Georgia vs Lousiana Offensive Analysis: What Can The Cajuns Do Against Georgia's 3-4?

Last week, we took a look at both the Cajun's quarterback, Chris Masson, and the multiple 4-3 defense that the team runs. This week, we will continue breaking down the Cajun's unit by looking at their offensive and special team's units.

While it is fair to say that this is a lot of analysis for a team that the Georgia Bulldogs should handily beat, it's always nice to know the opponent a little better—right?

So, lets get to it.

The Cajuns run a multiple 4-3 offensive scheme. It's a scheme that has, in year's past, lent itself more towards the run than the pass—depending on a strong offensive line and explosive running back talent to move the chains.

However, in theory, it's a scheme that is much more effective if it is executed in a balanced manner—keeping opposing defenses honest and off-kilter.

Last season, the tide seemed to change for the Cajuns as they finally found a strong-armed, nimble-footed, quarterback in Chris Masson. His versatility as a runner and a passer, seemed to be tailor-made for the multiple 4-3, but the Cajuns were unable to find any consistency in their running game—the one area they were so strong in the three seasons prior.

This season, the hope is that the newly signed, Robert Walker (or someone else) will become the guy who can both run and catch out of the backfield. If Louisiana can find that guy, whoever he might be,  then their talented corps of wide receivers, which includes Marlin Moore and Richie Falgout, along with standout TE, Ladarius Green, can finally find some room to roam free in the secondary.

Last season, Masson improved the Cajun's passing game by nearly 40.0 passing yards per game, but the lack of a significant rushing attack (going from more than 263.0 yards per game in 2008 to just under 137.0 yards a game in 2009) made the team more one-dimensional than they would have liked and led to less scoring opportunities for them as teams were able to control the line of scrimmage and consistently jam their receivers.

Despite the return of the bulk of the Cajun's offensive talent for 2010, there is still very little indication that they have truly found a player who will be capable of carrying the rushing load this season. Robert Walker is an option, but he is a true freshman and, therefore, untested.

What does this mean for the newly installed 3-4 at Georgia?

For one, if the Cajuns are still a bit conservative on the line of scrimmage, then Georgia's front-seven should have very little trouble containing the run and controlling the tempo of the game. By doing so, they put pressure on the passing game and, hopefully, can force Masson into a throwing error or two—leading to big play opportunities in the secondary.

On the other hand, if Louisiana has indeed found the formula for running the multiple 4-3 (utilizing both an effective rushing and passing attack), it will be a much harder offense to defend against—despite the attacking style of the 3-4—because then the Cajuns can offer as many looks on offense as Georgia can on defense.

The element of surprise comes into play and that could lead Georgia into making costly errors in coverage and in line play. Brad McGuire could be a name worth remembering.

He was used by the Cajuns last season in some of their wildcat formations and, though he was beat out for the QB job by Masson at the start of 2009, he still has some value as a passer—particularly on short routes.

One thing is certain, Louisiana knows how to score if they can get into the redzone. In 35 tries last season, they scored 31 times (27 of which were via touchdown)—they move the ball well inside the 20. So, it would be nice to see Georgia keep them out of the redzone.  

It will be interesting to see how committed to the run the Cajuns are in the early going, if it's successful, they will build from there. If not, it could be a very long day for Rickey Bustle's team.

Georgia vs Louisiana Defensive Analysis: What Scheme Do The Cajuns Run?

Yesterday, we looked at the quarterback match-up between Aaron Murray and Chris Masson. If you missed it, you can find it here. Today we will take a snapshot of the Cajuns' defensive scheme and how it operates.
 
The Cajuns run a multiple 4-3 defense. It's a very physical, in-your-face, scheme that depends greatly on the intelligence and athletic ability of its linebackers. It was installed in the spring of 2004 and is currently being coached by the Cajuns defensive coordinator, Kevin Fouquier.

In this scheme, there is a big emphasis on the linebackers ability to react first and read second. If that sounds funny, it's not, anticipation is an important element to executing this scheme effectively. It's important to be quick afoot and have the ability to adjust to each play as it progresses, rather than reacting after the snap.

That said, it can be a good way to force turnovers because, if your players can adapt quickly to the snap of the ball, then they have a genuine opportunity to blow plays up, force fumbles, and foster interceptions.

The reason for this is because the plays are moving so quickly and, seemingly, with such chaos,  until the quarterback can be forced into panic mode. If he's not prepared for it, he will often forget to advance to the second or third progression in an offensive play. Often, this will lead to an ill-advised pass to a well-covered receiver.

Furthermore, from a running backs standpoint, it can be frustrating to see the lanes seal up so quickly.
So, unless a running back is able to make his cuts and create new lanes of his own, when one closes up, he could be met by a big wall of defenders—sometimes forcing a fumble in the process.

On the other hand, there are disadvantages to running this scheme as well.

For one, it allows a lot of ground yards if the linebackers cannot recover quickly from a poor read. Add to that, if the front four fails to do a good job sealing off lanes and closing gaps, it's possible to see a decent runner rattle off four-to-six yards before they are apprehended.

Furthermore, the secondary plays very conservatively in the scheme the Cajuns run, so there is little man-to-man coverage. They are constantly guarding against the big play but are vulnerable to plays underneath that can lead to easy scores or big chunks of yardage by speedy receivers.

The Cajuns have a stellar group of linebackers, a seasoned secondary, and a decent front four. They know the system and finally started making small strides in executing it last season, but there is still work to do. The key for Georgia will be to use the strength of their offensive line to keep the running lanes open.

If quarterback, Aaron Murray, can control the tempo, keep the linebackers guessing, and make smart adjustments, Georgia should be able to perform successfully against the Cajuns.