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Defending Tech

The first thing I would gameplan is to take the WR Pearl Harbor screens away from them with an identified spy that bluffed rush and peeled down the line with any pulls. On third downs I would use one to both sides of the formation.

The second must would be to have multiple options on eliminating the short crossing routes from the slot and RB. Tech does an outstanding job of utilizing the umpire to rub off any defender playing man and they hook up between defenders in any zone. Norton, Kindle, and Muck would all be the type big hitters that could discourage the dinks and dunks—the key is to not follow any receiver but instead pass him on to the next zone defender with verbal communication. height=

I think the secret in any zone is to give up underneath help on WR curls and outs but instead coach the two hashmark LB’s to hunt the crosses and screens with nasty on their minds and start blasting any vertical routes in the vicinity. Tech thrives on zones that drop LB’s deep because they can dink and dunk them to death with crosses and screens.

I think deciding how many defenders I am willing to risk on any max blitz should come next and if two different looks is enough. I would find Tech’s most obvious route/receiver against max blitzes from the scouting report and find a way to station a "free robber" in a position to make a play on that route while the rest are playing man. Kindle would be my main blitzer off the edge and Norton would be my main stunter inside. Sending any of the starting LB’s on any blitz is a losing proposition.

CU and Show Me were able to stop the run with five-six in the box and they both did a good job of belting the receivers after the catch–this paid off because footsteps were heard in the neighborhood in the second half. The front four provided steady pressure that at least made Harrell throw on time and they didn’t allow him to escape the pocket on scrambles by staying in their lanes. Tech’s OLine might not be the same quality of standard that we are accustomed to seeing when we play them. We should find out by beer thirty Saturday.