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| John Flood studied the
standout defensive linemen that preceded him at UW-Whitewater, such
as Loussaint Minett, and has learned. Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com |
By Josh Smith
D3football.com
Whether it’s pressuring a gunslinger in a spread offense or limiting the damage of a mobile quarterback in a read-option attack, the UW-Whitewater defensive line has had to come up with answers for nearly every type of signal-caller during its run to the NCAA Division III semifinals.
As the team looks to extend its 30-game winning streak and advance to the Stagg Bowl for the ninth time in 10 years, the Warhawks will have to find a way to solve Sam Riddle – Linfield’s prolific passer and leading rusher.
After overcoming some injuries within the unit, UW-W believes its rotation up front has the experience and the talent to continue finding success.
“I think our defensive line has played well this year,” UW-W head coach Lance Leipold said during his weekly teleconference Wednesday. “We’re getting great effort.”
The Warhawks’ D-line features several talented athletes, including first team All-WIAC and first team All-West Region selection Zach Franz, a junior tackle, as well as second team all-conference selection Mykaell Bratchett, a senior defensive end.
But perhaps the unit’s strongest quality is how many different athletes play during the course of the game.
Bratchett said rotating players frequently allows the linemen to get ample rest and gives younger players valuable reps in game situations.
“Having guys rotating in and getting that in-game experience gives the program the best chance of continuing success,” said Bratchett, who has 9.5 tackles for a loss during his senior season, including 6.5 sacks.
Sophomore John Flood starts at defensive end and is one of five sophomores that see regular playing time. He has 7.5 tackles for loss this season.
“We definitely stay fresher during the game and I feel like we start to wear offensive lines down as the game goes on,” Flood said. “It’s hard to get into the flow sometimes, but other than that, I think it works out pretty well for us.”
Flood is joined in the starting lineup by sophomore tackle Brandon Tamsett. Sophomores Ben Threloff, Tim Regan and Yuri Pogosyan rotate in regularly in addition to junior Nick Froland and have contributed to the Warhawks’ total of 39 quarterback sacks and 87 tackles for loss.
Having so many players with experience has allowed the unit to get through injuries. Franz has missed two games this season and junior Kevon Clunis – one the group’s most athletic pass rushers – was knocked out of the lineup recently.
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| Mykaell Bratchett has a
team-high six and a half sacks for UW-Whitewater. Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com |
“I think we have a ‘next man up’ kind of personality as a D-line. And Coach (Kevin) Bullis does a good job of coaching all the players the same, so when one guys goes down, the next guy’s ready to step up and play,” Flood said.
Bratchett agreed with his teammate, noting that learning multiple techniques makes everyone on the defensive line more versatile.
While the coaching staff does an excellent job of instructing the players, Flood said he has learned a lot from upperclassmen during his time at UW-Whitewater. He studied former Stagg Bowl MVP Loussaint Minett and Marshall Rutherford while playing with them a year ago and has continued to learn from Bratchett this season.
“They’ve taught me a lot of my pass-rush moves, how to play against different teams – different fronts and different techniques to use,” Flood said. “It’s been a pleasure being able to learn from them, and I hope I can apply all they’ve taught me going into the next few years.”
The defensive line will be put to the test when Riddle and No. 10 Linfield (12-1) visit Perkins Stadium to take on the top-ranked Warhawks (13-0) with a trip to the Stagg Bowl on the line.
In addition to throwing for more than 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns, Riddle is the Wildcats’ leading rusher with 479 yards and a dozen TDs on the ground.
Flood said mobile quarterbacks such as Riddle pose a big challenge for pass rushers.
“Those are probably the most dangerous quarterbacks we go against because if you even give them a sliver of room to move around, they’ll take advantage of it. So it’s really key to keep our pass rush lanes and keep them contained,” Flood said.
The Warhawks had their hands full with Macalester quarterback Samson Bialostok in the first round of the playoffs, but Flood felt the team did a better job of containing the running quarterback for the final three quarters of that contest.
“That quarterback from Macalester definitely had wheels. And when he saw an alley, he wasn’t even thinking about passing the ball. He was just taking it and going,” Flood said. “As the game went on, we learned to just really stay more in your gaps and close those down so he can’t run through them.”
He said the Warhawks will have to take a similar approach with Riddle.
“Obviously, you want to get a good pass rush. But if you give him open lanes, he’s going to be running on you all day,” Flood said. “They do have designed run plays for him too.
“It will be a tough challenge, but one we’re looking forward to.”
Leipold said the key to slowing down Riddle will be getting pressure in the backfield, not breaking contain and being disciplined in lanes.
“You’ve got to be able to stay sound in what you’re doing,” said the coach, who enters Saturday’s game with a 32-1 playoff record at UW-W.
Bratchett believes the defensive line does not have to make any major adjustments for Linfield’s offense. But rather, the Warhawks need to continue playing the way they have all season.
“I think if we do our job – take our responsibility, crash the pocket – there’s nowhere for him to go,” Bratchett said. “If we get out there and execute the techniques we learn throughout the week, we should be seeing some success.”