Thanks to the guys in the video department, and my new favorite toy the CableCam, we’ve got a great look at how the Irish got pressure with their front three against Purdue quarterback Robert Marve last week.
Take a look at the great work Ethan Johnson, Kapron Lewis-Moore, and Ian Williams did against the Purdue front, and how much they did without bringing exotic blitz packages like the Irish did last year on nearly every snap.
It’s pretty hard not to like the Irish defensive line after watching these clips. Here are a few observations, after pouring over this video for 15-20 viewings.
* Ian WIlliams was a match-up nightmare all afternoon. The first two plays are great examples of what makes Williams so effective: Ian beats the left guard on a simple pass rush move, making his way to the quarterback before knocking down the pass. On the next play, the pressure that Williams got on his stunt with Darius Fleming, as well as the good work by Kapron Lewis-Moore and Kerry Neal, flushed Marve out of the pocket with Kerry Neal chasing, and Williams was already in the backfield to clean up. On Williams’ interception, he battled a double-team, stuffing the interior on the play-action pass and then made it back to the ball for the pick. On the sack KLM made, Williams battles a double team, a hold, and still disrupts the right side of the offensive line while Marve is flushed. It sounds like a broken record, but Williams was dynamic, getting an incredible push up the middle and beating double-teams while also keeping gap integrity. Brian Kelly was incredibly complimentary of Williams in the days leading up to the opener, and this must’ve been what BK saw in the past few months from his senior nose guard. Williams’ stat line was unimpressive: one tackle, and half a sack, but I think watching the tape tells a different story.
* Ethan Johnson also made a huge leap with his play last Saturday, and the two sacks were the breakthrough that this defensive line needs if they’re going to become an elite defensive unit. Watching the tape, you see the great work that Johnson has done over the past year, and also get a reminder that EJ’s still a work-in-progress. On Williams’ interception, that’s Johnson on the bottom of a two-man Purdue pile. But on Johnson’s two sacks, we see a powerful pass-rusher who beats linemen with both speed and power. Johnson will likely see plenty of cut-blocks (just like he did against Purdue) this weekend against Michigan. But if Williams can play assignment-correct football and stay on his feet, he could have a huge impact against Denard Robinson.
* Opposite of Johnson, Kapron Lewis-Moore had a solid game as well. KLM made four tackles and a gigantic sack on Marve deep in Purdue territory, and was incredibly active all afternoon. His work on a stunt with Kerry Neal gave Neal a free run at Marve and nearly gave Lewis-Moore a defensive touchdown, though it was overturned on replay. Matched up against left tackle Dennis Kelly, KLM seemed to protect the backside of the play, as Marve often found himself scrambling to his right, and he did some of his best work in run support.