Wisconsin shut out Miami (OH) in their season opening victory last Thursday, holding the Red Hawks to 117 yards of total offense while matching their season-high three sacks from last season.
In utterly stifling the Redhawks, Wisconsin’s defense finally showed flashes of its former glory, something that hasn’t been seen in the three years since head coach Luke Fickell arrived and brought on Mike Tressel as his defensive coordinator.
The secret behind the success may have been Tressel's adaptability.
Tressel’s game plan adjustments were instrumental to his team’s shutout. He responded to Miami (OH)’s changes and modified his formations.
As a result, his unit produced their best performance in three years. Former offensive coordinator Phil Longo was never willing to move on from his “Air-Raid” offense, regardless of the opponent's defensive schemes. Wisconsin’s offense suffered tremendously because of it, and Longo lost his job.
Tressel’s ability and willingness to adjust his defensive schemes may pay off throughout the season as his team will be met with diverse opponents and play styles. While things surely won’t always go Wisconsin’s way, as the team faces a daunting schedule, you can expect Tressel to pivot his formations and give his team a chance.
With Longo’s stubbornness, the Badgers’ only means of victory was through an “air raid” attack. But this isn’t checkers. There isn’t one way to win or one direction to travel in. This is chess, and Tressel isn’t afraid to move his pawns around.
After a disappointing 2022 season using a 3-3-5 defensive scheme Tressel pivoted to using both 3-4 and 4-2-5 formations throughout the 2024 season.
Against Miami (OH), Tressel predominantly played a 4-2-5, while mixing in some ingenious plays and a few three man fronts.
With four defensive linemen, each man has a smaller split, mitigating the chances of the opponent rushing through the B gap and forcing the offense a much tougher hand at utilizing the running game.
In the third quarter, Trestle proved his adaptability.
To throw in an element of unpredictability, Wisconsin began to occasionally add in an edge rusher or a defensive back playing in the middle of, and a step back from, the RedHawks’ middle linebackers. They obscured their coverage responsibilities , leaving Miami (OH)’s center unsure at times if he should block the extra man or if the man would step back and contain in the secondary, especially on passing plays.
The Badgers did this in the third quarter, bringing senior cornerback D’Yoni Hill down into the tackle box. Hill took his first step forward but shifted back as soon as he read the play-action call, and picked up the outside RedHawk lineman.
In the fourth quarter, Wisconsin continued to mix up their defensive looks, but this time with redshirt freshman Thomas Heiberger stepping into the box.
On the snap, Heiberger went to the outside before finding a gap inside and heavily pressuring the Miami (OH) quarterback, forcing an interception.
Tressel also deployed several three man fronts at times, reverting to his 2023 play style of a 3-3-5. However, he utilized one of the defensive linebackers as a pass rusher, mimicking more of a four man front but allowing for versatility and more complexity for Miami (OH) to defend against.
