Military Bowl Preview: Tulane's Edge Pressure

Tulane's defense is heavily predicated on generating edge pressure. Five Green Wave defenders have chalked up 4.0 or more sacks this season. On almost every snap, Tulane incorporated an odd front, with a true nose tackle and two 5-technique down linemen. To the boundary side, the "defensive tackle" in their terminology will be flanked by their DOG linebacker, who plays like a stand up defensive end. Back to the field-side, the "defensive end" 5-technique is flanked by a safety/linebacker hybrid aligned like an outside linebacker, similar to Virginia Tech's STAR. At times, the safety hybrid will line up right on the line of scrimmage, presenting a true five-man front. From this base alignment, the Green Wave brings almost every kind of pressure imaginable, from blitzes by the boundary corner with a defensive line slant to the field, and blitzes from the field inside linebacker and the safety/nickel hybrid.

A Defense Predicated on Pressure

The variation of the blitzes with slanting up front puts incredible pressure on opposing offensive tackles to protect the edge while still accounting for the B-gap.