Key play breakdown: Jalon Calhoun sparks offense
On Thursday we showed you that NC State borrowed one of Duke’s trick touchdown plays to score their only passing touchdown in a win over Syracuse.
It turns out teams don’t only borrow from each other. Duke went into its own recycling bin to find a play to spark its offense in the first quarter against Georgia Tech.
The set-up: Georgia Tech opened the game with an easy-looking 75-yard touchdown drive. While the defense made adjustments on the sideline, the offense tried to give them time by moving the ball, something Duke had fail to do early in the last two games.
Duke had just converted a fourth-and-one in its own territory to get a new set of downs, and a one-yard Deon Jackson rush gave the Blue Devils second-and-nine at its 48.
The formation: Duke lined up with three wide receivers, one tight end, attached to the line, and one running back. Freshman Jalon Calhoun was in the left slot.
Caloun lines up on the left hash
The set up was a mirror image of Calhoun’s first career touchdown, a 38-yard catch down the middle against NC A&T. On that play, Calhoun was in the right slot, the ball was on the opposite hash mark and tight end Noah Gray was on the other side of the line.
Caloun lines up on the right hash
The snap: Harris gives a quick play fake to Deon Jackson. This keeps the linebackers from dropping into coverage, at least long enough for Calhoun to get clear.
Jackson and Gray then stay in to help block, giving Harris a seven-man pocket.
Against A&T, the only difference was that Brittain Brown was at running back. Otherwise, the fake and blocking are the same.
The result:
Calhoun fakes to his left, then goes right, getting a step on his defender.
Calhoun takes a step left (below the D logo)
Calhoun cuts back right, getting a step on the defender (below the D logo)
The safety on the other side of the field sees trouble and begins cutting across to try to reach Calhoun deep.
The safety (the blur in the top left) begins heading toward the other hash, far downfield
On his first career touchdown, Calhoun’s move jukes his defender to the ground, giving him even more of an edge.
The NC A&T DB goes down from trying to follow Calhoun's move (top left)
The A&T safety is also slower to diagnose the play, moving first to help with the receiver alone on the other side, then reversing direction and heading deep in pursuit of Calhoun.
The A&T safety (bottom left) turns toward the sideline for an instant as Calhoun (crossing the 30 midfield) heads downfield behind him
Despite the two defenders closing in, Cahoun has a window where he’s open and Harris drops the ball in.
The safety arrives but is unable to knock the ball free.
Against A&T, the safety doesn’t get there in time, and he heads into the end zone untouched.
Against Tech, he goes down, setting up a field goal. In both cases, the ball travels about 36 yards in the air.
This brings up a natural question: If teams recycle plays so frequently, why don’t defenses recognize them and defend them?
It’s not that simple. Short answer: That’s what all the other guys on the field are for. At the start of the second quarter, for instance, Duke again lines up in the same formation—tight end, back, slot receiver—with a similar situation—close to midfield, on an early down, play action.
Harding, lined up top of screen
This time, Harris goes in the other direction, throwing to the receiver lined up alone on the other side—Darrell Harding Jr., who has single coverage up the sideline, perhaps because the safety was expecting the Calhoun play.
The result: The ball goes 39 yards in the air, and Harding catches it for a 41-yard gain, one less than Calhoun, setting up Duke’s second touchdown of the day.
