Clinic Talk: How the Miami Hurricanes can attack the 3-3-5 Defense

Mark Richt needs to come up with a dynamic game plan to keep up with the points per game that West Virginia is capable of scoring. West Virginia and Miami are 42nd and 45th in scoring respectively, with both having played an FCS school, although Youngstown State is a little more competitive than FAMU.

When facing a 3-3-5 you need to account for a few questions:

1) Are they a 1-gap or 2-gap DL?

2) Do they blitz as much as anticipated?

3) Are they solely a 1-high safety team?

WVU is a 1-gap type of DL that will dip & rip into gaps and are gap exchanging with a blitzing linebacker quite often. They blitz a shit ton and ‘Canes fans need to expect Kaaya to be sacked a couple of times. They love to keep 1 safety high and at midfield but they will walk an up-safety off to 8 or so against a twins-open look.

They plays I recommend?

Split-Zone, which Mark Richt loved at UGA and needs to use more at Miami

One back power, which is wide open against 3-3-5 teams

Delayed screen that Mark Walton uses to pick up first downs

Stick route in trips that Herndon loved in the spring game

+ a couple of surprises in the video below:

Stalk me on Twitter at: @IMFB_Blog