Georgia linebacker Darryl Gamble has never played in a 3-4 defense, but he takes a crash course in the scheme every Sunday.
“I watch a lot of NFL ball, and it’s a pretty aggressive defense with a lot of pass rushing,” Gamble said. “A lot of good pass-rushers come out of the 3-4, and from what I’ve seen it’s been very, very productive in getting guys to the ball. I think it will be a good defense to run.”
Gamble and Georgia’s other defenders will be curious spectators this afternoon when the Dallas Cowboys visit the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC playoff game. Dallas defensive line coach Todd Grantham was hired Friday as the new Bulldogs defensive coordinator, and he has pledged to implement a 3-4 system.
Georgia hasn’t used three down linemen and four linebackers as its base alignment since 1994, when Marion Campbell was Ray Goff’s defensive coordinator. The Bulldogs lined up that season with Matt Storm, Travis Stroud and Travis Jones up front and with Phillip Daniels, Randall Godfrey, Marcus Williams and Greg Bright as the linebackers.
“We’re more of an aggressive style of 3-4,” Grantham said. “We’re going to attack blockers up front, and we’re going to rush the passer. Our outside ‘backers are going to be what we call edge-setters. They’re going to be aggressive and they’re going to be coming. We’re going to develop those guys as pass-rushers. We’re going to call our inside backers Mike and Mo, and they’re going to be downhill guys to the ball.
“In saying all this, we’re going to still be multiple. We’re always going to match personnel or have the ability to match personnel, so if someone had that third wideout in the game, we can add an extra defensive back.”
Grantham does not believe the noseguard in his 3-4 has to be as mammoth as Alabama’s Terrence Cody (6-foot-5, 354 pounds) or Georgia’s Kade Weston (6-5, 315). The starting noseguard for the Cowboys, Jay Ratliff, was a seventh-round pick out of Auburn in 2005.
“He’s in the 290s,” Grantham said. “The guy is technically sound, has great initial quickness, is relentless off the ball, and he understands defense.”
Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt said scheme wasn’t crucial in the hiring, adding that every 3-4 team has elements of a 4-3 and vice versa. Richt expects a sound, aggressive system and believes a lot of players will be excited about “turning that thing loose and getting it going.”
Should the Cowboys lose today, the Bulldogs could be studying the 3-4 sooner than later.
“The thing about the 3-4 is there are only certain places you can run the ball relative to the formation,” Grantham said. “If you understand that, it allows you to play relative to the formation. If I know the ball is going to go to my left, I can play a little more aggressive to my left.
“As players learn how to play in a 3-4, they can understand there are only certain types of plays you can run to the formation.”