Defensive tactics and strategies are based on several things. What the offense does well; their tendencies, their personnel, what you feel the need to try to limit or take away within what is and isn't a percentage play.
You might get away with loading the box with 11 men in a "Banzai" approach. But very shortly the offense will take advantage. You can play 9 men on pass defense, but very shortly, the ball will get run down your throat.
Unless you have superior personnel, you try to play percentages, not make technical mistakes and try to make the other team move the ball a long way without making mistakes to score.
The one overriding thing involved is personnel.
What can I do is totally limited to the abilities of your players in comparison to the other teams. If I'm inferior across the board, I'm in a world of hurt.
Two seasons ago, IU's defense was stacked with young guys who were probably IU's best hope, but not necessarily ready to play Big Ten football. They got overwhelmed on defense. People asked the old DC why IU didn't play a 3/4 defense. He simply answered that he didn't have the personnel to play it. The DC (who didn't have much to work with) was widely blamed here for not putting 22 guys on the field at once and got fired.
Enter Brian Knorr.
Knorr brought with him a single gap 3/4 defense that likes to slant, loop, and move to disrupt. He was being asked to "adapt" his 4/3 personnel to his 3/4 system. In 2013 the Hoosiers got absolutely gauged on defense versus the run. Their defensive front got blown back into the linebackers and gaps as wide as the Memorial Stadium parking lot were evident as the games looked like relay races. When they couldn't stop the run, they got torched on the pass.
When you can't stop anything you have to stop something. Or try. So IU elected to be run conscious defensively. What did IU have on defense? They had to try to adapt to their personnel.
Big, physical guys in the line and better athletes at LB.
They massed bigger guys who may not have much of a pass rush but wouldn't get blown off the line as easily. He played single gap to cut down on mental mistakes and misplays. "Here's your gap. Attack it".
Run support from the secondary, corner blitzes and run blitzes from the linebackers helped IU not be as vulnerable to the run. But it still opened up the secondary and teams that threw to the flanks (Maryland) and others, were able to take advantage. But it was not longer a simple "hand the tailback the ball and win" for the opposition. Within their personnel capability, they had to adapt what they did.
Much of the same defense returns. Some moves to make the DL more athletic have been made. Mangieri who's a decent athlete as an end (not as an LB) has moved back to the line to make room for better quickness and pass rushing at Bandit. Shaw and Sykes should get more pressure there and Mangieri is a better rusher as a lineman. Young DL's McCray and Meminger are probably a year away but will get time.
What's interesting is the types of defensive linemen IU is recruiting vs what they currently have. They seem to be going for more of the long, quick, athletic DE's and more quickness (if still bulk) at NG.
It is a defense in transition. Guys like Latham, Green, Heffern will still be there for another season, but after that, IU will feature speed, length, and mobility in it's DL. An attacking, pressuring, relentless style athlete.
Two years from now IU will be more like what they want to be as opposed to where they are out of necessity. It's fun to watch.
You might get away with loading the box with 11 men in a "Banzai" approach. But very shortly the offense will take advantage. You can play 9 men on pass defense, but very shortly, the ball will get run down your throat.
Unless you have superior personnel, you try to play percentages, not make technical mistakes and try to make the other team move the ball a long way without making mistakes to score.
The one overriding thing involved is personnel.
What can I do is totally limited to the abilities of your players in comparison to the other teams. If I'm inferior across the board, I'm in a world of hurt.
Two seasons ago, IU's defense was stacked with young guys who were probably IU's best hope, but not necessarily ready to play Big Ten football. They got overwhelmed on defense. People asked the old DC why IU didn't play a 3/4 defense. He simply answered that he didn't have the personnel to play it. The DC (who didn't have much to work with) was widely blamed here for not putting 22 guys on the field at once and got fired.
Enter Brian Knorr.
Knorr brought with him a single gap 3/4 defense that likes to slant, loop, and move to disrupt. He was being asked to "adapt" his 4/3 personnel to his 3/4 system. In 2013 the Hoosiers got absolutely gauged on defense versus the run. Their defensive front got blown back into the linebackers and gaps as wide as the Memorial Stadium parking lot were evident as the games looked like relay races. When they couldn't stop the run, they got torched on the pass.
When you can't stop anything you have to stop something. Or try. So IU elected to be run conscious defensively. What did IU have on defense? They had to try to adapt to their personnel.
Big, physical guys in the line and better athletes at LB.
They massed bigger guys who may not have much of a pass rush but wouldn't get blown off the line as easily. He played single gap to cut down on mental mistakes and misplays. "Here's your gap. Attack it".
Run support from the secondary, corner blitzes and run blitzes from the linebackers helped IU not be as vulnerable to the run. But it still opened up the secondary and teams that threw to the flanks (Maryland) and others, were able to take advantage. But it was not longer a simple "hand the tailback the ball and win" for the opposition. Within their personnel capability, they had to adapt what they did.
Much of the same defense returns. Some moves to make the DL more athletic have been made. Mangieri who's a decent athlete as an end (not as an LB) has moved back to the line to make room for better quickness and pass rushing at Bandit. Shaw and Sykes should get more pressure there and Mangieri is a better rusher as a lineman. Young DL's McCray and Meminger are probably a year away but will get time.
What's interesting is the types of defensive linemen IU is recruiting vs what they currently have. They seem to be going for more of the long, quick, athletic DE's and more quickness (if still bulk) at NG.
It is a defense in transition. Guys like Latham, Green, Heffern will still be there for another season, but after that, IU will feature speed, length, and mobility in it's DL. An attacking, pressuring, relentless style athlete.
Two years from now IU will be more like what they want to be as opposed to where they are out of necessity. It's fun to watch.
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