The first-team defensive backfield - Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon at cornerback, with Dom Hampton and Cam Williams at safety - played with what appeared to be the second-team defensive front: Jordan Lolohea and Jeremiah Martin at outside linebacker Kuao Peihopa, Jacob Bandes and Draco Bynum on the defensive line and MJ Tafisi and Alphonzo Tuputala at inside linebacker.
That was the front seven when the defense took the field for the final 11-on-11 period at the end of practice, with a younger defensive backfield - James Smith and Elijah Jackson at cornerback, with Makell Esteen and Jacobe Covington at safety - rounding out the lineup. Take this lineup, for example: Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Ryan Bowman at outside linebacker, Edefuan Ulofoshio and Jackson Sirmon at inside linebacker and Taki Taimani, Tuli Letuligasenoa and Faatui Tuitele along the defensive interior. But against a team like, say, Stanford, I get the sense Lake wants to be more proactive about loading the box with run-stopping personnel. Of course, the nickel position always will be crucial in Lake’s defense, and you should fully expect the Huskies to play exclusively with five or six defensive backs against teams that throw the ball more often than they run it. Through two practices this spring, it seems as if UW has practiced more often with a more traditional package of three interior linemen, two outside linebackers, two inside linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties.
It’s noteworthy that Gregory mentioned putting another player in the box to defend the run. We’ve got to be good on first or second down, or we’re not going to get to third down.” We say you’ve got to earn the right to rush the passer. It’s teaching it more, spending more time on it, being more aggressive with it, getting another guy in the box, scheme-wise. Getting another guy up in the box to stop the run. More emphasis on how we’re taking on blocks, striking blockers better. “I think it was around 200 yards (per game) that we gave up last year, which we’re not going to win a lot of games giving up 200 yards rushing. “You’ve got to talk about it, there’s no doubt,” Gregory said. Gregory also said UW’s emphasis on stopping the run - born of last season’s frustrations - has manifested in the form of tweaks to the defensive scheme. Coach Gregory has installed our base defense so now, the Sam and the Buck - the weak and the strong - are playing coverages.” But Malloe wants every outside linebacker to be able to cover, so that “we’re not just all defensive-end-minded players. Traditionally, the Huskies have asked one outside linebacker - the “X,” or weakside linebacker - to drop into coverage more often. “Obviously, (with) my goal to eventually be a defensive coordinator, that just helps my development in terms of being able to not only speak coverage-wise but be able to coach it, and not just be solely a front guy.” “It’s definitely been more geared toward coverage, and then obviously with the pass rush stuff, that goes hand in hand with what we did on the defensive line. Any time Coach (Will) Harris, Coach (Terrence) Brown or Coach Gregory has time for coverage, I’ve been doing that, just so we can speak the same language and make sure, at least in my effort, we’re all taking steps forward and not staying stagnant in that position,” Malloe said, referencing UW’s two defensive backs coaches. “That’s what I’ve been doing the past couple months. The biggest difference, Malloe said, is focusing more on learning and teaching coverage responsibilities.
If it was going to be an internal hire, Gregory and co-coordinator Ikaika Malloe seemed the most realistic candidates, and both received new titles as part of the staff shuffling - Gregory as coordinator, Malloe as outside linebackers coach after coaching the defensive line since 2016. But Lake instead chose to lean on Gregory’s institutional knowledge coupled with eight seasons of past coordinator experience at California under Jeff Tedford. Lake explored the possibility of an outside hire to replace Kwiatkowski, who left UW after seven seasons for the coordinator job under new Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. So whatever way Coach (Jimmy) Lake wanted to go, I’m totally good with.” Coach K and I had been together for a long time - about 12 years, 13 years - so I certainly miss him as a friend, didn’t want him to go. “I’m like 92 years old, so I’m good with whatever,” Gregory said.
0 kommentar(er)
