College Station, Texas ? When defensive coordinator Gary Darnell arrived at Texas A&M in December 2005, he found a crew that was mentally wrecked.
Historically known for its hard-hitting style, A&M ranked 107th nationally in total defense in 2005, less than a dozen spots from dead last. The Aggies had allowed 31.2 points per game, the second-highest mark in school history.
“Problems that we had when I came here were gut wrenching,” Darnell said. “They’d lost their rudder.”
Darnell installed a 4-2-5 base scheme last season and kept it simple. The Aggies gained confidence and made strides, rising to 46th nationally. Now players feel good about themselves again and believe in what they’re doing.
Nobody’s boasting about lofty statistical goals or comparing this unit to an era that’s long gone. A&M players just want to prove that their defense isn’t a liability anymore.
“You still have to wait until the season starts and wait until you go through adversity,” defensive tackle Red Bryant said. “But I feel like we’re building a solid foundation, and that’s what I’m excited about.”
You’d expect a senior leader to say that. But several others share Bryant’s view.
Most of that feeling comes from this being the second season in Darnell’s system. A year of experience has made a world of difference, several players say.
The playbook was so remedial last season that Darnell said he was “petrified of the big play.”
But the Aggies immersed themselves in the playbook last spring. Darnell was so impressed with the players’ retention in early August that he declared the defense 100 percent installed.
Expect to see more team blitzes and more formations, he said. Players can also take certain pass coverages and tailor them on the field to fit different receiver formations.
“We had some things we wouldn’t even dream or talk about doing last year,” Darnell said. “Now we have some things that I don’t even give a second thought to.”
Linebacker Mark Dodge said players aren’t tensing up before the snap because they don’t know what to do.
“You see it in every drill we do nowadays,” Dodge said. “We’ve got every single guy flying to the football, and when we hit, it’s different. We do damage.”
Forgetting an assignment is understandable. Darnell said in those instances, he just wants players running hard to the ball.
That’s what he told linebacker Anthony Lewis to do this spring. Don’t worry about the proper footwork or reading the quarterback; just go hit somebody.
Lewis, a sophomore from Haltom City, is expected to get considerable playing time this fall.
In the secondary, a year of experience coupled with a strong off-season workout program has made a huge difference.
The top-10 players in the secondary lost a total of 45 pounds. Darnell said they’ve realized the quickest way from points A to B is “to be lean and mean.”
“The speed, how fast we’re getting to the ball, is amazing,” safety Devin Gregg said. “The defense is playing as quick and as fast since we’ve been here.”