There’s an oasis in the desert, where casinos are stacked on top of each other like chips at a table.
Each player there analyzes their hand, feeling the jagged edges on the smooth cards, formed from years of nervous shuffling. One folds, one goes all-in.
A woman at the table might smoke, a man might have a drink after a night of losses. But where the green turf stretches 100 yards, a quarterback will gamble anytime he targets Ashton Stamps.
The Archbishop Rummel product has made waves since he enrolled at LSU. The former three-star cornerback had no guarantees, but in two short years, he’s locked up the starting job.
After a freshman season full of flashes, Stamps was finally given an opportunity to put it all on display in Las Vegas. And, in his first official start at CB1, he didn’t disappoint.
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Stamps finished the game with four total tackles, two pass deflections and multiple touchdown-saving plays; most notable was his continuous effort in an endzone breakup.
Although he filled the stat sheet throughout the long game, Stamps’ name was hardly announced. And, ironically, that’s what has cemented him as the Tigers’ starting cornerback.
Typically, you want your star players to be in the spotlight; hearing their name ring through the broadcast as they disrupt on the field is a major momentum-builder. However, for defensive backs, a quiet night for them can be a nightmare for the offense. It means the quarterback refused to throw their way.
Stamps has a lot to like about his game, but most notable is his patience. His ability to stay calm – playing not reactive, but instinctual – allows him to completely erase wideouts from the field. On top of this, Stamps is a man-heavy corner, who excels in physical coverage. He fires downfield incredibly well, sheds blocks and makes open-field tackles like a linebacker.
His blend of physical brute strength and fluid finesse makes him almost impossible to target. In fact, statistically speaking, it’d be better not having Stamps in your game plan at all.
Through 39 pass-coverage snaps, Stamps was targeted only seven times, allowing four receptions for a total of 93 yards and one touchdown. His average depth of target (aDOT) was 11.3 – 8.7 yards if you exclude a free play where fifth-year safety Major Burns jumped offsides.
Furthermore, the two biggest plays he allowed both came from a defensive error elsewhere on the field.
For starters, USC wide receiver Kyle Ford had a 41-yard reception – a depth of target of 16 with 25 yards after the catch. While Stamps was the closest defender, this appeared to be one of the few times he was in zone coverage. He stayed on the hip of Ford until he opened up across the middle of the field; the aerial coverage showed the middle of the field completely empty, most likely meaning someone was out of alignment.
It’s hard to say what exactly occurred without knowing the play, but all the available information points to someone not being where they were supposed to be. Even so, if it takes a major defensive error for your CB1 to be target-able, then he’s doing pretty well.
The next big play Stamps allowed came on the free play after Burns’ penalty. Now, admittedly, Stamps shouldn’t have allowed this reception. He stayed glued to the receiver, but mistimed his hand; he was too early, causing the would-be-deflection to be dropped in the bucket. It was an incredible throw by Miller Moss and great concentration on the catch by Ja’Kobi Lane.
However, it’s hard to gauge whether or not Moss would’ve even looked Stamps’ way if he didn’t have the safety net of a free play. The two pass-coverage snaps prior to this play, Stamps was matched up on Lane, and both times, he wasn’t targeted.
In fact, Moss routinely wouldn’t even check Stamps side of the field – whoever his matchup was, he would erase. Kyren Hudson was matched up on Stamps eleven times on pass-coverage snaps and only had one reception for 9 yards on two targets. Zachariah Branch only had two snaps lined up against Stamps, and he finished with no receptions on a single target (with a depth of target of -2).
USC had to consider Stamps so much, that during their final game-winning drive, they didn’t target or even look at Stamps side of the field the entire drive.
The final piece that made Stamps such an important piece was how he operated in space. In the first quarter with 6:28 remaining on the play clock, USC ran an outside run with tail back Woody Marks.
The play occurred on first-and-10 on the Trojans’ 20. 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end Lake McRee moved up to block Stamps. In less than two seconds, Stamps engaged with McRee, shed the block – putting McRee on the turf in the process – and sealed the outside lane, forcing Marks to run opposite his blockers. Stamps’ flawless execution, whether it’s against the pass or run is what makes him so dangerous.
This is further shown in his touchdown-saving play against Branch. With 5:10 remaining in the 2nd quarter, USC was facing a second-and-goal on LSU’s 24-yard line. Moss threw a designed screen pass to Branch, with multiple blockers in position downfield.
Once again, Stamps relocated himself to be near the ball-carrier, shed multiple blocks and got in a position to tackle Branch short of the goal line. This play was followed by a fade route, with Stamps in coverage, where he had the touchdown-saving breakup.
Back-to-back valiant efforts by Stamps got LSU’s defense off the field and forced USC to settle for three.
Stamps started the season on fire, and should he continue his production, he’ll anchor LSU’s defense. His overall patience and execution make him incredibly dangerous on the field, regardless of play design. If he continues to impress, he’ll bring a much-needed confidence boost to LSU’s defense.
