Mids try new defensive alignment vs. spread
Navy’s 3-3-5 approach produces mixed results
ORLANDO — Navy made a significant change on defense Saturday, coming out in a nickel package that uses Juan Hailey as the extra defensive back.
Coach Ken Niumatalolo said the Navy staff has been studying what teams around the country have been doing to counteract the proliferation of spread offenses and the consensus was that a 3-3-5 alignment was the most effective weapon.
Niumatalolo said the idea of playing five defensive backs is to combat the run-pass option plays.
“We’re trying anything,” Niumatalolo said with a wry chuckle. “A lot of people are playing a 3-3 stack against spread offenses. It takes away some of the RPO windows.”
Nizaire Cromartie, who has been playing the outside linebacker position known as “raider” this entire season, started at left defensive end in place of Anthony Villalobos on Saturday.
“Wewantedto get somebody in the middle to take away some of their RPO stuff,” Navy defensive coordinator Dale Pehrson said. “We felt we could get three of our better players on the field at once. That was the main reason.”
Inside linebacker Tyler Heflin liked the new alignment because it relieved him and running mate Hudson Sullivan from any type of pass coverage responsibility.
“I think it was a really good changeup for us. It allowed the inside backers to just run around and be fast,” said Heflin, wholed Navy with a career-high 14 tackles. “I think last week against Cincinnati we put a lot of stuff in and were kind of thinking too much on every play.”
Unfortunately for Navy, the defensive game-plan took a bit hit late in the first quarter when standout safety Sean Williams got hurt. Williams sustained some sort of upper body injury while tackling tailback Adrian Killins and did not return.
“You put in a defense thinking this will be a great defense for Sean and he gets hurt. It’s kind of been the nature of this year,” Niumatalolo said. “It’s a new defense and that guy was huge in that scheme – like the most important guy. He was going to be a guy that was involved with the run and the pass.”
Navy’s 3-3-5 look played to mixed results. One positive is that the downfield coverage was decent enough at times that Milton could not find an open receiver. On the down side, Milton was able to scramble for big gains because the Midshipmen were only rushing three defenders most of the time.
“When you’re only rushing three and have UCF running back Greg McCrae is stopped by Navy defenders Noruwa Obanor, right, and Taylor Heflin on Saturday. The Knights finished with almost 500 yards of total offense. a lot of guys dropping back it gives him space to run,” said Heflin, who revealed that as the game wore on Navy had a defender “spying” Milton.
Central Florida finished with almost 500 yards so it’s hard to say the 3-3-5 was effective. Niumatalolo said the coaching staff will break down the film before deciding whether to employ that scheme again.
“We’ll take a look at it and see how this goes. There was some good and some bad,” Niumatalolo said.