Schematically, Orlando excels because hes aggressive and prepared. Orlando is known run the 3-3-5 defense, which has grown in popularity in college football with the evolution of the spread offense. The Longhorns base out of a 3-4 that utilizes the Tite Front (404) and a stand-up hybrid DE to the weak side, or away from the passing strength (this is Mint in Saban-speak). 20 Southern California, however, has been different because of the coronavirus pandemic. In an interview posted on the schools Twitter account, Orlando promised that his USC defenses would be aggressive and attack people., I really believe that in todays game, creating negative yardage plays, attacking the quarterback, turnovers, all those things go into creating explosive plays on defense, Orlando said. Orlando lost both of his starting inside linebackers after the 2018 season and both were productive in his scheme. Hands-on coaching was limited to distanced learning. Written by Ian Boyd (@Ian_A_Boyd)for Athlon Sports. Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Isaiah Pola-Mao are expected to take on more active roles in directing the defense. He has a system that allows his talented players to play freely, said Baylor head coachMatt Rhule. From this ultra-quick 3-2-6 package, the Longhorns then unleashed a small part of Orlando's third-down package with such tremendous force that they started calling it every play against Oklahoma State and then expanded it over the rest of the season into a new base defense. Every time USC football scrimmaged, there was one side of the ball that dominated much of the live periods: the defense. Texas junior defensive endMalcolm Roachsaid an Orlando film session is everything youd want it to be. That means a detail-oriented outlook focused to the point where Orlando will call out a player for a 12-inch step instead of a 6-inch one. Tuli Tuipulotu, one of the stars of spring football, brings similar flexibility to the position. What is the current state of play for one of the elite QB prospects on the board? Orlandos scheme isnt complicated at least by memorization standards. If you go out there and you dont know what youre doing after meeting with someone for seven months, that pretty much explains how much you care, Orlando said. The reason for this is the design of Orlando's defense, which favors speed over size at the middle linebacker position. He wants to stop the run and make a defense one-dimensional. However, Willie Taggart and his staff still need to find ready-to-play talent in the secondary as FAU loses four of their top five snap getters from 2021. 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. The guy could be a linebacker coach. The two DEs (4is) in the B gaps close off the lifeline for every Spread team, the conflict gaps. It wasnt all about the front either, the use of Match 3 (Rip/Liz) and the rebirth/redesign of the (Dime) Tampa 2, was a big contributor to how teams attacked the Longhorns, Cyclones, and Bulldogs. No scheme change, but Texas D likely to be bigger in Alamo Bowl - Horns247 So its difficult to judge just how good the defense truly is at this point. The pairing, if things break right, could bring Texas back to where it expects to be annually. Since then, the USC defense has been getting torched time and time again, with their worst performance arguably against Oregon State as the Beavers ran for over 300 yards to upset them in Los Angeles. LOS ANGELES USCs season-opening 28-27 win over Arizona State offered a glimpse of what first-year defensive coordinator Todd Orlandos defense will look like. Rigid positional structures are giving way to a more fluid style of play. Most people know what to expect from USCs offense from game to game. Sean McVay and his 11 personnel under center (UTC) offense has taken over the league en route to a Super Bowl appearance. Its going to be exciting.. 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. The Trojans defense held the Spartans to only seven points on the game, and things seemed to be going well in Southern California. Todd Orlando seems very confident that the extra time they were afforded to work on film, to work on installing that scheme, really did help them. From there, the hits dont stop. Herman wanted a coordinator capable of calling a multiple defense, and Orlando fit that bill. Brandon Pili And Marlon Tuipulotu Talk Learning Defensive Schemes via One thing to not overlook is the away side 4i who has leverage on the away side tackle. Defenses in the Leauge were getting scored on at a historic rate. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. Former Texas DE Malcolm Roach criticizes Todd Orlandos scheme, Quick thoughts from No. Orlando's new USC defense set to debut after pandemic delays The Longhorns were putrid in 2015 and 2016, allowing the third- and sixth-most rushing yards in school history. One of the key subplots to USCs season opener against Arizona State is the performance of the Trojans defense, more specifically the secondary. You hear about soggy eggs and burnt toast, but its the pad popping thats the real story of these daily efforts. However, that was so long ago and feels like a lifetime. Get full team previews, schedules, scouting reports, conference predictions, and national rankings. