As Louisville football's defense learns new system, can defensive backs match 2022 success?
In his 30 years as a football coach, one of the best lessons Ron English has learned is to be open-minded.
Instead of forcing what he thinks his defense should be or look like, English tailors his formation and plays to what fits his personnel. It’s a reality the former Purdue co-defensive coordinator faced last season after the Boilermakers lost to Iowa in a 24-3 blowout.
“I just thought we would be a better man (coverage) team than we were, and we were not as good as I wanted to be,” English admitted. “And after our Iowa game, I said 'I'm not calling any more man.' … So, we're going to do what's best for our personnel.”
Up to that point, Purdue had given up 25.3 points per contest. In their final three games, the Boilermakers cut that to 16.3.
Now back at Louisville as the Cardinals’ co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, he and co-defensive coordinator Mark Hagen have put together a plan they believe plays to their players' strengths and hope it yields similar success.
Ben Perry will be one of a key behind those plans. The new 4-2-5 base defense allows him to get back to a position he said is similar to where he played in high school, when he helped Mount Carmel (Indiana) High School win an undefeated state championship as a junior. English said Perry’s versatility in where he’s able to play on the field will come in handy in dime packages, where the Cardinals’ defense includes six defensive backs.
“Sometimes even maybe seven (defensive backs on the field),” English added, “and then (Perry) can move inside and play the dime, which is really a mike (middle) linebacker. He could play outside. Ben is probably about 206 or 207 (pounds) today, but he plays bigger than that. … He's a long dude. He's got some toughness, and he loves football. We're going move him around a little bit and let him play.”
Cornerbacks coach Steve Ellis called the system “defensive back friendly," as it allows everyone the opportunity to make plays. Louisville is returning all but two of its starting defensive backs from 2022 after losing cornerback Kei’Trel Clark, now with the Arizona Cardinals, and safety Kenderick Duncan, who was replaced as a starter by M.J. Griffin during midseason last year but will likely miss this season with a lower leg injury.
That leaves Josh Minkins as the lone returning starter at safety. He also struggled with injuries during the spring, missing time he would have spent learning the new defense. He’s been catching up during fall camp and favors the new system — he believes it puts him in a better position on the field.
“All you’ve got to worry about (is to) win your one-on-one matchup,” Minkins said. “You also can be in zones and drop back and different things like that. For me, it has been different because I always was kind of just on my island by myself. But now I’ve got a little bit of help, so it's good knowing that.”
Despite Clark’s absence at corner, returning starter Jarvis Brownlee and Quincy Riley lead a strong group under Ellis.
Riley said the new system will help him get to the ball to create more turnovers. The redshirt junior was productive last year, leading Louisville with three of the team’s 15 interceptions, a figure that ranked second in the ACC and tied for 14th in the country. The Cardinals’ defense had 30 total turnovers, finishing third in the national rankings.
Brownlee contributed two interceptions as a starter in his first season with the Cardinals in 2022 and has full confidence in what he and his teammates can accomplish this fall.
“I feel like we could be one of the top secondaries this year,” Brownlee said. “All we’ve got to do is keep executing and just be consistent with doing it, just putting the time in, day in day out. As we keep doing that, we'll keep progressing.”
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Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football 2023: DB's learn new system under coach Jeff Brohm
