Lol I love how coaches always say how simple they keep it then you get one of your guys comeback to the school with week 1 spring install folders the size of the Old Testaments 😂😂
Coach Narduzzi, or anyone, pls clarify for me. How does the CB play press while still playing 1/4 versus Smash routes. This seems a contradiction. I really like the CB technique discription here. We've had success with 1/4 cvr, but I cannot see how this works. Coach N emphasizes eyes on QB and aggressive on #1. Given 2x2, 8 yrds splits. #1 breaks fade then hook back to the QB at 15 yrds. The #2 breaks flag/corner at 15 yrds. Backfield is play action, or roll to onside, to freeze LB drop. What does the CB do? What does the Safety do? Who covers the #2 to the corner? If Safety sticks w #2 how is this different that M2M? Thanks.
There are different ways to handle SMASH; but it's typically an ALERT. This explanation will be in "Saban-ese", but it still applies. Different types of "Quarters" might have a built in SMASH ALERT (Base MOD/BOX), others might not (Example vs. 3x1 - STUBBIE has a MEG corner on #1, but STOMP/STUMP has a built in SMASH ALERT). That being said, the default "SMASH ALERT" requires the Corner to Alert Smash to the APEX as soon as the #1 runs a Hitch/Snag. In the case of press, he would be aggressive until the receiver runs the hitch (a lot of the time the hitch would convert to something else vs. press, as coach Narduzzi indicated). The corner does not have to worry about #2 deep, because the safety has #2 vertical, so after the SMASH ALERT, the corner would begin dropping to their deep quarter, creating a HIGH-LOW on #2 with the safety. Your intuition is correct - Quarters is more of a MAN-MATCH coverage than a ZONE-MATCH coverage. If #1 runs a deep comeback, CB will stick him, and the Safety has all of #2 Vertical. That's a pretty tough throw to the corner though (a corner route past a deep comeback; it's not like your CB isn't going to react and play the throw once the ball is in the air, so the QB has to squeeze that ball between a Corner, the Safety deep and inside, and the sideline); if a guy is able to make that throw consistently, you've got bigger problems than the coverage you're calling.
