Big 12 football: A&M embraces 3-4
Time was, Texas A&M was known for its defense. The Wrecking Crew. That defense was a 3-4 alignment.
Texas A&M head football coach Mike Sherman answers reporters questions during a news conference at the Big 12 Football Media Day Monday, July 26, 2010 in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Cody Duty)
That’s what Aggie coach Mike Sherman wants A&M to get back to. The Ags will run the 3-4 this season.
“I wanted to get back to a 3-4 defense, because I think we can recruit to that structure,” Sherman said. “A&M has a history in the 3-4 defense. We’ve had a great history of linebacker play in the 3-4 defense in the state of Texas. I felt like we could find four quality linebackers who could impact our defense.
“It’s harder and harder to find the big guys inside, and so that plays to our strength.”
Sherman went to an unlikely place to find his 3-4 defensive coordinator: Air Force. Sherman hired away Tim DeRuyter from Air Force. Sherman said he wanted a coordinator who had had success in a league with offenses like the Big 12′s, and the Mountain West qualifies.
Sherman said he wanted to install the 3-4 three years ago, when he was hired as A&M’s head coach. Sherman hired Reggie Herring, who had been at Arkansas, as coordinator. But Herring bolted on A&M before spring practice, accepting a job with the Dallas Cowboys.
So Sherman turned to Joe Kines, a long-time defensive master who was nearing retirement and had just been interim coach at Alabama. Kines kept A&M in the 4-3 the previous two years.
“I want us to be aggressive on defense,” Sherman said. “I think we have an offense that should be able to move the ball, if everybody does their job, and I want to be able to force takeaways. I think the 3-4 structure can present issues on where the pressure is coming from, particularly against spread offenses.”
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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