How Pete Golding has adapted defense everywhere he's coached
Aug. 14—OXFORD — There are three basic tenants to a Pete Golding-led defense: playing fast, playing smart and playing physical, and it's in that order specifically, the first-year Ole Miss defensive coordinator notes.
If Golding's career is any indicator, however, those principles are going to manifest themselves in many ways when the Rebels take the field this fall.
Golding joined Lane Kiffin's program this offseason after a successful five-year stint as the defensive coordinator at Alabama. During his tenure, the Crimson Tide's defense never ranked worse than 18th nationally in scoring defense. The most points his defenses allowed in a single-season was 20.1 in 2021. For comparison's sake, Ole Miss hasn't had a defense surrender that few points since 2014, when the Rebels led the nation with 16 points per game allowed.
When asked why he made the move from Tuscaloosa to Oxford, Golding made it simple: It was about family.
He played collegiately at Delta State as a safety, where he also got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant in 2006, and where later was named defensive coordinator. He also coached safeties at Southern Miss. His wife graduated from Ole Miss, and his mother is from the Magnolia State.
"When you're married and you have three kids, I think sometimes you lose the value of what you're really about. And so, having won national championships, a lot of SEC championships and all that, I still wanted to go somewhere to where my family could be more involved, No. 1.," Golding said. " ... When you can go somewhere that's already had success, that I think is very close to being elite year in and year out, and to feel like you can have an impact to help that, especially with your side of the ball, while still being somewhere that your wife wants to be, has always wanted to be, and still do what you love to do, I think that's special.
"This was strictly based on trying to be a better husband and a better father."
Ole Miss' defensive struggles last season were well-documented — after a solid start, the Rebels gave up 35 points per game over the final seven contests of 2022.
That included three games where opponents scored at least 40 points. The Rebels ran a base 3-2-6 defense under defensive coordinators D.J. Durkin and Chris Partridge the last two years. While the scheme offered vast improvements over the first season under head coach Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss surrendered 38.3 points per game in 2020), it also faltered at times, particularly against stronger opposition.
Ole Miss senior defensive end Jared Ivey said that one of the biggest differences he personally is undergoing in Golding's defense is playing the role of end on a four-man line compared to the three-man front from last year. Ivey is no stranger to learning new defenses, however, as a transfer from Georgia Tech.
"Not only just a smart guy — which he is — he's a cool dude," Ivey said. " ... You could tell he knows his way around the locker room, and he understands what we go through, day in, day out, and he definitely has a conscience for us, and you appreciate that."
Golding was asked about transitioning to a four-man front in his first meeting with local media on Friday. He made one thing clear: Ole Miss is not going to look the same every week.
"I think the biggest thing, obviously, from a front structure standpoint ... a lot of that's based on who you're playing, what they're doing, what's the rhythm of the throws," Golding explained. " ... We're going to do whatever we need from a front structure and coverage dictated on who we play. We're not going to go into it, 'Hey, this is who we are.' We're going to do what we need to do to win the football game."
The Daily Journal looked through every box score from games Golding has served as a defensive coordinator in since 2012 to see his starting, base defensive formations on a game-to-game basis. Of note is that, just because the defense started with a certain look during a game does not mean that's what it looked like every single play.
To say Golding's defensive schemes were varied would be an understatement. And that attention to detail and adaptability — and his personability as well — are things players love about him.
"He's intelligent as hell, man," senior linebacker Monty Montgomery said.
Varied his fronts not just year-to-year, but game-to-game
Golding was the defensive coordinator at a pair of Division II schools — Tusculum in 2008 and 2009 and at Delta State in 2010 and 2011. His first Division I (FCS) defensive coordinator job was at Southeastern Louisiana in 2012 and 2013. After a stint coaching safeties at Southern Miss, Golding was a defensive coordinator at UTSA in 2016 and 2017 before taking the Alabama job from 2018-22.
During his first season at Southeastern Louisiana, the Lions surrendered 34.7 points per game. That season, the Lions started every game with three down linemen, opting for a 3-3-5 in the majority of the games. In his second season — a year Southeastern Louisiana advanced to the FCS quarterfinals — the Lions' defense improved greatly, surrendering just 22.7 points per game.
While the three-man front was still the formation the Lions started most games with in 2013, there were two games that featured four-man fronts to start. There was one game that started with five linebackers and another that began in a 4-1-6.
Below are the statistics for each defense Golding has led since 2016, his first with the Road Runners. Included are the formations his defenses started each game with.
