Stephen Johnson at quarterback allows UK to make use of the pop pass play.

When Drew Barker went down to injury, it stand to reckon UK’s play-calling would at least change slightly to optimize the different skill set of back-up Stephen Johnson. One way this occurred is the introduction of the pop pass play in UK’s offense.

The pop pass became famous in 2013 at Auburn when Gus Malzahn used it with Nick Marshall at quarterback even if it had been around at other places previously. Essentially there are three different plays being run, hence the quarterback has options depending on how the defense reacts. Here’s the play in full, and below is a breakdown.

Film

First, the quarterback and running back mesh into a zone read. The quarterback reads the unblocked defender: if he runs up field at the quarterback he gives the ball to the running back, but if he pounces on the back the quarterback pulls the ball and heads up field.

Below the defender Johnson is reading is the defensive end in the red box. Notice the receivers in Trips formation below in the blue boxes. CJ Conrad and Jeff Badet aren’t running routes, but are setting up a screen for Ryan Timmons. Finally, notice the offensive linemen are trying to hover around the line of scrimmage. Recall, if they go more than three yards beyond the line of scrimmage, and UK ends up passing the ball, it’s a penalty.

In this second image you see Johnson has pulled the ball out since the defensive end went after the running, and he is now running on towards the line of scrimmage. The safety that was originally aligned between the hash marks in the first image, is crashing down in run support.

At this point he is getting ready to throw. Go back to the first image. At the snap South Carolina had three defenders next to the Trips formation, but now that Johnson has sucked in the safety, UK has a numerical advantage.

Finally, notice the offensive linemen are getting precariously close to be three yards down field. If Johnson is going to throw it, now is the time to avoid a penalty.

In this third image you see good blocking from Conrad and Badet as their two men are out of the play. The red box is the safety and inside linebacker now trying to chase down Ryan Timmons.

This play would go for 11 yards, and place UK in the red zone.

Conclusion

This is a new wrinkle for UK’s offense, that probably only came about because Johnson is now the starting quarterback. The offensive line will have to be careful not to get down field, but this is a play that stresses defenses and can get UK ahead of the chains.

The Buffaloes welcome the Beavers to Folsom after the big win over Oregon.

The Colorado Buffaloes have certainly been favored in a number of games over the past few seasons but being a 2.5 touchdown favorite over a Pac-12 Conference opponent, or any FBS team for that matter, is not something we have grown accustomed to. Nonetheless, the line for the Buffaloes contest against the Beavers this weekend has opened at -16.5 and I don’t think we’ll see much fluctuation if either Liufau or Montez starts.

So far this season the Buffaloes have covered every spread they’ve been given by pretty comfortable margins. Last season, they were able to march into Corvallis and earn their only Pac-12 win of the season in what turned out to be a thrilling game.

The Beavers head to Colorado at 1-2 in the second year of Gary Anderson’s tenure. They have two close(ish) losses to Minnesota and Boise State and 37-7 win over Idaho State, a team that Colorado beat 56-7 this year. They are lead by quarterback Darell Garretson, who has 453 yards to go with three touchdowns and one interception and wide receivers Seth Collins and Victor Bolden Jr.

The Buffs aren’t used to being big favorites and while Oregon State has struggled they are still a team that can do some damage and Colorado would be wise to not overlook them.

A roundtable discussion of a huge win in East Lansing.

Welcome again to another edition of the B5Q roundtable sessions — where the points don’t count, and we always fire Drew Hamm.

The Wisconsin Badgers now ranks No. 8 in both the AP and Coaches poll after dominating then-No. 8 Michigan State 30-6 on the road in East Lansing. Lots to talk about, and our writers are here to break down the game.

The Good: What stood out to you in Wisconsin’s win?

