The View From Section 241 -- Cincy

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If you don't have a pure pass rusher, you can vary up the scheme to bring more rushers than there are blockers, or run a blitz that will confuse the offense.

We are way too slow at linebacker (Walsh has good instincts but doesn't have great speed, Stewart has great speed and horrible instincts) to stay in this vanilla scheme.

 

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There is vanilla, and then there is Bob Diaco vanilla.......When he was defensive coordinator at Cincinnati it was brutal to watch. I spent many afternoons watching offensive guards just teeing off on our LB's, and QB's having all day to stand in the pocket. The 3-4 can be effective if played aggressively and you take chances. Diaco will not stunt, he will not send LB's, he will not take chances. Diaco has always "Always" preferred to line up in a 3-4, and play read and react. That might be OK if you have a 350lb. nose guard that can cover two gaps and destroy double teams, plus four absolute stud LB's. I don't know about UCONN, but at Cincinnati we ain't getting too many five star DL or LB recruits. At Cincinnati, Diaco's defensive philosophy seemed to be "Let's hurry up and let them score so that we can get the ball back'' We went 12-0 with Diaco as defensive coordinator, but we had to score 50 points a game to do it........Focus on the offensive side of the ball, and try to out score everybody.