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Want to keep up with all the latest FAU football and recruiting news? USC had problems getting aligned on Saturday, and one of its alignment busts led to an Arizona State touchdown in the second quarter. 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? Gone were the inside linebackers who were so effective as blitzers. New USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, shown during his tenure at Texas, didnt let the COVID-19 shutdown stop him from familiarizing the Trojans to his defense. Theyre helping us as a coaching staff and that stuff, you cant put a price on those things.. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. The name of the game for Orlando is attacking opponents where they are always weakest -- in their ability to handle pressure and confusion with little reaction time. USC depth chart: Breaking down the Trojan defensive line roster Drake Jackson, who spent last season as more of a strict defensive end, shed 25 pounds and shifted into a hybrid linebacker role. I wrote about Orlandos prowess as a DC in my article discussing how teams attack the Tite Front, the Longhorns base defense, but it is his use of multiple personnel packages within a game that truly shows his knack as a DC. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. However, Orlando was stubborn in keeping his defensive ends playing heads up on opposing offensive tackles instead of giving them early-down opportunities from the five technique like James Lynch enjoyed at Baylor. Texas Football: Todd Orlando Is a Cutting-Edge Defensive Coordinator This might be the most talented position group on the USC roster, but there are still some concerns. Orlando has 15 years of experience as a collegiate defensive coordinator in total, with previous stops at Florida International and Connecticut. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Its very unique, added Texas senior safetyP.J. Junior Chris Steele was an unquestioned returning starter, whereas it was an open competition for the second job, with Isaac Taylor-Stuart seeming like the leader entering game week. The arrangement wasnt ideal for anyone involved, least of all the new defensive coordinator tasked with toughening up a unit that, for seven months, was barred from standing next to each other, let alone colliding. There are a lot of questions about how the Trojans offensive line will perform, but having Brett Neilon at center and Alijah Vera-Tucker at left tackle should help. Todd Orlando has plenty of experience arriving at a new school and installing his defensive scheme for the first time. Those four-man fronts are great at plugging gaps and helping a team defend the run, but they also mean one less defender on the second level to stop the pass and run to the football. 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. 3 Kansas on Saturday to close the regular season. Thats certainly a way to end the regular season and enter March Madness. Under Orlando's direction last season, Texas run defense jumped to eighth nationally from 76th the year prior. In fact, Todd Orlandos defense is towards the bottom of the conference in points allowed per game, per SportsPac12s latest. Last year, Orlando helped the Longhorns shed more than 10 points per game allowed on defense despite working with 10 of the 11 starters from2016's porous unit. (Roger Steinman / AP) Ryan Kartje (LA Times) -- Through spring and summer, the physical, hard-nosed brand of defense Todd Orlando promised to bring to USC remained strictly . Texas run defense didnt suffer in that time either. The Horns look to close out the inaugural season at the Moody Center with a 17-1 record. Though Iowa State and their base Broken Stack that features a three-safety Dime Robber scheme has become the most popular scheme within the league, in truth, it is Todd Orlando at Texas that has made his mark around the country behind his use of a positionless defense and defending the wide-open schemes found in the league. Clancy Pendergast there wasnt a lot of mystery to his defense. Todd Orlando - MatchQuarters // #ArtofX College football was temporarily revolutionized when hurry-up spread teams began to perfect the art of sending signals from the sideline to the field, allowing coordinators to make audibles and adjustments on behalf of their players. Figueroa had a breakout 2020 season and since then has added 15 pounds of muscle to give himself the flexibility to line up at his natural defensive end position or slide inside to play tackle. We see how he got his start c. But for now Orlando is sticking around in Austin to work with Herman. The Cowboys averaged more yards passing than any team in the country. Nearly every defensive coordinator will say theyre multiple in the various looks theyll give an offense. Contact drills were reduced to virtual cues. Stanley, he has natural mobility. 