Dominating Run Defenses

Different teams. Different schemes. Different coaches. Different levels of play. But Ohio State, Duquesne, Edinboro and Trinity all shared one very important distinction at the end of the 2005 college football season. They all led their respective NCAA Divisions in stopping the run. And while the way they accomplished their No. 1 ranking varied, a closer look at each program revealed some common threads to their success. All four agreed that personnel is the biggest determining factor in keeping an opponents’ run game in check. But it’s more than just having better athletes, it’s having intelligent players who can read, react and operate to the peak of their athletic abilities within the framework of whatever scheme is played. Familiarity with the system is another key. Operating in a system that they know intimately cuts down on mistakes and leads to more instinctive play. That