TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Rich Rodriguez was known as an offensive innovator during his days at West Virginia.
He also was one of the few coaches to use the 3-3-5 defense, one he still employs in his first season at Arizona.
The Wildcats are one of a handful of teams using the scheme, which features five defensive backs and is designed to counter the spread offenses in college football today.
The adaptable defense features lots of blitzing and can be tough for teams to plan for while trying to figure out who and where to block.
Rocky Long kept the 3-3-5 defense when he became the head coach at San Diego State after two years as the Aztecs’ defensive coordinator and Louisiana-Monroe has had some success using the defense this season.