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. Once the guard pulls (the 4is key), he can chase and climb to the mesh. FAU's defense ranked 50th in the country in 2019.In 2021 FAU's defense had its up and downs, ranking 99th against the pass, 75th against the run, and 86th overall, but was in the top 50 in scoring defense. The Cyclones and Longhorns most notably did it while using a 3-safety Dime package for parts of the season. We are excited to have Todd join our Trojan football program, USC coach Clay Helton said in a release. He knows the tendencies of the receivers, the quarterbacks, the linemen, what they have to offer. Texas special assistant to the head coach Gary Patterson stepping down from role. Though Todd Orlando's (DC, USC) time at Texas came to a screeching halt after the 2019 regular season, one thing is clear, the man can create pressure. The deepest position on the USC defense is safety. LOS ANGELES USC has its new defensive coordinator, Todd Orlando. Texas finished 7-5 and Orlando was fired as part of a staff overhaul. Are Dejon Benton and Kobe Pepe ready to play? Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. Senior middle linebackerGary Johnsoncame from a junior college in 2016 where the scheme was significantly less complex. USC needs more size, speed and athleticism at every level of its defense. You have pass rushers out there, TaQuon Graham, Marqez Bimage, Joe Ossai guys that can get after the quarterback. Is Todd Orlando's Big Picture Coming Into Focus? The Trojans results against Arizona State were mixed. Most defensive coaches can recognize the usefulness of the front, but one thing is clear, Spread offenses will try and figure it out. A good run defense has been a calling card of Orlandos units at his previous stops. 9 Texas hosts No. Todd Orlando remembers feeling bad for Tom Herman. There has been a critical error on this website. Orlando's favorite scheme against the run in his multiple 3-4. 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. Coach Orlando is a real guy, Johnson said. On Arizona States final possession, Orlando went back to the 1-4-6 look for the entire drive. You have to look at the film and say, This guy can wreck a game, Orlando said. But beyond those six players, USC has question marks. Not all of its issues were alignment-related though. As I wrote in early 2019 after Texas defeated Georgia, Orlando's defense uses hybrid players and different alignments to put pressure on offenses. That pair figures to start at the two end positions, with either Jamar Sekona or Stanley Taufoou at tackle. It's a testament to what a normal offseason has done for second-year coordinator Todd Orlando and his ability to install the defense and instill the mentality he wants from his players.. The Longhorns seemed to never really find a home base on defense. We just had to learn to embrace it, and now we look forward to it.. Most recently, Orlando coached at USC for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. One need only look at Texas Oct. 21 matchup with Oklahoma State for an example. When Orlando walked out of the room he thought, This is my guy. I mean, there was no question in my mind, Orlando said. Orlando said he's already adjusted his scheme, which relies on mixed fronts and aggressive blitzing, to fit USC's personnel. None of that stuff. It didnt matter much. 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. Some of the stuff he was about to say, I was already thinking. At Texas, Orlando was inheriting a linebacker crew that was long on talent and exceptionally short on know-how. It's pretty common for coordinators to double up as position coaches for the most important position on their unit. If that sounds like thinking, its because it is. You know, he was a linebacker previously, and hes really strong, so being able to move in this system is really a high priority, defensive line coach Vic Sooto said. Through spring and summer, the physical, hard-nosed brand of defense Todd Orlando promised to bring to USC remained strictly theoretical. Jackson played with his hand in the ground a bit, just not as frequently as he did last season. Orlando is widely considered a fast-rising coach in the industry, and players, like Roach, say Orlando should be a head coach someday. We kind of talked about this going into it. And with depth limited at linebacker, Ralen Goforth and Kanai Mauga have emerged as top candidates to start alongside Palaie Gaoteote in roles theyve had to learn on the fly. - Rudolphs Cowboys managed a season-low 13 points (All-American wide receiverJames Washingtonmanaged just 32 yards in the win). 