Coach ,

Being the best at anything doesn't happen by chance, and that's the main topic of Coach Kaufmann's breakdown of #7 Florida State. He gives you a look into how OC Alex Atkins and staff created the best counter rushing team in the country.

Enjoy!

-Coach Grabowski

Season Preview Capsule

I’m going to lead this off with a simple statement. FSU under Mike Norvell and staff is going to be a threat for the ACC crown from here on out. They got it figured out and righted the ship in what was rather rocky water when they got to Tallahassee. With a good nucleus there now, key wins over LSU, Florida and Oklahoma this past season the Seminole’s are gaining momentum in what is already a recruiting hot bed being the state of Florida. 

For 2023, the Seminoles got the tougher end of the draw in regards to scheduling and maintaining their LSU neutral sight game followed by opening conference play with a long trip to Boston College and a trip to Clemson. The spread evenly from there with 2 marquee matchups late in the season being 2 more road trips one to Pitt and another to Gainesville. Wherever they end up in the postseason, know this team will be battle tested.

What is going to get FSU over the hump you may ask. There are a few things, the typical media answer would be Jordan Travis and, yes, he will be a huge part of this puzzle but, that is not the answer I am looking at. I wanna lean to the D-Line, but if we are being honest both of these lines are going to be the engine that keeps things rolling. They got the names to match on these units as well. Where these units lost via graduation last year they reloaded. 

Offensively, they picked up 3 solid transfers with game experience in Casey Roddick (Colorado), Jeremiah Byers (UTEP), and Keiondre Jones (Auburn). Defensively, they bring back Fabien Lovett and Jared Verse who were All-ACC 1st team in addition to ACC D-ROY Patrick Peyton. Oh and did I mention they brought in the #2 DT in from the Portal in Braden Fiske in addition to Darrell Jackson Jr. (Miami) and DE Gilber Edmond (South Carolina). Needless to say, experience and athleticism is there in these units and practicing against each other is only going to push these groups further.

Chess not Checkers

Alot of football comes down to the utilization of complementary schemes and concepts. Anymore with film and statistical evaluation you have to be good at a variety of things to complicate the scouting report and influence the other coordinator as much as possible. 

In a lot of ways if your complementary scheme can reach similar levels as your base scheme you are going to be in really good shape. Take it from Coach Alex Atkins as he outlines FSU’s strategy to becoming the best counter rushing team in the country.

C.O.O.L. Clinic Presentation: 

Gap Scheme Variation with Screens and Run Action

Guidelines for Becoming the Best at ___

Outline what you are looking for with your players. This again reflects much to do with communication. But, find a way to have a clear and concise definition of what your expectations are. 

From there it opens up the ability to have abbreviated conversations and more productive practices because the time spent correcting an action has already been detailed and those corrections become an easy extension of key words. Depending on your structure an easy way to achieve this is through the common use of a position manual or trainer. 

It’s a simple teaching strategy really, you will have visual, auditory and tactile learners you touch all with this simple document and streamline the process to increase production. Coach Atkins outlines how he clarifies this with his athletes. 

Video: Defining Physicality

Varying the Look

Offenses are creative as ever now and the game has shifted in a manner that favors the offense in many ways. With this creativity understand that you can minimize the teaching in your complementary/counter schemes while largely altering the look for the defense. 

Easy ways to do this are pistol, I, dot, and split backfield as opposed to your normal plus and minus looks, but also the incorporation of 11+ personnel looks. It’s the same play you are achieving the same look but, altering the preparation of the defense entirely. 

Coach Atkins highlights their pistol G/Y counter changeup in this video.

Video: G/Y Counter Pistol

Incorporating More

When you reach the level of success and have such a strong tendency to run gap schemes in addition to your base zone scheme you can complement it with your screen and passing game to hurt them even more. Maintain your look to appear as a counter scheme while adding in screens and RPO’s. 

Doing this allows you to put the defensive coordinator in a predicament where they are going to teach and call counter beating defenses or they are going to get beat by a passing concept within the misdirection. Coach Atkins details the G pull with Y screen.

Video: Screen off of Counter

Things are looking good in Tallahassee.  It will be fun to watch how Coach Atkins advances the Seminoles offense this fall.

Strive to Succeed!

Coach Kauffman

Other Clinics from the Florida State Staff:

OL Outside Zone Fundamentals & Variations - Gabe Fertitta

Offensive Line Gap Scheme Fundamentals and Drills - Gabe Fertitta

3rd Down Teaching - Adam Fuller, DC