How to Defend Against a Spread Offense in College Football

College football is often the level at which offensive innovation takes place in the sport of football. One such innovation is the spread offense that college football teams made famous and many more teams begin to implement each year. Defending this offense may seem difficult at first but if a defense follows a few steps any team can defend against a spread offense in college football.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Have quick and aggressive defensive ends to defend against a spread offense in college football. Finding defensive ends to defend the spread offense is probably the toughest part of the task. These defensive ends must be strong enough to fend off large offensive linemen but quick enough to cover receivers in open space.

2. Use a zone defense approach to defending the pass against a spread offense. One of the most important tactical aspects in defending against spread offense is keeping the receivers in front of the defense. If the receivers get behind a defender, it can result in a large yardage gain for the offense. The type of zone will depend on the defensive personnel of the team.

3. Hit the receivers as soon they catch the football. Because of the short and quick routes run by receivers in a spread offense, it is almost impossible to keep them from catching the football. The key to defending the spread offense is to punish the receiver once they do catch the football and limit the yards the receiver gets after the catch. If your defenders hit the receivers enough during the course of a game eventually, they will feel the pain and be reluctant to catch the football later on.

4. Remain patient when you defend a spread offense in college football. Too many times a defense will try to blitz and become overly aggressive against a spread offense. This is too much of a gamble because if you fail to sack the quarterback it will result in a big play or a score for the other team. Simply stay in the zone defense, punish the receivers after they catch football and wait for the offense to make a mistake. It is very rare that an offense can march the length of football field in small increments and not make a mistake.