No Fly Zone: Containing the Air Raid Offense

Let’s say you’re going up against a team with a potent air raid offense – a team like Texas Tech, or Boise State or Louisville. How do you stop these pass-happy attacks? We asked five coaches of college and high school teams around the country with outstanding pass defenses. The coaches have a wide variety of suggestions — from constantly changing your formations to physically intimidating the opposition. They offered strategies of how to pressure the quarterback; details of preparation throughout the week, including drills, tape sessions and strategy meetings; and they told us what kind of adjustments they make during the game. To top it off, each coach listed the three most important factors to stop a powerful passing team. Here is what the five coaches had to say: They agreed that it’s important to give the opposition multiple looks. For Doug Madoski, defensive coordinator