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. Once I left, I thought we were one and the same.. Theyre not only making plays, but theyre trying to help other guys. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Though Todd Orlandos (DC, USC) time at Texas came to a screeching halt after the 2019 regular season, one thing is clear, the man can create pressure. There were times when we said the same thing together at the same moment. But that moratorium on full-contact practice was lifted Wednesday, finally offering Orlando a long-awaited glimpse of what his USC defense is made of. Owl fans had seen this defensive scheme recently when defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer coached FAU in 2019 as part of the 11-3 Conference USA and Boca Bowl championship season. One it has practiced against every day for months. Orlando told his team, Its my fault. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/Jorj04g0b6, Orlando will take over a talented Trojans defense that progressively declined over Pendergasts four seasons. The Trojans considered other candidates before settling on Orlando, even getting as far as discussing the parameters of a potential contract with Rams linebackers coach Joe Barry. The inside LB corp consists of a Mike and what is referred to as a B backer. I just feel 3-4 didnt let us showcase our abilities the way we wanted to. Orlando has proven in previous stops that hes capable of a quick reboot; though, never quite under the current circumstances he now faces. Orlandos players have a different term for that distinction. How USCs Boogie Ellis took a big leap forward as a senior, USC wastes Boogie Ellis career night in loss to Arizona, Pac-12 Tournament: USC women upset by Oregon State, Predictions for Pac-12 media rights, network partners and expansion, USC mens basketball can cement status vs. Arizona, Long Beach State squanders late lead, loses to UCDavis in double-OT, UCIrvine holds off UCRiverside to remain tied atop Big West, Long Beach State, UCIrvine women extend Big West title chase, Long Beach State routs Cal State Bakersfield in home finale, Disneyland quietly removes controversial lyric from new parade soundtrack, Fannie Mae halts financing for 6,102 condos in Laguna Woods, Tax filing deadline moves to mid-October for most Californians, 2 arrested in Anaheim on suspicion of possessing $463,000 in stolen merchandise, Baram and Tioumentsev win World Junior title hours after their coach, Todd Sand, suffers heart attack, Lake Forest woman filed restraining order against daughter 8 years before being killed in their home, Taco Mesita opens flagship location in Old Town Tustin, California weighs $360,000 in reparations to eligible Black residents, OC Restaurant Week kicks off Sunday, March 5, Final bones of 50-year-old Laguna Hills mall are coming down, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. Is USC defense ready to take a leap in Year 2 under Todd Orlando? Some offense will come out and run the triple-option, which is really different and as a defense really strains us, Orlando said. Those disguised blitzes are a favorite ploy. The Trojans were also missing Brandon Pili, an experienced senior who would have definitely been in the rotation, on Saturday. Pola-Mao returns and has been a stud in camp, causing chaos in blitzing situations and making plays on the ball in pass coverage that he has not made in the past. Orlando now becomes the seventh defensive coordinator in seven seasons for FAU. As defensive coordinator at Houston in 2015 and 2016, he oversaw a defense that finished 20th and 13th in the nation in yards allowed. Hell then put on a video with several examples. Theres a little bit of schematics into it. Sometimes when youre a good player, youre just worried about yourself and making your plays, Orlando said. Nothing went right for Texas and the principles Orlando instilled all offseason seemed to evaporate. Click here to buy a copy today or visit your local newsstand! When we sat down and started to talk it was just so similar, Orlando told 247Sports. In turn, this could mean the end of the road for Orlando in Southern California regardless of who takes the job as head coach of the Trojans. The Tite Front works because it forces the offense to bounce everything outside. It has been quick to the ball, aggressive in its pass rush situations, effective at creating interceptions and disruptive in clogging the line of scrimmage on run plays. We continue to progress in the pass, Orlando said of the group. He also coaches the linebackers. Thats what practice is about. 