2016 UTSA
27.9 ppg allowed (63rd nationally)
54th in rush defense
T-65th in sacks per game
70th in passing yards per game allowed
Vs. Alabama State 3-3-5
Vs. Colorado State 3-3-5
Vs. Arizona State 3-3-5
Vs. Old Dominion 3-3-5
Vs. Southern Miss 3-3-5
Vs. UTEP 3-3-5
Vs. North Texas 3-3-5
Vs. Middle Tennessee 3-3-5
Vs. Louisiana Tech 3-3-5
Vs. Texas A&M 3-2-6
Vs. Charlotte 3-3-5
Vs. New Mexico 3-3-5
2017 UTSA
17 ppg allowed (8th)
22nd in rush defense
T-59th in sacks per game
2nd in passing yards per game allowed (160.1)
Opener vs. Baylor 4-2-5
Vs. Southern 4-2-5
Vs. Texas State 4-2-5
Vs. Southern Miss 4-2-5
Vs. North Texas 4-2-5
Vs. Rice 4-2-5
Vs. UTEP 3-3-5
Vs. FIU 4-2-5
Vs. UAB 4-2-5
Vs. Marshall 4-2-5
Vs. La Tech 4-2-5
17 ppg allowed (8th)
22nd in rush defense
T-59th in sacks per game
2nd in passing yards per game allowed (160.1)
Opener vs. Baylor 4-2-5
Vs. Southern 4-2-5
Vs. Texas State 4-2-5
Vs. Southern Miss 4-2-5
Vs. North Texas 4-2-5
Vs. Rice 4-2-5
Vs. UTEP 3-3-5
Vs. FIU 4-2-5
Vs. UAB 4-2-5
Vs. Marshall 4-2-5
Vs. La Tech 4-2-5
The biggest shift from Year 1 to Year 2 under Golding at UTSA was moving from three-down linemen to four. That shift moved SAM linebacker Marcus Davenport — the team's leading sack producer with 6.5 sacks in 2016 — onto the line as a defensive end for 2017. The lone game in 2017 that UTSA didn't start the game with four linemen, Davenport moved back to linebacker. Davenport was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 after racking up a career-best 8.5 sacks. Davenport was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.
2018 Alabama (co-DC)
18.1 ppg allowed (12th)
19th in rush defense
T-10th in sacks per game
33rd in passing yards per game allowed
Vs. Louisville 3-3-5
Vs. Arkansas State 3-3-5
Vs. Ole Miss 3-3-5
Vs. A&M 3-4-4
Vs. ULL 3-3-5
Vs. Arkansas 3-4-4
Vs. Missouri 3-3-5
Vs. Tennessee 3-3-5
Vs. LSU 3-3-5
Vs. MSU 3-3-5
Vs. Citadel 3-4-4
Vs. Auburn 3-3-5
SEC title Vs. Georgia 3-3-5
CFP vs. OU 3-3-5
National title game vs. Clemson 3-3-5
2019 Alabama
18.6 ppg allowed (13th)
37th in rush defense
T-44th in sacks per game
11th in passing yards per game allowed (187.2)
Vs. Duke 3-3-5
Vs. NMSU 3-3-5
VS. South Carolina 3-3-5
Vs. USM 3-2-6
Vs. Ole Miss 3-3-5
Vs. Texas A&M 2-4-5
Vs. Tennessee 3-3-5
Vs. Arkansas 2-4-5
Vs. LSU 2-4-5
Vs. MSU 3-3-5
Vs. Western Carolina 3-3-5
Vs. Auburn 3-3-5
Vs. Michigan 3-3-5
2020 Alabama
19.4 ppg allowed (13th)
17th in rush defense
34th in sacks per game
70th in passing yards per game allowed (239.2)
Vs. Missouri 3-3-5
Vs. Texas A&M 3-3-5
Vs. Ole Miss 3-4-4
Vs. UGA 3-4-4
Vs. Tennessee 3-3-5
Vs. Mississippi State 2-3-6
Vs. Kentucky 3-3-5
Vs. Auburn 3-3-5
Vs. LSU 3-3-5
Vs. Arkansas 3-3-5
SEC title game Vs. Florida 2-4-5
CFP vs. ND 3-3-5
National title game vs. Ohio State 2-4-5
2021 Alabama
20.1 ppg allowed (18th)
4th in rush defense
3rd in sacks per game
50th in passing yards per game allowed (218.1)
Vs. Miami: 2-4-5
Vs. Mercer 3-3-5
Vs. Florida 3-4-4
Vs. Southern Miss 2-4-5
Vs. Ole Miss 3-3-5
Vs. A&M 2-4-5
Vs. MSU 2-3-6
Vs. Tennessee 3-3-5
Vs. LSU 2-4-5
Vs. NMSU 2-4-5
Vs. Arkansas 3-3-5
Vs. Auburn 3-3-5
SEC title game 3-3-5
CFP vs Cincinnati 3-3-5
National title game vs Georgia 3-3-5
2022 Alabama
18.2 ppg allowed (9th)
35th in rush defense
T-15th in sacks per game
17th in passing yards per game allowed
Vs. Utah State: 2-4-5
Vs. Texas 2-4-5
Vs. ULM 2-4-5
Vs. Vanderbilt 3-3-5
Vs. Arkansas 2-4-5
Vs. Texas A&M 2-4-5
Vs. Tennessee 2-4-5
Vs. MSU 2-3-6
Vs. LSU 2-4-5
Vs. Ole Miss 3-3-5
Vs. Austin Peay 2-4-5
Vs. Auburn ONLY 10 PLAYERS LISTED
Vs. KSU 3-3-5
Alabama head coach Nick Saban has run some variation of a 3-4 defense since he took over in 2007, according to SB Nation's Roll Bama Roll.
