ITYT: Film Study - How Cover 2 works and how the Texas Longhorns deploy the staple coverage
On the latest episode of Film Study on the Inside Texas Football YouTube channel, Charlie Williams and Texas Homer explain how Cover 2 works and use examples from Texas Longhorns football games to show its strengths, weaknesses, and more.
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The defense utilizes two high safeties to prevent deep passes, with cornerbacks responsible for the flats (0-7 yards deep). The configuration aims to protect against deep shots while allowing cornerbacks to manage shorter routes near the sidelines.
Cover 2 is a MOFO coverage, or middle of field open. One of the vulnerabilities is gaps between the safeties, often exploited with post routes. Cover 2 is effective at disrupting short and quick passes due to a strong presence of defenders in underneath zones.
Offenses might target the gaps between safeties and corners with specific routes like the corner route (7 route) or go balls (9 route ). The video explores how the middle linebacker’s role evolves in Tampa 2 to cover deeper middle routes, enhancing the traditional Cover 2.
Analyses include examples from games against Oklahoma State and Iowa State, demonstrating both successful implementations and failures in Cover 2. Discussions follow on how corners and safeties adjust their coverage in response to offensive formations and movements.
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