Disguising defense awaits Red Wolves

Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson walks the sidelines during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson walks the sidelines during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

JONESBORO -- At a first look, Tulsa's defense is a wacky one.

It's a scheme Arkansas State's offense has never seen. It's something the Golden Hurricane unveiled at an odd time.

There's mystery behind the Golden Hurricane's defensive madness.

First, what is it?

Second, why did Tulsa ditch a traditional four-down linemen defensive look to morph into a disguise-laden, three-down linemen set roughly 30 plays into Tulsa's season-opening victory against Central Arkansas?

Because of the defense's surprises?

Because the scheme is hard to read and tougher to understand?

Apparently, yes and yes.

"It's just disguise built on disguise, not letting you really know what they're going to end up in," ASU Coach Blake Anderson said Tuesday, now three days into studying the defense before the Red Wolves' trip to Tulsa on Saturday. "They can get to a lot of things from one look. So you really have to make decision post-snap. You're not going to know pre-snap exactly what you're getting. And that gives them a lot of flexibility."

That post-snap responsibility -- the job of deciphering who's charging ASU's backfield and who's dropping into coverage -- sits on the shoulders of Red Wolves quarterback Justice Hansen.

Hansen said Tulsa's defense will sometimes drop eight into pass coverage. An eight-man defensive backfield would, potentially, allow him to sit in ASU's pocket and survey his options with time.

Tulsa won't allow its defensive formation to be recognizable, ASU doesn't expect, so Hansen's assignment is to figure out Tulsa's weakness during each play in the few seconds he may have after the ball is snapped.

The Golden Hurricanes surrendered 478 yards and 28 points in a seven-point loss Saturday to Texas. Tulsa allowed 13 quick points in its season-opener Sept. 1 to Central Arkansas before this secretive, slashing defense was unleashed.

Central Arkansas gained just 247 yards and scored 14 points once Tulsa's defense flipped after 30-31 plays, according to Arkansas State offensive coordinator Buster Faulker's initial inspection of what his unit will face at 6 p.m. Saturday at Tulsa's H.A. Chapman Stadium.

"It looks to me like they went and got their best 11 players and found a way to get them all on the field at the same time," Faulkner said. "I think they're faster than they were a year ago ... I think they found an identity by doing it."

The Tulsa defense, expected to feature three down linemen and many dropping into different coverage packages, is something the Red Wolves have seen used few times by others. Iowa State deployed the wackiness in its 38-31 victory last season against then-No. 3 Oklahoma and the eventual No. 1 selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, quarterback Baker Mayfield.

It worked then.

There's a reason Tulsa switched to it at a time of need in its opener.

"Not very many people in college football are playing it right now," Hansen said. "The biggest thing about it is they started off the season playing something else and then have kind of shifted. Just a completely different look than what they showed at the beginning of the year."

The best way for the Red Wolves' up-tempo, air-it-out offense to beat the scheme is preparation and being themselves, they say.

"We've got to try to find a way to attack them with what we do, so there's not a whole bunch of change for our kids," Faulker said. "We want as much of carryover from each week as we can, which allows us to play fast."

Saturday’s game

ARKANSAS STATE AT TULSA

WHEN 6 p.m. Central

WHERE H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa

TV CBS Sports Network

Sports on 09/12/2018

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