I'm not sure why I'm still so surprised that he actually said this, and maybe because it's because he so clearly stated what we've all believed was the strategy, but I can't get over his clear statements regarding the reasoning for how our secondary is taught to play. His comments about the secondary really tie the entire terrible defensive strategy all together - our 3 down lineman, who are all basically DTs, are instructed to try and hold the point of attack against the run while our 3 LBs try and come from 7 yards deep, and our safeties are coming from 12 yards deep, to tackle RBs or QBs that are running downhill because our DL doesn't get penetration. Our rush end sometimes is asked to set the edge, sometimes asked to cover out in space, and when he's out in space, sometimes asked to try and make open field tackles, even though he's much better suited to be a pass rusher. With this passive defense, it's shocking that teams are able to grind us down with 5-10 yard runs, just shocking!
Against the pass, our 3 DTs try and generate pressure, sometimes with the help of a rush end or an OLB, who generally shows he's going to blitz, with the predictable result that we have a hard time generating pressure. Our CBs generally don't play press coverage because god forbid we risk getting beat deep, so WRs get a free release. Our safeties have been instructed to not give up anything over the top ever, so they are always backpedaling, even from their deep starting point, and generally are not in position to make plays on balls in the air (because it's better to let the guy catch it and try and tackle and not risk playing the ball and getting beat deep). Our LBs are left to cover slot WRs and the middle of the field, usually without the help of our safeties who are deep, leaving the middle of the field open. With no pressure on the QB, and no pressure on WRs through bump coverage, and our safeties really deep, its shocking that we get carved up underneath - but at least no deep passes!!!
What makes this passive scheme even more terrible is that we play in the ACC, with South Florida athletes. There are 2 offenses in the ACC that generally have explosive players at WR- FSU and Clemson. Otherwise, who else even has the consistent ability to beat us deep? So we play a passive defensive strategy in an offensively inept conference, even though we generally have had the players, even under Golden, to attack other teams mediocre offenses. Instead, our passive scheme allows other teams to stay in the game because we're happy to give up short plays all the way down the field. We're happy to leave our safeties deep against GT and Nebraska because of the threat, no matter how small, that they will beat us deep. What an absolute disgrace.