UK Football: What is the 3-3-5 defense?
By Paul Jordan
With the recent hubbub about defensive schemes Kentucky may or may not use this fall, I thought I could help dive into the idea of UK utilizing a 3-3-5 defense. This is actually a defense that some teams use as their base scheme and the idea is to get as much speed on the field as possible. West Virginia has used the 3-3-5 as their primary defense with good results over the past several years, and many teams use the defense as their primary nickel package. There are two ways to use this defense as a change of pace from a typical 3-4 or 4-3, and a team’s particular approach will usually depend on personnel.
The first way to use the 3-3-5 is as a true nickel package. A team’s nickel defense is a formation with five defensive backs that is typically used on third downs or second and long, and gives the defense a little bit more flexibility in pass coverage. Using the 3-3-5 as a nickel defense allows the team to remove a defensive linemen and add a defensive back, but also allows the team to keep all three linebackers on the field. The fifth defensive back is typically a player that is a Free Safety that will provide run support, but specializes in pass coverage. The key to utilizing the defense this way is having three large defensive linemen that can control the line of scrimmage and create pressure even though two of them will be double teamed. If the offense tries to run the ball, the fifth defensive back needs to have some ability to step up and help stop the run as a linebacker would. While this formation will allow the defense to defend the pass more efficiently, there must be an adequate pass rush to pressure the Quarterback from just three down linemen. With Kentucky’s woes rushing the passer last year, a marked improvement would be necessary for this to be an effective scheme. The lineup would probably look something like this during the spring.
DE: DeQuin Evans
NG: Mark Crawford
DE: Collins Ukwu
LB: Danny Trevathan
LB: Qua Huzzie
LB: Matt Lentz
CB: Paul Warford
CB: Randall Burden
SS: Josh Gibbs
FS: Winston Guy
NB: Taiedo Smith
The second way to run a 3-3-5 is as a blitz package. The defense will rush all three linemen (occasionally dropping one into a short zone coverage), and bring a combination of linebackers and defensive backs from different angles in an attempt to create pressure on the quarterback and confuse him into unnecessary mistakes. There are actually a number of differences that make this more effective for some teams and less for others, and most of the variables lie in personell. The biggest key in ay three-man front is having a Nose Guard that can hold his ground while getting double teamed and constantly draw blockers, and Kentucky would need to put their biggest/strongest Defensive Tackle at this position. The defensive ends need to be Athletic Defensive Tackles or oversized Defensive Ends that can occupy blockers on running plays, but still can generate a pass rush. This version of the 3-3-5 does not utilize a traditional 4-3 Defensive End though, so Kentucky’s top two pass rushers would be removed from the field in DeQuin Evans and Taylor Wyndham. The Linebackers are typically bigger and need to be able to cover in the short zones and flats, but also need to have better pass rush sills than most 4-3 Linebackers do. The extra Defensive back is typically a Strong Safety that can blitz like a Linebacker, but cover like a Defensive Back and his versatility is a key to the scheme. The overall idea here is to send lots of bodies from lots of different directions and to confuse the offensive line and Quarterback into rushing a throw or taking a sack. In this version of the 3-3-5, Kentucky’s lineup would probably look something like this during spring:
DE: Chandler Burden
NG: Mister Cobble
DE: Ricky Lumpkin
LB: Danny Trevathan
LB: Qua Huzzie
LB: Matt Lentz
CB: Paul Warford
CB: Randall Burden
SS: Josh Gibbs
FS: Winston Guy
NB: Jarvis Walker
Keep in mind that all roster projections are my opinion only and reflect only players present during spring practice.
In my opinion, Kentucky is more likely to use the 3-3-5 as a blitz package to create pressure. The lack of a pass rush this past season has probably brought this idea up in the first place and Kentucky’s personnel makes the 4-2-5 a more natural fit as a nickel pass protection package. It should be an interesting spring for the defensive side of the ball, and we should find out quickly if this experiment has some legs or if it will be dropped after spring.
Keep following www.http://wildcatbluenation.com for the best in Kentucky basketball and football news, rumors, and opinions. By Kentucky fans for Kentucky fans