Jake Kocorowski: There’s a lot here, but let’s talk turnovers created by the Wisconsin defense first. Redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook’s performance was great (more on that in my Game Ball answer), but four takeaways led to 13 points — both touchdowns — and really altered momentum in the game. Senior cornerback Sojourn Shelton’s interception in the second quarter led to Corey Clement’s first touchdown six plays later, and D’Cota Dixon’s forced fumble allowed Leo Musso to scamper 66 yards while hitting the circle button on Tyler O’Connor for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Interceptions later stalled out drives that showed promise for scoring, and Wisconsin’s only allowed three offensive touchdowns so far this season. Through four games, the Badgers’ defense has forced nine takeaways. That’s the most since the 2003 season.

Jon Beidelschies: What’s promising to me is that the Badgers were down a few critical starters (with a few more banged up) and were still able to lay the wood to Sparty. There is definitely a change in the program’s mentality. They simply did not win these kinds of games in the Bret Bielema or Gary Andersen eras. I am sure there is an example out there that someone will post in the comments and prove me wrong, but I don’t recall a time where the Badgers went on the road and just whipped a top 10 program. Under Chryst, there is a quiet aggression (consistently going for it on fourth down, thoughtful use of defensive pressure) that is weaving its way into the team’s DNA.

Kevin O’Connell: Play calling, play calling, play calling. Head coach Paul Chryst put together a masterpiece of a game plan for his freshman quarterback on Saturday. The Badgers ran the ball 41 times, but kept the Spartan defense on their toes all day with 26 pass attempts from Hornibrook. In recent years under Bielema and Andersen, Wisconsin has been tripped up because of the predictability of their play calling but Chryst finds creative ways to move the chains and takes more chances through the air. Chryst made all the right decisions in the red zone, and showed confidence in Hornibrook on a number of big play-action plays including his touchdown pass to tight end Eric Steffes. We all know how great Chryst was as an offensive coordinator under Bielema, but seeing a game plan like yesterday’s reminds you what an exceptional offensive mind he has.

The Bad: Great win, but what were some areas that could be improved upon?

Jake: Wisconsin only ran for 122 yards, averaging only three per carry (Corey Clement only gained 54 yards on 23 carries). In its defense (pun intended), however, UW faced a tough front seven on Saturday and the offensive line again had to be shuffled due to injuries — as former walk-on Brett Connors made his first career start at center with Michael Deiter swinging out to left guard. A bright spot was redshirt senior Dare Ogunbowale, who rushed for 55 yards on nine carries.

It will bear watch to see the progression of both left guards Micah Kapoi and Jon Dietzen throughout the week.

Jon: Turnovers. The Hornibrook fumble on the first series was not great. The interception he threw with 0:01 left on the clock didn’t hurt, but it was a bizarre choice — there’s no way the receiver gets to the end zone. Hornibrook also got away with a few throws into triple coverage. He got lucky in East Lansing, but you do that consistently enough, you’re going to get burned.

Kevin: Piggybacking off Jon a bit, I think Hornibrook is going to have to move better in the pocket next week. It’s hard to nitpick the freshman quarterback after the performance he put together, but there was a number of plays where Hornibrook didn’t feel the rush, his fumble being the most notable example. I look for Chryst to roll Hornibrook out on more bootlegs to help him against a talented Michigan defense.

Team MVP: Who do you give the game ball to?

Jake: Gotta give it to Hornibrook here. The southpaw throws for nearly 200 yards, and even more impressive, completed 9-of-13 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown on third-down conversions. Even crazier stat — he was 6-for-6 when throwing when the third down attempts were 10 yards or greater.

Head coach Paul Chryst has repeatedly mentioned they want to move the chains and score in the red zone. They did that for the most part on third down (yes, they were under 50 percent against the Spartans) but also converted two key fourth down opportunities on their first scoring drive. Hornibrook led the offense to three touchdown drives in the red zone — something they couldn’t do against Georgia State.

Jon: Let’s spread the wealth a bit and give one to wide receiver Jazz Peavy and one to Shelton. Shelton had an early interception and a few passes defended that led to some big stops which had the Spartans out of sorts. Peavy had four catches for 96 yards. If he can continue to be a threat, that’s going to open up the middle of the field for the tight ends.

