Breaking Down the 2023 Ohio Bobcats' Defensive Playbook: Stunts and Simulated Pressures

Explore the strategic defensive maneuvers that led the Ohio Bobcats to defensive excellence in 2023, featuring detailed analysis of their stunts and simulated pressures.

Jun 20, 2024

The Ohio University Bobcats defense finished 4th in total defense in 2023. Additionally, they finished top-20 or better in turnovers, sacks, red zone defense, and 3rd down conversions, and top-10 in rushing defense, scoring defense, and tackles for loss (TFLs). The Bobcats were able to accomplish this with an aggressive defensive style that attacked offenses from multiple fronts using multiple stunts, simulated pressures, firezone pressures, and max pressures. Today, we’ll discuss Ohio’s stunts and simulated pressures in part 1 of our two part series on the Ohio Bobcat defense. Let’s get into it!

Stunts

Ohio used several stunts throughout the 2023 season. Remember that the half-line stunts can be used on only one side, mirrored, or with any other half-line stunt. Additionally, Ohio will use several full-line stunts, and in part 2, you’ll see them paired with pressures.

First, we are looking at a NOT stunt with the end wrapping inside. the nose will go first with the tackle wrapping behind. The wrinkle to this stunt is the defensive end’s late move inside after the nose sets the new edge through the B-gap, a technique used frequently by Tite front teams. Ohio deployed this stunt against Georgia Southern in the bowl game for a 2nd quarter sack.

The next stunt is what we used to call an exit stunt. The end, nose, and tackle slant one direction while the opposite end wraps. This creates pressure in one direction, and, when the quarterback looks to exit, the wrapping defensive end should be filling the void.

Our next featured stunt is a simple tackle/nose pick designed to free up the nose on the pass rush. Here the tackle picks the center then gets vertical. In the example below, the tackle sets the pick, gets vertical, and makes the sack.

The next stunt is similar to the pick above but is used between the nose/end and the tackle/end simultaneously. It’s basically a double pick set by both sides, one by the tackle and one by the end.

Here’s another version of the exit stunt, or 3-man weave by the defensive line. Here the tackle and nose create flow in one direction for the offensive line while the end wraps for the open gap that the offensive line vacated.

To see a full cutup on Ohio’s stunts click here.

Simulated Pressures

Simulated pressures were a useful tool for Ohio since they bring lots of pressure. This forces the offense to worry about overload pressures and allows Ohio to now bring only 4 instead of 5 or 6 and still hit home on the pressure. Ohio ran these simulated pressures on second- or third-and-long. Simulated pressures are a safe way to bring pressure and have seven defenders in coverage. If you don’t get home, you still have a shot in coverage.

Our first simulated pressure is Ohio’s version of Bears 1 Rat, except with quarters coverage behind the pressure. They aligned with a 5-1 box while Georgia Southern tried to run a draw to the running back. Georgia Southern looks to work to the five defensive linemen while the center works with the nose leaving the backer to run through the open A gap clean to make a TFL.

The next simulated pressure is the same path out of a different look, again with quarters coverage behind the pressure. Instead of the traditional Tite front presentation, Ohio will show this pressure out of a 4 down mug look. The pressure will now be executed with the two defensive tackles and both backers. Different look, same result: a free runner on the quarterback.

Ohio’s next simulated pressure consists of an interior X path by the backers, which is a path they use in 4-, 5-, and 6-man pressures.In this case, they run it and drop both defensive ends out of a 4-man front, creating a simulated pressure with quarters coverage behind it. Since this path is repeated, just like the pressure/stunt below, it has a great ROI for the Bobcats as it doesn’t require much extra time to install this pressure.

Here’s another repeated path for Ohio, but, by adding another player to the mix, it becomes slightly more exotic. Ohio will show a 4-man front with a mugged backer; then they will execute a version of the exit stunt above with three defensive linemen and the backer. They still get the end wrapping off of an interior pick with quarters coverage behind it, but now the Mike backer is involved, and the opposite defensive end will drop into coverage. Again, this has a high ROI for the Bobcats since it’s a commonly taught path where Ohio will just flip the responsibility of two players.

Finally, we have an exotic simulated pressure out of Ohio’s 3-high safety look. The defensive line is aligned in a 5-0-5 look (I call it a Buck look). The simulated pressure involves the corner, the Will, the nose, and the boundary defensive end. The nose loops for contain while the boundary defensive end plays his normal 5-tech run responsibilities. The corner comes on an interior path aimed at the B gap, and the Will linebacker blitzes the face of the center. In this example against Western Michigan, the pressure isolates the corner 1-on-1 with the running back. The corner beat him and finished with a rare sack for a corner.

To see a full cutup on Ohio’s simulated pressures click here.

Conclusion

The Ohio defense deploys their stunts and simulated pressures strategically throughout the season. By being multiple and aggressive, they can get pressure on the quarterback with four players, allowing them to drop seven into coverage, which in turn increases their success rate. In our next article, we break down Ohio’s 5- and 6-man pressures on the Board Drill.