From The Rumble Seat · Sep 16, 2017
Defending The Flexbone: Tennessee and Jacksonville State
Tennessee spent much of this game using the pyramid defense against the flexbone offense. This is a classic 4-3 with the OLBs right behind the defensive ends and the MLB sitting way back. This is a pretty classic formation for defending the flexbone. If the defensive end is the read on the dive (e.g. if the DE cuts inside the QB keeps it) and the OLB is the read on the pitch (if the OLB takes the QB, then he pitches it). Leaving the MLB far back gives him a better read on the direction of the play, and makes it harder for the offensive line to block him because they have to go farther.