Defending the Spread Offense

[SWC75]

I've always thought that the key to defending offenses that go east-west before turning downfield is to stay aggressive. If you worry about covering all the options, they will nickle and dime you, which is basically what Georgia Tech did two years ago. You've got to disrupt them, even if you take the chance of giving up a big play.

USF was all about effort. They got under our pads and we didn't get under theirs.

 

[blizz]

Depth chart notes: Also notice among the upper classmen there are factors that play into inexperience. Out of 9 Jr's and Sr's 4 either missed significant time during the last 2 years due to injury or are new or playing a new position or some combination. And only 2 are returning starters.

Scheme observation: one thing that had gone unsaid and i bring it up because it's critical to successfully defending the spread is the Shaffer/Bullough style defense depends alot on the d line getting penetration into the opposing backfield. This is crucial because it relieves alot of pressure upstream on a number of fronts. It reduces the need to send blitzes as well as forces the oline to make adjustments to their protection and will actually limit the run keys in certain situations. Goggins, Sharpe, Brewster, and Bromley were all exceptional at the point of attack and you saw so much success, especially in run defense, come out of it. Defending the spread its crucial to get some disruption from your front four in order to relieve some of the pressure on the coverages and run support that the back 7 had to account for.