Rebels must solve puzzling defense

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Sept. 21, 2001 | 10:33 a.m.

WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Arizona Stadium, Tucson

RADIO/TV: KBAD 920-AM, KFBT/Gold 33, Cable 6

EXPECTED CROWD: 50,000

LINE: Arizona by 2 1/2 points

SERIES: First meeting

UNLV offensive line coach Rob Boras calls it "organized confusion."

John Robinson calls it an offshoot of the old Chicago Bears' 46 defense.

In Tucson, they simply refer to it as "Desert Swarm."

"It" is the University of Arizona's double eagle-flex defense that current Wildcat defensive coordinator Larry Mac Duff and ex-Arizona assistant Rich Ellerson designed in the early '90s. And it has caused more than a few sleepless nights for opposing offensive coordinators over the years.

In 1992, for instance, Mac Duff's unit led the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 8.9 points per game. In 1993, the Wildcats led the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 30.1 yards. That's per game, not per quarter. Arizona also finished in the top 10 in total defense in 1994 and 1995.

Mac Duff, who was the special teams coach for the New York Giants from 1997 until last March, has returned to Tucson as defensive coordinator on John Mackovic's staff. And the Wildcats (2-0), who held Larry Ned and San Diego State to just 41 net yards rushing on 29 attempts and blanked Idaho for three quarters, seem to be back in Desert Swarm mold.

Now UNLV (0-2) gets its chance to try to solve the double eagle-flex defense on Saturday night at Arizona Stadium.

"It's unique in some ways," said Robinson, who faced it four times as head coach at USC in the '90s and compiled a 3-1 mark. "It's an offshoot of the old Buddy Ryan defense. They have their own adaptation of it. They play the run really well. It's a great position for a linebacker to play. One guy (Lance Briggs) is a great linebacker whom they put back about six yards and he has a straight run at (the ball carrier)."

Boras, who grew up in the Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn during the Bears' glory days -- "I can still name you every defensive starter on that team" -- grew up cheering for the 46 defense. Now he has to dissect a variation of it.

"It's organized confusion," Boras said. "They get eight guys up in the box. They get their stud or flex guy (outside linebacker Joe Siofele) who you're not sure really is. Is he a down lineman or is he a linebacker? It changes the base rules that your offensive line is kind of built on. You kind of have to change things around a little that week. And they're very sound at what they do. They don't make mistakes."

The key is for the offense to account for each man in its blocking schemes.

"A hat on a hat," Boras said. "That's the only chance you have. But a lot of times when you start packing it in they bring up an extra guy. If you try and have eight in to block, they're going to bring up a ninth guy. They always try and outnumber you. That puts a lot of pressure on their corners to cover their guy man-on-man."

Mac Duff is the first to admit the scheme only works well when you have good talent.

"That's what I told our kids when I first came back here," he said. "It's not what we play, but how we play that makes the difference ... how tough and disciplined we are. You have to have good players who can run. The job descriptions are running and going sideline-to-sideline."

With a fast, active group of linebackers led by all-Pac 10 pick Briggs and Siofele and a strong defensive line led by senior ends Alex Luna and Johnny Jackson and nose tackle Keoni Fraser, the Wildcats definitely have some top-notch talent.

"Not only are they quick, but their defensive line is very strong," Boras said. "They'll be as physical a defensive line as we've played this year. It's not only the scheme. They also have good players."

UNLV center Pete Tramontanas felt the postponement of last week's game with Colorado State because of the terrorist attacks gave the Rebels a little edge in preparing for Arizona.

"That cancelation kind of helped us," Tramontanas said. "It give us an extra two days to work on that defense. That helps. The more work against it in practice, the better."