Split Field Coverage Pressure to Attack Zone Run

Southern Miss is in 3-3-5 personnel with a 2 high split field safety coverage concept. Weak side the defense has a LB walked up as a DE creating a 4-2-5 type spacing. 

The Rush:

The DL is slanting away from the pressure with the blitz side DE working to the A gap while the away DE is working outside. The Nose is working 2 gaps from a zero technique alignment to the B gap. The Golden Eagles sent two LB's off the edge into the zone blocking.

The Coverage:

2 Read coverage to the field with man coverage to the boundary 

The pre-snap presentation does several things:

1. To the boundary side the defense presents 2 low players at the LOS in the face of the receivers and a deep safety over top. This alignment deters access RPO throws to the boundary.

2. To the field the defense presents an inside leverage overhang defender creating 3 over 2 coverage. The field is not a great look for pre or post snap RPO concepts based on defensive numbers and alignments.

3. With the perimeter defense aligned to deter RPO, the box is where the defense looks light. The box presents like a 4-1 core which leads the offense to a zone blocking run scheme. Based on pre-snap look the offense should have favorable numbers in the run game.

Post snap the pressure ends up creating confusion and a run through TFL. The OT zones out to the widest rusher expecting the OG to zone to the walked up LB. The OG instead hangs on the DL slanting inside to the A gap. Even if the OG had worked out to the inside most edger rush the offense is outnumbered in the box 6 to 5. The DE looping outside to the read side is a give read forcing the ball into the defense's advantage. If the QB had attempted to pull and "out-athlete" the DE, the overhang player does a good job of being patient while staying in body position to both deny the RPO and fold in the run game. The overhang's presence helps take the pressure off the DE to make a tackle on the QB 1 on 1.

Nice execution from Southern Miss and good design by Tim Billings to align the defense to deny RPO's, dictate a run, then pressure to change the math on the offense in the run game.