Ho w W e Us e Our Safeties a s O ur Eighth Man in the Box

n behalf of the University of Oklahoma, Head Coach Bob Stoops and our defensive staff and players, we would like to thank the AFCA for allowing us the opportunity to share some thoughts on our Eagle Defense. We would also like to thank a couple of individuals that helped mold our package to what it is today. The late Bob Cope who we worked with at Kansas State and Bill Braisher, the longtime defensive coordinator at Iowa. These two men were very instrumental in our thoughts toward Eagle Defense. Our topic will be How We Use Our Safeties as Our Eighth Man in the Box Versus Two-Back Run Game. I first would like to take some time to talk about our coaching philosophy and our defensive philosophy. Coaching Philosophy 1. Be fair and consistent. 2. Make players accountable. 3. Be demanding every day and every play (never take a play off). 4. Be disciplined with your responsibility. 5. Have an attitude about your defense (take great pride in your unit). 6. Expect to win through great preparation. Defensive Philosophy 1. Stop the run. 2. Put offense in long yardage situations. (The last two years we were 74 percent on all third down situations.) 3. Pressure quarterback with a variety of zone blitzes. 4. Have the ability to take away the best wide receiver. Eagle 43 Eagle 43 is our basic call versus any two-back run team. This call will allow our strong safety to be our low safety or eighth man in the box. He is responsible for the Bgap on the inside run game. Behind this call, we will play a three-deep zone coverage. You can also play a man-free concept putting the strong safety on the tight end if he runs vertical or over the linebackers. Sam will drop curl/flat, Mike will drop strong hook and Will will drop weak flat. The free safety will push to the middle of the field. Versus twins or slot formations, we will bring our corners over and play three deep or man free (Diagrams 1 and 2). Alignments of Safeties The strong safety is six or seven yards

Diagram 1: Pro

Diagram 2: Twins/Slot

deep, head up on the tight end. The free safety is 10 yards deep where a tight end would be. If on the hash, he will line up over the tackle. Run Responsibilities vs. the Lead The strong safety will key the tight end. When the tight end base blocks, the strong safety will go straight for the B gap on lead strong. The Mike will spill the ball to the strong safety. The Will takes the back side A gap. On lead weak the Will has to spill the ball to Mike who fast flows. The strong safety will take B gap (Diagrams 3 and 4).

Diagram 3: Lead Strong

Diagram 4: Lead Weak

Run Responsibilities vs. Power The strong safety reads the down block and fits straight ahead, fitting off the Mike backer. Sam should close and attack the fullback as tight as he can. Mike will fit as

tight as he can to the defensive end. Will runs through the frontside B gap and strong safety will be unblocked. If the crack, the strong safety will run through the crack (Diagram 5).

Diagram 5: Power

snap to disguise who is the low safety. Our drops will be traditional three-deep zone drop versus pro. Versus any slot or twins formation, we will bring our corners over. Now the Sam has to loosen up a step to be able to take the tight end on corner routes. We can also check runningback to strong safety support versus twins if we dont like our match up. We can also play man-free to these formations (Diagrams 8 and 9).

Diagram 11: Lead Weak

Diagram 8

Run Responsibilities vs. Lead Option Both safeties are responsible for pitch on lead option. Between the five technique, Mike and Sam linebackers, we will need a quarterback player and alley player with the pitch taken by the secondary. We always want to slow play the quarterback (Diagram 6).

Run Responsibilities vs. Power We dont want this ball to bounce. We still want to attack and squeeze with Sam, but mike and will take on pulling guard with his outside arm and turn it back to the will linebacker. The free safety will take the front side B gap (Diagram 12).

Diagram 12: Power

Diagram 9

Diagram 6: Lead Option

Run Responsibilities vs. Counter Again, our safeties are fitting as quarter players. When the free safety feels the double team on the three technique, he will fit straight ahead. Mike will take the run through and Will will fit off five technique as tight as possible. The five technique must squeeze and attack first threat (Diagram 7).

Alignments of Safeties The free safety will come down to five yards deep over the tackle. He reads the fullback. The strong safety will be at 10 yards. The linebacker will cheat a half step away from their low safety. We also like to check to weak versus far sets. Run Responsibilities vs. the Lead The free safety will key the fullback. When both runningbacks lead strong, the Mike linebacker will spill the ball back to the Will linebacker. The free safety will take the A gap. If they run it weak, the Will has to keep his inside arm free and spill ball to free safety. The Mike is slow, flow and takes the B gap (Diagram 10 and 11).

Run Responsibilities vs. Counter We play this the same way as the p o w e r. Everything goes back to free safety. On counter weak, Will has to spill the ball to the free safety. Mike linebacker has to take A gap run throughs (Diagram 13).

Diagram 13: Counter

Diagram 7: Counter

Diagram 10: Lead Strong

Eagle Weak Three This is the other call that will bring our weak safety into the box as our eighth man. We feel you have to have this flexibility built in your defense. Teams will scheme your strong safety and it helps you on weak side run plays. We try to move around on pre-

In conclusion, I would like to say that we spend a great deal of time on our run fits with the linebackers and safeties. They must communicate every snap so we know who the low and high safeties are. At times, we will check from strong to weak depending on the backfield sets. Having this flexibility built into your defense can be a great asset. Two years ago, we had Roy Williams, an All-American strong safety, and we played a lot of strong safety support. This year we had an AllAmerican free safety and played a lot of weak. So we were able to play to our strength.