Kevin: Hornibrook is the clear choice, but I’ll go a different direction and give the game ball to T.J. Watt. J.J.’s little brother has been a beast all year and yesterday was no exception. He finished the game with six tackles, 3.5 for a loss, and 2.5 sacks to lead the Badgers’ impressive defensive effort.

UP NEXT: MICHIGAN — what are your early keys to the game, and does the win against Michigan State vault Wisconsin into Big Ten Championship discussion?

Jake: I said last night on SB Nation Radio that the key again will be turnovers. Justin Wilcox’s defenses have been known for their turnover margin in his time at USC, Washington and Boise State. Takeaways swung momentum completely on Saturday with the Shelton and T.J. Edwards interceptions, and the back-breaking fumble return for a touchdown by Leo Musso. This last part is coachspeak, but continue to move the chains and make the most of their scoring chances. It’s what Chryst is preaching, and the team’s buying into it.

A win on the road, against the No. 8 team in the nation, and its second against a top 10 team in four games (and only giving up one offensive touchdown in those two outings), there has to be discussion about this team’s potential in regards to a conference title. Mind you, they still have to travel to Michigan and Iowa, with facing Ohio State at home in between, but this team has shown that they can compete week in and week out. These next two games against the blue bloods of the Big Ten will dictate if they can continue their “giant-killer” ways. It’s still early in the conference season, but that defense will keep Wisconsin in games this season. The offense just needs a bit more seasoning, and there was welcomed signs with Hornibrook under center.

Jon: I agree with Jake — they’re there. Even if the Badgers drop games against Michigan and Ohio State, they will still be perceived as one of the leaders in the West unless they just get the doors blown off. Iowa looked pretty bad against Rutgers (coming off the loss to North Dakota State). Nebraska just dropped 550 yards on a Northwestern team that may be kinda ok or really bad. Minnesota is still lingering but they had trouble against Colorado State.

I think the challenge for the Badgers over the next two games is to not buy into the hype. As they keep winning, they’re going to hear more from the fans, the press, and their friends. They have to tune all of that out and stay focused on the mission. It’s more of Jake’s coachspeak, but they also cannot let the moment get to large when they step onto the field at the Big House. They’ve already been in two big games away from home, but they need to play within themselves on Saturday.

Kevin: The defense gets its biggest challenge of the season next week against a Michigan team that has scored 45-plus points in each of their first four games. Jim Harbaugh has done wonders for quarterback Wilton Speight who suddenly looks like one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten, and Jabrill Peppers will need to be contained on returns and the few carries he is sure to get. Like Jake said, this defense will keep the Badgers close on the road but Wisconsin has to avoid big plays from De’Veon Smith, Amara Darboh, and a number of other explosive playmakers for the Wolverines.

As far as what Saturday’s win means for Wisconsin’s Big Ten Championship hopes, I think it makes them the clear favorite in a West division that is there for the taking. More importantly though, the win justified the Badgers’ high ranking from the LSU win and showed the College Football Playoff committee that they are a team to watch and take seriously as the season progresses. We all know how tough the schedule is, but with two impressive wins already behind them, Wisconsin is putting together one heck of resume with a chance to add to it in their next two games against powerhouses Michigan and Ohio State.

Ed Orgeron to serve as interim coach.

Less than 24 hours after official replay negated a winning touchdown for LSU over Auburn, Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron have been fired. Ed Orgeron will serve as interim coach.

Miles appeared to be on the hot seat after finishing last season 9-3 and 5-3 in the SEC. However, the LSU administration seemed to have a change of heart after his Tigers defeated Texas A&M to close out the season and the players carried him off the field on their shoulders. Now, it seems that Athletics director Joe Alleva had seen enough as the Tigers fell to a record of 2-2. Now the speculation of a new hire can begin.

Miles won a National Championship in his third season in Baton Rouge and was runner up to Alabama in the 2011 season. But things went downhill from there. A pair of 10-3 seasons were followed by 8 wins and 9 wins. He was 2-7 against Ole Miss, Arkansas and Alabama over the last three seasons, and has five straight losses to Alabama.

