More On Bo Pelini And Spread Defense

A quick-hitter item while I work on a more substantial Tight End tribute---

Reference my earlier post about "Defending The Spread" as gone over by Coach Kerry Coombs when he was a high school winner in Ohio (now on the defensive staff of Brian Kelly at Cincinnati U):

Coach Coombs talked about his spread-defense techniques. I posited that perhaps some of what he was talking about might be part of Coach Bo Pelini's spread defense plan here at NU.

Well, one of Coach Coombs's spread set ID techniques--as he relates in this link: http://www.ohsfca.org/Defend_Spread.htm

is to use a two-number method to identify the set that the offense is in. Here's some excerpted comments from the transcript (with my emphasis):

"I’m going to give you a system that I think will work. It is a numbering system. You give your players a two-digit number. The first number is the number of tight ends on the field, and the second number is the number of backs..A “12” grouping would mean one tight end and two backs. That means there are two wide receivers in the game. A “21,” would mean two tight ends and one back...With these calls, it allows the defense to match up with the personnel on the field."

Now--to World-Herald sports guy Tom Shatel's HUUUGGGEEE summary from last Sunday's paper about his day at "Football 202" with Coach Bo and the staff. This is an excerpt from Shatel's column regarding Bo Pelini and his basic spread defense plan:

He labels the offensive personnel groups "21" for two backs and one tight end, "12 for one back, two tight ends, "11" for one back, one tight end and three wide outs and "10" for one back, no tight end and four wide outs...if the offense comes out in one of those formations, Pelini has his (personnel) grouping ready to go.

See? There is 'way, 'way too much coincidence here.

Now, whether Bo got the idea for this scheme from Kerry Coombs, or the other way around--no matter. We've got ourselves onto something here, Sports and Husker Fans. This is in the same vein that T.O. and Charlie McBride worked in when they revamped the defensive scheme in the early '90s to get more speed on the field vs the southern U.S. teams.

I'm pumped! Gimme a sled!! Go Big Red!