Defense will keep 'em guessing

EAST LANSING - The option was all the talk during spring ball, and at Michigan State's media day Tuesday in the club level at Spartan Stadium, the 3-4 defense and the "Wildcat" were tossed around the room.

It sounds like MSU's coaches are tinkering with some new strategies. Or at least talking about it. They have a few weeks to make installations before the season opener Sept. 5 against Montana State.

MSU's base defense is a 4-3, with four down linemen and three linebackers. But the 3-4, which is now the predominant defense in the NFL, has been used by the Spartans on third-and-long for the past two seasons.

With so many good linebackers and defensive backs in the program, defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said he is looking to do it more to get the best players on the field.

And with so many veteran players grasping his base defense, he thinks he can use the 3-4 in various situations to keep offenses guessing.

"We do it a lot, we had 100 snaps out of it last year, probably," Narduzzi said. "(Now we're) not gonna be maybe as predictable on a third down. Give it to you on first down, second down, doesn't matter really. Third down and short, throw it out there, see if they block that in practice. They haven't.

"It's kind of hard (for an offense), they've got so many different parts they've got to worry about, we're looking to get the best players on the field and it doesn't matter. It's in the system to be able to do it and our kids are mentally able to do it a little bit more."

The "Wildcat" involves direct snapping to a running back or receiver, a ploy popularized recently by Arkansas with former star backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. It has spread around college football and into the NFL.

MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said the Spartans have some "Wildcat" stuff in their playbook. They also worked on some option running plays during the spring, although Dantonio said the base offense remains the priority.

"Every program will have part of that in their repertoire and we'll be no different as we move ahead," Dantonio said, "but we do have to make sure we do basic things first."

Contact Joe Rexrode at 377-1070.