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. I do think that is the gambit this season with the defense: You have to risk the fact that while there may be some miscommunications, and maybe its getting a little too complicated, also that complication is what could give this defense a leg up from past defenses USC has fielded. After the opening weekend for USC, things looked good for the Trojans. Theres no backside meetings. Orlando said the Big 12 is unparalleled nationally when it comes to offensive playcalling. Its really hard to screw up a run play. He spent just two weeks as an assistant in Lubbock, before Helton and USC came calling. Odds & lines subject to change. The Spread offense has touched every corner of college football. He is the defensive coordinator at the University of South Florida . Then Utah States defensive coordinator, Orlando flew to Columbus, Ohio to interview with Herman for Houstons defensive coordinator job in January of 2015. After missing the first week of camp in health and safety protocols, Jackson was practically unblockable in practices, using his finesse moves on the edge to cause havoc in the backfield. Owl fans had seen this defensive scheme recently when defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer coached FAU in 2019 as part of the 11-3 Conference USA and Boca Bowl championship season. Eventual Florida defensive end signee Princely Umanmielen cited the three-man front as one of the reasons why he decommitted from Texas back in October. Here is where USCs struggles against the run and its short rotation, particularly on the defensive line, tie together. 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. Thanks to some help from the Cyclones and Mountaineers, the Longhorns trashed the Jayhawks to land the No. When youre giving up that many rushing yards, thats not a good thing with us, Orlando said. And that might just be the way it is moving forward. Arizona, the Trojans opponent this weekend, had its first game canceled, so its difficult to predict what the offense will look like, but USC can probably expect a heavy dose of running back Gary Brightwell, who is stepping in to replace the departed J.J. Taylor. There's no better way to demonstrate that than to look at howTexas defended the run. The result was a defense that failed to take advantage of the pass-rushing talent of players like Graham, Ossai, and Roach because once the scheme that Orlando spent the offseason developing was no longer effective, its extremely difficult to make those changes once the season begins. 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. This season has not gone according to plan for anybody, especially the defense, and major changes will be headed USCs way. But structurally, in our opinion, its still so sound.. Like Iowa State, Texas has a three-safety Dime package that they utilize against pass-heavy offenses (think Kingburys Tech) or in obvious pass downs where Orlando wants to drop eight and flood the zones. Drake Jackson will man the hybrid outside backer position again this season. Orlando's 3-4/quarters defense had to be tweaked and altered to fit the 2017 Texas football roster and the demands of playing against Big 12 offenses, but in the process Orlando simply proved what makes him one of the top defensive coaches in the country: In particular, his effective teaching, aggressive philosophy and high capacity for adaptation. (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). Toughness is for naught if the player and coach relationship isnt strong enough to offset those consistent practice blows. Is USC defense ready to take a leap in Year 2, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). After the second day of pads (last spring) we were like, Golly, we havent do this much hitting in a minute. Its just that mental toughness they instill in us. In 2019, that all fell apart. DeForest left last month to coach at North Carolina State. The familiarity with the opponent will be gone. This article appeared in Athlon Sports' 2018 Big 12 Regional Football Preview Editions. Drake Jackson, who spent last season as more of a strict defensive. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Texas goal is to play fast on defense, forcing opposing QB to play slow. Herman just needed to know if the pair would mesh personally. But the concern with this unit is depth. A look at how Texas defenders fit in Todd Orlando's scheme The Longhorns have plenty of returning talent for the prospective defensive coordinator to utilize. Will Alabama transfer Ishmael Sopsher be healthy enough to do so? If youre thinking in football, youre playing slow.. Except Hermans questions were constantly put on pause so that he, still serving as Ohio States offensive coordinator, could run out of the room to take care of some crisis or another as the Buckeyes prepared for the 2014 College Football Playoff final against Oregon. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG) Orlando, 47, is considered a rising head coaching candidate, and his contract reflects that. 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. Texas also got produced seven sacks from the secondary because the experienced group on the back end was able to cover long enough for those deep blitzes to get home.