Miles was 114–34 at LSU and 62–28 in the SEC. Combined with a 28-21 record at Oklahoma State, he owns 141 career wins to 55 losses.

~~~

Also getting a pink slip on Sunday was Notre Dame defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. Curiously, Irish head man Brian Kelly said in his post-game press conference “coaching had nothing to do with the outcome” of Saturday’s 38-35 home loss to Duke. (The team bus is going to need some new tires for all the people Kelly keeps throwing under it)

Where does the program move from here?

Per Ross Dellenger of The Advocate:

We will stay on top of this and continue to update with details as we get them. If I’m a betting man, defensive line coach Ed Orgeron will take over as interim head coach, and Dameyune Craig will move to offensive coordinator.

In the meantime…

UPDATE: Yup

UPDATE 2:

UPDATE, 3:35 P.M.: Les Miles is out as football coach at LSU, and so is his offensive coordinator.

Multiple sources told The Advocate that Miles and Cam Cameron were fired Sunday, a day after LSU, ranked No. 5 in the preseason Top 25, fell to 2-2 with an 18-13 loss at Auburn. It’s the worst start to a season since Miles took over in 2005.

Defensive line coach Ed Orgeron will be LSU’s interim coach. The decision to oust Cameron and Miles was made Sunday afternoon in a discussion involving LSU athletic director Joe Alleva, school president F. King Alexander and other university leaders.

The Advocate reported at 3 p.m. that leaders were entering deep discussions regarding Miles and Cameron’s futures and that an extensive evaluation, usually reserved for after the season, was unfolding in Baton Rouge.

UPDATE 3 (5 p.m.): More

Multiple sources told The Advocate that Miles and Cam Cameron were fired Sunday, a day after LSU, ranked No. 5 in the preseason Top 25, fell to 2-2 with an 18-13 loss at Auburn. It’s the worst start to a season since Miles took over in 2005.

Defensive line coach Ed Orgeron will be introduced to the team as LSU’s interim coach at a 5 p.m. meeting, a source said. Orgeron and LSU deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry were seen entering the football operations complex at 3:35 p.m. Ausberry declined comment.

The decision to oust Cameron and Miles was made Sunday afternoon in a discussion involving LSU athletic director Joe Alleva, school president F. King Alexander and other university leaders. A source said Miles met with Alleva between 2:30-3:30 p.m. and took the news of his dismissal well. Alleva was seen being driven to the LSU football complex at 3:40 p.m.

An official announcement is expected Sunday evening. Alleva will hold a news conference sometime Monday.

There was no immediate word on who would assume Cameron’s play calling duties. First-year wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig has been an offensive coordinator, as has tight ends coach and former LSU quarterback Steve Ensminger. Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes, who serves as LSU’s running game coordinator, is also a potential candidate.

Long-time collegiate defensive line coach Pete Jenkins is expected to join LSU’s staff as well.

Orgeron was head coach at Ole Miss from 2005-07. He also served as interim head coach in 2013 at Southern California after Lane Kiffin was fired during that season, going 6-2.

UPDATE 5:07 p.m.: LSU has issued an official statement.

“Decisions like this are never easy ones to make,” Alleva said. “Coach Miles has done a tremendous job here and he’s been a great ambassador for our University, which makes this even more difficult.

“However, it’s apparent in evaluating the program through the first month of the season that a change has to be made. Our commitment to excellence and competing at the highest level is unwavering, and our goals for the remainder of this season haven’t changed. We have an obligation to our student-athletes to put them in the best position to have success on the football field each week and we have great confidence that coach Orgeron will do just that.”

Vegas likes the Buckeyes big on homecoming.

Ohio State’s homecoming this coming weekend isn’t just an invitation to former students (and fans) to make the pilgrimage back to the holy land.

Rutgers head coach Chris Ash, arguably the most important hire Urban Meyer’s ever made with the Buckeyes, returns to town as a head coach for the very first time.

His early tenure with the Scarlet Knights hasn’t exactly been short on drama. Rutgers was darn near blown out of the stadium in Week 1 against a top 10 team in Washington. The team needed a huge comeback to beat a bad FCS team in Howard the following week. The Knights needed another big come from behind win to take down a New Mexico team that lost the previous week to transient program New Mexico State.

