New Defensive Coordinator - Billy Crocker of Villanova | Page 3 | The Boneyard

New Defensive Coordinator - Billy Crocker of Villanova

Villanova’s ATTACK 3-3-5 defense
If you haven’t read Football Study Hall before, it’s a goldmine of the ins and outs of football strategy. One of their more recent pieces covers the ATTACK method for deploying linebackers.

The base concept of ‘ATTACK’ is putting as many players that can raise hell blitzing behind the 2-or-3-man defensive line on the field as possible. They still need to be able to run and defend the pass, but (as we’ve seen first-hand) most of that responsibility falls to the secondary.

The Playbook: Structuring a Defense
So it's an attack don't break defense?
 
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I agree about the DL depth, but I think that our D linemen look more like 4-3 tackles than 3-down ends. The scheme doesn't fit us all that well next year but once we can recruit to it, I like it a lot. It allows you to disguise what you're doing really well.
 
We are never going to be able to recruit large numbers of elite defensive lineman. Elite D-Lineman are the most heavily recruited players in college football after QBs. That said a 3-3-5 might serve us well. We have proven that we can find elite players at LB and in the secondary. A 3-3-5 might play to our strengths.

I was anchored in the anti-Edsall camp previously but I believe this staff can get us back to the 8 or 9 win mark. I will gladly take that at this point
 
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I heard the other day we had offered the job to Duncan Hines but he passed.
This seems like a reasonable next step

Reporter: Coach, your offense was great out there. That defense you saw came in ranked #4 in the country. What are your thoughts?

Tufts coach: We knew coach Hines would focus on having Baker blitz all day so we controlled him well. Their schedule has been full of cupcakes so we knew their stats were half-baked. Our offense got on a roll and the rest was a piece of cake.

Reporter: Thanks coach!!
 
The more versatile the linebackers, the better this style works and the more possibilities that open up. Charlie Strong utilized this system some at Louisville and he prized athletic linebackers that could blitz, stockpiling as many of them as he could find. Todd Orlando ran this defense at Houston last year and thrived thanks to the versatility of attack-backers Elandon Roberts (142 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, now a Steeler), Steven Taylor (92 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks), and Tyus Bowser (50 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks).
The ATTACK method for choosing linebackers
 
We are going from Bob's hippie football to Randy's war football quite quick here. I dig this. We are headed in a very good direction. Maybe Randy can coach the hockey team, too. I expect this team to be very disciplined and aggressive, on offense and defense.
 
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Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a big name hire, but a very, very smart hire by HCRE. Villanova's defense was no joke my friends. Now I can see why Randy took his sweet ole time, he's creating a monstrous staff without spending too much $$$ as well. I cannot wait to see this defense. For those of you who doesn't know much about the 3-3-5 scheme, watch Todd Orlandos Houston team play. Cannot wait for 2017 season to start!!!!!!!
 
I haven't read every post on the board:

Is the staff budget "low" because of the buy out. Thus, it will be larger as each season goes by? Or is this an AAC level budget?
 
Don't understand why so many are questioning the hire. AK tweeted that Nova had the number 1 defense in the fcs in scoring and yardage... if that were the case for the OC hire everybody would've been drooling uncontrollably.

To add to this, Nova plays in the SEC of the FCS. Top conference in that league.
 
Don't understand why so many are questioning the hire. AK tweeted that Nova had the number 1 defense in the fcs in scoring and yardage... if that were the case for the OC hire everybody would've been drooling uncontrollably.

For me it was from an SEC OC to an FCS DC. But after looking closer, he looks like a good get.
 
This move makes sense. I think we are all comfortable with an Edsall defense. He can bring in someone with less experience and I still feel good about what we should see defensively on the field. He needed to hire an OC with credentials and that happened.

I am not that concerned about OL coach either. It will be Lashlee's call and they will fit with his system.

Now I am looking forward to seeing how they can salvage this recruiting class. Hopefully they find a Qb somewhere.
 
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Reading about this scheme, I feel a lot less concerned about the utter lack of DT depth heading into next season. This way, we can afford to bring Kevin Murphy along slowly and have him step in for Foley after he graduates.

In today's game I prefer rotating D-line whenever possible. Tired guys don't make as many plays and you may be selling Murphy short. He has a motor and a good low center.
 
I have wondered more teams haven't moved to the 3-3-5 with the way the spread has taken over the game. As others noted, with the 4-wide sets being so common we end up with lots of nickel anyway. I am guessing Foley is going to move to NT - that position is the anchor on the DL and it's pretty critical as we won't have the same beef up front. This is right up EJ's alley as well. Edsall's a smart guy, especially on the defensive side of the ball - I trust his instincts on this.
 
With our DL options as thin as they are, perhaps we can turn some of those extra TEs and LS into DE? Doofus made sure we have plenty of them.
 
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