Boise State's 6-Man Hot Pressures
Boise State might’ve been the kings of 6-man pressures in college football last season, or at least the kings of the film we’ve broken down. While they used a handful of different six-man concepts, the ones that kept showing up, and showing out, were their 6-man “hot” pressures.
Hot pressures blew up a few years back thanks to Narduzzi’s Pitt defenses, and they’ve since trickled down to high school ball and climbed into the NFL. Boise didn’t just dabble, they lived in it. They dialed up hot pressures over 80 times during their run to the CFP, and they didn’t just bring heat, they brought answers.
Interior B Gap 6-Man
The first pressure we’ll look at from the Broncos is a straightforward interior blitz: both inside linebackers firing through the B-gaps. It’s paired with a “TAM” stunt from the 3-tech, working into the A-gap to create interior disruption. Simple on paper, but brutally effective. This is a classic run pressure that’s perfect for loading the box and fitting eight defenders with clean run fits across the board.
Mike + Will
This is a weak side 6-man pressure featuring both the Mike and Will linebackers, paired with a “Pop” stunt up front. It creates a clean overload look to the weak side, giving the offense problems in protection, especially when paired with boundary coverage. It’s a great way to bring heat without tipping your hand pre-snap, and when timed right, it gets home fast.