About the best moment so far in Ash’s short tenure came this past weekend when they played Iowa, fresh off a loss to defending four-time FCS champions North Dakota State in their own right, to a tight 14-7 loss.

Given how mature for their age Ohio State, one of the youngest teams in college football, looked against a preseason Top 3 team in Oklahoma, bookmakers think the Buckeyes are going to follow in Washington’s footsteps and really take it to the State University of New Jersey.

With OSU slotted as 37-point opening favorites, Vegas projects to get a favorable amount of action on both sides of a massive six plus score spread. Even to the most fervent Buckeyes, given how well Ash knows the Buckeyes’ personnel and scheme, you’d almost have to think that 30 would’ve been a more sane starting point.

With such a large spread, you should expect to see plenty of action on Rutgers, which could bring the spread back to earth. Of course if the Bucks come out anywhere near the way they played against the Sooners, maybe 37 won’t be enough either.

As the Razorbacks prepare to take on Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium, we look at what has to happen for Bret Bielema to finally leave Jerry’s World a winner and stay undefeated. This is the Hog Trough Fancast!

In just two days, the Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Texas A&M Aggies in the battle of who stays undefeated and who takes the next step in the SEC West in the Southwest Classic!

• We’re not in our 20’s anymore, Coach!
• Can we stay awake long enough to be the Aggies?
• Remember when we called Texas A&M a dumpster fire? Is that still the case?
• Dual threat in Trevor Knight? If we can beat Kenny Hill, can we beat Knight?
• The battle of lines. Who wins?
• Making You Money!
• Twitter Fans Predictions!
• Our final predictions!

If the audio player does not work, click here to listen!

Recorded Thursday night, September 22, 2016.

This is the Hog Trough Fancast!

Colorado comes limping out of Michigan with the most important position on the field hanging in the balance.

It was evident that Mike MacIntyre was beside himself following Saturday’s 45-28 loss to No. 4 Michigan. He walked through the doors to the press conference, sat down at the podium with a calm frustration and couldn’t wait for it to be over. He knew coming into the game that his team could compete with the Wolverines, but things fell apart quickly for the Buffs in the second half. CU became their own worst enemies, allowing Michigan to capitalize on special teams. Michigan’s first half from CU’s punting blunders resulted in 24 points with an average starting field position at CU’s 45 yard line and only one of Alex Kinney’s punts sailed into Michigan territory before halftime.

MacIntyre has lived through tough losses many times during his tenure at CU, except this was worse. The Buffs left Michigan with a botched sense of defeat and with the injuries that followed the plans for this season might be altered. Diego Gonzales (torn achilles) and Derek McCartney (Torn ACL) are both out for the season and Sefo Liufau’s status is still unknown going into this week’s game with Oregon.

The goal of returning to a bowl game hangs in the balance for the Buffs. Liufau was having an outstanding game against the Wolverines before leaving in the third quarter with an ankle injury. As a co-captain and leader on CU’s offense, Liufau’s prognosis is important for MacIntyre’s game plan going forward. Backup Steven Montez has shown flashes of conducting the offense efficiently in the first two games this season. However, he would still need time to develop as a regular starter.

Liufau’s ability to spread the field would be tough for the Buffs to replace. He has set or tied 78 school records during his four years as CU’s starting quarterback and has played naerly flawless so far this season. Outside of the records, Liufau brings the experience to run a skilled offense under coordinators Brian Lindgren and Darrin Chiaverini. The Buffs need Liufau going into the bulk of their conference schedule and can’t afford losing him to injury with postseason hopes.

There’s no rest for Colorado this week as the team prepares for Oregon. The Ducks lost a close game last week in Nebraska by three points 35-32. Both teams are 2-1 on the season heading into the first game of their respective Pac-12 schedules. Like the Buffs, the Ducks are banged up coming into this match up at home after losing both Tyrell Crosby and Devon Allen to season-ending injuries. Allen competed in last month’s Summer Olympics in Rio de Janerio, earning a fifth-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles.

