Virginia Tech 2023' Defensive Scheme Highlights
I wrote this analysis in January of 2024, following the 2023-24' Virginia Tech Football Season. It has been interesting to see the continuation in wrinkles from Marve so far in the 24-25' Season.
Cover 3 Press Cloud (Cover 6) vs Boston College 12P TE/Wing - 2023 Season
Above is a great example of the coverage variation + fantastic DB play from the BC game in the 2023 Season. Marve ran a Cover 3 Press Cloud (Similar to Cover 6) look here against BC’s 12p TE/Wing set.
BC is running a Sail Concept trying to take advantage of the Field Safety (FS) who is walked up closer to the box and the pressed Boundary Corner presnap. This would give the QB a 2 level read (Hi-Lo) based this presnap look. If the pressed corner trails with the vertical route in the boundary (man coverage), the quick flat throw is open, if the FS stays down in the box, the deep cross should be open.
The Boundary Corner collisions the WR at the line and funnels him to the FS using a squat technique. He stays in the flat for coverage on the RB release in addition to holding the outside force against the run in the fit. The FS gets caught in the run action allowing the field WR to get behind him for the open deep cross window. Strong at the FC spot makes an NFL caliber play trailing the deep cross route and making the interception underneath. Correct QB read, next level DB play and a unique coverage variation.
Good things happen when you can trust your island DB’s to make plays. I am hoping to see more of this from Strong as the 2024 Season progresses.
Cover 4 Quarters vs UVA 10P 2x2 - 2023 Season
Here UVA uses a standard 10P 2x2 spread formation to get into a Smash Fade concept with deep curls/comebacks on the outside and fade verticals from the slots.
VT in a Cover 4 shell with 2-high safeties MOFO (middle of the field open) and both corners playing off, getting depth at the snap.
Outside receiver hits the chute for the deep comeback/curl, generally a soft spot of a deep Cover 4 shell that VT shows. Delane sticks his foot in the ground, drives on the route and undercuts the receiver for the Interception.
Cover 3 5-Man Edge Pressure vs ODU 10P 3x1 Verts - 2023 Season
Here, ODU is in a 10P stacked 3x1 look. ODU loves putting defenses in conflict by using wide stacked alignments with their WR’s thus forcing defenses to widen their underneath players to defend the wide formation, taking them further out of the box against the run. OR, forcing the defense to show their man coverage if they are in it (a defender will be forced to go out wide in man coverage).
VT Defensive Coordinator Chris Marve is showing 2-high safeties presnap with the middle of the field open (MOFO) then rolls to a Cover 3 single high safety coverage post snap with an edge blitz from the passing strength (trips side).
ODU using a slide protection sees the edge pressure coming from the trips side. The RB correctly picks it up in pass pro with the RT taking the SDE solo using inside out pass pro rules. While correctly picked up, the pressure created 1v1’s across the board up front, specifically to the boundary where the DT “occupies” the LG and A.P.R (#52) takes advantage in the RT and wins the rep with a Dip & Rip Speed Rush.
Extra Note: Both DT’s look to be aligned in a Bud Foster 2g front (head up over the guards). This makes the slant and pressure easier to execute distance wise, and also hides the gap responsibility so the OL does not know presnap which gap the DT’s will slant to.
Cover 1 5-Man Boundary Pressure vs Wake Forest 10P 2x2 Switch Verts - 2023 Season
WF is in a 10P 2x2 formation trying to take advantage of VT’s single high safety Middle of the Field Closed (MOFC) look. Generally, most vertical concepts are perfect against the look the Hokies gave…. If you have time.
WF picks up the pressure in their pass pro assignments, but not in their execution. The RB needs to take the edge pressure closer to the line to form the pocket, allowing the QB to step up in the pocket for his deep throw.
Similar to the same 5-Man pressure VT ran above against ODU, however this time it comes from the Boundary/Weak side rather than the strong side pressure shown before. Changing it up and cashing in using this boundary pressure staple Brent Pry brought with him from Penn State.
We have already seen this pressure numerous times during the 2024 Season and it continues to pay dividends.
Cover 6 DL Loop Stunt vs Pitt 11P Y-Off 3x1 - 2023 Season
DL Stunts causing OL missed assignments and Coverage Execution.
Pitt is in a 11p Y-Off condensed set. They are trying to take advantage of VT’s Boundary Corner and Safety with a Hi-Lo read based on the route exchange. With the BC squatting on his receiver and funneling him inside to the safety, the QB reads he now has a 1v1 with his WR and the Boundary Safety (Hi Read) and underneath leverage with his RB against the BC (Lo Read).
VT’s pre snap look gives the QB a presnap read of Cover 4 or Cover 2 (2-High MOFO). Post snap, VT rolls to Cover 6 Cloud using Quarter/Quarter/Half rules for their deep DB’s (FC = 1/4, FS = 1/4, BS = 1/2). This allows the defense to keep their boundary ILB in the box for the run due to the BC squatting on the flat.
The DL stunt to the field is given time to get home for the sack because of the Cover 6 wrinkle. The C/LG Pass Pro Exchange gets blown up. If it was base Cover 4 (see above) the QB would have had space/leverage/time to get the ball underneath to the RB due to the boundary ILB having to get all the way to the sideline to cover his flat zone in Cover 4.
Looking ahead, we will continue to see more of the same wrinkles from Marve this season on the defensive side. That said, what seems to have been working the best for the Hokie defense in 2024, is keeping things simple. The run fit and front alignment in combination with coverages have been more static in the last few weeks, and it has seemingly worked. Defenders are playing without thinking, thus executing faster and giving the Hokies an edge we desperately needed. I cannot wait to evaluate the adjustment and defensive scheme in the back half of the 24’ season.