- April 4th, 2006, 3:32 am
#10167
LU adjusting to 3-4 defense
By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
April 3, 2006
One of the first videos Danny Rocco showed Liberty's defensive players and coaches was of the New York Jets' 3-4 defense.
The reasoning was simple. The new Liberty football coach and former Jets assistant figured once they saw the 3-4 in action on the NFL stage, they'd be eager to implement the scheme at LU.
It was an easy sell.
One of Rocco's first decisions after taking over at LU was to scrap the 4-3 run by former head coach Ken Karcher and former defensive coordinator Steve Carson. It was an adjustment for all involved.
Though Rocco had run the 3-4 for years while paired with mentor Al Groh with the Jets and at Virginia, not many of his players at Liberty were familiar with it.
"It was kind of exciting to know that we were going into more of an NFL type of scheme," Liberty linebacker Brandon Duke said. A junior, Duke mostly played strong side linebacker in the 4-3 last season. "But I really didn't know what to expect."
Stevie Ray Lloyd played in a 4-3 defense at Virginia Tech and at Jefferson Forest. Liberty linebackers coach Robert Wimberly had to learn the 3-4 on the fly too.
So why was the 3-4 such a good fit for LU? Rocco said he likes the versatility of the defense itself and the flexibility of the personnel involved.
There are other reasons for making the switch.
It's easier to find talented linebackers and since linebackers are smaller and quicker, they're versatile enough to play safety and help on special teams.
That's not always the case with defensive linemen, which are harder to find at the I-AA level to begin with. The Flames struggled with injuries and had a hard time finding four down linemen who were capable starters.
"As odd as this will sound, there are a lot of similarities between managing a roster of 63 scholarships and (managing a roster) in the NFL," Rocco said.
"That was something coach Groh made a big deal about in New York. Your eighth and ninth defensive linemen, if they couldn't contribute to the team, there was no value in having them. But your eighth, ninth or 10th linebacker was starting on the punt team or covering kickoffs. They might have been on the nickel unit, doing some other jobs."
With the 3-4 installed, Liberty only has to start three down linemen - two ends and a nose tackle - and can use its depth at linebacker to its advantage.
Three of Liberty's top six tacklers last season were linebackers and all three - Manny Rojas, Duke and Nick Hursky - will return next season.
Rocco also likes the 3-4 because it's a more aggressive defense than the 4-3. The linebackers line up straight across from an opposing lineman instead of lining up on an edge and trying to go around a block.
The linebacker in the 3-4 instead tries to go through the block.
"In this defense, they're more physical in how they play blocks," Rocco said. "What we're trying to do is get down right in the middle of the blocker and knock blockers back.
"It's a different mindset. It develops toughness. And that's something we're trying to do with this defense."
Wimberly likes the 3-4 because it turns a football game into a chess match of sorts. The three down linemen will generally be responsible for pressuring the quarterback and providing the first line of run defense.
At least one of the four linebackers will also get in on the pass rush, but it might be a different linebacker each down. That adds uncertainty to an offense's attack, something Wimberly said he likes.
"They don't know who's coming, because we're bringing an outside linebacker at all times," Lloyd said. "That's going to be hard for the offense to pick up and read."
NOTES: Liberty's first spring practice was postponed Monday due to a tornado watch and severe thunderstorms. The practice was moved to today. ? Liberty added one more athlete to its winter signing class, recruiting coordinator Charlie Skalaski said. Harcourt Farquharson, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound defensive back from Homestead, Fla., signed a letter of intent and will play next fall. ? Several players have switched positions, at least for spring ball purposes, most notably Zach Terrell, LU's leading rusher from last year. Terrell is working at quarterback again. Ryan Greiser, a running back who battled injuries last season as a freshman, is working at defensive back. So is Pierre Penn, a Heritage graduate who filled in at linebacker last year.
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