Opposing Film Review: Vanderbilt's Defense

The offense for South Carolina's Football team has a chance for a big weekend at home against this Vanderbilt defense.

Vanderbilt's defensive strategy has been varied and complex, employing a mix of formations, including a 4-2-5, a traditional 3-4, and even a 3-3-5. While they demonstrate a good grip on mixed concepts, there are certain tendencies that the Gamecocks offense can exploit.

Cover 4

Vanderbilt's defense appears to have a preference for the cover 4 formation. Cover 4, also known as Quarters coverage, is a type of pass coverage that evenly divides the field into four deep zones, with each defensive back responsible for one zone. This coverage was used a significant amount against Ole Miss and Georgia.

The Gamecocks can exploit this through delayed wheel routes and routes to the boundary or the smaller side of the field relative to where the ball is. The cover-four defense tends to focus on preventing deep passes, often leaving the boundary and underneath routes more vulnerable. By employing delayed routes, the Gamecocks can trick the Vanderbilt defensive backs into thinking they are covering deep, only to have the receiver cut short or towards the boundary.

Jaylen Mahoney celebrating a pressure on Wake Forest's quarterback, resulting in an incomplete pass :: Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports

Soft Coverage

Another tendency of the Vanderbilt defense is the use of soft coverage. This means that the defensive backs typically line up several yards off the line of scrimmage instead of pressing up against the receivers. It's a common strategy in cover four to prevent deep plays, but it also leaves the defense vulnerable to short passes and quick screens.

If the Gamecocks can execute their perimeter blocking correctly, they can capitalize on this soft coverage. By lining up their receivers close to the line of scrimmage and running quick screen passes, they can gain yards after the catch before the Vanderbilt defense can close in.

Vulnerability to Explosive Plays

Despite their defensive strategies, Vanderbilt has shown a propensity to give up big plays, presenting a golden opportunity for the Gamecocks. If they can provide Spencer Rattler with enough time and protection, he should be able to identify and exploit holes in this Commodore defense. While Vanderbilt demonstrates various defensive strategies, these are clear tendencies that the Gamecocks can exploit. 

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