Solid defensive play has become the consistent staple of Boston College teams over the past five to 10 years, under the watchful eye of defensive guru and new head coach Frank Spaziani.
While last year's defensive emphasis was squarely on the shoulders of playmakers Mark Herzlich, B.J. Raji, and Ron Brace, this season's defense has a very different identity. With less dependence on the pass rush and run defense, the Eagles position their defensive backs deep in coverage in an effort to reduce opponents' big plays and limit them to short running routes.
While some might view the conservative defensive setup as a coaches' compensation for a lack of speed or size in the secondary, defensive back Donnie Fletcher said that is not the case. "Just like any team, we want to stop the deep balls," Fletcher said. "[The coaches] tell us to come up on the short routes and just make the tackle when it's there. Otherwise, stopping the deep balls is how we want to stay in the game."
The deep formation appeared to do its job last week at Notre Dame, as Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen was limited largely to short out routes and hand-offs to running back Armando Allen, Jr. Even wide receiver Golden Tate's game-winning touchdown was a short, 10-yard route.
"I felt like, as a group, we executed the game plan very well," Fletcher said. "We gave up a couple plays underneath. Outside of the play that won the game, the 10-yard out, I think we played very well. [Tate] is a good player, and he made a good play at the end of the game. Kudos to him, he did a good job. But we were mostly happy with how things went."
Fletcher said that while the Eagles will make subtle adjustments from week to week to compensate for their opponents' respective strengths and weaknesses, the BC coaching staff generally sticks to its guns when it comes to "playing deep."
"Whatever coaches need [us] to do, [we'll] do, and if they want us to play man, want us to play zone, it doesn't matter," Fletcher said. "We play man-to-man too, it's not like we're always in the [deep coverage] zone."
As with every defensive strategy, BC's has its weaknesses; in addition to the short pass opportunities, the deep coverage can allow for a good running game to gain momentum as a game progresses.
Allen racked up 98 yards on the ground Saturday, showing that if a running back can get through the defensive line and into the secondary, there's plenty of space to run. The best the defensive backs can do is, as Fletcher put it, "make the tackle when it gets there. Just make the tackle."
This weekend will be another interesting look at BC's unique defensive strategy, as 7-1 Central Michigan visits Chestnut Hill. The Chippewas' offensive attack is led by senior quarterback Dan LeFevour. The Illinois native boasts a 153.93 passer rating through eight games, and just four interceptions to 16 touchdowns on the year. Opposing defenses know all too well how LeFevour can pick apart a secondary.
"That quarterback, he's real good," Fletcher said. "He's a big guy, he can run and he can throw. He's one of the best quarterbacks we'll see all year, so it will definitely be a tough game." Spaziani's faith in the deep coverage will be tested throughout Saturday's contest, as a tandem of fast, athletic receivers will look to find holes in the BC defense.
"Their No. 27 [Antonio Brown] is real quick, real fast, and very elusive," Fletcher said. "Then they've also got No. 7 [Bryan Anderson], a big receiver that can get open and make the nice catch." Indeed, Anderson is listed at 6'5 and will be a tough man to cover, especially in the red zone where he can use his height on fade routes. The senior's resume includes 23 career touchdown catches.
In looking back at what was a solid overall defensive performance against the Irish, Fletcher couldn't point out any specifics that need to be corrected for this week; to him, it's about perfecting the fundamentals. "It always comes down to tackling and covering," he said. "It's the basics, and you can never be satisfied. It's always the fundamentals that matter, and you can almost always improve."
The Eagles will have to execute those basics on Saturday in order to take down LeFevour and the Chippewas, and the defensive backfield's continued ability to limit the big play will be central to a successful effort.
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