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Run Stoppers – Improve your defense with Princeton’s schemes, adjustments, and drills.

by: Jared Backus
Defensive Coordinator, Princeton University
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Your defensive structure must be simple, it must allow your players to play fast, and it must be adjustable to multiple schemes and sets that offenses present. Our base fronts and coverages are based on the personnel that we have in our program at the present time. Therefore, what works with one group, one year, might not with the next year’s group. We are constantly assessing and reinventing to get better as a defense. With that said, we have installed and implemented a foundation of core values – effort, tackling and ball disruption – that doesn’t change year to year. These values are critical to our success. It was our decision to play more odd fronts in 2011 on first and second downs based on the personnel that we had.

In 2010, our defense was among the nation’s worst at defending the run. We realized that “you get what you emphasize” and, if you emphasize too much, “you get nothing.” During our offseason, we made a commitment to stopping the run. To start, we changed our base front on first and second downs to an odd front to take away the “bubbles” that were a problem for us in 2010.

Our thought process started with the understanding that, if an opposing team can throw the ball for 300 yards, you have a chance to win. But if a team runs the ball for 300 yards, you most likely have no chance to win. This belief has allowed us to improve our run defense 100 yards per game and land us in the top 25 nationally in FCS run defense.
 
PHILOSOPHY

It is our belief that there are four areas that you must teach, and practice and always take into account when developing your run defense package. They must be developed and ingrained in your players and coached every day.

A-ATTITUDE - We will sell to the players, every day, that we will not let the offense run the ball. This approach starts with the staff and must be bought into every day. Our players have learned that for us to be successful we must not allow the offense to run the ball. Therefore, our mind-set is that we will “swarm” and get more of our guys around the ball than the offense. The opponents’ five core runs must be stopped.

B-KNOW YOUR FIT - All players know how they fit in creating a “wall” with a set of shoulder pads in every gap. Proper shoulder leverage and body position are very important.

C-HIT & SHED - Having the ability to get off blocks is critical. We do not want players to be “edge guys” or to run around blocks. We want to take on blocks “thick” and down the middle. We then work to our leverage. The players that we will be successful with must be willing to put their “face in the fan”. We talk about our front 7 players being “gap and a half” players. Play your gap and squeeze the opposite gap.

The three phases of defeating blocks that we teach are:

•  STUFF – 6-inch boxer punch to chest area of the offensive lineman. Thumbs up and elbows in. Go low to high with strike.

•  SEPARATE - Lock out and get operating space between your body and the blocker. “Strain” as you find the ball.

•  SHED - Once the ball carrier has committed to a side, the defender must get his hips outside the framework of the blocker and violently disengage “up the field”. His eyes must find the ball.

D-GET NUMBERS TO THE BALL – We make sure that in our schemes and calls, that we have a “free hitter” to tackle the ball carrier. We always count offensive players and make sure we can match the number with defensive players. If we cannot, then we have to examine our calls and find a way to gain another tackler.

SCHEME

We feel that the odd front lets us align our D-line up and move them to keep the offense guessing. Fewer run lanes and less space results in a better inside run defense for us. This allows us to keep a smaller defensive front on the move and let’s our best player 2 Gap the center at specific times. Keeping the offense guessing with the element of surprise as to which way the front is moving and who will become the fourth rusher is important to us. Instead of aligning in an over or under front, we will move to it about 60% of the time. The other 40% of the time we will use a 2 gap tech with our front 7 players.

FRONTS:

We play three base fronts and will determine which front or fronts we like vs. the core run game of our opponent at the beginning of the week. We have worked to keep the key reads and fits consistent and as simple as possible. We want the fits to be simple and have a carryover from one front to another. We feel that basing out of a three-man front allows us to make it harder on the offense when we play a four-man front as one of the DEs becomes an OLB in a 2-point stance (See Diagrams 1-3).
 

Diagram 1.  Base front. This allows us to keep the DL moving from head-up on the tech to an over or under front on the snap.


Diagram 2. Front used with 3 tech set to weak side or boundary side of formation.




Diagram 3. Front used with 3 tech set to strong side or field side of formation.



MOVEMENTS

We have a few base movements that we will use with each front. We refer to these movements as change-ups and they will be used to redirect a certain run play or get our players moving to change up the look (See Diagrams 4-6).

Diagram 4.    ODD ROCK


Diagram 5.  Under Pirate


Diagram 6.  Over Swamp




PRESSURE

We carry a strong-field pressure, middle and weak-boundary pressure in our game plans each week. The balance of the odd front allows us flexibility when calling the pressure and running vs. certain plays, formations, backfield sets and protections. Here are some base examples of each (Diagrams 7-9).

Diagram 7.  FLAME


Diagram 8.  MASH







Diagram 9. BASH



We will play either 3 deep / 3 under or man free coverage with these 5-man pressures. Once the concept has been taught, the players understand these simple concepts and you can change the blitz tracks from week to week based on what plays and protections that you are attacking.

METHODS

The key is pattern recognition in everything that you do. We teach in 3s as we believe that 3 is the perfect number for players to be able to retain and learn. Repetition is the mother of all skill so it is our goal to give the players quality reps so they can execute. We believe it takes 1,000 reps to become familiar with a skill. It takes 2,000 to become an expert at a skill. As teachers, our goal is to “Talk it, Chalk it, Walk it and Rep it.” Train them to understand the correct reaction – be creative and efficient in getting them as many reps/looks as you can all week. It is our belief that this is the method that gives players a chance to be successful on game day. Here are some of the core drills that we use to train our players in defending the run game. These are built into our practice format and schedules and practiced every week.

1. LB RUN KEY (8 min)
(Tuesday)

•  5 core runs - show in 8 minute individual session.

•  Want them to “see picture”.

•  LB work vs. O-line with backs.

•  DL work vs. O-Line with backs.

•  DB work vs. backs / TE / WR and importance of angles.

2. RUN FITS (5 min)
(Tuesdays and Wednesdays)

•  LB / DL get together and run.

•  5 core runs vs. scout team - players rep fits / leverage.

•  DL / LBs see big picture and how they work together.

•  High tempo, 10 reps in 5 min.

3. RUN BULL (Inside Run)

•  Inside run drill vs. offense.

•  8-10 reps of hardball run.

•  Run like plays/ front vs. each other to get hardball look (collective mentality).

I have come to realize that we are in a “people helping” profession and hope that these thoughts and ideas help you and other coaches in the future.

About the Author: Jared Backus recently completed his 17th season as a college coach and his second as Princeton’s DC. Prior to Princeton, he coached for three years at Temple. Backus also coached at Bucknell, Maine, King’s College, Springfield, Rutgers, and Pace. A graduate of Springfield, he was a two-year letterman at linebacker.






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