The Buffs returned to Boulder and will head west later this week. The last time Colorado left Oregon with a victory was Sept. 23,1967. Macintyre and the Buffs hope to break the 49 years of misery at Autzen Stadium with their first conference win over the Ducks. Saturday’s game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. MT on the Pac-12 Networks.

The hits keep coming in critical areas for the Badgers.

Madison — The injuries keep piling up for the Wisconsin Badgers heading into their conference opener against No. 8 Michigan State.

UW announced kicker Rafael Gaglianone will be out of Saturday’s against the Spartans with a back injury. The junior wasn’t on Wisconsin’s injury report on Monday, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jeff Potrykus noted the placekicker appeared to be limping during last Saturday’s 23-17 win over Georgia State and during post-game interviews.

“We’ll just see. We’ll find out today a little bit more,” head coach Paul Chryst said when asked about the length of time Gaglianone will be out.

Gaglianone appeared to have returned to his 2014 form early this season, converting seven of eight field goal attempts. Senior and former walk-on Andrew Endicott, known more for his role as a kickoff specialist throughout his Wisconsin career, will take on the role as the placekicker.

Endicott’s played in 33 games in his UW career, but hasn’t attempted a field goal or extra point attempt yet.

“I think he did have a good camp,” Chryst said when asked about Endicott’s performance. “That group of specialists — they’ve been fun seeing them growing and developing. Obviously “Raf” has been doing really well and [punter/kickoff specialist] P.J. [Rosowski]’s giving us something. Anthony [Lotti], I think he’s settling in. [Longsnapper] Conor Udelhoven — it’s a good thing we don’t talk about him, right? He’s been good, and Andy — I feel good about that group.”

Chryst noted at the end of his availability that field goal situations could be affected, but he wouldn’t put a player out on the field if he didn’t feel confident in them.

Dietzen out, Kapoi questionable

The offensive line gets thinner again. Redshirt freshman Jon Dietzen was ruled out for the game as well. That leaves both Micah Kapoi — who himself is listed as questionable with a left foot injury — and Brett Connors for the left guard spot.

Kapoi, a redshirt sophomore, has been battling the foot injury since UW’s 16-14 win over LSU in the season opener. Chryst admired both players for their roles and approach so far this season.

“That’s what I love about Micah, and I think we got a bunch of these guys, he’s not putting himself at risk, but he’ll do anything for this group. Brett would be the one guy that would be the swing guy for us.”

Connors now back-ups almost every position on the offensive line. He’s the No. 2 left tackle, left guard, center and right tackle.

“That’s what I appreciated from Brett — he gives us versatility,” Chryst said.

Running backs still in question

On the running back front, redshirt freshman Bradrick Shaw has also been downgraded to out with a right shoulder injury. Both senior Corey Clement (left leg) and redshirt sophomore Taiwan Deal (right leg) are still listed as questionable, though Chryst admitted Clement was more optimistic than last week.”

“Yeah, he was able to do a little bit more, so I do feel better,” Chryst said. “He’s done more this week than last week, so there’s a chance.”

If both Clement and Deal are ruled out, expect redshirt senior Dare Ogunbowale and possibly former tailback/current fullback Alec Ingold to assume larger roles in the backfield against the Spartans.

The three-star committed to Boston College on December 4, 2015.

Boston College commit and 2017 three-star defensive end Kwity Paye has been offered by Michigan.

“I found out about to two days ago, but it wasn’t official until last night,” the 6-foot-4, 225-pound athlete said. “The coach called me last night and told me that they were officially offering.”

The bid to Paye marks the second Boston College commit that Michigan has offered in the past week, along with 2017 three-star cornerback Brandon Sebastian.

Paye, who attends Bishop Hendericken High School, is ranked No. 938 in the class of 2017, according to 247Sports. he is the 44th-best weak-side defensive end and the No. 1 athlete from Rhode Island.

“I was shocked when they offered because there hasn’t been a guy to get offered by Michigan from Rhode Island,” he said.