Lou Cella

Kurt, we will go as far as five foot splits, especially if we are facing an okie front (3-4/5-2 w/ no eagle). I run a double slot triple option, so I cannot relate personally with what you want to do.

However, I have some thoughts about what you want to do. Your offense will work if you have counters away from the Z and if you run veer away from the Z. As a defensive coordinator, we will defend your midline to the Z side. We will run a pinch-slant where we slant our nose to the Z side and we will assign our inside linebacker to take the QB. If you pitched the ball, our outside linebacker would take him. That's my thought on that.

Rice's splits were three feet. They would widen vs. an okie front or a front where the guards were uncovered. I sat through six hours of Coach Wachenheim at a clinic in Harrisburg, and he was amazing. Also, I have an article by him.



Sls, that's why I won't run the gun option just yet. There is too much need for tremendous backside blocking to run the midline, and I cannot live with that. Maybe one day, but not now.

I hope to discuss this further. Go Penn State!

The gun midline is definitly a work in progress, but the ISV is great from gun. My QB's love the gun.

Lou,

One quick question for ya. Now say I began running i/s FB trap away from the slanting nose. The Qb will open like option and the FB will take the handoff and cut back to the trap, while the QB will continue its option tech. The center will wash the nose on his path, the Z side guard will pull to the backside LB, and the Z would run its usuall option route away, influencing the Z side LB with him. The Z side tackle will track that LB and hopefully get a block when he rocks back to the play. I understand you will say that the guard is pulling and the LB would read that. But my goal would be, with the wider splits, that the guards movement to the nose (midline) would be similar to the movement of pulling (trap). Take one bucket step with the i/s foot, whip that i/s arm and take off. Now, I believe that LB would be in a bind if he was responsible for the QB, yet also for the i/s trap. Get back to me

Thanks for the article reference

Good luck with the interview Lou. Hope all went well.

Thanks Coach Cella,
Very clear.
Do you have trouble after the pitch with 2 wide defenders now instead of one. THe spur and the DB are left to be blocked by the slot and the SE.

Coach Cella,
Only one team in our conference runs the 3-5 stack. They are usually pretty conservative and do not blitz too much.
I totally agree with what you are saying and you have convinced me. My philosophy is similar to yours as far as blocking goes. I just know that he is a fairly conservative coach and blocking this way will make us block one more on the edge. But your way is more sound.

Coach Cella,
Pass plays against the 3-3 stack with mom free coverage. Any thing you really like.

Coach Cella~
I was watching a Army-Navy tape tonight and noticed a bit of difference in play to play how far off of the ball that the Navy Oline was positioned. Do you stick with one distance off the ball for the OL? How far in relation to the center do you teach? Thank You,
Jon Bunton

LOU,

CENTER CAN'T MOVE BALL SO IN ORDER TO HAVE IT APPEAR FURTHER EXTENDED, THAT MEANS THAT IF YOUR OL ALIGNS ON HIS HEELS THEY ARE THEN FARTHER BACK OFF THE LOS, RIGHT, as he has to move back himself. THIS IS NOT ADVANTAGEOUS IN MANY SCENARIOS, IMO. SAME THING APPLIES TO THOSE WHO ZONE BLOCK EVERYTHING: IN POWER SITUATIONS THEY MOVE CLOSER TO THE LOS AND ON THE STRETCH PLAY THEY ARE FURTHER OFF. THIS SETS A REAL TENDENCY FOR A SHARP LB. JUST MY OPINION AS ALWAYS.

Coach Easton

Im thinking I would prefer to crowd the ball to allow my OL to get to 2nd level defenders faster.

Coach Cella,

This has been a great thread! I am looking forward to your insight. My question(s) are in reference to ISV v 33 from the double slot (flexbone).

When we first ran the ISV v the 33 (Stack), it gave us problems because of the stacked LB blitzing/plugging the B-gap (just like everyone else, I guess). I know your adjustment has been to read the stack as one read (like an 'area' read, it seems) and block the spur/SS with the slot. Our adjustment has been to block the NT and MLB with the C and PSG. Most times, the C can handle the NT (we put our best OL at C) and the PSG releases straight up to the MLB. The PST's rule is INSIDE...for us, this means he is responsible for the B-gap player. In the Stack, that player is the Stacked LB. So, the PST releases inside #1 (dive key or read key) and blocks the stacked LB if he plugs the B-gap. If he scrapes, then the PST walls off the MLB to the FS. The PSHB (slot) walls off the stacked LB if he scrapes; he works up to the FS if he plugs. Essentially, the PST and PSHB have the stacked LB and FS. #1 is the dive key and the spur/SS (#3) is the pitch key. We rarely get a pitch by using this adjustment...which is fine by me.

When the spur/SS/#3 has played soft, we have still blocked it the same way for the PST, but we arc the PSHB to #3. Dive key is still #1 (DE), Pitch key is the stacked LB #2. But, again, if the stacked LB plugs the B-gap, the PST picks him up. In other words, we don't area read it. So, if the DE has the dive (and is pinching), then the LB must have the QB (and is scraping) and we will pull it and pitch it. If the DE has the QB (and is squatting, or whatever) and the LB has the dive (and is plugging), then the PST blocks the LB and we give it.

I'll be honest...most teams change from their base defense to the Stack in hopes that it is the "magic" option defense. I don't think they really know how to use the Stack to stop the option. So, what I am getting at is...How will our adjustment "stack" up against a good 33 defense? (Sorry about the bad pun) Will it be as effective as the scheme you use? Any thoughts would be welcomed...just trying to learn as much as I can.

kc

Coach KC,

Why not just deuce block the nose and Mike with the G and C. If he covers your center ( any part of your centers body counts as covered) the Guard will deuce with him and slide to Mike. That relieves your center from ever getting beat by a good nose! Just a suggestion as always.

Coach Easton

The man who posted above me says that the odd stack is the best run stopping defense ever invented. I tend to agree with him. The stack stops everything, as long as your kids can get off blocks, run to the ball, and tackle. That kind of helps if you want to stop people.

Give the ball unless the read key turns his shoulders and takes the dive.

GIVE THE BALL!