While with the Crimson Tide, Golding's leading pass rusher was often an outside linebacker, with the exception being his first season as co-defensive coordinator when the defensive line was anchored by stars Quinnen Williams and Isaiah Buggs and in 2020. That pass rusher was called the JACK, which is by definition an outside linebacker who spends much of his time as a pass rusher on the edge. With three linebackers on the field, the linebackers are JACK, MIKE (middle) and WILL (weakside). With four linebackers, there is JACK, MIKE, WILL and SAM (strongside). The strongside linebacker lines up on the same side as the tight end on offense.
In 2019, the JACK position was held by Anfernee Jennings, who led the team with eight sacks. Beginning in 2020, Alabama had superstar Will Anderson, the two-time All-American, two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year and third pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was plugged into the JACK role as a freshman, and he finished second on the team with seven sacks behind defensive tackle Christian Barmore. Anderson racked up 17.5 sacks in 2021 and 10 in 2022. Opposite Anderson in 2021 and 2022 was Dallas Turner, who often also rushed the passer as an outside linebacker at the SAM position.
Football Advantage explains when using the 3-4 might be in a team's best interests.
"A 3-4 formation is great for a defense that has a glut of linebackers who have the ability to both rush the line of scrimmage and also read a play and then react to it on the fly," the site explains.
Also of note in Alabama's defense was the STAR position. The STAR is an additional safety-type that must also be adept in coverage. The STAR for the Crimson Tide last season, Brian Branch, led Alabama defensive backs with 90 tackles, including 14 for loss. He also excelled in coverage with seven passes defensed.
Throughout his career, Golding has adjusted defense to personnel, playing to a team's strengths rather than fitting square pegs into round holes. That figures to be the same at Ole Miss, regardless of whether a superstar like Anderson emerges. Golding has run a little bit of everything at some point.
Senior defensive tackle J.J. Pegues spent much of last season as a nose tackle, a spot that didn't necessarily play up to his biggest strengths — quickness and agility. With four-man fronts, he believes he will be able to excel, as he isn't lined up directly in front of an offensive lineman.
"I feel like it gives me an opportunity to show my athleticism, instead of just playing a zero nose and taking doubles," Pegues said. " ... I get to move and have one-on-ones, and just be able to create good matchups."
Long defensive backs with experience at cornerback
You'll notice that, among the names Ole Miss added in the transfer portal this offseason are Miami, Ohio's John Saunders Jr. and Liberty's Daijahn Anthony. Saunders and Anthony both played cornerback previously but have transitioned to safety/nickel roles under Golding.
That's not by accident, as Golding puts a premium on his safeties having cornerback-like coverage ability. The reason for that, he said, is that the SEC boasts top-level receivers line up in the slot that will exploit safeties lacking in coverage. Golding said he wants to have four or five players on the field at a time with cornerback skillsets.
"There's going to be very few safeties that are going to be playing on our roster that didn't play corner. Much less in high school, but more important probably in college," Golding said. "Because in this league, the matchup issues are primarily in the slot. And so if you don't have the ability to cover the slot in this league, it's going to be a long night."
Golding also said he likes his cornerbacks to be on the longer side, even if it means sacrificing a bit of speed. The same is largely true of all his defensive backs — in his final season at Southeastern Louisiana in the FCS quarterfinals against New Hampshire, four of the five starting defensive backs were at least 6-feet tall, including 6-foot-4 safety Theo Alexander. Both starting cornerbacks in his final game at UTSA against Louisiana Tech were at least 6-feet tall. And, in last season's Sugar Bowl win over Kansas State, Alabama's starting cornerbacks were 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-2, the two safeties and STAR were each at least 6-feet tall.
Three of the cornerbacks likely to see the most time this season — Deantre Prince, North Texas transfer DeShawn Gaddie Jr. and Georgia Tech transfer Zamari Walton — are 6-foot, 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-3, respectively.
