Lembo's Language is a weekly article, where chief football reporter David Polaski dissects statements made by Ball State head football coach Pete Lembo in his press conference.
With the success that Indiana State quarterback Mike Perish has had this season, do you see yourself needing to drop the linebackers back into coverage more, or apply pressure with them?
Lembo: “I think there has to be a balance, you certainly don’t want to leave your defensive backs on an island all day ... if you’re not getting enough rush, Perish is a guy who can pick you apart. We’ve got to make strategic decisions and try to make him earn everything he gets.”
David: Indiana State brings a varied offense that allows Perish to push the ball down the field, or its running backs to eat up yardage on the ground. Luckily for Ball State, Lembo has athletic linebackers who have the ability to both drop back into coverage when necessary, and play close to the line of scrimmage to stop runs. When Lembo says he doesn’t want to leave defensive backs on an island consistently, he means that Ball State will need to give corners Eric Patterson and Darius Conaway help when guarding receivers. Often, that means linebackers Ben Ingle and Zack Ryan will drop back into zone coverage, forcing the receivers to beat multiple layers of coverage.
When you look at Indiana State’s defense, how aggressive are they and how do they bring pressure from a lot of different angles?
Lembo: “Even though it’s a 3-4, it’s really more of a four-man front. Once in a while they will drop eight into coverage ... they are more than happy to blitz you as well ... it’s one of those weeks where we could be getting pressured by anybody.”
David: To keep its opponents off guard, Indiana State uses a multitude of defensive looks. Some of them involve bringing five or six defensive backs onto the field and dropping most of their players into coverage, making it hard for quarterback Ozzie Mann to find open receivers. Sometimes, they’ll run exotic blitzes meant to confuse offensive linemen, leading to breakdowns in blocking and creating chaos for Mann and the running backs. If Mann can identify what sort of defense Indiana State is running and audible to a different play if necessary, it can turn disastrous plays into productive ones.
How does Ben Ingle’s athleticism affect how you are able to gameplan to stop the Indiana State offense?
Lembo: Last week [against Iowa] there were a few times when I saw something happen on the field and thought ‘Gosh, we look fast’ ... Ben on a screen stands out to me ... We do have good speed, and I think our instincts are getting better.”
David: Against Iowa, Ball State’s run defense was at the top of its form. The linebackers were flying to the ball and covering gaps, effectively turning Iowa into a one-dimensional passing team. By developing instincts, players establish the direction the play is headed and where the ball will end up, before the play has run its course. Offenses can have a slight advantage when a play begins because the offense forces an issue, and the defense has to react to it. If Ingle and the linebacker corps can predict what’s going to happen, it doesn’t take as long to react and allows the defense to shut down opposing offenses.
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