Montana State Pressures Part 2

Two High Pressure Variations

Montana State’s two high pressure menu is all about disguise and post-snap movement. They use coverage shells to bait quarterbacks into thinking they have a clean pre-snap picture, only to rotate or spin into something entirely different once the ball is snapped. Sometimes it is a standard rotation from one high into split safety, other times it is a late shift into a non traditional Tampa look that clogs the middle of the field. What makes it dangerous is that the front mechanics stay aggressive. The rush is built to hit home quickly, and the coverage changes are designed to take away reads. The result is a defense that can pressure without living in the same picture twice.

Sonic Variation

This pressure has a lot in common with Saban’s “Sonic” concept. The strong safety and nickel both attack off the edge, creating a fast overload to the field side. The field corner trap the flat, while the backside safety rotates over to become the deep half defender to the field. It is a heavy rotation that can stress an offense’s protection rules and force the quarterback to speed up his read. The downside is that if the offense happens to be in the perfect call, a 4-strong swing concept that can put stress on the coverage. Even so, it is a classic pressure worth keeping in the call sheet, especially when you need to create quick edge heat and disrupt timing routes to the field.

Double Edge Trap Variation

It is not technically a double edge pressure, but it certainly looks like one at first glance. Montana State aligns in a 5-0-5 front and sends both the Jack and the nickel int he pressure. Each runs a version of a pop stunt, working off the 5 techs and inserting into the B gaps. The movement from the front creates quick interior stress while hopefully setting an edge. On the back end they spin from a one high pre snap shell into a 2 Trap variation. The execution on this rep is sharp. They collapse the pocket, force the quarterback to throw underneath, and rally to make the tackle short of the sticks. It is a reminder that not every pressure has to produce a sack to be a win.