SectionsDefense dominant in spring game
Kevin Price
Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Sports
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The defense is designed to vary blitz packages and give opposing quarterbacks and running backs a tough time locating the blitzer in avoiding them or blocking them.
There are only three defensive lineman and four linebackers, all of whom can be brought in a blitz. There are fake blitzes when a linebacker pulls close to the line, only to pull back into coverage.
"This is a defense that causes havoc," junior linebacker Terian Washington said. "You have to play fast and physical to cause chaos for the quarterback."
This blitz package seemed to be effective. Every down, the defense got pressure on the quarterback.
Missouri State used the 3-4 some last season while also mixing in 4-3 look. But it seems the Bears will be predominantly 3-4 for the 2009 season.
This resulted in seven sacks, though sacks are a slightly skewed statistic for the exhibition game. To protect the quarterback, a sack is recorded when he is touched rather than when he is tackled.
The quarterback is not given a chance to escape the tackler. The whistle blows; the play stops; and it is recorded as a sack.
"It is really hard to tell when you protect the quarterback like we do, but I think that the new defense is working well," Missouri State coach Terry Allen said. "It is critical getting so many sacks. It is good to see."
On top of the sacks, most throws that were completed were short throws to out routes run by tight ends and some by wide receivers. It also forced an interception in the end zone, thrown by Tyler Horner of the white team.
Horner threw 30 passes for the white team and completed 17. Wide receiver Jermaine Saffold and tight end Clay Harbor were the top receivers for the White team with 49 yards each.
The most productive wide receiver in the game was senior Jared Emery, who played for the Maroon team. Emery had the only receiving touchdown for either team and 57 receiving yards, including a 21-yard catch-and-run.
Cody Kirby completed 9 of 15 passes, though the receivers dropped several. He also ran for 61 yards and the only touchdown for the maroon team.
Kingjack Washington led both teams in rushing with 69 yards. He averaged almost seven yards per rush.
"I think I did OK," Kingjack Washington said. "We made some stupid mental mistakes. I didn't play as physical as I should have on short yardage situations."
Behind him was Stephen Johnston, who led the White team in rushing with 53 yards. He did have a scare in the second half of the game, when he was tackled hard and fell on his head.
He was slow to get up, but he did walk to the bench on his own. After the game, Allen said that as far as he knew, everyone finished the game healthy.
The game was called shortly after Johnston's scare when the White team scored a field goal to tie the game at 17. There were three minutes left on the clock but the game was called.
Johnston and Kingjack Washington battled injuries all last season but stand to be the Bears' 1-2 running back combo if they can stay healthy this fall.
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