defensive ranked 11th in scoring defense that season. But players say Orlandos greatest strength is the ability to break down complicated concepts into digestible pieces. So in addition to having a blitz package, Orlando teaches his rover how to disguise insert blitzes through the A and B gaps. I think its a smart move. This allows the B backer to be a free player and essentially go get the football! The Longhorns base with a true Nickel as well, and align him opposite the Jack, primarily with the passing strength. Orlando utilizes a number of disguised blitzes and coverages out of his 3-4 front, which can cause havoc for an offense trying to sort through things quickly. Hands-on coaching was limited to distanced learning. Lets start with the base defense. Todd Orlandoremembers feeling bad forTom Herman. Orlando first will bring up a picture to show the correct placement for a player. Weve got to be mindful of the stuff were doing or asking him to do. https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/2020/11/06/todd-orlando-vs-arizona-state-a-central-pregame-question-for-usc/. 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However, although Hill called Orlandos scheme gimmicky, thats not really true Baylor and Iowa State both had highly productive defenses in 2019 with similar schemes. As expected, USC hired Todd Orlando as its defensive coordinator on Friday. Arizona State just out-executed the Trojans defense in the run game. There were times when we said the same thing together at the same moment. The main difference here is Jackson is playing as a standup linebacker instead of lining up with his hand down like he did most of the time in 2019. And Charles Omenihu won the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year award in 2018 with 9.5 sacks playing in the same scheme that ultimately limited Orlandos last defense in Austin. (Top photo: Jose Marin / MarinMedia Pool for USC Athletics). 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. The Longhorns seemed to never really find a home base on defense. 16.2ASU19.6Washington21.8Oregon23.0Utah23.2OSU23.8Colorado24.8WSU26.5UCLA27.0Stanford27.3USC27.6Cal31.6Arizona, SportsPac12 (@SportsPac12) October 10, 2021. One of the key subplots to USCs season opener against Arizona State is the performance of the Trojans defense, more specifically the secondary. However, that was so long ago and feels like a lifetime. Once at Texas, though, Orlando was inheriting a defense with great athletes but disparate pieces that hadn't been put together into a cohesive unit. I dont know how theyre going to play it, but thats going to be worth watching against a quarterback (Jayden Daniels) who is a veteran.. Orlando's favorite scheme against the run in his multiple 3-4. Its really, really crazy to see., Asked to summarize Orlandos system, Texas senior cornerbackKris Boydsaid succinctly: Just run to the ball and hit.. Then Utah State's defensive coordinator, Orlando flew to Columbus, Ohio to interview with Herman for Houston's defensive coordinator job. Herman starts most practices with a variation of the circle drill (essentially a one-on-one meeting in a small space that Herman calls out one by one) to ramp up the energy. Orlando is known run the 3-3-5 defense, which has grown in popularity in college football with the evolution of the spread offense. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Antonio Morales covers USC football for The Athletic. Chase Williams has turned into a leader at the position while delivering physical blows when he attacks the ball. The reason for this is the design of Orlando's defense, which favors speed over size at the middle linebacker position. When you get players who can make throws and can run, you have to be mindful, Orlando told reporters on Wednesday morning. On several occasions, the Trojans walked a safety up into the box, mainly Talanoa Hufanga, in order to have seven players near the line of scrimmage for run support. Herman brought Orlando along with him to Texas, where a brilliant Year 1 netted the Longhorns defensive coordinator a raise to $1.7 million per year through the 2021 season. LOS ANGELES USC has its new defensive coordinator, Todd Orlando. For most of training camp, Jackson was limited by a hamstring issue, which caused some worry for Orlando, who thought the lack of reps might impact the edge rushers tackling. He was more of Well keep things simple, well do the same stuff. Theyre the best in the country. Texas would not allow more than 29 points the rest of the season in regulation. For example, to counteract the speed of the Ravens Lamar Jackson, the San Diego Chargers went uber-small and put up to SEVEN DBs on the field at a time. I just feel 3-4 didnt let us showcase our abilities the way we wanted to. Were not going to know the answer to that question until Nov. 7, but Todd Orlando seems very confident this defense will have everything straightforward and understood., Sign up for the Trojans Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Contact drills were reduced to virtual cues. It wont get any easier, either, with the trojans facing Notre Dame right after their bye and still have games against UCLA and Arizona State on the schedule. Drake Jackson, who spent last season as more of a strict defensive end, shed 25 pounds and shifted into a hybrid linebacker role. Orlando used it during his media availability on Wednesday, too. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. Yet, because of the way the Longhorns fly to the ball, it doesnt much matter that the numbers are pushed back. If the guard stays on the 4i (double team), both the Mike and Will are left free to flow with the play and what DC doesnt want is ILBs free-flowing to the ball? Practice your tail off and youre going to be playing on Saturdays. He spent just two weeks as an assistant in Lubbock, before Helton and USC came calling. But full contact could always force further change. No. The Tite Front works because it forces the offense to bounce everything outside. Drake Jackson will man the hybrid outside backer position again this season. It was during his time at Utah that he learned to assemble the 3-4 pressure package that made him an attractive hire for Herman and then a successful coach at Houston. One thing to not overlook is the away side 4i who has leverage on the away side tackle. USC coach Clay Helton says hes noticed benefits from the Trojans unprecedented start to an unusual, pandemic-shortened season. I feel the 4-3 will help those guys to show their talents and more people will come out of Texas.. Every week is a challenge. Thats in large part due to the variance of the offensive minds. Orlando is a linebackers coach in a defense that asks the linebackers to be the primary playmakers on the team. Before that, his inaugural Utah State defense ranked seventh in points allowed. None of that stuff. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. You hear about soggy eggs and burnt toast. Over the course of 2017, Orlando gained a full mastery of his own roster and unleashed it in a variety of fashions against a loaded slate of Big 12 opponents. Here is where USCs struggles against the run and its short rotation, particularly on the defensive line, tie together. When Tom Herman hired Todd Orlando to be his defensive coordinator at the University of Houston, Herman was looking for a coach who could teach the kind of defense that always gave him fits. It took defenses a while to catch up, but Orlando is at the cutting edge with his defensive packages that can disrupt the process and even the playing field. Against the more run-heavy approaches from USC, Oklahoma and Kansas State, Orlando utilized his traditional blend of nickel defense, moving quarters coverages and zone blitzes. A safety begins with his role in installation before even glancing at another spot. Get your first month for $1. In fact, they often had little to no idea how to defend the run in Texas' exotic defenses, and the Longhorns were regularly trashed by teams with multiple run games that could cause confusion. Its not likely to last forever. You have to look at the film and say, This guy can wreck a game, Orlando said. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. Todd Orlando was announced as USC's defensive coordinator Friday, ending a lengthy search for Clancy Pendergast 's replacement that had dragged into its fourth week.