Over the weekend an article popped up in a small Pennsylvania news paper about UB Recruit Colby Way and his role in a 3-4 defense, while I could not find, online, a quote from the article it came from a family member of a UB player who lives in central Pennsylvania. It was reliable enough for me to dig in, even if just a little, to what the 3-4 would look like at UB.
Buffalo Rumblings also had a great post on the different 'types' of 3-4 defenses last week. If you're to believe the article about Colby way my money would be on an Elephant Version of the Bullough-Fairbanks 3-4
Turns out USA today has also herd rumblings about the possibility of the change. And they were also on it Saturday.
"Quinn hasn't decided if the Bulls will play a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense but as it stands, the Bulls are better equipped to remain a 4-3 unit." -- USA TodayIf you're wondering how a 3-4 defense might look, Buffalo Rumblings (the sbnation blog for the Buffalo Bills) has a pretty good overview on how you can run a 3-4 with no obscenely big nose tackle. The Bills, of course, are going through a little coaching change of their own and will be making the same move this season.
ROLB shown as a defensive lineman and designated as "B" since the player mostly rushes.
According to the Buffalo Rumblings article (must read for their breakdowns) the defense's strengths and weaknesses are
Strengths:
- Only one LB with a gap assignment.
- Very good against outside runs with.
- Bigger bodies needed to play the defense allow
- The blitz packages are extensive
- successful recently in countering spread and Coryall offenses.
- ILBs can be ordinary athletes with good instincts and do well.
Weaknesses:
- Defense requires three very good defensive linemen to be effective
- Slower defense that can be exposed if the offensive line is successful in pass protection.
- Fast TEs give the defense trouble
- Teams that can run with power out of the two-TE, one-back set give the defense trouble